The picture of the dining room in my last post was DEFINITELY not mine! That's at the house we ate Thanksgiving dinner at...I am about 100 years away from having a house that big, furniture that nice, and a sense of style that classy!
But I WILL post pictures of our house as we sift through the mess...no worries!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
When the dust settles and the boxes are cleared out...
This picture is the dining room where we ate Thankgiving. Notable not only for the beautiful furnishings and impecable decorating taste, but for the lack of boxes spread throughout.
At our house, the dust is still flyin' and the boxes are still scattered! They've acted as forts, stools, and toy cars for some very happy campers.
I think we're getting there...to that point of normal. To feeling like we're HOME. Slowly, but surely. In the meantime, there's this:
And this is a sneaky little guy who found a mirror in Jenna's closet. :) Just throwing this one in for fun...
I have had so much to write over the past few days, but just haven't had the chance. I've hardly read any blogs--so sorry for my absense from your comment boxes!! I have practically fallen in bed every night, EXHAUSTED from working, cleaning, unpacking...and then getting up at 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. with the kids every morning. To make life more complicated, we are STILL trying to finish cleaning our old house. I had help one of the days, which was SO nice. But aside from that it's just been me. And it's pretty slow going when it's one person tackling one HOUSE. I think it has made things really emotionally draining...it's like I can't just move on and get my new house settled because I still have so much to do at my old one. And with so much to do at my NEW house, I am left to wonder how to juggle everything. Brandon has been hitting the books hard in preparation for his finals, and that means it's me and the kids alone again. Alone, and tackling all we have to do at both houses.
At our house, the dust is still flyin' and the boxes are still scattered! They've acted as forts, stools, and toy cars for some very happy campers.
I think we're getting there...to that point of normal. To feeling like we're HOME. Slowly, but surely. In the meantime, there's this:
And this is a sneaky little guy who found a mirror in Jenna's closet. :) Just throwing this one in for fun...
I have had so much to write over the past few days, but just haven't had the chance. I've hardly read any blogs--so sorry for my absense from your comment boxes!! I have practically fallen in bed every night, EXHAUSTED from working, cleaning, unpacking...and then getting up at 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. with the kids every morning. To make life more complicated, we are STILL trying to finish cleaning our old house. I had help one of the days, which was SO nice. But aside from that it's just been me. And it's pretty slow going when it's one person tackling one HOUSE. I think it has made things really emotionally draining...it's like I can't just move on and get my new house settled because I still have so much to do at my old one. And with so much to do at my NEW house, I am left to wonder how to juggle everything. Brandon has been hitting the books hard in preparation for his finals, and that means it's me and the kids alone again. Alone, and tackling all we have to do at both houses.It's enough to make me want to...scream? Cry? Laugh? Go to sleep for 3 days straight? :)
However stressful, I am loving how it is coming together here! The playroom is HEAVEN, my kitchen is "cozy", and I am so glad to be getting organized again. Am going to work on curtains for the living room this week and I am SOOOO excited about how rich and warm they make the room feel.
Sigh. But now, I am beat. And my brain is not thinking straight.
So I will go. Before I say a bunch of fluff and stuff that makes no sense. :)
Night.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
MUCH to be thankful for.
We have much to be thankful for...and being Thanksgiving it seems appropriate to take note that we have truly been blessed.
Blessed with:
-FAMILY. And those we surround ourselves with who act as a different kind of family.
-Internet. And a phone again. It's nice to have contact with the outside world!
-A home to live in. A home that has had a lot of TLC put into it, just for us. A home that has AMAZING insulation and great heat. A home that has wood floors that clean up easy and a giant master bedroom that I have no idea what to do with. :)
-Things coming together at the right time. Like, being able to move on Monday. This was HUGE for us because we really needed it to happen. Somehow things came together and it all worked out. And when we moved in a realized we couldn't get our queen box springs up the stairs, we miraculously found someone that same day who was selling a split box spring (looks like a king box spring, but fits a queen bed) that was only a third of what we would have had to pay brand new. Just lots of little things like that...
-A place to go for Thanksgiving dinner. We are still very much in boxes...and I don't even think I have a cube of butter in my fridge. A nice family we go to church with invited us for dinner, which was SO thoughtful. She handled it all--well, we DID throw together a green bean casserole (thank you food storage!). We had a wonderful dinner and dessert. It was so nice to not be alone and to share such a delicious meal together.
-Children
-Health
-talents and abilities
-each other....
-And for life. And love.
-And many, more things.
Yes, today...this Thanksgiving day, I know I am indeed blessed.
Blessed with:
-FAMILY. And those we surround ourselves with who act as a different kind of family.
-Internet. And a phone again. It's nice to have contact with the outside world!
-A home to live in. A home that has had a lot of TLC put into it, just for us. A home that has AMAZING insulation and great heat. A home that has wood floors that clean up easy and a giant master bedroom that I have no idea what to do with. :)
-Things coming together at the right time. Like, being able to move on Monday. This was HUGE for us because we really needed it to happen. Somehow things came together and it all worked out. And when we moved in a realized we couldn't get our queen box springs up the stairs, we miraculously found someone that same day who was selling a split box spring (looks like a king box spring, but fits a queen bed) that was only a third of what we would have had to pay brand new. Just lots of little things like that...
-A place to go for Thanksgiving dinner. We are still very much in boxes...and I don't even think I have a cube of butter in my fridge. A nice family we go to church with invited us for dinner, which was SO thoughtful. She handled it all--well, we DID throw together a green bean casserole (thank you food storage!). We had a wonderful dinner and dessert. It was so nice to not be alone and to share such a delicious meal together.
-Children
-Health
-talents and abilities
-each other....
-And for life. And love.
-And many, more things.
Yes, today...this Thanksgiving day, I know I am indeed blessed.
Monday, November 24, 2008
WE PASSED!
This is going to be short...
We passed our inspection!! HOORAY, HOORAY! We are on our way to get the truck and get ourselves moved in. Kind of rushed and late in the day, and after MUCH drama...
But it's done.
I am SO excited!
I will be without internet for a day or 2...but I am pretty sure I will be busy enough to not miss it too much! :)
Here's to new adventures and new houses!
We passed our inspection!! HOORAY, HOORAY! We are on our way to get the truck and get ourselves moved in. Kind of rushed and late in the day, and after MUCH drama...
But it's done.
I am SO excited!
I will be without internet for a day or 2...but I am pretty sure I will be busy enough to not miss it too much! :)
Here's to new adventures and new houses!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
A letter to my children...
A letter to my children on our last night in this house (okay, hoping this really IS our last night here so we can get this move GOING!)
Today, as we sat in church, I watched each of you. I realized how much you have grown--every day. It caused me to reflect on how much of that growing has taken place in our little house...the house that has been our home for the past year and a half.
This is the place, Jenna, where you were potty trained. This is where you got your first bike and ran and played in the backyard so free and full of life. And this is where you made you secret magical garden in the small space between the house and the fence. This is the house with the attic you LOVED to climb into every chance you got. And this is the house where the light reflected so brightly through your big bedroom window that your pink curtains really made the ROOM look pink. You LOVED your "pink" room.
