The rest of the vacation...

Alright, I put you guys through enough suspense.....time to let you know about the rest of my vacation (more like I finally found some time to type).

After our trip to Lambeau, we went to my friend Colleen's house. Colleen, as I have mentioned in a previous post, is a friend I made a few years ago from Simplymoms.com and met a few months back IRL. We have become very close friends and we all decided it would be great if we could spend a weekend together. And what a weekend it was! It was just about perfect. We knew we would have a great time, but none of us expected it to be so good. Colleen and I talked like we have known each other forever, the kids got along great like brother and sister, the babies were so cute together, and the guys hit it off pretty well too. It was wonderful.

Ryan and Alia (Colleen's 2 yr old). Brother and sister? Future couple?
Kyle and Alyssa (who is only a week older than Kyle) having an in depth conversation about the blocks.

Colleen and I

So after we get there, feed the babies and get settled, we go out to Bay Beach. What an amazing place! An old fashioned amusement park where the rides are only .25 cents or .50 cents. Nice and cheap...and the kids loved it! Us adults even had some fun! Colleen and I went on the swings together...man it was like being a teen again! haha

Ryan dragged me on the slide. It was a bit scary at first but lots of fun! I went down it twice, and Ryan talked daddy into going once.

We spent the weekend at Colleen's house. I figured we would all stay in the guest bedroom (should have known cramming 4 people, including one being a baby, in one room wouldn't work!) but it didn't work out that way. I put Kyle to bed first in the playpen, then Ryan a half hour later. Ryan freaked out and didn't want to be alone and ended up waking Kyle up. It was a big mess. So Ryan ended up sleeping on a futon in small room in the basement, and Bob slept on the couch in the basement. Kyle and I stayed in the guest room. In the end it all worked out.

On Sat we went down to Appleton, WI to a children's museum. It was an amazing place for kids to play and learn and explore. It was very reasonably priced too! Ryan had a blast, and I got into it too.

The museum had a children's Kwik Trip in it! Ryan got a kick out of that. Behind it is also a convenience store. LOL
They had a water fountain there along with other water things. As you can see, Kyle was less than thrilled.
My fire-boys!

The rest of Sat we just spent lounging around Colleen's, and having a barbeque. Sat night the first preseason Packer football game was on. Unfortunately I didn't see much of it as I was either talking to Colleen or taking care of Kyle, but the guys watched it. (Doesn't it figure? LOL)

Sunday Kyle and I went with Colleen and family to her church. Bob and Ryan opted to stay at the house. I tried my hardest to get Ryan to go, but he wanted to stay with daddy. Anyway, it was incredible. My church is very small...only about 200 or so members. Hers is about 5,000 members! I was stunned by how huge the place was. And I even saw a Packer there (KGB) but didn't have a chance to say hello.

After church we went to their church picnic and had some yummy food. Ryan even got to find a toad. LOL

Once we finished lunch, it was time to head back home. Not surprisingly, both boys slept most of the car ride back home. We wore them out!

It was a wonderful vacation and though short, we crammed a lot of stuff in there. It was great to spent time with Colleen. We are already making plans to get together again.

Frozen Tundra

Yes, I do realize it has been yet again, forever since I last posted. I'm hoping with fall coming soon I'll have a little bit more free time (yeah right). At any rate, I'm finally posting now about our vacation that we took 2 weeks ago now.

We (meaning Bob, Ryan, Kyle, and myself) took a short mini-vacation over the weekend of Aug. 10-12. We spent the weekend up in Green Bay, WI. Yes, I do realize we didn't go out of state or anything (we are such adventurers haha), but what can you do with a very low budget and only 3 days? I was a great vacation anyway...didn't matter where we went, it was nice to be together as a family. (awwww)

We left Friday morning...hoping to leave before 10am, but unfortunately just as we are about to go out the door (literally) Kyle had an accident. More like a fall.....yes, his first face plant onto the kitchen floor. I have a feeling it will not be his last. (I think Ryan says oww about 50 times a day). Bob put him in the carseat to put him down for a moment. He turned back to him and picked up the carseat, forgetting that just moments earlier, he didn't strap him in. So the carseat flips over and Kyle goes face first onto the cold kitchen floor from about a foot away. Kyle of course is crying hysterically, Ryan starts crying because he just saw his little brother get hurt, (and thinks daddy did it on purpose) and I'm freaking out that I just saw my baby do a face plant. It took about 15 minutes for everyone to calm down, and thankfully, Kyle was ok. Just a small red spot on his head that went away by the end of the weekend. So off we went.

