Friday, October 31, 2008

Flashback Friday

It's only fitting to flashback to last year and Paige in her cow costume. How cute is she!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Pumpkin Carving

We decided we had better get our pumpkin carving in with Halloween not so far away. Paige wasn't so sure she wanted to at first, but then really got into it.


Drawing a face on the pumpkin so we had an outline to cut out!

Paige and Daddy taking the "lid" off.

Paige helping decorate.

She even helped get out the guts.

Paige enjoyed pulling out the face pieces after daddy cut them.

Daddy lighting the candle.

Paige looking at the flame.

Our happy pumpkin. I think he needs a name!





Monday, October 27, 2008

Seven Things

So Travis tagged me, quite a while ago, so I thought I better get on this. Here are the rules. . .

1) Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog
2) Share 7 facts about yourself, some random, some weird
3) Tag 7 more people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs
4) Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

Well, here goes. . .

7. I love thrift shopping. Garage sales, Unique, Stuff Etc., are among my favorites.

6. I can and will turn everything into a competition. It doesn't matter what line I get in at a store, I will watch the other lines to see where I would have been if I had chosen that lane because I just have to be in the fastest lane. My husband and I went to Illinois this weekend and I even did this with the toll plazas. I do this at stoplights, and well, anywhere there are waiting lines. I get really upset when someone else has control over which line I am in and they don't choose wisely.

5. Someday I would like to drive a semi. Not for a job, just for fun. I would also like to drive a hummer off road.

4. I hate it when windshield wipers are on and it's not raining. Not that anyone puts on wipers when it's sunny, but you know when you are driving in heavy rain and the rain stops or even just lightly sprinkles, turn the wipers off. It makes me crazy. I can't handle it for even one minute.

3. I am totally fascinated by the Amish. I love to read fiction stories about them. Every time I drive to Kalona I want to take my camara along, just in case I see some. I know, you aren't supposed to take their pictures, but I really can't help myself.

2. I love to sing. Even though I don't sing well. My husband thinks I know the words to every song, but really I just sing what I think the words are.

1. I don't like bridges. I get high anxiety whenever we have to cross them, especially if they are over water. I have this irrational fear of drowning. If I were to where a blood pressure cuff while driving over a bridge, I'm sure it would be super high.

There you have it. Seven quirky things you may or may not have wanted to know about me. I'll spare you all and not tag anyone. I think everyone I know has already been tagged, but if you are reading this and haven't posted your 7 things. I tag you!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

My Jumping Bean

We went to the Lunch Bunch today and Paige had a blast!!! I think she would have spent the entire hour on the trampolines. She cried whenever she had to give someone else a turn.


I did get her to try out the rings and bar. That lasted about 2 seconds before she ran back over to the tramps.

While she was giving other kids a turn at jumping she and her friends would run on this track. It's great exercise and she sure was ready for her nap this afternoon.

I couldn't leave Alaina out. She had fun crawling around on the floor mat.

Here are the girls and their friends that also went. We are definitely going back.


Friday, October 17, 2008

Sisterly Love

The other morning I put Alaina in her crib and let Paige watch Pooh on my bed while I went to take a shower. When I got out, Paige was no longer on my bed. I found her in Alaina's crib "playing". It's funny that Paige never once tried to crawl into or out of the crib when it was her's. I love that Paige loves Alaina so much.

Today Paige wanted to give Alaina a "horsey ride". I actually held onto Alaina for most of the ride, but then had to get some pics. It was just too cute. Alaina actually held on.

My Aunt Cheri and Uncle Phil came to visit yesterday from Oklahoma. It was great to catch up with them and Paige adored her Great Uncle Phil. They built towers out of blocks, she showed him her room, she took him outside, and eventually asked him to put on a video. It is so precious to see my kids playing my relatives the way that I used to.



Flashback Friday!

Mark and I pre-kids. We went to the Wisconsin Dells and had a fabulous time.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

5 Things You Hate to Admit

Wow, this is my first ever blog tag. Thanks Andrea! I'm kind of excited about this. You all better beware, at the end of this post I may be tagging you!!! Here are my top 5's that I hate to admit.

1. I love country music! If I didn't feel guilty about letting Paige listen to "secular" music, I would totally have it on all the time. Favorite artist, you wonder. . . Brad Paisley all the way! And to go along with this. . .I love motorcycles, or "donor"cycles as my husband likes to refer to them, bull riding, and monster trucks. . .Grave Digger is my fav.

2. On days that I don't have anywhere to go, Mark comes home to Paige, Alaina, and I all still in our PJ's.

3. Sometimes, ok very often, if we have candy in the house, I totally binge. I may eat 3 candy bars back to back. Of course, I then regret it, but at the time I just can't get enough. And it's always during nap time, so there is no one around to catch me. It's no wonder the "baby" weight just won't come off.

4. I have only written like three words in Alaina's baby book! Bad Mommy! Isn't that what the blog is for?!

5. I hate, hate, hate, to unload the dishwasher. I will let all the dishes pile up until Mark can't stand it anymore and empties it. He has figured this out, well, at least he has now, and actually keeps up with it pretty well. Thanks, honey!