And my sweet Kaden. This house is where you taught me about true babyproofing, and where I cleaned up way too many accidents dealing with you and poop (and flour, and chocolate, and corn meal, and syrup, and permanent marker). :) And this is where you got your first big boy bed. This home is where you put on your first real church suit--you looked so handsome! And this is where you played with cars and hauled your toys to hide in every nook and cranny. This place is where you spoke your first word. And this is the house, Kaden, where you turned from a baby to a toddler, and then instantly into a little boy.
And I certainly can't forget my little Spencer. This, Spencer is the house where you came home from the hospital to meet your siblings. This is the only house you have known--the one where you learned to walk and eat and sleep. The one where you know your way around. This house is the one where you first found shelter in the kitchen cabinets, waiting patiently for the kids to find you so you could shriek and giggle when they laughed at you. This is the home you have filled with your laughter and cooing and where you totally stole our hearts forever.
I remember when we came and saw this house for the first time. It was April and we were on our way to the airport to fly back to Idaho after daddy was accepted to school here. It was a sunny day--and beautiful spring day. Everything inside felt so bright and cheery. I could picture you each in here, your beds in their rooms and your toys out to play. And then I saw the backyard--it was love at first sight. I knew this was the yard that we could fill with FUN. And we did. This was the right house for us, even for the short time we have lived here.
I know we will have many more houses in life. We will move on to different stages of life and have different needs each time. But I will always hold dear all the memories we made while we lived in this home. The prayers that were said, sings that were sang, tears that were shed, tantrums that were thrown, love that was shared.
Because those memories, and this home are part of your lives...OUR lives. Forever.
Today, as we sat in church, I watched each of you. I realized how much you have grown--every day. It caused me to reflect on how much of that growing has taken place in our little house...the house that has been our home for the past year and a half.
This is the place, Jenna, where you were potty trained. This is where you got your first bike and ran and played in the backyard so free and full of life. And this is where you made you secret magical garden in the small space between the house and the fence. This is the house with the attic you LOVED to climb into every chance you got. And this is the house where the light reflected so brightly through your big bedroom window that your pink curtains really made the ROOM look pink. You LOVED your "pink" room.
And my sweet Kaden. This house is where you taught me about true babyproofing, and where I cleaned up way too many accidents dealing with you and poop (and flour, and chocolate, and corn meal, and syrup, and permanent marker). :) And this is where you got your first big boy bed. This home is where you put on your first real church suit--you looked so handsome! And this is where you played with cars and hauled your toys to hide in every nook and cranny. This place is where you spoke your first word. And this is the house, Kaden, where you turned from a baby to a toddler, and then instantly into a little boy.
And I certainly can't forget my little Spencer. This, Spencer is the house where you came home from the hospital to meet your siblings. This is the only house you have known--the one where you learned to walk and eat and sleep. The one where you know your way around. This house is the one where you first found shelter in the kitchen cabinets, waiting patiently for the kids to find you so you could shriek and giggle when they laughed at you. This is the home you have filled with your laughter and cooing and where you totally stole our hearts forever.
I remember when we came and saw this house for the first time. It was April and we were on our way to the airport to fly back to Idaho after daddy was accepted to school here. It was a sunny day--and beautiful spring day. Everything inside felt so bright and cheery. I could picture you each in here, your beds in their rooms and your toys out to play. And then I saw the backyard--it was love at first sight. I knew this was the yard that we could fill with FUN. And we did. This was the right house for us, even for the short time we have lived here.
I know we will have many more houses in life. We will move on to different stages of life and have different needs each time. But I will always hold dear all the memories we made while we lived in this home. The prayers that were said, sings that were sang, tears that were shed, tantrums that were thrown, love that was shared.
Because those memories, and this home are part of your lives...OUR lives. Forever.
Aquarium Adventures
On Saturday it was snowing--again. And to be honest, I NEEDED to get out with the kids. We have been inside much of the week, packing and getting things done here and I think we all hit a breaking point. :) So after driving around for a while killing time while the kids slept, we stopped at a store I found the other day called Aquarium Adventures. It was SO COOL! Now call me cheap, but I was so excited that since it was a store, it was free to browse. :) The kids LOVED looking at all the fish--big ones, small ones, colored onces, albinos--they loved it! Row after row of fishtanks...
We will definitely do this again this winter!
Being around all these fish sparked my interest in possibly taking one of these critters home. But after the 20 minute shpeal about the upkeep and cost of saltwater fish (namely Nemo) and then another 10 minute discussion about the cons of a tiny little kiddie fish tank, and I decided that fish are just not for us right now. :) We will just keep going back to visit--and next time I won't ask about buying one. :)
We will definitely do this again this winter!
Being around all these fish sparked my interest in possibly taking one of these critters home. But after the 20 minute shpeal about the upkeep and cost of saltwater fish (namely Nemo) and then another 10 minute discussion about the cons of a tiny little kiddie fish tank, and I decided that fish are just not for us right now. :) We will just keep going back to visit--and next time I won't ask about buying one. :)Our next stop was a mattress store. We checked out all the beds, futons, and bed frames, and the kids got red balloons. :) I was glad we were the only people in the store and the employee let the kids be kids.
It felt so good to be out again. I really can't wait until we are settled and can get back in the swing of things...
Friday, November 21, 2008
Reminiscing--
Tonight I got looking back at what I wrote a year ago this week, just to see how things have changed and remember what we were going through at the time. It was so fun to see how the kids have changed and read the funny things they said and did. Brandon and I were shocked at how SMALL Kaden was last year--and now he seems all grown up. It is weird to think that Spencer will sprout up just like him next year.
I also noticed a few recurring themes...we didn't sleep well (what has changed there?), we did lots of fun things together, and we were always cleaning up messes. :) Sitting here tonight, I am SO glad I recorded all those things. Many of them I had forgotten about--little tidbits here and there--and I am grateful to have them put down somewhere to jog my memory at times like this.
I know this picture is a repost, but when I saw it I about died laughing remembering the day I took it! It was taken last December. In my post I had written, "Brandon and Jenna went out to play ball in the backyard and I snapped this pic. She dressed herself...obviously. I mean, what says "I enjoy 40 degree weather" like a pair of flowery capris and dress shoes!?? The ball was flying right towards her, and she just shut her eyes and stood there! :) I am sensing she might take on my lack of athletic abilities."
I also noticed a few recurring themes...we didn't sleep well (what has changed there?), we did lots of fun things together, and we were always cleaning up messes. :) Sitting here tonight, I am SO glad I recorded all those things. Many of them I had forgotten about--little tidbits here and there--and I am grateful to have them put down somewhere to jog my memory at times like this.
I know this picture is a repost, but when I saw it I about died laughing remembering the day I took it! It was taken last December. In my post I had written, "Brandon and Jenna went out to play ball in the backyard and I snapped this pic. She dressed herself...obviously. I mean, what says "I enjoy 40 degree weather" like a pair of flowery capris and dress shoes!?? The ball was flying right towards her, and she just shut her eyes and stood there! :) I am sensing she might take on my lack of athletic abilities."
Ahhh....so fun to look back. I know I will do the same thing next year--probably at the same time, because the holidays seem to bring out that need for memories of family and friends and life in general. I am thankful for this blog--for the stories I have been able to record, for the pictures I have posted (even the really crummy ones, because it helps me see when I progress), and for the cute little people (and one big person) who make up my family and contribute to the memories we've made. :)
Vampires, and humans, and Romance, OH MY!