Green Bay is only about 2.5 hours north of us. Not a bad drive. Of course, I've been that way a few times, as many of my extended family members live in Kaukauna, Appleton, Chilton, and other small towns nearby. Though it's been years since I've been there. I stopped going up that way once my grandma moved back down here to live with us for several months before going to a nursing home.

Since there is so much to tell about this trip (who knew you could pack so much stuff to do in just 3 days?) I will just focus on what we did for part of Friday. You ready for this? You know how much of a Packer fan I am. I haven't had a chance to write a post yet about the upcoming football season, but yes, I'm a HUGE Packer fan. Football in general too, but my heart is set on the Pack. So being Packer fans, we made the pilgrimage to yep, you guessed it, the one and only Lambeau Field. (crowd goes wild!)

It was incredible. It was so beautiful...who ever thought that a football stadium would be pretty? I guess it is to those who are fans.

So got there and took tons of pictures outside and inside.

Here we are with Vince Lambardi.

Then we finally decided to eat. There are a few choice restaurants there, but Bob had his heart set on Curly's pub. He was told it was good. So off we went (it's a restaurant on the second floor of the Atrium). It was delicious...but pricey. After lunch we stopped at the arcade and game place there. Ryan (ok, and me too) had fun throwing footballs and running through the defensive line. Bob told me I throw like a girl. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have a baby in my arms at the same time!

Afterwards we decided to check out the tours they have. They have a Hall of Fame, which is a musuem of Packer artifacts and memorialbilia or you could take a tour of the stadium. Both were about the same price, and with the two young kids with us, we opted for the stadium tour. Ryan was really excited about seeing the football field...he wanted to play in it with the Packers. LOL

The tour was awesome...well worth the money. The kids were free at least (thankfully since Kyle slept through most of it). We saw the suite seats that go for $100,000 or more. They are NICE.

We went through the tunnel that the players go through to get to the field during games. It was very exciting. And of course we saw the field. It was incredible to see it.....it's one thing to see it on tv, but it's so different and huge in person. Just amazing. We even got to sit in the bleachers just behind the goal post (the side that says Packers) and got to shout "Go Pack Go" and hear it echo back. Gave me chills!

The tunnel

After the tour Ryan got to play on some inflated things in the parking lot. There was a jumper and some football technique stuff. He has a blast.

All in all we spent 4 hours there (unfortunately we didn't get to see the Packers play or practice...they were out of town since their first preseason game was the next day at Pittsburg- Ryan was upset) and quite a bit of money, but it was worth it. Hopefully some day we will get there for a game. The waiting list is only about 73,000 people long. LOL

I thought this sign was hilarious!

More to come on the rest of our vacation!

Wordless Wednesday (a day late)

Wordless Wednesday

Kyle's 6 month appt

We had the 6 month well check appt this morning. It was the easiest well check appt I ever had. I had no concerns at all...he is totally healthy, and since I've been through it all before I didn't have any questions either.

Now for the stats:

16 lbs 7 oz

26 inches

in the 50th percentile for both!!!!!!!! Now that seems very average to most of you....but mind you....first off he was born at 5 lbs 5 oz and was in the 3rd percentile. Secondly, I don't have big babies. LOL Ryan was 17 1/2 lbs at 1 year.....so only a pound short of that at 6 months is HUGE to me!!

Dr. said he is perfect....no issues or concerns.

He received 3 shots. He cried when he got them but by the time we got to the car he was fine. Once I got home I fed him and put him down for a nap. I don't expect any problems.

My baby is growing up!

The new/old car

Yesterday while I was hanging out side with the kids, I decided to try my hand at photography. I know nothing at all about photography, or how to take a decent photo or anything, but I had a little bit of time on my hands (in other words I was bored while Ryan played in the pool and Kyle sat in the bouncy seat) and thought I would take pictures. Some of those pictures are to come in future posts.

This is a picture of my new car I talked about here. It's not really new, but it's new to me. It's a great car.....dark green (I guess that would be hunter green? emerald green?) and runs so smoothly. The first few weeks I had it I was driving everywhere! I made excuses up just to drive it. Now I guess it's old news since today was the first time I drove it since Sunday (either that or the gas prices are making me realize I don't need to drive everywhere).

Isn't she pretty? :)

My boys

I have finally taken some pictures and uploaded them to the computer. Yeah, I know. I just never get around to it. Though today I took a whole bunch of pics and will be showing them off! :)

Today is Kyle's half birthday. He is 6 months old today. Amazing. Time goes so fast. He's not the little baby anymore that he was....now he's full grown infant. He's rolling over, babbling, screeching, smiling, laughing, cooing, and reaches out for me when he sees me. He's showing his personality already. He's just amazing. He is such a momma's boy too. :) He only stays in daddy's arms for about 5 minutes before he's getting upset. And if daddy is holding him and I walk by, Kyle's face just lights up and he reaches for me! LOL I'm just so in love with this little boy!

