hello 2014!

Cheers for a new year!
Cheers for 2013 and the trials we overcame. cheers for 2013 and the memories that will always be cherished.

I have plopped down in front of this computer about 16 times (or maybe more...who can remember?) to start one of my posts and without fail, something has come up every.single.time. I remembered that load of laundry that needed to be switched to the dryer before the clothes had a chance to wrinkle. One night the thought of needing to get all of our lunches prepped for the following week popped into my head and so up the stairs and to the kitchen I headed. And yet, even with neglecting yet another post, there are always jobs left undone and dirty toilets to be cleaned. Imagine that.

I fall crawl into bed almost every night thinking of words I want to share and memories I want to post, and then poof! There goes another 24 hrs.

So tonight as I sat down to eat my supper at 8:37pm I made a decision. I'm going to write. I'm going to write right now.

Where to start: Best memories of 2013? Lessons learned and hard times overcome over the last twelve months? Goals for the new year? Our 2013 Thanksgiving and Christmas memories? Fun crafts and decorations around our house during the holidays? Bible verses and lessons that have literally made my mouth drop because they have been that applicable to where I am in life right now? Or, maybe I could just start with....Now.

Keeping things simple...

1. It's cold here. And I don't mean 20 degrees cold. I mean -20's cold (with a windchill of  -50s cold). So cold that all Minnesota schools have been shut down for today and tomorrow.
2. I seriously tear up almost every day thinking about how fast my boys are growing up. Sometimes I will catch myself staring at them as I try and soak up every little detail so as not to blink and have them disappear.
3. I get overwhelmed almost day with my house and all the stuff...and the messes. Love the memories. Hate the messes. Working hard to simplify some things in 2014 (been on this mission and have been working towards simplifying our stuff since 2012. Sad isn't it?)
4. Started feeling the Baby move at the end of 17 weeks (just a few days later than I felt Cooper) but love that now I am feeling it move even while I'm working throughout my work days. It makes me so happy I find myself constantly smiling over it.
5. Experimenting with quite a few crockpot recipes these days and thankful as heck for that large cooking pot that saves me every single week.
6. Listening to "Pieces" by Meredith Andrews and "Just Say Jesus" by 7venth Time Down. Loving 98.5 and all it's goodness in tunes.
7. Reading "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young and literally inhaling every single passage multiple times a day.
8. Craving "alone time" to read, write and think creatively. It's been a long time...
9. Sooo loving our new sheets that Nana and Poppie got us for Christmas. I am literally sleeping 100 times better on them as I visit Dreamland.
10. Striving daily to not be anxious over anything. Did I mention this is literally a DAILY focus (thought upon all.throughout.the.day)

So thankful for this bit of quiet reflection before turning in for the evening. The dishes can wait yet another day.

littlest pumpkin to arrive...

So, for the first update...

Our Littlest Pumpkin is due to arrive April 2014!!!

 

We are very excited and feel so very blessed!! The boys love to come up and feel mama's tummy as it has been growing super fast. :) Please pray with us for our sweet little pumpkin over these next several months. (and for this mama's strength and energy to hold up with everything else in life going on besides this!! Thank ya much! ;))

 

his first day of Preschool

 

My baby has started Preschool. Last Tuesday, I dropped him off at his all-day preschool trying hard to hold back the tears. I knew he would be excited and totally into all the activities once we left and he got settled, but saying bye was hard "cause I no like you weave!" The last several months, Cooper no likes anyone leaving. ;)

He was happy to put his new "school blankie" from Rassie in his very own locker/cubby. The blue Buzz and Woody backpack that he's carrying is the same one that his brother had for his first day of Preschool/daycare.

After we picked Cooper up after school on Day 1 and asked him how his first day at Preschool went, he said, "I no like!" When we asked him why, he responded (with his right hand pointer finger up in the air), "Cause da teacher told me Shhh!" hahaha! Love love.

He is actually doing very well and the teachers say he is having a blast...after the first few minutes of drop off that is. :) One of my favorite parts at the end of the day is when I walk back into his classroom and he gets this huge grin on his face and runs into my arms. I LOVE that he is so happy to see me and doesn't want to let go of me until we get to the car (where his blankie and "B" are waiting for him! ha!).

my little chefs on a Saturday morning

This morning, after a busy week of work, I couldn't wait to spend some quality, downtime with my boys. We got in the kitchen and started making eggs and toast for breakfast. Parker wanted to make the eggs all my himself...and he did. He was sooo proud. And Cooper was in charge of the toast (sort of). I had to relieve him of his duties when he started just eating the butter and the strawberry rhubarb preserves out of the containers. ;) It was a joy to be in there with them though, watching them so happily at work. Then later in the morning, after the kitchen was clean and a load of laundry was in the washer and dryer, I went upstairs to find Parker playing make-believe with his train, tractors, trucks and sleeping bags. He was so into his little game that I hated to interrupt.