PLEASE, PLEASE tell me there is someone else on this planet who HASN'T read the Twilight Series???
I FINALLY broke down and watched the movie trailer. But I didn't gain a lot of insight....
So I went to read the reviews on Amazon...
There are LOTS of them...good, bad, mixed.
I am still confused as to what else is involved in the plot besides a human girl being in love with a vampire figure...
I am beginning to think I am the only one out there who knows little about this series...am looking for some company in this department. Even if you haven't commented here before or have just stumbled across my blog, I AM LOOKING FOR OTHER NON-TWILIGHT READERS! And to you I ask...
Why haven't you read it yet?
And do you have plans to?
Or are you at least curious about the movie?
And if you are like the other 99% of the world population who HAS read these books, can you help convince me why they are a MUST READ???
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Nudie
Part of the joy of living in an older house in the neighborhood we live in is that there is only a single driveway between our homes. As a result we hear and see a lot from our neighbors...and I am sure they hear their fair share of screaming and crying from us. :)
This morning I was doing dishes--now granted, it was early (6:45 a.m.) and I am sure my alternative lifestyle neighbor was unsuspecting of the possibility of anyone actually being awake at that hour.
As I was sifting through the sudsy sink, I was staring off at the frosted window across our driveway.
The light was on.
After a few moments of staring off into space I realized the beige blob I had been staring at was really an undressed body. I couldn't believe it.
I went about my business and washed dishes looking down. When I glanced up again I could see this person obviously taking care of HIS business...reaching for some T.P., etc. AWKWARD!
The real kicker was the nudie patootie he flashed as he left the porcelain throne.
What a way to start the day.
My advice to those of you with a windor in your bathroom? No matter how frosted, use a blind or curtain. Really. For YOUR benefit and your NEIGHBOR'S benefit. :)
On a completely different note, a moving day update.
Things have fallen through for this weekend. We are so bummed. But we are aiming for Tuesday as the official day, provided everything goes well with the inspection we have on Monday. Please, please cross your fingers for us!
Now, I am off to see my hubby for the first night this week...he's been crazy busy with a ton of stuff and we have hardly even slept in the same bed let alone spent time with each other in the evening (thank you children for your random middle of the night wake-up's--we absolutely ADORE the one on one night shift schedule with you on the couch.)
Night!
This morning I was doing dishes--now granted, it was early (6:45 a.m.) and I am sure my alternative lifestyle neighbor was unsuspecting of the possibility of anyone actually being awake at that hour.
As I was sifting through the sudsy sink, I was staring off at the frosted window across our driveway.
The light was on.
After a few moments of staring off into space I realized the beige blob I had been staring at was really an undressed body. I couldn't believe it.
I went about my business and washed dishes looking down. When I glanced up again I could see this person obviously taking care of HIS business...reaching for some T.P., etc. AWKWARD!
The real kicker was the nudie patootie he flashed as he left the porcelain throne.
What a way to start the day.
My advice to those of you with a windor in your bathroom? No matter how frosted, use a blind or curtain. Really. For YOUR benefit and your NEIGHBOR'S benefit. :)
On a completely different note, a moving day update.
Things have fallen through for this weekend. We are so bummed. But we are aiming for Tuesday as the official day, provided everything goes well with the inspection we have on Monday. Please, please cross your fingers for us!
Now, I am off to see my hubby for the first night this week...he's been crazy busy with a ton of stuff and we have hardly even slept in the same bed let alone spent time with each other in the evening (thank you children for your random middle of the night wake-up's--we absolutely ADORE the one on one night shift schedule with you on the couch.)
Night!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Super duper happy...
I would say it's been an a-okay day. I would also say that this is the first time in a LONG time that I feel truly satisfied with myself at the end of the day. It isn't about expecting perfection from myself on a day to day basis. It is just feeling like I have let myself down so much lately by getting so overwhelmed and stressed out. I feel like my kids have suffered because of that.
But today, even though things are still stressful and unsure and overwhelming, I felt like I gave my kids what they needed. Time. Love. Attention. Don't get me wrong. We still used our electronic babysitter our fair share today while I got things done around the house. But we read, we talked, we looked at toy magazines (and yes, Jenna's Christmas list grew and grew...at least while she had sight of the "cool" things) and the kids helped me pack up some of the toys and change the sheets in Kaden's room. They jumped on the bed and played silly together and we sang songs.
And it made me feel good. Content.
During one of these moments, Jenna smiled and said "mom, you make my heart super-duper happy".
It made me chuckle.
My sweet Jenna...you make my heart super-duper happy too... Especially today.
:)
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Because blogger let me...
Don't know what is up with blogger right now, but it is taking a RIDICULOUSLY long time to upload pics...so, because I waited forever to get these up and because Blogger finally let me, here are my snow pics from yesterday. All melted today...but more in the forecast...
Chores
I had the craziest conversation with Jenna yesterday. The boys were laying down for naps and I was dying to sneak a snooze in myself. I got her ready to lay down and she insisted she couldn't because she WANTED TO DO A CHORE!
I was quite surprised. Chores?
When I asked what she meant, she responded "I want to do a chore to mark it off on a chart. I want to scrub the bathroom and wipe the table."
I told her I really wanted to take a nap and I could help her when we all got up. She again insisted that she wanted to do it alone.
I gave in, and got her some cleaner and a wet rag. She was SO proud showing me how she could scrub the toilet. I don't think a mom could have been prouder than I was that very moment!
How long will this cleaning streak last?? Right now I am living in a dream and not wantin' to wake up!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Snow day and outside play
It's been a while since I did a post on our day to day stuff...I've kind of missed picking up my camera so much. I actually HAVE taken a picture a day, but I got so behind that I decided just to post them all in whatever random order they were posted in. Sorry for the picture overload today (if you're on google reader!) :) (p.s. blogger is being lame and won't let me upload more pictures to this post, so I am posting without them...) :)
But either way, I haven't taken nearly as many pictures as usual lately. So today, when we woke up to a world of white and the kids headed out in full snow gear first thing, I felt that "snapshot" spark in me again...
Jenna immediately tried to build a snowman--and with the snow melting fairly quickly, a snowman was not necessarily gonna happen, or at least last very long. She played outside alone for almost an hour. Kaden didn't last long at all. He ran out for a few minutes but ran IN and stripped off his snow pants, boots, and coat saying how cold he was. Funny thing is that he ran out later with NO COAT, NO SNOW PANTS, NO SHOES OR SOCKS, and was FINE!
cRaZy KiD!
It snowed (flurried) most of the day--it almost felt surreal. Is it really time for winter weather?? But the snow melted quickly...just leaving a cold, wet mess.
My sweet Spencer went to bed last night at 7:30 and woke up this morning at almost 9:00 a.m.! I can't believe it! PLEASE, PLEASE say the curse of the midnight waker is over! It would have been a great night's rest if Kaden hadn't waken up at 4...I have felt icky and nauseous ever since then. You know that headache that just won't go away?? Blech!
In one more piece of news, I made beef & broccoli and egg rolls for dinner...it was so tasty. Really hit the spot. But almost all my spices and cooking aids are packed now--and I think that was officially my last real meal to be made in this house. Everything else on the menu I made and froze ahead to try to make life easier. Kind of sad to think of the end of our time here...this was our first place out here and we have so many memories.
Sigh...