Here is his 6 month pics...taken today. Normally I get pics done professionally at 6 months....but due to financial constraints and we are getting our family portraits done in Oct, I might as well wait 2 months. So these were taken by me :)

Ryan is doing well. It's so hard to believe he will be 5 in Oct!! He doesn't like getting his pic taken much anymore...so this was the best I could do. He is all inquisitive (why? why? why?) and curious. Something I'm trying not to discourage him of, but after the 500th question in an hour it gets a bit frustrating! We still play games when we can and play catch outside, take walks to the park. He's a great big brother!

*sniff* *sniff* They's growing up.

In answer.....

To Shawna's question in a comment the other day.....she asked if we were TTC again.

Answer: no. Not yet anyway.

I'm actually on the fence about this one. Part of me is very much still going through the baby fever thing.....Kyle is growing up so fast already...rolling over and eating baby food and soon will be sitting and mobile. I have so much love for that little boy now that I barely let Bob do anything anymore with his care! I just love spending time with him. I've always wanted 4 or 5 kids.....so part of me is thinking 2 down, more to go! LOL Plus, I'm 32. I'm not getting any younger. I already have complications during pregnancy.....and it just increases the older you get. It took 2+ years to get pg with Kyle.....I can only imagine how long it might take this time (being as my cycle is already mirroring what it was before I got pg and I'm even on bcp).

However, part of me is just freaked at the thought of gettting pg again. My pregnancies as I just mentioned are tough....I tend to have complications. Plus, I remember being soooooo tired throughout.....it was hard with a 3 yr old....I can only imagine how hard it would be with a 5 yr old and a 1 yr old!! Yikes. Just thinking of all the work....sleepless nights again......not to mention I just got over PPD......to have to go through all that again......
Our insurance has also changed....they now cover only 80% of everything...which would mean we'd owe much more than last time. We just can't afford that at this time.

At this time I'm currently on bcp...mainly to stabelize my hormones. I'm considering going off from them as I'm not comfortable being on them....yet at the same time I'm freaked out over going off of them for fear of an "accident". I really would like to "not try but not prevent" but I don't know.

I need to pray about it and figure out what I want to do. I do have some time.

So to answer the question....currently we are not ttc. :)

So glad I'm already married.....

So Amy and I went out on Tuesday to look at bridesmaid dresses. As I mentioned previously, she is getting married next year...Aug 2008. Since she is moving in less than two weeks to MN, we got together to shop for dresses and have some lunch. It was a good time. I tried on a whole bunch of dresses and she showed me the dress she is most likely getting.

She is doing something a bit different....all of us girls are wearing the same color, but not the same style. Because I'm very petite and thin (though after that Olive Garden visit I don't think I will be anymore!) and some of her other bridesmaids are.....not, she has opted to go with whatever style of dress looks good on us, as long as it's the same color...which is black. (black in an Aug wedding I think is suicide....but what can I say?)

So anyway, after spending about 2-3 hours trying on dresses and all, we finally found and agreed on a bridesmaid dress for me! It's very beautiful...here is shows blue, but of course, it will be black, with a green ribbon around the waist for accent color. Hopefully I won't be pregnant by next year at this time LOL But if I am, there are a few maternity dresses that are nice too. LOL

She also decided to tell me that I will need to find a babysitter for my kids as they will not be invited to the wedding...it is an "adult only" wedding.

Now I know she's not married yet and doesn't have children, so she's not into the whole family thing yet. But honestly, I was a little hurt when she told me that, as I was really looking forward to having my kids with me. My kids, my family are my life. They are everything to me and I don't mind being with them at all. Also, having an "adult" night is really not a big deal to me. I don't really enjoy going out drinking or dancing or any of that anymore. I honestly feel so over that these days....as she calls me, I'm a "soccor mom". And you know, I love it. My kids are my life. So anyway, I will have to figure out what I'm going to do. I refuse to pay babysitters for my children or have anyone I don't know watch them. Honestly, the only people I completely trust with my children are my parents. And they will be going to the wedding. So I have a year to figure out what to do with my will-be-then almost 6 yr old and 18 month old (and who knows if I'll have another one???).

Anyway, other than that, it was a great day. We had lunch together and talked about old times and her move coming up and wedding stuff. We may be on totally different stages of our lives right now, but when we do get together it's like we never left high school....we can talk until the cows come home! (and even after).