I know that I have many more secrets hidden way back in my closet. Maybe someday you'll get to read those, too. But for now, this is it. So who's next. . . .Rachel B, Molly N, and Emily M, You are it!

My Sweet Girls


Alaina Kate


Alaina's 6 month pictures. . .I love you baby girl!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Not Me! Monday

Ok, I'm going to once again join the Not Me! Monday confessional. Check out some others at McMama's site. She started the craze. I do not love to read other people's confessions from the week that I can not totally relate to. Here goes. . .
  • I did not go out and buy Paige 4 dance outfits after only attending one class because I thought she would not be absolutely adorable in them. And I did not buy her the ballet shoes to go with them. It's not a class of 3 of her friends taught by a college gal in the basement of a friends house.
  • On Monday I did not need extra sleep after attending the MOPS Convention in Dallas and staying up way to late. I did not put Alaina down for a morning nap and sleep for 2 hours while Paige did not watch TV, even though Alaina did not sleep for only 30 minutes of that time. And I definitely did not take a 2 and a half hour afternoon nap that same day while both the girls napped. Nope, not me.
  • I did not call and schedule pictures for Alaina for next week because she has a little acne on her face this week and I am not hoping it will clear by then.
  • I do not enjoy reading my friends' Not Me! Monday post.
  • I do not try to get Paige to say, "Shake your booty" because that would be obnoxious and it is not totally cute. Especially when I found out that while her grandma was here and stirring something in the kitchen Paige did not say, "Grandma shakin' your booty". That was not totally hilarious.
  • I did not let Paige eat 2 ice cream cones at Dickey's BBQ. I did not love that they have soft serve ice cream for anyone who dines in. And I definitely did not have 2 cones myself. I have so much more self control than that.
  • I have not procrastinated at putting together the MOPS photo directories and now I do not have to resize 60 pictures and make 120 copies before tomorrow morning. And I am not posting on my blog instead of doing this right now. Not me!
  • I did not at any time this week ignore my 2 year old when she asked for the billionth time, "What doing, Mommy?" or "What's that noise?" I'm not a much better mom than that.
  • I am definitely not going to start making a list during the week of potential Not Me moments during the week because I do not have a hard time remembering all my blunders.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Fall Family Pictures

We went out and took some family pictures yesterday. The girls did pretty good. I hope you enjoy!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Flashback Friday!

I thought this picture was appropriate for October. It's my brother Patrick and I probably at ages 4 and 2. We grew that pumpkin in our garden. Well, we lived on a farm, so it was really a field. I do miss the farm. Lots of great memories.

Yummy Greenbeans!

Last night for supper I was letting Paige choose our side dishes to go with the brats Mark was cooking. No, Paige doesn't eat brats, she ate crackers and cheese. I opened up the pantry and she chose, with a little prodding, baked beans. Then she wanted mandarin oranges, a great choice, and I thought we should have a vegetable so I grabbed a can of greenbeans and asked her if we should have those. Always cooperative, she replied, "Sure". Her newest word for yes. She got her stool, helped me open the can and dumped them into the bowl. She then proceeded to stand there and eat over half the can. No, I didn't warm them up and yes, we did have to take the bowl away from her before she ate them all. If I would have put them on her plate, there's no chance she would have ate them. It's crazy what kids will do when it's their idea.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

The Orchard. . .again!

We went to the Orchard again with MOPS. This time it was just Paige and I. It was nice to have an outing for just the two of us. Mark was home with Alaina. We had a great time picking out pumpkins and eating turnovers. Paige loves doing anything that involves her friends.

I think she just has the sweetest face in this picture.
The group of us heading in to pick apples.
Hannah, Ellie, and Paige love their apples. Paige and Hannah are best buds.
I had to throw in a picture of Paige and Alaina. I hope it's not inappropriate. They had their first bath together last night and loved it.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

MOPS Convention

I had the wonderful blessing of attending the MOPS Convention in Dallas this past week. I went with 13 other women from my group. It was a great time of refreshment as a mother, wife, and friend. It seems like there is always a moment during convention that I think this is why I'm here. I came to hear this. This year it was that I need to delight in my ordinary children and not try to make them extraordinary. There is so much pressure today to put your kids in playgroups, and preschools, and gymnastics, and soccer, and I could keep going on. And I have definitely felt the pressure. Paige is only 2. The only thing she needs right now is to be a kid. So what if she doesn't know her colors and she skips a few numbers when she counts. She is precious. She loves to help me and delights in it. She is independent and loves her friends. These are the things that matter. I just really want to relish in these moments that I have with my girls and spend all the time I can with them to help them grow into Godly women that love people as Christ does. I learned many other things, too, but this meant the most to me.

We saw Go Fish coming down the hall the first day we were there and had to have a picture. I didn't have my camara there, so thanks Travis for sharing your pics.
We were like groupies wanting our picture taken with them.
Here they are during the Convention General Session. Have I mentioned that I love Go Fish.
Here is the group of us hanging out before the session started. Can you find me?
My friend Travis and I at supper. She moved to Florida a few months ago and is missed greatly.
We also had some time for group bonding on Saturday night. It was an amazing time of sharing and prayer. Most of the night was spent in tears. I'm so thankful for this group of women that are sharing the journey with me. They keep me sane and I am a better mom because of them.