....meanwhile, Cooper was attempting to hide his sneaky little self downstairs. Kinda hard to hide all that cuteness, wouldn't you say?!

our garden project: herbs and vegetables

In 2011, I tested my green thumb by planting a variety of herbs on our deck. Needless to say, my thumb didn't turn out to be so green. The poor herbs died a few months later. I missed my plants last year, so when 2013 rolled around I had already decided that somehow, I was going to figure out how I could not only give the herbs another chance, but how I could also dip my does into some potted vegetables.

A friend of mine came over to help me...since I truly had no idea what I was doing. She was gracious enough to supply me with all of the herbs and vegetables that we are growing for this summer: Patio tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, and cherry tomotoes. For herbs: mint, basil, thyme, cilantro, parsley and now rosemary. My little plants make me happy to no end! Admittedly, instead of curbing my desire for a large garden, by diving into this little project, it has made me want to throw all of our stuff in a moving van and hightail it to the nearest farmland available for purchase.

Pictures taken on August 2, 2013

In the evenings lately I have so enjoyed walking outside just before the sun goes down with a glass of wine in hand to check on my plants. And then of course, on a few rare occasions I make a fool of myself in front of my neighbors by squealing and jumping up and down over my budding vegetables...ahem, which I may or may not have done tonight.
The plants are doing really well, except they are all outgrowing their pots. They need bigger spaces. I am hoping to solve that problem next year; I have already started looking at possibilities that would work even in our little patio space.

Fast forward from August 2 to this past Wednesday, August 14. Our first baby tomato was ready to be plucked from its vine. It only lasted long enough for a quick rinse as Parker decided it was the bestest, juicest tomato he had ever seen and promptly popped the whole thing enthusiastically in his mouth. :)  The boys and I picked 3 more this afternoon and those actually made it to the kitchen...no thanks to my tomato-lovin' child. ;)
Have I mentioned how stinkin' happy I am about our little plants!!! They put the biggest smile on my face each day. Truly theraputic...

Picture taken on August 2, 2013

 

"And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness." James 3:18

Moms Connect Leadership Retreat 2013

Today I was blessed to be able to attend Wooddale's Moms Connect Leadership Retreat with this fabulous group of women (Vanessa, I am so sorry but blogger is cutting off your sweet self in both the group pics :(  Boo.) The retreat was held at the Minikahda Club Paddle House in Minneapolis. Seeing so many of these women after the summer break and getting to fellowship together was definately a highlight of my weekend. LOVE these women so much. They consistently inspire me to be a greater woman of Christ, a better wife and a better mother. So excited to work with them again this year! A slight change from last year, I will be attending the evening group in Edina instead of the morning group at Eden Prairie due to a change in my family's schedule.

I am starting a new job tomorrow.

Transitioning once again, from work-at-home mom to a working outside the home mama. This go round, I have been at home for 1 year and 4 months. My first lay off in Minnesota took place in January 2009...January 15 to be exact. I remember the day well because it was the two year anniversary of my dad's passing. It made sense for our family for me to stay at home for awhile, but then the time came for me to jump back in the workforce which led to a new job start in spring of 2011. One year later, history repeated itself. Tragic at the time, but a blessing in disguise. That's usually how it works isn't it? :) So much going on this past year...thankful to have had more flexibility with my schedule to be able to be at home with the boys and make precious memories with them. I have cherished being with them this past year...treasured and documented the not-so-good moments as well as the incredible ones.

Though I look at this change as being bittersweet, I am going to embrace the opportunities that come with it. This first month before the boys start school will be a little bit tricky and challenging, but I anticipate that come the second week in September, we will feel like old pro's. :) I feel so thankful that for this initial transition the boys are with our Texas family living it up and enjoying the spoils that having 3 aunts, 1 uncle, 1 set of grandparents and 1 great-grandparent brings. Yesterday I got a few pictures from KK and Nana...any guesses where they were?