I'm so glad I don't have to deal with all that wedding stuff again. Phew!

Life Goes On

Have you ever lost your best friend? I suppose not really "lose" them, as in you are not friends anymore, but as in your best friend has moved away?

One of my best friends is moving away at the end of the month. She will be moving to St. Paul, MN. (about 5 hours away).

Amy and I have been friends since she was 4 yrs old and I was 7. Technically I guess we were friends before that as my mom used to work with her dad, and we lived about a block from each other--not even a block...you didn't have to cross the street...just go around the corner and down a few houses.

We became very close as we got older. She has been like a sister to me. I think once we were in late elementary/early middle school is when we became "best friends." We did everything together. If we didn't see each other during the day or after school, then we would call each other and talk for literally hours on the phone. We made up the soap opera that I mention once in a while (Dynasty II). We spent several years coming up with plots and characters and scripts and so much more for that soap. It is forever burned in our memories and hearts.

In high school we discovered boys together. We would talk to them, talk about them, obsess about them. My senior year in high school was the first and only year we ever went to the same school together. I remember meeting at each other's lockers in between classes, decorating lockers for birthdays, just having a blast with each other.

As I went on to college and she remained in high school, we drifted apart a bit. I was into all things college and she was into all things high school....leaving a bit of a rift between us. We never stopped being friends...just drifted apart for a while.

When I got married she was my maid of honor. She will be getting married next year and I will be a bridesmaid (she was thinking maid of honor but didn't want to hurt other peoples feelings).

Of course, now that our lives are in different stages, we don't connect quite as much anymore. We see each other maybe once every few months. I'm married, have two children, a house, stay at home, into all things family. She is engaged, living with her fiancee, working 2-3 jobs, a very active social life. Our lives are in different places. But each time we do get together, it's like no time as ever passed since we were in school together. We find our nitch together and reminance about old times, talk about new times, the future, etc.

We've always got along well. We've had a few fights here and there, but have always made up and continued on.

I have so many memories of us laughing hysterically, crying when her grandma passed away, smiling on birthdays and celebrations, and celebrating every New Years together.

I went to her going away party in May. It's so hard to believe she is leaving in just a few weeks. But she won't be too far away...and hopefully, if I can financally pull it off, I'd like to take the train out to see her soon.

Thank God for cell phones...so we can keep in touch!!

This pic is from her tropical themed going away party. I'm on the right...the shorter of the two. LOL

I'll miss you Aimes. Love ya girl!

Land of the Living

My goodness....has it really been a month?? Where does the time go?

I'm back out of hiding! hehe Not that I've been hiding...just been incredibly busy.

What have I been up to you ask? It would take forever to post everything I've been doing lately....but here's a brief synopsis:

The main event in the last several weeks......my car. Technically Bob's car. It go kaput.
Bob's car died on his way into work (this happened on a Wed...don't remember which one now). He took it to an unmentionable car repair shop (the they-screw-you-over-so-you-are-out-tons-of-money shop) where they "supposedly" (air quote) fixed the problem (something to do with the gasket and the fuel tank....I don't know). for more money than I'm comfortable with--taking up most of our savings mind you. All was good....until the next day when he was on his way home from work. It died.....again. This time in the middle of rush hour traffic. (lucky him). Had it towed to the same place (nearest location) where they said it was the engine this time and it would cost thousands to repair it. To add to that, we also cannot prove that it was the fault of the first repair....so we are out lots of money...and a car since we junked it (can't afford to get that fixed and not worth it for how old the car is).

So living off of one car for a week was so not fun. I literally was a stay-at-home mom for a while.....the only place I could go was to walk to the park that's a block away.
Though I was ok with it if that's what had to be done. I don't want to go into big debt again if we don't have to.

Then my dad saved us. (love you daddy!!). He offered to sell us his car for dirt cheap and with no money up front. We just pay him what we can afford every month. woo hoo!! Boy did I get a deal too.... a 2001 Buick Century with only 34,000 miles on it. My dad takes very good care of his cars, and it's nice and big for both car seats plus one more if need be.
So I will be driving the 2001 and Bob will now be driving my old car (a 1989 Oldsmobile Cierra). Glad that mess is over with.

Other news:

Summer is here in full force and the kids and I have been spending tons of time outside. We go to the park, play in the yard, go for walks, and today we took out the pool. I had Kyle try it but he didn't like it so much. Maybe next year for him.

