I'm Back!

Hi everybody!

It's been such a long time since I've written a post.  Life with 2 kids, a pet, a house and all of the responsibilities that go with that has just gotten in the way of my blogging.  I don't expect that I'll go back to blogging several times a week, or doing many reviews and such, but my goal for 2017 is to try to write a blog post at least once or twice a month.  Maybe if I'm lucky it will be even a little more often than that!

A lot has changed since my last post in 2014! The kids are now coming up on 7 and 5 years old! This fills me with mixed emotions.  I love that things are getting easier, they are becoming more independent, and we are able to do a lot more things as a family, but I do miss having really 'little ones' around.

Brennan is in 1st grade and loves school.  He is both an excellent student and friend.  He he does quite well with math and science (taking after Dad), but also is a good reader has has an incredible vocabulary and all around grasp of the English language (Mom's traits).  He loves Legos and still loves dinosaurs.  He is cute, smart, funny, witty, clever, strong, and a joy to have as a son.  I'm remarkably proud of him and the little man he's growing into.

Bryleigh is in Pre K-4 and just like her older brother, she LOVES school.  She loves her teacher, she loves her friends, she loves doing crafts, and she loves learning.  She has been doing an excellent job learning her letters and their sounds, and she's already had her numbers and colors down for quite a while already.  She likes dolls and all stuffed animals, being outside, and going to Gigi and Juju's house (grandma and grandpa). She is funny, incredibly caring and loving, girly, beautiful, kind of a spitfire, goofy, smart, and so wonderful to be around.  

The cat, Rocky, A.K.A. The Rock,  is doing well. He just turned 3 at the end of December and he definitely isn't lacking in attention or love.  He gave us quite a scare last summer when he disappeared for over a full day.  He had definitely been gone for several hours or for part of a night in the past, but he ALWAYS had come back for his meals!  We were so relieved when he showed back up completely unharmed and happy.

Ryan just started a new job, but he is still at the Mayo Clinic.  He is now a Technical Specialist in the specimen processing area of Mayo's Biorepository. This was a promotion he has been wanting for quite a while and I'm thrilled for him.  He no longer works as a volunteer EMT in town, but instead he is on the city's ambulance commission and gets to help to make decisions about how the ambulance service runs and functions.  He ran for city council in 2016, but unfortunately was not elected.  The competition was stiff with 12 people running for 3 positions!

Ryan and I have both officially joined the 30-something crowd.  I'm busy as always between being a stay-at-home Mom/Jane of all trades at home, my part-time photography business, and telecommuting part-time from home for a company in Dallas, TX.  I've done quite a few home improvement projects and well as countless different crafts during my blogging hiatus.  I also worked hard in an effort to change the animal ordinance in our town to allow for raising a small flock of chickens within city limits.  Though it was originally voted down for some very silly reasons, we are now starting the process over with the new city council that just took over this month.  I'm very hopeful that within a few months I might have a few chicken of my own!  Get ready to start handing out name suggestions!  But perhaps my next news is more exciting than chickens.  I became a God-Mother twice over to our good friends' second son, Jaxon, and to one of our nephews, Beau.  It was such an honor to be asked in both cases!

My oldest sister dressed as Santa for this fun Christmas shoot
that my other older sister did.

That leads into another huge thing that happened during my blogging break.  My oldest sister had triplets!  This was such an incredible blessing after they lost their first son during labor and delivery.  (I did blog on this before.)  The triplets were born in June 2015 and are now happy healthy 19 month olds!  There are 2 boys, Beau and Wyatt, and one girl, Savannah.  We love following along with their lives through all of the many Facebook photos and videos, but do wish it was easier to visit!  Texas and MN aren't the closest...

We've also gained another niece and nephew during my break!  Reagan is 15 months old and lives in Texas.  She's Ryan's brother's second daughter.  She's adorable and I hope to get to know her more through visits over the years.  Tyler is 11 months old and is Ryan's sister's 4th child.  He's got a killer smile and his siblings can't get enough of him.

Both Ryan's and my families are doing well.  My Dad had a hip replacement last year at 60 years old. It's made a miraculous difference in his life.  It had gotten so bad that he could barely limp around. SO glad he got it fixed!  

