Life has been just plain busy for me lately. It seems like Rob and I have both been running ragged from sun-up to sun-down. With the addition of our Real Estate adventures and of my new job at Precious Portraits... not to mention the new baby... things are just crazy!
I'm loving my new job though. I've had one photo shoot for each of the last three days and I'll have another on Thursday. Most are for my benefit, portfolio and experience solely (vs. paying customers who want to come in and get their portraits done). I've actually gotten some really good pictures and they've turned out especially well after editing. I think I'm really going to enjoy this new stage in my life!
Titus and Leeann are both doing well these days. He's getting big and she's talking non-stop! I'm amazed at how many new words she learns each and every day. It was just a couple of months ago that her vocabulary consisted of very few words. Now it seems like there are few words she doesn't know. We are at the stage though that we definately have to watch what we say around her!
Well, I'm signing off for now, I just wanted to let you know that I'm still here and still alive. May today find you more rested than me!
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Mr. Smiley Pants
There are few moments worth blogging about at 5:30 in the morning, but this is one of them...
I begrudgingly got up to feed Titus at five, though it'd been a good 5 1/2 hours since he last ate and I should be grateful. He didn't give me a very good burp which he usually does--so I should have taken extra precaution. I changed him because I was worried about a blowout with the sounds that had come out of him since I came into his room, and I picked him up to try to burp him one last time. He was sounding quite wheezy and I wanted to try to clear him up like a good mommy. I held him with his head over my shoulder and not more than 10 seconds later he threw up. Not spit up. Threw up! A puddle was on the carpet, all down the front of him and of course on me too. Just when I wanted to crawl back into bed and make Rob clean him up he looked up at me with a HUGE SMILE! It was the most handsome smile ever and it was like he was saying, "Thank you mommy!". I think I could have done without the throw up, but I'm glad for such great smiles. It makes being a mommy at 5 in the morning far easier to cope with!
I begrudgingly got up to feed Titus at five, though it'd been a good 5 1/2 hours since he last ate and I should be grateful. He didn't give me a very good burp which he usually does--so I should have taken extra precaution. I changed him because I was worried about a blowout with the sounds that had come out of him since I came into his room, and I picked him up to try to burp him one last time. He was sounding quite wheezy and I wanted to try to clear him up like a good mommy. I held him with his head over my shoulder and not more than 10 seconds later he threw up. Not spit up. Threw up! A puddle was on the carpet, all down the front of him and of course on me too. Just when I wanted to crawl back into bed and make Rob clean him up he looked up at me with a HUGE SMILE! It was the most handsome smile ever and it was like he was saying, "Thank you mommy!". I think I could have done without the throw up, but I'm glad for such great smiles. It makes being a mommy at 5 in the morning far easier to cope with!
Saturday, January 28, 2006
We Bought a House!
We officially bought the house on that I've blogged about. Apparently she signed our counter-offer last night--although Rob forgot to mention that to me! Our agent called this morning about some paper work and shared the good news, he thought I already knew though!
So, on or before March 12th we will move into our new home! It's quite exciting! I keep dreaming about decorating bathrooms, and where I'll put furniture and which kitchen items will go in which cabinets. But before I can dream too much about those things I have to dream about boxes, and labeling, and packing etc.
Today Rob and I will take our kids up to our alma mater Corban College (formerly Western Baptist College) for a Homecoming celebration. It's always fun to be up there and see old friends. I'm also going to a baby shower today for a WB friend... babies are fun. Although, I haven't RSVP'd, so Krista or Becky, if you are reading this I'll be there and I'm even going to bring my kiddys!
With that, I need to get a step on my day and get in the shower. Rob is working on some plumbing today and the length of time we'll have to without water varies each time he's under the house. You just never know! I try to have all my dishes and laundry done just in case. That is not the case today however, so I hope it's not too long!
So, on or before March 12th we will move into our new home! It's quite exciting! I keep dreaming about decorating bathrooms, and where I'll put furniture and which kitchen items will go in which cabinets. But before I can dream too much about those things I have to dream about boxes, and labeling, and packing etc.
Today Rob and I will take our kids up to our alma mater Corban College (formerly Western Baptist College) for a Homecoming celebration. It's always fun to be up there and see old friends. I'm also going to a baby shower today for a WB friend... babies are fun. Although, I haven't RSVP'd, so Krista or Becky, if you are reading this I'll be there and I'm even going to bring my kiddys!
With that, I need to get a step on my day and get in the shower. Rob is working on some plumbing today and the length of time we'll have to without water varies each time he's under the house. You just never know! I try to have all my dishes and laundry done just in case. That is not the case today however, so I hope it's not too long!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
My little girl... getting married!
(This is a picture of Erin, Keane, and Branden... 3 of our 'original' highschool students when they were on a trip to Mexico a couple of years ago.)
Okay, so she's not my little girl... but she's kind of one of them! *tear* One of my high school girls (well, not anymore) is getting married. She called me yesterday and asked if we could meet for coffee, but first she excitedly told me that she had gotten engaged the night before! It's so hard to believe, because it seems like just yesterday she was a freshman in highschool giddily frolicking around without a care in the world. She's such a sweet young lady and I'm certain God has amazing things in store for her. She might be the first, but the rest will soon follow I'm sure. It's exciting to see those you love find someone to love and be committed to forever. I've never met him, but he sounds like a truly worthy guy. He better be! I have so many fond memories of my time with Erin... including her making me drive her by a crush's house so I could see where he lived, and fun at sleep overs and random youth events. She livens up any place, and I'm sure she'll liven up the life of her soon-to-be husband also!
Okay, so she's not my little girl... but she's kind of one of them! *tear* One of my high school girls (well, not anymore) is getting married. She called me yesterday and asked if we could meet for coffee, but first she excitedly told me that she had gotten engaged the night before! It's so hard to believe, because it seems like just yesterday she was a freshman in highschool giddily frolicking around without a care in the world. She's such a sweet young lady and I'm certain God has amazing things in store for her. She might be the first, but the rest will soon follow I'm sure. It's exciting to see those you love find someone to love and be committed to forever. I've never met him, but he sounds like a truly worthy guy. He better be! I have so many fond memories of my time with Erin... including her making me drive her by a crush's house so I could see where he lived, and fun at sleep overs and random youth events. She livens up any place, and I'm sure she'll liven up the life of her soon-to-be husband also!
More House Stuff
Our house is officially sold (well, pending inspection, financing going through yada yada yada)! We got our full price offer (which is amazing in itself), and Rob and I are thrilled!