Kyle is now 5 months old. My how time flies. He is huge too!! I can't believe how chubby he is! I've never had a chubby baby....it's so funny seeing his chubby cheeks and thick thighs....he's my little chipmunk. We started rice cereal in the beginning of June and did all the cereals...are now doing sweet potatoes and he just loves them. He smiles and coos all the time now. And he's such a momma's boy. :) He definitely prefers me over daddy....5 minutes of daddy and he's crying. LOL

Ryan's little girlfriend moved away. It was hard on him at first but he's adjusting. He seems to understand that she's moved...not so much the divorce part though. We went up to see them once so far...the kids had such a blast playing...and it was great to have some mommy time with my friend. This moving thing is not just hard on Ryan....I really miss them too. Many times I sit there and wish they were still around.

No big vacation this summer (due to finances) but we do plan on going up to Green Bay for a weekend next month to visit a friend of mine. We will also be going to State Fair too in Aug.

I was planning on going down to Peoria IL for a concert (my Great White is back together and celebrating their 25th anniversary! They have a new album out July 17th and are on tour this summer) on July 28th but had to scrap that idea due to the car issues and finances. Money is tight right now so no money for entertainment right now. Which makes me very upset as I haven't seen my favorite band in almost 10 years now. Speaking of favorite bands.....didn't make it to Summerfest this year either.....some great bands there too.... Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Weird Al, Collective Soul....etc.

Went to a birthday party last month for my friends Ernie and Renee's two children (3 yr old Emma and 1 yr old Tori). It was great seeing them again.....Ernie was Bob's best man in our wedding and Bob was his best man. We also got married 3 months apart. (You happy I finally gave you a shout out Ern?) Ernie was a bit upset that I not only didn't tell him I have a blog (didn't realize he was into the blog world) but that I never mentioned him. Some people and their pride!!!! (love ya anyway Ern) Anyway, the party was nice and I hope to meet up with them again soon.

Before all the crap happened with the car....we got a new patio door and a new back door and screen door. Our screen door was getting really bad...the screen kept falling out of it. LOL Time to get it replaced.

I know there's so much more but that's all I have time for right now. I only have so much time to get on the net these days.....I can usually only do one thing a day! It takes me most of my time just to check email. But it should slow down soon.....Kyle is finally in a set schedule now (at least for bedtime and feedings....naptimes are still a bit scattered....but I can predict about when he'll be tired) and both boys are in bed by 8pm most nights now. Ahh...the freedom!! So what do I do? I'm usually in bed by 9 or 9:30pm. LOL Kyle still gets up once during the night....and for some reason it still tuckers me out. Plus in 2 months Ryan starts school...that's a whole 'nother post though. LOL I can't believe my baby will be in preschool!!!! Yikes!!!

Anyway, glad I finally got you up to date. I'm still around...still breathing. Just so darn busy. I knew having a second child would make me busier....but this is ridiculous! LOl Or maybe I just had too much free time before?

BTW- Congrats to Cindy -- she's finally pregnant after 3 years of ttc!!! She is in my Yahoo group for women that have been trying to conceive since May 2004. CONGRATS GIRL!! Sending sticky vibes!

First time eating rice cereal

Sunday evening was the first time we gave Kyle rice cereal. Let me tell you, it was VERY different from Ryan. Ryan loved it the first time he had it. He would have eaten the whole thing if I had let him. He never was much into the bottle....but loved his baby food.

Kyle on the other hand....well, the pictures speak for themselves.

LOL He didn't like it at first. Though now that he's had it a few times he does better with it...actually seems to like it now. I can't wait until we get to the baby food!

Neighborhood complications

My next door neighbor is moving today. She has 3 children....a 5 yr old girl (Ryan's "unofficial" girlfriend), a 2 yr old (whom I have known since he was 7 weeks old), and a 6 month old. Her and I have been very close in the last 2 years she has lived here. Her and her children are like my second family.....either we are over there or they are here at least twice a week. I also watch her kids when she needs to go out. I don't want to go into details due to confidentiality (not that any of you know her, but still...it's a private thing). But basically her and her husband are going through a very nasty divorce. The situation is REALLY bad. He moved out when the baby was only 2 weeks old, and just moved back in without her permission a few weeks ago. All her family lives in Sheboygan (about an hour away) so she will be moving back up there in 2 weeks...once the 5 yr old is out of school. The house is up for sale (has been since Jan.) but I don't know if the husband will be staying there or trying to sell. I don't get along with the husband at all...not due to the situation but just because he's a difficult person to get to know in the first place.I'm just so upset not only by the idea of them moving away, but the whole situation is just so horrible. I have noticed a HUGE personality change in the 2 yr old. He is scared of other men now and no longer is the outgoing, bubbly boy he normally was. It's just so upsetting to see him change so much. And my neighbor is just going through so much stress over the situation that she gets sick. I'm just in tears for her.I haven't told Ryan yet that they will be moving. It is going to crush him. He absolutely loves these kids. Every time he's outside (several times a day) he asks to play with them. They are his first best friends. I have no idea how I'm going to tell him...and I know it's going to devastate him.I'm just so sad and upset. It's so sad to see a marriage fall apart like this....and to see the kids so disrupted by it all. And I'm losing a very close friend.Of course I'll go up and visit her as it's only an hour away...but it's not the same. During nice days out we see each almost everyday....when we see each other outside we have impromptu playdates. Now we will have to schedule days. And of course I will still be talking to her via phone...but also not the same. I know I shouldn't complain about all this since I'm not the one going through the awful situation....but I also feel her pain and so wish I could do something. I'm just so sad.