 

If you guessed the circus you are correct. Word has it that they had a good time. ;) I think everyday in Texas with this crew is a grand adventure for our boys.
Thank you so much Nana, Poppie and girls for taking care of our boys for a little bit for us. We appreciate it so much!! Please give them big hugs and kisses from their mama and daddy. :)


...oh, and just in case you are wondering, the crazy hats were part of the party. :) I chose to decorate mine with things that reflect me: hot wheels cars (all over our house with 2 boys), pen (I love to write), a moms connect business card (because I am passionate about this group and in growing in Christ with other women of faith), a piece of Lindor dark chocolate (no explanation needed there ;)), a tube of MK lip gloss (love my lip gloss and I sell it), an airplane (a passion is traveling and I am married to a pilot), a book (yes, I hung a book from my hat because books are that much a part of me!), a bullet (as of June this year, I am legal to carry a gun in Minnesota...which makes my husband quite proud...which I think is cute), and of course photographs of our family (once again, no explanation needed.) And finally, to represent a Southern background, a handmade purchase tag hanging off the side just like my fellow Southerner Minnie Pearl would have flaunted. ;)

And now it's off to this bed for this working mama...wish me luck! :)

Rounding out Spring, Dancing into Summer

Soccer games, Preschool end of the year activities and graduation, Storytimes in pjs with special smoothies, a playdate at the Arboretum with friends, talk time on the phone with grandparents, a Dallas friend coming for a visit, and afternoon playtime outside the house with trucks and diggers = Summertime is on its way!!

 

 

 

After finishing up the last of our spring activities, we were ready to play in the South for a bit to start our summer off with a bang! January to May was nothing short of a crazy whirlwind for our family...and though we haven't reached steady waters yet, the storm is definately calming. I am literally dancing into our summertime fun!
 Over the last several weeks we have been busy traveling, seeing family and friends in Mississippi and in Texas. Oh, what a blessing that precious time was for me and for the boys. At 4:45 tomorrow morning, Clay and I are hopping on a plane headed for Orlando to meet the rest of Clay's family at Disneyworld for a few days. I should be in the bed sleeping soundly before my alarm goes off at 4am, but of course, I had stubbornly decided that this post must go up before we left. :) I am soooo excited to be running off to this magical place with my boys! The cameras are charged and ready to go..."It's a Small World After All" has been the tune in my head for the past 3 days...DisneyWorld, here we come!

...and when I return, plenty of fun pictures to share from the trips to the three states!

Little boys, rubber boots, and rain puddles = a splishin' splashin' good time!

Splish splash. Swish Swash. Two little boys, 1 froggy rain jacket, 4 pairs of rubber boots (you know, two pairs for wearing and two pairs for filling up with water and fitting your bare toes into until it's time to switch and fill up another pair for more waterfall effects), and plenty of rainfall. Sounds of laughter and squeals coming from two little boys. Loving these moments with my little men.

 

Pictures taken on May 19, 2013

After almost a week of solid rain, the boys and I decided it was time to get out the rainboots and do some splishing and splashing. So happy we did.

April "showers" in Minnesota - a winter snowstorm

Written on Thursday, April 18:

Whoever said that "April showers bring May flowers" must never have traveled to Minnesota in the "spring." Though Minnesotan's are accustomed to crazy temperature changes and snow still on the ground in April, this state hasn't seen a winter snowstorm in April for more than 20 years. Leave it to 2013 to change that. For someone who doesn't watch the news or the weather channel, it might have been a bit of a shock to have this weather start pounding down...thankfully, I have people who care about me and know that I do not pay attention to either of those above mentioned channels, so they call me to inform and prepare me. :) By noon today ice pellets were falling fast and hitting the ground hard. The boys and I were at the church; I drove around back and dropped Parker off at preschool and headed home s-l-o-w-l-y. I didn't want to end up in a ditch like the other 8 or so cars I passed within that 8-9 mile radius. Thank you, Lord, for 4-wheel drive. And thank you, Lord, for sending me a husband who is stubborn enough to not let me talk him into getting a minivan here in Minnesota, for I would have been one of the 17 or so vans I saw stuck or pulled off the road today.

Of course, when heavy weather hits, the Pilot gets excited. I have long since discovered a pattern with him; if a blizzard or snowstorm comes, he climbs in Troublemaker to see what he can see and to see who he can help that might be stuck. Then, he always suggests that I not worry over cooking, and takes us out to eat (usually to Red Lobster...1. because we love it so much and 2. because it would just feel wrong to go anywhere else during the above mentioned condition...it's where we always happened to be when major snowfalls occurred earlier in our marriage...random, but quite true.