Always have to let go and move on. People, places, things. Why is that so hard??? You think it would get easier after you do it so many times...
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Plan Unknown
Just a quick note to start...thank you to all of you who left sweet notes of encouragement on yesterday's post. It really meant a lot to me...
in the past few days I finally feel like I am feeling much more peace about things...life in general really. Just needed to talk and get a little bit of needed help to figure out what was going on with me and how I can make the best of my life. Really I think that is the ultimate goal in almost ALL our lives. To be the best person we can be no matter what others think or say, and no matter what stresses are weighing us down. I have really finally felt HOPE again. :) That's a good feeling...
Am praying the HOPE I feel will hold on and get me through this week. We are working with Operation PLAN UNKNOWN.
I am not good at this.
When we moved out here to Ohio, I had everything arranged, plans for utility hookup, U-Haul, etc as far in advance as possible. I like things to be arranged...I like a backup plan for a backup plan.
But this time, we don't really even have a plan for a backup plan to stand behind.
It's kind of like having a baby. You know it's gonna happen. But you just don't know the date. Well, unless you're like me and you have been induced all three times you had a baby. :) The logistics of our move are so complex--and it's hard to not get stressed about timelines. We are supposed to be out by next weekend. But our new house isn't finished yet--and when it IS, it has to have an inspection before we can move IN. And if any little tiny part of the house fails to meet the correct code, we have to reschedule an inspection. All of this has to somehow come together in the next 5 days.
And it will.
Right???
But until then, operation Plan Unknown is to try to freeze meals to eat for the next 5-6 days and pack our house like crazy...and then clean like there were never 3 small children living here. I think that will take 5 days in and of itself.
And hopefully, next Saturday we will find ourself with a loaded truck ready to move into our new place...ready to lock the kids in the basement I have been dreaming of for so long. :)
On the subject of packing...me and Brandon take a very different approach.
Me: pack absolutely everything we WON'T USE before we move. Pack the rest the night before.
Brandon: pack anything in the room, just so it isn't there anymore.
I realized this when he asked me several times (while I was in the middle of something) about a particular box in our room. It had become the catch-all...I admit. I was at fault for this one. But he was SO anxious to get it out. So I finally said whatever and to just take it out--
Been wondering where all my dirty clothes went...:) Found them today in an open box in the garage while I was taking another box out that he had packed that included the IRON. Tomorrow is church. Tomorrow we might look at little homeless.
But thank you Brandon for packing like a pro! You really helped get stuff out of here and it feels like a lighter load already! :)
Speaking of loads, I have about 5 of those in the form of laundry spilling off of my couch and waiting for me to fold them...
Night.
in the past few days I finally feel like I am feeling much more peace about things...life in general really. Just needed to talk and get a little bit of needed help to figure out what was going on with me and how I can make the best of my life. Really I think that is the ultimate goal in almost ALL our lives. To be the best person we can be no matter what others think or say, and no matter what stresses are weighing us down. I have really finally felt HOPE again. :) That's a good feeling...
Am praying the HOPE I feel will hold on and get me through this week. We are working with Operation PLAN UNKNOWN.
I am not good at this.
When we moved out here to Ohio, I had everything arranged, plans for utility hookup, U-Haul, etc as far in advance as possible. I like things to be arranged...I like a backup plan for a backup plan.
But this time, we don't really even have a plan for a backup plan to stand behind.
It's kind of like having a baby. You know it's gonna happen. But you just don't know the date. Well, unless you're like me and you have been induced all three times you had a baby. :) The logistics of our move are so complex--and it's hard to not get stressed about timelines. We are supposed to be out by next weekend. But our new house isn't finished yet--and when it IS, it has to have an inspection before we can move IN. And if any little tiny part of the house fails to meet the correct code, we have to reschedule an inspection. All of this has to somehow come together in the next 5 days.
And it will.
Right???
But until then, operation Plan Unknown is to try to freeze meals to eat for the next 5-6 days and pack our house like crazy...and then clean like there were never 3 small children living here. I think that will take 5 days in and of itself.
And hopefully, next Saturday we will find ourself with a loaded truck ready to move into our new place...ready to lock the kids in the basement I have been dreaming of for so long. :)
On the subject of packing...me and Brandon take a very different approach.
Me: pack absolutely everything we WON'T USE before we move. Pack the rest the night before.
Brandon: pack anything in the room, just so it isn't there anymore.
I realized this when he asked me several times (while I was in the middle of something) about a particular box in our room. It had become the catch-all...I admit. I was at fault for this one. But he was SO anxious to get it out. So I finally said whatever and to just take it out--
Been wondering where all my dirty clothes went...:) Found them today in an open box in the garage while I was taking another box out that he had packed that included the IRON. Tomorrow is church. Tomorrow we might look at little homeless.
But thank you Brandon for packing like a pro! You really helped get stuff out of here and it feels like a lighter load already! :)
Speaking of loads, I have about 5 of those in the form of laundry spilling off of my couch and waiting for me to fold them...
Night.
Picture a day Challenge--306
They figured out my baby gates....if they can't get through, they will go over. Darn it! (notice the little step stool on the opposite side. That's for getting IN to the living room. :)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Picture a day Challenge--305
We treated ourselves tonight to some Chinese...after being gone all day and barely getting home in time for the kids to fall into bed. It was our first time eating Chinese since we moved here almost a year and a half ago. Let's be honest, Chinese is either good or bad. I was too afraid to try. :)
It was a yummy splurge...
When you don't know what to say...
Maybe you've noticed I've not been so blog happy this week...maybe not. I have had a few of the roughest weeks (months??) in a long time. Like, not just rough--more like the lowest of lows. And I have tried to kick myself out of it...tried to push my way through the dark feelings. But in the meantime, I really haven't known what to say.
I have gone back and forth about how much I put online...how open I am...how open I should be. The past few weeks I have had some really rude annonymous comments that crushed my spirit and made me wonder if I should even blog anymore. But because they were annonymous, it's hard now to know who to trust now...
Was it someone I thought was a friend? Was it a random stranger?
Guess it doesn't matter now. But those hurt feelings are still there...
The stress of moving and everything behind that, and life in general has felt overwhelming. But to put out how I feel every day like I probably would have in the past just seems to make me more vulnerable...less confident.
Just need to find a middle ground again--and keep believing the world is really a nice place.
And so some happy thoughts...
I took the kids to a place I found here called Playground World. It's really a store that sells all sorts of toys and play systems, swings, playhouses, etc. They open their doors a few times a week to let kids come play for FREE! YEAH!!! I am so excited about this--the kids had a blast!
And after a really rough day, I went "shopping" with my friend Caroline. We hit up a craft store close by while Brandon watched all the kids. When we got there we saw they were having a great Halloween clearance with a grab bag deal--all the signs said 50%-75% off or fill a LARGE bag for $10.00. So, she put a few things in her bag and we kept on wandering through the store. 
Cute metal spiderweb for next Halloween...notice the cutesie little spider at the bottom
A pumpkin candle holder (well, 2....the jackolantern and the wire pumpkin)
And this cute set of glass candle holders (I know, lots of candle holders...) I plan on using these in my bedroom. The colors were perfect! (sorry about the blurry pic--don't know what I did wrong!) :)
I have gone back and forth about how much I put online...how open I am...how open I should be. The past few weeks I have had some really rude annonymous comments that crushed my spirit and made me wonder if I should even blog anymore. But because they were annonymous, it's hard now to know who to trust now...