Libby just days before
her surgery.

My parents' dog, Libby, is now 13, coming up on 14 years old.  She had a very close brush with death this summer after suffering of Pyometra. Pyometra is a uterine infection.  It was unclear for quite a while what was actually going on with her, but it was very clear that she was near death.  My Mom decided to try the surgery, which is basically a hysterectomy, in hopes that she would pull through.  This was an incredibly hard decision considering that Libby was an old girl and had already lived a long, full life. It turns out that Mom made the right call because Libby recovered well from the surgery, and has been acting more like a puppy than she has in years.She's always dragging toys around, jumping, and skipping everywhere she goes.  We believe that she had actually had a minor infection for a few years that had been making her feel somewhat sick, because she's a new dog. Hopefully she has a few more great years!

Well, that's enough for now.  Hopefully that sort of brings you back up to speed.  I definitely want to go back and post some photos of the projects I've done and tell some more detailed stories of other things that have happened over the last couple of years, but this is a start!

Thanks for reading!

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What's Been Going On...

Hi everybody!

I hope this Christmas season has been enjoyable and peaceful for you all.  This year my goal was to get a lot of stuff done early so that the last few days before Christmas don't get too stressful.  All in all, I think I did a pretty good job.  I still have presents to wrap (a couple to buy), and a few special things to prepare like a special note to Brennan from Santa.  He has finally decided to be done with his bottle.  He is going to leave them in his stocking for Santa so that he can bring them to babies who need them.  I'm very proud of him and I want him to know that Santa is proud, too!

The kids are doing a good job of leaving the wrapped presents under the tree alone, which completely surprises me.  I have to give them credit.  They are beautiful, so I'd be tempted to touch and tear if I were them!

Brennan is really growing up.  Everyday he gets funnier and more mature.  I love the little man he is growing into.  I'm noticing an improvement in his art/fine motor skills as well as imagination.  He is suddenly attempting to stay in the lines when coloring and painting, which is a completely new concept for him.  I love it.  His imaginative play has absolutely blossomed into something super cool.  I love listening to him play with his stuffed animals and hearing the conversations that they have with each other.  The new game that he just created is 'Campfire Party'.  Basically he gets into an old pop-up dog kennel with ALL of his stuffed animals and camps.  He builds a campfire out of the nails, screws and construction pieces from his tool bench.  I'm told that I won't fit in the tent so I'll have to sleep in the dark.  I'm also instructed to call him if any ghosts, bats, etc. come and scare me.  If I do, he bursts out to save me.  My little hero.  :)

Bryleigh is something.  That's a funny description, but there are so many choices I could use, it is hard to choose.  She is a spitfire!  She is 1 3/4 years old going on 17- such a little attitude.  She loves to play roughie toughie with her brother and Daddy, but is also a little girly girl.  The other day I was playing music and she ran find a skirt and put it on so that she could spin circles in the living room to the music.  Her speech has absolutely exploded.  Within even the last month it seems that most of her baby words have evolved into real words.  I'm sure a lot of people couldn't understand what she is saying, but I get most of it!  Some of her latest phrases demonstrate her attitude-  "I don't like that." and "Stop it!".  We also hear a lot of individual words as well as questions like, "Where are you?", "Daddy at work?", and "What was that?"  I know they say that the second child commonly doesn't talk as well as the first... I beg to differ with my kids.  I think Bryleigh wants to be JUST like her brother and talk all day!

Ryan broke off a chunk of his tooth yesterday.  We thought is was just a filling breaking, but found out that it was actually the tooth itself.  He'll be getting a temporary crown tomorrow morning.  So fun! :\

Our nephew, Evan, had to have an emergency appendectomy last week.  The appendix did actually rupture.  He was really in rough shape for a while, but to make a long story short, he finally got out of the hospital today after a 10.5 day long stay!  So happy he is home and doing ok.  He still has a long way to go to get completely back to normal, but it is so much easier to do at home.  This whole event has impacted one thing in my own immediate family for sure.  It has helped Brennan's empathy skills.  He has been asking to pray for Evan during his nighttime prayers which we all think is wonderfully sweet. :)

Well, that's about it!  Thanks for reading!