UPDATE: I wrote this a few days ago. Things have changed...they are moving TODAY. Unexpectedly. Basically her "husband" is pushing her out. He has been packing boxes up for her and taking them to her living place.....and set up a truck and time for her to move out....today. She is upset and overwhelmed, as well as stressed. I feel for her.....as I didn't sleep at all last night (I found out yesterday about this) and am so sad, upset, depressed. And it doesn't help that Ryan has been asking all morning to go over there to play. I haven't told him yet. I have no idea how I'm going to tell him.

My heart is just breaking.

Kyle's 4 month appt!

He is my chunker for sure!!!! LOL

Dr. says he is a very healthy, normal little boy!

His stats:13 lbs 12 oz!!!

24.5 inches

He is in the 45 percentile for both weight and length!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!! That may seem small to most of you....but Ryan has NEVER made it past the 5th percentile.....and Kyle was born in the 3rd percentile!!! to go from the 3rd to the 45th is AMAZING!!!!!!! He is my chipmunk for sure!!

Dr says that Ryan will most likely be closer to my size while Kyle will be closer to Bob's size.

He can start cereal now! Yay! I've been looking forward to that for a while now! He also got 4 shots...he did well. I have plans to go out tomorrow so we'll see if he gets cranky like last time. I may have to cancel.

I'm just so happy he's doing so well!!! Amazing how much he has grown since he was born....when the dr thought he had IUGR and was 5 lbs 5 oz.

This was taken about 2 weeks ago....I need to update!

I know I know

I know I've been neglecting my blog as of recent. Which is sad since I know I have quite a few readers, a few whom are new. I'm working on it...I swear!

To let you know why I haven't been posting a whole lot...here's a brief description of what's been going on.

Bob was on vacation all last week. When he's off from work I have a difficult time sticking to any routine...not really that I had much of a routine anymore since Kyle, but I still don't do many things I normally do when he's not here (gee, like spend hours on the computer perhaps)

The first weekend he went on vacation was busy. Saturday we were at my parents house celebrating Mother's Day, my birthday, and Bob's birthday (Mine was on the 26th and Bob's was on the 22nd). Sunday was spent at church, doing things around the house, and spending some family time together.

Monday Bob and I stained the deck while my parents watched the kids (BIG thanks to them!). It was a loooooong job as it is a big deck, but we managed to finally get it done just before sunset.
Tuesday was Bob's birthday. He took most of the day off (other than cutting the grass) and I spent a good portion of the day spring cleaning.
Wed. Bob put in a new back door and screen door to go with out freshly stained deck. It was quite a project that took all day. I spent most of the time taking care of the kids.
Thursday he finished the door and we spent some family time together.
Friday I ended up getting sick (lovely). We did go to the store though and Bob is building a PVR. (it's just like DVR but from a computer and can do sooo much more).
Saturday was my birthday. I spent the morning taking Ryan to a pancake/breakfast birthday party for one of his friends. It wasn't too bad...I got to talk to a few of the other moms and had some pancakes too. (shhh...and don't tell anyone that I also had a glass of champaigne and orange juice while there.) Didn't do a whole lot for my birthday...I did get some computer time...but when you are so far behind anyway (sorry everyone for not keeping up on your blogs....I'm working on it really!!) it's so hard to keep up. I have about a bazillion places I need to go on the net that I can't do it all anymore in the short time I have now.
Sunday we all went to church as a family (FINALLY) and both Ryan and Kyle got dedicated. It was so sweet and wonderful. Sunday night my parents took the kids again and Bob and I went to a party (I will share about that in a separate post as soon as I get the pics uploaded).
Monday was Memorial Day and I spent the day cleaning and cleaning and more cleaning while Bob worked on the PVR. Then my parents brought the kids home and stayed for dinner where we had a grill out! YUM!