Was it someone I thought was a friend? Was it a random stranger?
Guess it doesn't matter now. But those hurt feelings are still there...
The stress of moving and everything behind that, and life in general has felt overwhelming. But to put out how I feel every day like I probably would have in the past just seems to make me more vulnerable...less confident.
Just need to find a middle ground again--and keep believing the world is really a nice place.
And so some happy thoughts...
I took the kids to a place I found here called Playground World. It's really a store that sells all sorts of toys and play systems, swings, playhouses, etc. They open their doors a few times a week to let kids come play for FREE! YEAH!!! I am so excited about this--the kids had a blast!
And after a really rough day, I went "shopping" with my friend Caroline. We hit up a craft store close by while Brandon watched all the kids. When we got there we saw they were having a great Halloween clearance with a grab bag deal--all the signs said 50%-75% off or fill a LARGE bag for $10.00. So, she put a few things in her bag and we kept on wandering through the store.
We then realized all of the fall decor was on clearance as well--so she got some more things and told me to fill the bag with my "finds" too...
After packing it as full as we could, we went to check out. The cashier asked us if our stuff was from up front (where the Halloween things were from). We TOLD HER we had gotten things from the other place too, but the signs were all the same clearance prices--she gave us "the look" and said okay. We were not trying to do anything wrong, honest! It wasn't until we were walking out that we realized the "GRAB BAG" was ONLY for the few bins of Halloween stuff and we walked away with TONS of fall goodies that weren't originally included! The cashier knew this too--hence "the look"...but she sent our stuff through anyway.
We laughed so hard walking out with our $100+ in goodies...for $10. :) I tried to pay, but she insisted that we had practically ROBBED the store already--and her stuff was WAY worth the $10 alone...
So, for free, here were my super finds!
--long "garland"/stars that I plan on using all year!
Cute metal spiderweb for next Halloween...notice the cutesie little spider at the bottom
A pumpkin candle holder (well, 2....the jackolantern and the wire pumpkin)
And this cute set of glass candle holders (I know, lots of candle holders...) I plan on using these in my bedroom. The colors were perfect! (sorry about the blurry pic--don't know what I did wrong!) :)
Anyway, not too shabby, I must say! I am excited to decorate our new place and feel like we are home again...it's rough living in a transition zone for so long. :)
Speaking of new home...we are hopefully moving next weekend. HOPING. If all things go according to the plan. :) Wait, does it ever work that way???
Off to pack more boxes...
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Picture a day Challenge--304
MONDAE....not your ordinary Sundae. This was breakfast one morning. Low-fat Sugar free Strawberry yogurt with some sprinkles and bananas...topped with a cherry. The kids LOVED IT!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Changing my style...
I think the women of the middle East have the right idea when it comes to covering all the right parts...No one sees if they have a bad hair day (or bad hair month, in my case)...
No one sees if they have 3 exploding zits smack dab on the front of their face (all at the same time...I mean, seriously! Give me a BREAK!)
No one sees if their chin is becoming plural...
Where can I pick up one of these things?
Picture a day Challenge--303
SO TRUE! But why does Brandon always get the good fortunes. His said that he would get a lucky package...I always just get advice. :)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Dear Santa...
The other day I asked Jenna what she was going to ask Santa for on her Christmas list.
She replied, "For Christmas I would like a pink lava lamp, a yo-yo, and a box of tissues to wipe my nose."
Awesome...I think that's something he can handle...
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Little things...
Today I realized so many of the "little things" that make me love my kids...
Like the way Kaden has started to rip off his diaper and run for the toilet yelling "POTE" (poop). He gets SO excited about doing his business big boy style! And I love how he looks like a puppy chasing his tail when we put big boy undies on him and he tries countless times to see the picture on the back...and the way he knows exactly which toys will have a spot in bed with him. And I LOVE the way he has me kiss each one every single night. I love his smile and his laugh and the way he yells "MUMMY" when I walk in the door.
And I love Jenna's creativity. She has such a way of putting LIFE together in a way I tend to overlook. She is so observant and loves stories about anything and everything. She is so expressive--which I think is FABULOUS, especially for only being 4. Last night we were sitting on the couch together and she said to me "mom, you know I sure love you, right?" It was so sweet--and it totally melted my heart! Please Jenna, keep saying these things long into your teenage years! :)
And little Spencer...I love his snuggliness. He hasn't been feeling great, which makes him even MORE snuggly than usual. And while I sometimes look at this as a downer, as I laid with him on the couch today and listened to him snore, I realized I wouldn't always get to hold my baby like this, and maybe being snuggly isn't so bad right now--even when I do have things to do. I love his giggles and toothy smile, and the way he sucks his right thumb while rubbing his left ear. He's my special little guy.
It really is all those little things that make you love someone so much...
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Stinky...
There is nothing I love more about being a mom than the chance to clean up and take care of human feces. This is a regular occurrence as there are 3 little people who don't necessarily have that part of their body under control at all times and in all things and in all places. And this week I was BLESSED to take care of a number of these incidents.
(can you just feel the sarcasm dripping down your screen???)
The first involved Jenna. Now, when Jenna has to go to the bathroom, she has to GO to the bathroom. No ifs, ands, or buts (not pun intended). She's just GOTTA go. We went to a new park the other day--we hadn't been there very long (5 minutes or so) and she runs up to me and tells me she needs to go to the bathroom.
DANG.
We weren't in an area I was familiar with and I had no idea where the closest bathroom was. Plus, I had JUST taken the kids out of the car...it's a lot of work to get everyone in and out! We have had a few times where Jenna has just had to take care of her #1 under the farthest tree around because there was really no other option. But there usually aren't people around. Not the case on this particular day. I was frantically running scenarios through my mind like a choose your own adventure book from back in the day...
I ignored the people and scanned the park. No real trees...but wait! At the edge of the park there was a tree with leaves. At least she would be somewhat covered and not the center of attention. I made sure she ONLY needed to pee--she assured me it was only that. I handed her some wipes and sent her on her way. A few seconds later our eyes met from across the park and I KNEW something wasn't going as planned. Sure enough, upon running over to check on her, she had done a #2 and was terrified about it. I really think she was just as surprised as I was. :)
I was MORTIFIED! Trying to think quickly, I lifted her up carefully as possible to avoid stepping on the "log". Almost instantly it camouflaged in with the leaves. Could not see it anywhere! Double mortified! We got her cleaned up and sanitized and she was on her way to play. That was that. I just said a prayer that nobody would be over in that area and it would decompose really, REALLY quickly.
Fast forward...PAYBACK. The next day we went to try to take a couple family pictures in a very wooded area. Of course, lots of beautiful leaves. I had Jenna sit down in the leaves and throw some in the air. We never made it to the "leaves in the air" part. Why? Because she was sitting in someone/something elses poop. On her shoes, her pants, her socks, her hand...it was so gross.
I could only wonder if someone else had let their kid do their business under that tree...
Realistically, it was probably a dog since I am sure 99% of all parents out there wouldn't do what I did and in fact are now glaring at my blog as they read this very post. :)
Apparently, we had pretty loose bowels over here this week because yesterday Kaden had a little bout of diarrhea all over his bedroom floor (have I mentioned yet how GLAD I am that we do not have carpet in our bedrooms???). Never have I felt so GRATEFUL to be a mom than when I was shoveling piles of brown gunk into a bag with a spatula.