We almost lost the other house though. Although the house has been on the market for the better part of 10 months, lo and behold, another offer came in at the same time as ours. We offered significantly less than it was worth so when we were told that another offer came in my heart sunk... I thought we might lose the house unless she countered both of our offers. If she did that we would both have to offer our best offer, which is difficult to do. We don't want to pay too much for it, but we want it, so what do we offer? It was kind of sad to think about losing it. I got a call from our agent last night however saying that she is more intrigued by our offer because we have an offer on our home already. So she came down a little and I think we'll probably accept before she gets too frustrated with us and just goes with this other person... or before the other person sells their home too and we're back in the make your best offer boat.
I spent so much of last night imagining where things would go, which kid would get which room, how we're going to decorate the bathrooms. I have a big goal of keeping the garage clean, I am determined to be able to park in it. Can you imagine, not having to shuffle kids and groceries in and out in the rain? Or if Leeann falls asleep in the van I could safely leave her there until she wakes up (with the door to the house open of course!) I really am so excited!
OTHER NEWS:
Titus went to bed about 10:30ish last night and didn't wake up until 6 this morning! Oh, that felt so good! He spent most of the day awake yesterday, so I think he might be getting the hang of this night-time day-time thing!
I'm continuing to learn more and more about photography and editing, and the inner workings of developing and running a small business. It really is quite an adventure for me! I hope to get a nice camera before too long. I think that's what I'm going to save my first couple of months of photography earnings for. Bottom line--it's a fun job!
Well, I think I'm going to get my household up and running before any of my cleanliness gets messed up, and before anyone calls and says "Can I show your house in 15 minutes?" I think it's listed as contingent today however, so we shouldn't be seeing too much more traffic.
I hope your day is wonderful, as always!
We almost lost the other house though. Although the house has been on the market for the better part of 10 months, lo and behold, another offer came in at the same time as ours. We offered significantly less than it was worth so when we were told that another offer came in my heart sunk... I thought we might lose the house unless she countered both of our offers. If she did that we would both have to offer our best offer, which is difficult to do. We don't want to pay too much for it, but we want it, so what do we offer? It was kind of sad to think about losing it. I got a call from our agent last night however saying that she is more intrigued by our offer because we have an offer on our home already. So she came down a little and I think we'll probably accept before she gets too frustrated with us and just goes with this other person... or before the other person sells their home too and we're back in the make your best offer boat.
I spent so much of last night imagining where things would go, which kid would get which room, how we're going to decorate the bathrooms. I have a big goal of keeping the garage clean, I am determined to be able to park in it. Can you imagine, not having to shuffle kids and groceries in and out in the rain? Or if Leeann falls asleep in the van I could safely leave her there until she wakes up (with the door to the house open of course!) I really am so excited!
OTHER NEWS:
Titus went to bed about 10:30ish last night and didn't wake up until 6 this morning! Oh, that felt so good! He spent most of the day awake yesterday, so I think he might be getting the hang of this night-time day-time thing!
I'm continuing to learn more and more about photography and editing, and the inner workings of developing and running a small business. It really is quite an adventure for me! I hope to get a nice camera before too long. I think that's what I'm going to save my first couple of months of photography earnings for. Bottom line--it's a fun job!
Well, I think I'm going to get my household up and running before any of my cleanliness gets messed up, and before anyone calls and says "Can I show your house in 15 minutes?" I think it's listed as contingent today however, so we shouldn't be seeing too much more traffic.
I hope your day is wonderful, as always!
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Did I mention we are selling our house?
Okay, so that's been part of the crazy crazy busyness around our house lately. We've been house researching, house hunting, house cleaning, house fixing etc. One of the things we did was take pictures of our house, so I thought I'd share them with you just in case you've never been here. Okay, they are a little deceiving in that my house isn't normally this clean. I'd clean one room, throw all the extra stuff in the hallway and take a picture then put it all back.
We decided just before Titus arrived that we need to do something about our living situation. Our 900 square foot home was perfect for the stage of life that we were in when we bought it. Add two kids however, and often three additional ones, and the knowledge that we will probably stay in Albany for a really long time (hopefully), and it gets really really small. It's already difficult to fit more than 3 people at our dining room table which makes it very difficult to invite people over--and that's no good for a pastor!
So in the beginning of November we decided that we would add on to our house. After doing some research however we realized that for this stage in the real estate market we would be better off to sell our house and buy something bigger rather than add on. So we slowly began our search between Christmas and caring for a newborn, recovering from surgery and such. We came across a house (a condo type home actually) in the neighborhood that we love, with the schools that we prefer and far more square footage for our money than anything else in our price range. It has 2.5 baths... I've never dreamed of living in a home with that many bathrooms! We wanted to make an offer on it but decided it would be best to list our home first.
So, we met with our agent on Saturday to list our home. He left about 1:30 and as soon as he got back to the office he called an agent from his office who wanted to know as soon as our house hit the market because he had some people who were looking for a 3 and 1 in our neighborhood with a big back yard. They had seen a lot of houses they didn't want to buy, but he thought they might be interested in ours. So, by 3:00 they were in our home and Rob and I took the kids to Target. We hadn't even left Target by the time our agent called and said they were going to put an offer in tomorrow morning (Sunday). Our house didn't even hit the MLS until Monday and we already had an offer! We sat down with our agent yesterday to go over the offer, but decided that we didn't want to take anything less than full price because it hadn't hit the market yet, and our home is really the only decent one in our price range. So he got a verbal back from their agent saying they'll pay full price. Crazy huh? God is sooooo good to us. Just this summer there were 4 or so houses on our street alone that had for sale signs in the yard for a long time, and that were selling for far less than what we put ours on the market for. Rob and I are often amazed at God's provision for us, and for His constant perfect timing! Had we put our house on the market this summer we wouldn't have enough to purchase this other house (which is everything I ever dreamed of in a house!)
So, neither is a done deal yet, we are still in talks for selling our house and for purchasing the other one. This real estate thing really is a long waiting game... and so we wait. I'll keep you updated though. I didn't want to blog this earlier because we just weren't sure if we were going to sell or not. Now we know however, and now you know why I've been too busy to do much in the blogging realm. In fact, off I go right now to get some more housework done!
We decided just before Titus arrived that we need to do something about our living situation. Our 900 square foot home was perfect for the stage of life that we were in when we bought it. Add two kids however, and often three additional ones, and the knowledge that we will probably stay in Albany for a really long time (hopefully), and it gets really really small. It's already difficult to fit more than 3 people at our dining room table which makes it very difficult to invite people over--and that's no good for a pastor!
So in the beginning of November we decided that we would add on to our house. After doing some research however we realized that for this stage in the real estate market we would be better off to sell our house and buy something bigger rather than add on. So we slowly began our search between Christmas and caring for a newborn, recovering from surgery and such. We came across a house (a condo type home actually) in the neighborhood that we love, with the schools that we prefer and far more square footage for our money than anything else in our price range. It has 2.5 baths... I've never dreamed of living in a home with that many bathrooms! We wanted to make an offer on it but decided it would be best to list our home first.