And this week it's been crazy trying to get back to life without Bob here all day again. Amazing how quickly we get used to things isn't it?

So that's what it's been like here. Crazy crazy.
I'll make a point to actually post about the party sometime today or tomorrow.

Oh yeah! And during my computer time I actually was able to work on my book! I wrote a page and a half!! woo hoo!!!

Another year older

What's the phrase....another year older, another year wiser? LOL I'm not sure how true that is.

Today is my birthday. I'm 32. Hard to believe I'm that old already...not that 32 is really that old. It's rather young actually. It just feels weird to be "in my 30's".

No big plans today. In a few minutes I'm taking Ryan to a friend's birthday party. Nothing like celebrating my birthday with a house full of 4 and 5 yr olds!

I promise to post more about my very busy week this past week. I have barely had enough time to check email much less computer time!!!

I will let you know how my birthday celebrations go.

GTKY questions

I love doing these! Thought I would share.

My childhood dream was to: Were you able to fulfill this?

My dream when I was young was to be a gymnast. My idol growing up was Nadia Comaneci. I wanted to be just like her. I was in gymastics until I turned 13. Then I had to quit because I wasn't ready for competitions or anything and it was costing too much money. But I had (and still do) the body type for it....I'm thin and petite!

When I am waking up each morning, I am looking forward to:

warm weather! Just the chance to be outside or let Ryan play outside is wonderful. It breaks up the day and gives Ryan a chance to get out his energy.

The person I most admire is: Why?

I most admire my friend Lisa. She has an amazing faith in Christ. She has been through some really difficult times yet her faith remained strong and stable. She has 3 children under the age of 5 and has survived breast cancer. (She was diagnosed with cancer when she was in her third trimester of pregnancy with her last child). I most admire her for her faith.

If I could travel anywhere in the entire world I'd go to: What would you do there?

I would go to Venice, Austria. I would see the Mozart museum and where he lived. I love Mozart and have always been interested in his life and work. I'd love to go there.

The best book I ever read was: Why did it hold your attention?

The most obvious answer of course is the Bible. But other than that one, I'd say my favorite is Redemption by Karen Kingsbury. It was the first Christian book I ever read and it held my attention because it wasn't what I thought a "typical" Christian book would be like. It's about a Christian family that goes through trials and tribulations and how it affects their faith. It's the first book in the Redemption series.

What is one way you'd like to grow spiritually in the following year?

I'd like to get in the habit of reading my Bible everyday. Having regular prayer and reading time. Unfortunately with little ones I don't get much of a chance to read and study and pray quietly. It's rather sporadic currently...but I would really like to get back to reading and studying every day.

My closest friend would describe me as most like:
a. Oscar the grouch (majorly melancholy)
b. Big Bird (naive but extremely friendly)
c. Grover (well intended but not very tactful)
d. Cookie Monster ( fixated on the good stuff)
e. Elmo (curious beyond compare)

I'd say I'm most like B. Though I'm not quite as naive as I used to be, but I am extremely friendly.

If I had one day without responsibilities or interruptions, I'd:

Write!!! I would definitely write my book. I haven't touched it since Kyle was born...and I really miss writing.

Mother's Day

I had a very nice mother's day. Didn't get to do exactly what I wanted to do, but it was still a very nice day.

I slept in a half hour while Bob got up with the kids. It was so nice...especially since Kyle had been up twice that night! When I got up I took a shower and breakfast was ready for me when I got out! Eggs, toast, bacon. Yum! (I have a wonderful hubby that likes to cook!)
After breakfast I was able to read the paper...sort of. For a few minutes and then I had to feed Kyle. LOL
Before I left for church Bob gave me a gift from himself and the kids.
It's a brand new Bible!! I'm so excited....it's the Bible I have been wanting for some time now. The Bible I currently have was given to me by my mentor, my friend who helped me come to Christ. But it is getting old and worn. I really wanted to get a Life Application Study Bible....it has tons of info in it like maps, guidelines, explanations, life applications, cross referencing, etc. It is awesome! The only problem I have with using it now is all my notes and underlines are in the other Bible! LOL But it's like reading it all over again, which is awesome.

I was able to use my new Bible at Sunday School. Then during service I had to work in the infant nursery....so I wasn't able to go to service. It wasn't too bad...lots of babies but they were all good (including Kyle!). I did get a rose too....my church gives a red rose to all mothers.

After service I came home and finished reading the paper, spent some time on the computer, did dishes (yeah, I know, but what ya gonna do? LOL). I played with Ryan for a bit outside and just enjoyed sitting at home being waited on. LOL

For dinner we went out to Famous Dave's (Thanks Shawna....you had me craving that! LOL). Both the kids did well too until we were just about ready to leave. Ryan was at his limit and Kyle was getting over stimulated. But I have lots of leftovers.....which I did have for lunch today!