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30 Days of Gratitude: Day 21

Cheating again... I'm thankful for my husband!  (Yes, he is also part of the family.  What can I say?  Family means a lot to me.)  Ryan is supportive, hard working, loyal, and committed.  I know that I don't tell him enough that I'm thankful for everything that he does for us.  He works out of the house so that I can work in the home.  I appreciate that he supports me being a stay-at-home mom.  I don't think a lot of men really understand how hard this job is and how truly important.  Ryan does understand.  He does know how challenging our kids are and I feel like he does his best to give me a little break when he gets home from work by running the kids ragged downstairs.  They love it and I think he does, too. 

I am so thankful that he believes in me.  Thinking about it, I don't ever think I've heard him say that I couldn't do something (besides getting my ears pierced a second time- needle phobe.  By the way... I DID!).  He is loving and and shows me and the kids how much he cares for us everyday.  He isn't the typical man in a lot of ways, which I am also thankful for!

Thanks, Sweetie.

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30 Days of Gratitude: Day 20

Today I am thankful for my parents.... yes, yes.... I know.  I was already thankful for my whole family, but I kind of need to expand.  Not only did my parents do a fantastic job of parenting when I was a child, but they are still there to give advice and help when we need it.  For example, last night (Tuesday) we had a plumbing crisis.  I don't need to go into to go into too much detail, but we had water leaking from out laundry room into the basement and had to turn the hot water off in the house completely :/.  Mom and Dad came down today to help get us back up and running.  Mom kept the kids busy and gave them all sorts of attention while Dad fixed up my plumbing... I was the errand girl, running up and down the stairs for tools and to the hardware store multiple times for more/correct parts.  But luckily it didn't take too long and our leak was fixed. Whew.  I sure am glad that I have parents and are willing to help and know what they are doing!  Thanks to both of you for everything... which is so much more than plumbing and babysitting!

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Another New Niece, Audrey!

The end of September was a very busy and exciting time for us! Within two days we welcomed 2 new members to our family, the first by birth and the second by marriage.  This post is about that brand new baby.

Audrey Vianne was born on September 27, 2013 at 8lbs 11oz. and 21 in.  She is the third in her family, welcomed by Mommy, Daddy, big brother Evan and Big sister, Claire.  She brings my niece/nephew total to 6!

I wanted to share some of the newborn shots of Audrey that I took!

 

 

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My Little Sister Got Married!

Last Saturday my little sister got married!  She's been with her new husband for a couple of years and he is a really nice guy.  The kids especially love him because he is a great player, something Mom's not the best at. :)

I was lucky enough to be the Matron of Honor and the kids were the Flower Girl and Ring Bearer.  We thought there was no chance that they would walk down the aisle like civilized people, but they did!  They were perfect and adorable.

Haley made a beautiful bride and we all had a good time.  The wedding was outside and our Mom and Dad's house.  It was a little misty, but we didn't get rained out!  It really worked out just great.

I want to share a few photos and my wedding toast with you all. :)

 

 

 

 

And in case anyone would like to read it, here's my toast:

"First off, I’d like to congratulate Haley and Joe on their brand new marriage and thank you for asking me to be a part of your big day.

Haley and I have always been close.  I think that growing up in the country had a lot to do with it.  After all, we didn’t have friends next door to play with or parks nearby to meet new friends at.  Besides the occasional visit from the cousins, our only playmate was each other.  We were forced to make our own fun, but I have to say- we did a pretty good job at it.  I remember a lot of the things we did that brought some variety and fun to our day.  We made up ridiculous songs- I believe our most beloved, but inappropriate title was, “I’m a double amputee”.  One summer, we spent a few weeks only calling each other ‘Clyde’.   We played tons of board games, watched movies, and played outside together, too.  

We also developed and used our own currency for a while.  Instead of dollars, it was favors.  A transaction would go something like, “Hey Haley, I’ll give you five favors if you make me a glass of chocolate milk.”  “OK!”  or… “Hal, How about 20 favors for a foot massage?”  And then we would end up arguing about what our favor balances were.  I kind of made a killing with this.  Haley had hundreds or thousands of favors saved up and I kept reaping the benefits.  That was one advantage of being five years smarter than her.