So, we met with our agent on Saturday to list our home. He left about 1:30 and as soon as he got back to the office he called an agent from his office who wanted to know as soon as our house hit the market because he had some people who were looking for a 3 and 1 in our neighborhood with a big back yard. They had seen a lot of houses they didn't want to buy, but he thought they might be interested in ours. So, by 3:00 they were in our home and Rob and I took the kids to Target. We hadn't even left Target by the time our agent called and said they were going to put an offer in tomorrow morning (Sunday). Our house didn't even hit the MLS until Monday and we already had an offer! We sat down with our agent yesterday to go over the offer, but decided that we didn't want to take anything less than full price because it hadn't hit the market yet, and our home is really the only decent one in our price range. So he got a verbal back from their agent saying they'll pay full price. Crazy huh? God is sooooo good to us. Just this summer there were 4 or so houses on our street alone that had for sale signs in the yard for a long time, and that were selling for far less than what we put ours on the market for. Rob and I are often amazed at God's provision for us, and for His constant perfect timing! Had we put our house on the market this summer we wouldn't have enough to purchase this other house (which is everything I ever dreamed of in a house!)
So, neither is a done deal yet, we are still in talks for selling our house and for purchasing the other one. This real estate thing really is a long waiting game... and so we wait. I'll keep you updated though. I didn't want to blog this earlier because we just weren't sure if we were going to sell or not. Now we know however, and now you know why I've been too busy to do much in the blogging realm. In fact, off I go right now to get some more housework done!
Monday, January 23, 2006
Princess Leeann
Princess Leeann is all dressed up accessorized with a pretty
pink fur sent in the mail by Grandma last week
Seriously, do they get any cuter than this?
Leeann and Titus, just hanging out
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Did I mention we bought a mini-van?
God is soooo good!
I've always wanted a mini-van. Even before we had kids I wanted one. For the last several years I have seen the need for one in so many areas of our lives. In ministry for sure, and now for our kids, for the kids I babysit, for letting my friend Eroica and I go somewhere together with our 3 kids in carseats, for having enough space to pack up the kids and their stuff when we go visit family, for hauling students around, for going on youth trips etc.
The problem? Mini-vans are generally expensive and we have a strong desire to pay cash for our vehicles if we can (realizing there could certainly be times where cars break and we don't have that ability). It's just been a goal of ours. Anyway, we have been slowly saving over the last year and have scraped up enough for about 1/3 of what we were imagining a van in decent condition would cost. At this same rate it would be feasible to think that we would be able to buy one after two more years. With the addition of Titus and the recognition that it's not the safest to have one of the kids I babysit for in the middle of the front seat with a drivers side air-bag, we have increased the fervency and the frequency of our prayers for a mini-van. Lo and behold Rob was sitting at work a week or two ago and a mini-van drives up with a for sale sign in it. Out of curiosity Rob asks how much it cost. Approximately $100 less than what we had already saved!
So, Rob and I are now the proud owners of a 1995 Ford Windstar with just over 100,000 miles. The best part is that it has had two owners. One of which we know well (and said he could sell it to a pastor in good conscience), and the other of which he knew. Some of the best features include automatic lights, a 'miles to empty gauge' and keyless entry (with two clickers so Rob and I can each have one! No more trading keys).
With that being said we have more big news (and no, it's not more kids), but I'll blog about that later. I'm wiped out, it's been a long couple of weeks. Tomorrow's another long day too, but such is life. Thanks for letting me share my exciting mini-van story with you!
I've always wanted a mini-van. Even before we had kids I wanted one. For the last several years I have seen the need for one in so many areas of our lives. In ministry for sure, and now for our kids, for the kids I babysit, for letting my friend Eroica and I go somewhere together with our 3 kids in carseats, for having enough space to pack up the kids and their stuff when we go visit family, for hauling students around, for going on youth trips etc.
The problem? Mini-vans are generally expensive and we have a strong desire to pay cash for our vehicles if we can (realizing there could certainly be times where cars break and we don't have that ability). It's just been a goal of ours. Anyway, we have been slowly saving over the last year and have scraped up enough for about 1/3 of what we were imagining a van in decent condition would cost. At this same rate it would be feasible to think that we would be able to buy one after two more years. With the addition of Titus and the recognition that it's not the safest to have one of the kids I babysit for in the middle of the front seat with a drivers side air-bag, we have increased the fervency and the frequency of our prayers for a mini-van. Lo and behold Rob was sitting at work a week or two ago and a mini-van drives up with a for sale sign in it. Out of curiosity Rob asks how much it cost. Approximately $100 less than what we had already saved!
So, Rob and I are now the proud owners of a 1995 Ford Windstar with just over 100,000 miles. The best part is that it has had two owners. One of which we know well (and said he could sell it to a pastor in good conscience), and the other of which he knew. Some of the best features include automatic lights, a 'miles to empty gauge' and keyless entry (with two clickers so Rob and I can each have one! No more trading keys).
With that being said we have more big news (and no, it's not more kids), but I'll blog about that later. I'm wiped out, it's been a long couple of weeks. Tomorrow's another long day too, but such is life. Thanks for letting me share my exciting mini-van story with you!
Friday, January 20, 2006
Sleeping through the night (well, kind of)
Titus has been sleeping through the night... or at least that's what someone told me. How many hours dictates sleeping through the night I'm not sure! I'll put him down between 11:30 and 12:30 usually and he's been waking up between 4:30 and 5:30 mostly. But, one day I put him to bed at 11:30 and he didn't wake up til 6:30, that was exciting! But, bottom line is I'm only getting him up once to feed him during the terrible middle of the night hours, so I'm happy. The best part is that on MWF I can make it coinside with the time the kids come (4:15ish). That's all I have for now!
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Busy, Busy, Busy
Can you believe that this is the first time since Friday that I've actually been able to sit down at my computer long enough to blog? It's been an incredibly busy week!
I spent part of the weekend in St. Helens where my family gathered for lunch in support of my Grandma following my Grandpa's death. It's always good to be with family and to be surrounded by so many people that you know love each other and are committed to each other through thick and thin. That's what family is all about. I'll post pictures once I actually get the chance to sit down long enough to upload them and attach them etc.
Sunday was just plain busy, it always is. I left at 8:30 and didn't get home until almost 10:00 that night.
Monday was just as busy as I had 5 kids all day. Yup, 5 kids. That's just too many! Since there was no school the kids I babysit for were at my house all day. Let's just say it was the toughest day I had with them over the past year. By the time there mom came I was just plain wiped out. Rob and I debriefed about our hectic days over dinner then I fell into bed for a nap. It didn't last too long though, Titus got hungry. So Rob and I spent the next several hours enjoying each others company over ice cream and a new game called Bohnanza (thanks for the recommendation Steve and Heather!) It was fun, we played it again this evening.