Being a mom has good time and bad times...but some times are just plain stinky.
OH, And discalimer to the picture posted with this--contrary to what you might be thinking, that is actually a giant blackberry that we got from the West Side Market. Brandon informed me it looked like poop...and since I am most certainly not going to showcase any of that, I am substituting a look-alike. :)
For the love of pancakes
I really didn't consider myself to be a pancake lover. An occasional LIKER, yes. But LOVER, no. UNTIL I discovered a little technique some might call recycling. :)I put leftovers in my pancakes.
And it's delicious.
Even tried potato pancakes?? Put some leftover mashed potatoes in your pancake batter sometime. IT'S DELICIOUS!! So soft and tasty!
And leftover hash browns and bacon? Crumbled up and mixed right in...yum!
But one of my favorite things to mix in is leftover desserts. I have posted a few of these pancakes before. I've used all sorts of leftover desserts...warm winter lemon cake, apple crisp, Hot Fudge Pudding cake, etc. But the latest is turtle pumpkin pie. I just posted the recipe on my recipe blog--and I am telling you now that if you have ANY reason to make a dessert in the next few weeks (wink, wink) you MUST try this. It was SOOOO tasty!
We usually only make dessert when we have people over. But once dinner is over and company gone, we sit with the leftovers. Which really means I sit here with the leftovers. Mixing them in with breakfast makes a great new breakfast dish and gets rid of all temptation--
I kind of think of this like my own little pancake Coldstone. :) For example, my most recent pancakes (pictured above) had pockets of pumpkin and carmel mixed throughout. Graham cracker crumbs swirled through...it was delicious! I topped my pancakes with some whipped cream, nuts and carmel. I think next time I might mix the whipped cream and puree the last piece of pie to make a sauce to drizzle over.
I wish I had an actual recipe for this--I don't. I usually do this with a pancake mix so I can add a little extra water if needed. You don't want it TOO chunky or thick--I usually put about 2 pieces of pie or cake in a batch that makes probably 8-12 pancakes (depending on size).
What do you put in YOUR pancakes?? I would love to get some new ideas!!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
A few good things...
After my day yesterday I was trying to think about some really good things...needin' to count some blessings.
So here goes:
--As much as I hated the time change at first, it has been surprisingly HELPFUL. While we had a couple 5 a.m. mornings at first, things have kind of settled down and we've moved wakeup time to about 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. But the best part of this time change has been that ALL the kids take naps again--all at the same time! Even Jenna, who had been showing signs of giving it up all together. And they have all been going to bed without any problem at 7:30. So, we're back where we want to be. It's been pretty nice after all...
(now, do not think my sleep schedule life is perfect...it is quite flawed right now. Spencer has decided to serenade us with his screams at approximately 11:30 p.m. and 3:15 a.m. almost every night. Seriously, like clockwork. It's incredible how predictable it is! We're trying to figure out how to put a stop to this one quick!)
--The lowest gas in my area is $1.85. Holy cow. How long has it been since the digits were THAT low? Lovin' this...really loving this!
--Brandon has been home early every day this week. Can I just say RELIEF? Of all weeks to come home a little early, this is probably the one I needed it the most. Now to gear up for finals week and moving in the next few weeks when he really won't be around...
--We have been in the low 70's almost all week! HALLELUJAH! Unfortunately, we will be meeting up with a cold front tomorrow...but the sunshine was HEAVEN while it lasted!
--I found some really nice shelving on the treelawn this week. I am trying to hard to collect all the shelves I can get for our new basement and food storage, and to not spend any money was GREAT!
--After the day I had yesterday, my kids are still alive! :) jk There were seriously some moments though....and today was a much better day. At least I felt better as a parent.
I am trying really hard to push myself out of the slump I have been in...trying to push myself to get out and about, to think less of myself and to be with my kids and have many happy moments instead of letting life get to me like it has lately. I don't know why I go through this roller coaster sometimes. I know there is a lot going on right now. I just don't feel justified feeling overwhelmed and quite frankly depressed sometimes. I look back on my blog and see so many wonderful things that have filled our lives, and I just long for that again right now. I MISS doing our story and project each day, and I miss always being on the go always doing things with the kids. I think I have felt like I lacking that JOY that I felt so much previously.
Blah, blah....enough of that. Just need to snap out of the fog I have been in and get back to where I want to be...
And being grateful is a good start...
Tonight I am.
Tonight I am grateful to be healthy. Grateful to have a family. Grateful for my snuggly kids...and really grateful for my husband who is so understanding right now.
And really, $1.85 per gallon? How can I not be grateful for THAT?? :)
So here goes:
--As much as I hated the time change at first, it has been surprisingly HELPFUL. While we had a couple 5 a.m. mornings at first, things have kind of settled down and we've moved wakeup time to about 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. But the best part of this time change has been that ALL the kids take naps again--all at the same time! Even Jenna, who had been showing signs of giving it up all together. And they have all been going to bed without any problem at 7:30. So, we're back where we want to be. It's been pretty nice after all...
(now, do not think my sleep schedule life is perfect...it is quite flawed right now. Spencer has decided to serenade us with his screams at approximately 11:30 p.m. and 3:15 a.m. almost every night. Seriously, like clockwork. It's incredible how predictable it is! We're trying to figure out how to put a stop to this one quick!)
--The lowest gas in my area is $1.85. Holy cow. How long has it been since the digits were THAT low? Lovin' this...really loving this!
--Brandon has been home early every day this week. Can I just say RELIEF? Of all weeks to come home a little early, this is probably the one I needed it the most. Now to gear up for finals week and moving in the next few weeks when he really won't be around...
--We have been in the low 70's almost all week! HALLELUJAH! Unfortunately, we will be meeting up with a cold front tomorrow...but the sunshine was HEAVEN while it lasted!
--I found some really nice shelving on the treelawn this week. I am trying to hard to collect all the shelves I can get for our new basement and food storage, and to not spend any money was GREAT!
--After the day I had yesterday, my kids are still alive! :) jk There were seriously some moments though....and today was a much better day. At least I felt better as a parent.
I am trying really hard to push myself out of the slump I have been in...trying to push myself to get out and about, to think less of myself and to be with my kids and have many happy moments instead of letting life get to me like it has lately. I don't know why I go through this roller coaster sometimes. I know there is a lot going on right now. I just don't feel justified feeling overwhelmed and quite frankly depressed sometimes. I look back on my blog and see so many wonderful things that have filled our lives, and I just long for that again right now. I MISS doing our story and project each day, and I miss always being on the go always doing things with the kids. I think I have felt like I lacking that JOY that I felt so much previously.
Blah, blah....enough of that. Just need to snap out of the fog I have been in and get back to where I want to be...
And being grateful is a good start...
Tonight I am.
Tonight I am grateful to be healthy. Grateful to have a family. Grateful for my snuggly kids...and really grateful for my husband who is so understanding right now.
And really, $1.85 per gallon? How can I not be grateful for THAT?? :)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Picture a day Challenge--296
We went to one of the metroparks today and saw some elderly gentlemen feeding the squirrels peanuts. I couldn't believe how close they got to us! This picture is without any additional cropping--we were SO close!