All 4 of us load up in Black Stallion (that would be my Explorer) and head towards the nearest Red Lobster. Thank you, family, for our gift cards; we enjoy using them so much at random times such as this!!! I try hard not to crack up as the Pilot excitedly talks about the weather conditions and how "bad the roads are," "do you see how well our 4-wheel drive is working right now?" and quite a few comments and suggestions regarding other drivers and how they were not doing so hot...according to his knowledge.

I start a video recording. Parker is being silly and asking 10,000 questions as usual regarding the exact things his daddy was talking about. Clay gets a phone call; it's Nana. Hi Nana! They talk for a few seconds. His 7 year old Iphone (yes, everyone please pity him now and it will make him feel slightly better. :)) --"that was the second Iphone ever to come out"--shut off. Clay calls Nana back. It shuts off again. After attempting 4-5 conversations that were unsuccessful, the Pilot gave up on that notion and frustratingly shared with me that he needed a new phone. (You have to either live in this household or know Clay very well to understand why at that moment, the only comment I could muster was, "Yes dear, you do need a new phone very badly. And we will get you one one day; it's on the list... I tried to sound sympathetic, but I don't think I did.)

Meanwhile, Cooper is sounding quite whiny in the backseat--not your typical crying and wailing whining, but your lips-poked-out-for-no-reason-other-than-to-fuss-and-pout-over-absolutely-nothing type whine. And please, let me tell you, that our little mister has the whine down to a science. Have you ever seen the PBS show Calillou? It's his favorite. Picture Calillou's voice but about 10 times more dramatic and whiny and you have our little mister's "whine."

I am happily snapping pictures and videotaping the roads, the noises, the date and time, the comments...pretty much everything. It might have been quite the comical moment if you had been a fly on the wall.

We did arrive to Red Lobster safe and sound and now, were rather hungry. Thank goodness for those lobsters out front and for the restaurant's dream biscuits. Dinner was fabulous as usual. Of course, the boys and I were all done by the time poor hubby started on his snow crab legs. ;) He has to peel everyone else's first so it ends up being quite the ordeal. ha! I have to laugh every time. The boys are diving in as soon as he lays it on their plates. We try to tell them to slow down and savor each bite, but I truly don't think it even makes it on their taste buds before going down. Ahh, the memories we will have of eating at this place with our boys. :)

On the way home, both boys fell fast asleep before we had even made it a few miles. It kinda made me a little sad for them to miss the drive back, because in my opinion, driving in the snow in the evening under the lighting of the streetlamps helps make up for the "inconvenience" the snow and ice bring our way during the day. It is a beautiful sight...and feeling. Heavy snowfall topped with bright, glowing street lights...and a peacefulness. Hard to describe. You just have to see it. 

Anyway, after pulling onto our street the Pilot announced that he thought he might pull out our snowblower to "warm it up." We got it two years ago and it has only been used once (for a couple of reasons.) After getting the boys to bed, we both ventured out to the garage. The lightbulb blows. (remember to add that to our "to do" list..."our" meaning the Pilot's.) I poured myself a glass of White Zinfandel, pulled up my hoodie, and stood calf deep in the snow while the Pilot happily snowplowed. At this moment, I thanked God for 3 things: 1. for dear hubby being home during this wild weather  2. for my sweet glass of wine  and 3. for the beauty and peace of the snowfall

A mini run-down of our day in pics: (minus Moppets, Parker's school and Clay's dr. appt, the 4 times diarrhea diaper incidences, the wet-bed sheets, the laundry room, a few other things that visitors of this blog would probably appreciate my not sharing)

How I found Parker this morning when I came downstairs to get in the shower

In case it's hard to tell in the picture, it's an orange pepper.

 

Where Cooper ran to and what he grabbed as soon as he got back from his drive with his daddy in Troublemaker.

 

First thing Parker wanted to do when he got home from school...shovel the snow out of our driveway.

After 16 calls, 2 text msgs and 3 voicemails to the Pilot's un-workable phone, I was relieved to see Troublemaker pulling in the neighborhood. The little mister and his daddy had decided to play in the snow a little on their way home and help a few people who were stuck on a nearby hill...wish you would have told your worried wife ahead of time about that, babe!

How the roads looked on our way to eat supper. An accident every several feet it seemed like.

 

Snow crab at Red Lobster. Yum!

Me outside with my wine hunching over from the cold wind that blew snow in my face as the Pilot was snapping the picture.

 

The Pilot at work snowblowing neighboring driveways. (He says it was to truly "warm up the snowblower" after not using it for a year; I happen to know the boy got quite enthusiastic about putting that thing to work this evening though!)