Today was just as crazy it seems, although Tuesday's are supposed to be my day to relax. But, because I've been so busy it ended up turning into my day to get stuff done. I worked all morning on some stuff for a big important meeting we have coming up at church this weekend. Then I fed the kids, fed myself and got us all ready for Titus's 6 week check up. It was at 2:30 right? Nope, 2:00... whoops, I forgot? I really thought it was 2:30. At 2:15 I hurriedly told Leeann to go potty before we left (she's in pull-ups now). She said eww, but I wasn't paying attention. I was in the bathroom with her doing my hair and I smelled something funny. Leeann being the sweet obedient girl that she was trying to take off her pants and her pull-ups and had sat on her little potty. You guessed it, poop everywhere! On her feet, her legs, the chair, a towel she had stepped on. I wanted so badly to cry but I just had to laugh. So I spent the next 15 minutes cleaning her up and everything around her. I finally finished that, buckled Titus in, gathered the diaper bag, a burpee. Found my phone which I had lost, tracked down my keys, put my jacket on and grabbed my purse. I looked at the clock-- 2:30. Then all of the sudden I though, "oh no, was it at 2:00"? So I looked on my fridge and confirmed that it was at 2:00. Could my day get any crazier? I called to reschedule and she told me just to go ahead and come on in...
TITUS STATS:
10 lbs 5 oz (average)
15 1/4 inch head size (average)
21 3/4 inches long (in the bottom 10%... he is his parents child!)
He got 3 seperate shots and cried and cried and cried. Then Leeann fell in the doctors office and joined in. Neither could be consoled. I thought I was going crazy. We came home a bit after 4 and I slumped onto the couch exhausted once more. My house is crazy, my life is busy and my mind is everywhere. It actually helps to blog. I feel like I'm venting, although I have no idea to whom! Rob graciously made dinner and even watched the kids for a couple of hours while I hit Toy's R Us. They're closing and having some big sales... I bought a few things. I can't wait til they're really big sales! Although by that time there isn't much worth buying usually. We'll see though.
And now I'm going to go spend the last few minutes of Rob being gone (he's at a b-ball game of one of the high school boys) to try to make some sense of my house. Or at least to do enough that I feel like I accomplished something today!
I spent part of the weekend in St. Helens where my family gathered for lunch in support of my Grandma following my Grandpa's death. It's always good to be with family and to be surrounded by so many people that you know love each other and are committed to each other through thick and thin. That's what family is all about. I'll post pictures once I actually get the chance to sit down long enough to upload them and attach them etc.
Sunday was just plain busy, it always is. I left at 8:30 and didn't get home until almost 10:00 that night.
Monday was just as busy as I had 5 kids all day. Yup, 5 kids. That's just too many! Since there was no school the kids I babysit for were at my house all day. Let's just say it was the toughest day I had with them over the past year. By the time there mom came I was just plain wiped out. Rob and I debriefed about our hectic days over dinner then I fell into bed for a nap. It didn't last too long though, Titus got hungry. So Rob and I spent the next several hours enjoying each others company over ice cream and a new game called Bohnanza (thanks for the recommendation Steve and Heather!) It was fun, we played it again this evening.
Today was just as crazy it seems, although Tuesday's are supposed to be my day to relax. But, because I've been so busy it ended up turning into my day to get stuff done. I worked all morning on some stuff for a big important meeting we have coming up at church this weekend. Then I fed the kids, fed myself and got us all ready for Titus's 6 week check up. It was at 2:30 right? Nope, 2:00... whoops, I forgot? I really thought it was 2:30. At 2:15 I hurriedly told Leeann to go potty before we left (she's in pull-ups now). She said eww, but I wasn't paying attention. I was in the bathroom with her doing my hair and I smelled something funny. Leeann being the sweet obedient girl that she was trying to take off her pants and her pull-ups and had sat on her little potty. You guessed it, poop everywhere! On her feet, her legs, the chair, a towel she had stepped on. I wanted so badly to cry but I just had to laugh. So I spent the next 15 minutes cleaning her up and everything around her. I finally finished that, buckled Titus in, gathered the diaper bag, a burpee. Found my phone which I had lost, tracked down my keys, put my jacket on and grabbed my purse. I looked at the clock-- 2:30. Then all of the sudden I though, "oh no, was it at 2:00"? So I looked on my fridge and confirmed that it was at 2:00. Could my day get any crazier? I called to reschedule and she told me just to go ahead and come on in...
TITUS STATS:
10 lbs 5 oz (average)
15 1/4 inch head size (average)
21 3/4 inches long (in the bottom 10%... he is his parents child!)
He got 3 seperate shots and cried and cried and cried. Then Leeann fell in the doctors office and joined in. Neither could be consoled. I thought I was going crazy. We came home a bit after 4 and I slumped onto the couch exhausted once more. My house is crazy, my life is busy and my mind is everywhere. It actually helps to blog. I feel like I'm venting, although I have no idea to whom! Rob graciously made dinner and even watched the kids for a couple of hours while I hit Toy's R Us. They're closing and having some big sales... I bought a few things. I can't wait til they're really big sales! Although by that time there isn't much worth buying usually. We'll see though.
And now I'm going to go spend the last few minutes of Rob being gone (he's at a b-ball game of one of the high school boys) to try to make some sense of my house. Or at least to do enough that I feel like I accomplished something today!
Friday, January 13, 2006
His First Night
Last night was Titus's first night in his crib... it was harder for me than I thought it would be!
I decided it was time because I could no longer pick him up out of his bassinet from bed, so I would have to get up to get him out of his bassinet, bring him back to my bed, feed him, get up again and put him back in. All the meanwhile Rob is needlessly being subjected to all of this moving around and Titus fussing while he's eating etc. I decided if I have to get up I might as well get up and go to him room allowing Rob some sleep. Besides, he makes a lot of sounds at night each of which can wake either of us up at any given time. Last night we didn't hear as many of those as usual, just the big screams! I'm sure I'll sleep better on future nights, I spent this one just a little worried because he wasn't right next to me. He may as well have been right next to me as his room is right across the hall and our doors were both open... and we wer virtually maybe 20 feet away from each other!
Well, I'm off to start my day, I have more photography lessons with Eroica scheduled!
I decided it was time because I could no longer pick him up out of his bassinet from bed, so I would have to get up to get him out of his bassinet, bring him back to my bed, feed him, get up again and put him back in. All the meanwhile Rob is needlessly being subjected to all of this moving around and Titus fussing while he's eating etc. I decided if I have to get up I might as well get up and go to him room allowing Rob some sleep. Besides, he makes a lot of sounds at night each of which can wake either of us up at any given time. Last night we didn't hear as many of those as usual, just the big screams! I'm sure I'll sleep better on future nights, I spent this one just a little worried because he wasn't right next to me. He may as well have been right next to me as his room is right across the hall and our doors were both open... and we wer virtually maybe 20 feet away from each other!