In the evening I just sat and vegged on the couch, watching tv. It was a nice day.

Though the one thing I really wanted to do was write my book. oh well. Guess we can't have it all! LOL

Hope you had a good Mother's Day too.

I've been tagged!!!!

My first ever tag for a meme!! I'm so excited! LOL Thanks Shawna for being the first to tag me! Unlike Shawna and Sam, I actually enjoy doing these. I know, I'm weird. LOL

So here's my first meme:

Are you a spiritual person?

Yes. I believe in God, the Father Almighty and Creator, and His son Jesus Christ is my Savior. I believe that the Bible is the complete and absolute Truth. I go to church every week and volunteer in the church library and the nursery. I go to Bible studies and Sunday School.

I'm not just "religious" though....I'm also spiritual. I have a personal relationship with Christ. He is not just my Savior, but my friend also. I pray to Him, talk to Him, tell him what's on my mind. When I have time I write in a prayer journal...sort of a diary for Christ.
I try to live my life as a Christian...following Christ's footsteps. I try to live my life like Him. Though it's hard as we are all sinners and will never live up to his standards, I like to think he can be proud of me for some things.

What makes your blog unique?

My blog is unique because no one is like me. :) It's not really anything special...but it's me and there is no one else like me. No one else has my thoughts, feelings, family, etc. So that's what makes it unique.

What are your feelings on the "blog popularity" issue?

What issue?? I have never heard of it before. I do realize there are some blogs that are more popular....they are great writers with very interesting things to say.
I don't really mind if my blog is popular or not. My purpose for blogging is not to be "popular" (why do I feel like I'm back in high school again?), but to share my life, dreams, writings and so on with people. Just to get my voice out there I guess. A place I can call home.

When did you start blogging?

I started blogging in Oct of 2005. Has it really been that long? My friend Cindy got me into it after I started reading hers. I thought it was so cool so I had to join too.

Ok....now I get to tag three people!!! And rudeness, Mandacakes, and Cindy.....you are all my victims...er friends I am tagging!! Have fun!

The world of technology

Technology is an amazing thing. The amount of ways we can communicate, stay connected, learn, and do things is practically limitless. I'm still amazed at it all...and it keeps growing each day.

Way back in the day (back in high school and the first few college years) I was so opposed to growing technology. I didn't want a computer. I only used one to type up papers and didn't see the use for it for anything else. I was unwilling to learn and determined to not change my ways.

Then I met Bob. His interest in computers made me see that they really aren't such bad things. He showed me how to use email, how to type up papers and use spell check (couldn't live without that!!), how to play games, and to look up things online. I really got into it when he introduced me to chat rooms. Who knew I'd have so much fun chatting with other women about my favorite soap opera? Soon, I was so into the computer, no one could get me off of it!

I now am so connected, I barely recognize who I was before. Now I have my own blog(s), read others, go to several message boards, look stuff up constantly, writing my book on Microsoft Office (2003)....and the list goes on and on. We even have a digital camera and all my pictures are on the 'puter.

Where, you ask, am I going with this?

I have been a member of a parenting message board for 3 years now. I have come to know many of these women very well....I even consider them friends, though we've never met. I rely on their friendship, advice, and support more than probably my own real life friends. I know so much about these women, as they know so much about me.

Two weeks ago I finally got to meet one of my "online" friends. We have talked via IM, email, and eventually, phone, but have never actually met in person. She lives about 3 hours from me and happened to be coming this way to take her child to the Children's Hospital for some tests (her child is ok.....just needed some testing). Since I'm realitively close by, we decided to meet for lunch before her appointment.

I had such a blast! It was so wonderful to finally meet her and see her in person as opposed to just pictures on the screen and a voice on the phone. We have helped each other through some very difficult times in our lives (we both have gone through PPD) and it was just amazing to be able to spend some time together. We are in the process of making some plans for the summer to get together.

I look back now and think what a blessing technology has been for me. It gave me support and friendship when I had PPD and when I had a m/c, it gave me information when I was TTC, it has given me a way to stay connected to people all around the world, and it has given me friends I never would have known otherwise. What a world we live in!

Here is a few pics from our meeting! To the left is Colleen and her baby Alyssa (who is only a week older than Kyle) and to the right is me and Kyle.

Here is a group picture without the hubbys.....they didn't want their pic taken. From left to right: Alia (Colleen's 2 yr old), Ryan (my 4 yr old), Colleen, Alyssa, me, Kyle.