Some days
Some days are so crummy you can't even think of anything to say. I wrote a whole post out and I can't even post it because it would make no sense to anyone but me...
And no matter what I write now, it won't come out right.
So, good night. Postless, thoughtless night.
And no matter what I write now, it won't come out right.
So, good night. Postless, thoughtless night.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Voting, candy, phone calls, and a $20 fine
I am SURE most of us are pretty ready to say goodbye to all these signs. I am. And I am ready to say goodbye to my 10-15 phone calls PER DAY telling me to vote for so and so. Though today, even up until 7:00 P.M. the phone was ringing off the hook. 18 phone calls today. SOOOOOOO annoying. Now if only I got that many REAL phone calls! :)
But no matter who called or came, I made my decision and went to vote. I was surprised that there wasn't even a line! Okay, I confess...it WAS 6:45 A.M. :) But I had to go when I could since it's Brandon's day to have the car. I considered taking a fun picture of myself with my little voting sticker, but as I rolled out of bed at 6:30 a.m. and took my puffy eyeballs and wrinkled clothes to the polls, I decided against such a decision. And in the end, they forgot to give me the cute little sticker anyway. Phooey.
I came home and got ready for the day--I am feeling the post-vacation lull and found myself wanting to drown my woes with some Halloween candy. As I searched the bags, nooks and crannies of our sweet stash, all I could find were CANDY BARS, chocolate, and suckers. I was plain ticked off! :) All I wanted was something fruity and chewy. What ever happened to the good ol' candy??? The vanilla tootsie rolls and dots?? But no. All we managed to get were a bunch of CANDY BARS. :) Okay, really I can't complain. I just was blown away at what kinds of candy we collected this year...it is all stuff we DREAMED of getting as kids, but now as an adult I long for the stuff I got as a kid!
As I was drowning my sorrows with the mini bag of skittles I managed to find, I got 8 emails...all charging me for "lost" items that were never returned to the library. I was frantic! I hadn't realized I had that many items overdue--or for that long!
What blows me away is that JUST LAST MONTH when the librarian commented to me that I could check out items until I had more than a $10 in fines. I laughed and said (and I quote) "I can't imagine how ANYONE would actually have MORE than $10.00 in FINES! I know I never will!"
What blows me away is that JUST LAST MONTH when the librarian commented to me that I could check out items until I had more than a $10 in fines. I laughed and said (and I quote) "I can't imagine how ANYONE would actually have MORE than $10.00 in FINES! I know I never will!"
Eating my words this very evening...yes, my friends...you are looking at the blog of the girl who has $20.80 in late fees. I about hit the floor when they told me. I have NO idea how I missed so many items, but this evening they are all safe and sound in their rightful places on the shelves of the Cuyahoga County Library and my pocket is $20 emptier...
Maybe I need to knock on harder wood...or maybe I just need to return all my books on time. :)
Monday, November 3, 2008
Picture a day Challenge--294
We went for a walk today and I was SO drawn to the leaves piling up on the street drain...they were beautiful resting there...An ABC view of our week in review
The mother of all posts...this is a long one. :) Decided to do an ABC rundown of our week's events....
A is for APPLES---caramel ones to be exact. Every year we have a caramel apple bar around Halloween...with all the goodies. Toffee bits, oreos, Reeces, nuts, crushed Twix bars, sprinkles, etc. This year I decided to cut the kids apples into pieces and let them decorate each piece so they weren't so messy (and wasteful). It worked awesome!
B Is for BREAKFAST and BOB EVANS where Mindi, Jenny and I went to savor a meal without kids and husbands who don't appreciate or care for a REAL breakfast. Guess it's just part of the male Holloway genes. B is also for BRAVE--the husbands took all the kids swimming at the hotel pool... :)
C Is for COUSINS...cute ones at that. (I debated doing this picture for D...deer in the headlights look. Come on Jenna! Would it KILL YOU to give me ONE nice smile with normal eyes???)
D Is for DARLING!!! Jenna and Cailyn were fairy princesses for Halloween...ballet dancers....whatever works with a tutu and wings. :) Mindi and I made the cute tutus and the girls loved them! (well...Jenna DID until she realized she was getting a new leotard...she then just wanted to be an exercise girl. But with absolutely NO CHOICE, the tutu went on and she happily danced her way down the block collecting candy as she went! :) Jessica was a cute little princess. And the boys? They were monkeys. Cute monkeys. But unlike all of you, we were racing to get ready in time, and the sun was setting before we could get any pictures...I have some from Jenny's camera, but will have to post those later. They were cute though! Halloween just took a major backseat in my life this year, and I really didn't do as much as I normally do. I have to admit, it was a nice change of pace.
E is for ERIE, Lake Erie that is...we made a stop there after visiting the Westside Market on Friday morning. We had the PERFECT Halloween weather. SUNNY and almost 70. GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS!
F is for FANCY MCdonalds. That was on Trav and Jenny's top list of things to do while they were visiting us. Strange request? Perhaps. :) But it was sure fun!
A is for APPLES---caramel ones to be exact. Every year we have a caramel apple bar around Halloween...with all the goodies. Toffee bits, oreos, Reeces, nuts, crushed Twix bars, sprinkles, etc. This year I decided to cut the kids apples into pieces and let them decorate each piece so they weren't so messy (and wasteful). It worked awesome!
B Is for BREAKFAST and BOB EVANS where Mindi, Jenny and I went to savor a meal without kids and husbands who don't appreciate or care for a REAL breakfast. Guess it's just part of the male Holloway genes. B is also for BRAVE--the husbands took all the kids swimming at the hotel pool... :)
C Is for COUSINS...cute ones at that. (I debated doing this picture for D...deer in the headlights look. Come on Jenna! Would it KILL YOU to give me ONE nice smile with normal eyes???)
D Is for DARLING!!! Jenna and Cailyn were fairy princesses for Halloween...ballet dancers....whatever works with a tutu and wings. :) Mindi and I made the cute tutus and the girls loved them! (well...Jenna DID until she realized she was getting a new leotard...she then just wanted to be an exercise girl. But with absolutely NO CHOICE, the tutu went on and she happily danced her way down the block collecting candy as she went! :) Jessica was a cute little princess. And the boys? They were monkeys. Cute monkeys. But unlike all of you, we were racing to get ready in time, and the sun was setting before we could get any pictures...I have some from Jenny's camera, but will have to post those later. They were cute though! Halloween just took a major backseat in my life this year, and I really didn't do as much as I normally do. I have to admit, it was a nice change of pace.
E is for ERIE, Lake Erie that is...we made a stop there after visiting the Westside Market on Friday morning. We had the PERFECT Halloween weather. SUNNY and almost 70. GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS!
F is for FANCY MCdonalds. That was on Trav and Jenny's top list of things to do while they were visiting us. Strange request? Perhaps. :) But it was sure fun!
G is for GRANDIN printing press in Palmyra, where the Book of Mormon was first printed. What an amazing history and beautiful building to see.