Well, I'm off to start my day, I have more photography lessons with Eroica scheduled!
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
A Blog Far More Meaningful Than Mine
Rob and I got hooked up with an adoption lawyer through our adoption agency about a year ago. Well, at some point I was trying to get ahold of him for some reason and I couldn't find his number so I looked him up on the web. On his website I found a link to a page called Rebekah's Page:
http://rebekahspage.blogspot.com/
As I read it I burst into tears, finding it impossible to imagine what they must be going through. His now four year old daughter has a form of childhood cancer and her site gives daily updates as to her condition. They are faithful in posting most everyday and it just takes a minute or two to read. If you have time I encourage you to follow her story... it will most certainly put life into a proper perspective!
http://rebekahspage.blogspot.com/
As I read it I burst into tears, finding it impossible to imagine what they must be going through. His now four year old daughter has a form of childhood cancer and her site gives daily updates as to her condition. They are faithful in posting most everyday and it just takes a minute or two to read. If you have time I encourage you to follow her story... it will most certainly put life into a proper perspective!
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
It's Back... (but this time we're not purple)
Yup, the most awful terrible painful thing in the whole world--thrush--is back. Before you get too sad and start sending me cards and flowers and chocolate by the truck loads, it's not nearly as bad as it was last time. On second thought, maybe you should go ahead and send the chocolate... it couldn't hurt! I noticed some white in Titus's mouth on Saturday and nearly burst into tears at the mere thought of getting it again. It's slowly been becoming more painful to feed him, but it is so far from the pain that it was last time that I wasn't even positive that we had it. We do though and we're being treated so everything should be better soon. She suspects that it maybe never totally went away. I dunno, but I'm thankful we caught it before it got too bad. So, in the meantime I'll just sit here and wait for my truck loads of chocolate to come...
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Precious Portraits
This is a picture of me holding baby Titus's feet at one month old. My friend, Eroica, started a photography studio out of her home this summer (yay for working-from-home moms!) She recently began training me up as an apprentice of sorts and we sat down today for her to impart some of her photography wisdom to me. One of the results is the above picture which to me, is priceless! So, if you get the chance you should check out the link to her website in my links section. And if you live in the area you should make an appointment to stop on by the studio and get some of your own precious portraits taken. If you aren't in the area--it's worth the drive! (Yup, that's my shameless plug for the day!)
My Grandpa Beaston
About 15 minutes ago Rob looked at his cell phone and saw that he had missed a call at 2:30 this morning. Nobody likes calls that early because it's never good news. It was my cousin's cell phone number and I knew in my gut right away why she was calling. (I accidently left mine at the church yesterday, so I obviously didn't have it with me)
I tried to call her, and my dad to no avail. So I tried my aunt whom I woke up (sorry Pam) who confirmed that my Grandpa had passed away a little after 2:00 this morning. My other Grandfather passed away in September. Please pray for my Grandma who I imagine must be going through a great deal right now. I can think of no greater saddness that one must go through than to lose a spouse, except maybe to lose a child. I don't like it when people are sick, and I certainly don't like it when people die, especially when they are family. As I grow older the number of people that I lose that are dear to me is only going to grow. I wish it wasn't that way...
I tried to call her, and my dad to no avail. So I tried my aunt whom I woke up (sorry Pam) who confirmed that my Grandpa had passed away a little after 2:00 this morning. My other Grandfather passed away in September. Please pray for my Grandma who I imagine must be going through a great deal right now. I can think of no greater saddness that one must go through than to lose a spouse, except maybe to lose a child. I don't like it when people are sick, and I certainly don't like it when people die, especially when they are family. As I grow older the number of people that I lose that are dear to me is only going to grow. I wish it wasn't that way...
Saturday, January 07, 2006
In Awe
Sometimes I just stare at Leeann or Titus in awe and wonder why God has entrusted us with two amazing miracles? Some people have asked in the past if we thought it would be different to have Titus than it was to have Leeann because he's a biological child. Many have questioned whether one can love an adopted child as much as one that you bonded with while in the womb and whom you birthed and have held since the beginning. The answer? You sure can! It's funny, we hardly ever think of Leeann as adopted because she's so much a part of our lives. We simply couldn't imagine our lives without her--it would be so boring! Her smile is enchanting and she's such an amazing beautiful little gift from God. And that's the thing, she's truly a gift. We didn't do anything to deserve her. We had no part in making her or bringing her into this world. She was simply given to us from God, the greatest gift in the world! Granted, Titus was also a gift from God, but we certainly had a part in that. I think that's why the two are on an even playing field... one not being any more special than the other. Is it different? Sure, because they were given to us from two unique circumstances. Is one more special? Not at all! Adoption is an amazing thing and so is bringing a child into this world. We're especially blessed because we've gotten to experience both gifts first-hand! God is great--I love being a mommy!
They Fit! (not the same, but they fit!)
I originally hadn't had any hopes of getting back into my normal clothes until this summer, because they say it takes nine months to put it on, you should expect nine months to take it off. Well, I'm still waiting because it isn't all off... but I fit into my pants and I even buttoned them this morning! YEAH!
Okay, so I admit they don't fit quite the same as they used to, BUT I can button them and still breathe, which makes them at least wearable! These are the pants that I've been measuring my baby-fat loss with. Every couple of days I'll put them on just for kicks--to see if I'm getting any closer to being able to wear them. Well, today... I'm going to wear them just because I can! I might just wear them tomorrow and the next day too (depending on how my other pants fit!)
However, I did finally give up on some of my clothes from Jr. High/early High School. We moved my dresser into Leeann's room before Titus came home so we would have a place for his bassinet, and Leeann needed a dresser anyway. So on Wednesday I finally got around to clearing my clothes out of it (most of which I no longer wore). I finally admitted to myself that I was never going to fit back into those teeny tiny jeans I wore 10 years ago and the world would be a better place if I passed them on. And some of my really playful (i.e. youthful) t-shirts I passed along as well. In fact, I got rid of a fairly good sized garbage bag full of clothes and it felt nice. Not to mention the fact that we have lot's more room now. I was holding onto a lot of stuff 'just in case', but in reality they are things I will probably never wear again.
So, my challenge to you for the day is this: Go through your closet or your drawers and get rid of 10 items you no longer wear, or face it, no longer fit! Place them in a bag and take them to your local Good Will or pass them along to someone who might use them. Don't make a day of it, don't stress over it, just make a goal of 10 things. You'll feel good about it and it will be that much less that you'll have to look through next time you are looking for something you actually want to wear.