One disadvantage was that Haley could beat the heck out of me, but since she was little I couldn’t do anything back or I’d be the one to get in trouble.  Eventually mom caught onto the fact that I was being abused and I was given the thumbs up to retaliate.  That was a good day.

Overall, I think we had a very good relationship and besides the daily beating or two that I endured, we got along pretty well.   I remember one time that I was actually thankful for her temper.  We were playing in the McDonalds playland.  I was probably 8 or 9 which would make Haley 3 or 4.  A mean boy blocked the entrance to the playland and wouldn’t move even though I was saying, ‘excuse me’.  He was such a bully.  I was so timid and shy that I just stood back, sadly, hoping he would just move.  That’s when Haley came into the picture.  She gently pushed me out of her path, looked at the boy, who was at least my age or older, and told him in her sternest voice, “YOU LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE!”  He boogied.  That tiny girl was awfully frightening.

But frightening as she may be, she had a weakness- bugs.  Actually, for quite a while when we were young, we shared a room, and even a bed.  We had our own, but we liked to share.  Haley was so freaked out by the bugs on the wall, so I slept next to it.  But that was perfect, because I was terrified of the murderers in the closet.  But I guess I figured they couldn’t get to me past the wildabeast.  It worked out pretty well. 

So I guess, in closing, I’d like to wish you both as much fun, silliness, security, love and memories as Haley and I provided each other in the past. I’m looking forward to the future filled with just as many great experiences. 

One last thing.  To get Joe started off on the right foot, I thought I’d make photocopies of these coupons that Haley gave me many, many years ago.  Luckily, she didn’t include any fine print barring photocopies.   I guess I should make a few more copies for myself…."

 I then went on to read the coupons which included one glass of chocolate milk, a foot rub, and extra day in the front seat, don't bug, leave alone, and my favorite- don't hurt me.  I love that this was a special treat for me... not being hurt by Haley! So funny...

What a great day- 9/28/13!

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We Have a New Niece!

Do you all remember how I mentioned that I made a cowboy boot and hat set for a soon-to-be-here little Texan?  Well... she's here!

Our newest niece, Sloane, made her arrival on August 1st.  We are all excited to see more pictures and get to see her.  Actually, when I told Brennan, he was ready to jump in the car right away and head for Texas!  "I want to see my baby cousin NOW!"

Congratulations, Mike and Marija, on your little cowgirl.

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Wordless Wednesday- Recent Portraits

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Happy Graduation Day to my little sister, Haley and her Fiance, Joe!

Happy Graduation Day to Haley and her Fiance, Joe!

Congratulations!  We wish only the best for you!

 And one more thing... Congratulations on your engagement, too!

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Our trip to Build a Bear Workshop!

This weekend, we did something new and fun. We took the kids to make some bears at Build a Bear Workshop! This was a first for both me and the kids.  Bryleigh had been given a gift card to Build a Bear for Christmas, so it was a good excuse to go and do something fun as a family.  

Overall, it went great, but I can tell you one thing I learned- DO NOT go to the Mall of America on a Saturday and not expect a long line at the Build a Bear Workshop!  We got there and were mildly shocked by how many people were in line.  But, we'd driven over an hour to get there, so this was going to happen.

We took our place in line and though the kids got a little antsy, they generally held themselves together pretty well!  Once we got into the store, we let Brennan begin browsing for which animal he wanted to build.  It was a hard choice, but after a couple of mind-changes, he decided on an adorable monkey that will go great in his new jungle room.  (The jungle room is all painted, by the way, and now we are just waiting for the paint to cure to apply the decals.  Pictures will be coming soon!)  We let Brennan help pick out an animal for Bryleigh, too.  We all decided on an adorable tan bear with swirly minky fur.  She is SO soft.