H is for HARD ROCK CAFE, where we stopped and ate in Niagara Falls. I am sure our server thought we were totally cheap, and really we spent most of our "deciding" time figuring out how we were going to divide meals to feed everyone without getting completely ROBBED....did you KNOW a kids meal there is $7.50, and PUNY?? :)
I is for ICE CREAM, which we ate almost every night. Ben & Jerry..you are welcome in my home any time. :)
J is for JEWELRY that aunt Mindi bought for the both girls before they left. Jenna loves her new little necklace...and it's fun to think that Cailyn has the same one. Just somethin' special they can share. :)
K is for K, RELIANT....alright, that's a stretch, but you get he point. Brandon and his brothers went to a Reliant K concert at the House of Blues on Halloween night. I was SO glad they got to go and spend time together...even if they didn't really make plans (or tell us about them) ahead of time. :)
L is for LEAVES and beautiful fall colors, which we saw TONS of on our walk along the Erie canal with Jenny and Travis on Saturday evening. CHECK OUT THE SIZE OF THIS LEAF!
M is for Moroni, whose statue can be seen atop the Hill Cumorah.
N is for Niagara Falls--it was FREEZING. We really didn't even stay very long because it was so darn cold! This was a good and bad thing. Good in that we were able to hurry and be on our way. Bad in that I had been DYING to take some great shots (or at least try) while there...I just couldn't get it. WINDY, COLD, WET. Bad combo. But BEAUTIFUL nonetheless!
O is for Olivia, one of Jenna's little friends, who had a little playdate on Thursday. We got to go have lunch with the girls at her house and then help Cailyn and Jenna make a little Halloween craft. It was so fun and festive!
P is for PALMYRA, where we rented a house for 2 nights. It was so nice to be there so close to all the sites!
Q is for QUICK STOP, which we made while driving through Upstate New York. The air was chilly, the leaves abundant--it made the perfect place to stop and stretch our legs.
R is for ROCHESTER, NY--home of the Strong National Museum of Play...A.K.A. the most AMAZING children's museum I have EVER, EVER SEEN! We took Cailyn while Jason, Mindi, and Baby Jessica went to see some sites in Palmyra and the kids had SO much fun! We didn't even make it to HALF of the museum...it went on and on and on....and there was SO much to do. I am trying to talk Brandon into spending an entire weekend there sometime. It is only 4 1/2 hours from here and would be SO worth it!
S is for SACRED GROVE, where we went our first night in Palmyra. I tried to get some pictures of Jason and Mindi there but due to a quickly setting sun and uncooperative kids, we just didn't get much there...:) But it was beautiful--and peaceful--when the kids weren't running around or screaming.
T is for TEMPLE, where we got to go through a session on Tuesday morning. It was so nice to go. Jason and Mindi traded off with us, watching the kids while we went and visa versa. Funny story there: Mindi forgot her skirt and had to borrow mine last minute. So as I was walking out, she snagged me and we ran to the restroom and switched clothes. I am sure it looked VERY funny!
U is for UNBELIEVABLE VIEW we had from the house we rented. It was gorgeous!
V is for visitor's center at the Hill Cumorah, where we took pictures by the statue of Christ.
W is for WHINING--sorry Mindi, your face was perfect in this shot and I had to put it! Trust me, Mindi wasn't the whiner--the girls were. 2 four year old girls who shared a love-hate relationship with each other. When they were happy, they were really happy. But when they weren't WATCH OUT WORLD! Despite the arguments, bickering, and fights, Jenna is already praying Cailyn to come back. Let's hope her prayers reach heaven. We would love that!
X is to fill in how many pounds I probably gained this week eating all sorts of good food...yum.
I is for ICE CREAM, which we ate almost every night. Ben & Jerry..you are welcome in my home any time. :)
J is for JEWELRY that aunt Mindi bought for the both girls before they left. Jenna loves her new little necklace...and it's fun to think that Cailyn has the same one. Just somethin' special they can share. :)
K is for K, RELIANT....alright, that's a stretch, but you get he point. Brandon and his brothers went to a Reliant K concert at the House of Blues on Halloween night. I was SO glad they got to go and spend time together...even if they didn't really make plans (or tell us about them) ahead of time. :)
L is for LEAVES and beautiful fall colors, which we saw TONS of on our walk along the Erie canal with Jenny and Travis on Saturday evening. CHECK OUT THE SIZE OF THIS LEAF!
M is for Moroni, whose statue can be seen atop the Hill Cumorah.
N is for Niagara Falls--it was FREEZING. We really didn't even stay very long because it was so darn cold! This was a good and bad thing. Good in that we were able to hurry and be on our way. Bad in that I had been DYING to take some great shots (or at least try) while there...I just couldn't get it. WINDY, COLD, WET. Bad combo. But BEAUTIFUL nonetheless!
O is for Olivia, one of Jenna's little friends, who had a little playdate on Thursday. We got to go have lunch with the girls at her house and then help Cailyn and Jenna make a little Halloween craft. It was so fun and festive!
P is for PALMYRA, where we rented a house for 2 nights. It was so nice to be there so close to all the sites!
Q is for QUICK STOP, which we made while driving through Upstate New York. The air was chilly, the leaves abundant--it made the perfect place to stop and stretch our legs.
R is for ROCHESTER, NY--home of the Strong National Museum of Play...A.K.A. the most AMAZING children's museum I have EVER, EVER SEEN! We took Cailyn while Jason, Mindi, and Baby Jessica went to see some sites in Palmyra and the kids had SO much fun! We didn't even make it to HALF of the museum...it went on and on and on....and there was SO much to do. I am trying to talk Brandon into spending an entire weekend there sometime. It is only 4 1/2 hours from here and would be SO worth it!
S is for SACRED GROVE, where we went our first night in Palmyra. I tried to get some pictures of Jason and Mindi there but due to a quickly setting sun and uncooperative kids, we just didn't get much there...:) But it was beautiful--and peaceful--when the kids weren't running around or screaming.
T is for TEMPLE, where we got to go through a session on Tuesday morning. It was so nice to go. Jason and Mindi traded off with us, watching the kids while we went and visa versa. Funny story there: Mindi forgot her skirt and had to borrow mine last minute. So as I was walking out, she snagged me and we ran to the restroom and switched clothes. I am sure it looked VERY funny!
U is for UNBELIEVABLE VIEW we had from the house we rented. It was gorgeous!
V is for visitor's center at the Hill Cumorah, where we took pictures by the statue of Christ.
W is for WHINING--sorry Mindi, your face was perfect in this shot and I had to put it! Trust me, Mindi wasn't the whiner--the girls were. 2 four year old girls who shared a love-hate relationship with each other. When they were happy, they were really happy. But when they weren't WATCH OUT WORLD! Despite the arguments, bickering, and fights, Jenna is already praying Cailyn to come back. Let's hope her prayers reach heaven. We would love that!
X is to fill in how many pounds I probably gained this week eating all sorts of good food...yum.Y is for yucky weather. We had rain/light snow in Palmyra--it was grey and dreary--but once we got back to Cleveland the sun came out and we had a great rest of the week.
Z is for zzzzzzz's which we lacked and are still lacking. We stayed up way too late, the kids got up WAY to early, and we were on the go, go, go. :)
Whew....there you have it. The condensed version. We really had a great time. Thank you Mindi and Jason for making the long drive--and Thank you Jenny and Travis for staying a couple days--we are so excited about your interviews for podiatry school and hope you end up moving out here to be close to us!!! But then again, you already KNOW we think this. :)
And for anyone else up for a visit, we LOVE visitors and anyone is WELCOME! We promise a good time... :)
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