Okay, so I admit they don't fit quite the same as they used to, BUT I can button them and still breathe, which makes them at least wearable! These are the pants that I've been measuring my baby-fat loss with. Every couple of days I'll put them on just for kicks--to see if I'm getting any closer to being able to wear them. Well, today... I'm going to wear them just because I can! I might just wear them tomorrow and the next day too (depending on how my other pants fit!)
However, I did finally give up on some of my clothes from Jr. High/early High School. We moved my dresser into Leeann's room before Titus came home so we would have a place for his bassinet, and Leeann needed a dresser anyway. So on Wednesday I finally got around to clearing my clothes out of it (most of which I no longer wore). I finally admitted to myself that I was never going to fit back into those teeny tiny jeans I wore 10 years ago and the world would be a better place if I passed them on. And some of my really playful (i.e. youthful) t-shirts I passed along as well. In fact, I got rid of a fairly good sized garbage bag full of clothes and it felt nice. Not to mention the fact that we have lot's more room now. I was holding onto a lot of stuff 'just in case', but in reality they are things I will probably never wear again.
So, my challenge to you for the day is this: Go through your closet or your drawers and get rid of 10 items you no longer wear, or face it, no longer fit! Place them in a bag and take them to your local Good Will or pass them along to someone who might use them. Don't make a day of it, don't stress over it, just make a goal of 10 things. You'll feel good about it and it will be that much less that you'll have to look through next time you are looking for something you actually want to wear.
Friday, January 06, 2006
But, What Number do Mommy's Call?
When Rob was sick on Tuesday, he didn't even have to call into work--I did it for him. BUT, I knew exactly who to call and the secretary, Lauri assured me everything would be fine without him but she'd call if she needed him. So Rob enjoyed an entire day of rest (well, mostly because the kids were still here and we do make noise. The next day he wasn't feeling spectacular, but he was much better.
Today I woke up with a headache, a stuffy nose that runs (isn't it ironic) and a slightly sore throat. I'm tired. No, I'm plain pooped! Ask Titus if he cares though. Leeann? Nope, she doesn't really care either, although she does sympathize a little, she seems to be more helpful and subdued and easier to entertain when she knows I'm not feeling well. The kids I babysit for? Well, they are helpful, but the boys still needed woken up fairly early and Krista still needed a ride to school. Byron needed lunch (which isn't so bad, it made me eat and of course Leeann had to eat too). Krista will need picked up after a while and they will all need a snack at some point.
Picking up Krista means 6 of us in my car now. We have two carseats in the back with just a little bit of room for Krista. Byron and Tony both have to sit up front which makes it squished. Byron really shouldn't be up there as he's pretty small and I have a driver's side air bag. We continue to pray hard for a mini-van... understandable? There have been many days that I've prayed one would just show up in our driveway. Not a new one, not even a nice one necessarily--just a well working one. I haven't seen a great deal of well-working free mini-vans though lately though... have you? Let me know if you happen to come across one!
Today I woke up with a headache, a stuffy nose that runs (isn't it ironic) and a slightly sore throat. I'm tired. No, I'm plain pooped! Ask Titus if he cares though. Leeann? Nope, she doesn't really care either, although she does sympathize a little, she seems to be more helpful and subdued and easier to entertain when she knows I'm not feeling well. The kids I babysit for? Well, they are helpful, but the boys still needed woken up fairly early and Krista still needed a ride to school. Byron needed lunch (which isn't so bad, it made me eat and of course Leeann had to eat too). Krista will need picked up after a while and they will all need a snack at some point.
Picking up Krista means 6 of us in my car now. We have two carseats in the back with just a little bit of room for Krista. Byron and Tony both have to sit up front which makes it squished. Byron really shouldn't be up there as he's pretty small and I have a driver's side air bag. We continue to pray hard for a mini-van... understandable? There have been many days that I've prayed one would just show up in our driveway. Not a new one, not even a nice one necessarily--just a well working one. I haven't seen a great deal of well-working free mini-vans though lately though... have you? Let me know if you happen to come across one!
This One's For Miss Pam (and Mr. Dave)
Pam and Dave are dear sweet people that left us for California at the beginning of last year. She was the church secretary and Dave was an elder. They were also our college small group leaders and dear friends.
Dave and Pam,
We missed you at this year's staff Christmas Party, it just wasn't the same without you. Thank you for leaving behind 'the mouse', I think Tom opened it, Pam H stole it and Les stole it from her... it was the hottest item next to the Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas cassette tape! Les promised to bring this reoccuring gift back next year. Pam H was sullen as she asked at the beginning of the gift exchange who ended up with the mouse last year. I sadly told her Dave had and she was dissapointed that he wasn't going to be back this year. Little did she know, you graciously left it behind so it could remain the highlight of our gift exchange.
Some other hot items? Denny ended up with some sample cans of formula (thanks to Cherish). Noah ended up with an outside porch light (very useful, thanks Les). Larry got a trophy from a recent b team basketball tournament (Tom?) Lauri got some random food items such as mac n' cheese, fruit snacks, canned soup etc (compliments of my pantry).
I don't know if anything will beat our first leadership white elephant gift exchange though. It was the day after our 1 year anniversary so Rob and I wrapped up our wedding cake topper that had been in our freezer for a year. Of course, it had the customary slice taken out of it that we had eaten. It was a little dry, but not too bad. Shirley took it to work if I remember right, and people actually ate it!
Well, Dave and Pam. We miss you. We wish you were here, it just isn't the same without you. I hope you are enjoying sunny California though, snag some sun in memory of your Oregonian friends!
Love,
Robyn
Thursday, January 05, 2006
My Case for an Artificial Christmas Tree
I decided to take down my tree today. Nobody forced me to, nobody told me to, the tree wasn't dying, I didn't have to get it out to the recycle, it wasn't a fire hazard... it was just good timing for me... so I did! Did I mention that I don't have to clean up any pine needles and I didn't even have to water it once?
Besides that, all of the ornaments fit right back into the boxes they came out of. Better yet, when I pull them out next year I'll have the perfect amount of ornaments for my tree... because it's the same tree! The strands of lights I have and the beaded garland will be the perfect length!
It will be placed out into the garage when my husband returns, along with the box of perfectly coordinating Christmas ornaments and it will be ready to pull out whenever we want next year.
I don't have to wait until after Thanksgiving to put my tree up, because that's when they start going on sale. I could put mine up after Halloween if I want to. And guess how much I'll pay? NOTHING! Rob's mom graciously passed hers along to us when we got married. We'll never spend any money on a tree and we'll never have to buy more ornaments for when we 'get a bigger tree next year'. So what can I say, we're cheap. It's just the way we are! I know, I know, 'but the smell of Christmas is lost'... they make all sorts of air freshners and potpourri to suite your fancy these days. Or better yet, cut a branch off of the neighbors tree and sneak behind yours.