Finally, after a bunch more waiting, it was our turn to get stuffed!  Brennan got to put a heart into his monkey and step on the pedal to blow the stuffing into him.  After the worker was mostly done stuffing B's monkey, she had Brennan give him a hug to see if he was firm enough.  In classic Brennan style he says nope and she continues to fluff him a little more.  She tied the monkey shut and then, B helped the worker stuff Bryleigh's bear, too.

 

 Next we gave the animals a quick air bath and found an outfit for each of them.  Brennan picked out a red fireman's outfit for his monkey and I found a pink plaid dress for Bryleigh's bear.

The last step was to name them.  Brennan thought outside the box and named his monkey 'Fireman', or 'Fireman Engine' to be exact!  So funny.  And Bryleigh didn't have a lot of input, so I named her bear 'Daisy'.  They both turned out adorable and it was a fun time for all of us.  

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Texas Vacation!

I should have mentioned last week that I wouldn't be getting many blog posts done since were going to be on vacation to Texas, but I didn't.  I had very unrealistic expectations.  I was thinking that I would somehow have time to write a post each evening explaining what we did each day.  Haha!  Hilarious!  By the time we've gotten the kids to bed each night, all I've wanted to do is pass out, too.

Anyway, I thought I'd catch you up.  We made it to Plano Sunday afternoon and were quite happy to take it easy for the evening.  It was fun seeing Holly and Jason's new house!

Monday was also a lazy day.  We  mostly spent time hanging out with family.  It was great to catch up with everyone and watch Brennan and Bryleigh get to know their aunts and uncle and bond with his cousins more and more.  The big excitement for the day was meeting Ryan's brother, Mike, for lunch a delicious lunch at Taco Cabana.  It was super tasty and very nice to catch up.

Tuesday was the only day (besides Thanksgiving) that we had planned before even heading to Texas.  We went to Fossil Rim in Glen Rose, Texas.  It was an awesome experience!  The animals walk right up to your car to get their little treats.  Some even stick their face right in the window!  The four of us all really enjoyed it!  You wouldn't think that a baby would get a kick out of something like that, but even Bryleigh liked it!  Brennan REALLY liked it!

On Wednesday, I got to do something that wouldn't excite most people.... bra shopping!  My sister and I both have the issue of having boobs much too large for regular bra stores to accommodate.  Luckily for me, she knows of a great specialty bra shop near her house.  So Holly, Bryleigh, and I headed out and I tried on a million.  I found a couple of styles I really like and Holly was able to check me off of her Christmas list with the purchase of an AWESOME sports bra.  And here's the funniest part....  I learned my real bra size.  Drumroll, please- 32H!!!  Woah.

After the bra fitting experience, I headed to a Ross store with another sister, Kris, and my niece, Autumn.  It was good!  I got myself a nice pair of tennis shoes, a pair of shoes and socks for Brennan, and some Mickey pajamas as a Christmas present for B.  What a good deal, too!  It was all about $60.

Ryan brought Brennan to Bounce U to jump and play.  They had an awesome time and it sure wore Brennan out.

Wednesday night we got to go with Holly and Jason to a Chinese Lantern Festival in Dallas.  The sheer number of lanterns was really amazing. It was beautiful!  I could not believe all of the amazing creations that they made out of lanterns! Another impressive sight was the ridiculously long dragon made entirely out of China and silverware!  Very cool!  Both kids and all of the adults really enjoyed it.

Thursday was obviously Thanksgiving.  In the  morning, we took a drive to Carrollton to see Kris' house.  We got to check out the house and see the kids' rooms.  It was really nice to visit with everyone.  I really loved seeing their dog, a Boxer, Mugsy!  It has been 6 years!  He is a sweetie!

After our visit we headed back to Holly's to get ready for the afternoon and get the kids down for their always important naps.

In the afternoon, we had a lovely Thanksgiving meal with my older sisters and their families, an aunt, and two cousins.

On Friday, Ryan and I did a little shopping in the morning.  That afternoon, he went golfing with his brother, Mike and had a great time.  That afternoon and evening we got packed up and ready to leave.  We went out for supper with Kris, Autumn, and Wiley.  It was a lot of fun!

And in case you were wondering, the kids were better in the car than I could have ever asked for!  Thank you, kiddos!  Here are a few more pictures from the trip!

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