So, there's my random ranting for the day.
Besides that, all of the ornaments fit right back into the boxes they came out of. Better yet, when I pull them out next year I'll have the perfect amount of ornaments for my tree... because it's the same tree! The strands of lights I have and the beaded garland will be the perfect length!
It will be placed out into the garage when my husband returns, along with the box of perfectly coordinating Christmas ornaments and it will be ready to pull out whenever we want next year.
I don't have to wait until after Thanksgiving to put my tree up, because that's when they start going on sale. I could put mine up after Halloween if I want to. And guess how much I'll pay? NOTHING! Rob's mom graciously passed hers along to us when we got married. We'll never spend any money on a tree and we'll never have to buy more ornaments for when we 'get a bigger tree next year'. So what can I say, we're cheap. It's just the way we are! I know, I know, 'but the smell of Christmas is lost'... they make all sorts of air freshners and potpourri to suite your fancy these days. Or better yet, cut a branch off of the neighbors tree and sneak behind yours.
So, there's my random ranting for the day.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Fun at Steve and Heathers
This is a picture of Rob and one of his best friends Steve with both of their kids, Micah, Leeann and Titus.
This is a family picture of us taken at the Scott's. The reason you don't see Titus's face is because it was very very purple!
This is Leeann helping Heather feed Micah. I realize now that I don't have any other pictures of Heather on my computer. We didn't take one of their family on our camera while we were there!
This is a random picture of Rob and I that Steve took of us. It's been a while since we've had a picture of just the two of us, so it was kind of nice to get this one!
Monday, January 02, 2006
Titus is 1 Month Old Today
Here are some pictures of Titus exactly one month after his birth. My only question is, where on earth did time go? Mothering an infant has had its ups and downs, but I think the ups are finally starting to outweigh the downs! Today Titus was staring at me and smiling and he's even begun to follow me with his eyes. I know it's probably not a big deal to anyone else, but to me... it was priceless!
The rest of our Christmas Break
St. Helens... We then spent the evening with my family (dad, siblings, grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins kids etc.) at my cousin Jenni's house. My family throws routine impromptu parties. Our extended family is like most people's immediate family. We all talk on a regular basis, gather what seems like several times a month for Birthday parties and holiday's. Luckily, when I come into town everyone usually gets together somewhere so we can see everyone in one place without having to zip from house to house in a short amount of time. My family has its wacky sides, but I wouldn't want to be part of any other family. You always know you'll be taken care of and that everyone is always there for you in every situation!
We went to visit my best friend since kindergarten, Angie, and her family (husband Robbie and two beautiful boys Hunter and Levi). It's always good to see her and to catch up. I think it's so neat that our friendship has lasted so long, she's a keeper!
Next stop... Kent. We drove up to Kent late Wednesday night and pulled into Rob's sister, Shelly's house around 11 or so. On Thursday Rob's other sister, Suzy came over with her two boys, Weston and Logan and we just spent the day hanging out.
Is this silly or what, I can't remember what we did on Friday. Hmmm. Oh wait, I remember! We went to visit one of Rob's very bestest friends, Steve and his wife Heather and their 9 month old son Micah. I'll post pictures. We always look forward to getting to spend time with Steve and Heather. These are two of the neatest people anyone might ever meet. They love the Lord, they love each other and they love people, it's so obvious!
On Saturday Rob's brother Dan, and his Dad and Step-mom Stephanie joined the rest of the gang for a Christmas Eve Christmas Party complete with a customary $10 gift exchange. I left with a Costco sized bag of pistachios! We had fun, again, it's always great to be with family, I look forward to getting to see everyone when we go up there.
Sunday brought Christmas with Rob's siblings and their families, his mom Janice, and step-dad Carmin, his mom's brother Doug and his family and her parents, Stan and Martha. Christmas was packed full of fun, family and food and lot's of presents too! Titus got a cross-stitch wall hanging from his Great Grandma Deardorff in John Deere colors with his name on it. Titus also got a really cool wooden puzzle with his name on it. Uncle Doug makes them http://www.dougspuzzles.com/. So now I have at least two items each with Leeann's name spelled right and with Titus's name. I may never find anything else that has that, but that's okay!
In all Sunday was a pretty tough day for me though. It was the day that my thrush was at it's worst and I spent part of the day simply in tears, part of it trying to find how to get relief on the internet so I wouldn't have to bug my mid-wife on Christmas, and the other part of the day on the phone with my mid-wife when nothing on the internet seemed worthwhile. She ordered in a new prescription for me and promised me relief in 24 hours. It helped just knowing that it would be gone soon.
That evening Rob, Janice, our niece KayLee and I stayed up way too late playing "Trump" a new game Janice got for Christmas. It was fun! Rob and I are big board game fans!
Rob headed home on Monday so he could attend Winter Youth Celebration with 10 of our high school students. I was so jealous that I couldn't be there! Leeann, Titus and I stayed at Shelly's so that we wouldn't have to be home alone. It was a huge blessing to be able to spend a few extra days with Rob's family. Suzy and her kids spent several more days hanging out with us too. Suzy, Shelly and I got in several additional rounds of Settlers (a board game that we LOVE) and Leeann got some much loved time with her cousins. Titus got held for almost 10 days straight and I got treated like a princess by aunt Shelly who fed me (well--I might add), didn't make me clean and even did my laundry! It was such a blessing to be there! I also got in some 'shopping' time with Rob's mom and my kids. It's customary to go to Jo-Ann fabrics together whenever possible!
In all, the trip was great. It was nice to come home, albeit to a whopping mess that still isn't anywhere close to clean. It's always nice to see Rob after being away from him for a couple of days... I can't help it, I like the guy!
We spent New Year's Eve attempting to clean our a house a little and catching up on some much needed sleep. Leeann spent a couple of hours with Grampy and Mimi (Kyndall's dad and step-mom), Nanay (that's what she calls her birth mom Kyndall), and Kyndall's siblings Kendra and Kalen to celebrate Christmas. Leeann got a cool travel magna-doodle and 5 or 6 Veggie Tales DVD's, including Lord of the Beans (which Shelly's kids got for Christmas and we must have watched a good 10 times while we were there!) She has fun when she's over there. It really is quite a neat arrangement that we have with them. Leeann is one of the most blessed girls I know with so many people that love her and care for her!
We went to the YMCA for a couple of hours New Year's Eve. Our church rents out the facility and we play games, use their gyms, courts and pool and eat lot's of yummy food. It's always a great time! Rob and I then headed over to some good friends of ours house, Craig and Mandy for some additional food and fun. Another couple, Jennifer and Ryan met up with us there and we had some of Craig's famous nachos, and some apple pie, ice cream and sparkling cider as we rang in the New Year over a rousing game of Beyond Balderdash. Bottom line-- we like friends and we like board games, so it was a great night!
New Year's Day was pretty uneventful. We had church, lunch at Wendy's, a nap and then youth group. Fun day I suppose, but nothing too out of the ordinary (except meeting up with Rob's old youth intern John and a friend of his, Kristin for lunch... it was good to catch up and its always nice to see him!)
Yesterday I spent pretty much the whole day with my friend Eroica editing a Newsletter for our church's potential building project. It was fun but time consuming. I always enjoy spending time with Eroica though, so that makes work less tedious.
And that brings us to today. Rob isn't feeling well so he's staying home from work for at least the morning. He's in our room hence the fact that I have Titus and Leeann hulled up in Titus room (with the computer) trying to keep any of us from making too much noise. Our house isn't exactly big and when someone's sleeping it generally means a measure of intended quietness on the part of those who are not enjoying slumber.
Again, I must say, if you are still reading at this point, I question why. I really said little of significance in this super-long post, but now I'm up to date!
We went to visit my best friend since kindergarten, Angie, and her family (husband Robbie and two beautiful boys Hunter and Levi). It's always good to see her and to catch up. I think it's so neat that our friendship has lasted so long, she's a keeper!
Next stop... Kent. We drove up to Kent late Wednesday night and pulled into Rob's sister, Shelly's house around 11 or so. On Thursday Rob's other sister, Suzy came over with her two boys, Weston and Logan and we just spent the day hanging out.
Is this silly or what, I can't remember what we did on Friday. Hmmm. Oh wait, I remember! We went to visit one of Rob's very bestest friends, Steve and his wife Heather and their 9 month old son Micah. I'll post pictures. We always look forward to getting to spend time with Steve and Heather. These are two of the neatest people anyone might ever meet. They love the Lord, they love each other and they love people, it's so obvious!
On Saturday Rob's brother Dan, and his Dad and Step-mom Stephanie joined the rest of the gang for a Christmas Eve Christmas Party complete with a customary $10 gift exchange. I left with a Costco sized bag of pistachios! We had fun, again, it's always great to be with family, I look forward to getting to see everyone when we go up there.
Sunday brought Christmas with Rob's siblings and their families, his mom Janice, and step-dad Carmin, his mom's brother Doug and his family and her parents, Stan and Martha. Christmas was packed full of fun, family and food and lot's of presents too! Titus got a cross-stitch wall hanging from his Great Grandma Deardorff in John Deere colors with his name on it. Titus also got a really cool wooden puzzle with his name on it. Uncle Doug makes them http://www.dougspuzzles.com/. So now I have at least two items each with Leeann's name spelled right and with Titus's name. I may never find anything else that has that, but that's okay!
In all Sunday was a pretty tough day for me though. It was the day that my thrush was at it's worst and I spent part of the day simply in tears, part of it trying to find how to get relief on the internet so I wouldn't have to bug my mid-wife on Christmas, and the other part of the day on the phone with my mid-wife when nothing on the internet seemed worthwhile. She ordered in a new prescription for me and promised me relief in 24 hours. It helped just knowing that it would be gone soon.
That evening Rob, Janice, our niece KayLee and I stayed up way too late playing "Trump" a new game Janice got for Christmas. It was fun! Rob and I are big board game fans!
Rob headed home on Monday so he could attend Winter Youth Celebration with 10 of our high school students. I was so jealous that I couldn't be there! Leeann, Titus and I stayed at Shelly's so that we wouldn't have to be home alone. It was a huge blessing to be able to spend a few extra days with Rob's family. Suzy and her kids spent several more days hanging out with us too. Suzy, Shelly and I got in several additional rounds of Settlers (a board game that we LOVE) and Leeann got some much loved time with her cousins. Titus got held for almost 10 days straight and I got treated like a princess by aunt Shelly who fed me (well--I might add), didn't make me clean and even did my laundry! It was such a blessing to be there! I also got in some 'shopping' time with Rob's mom and my kids. It's customary to go to Jo-Ann fabrics together whenever possible!
In all, the trip was great. It was nice to come home, albeit to a whopping mess that still isn't anywhere close to clean. It's always nice to see Rob after being away from him for a couple of days... I can't help it, I like the guy!
We spent New Year's Eve attempting to clean our a house a little and catching up on some much needed sleep. Leeann spent a couple of hours with Grampy and Mimi (Kyndall's dad and step-mom), Nanay (that's what she calls her birth mom Kyndall), and Kyndall's siblings Kendra and Kalen to celebrate Christmas. Leeann got a cool travel magna-doodle and 5 or 6 Veggie Tales DVD's, including Lord of the Beans (which Shelly's kids got for Christmas and we must have watched a good 10 times while we were there!) She has fun when she's over there. It really is quite a neat arrangement that we have with them. Leeann is one of the most blessed girls I know with so many people that love her and care for her!
We went to the YMCA for a couple of hours New Year's Eve. Our church rents out the facility and we play games, use their gyms, courts and pool and eat lot's of yummy food. It's always a great time! Rob and I then headed over to some good friends of ours house, Craig and Mandy for some additional food and fun. Another couple, Jennifer and Ryan met up with us there and we had some of Craig's famous nachos, and some apple pie, ice cream and sparkling cider as we rang in the New Year over a rousing game of Beyond Balderdash. Bottom line-- we like friends and we like board games, so it was a great night!
New Year's Day was pretty uneventful. We had church, lunch at Wendy's, a nap and then youth group. Fun day I suppose, but nothing too out of the ordinary (except meeting up with Rob's old youth intern John and a friend of his, Kristin for lunch... it was good to catch up and its always nice to see him!)
Yesterday I spent pretty much the whole day with my friend Eroica editing a Newsletter for our church's potential building project. It was fun but time consuming. I always enjoy spending time with Eroica though, so that makes work less tedious.
And that brings us to today. Rob isn't feeling well so he's staying home from work for at least the morning. He's in our room hence the fact that I have Titus and Leeann hulled up in Titus room (with the computer) trying to keep any of us from making too much noise. Our house isn't exactly big and when someone's sleeping it generally means a measure of intended quietness on the part of those who are not enjoying slumber.
Again, I must say, if you are still reading at this point, I question why. I really said little of significance in this super-long post, but now I'm up to date!
Titus and Grandma Jo
I will continue to post pictures of our Christmas Vacation as I get the time... I haven't had much of an opportunity to be at my computer at all over the last several weeks so I'll have to post about our Christmas fun in stages.
Our first stop of Christmas break was to visit my Grandma Jo at the nursing home she lives in. We met my Aunt Heidi and her fiance and kids at Meadow Park so they could all meet Titus. Keep in mind that Titus's purple mouth is because of medication he was taking--he's no longer purple!
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