Saying Goodbye

Well, it is that time where I am saying goodbye to the blog....... there are several reasons. With everything going on around here (our new place, birthday parties, events at the college, Mark's new job, etc, etc, etc), there just hasn't been time lately to blog as much. I don't even read many blogs anymore, so I figure others don't read as many either:)

I could probably fit it in if I really wanted to, but I've chosen to spend most my free time taking pictures and being with the boys. I've really loved learning about cameras which is my non-blogging thing I mentioned in an earlier post).

I've enjoyed what this blog has given me over the past couple years and how it has connected me with friends/relatives.

Thanks for all the support!

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As of the end of next month, I'll be copying my posts over to a journal and taking down the blog off the web.

Weekend at Home

I just finished watching New Moon at 11 in the morning. Gotta love Saturdays! The boys are playing and Mark is doing the dishes. The washer/dryer are running, I'm sorting the mail, and we're getting ready to clean the house....trust me, it is pretty unclean right now. This week was amazingly busy! We'll be out of town most of next weekend for Easter, so we're trying to get a lot done today.

I haven't been blogging much this week because I'm working on a little project unblog related that is taking my free time. It will however change how often I blog, but I'm excited about working on it. More later.

Day One

3 Months Old

Dear Beckett,

Mommy is leaving on a little trip out of town. You'll be safe and happy with daddy while I'm gone. Make sure to take your gas drops so you're a little happy baby. And remind daddy to take Ethan to gymnastics on Thursday. Since I won't be here for a few days, I wanted to tell you Happy 3 Months!! I love you more then I can stand!

Love, Mommy

Trip

It is our Spring Break this week. I'm packing for St. Louis for a conference. I'm a sponsor of the English Honor Society here on campus and some of our English majors were chosen to present their creative pieces at the Regional Conference. We took some students last year when the conference was in Minneapolis. This year it is in St. Louis and I'm excited that I'll be going to a city that I haven't been to lately. We leave really early Wed morning.

I packed the freezer full of groceries, so I'm hoping Mark gets the urge to cook some good meals while I'm gone. Note: I'm the one that usually cooks. My mother-in-law gets here tomorrow to help with the kids while he works and does grad school homework. The boys will hopefully have a great time since I think the weather is going to only get better from here. I'm trying to pack tonight and get the house relatively clean tomorrow. Then grandma Terri will be here.

If I don't get a chance to post again before I go, have a wonderful week! After spring break, there are only 6 weeks left of classes here on campus...6 weeks!! Summer will be here before we all know it and I simply can't wait!

Pictures

Do you have a system for your pictures? I don't! I have pictures on two computers, on three different memory cards, some prints without digital copies, and some posted online. It is a nightmare.....or at least was until today. I decided to finally get an organized system for our photographs. Basically combine everything AND back everything up in case a system crashes. I thought it would be tedious, but I've found that I rather enjoy going through memories and traveling into different times in our lives.

While scanning some of our wedding photos onto a memory card, I found this photo. It is one of my favorites. Mark and I at our wedding reception. My brother and sister-in-law are in the front. We're laughing at something, only I can't remember what it was.

Saturday

Today I'm doing the wash while the boys pretend to be camping inside our living room. Beckett is sleeping while I vibrate his chair with my foot. We have no other plans for the day and it feels good. I can feel spring coming through the clouds. Naptime is just around the corner and I'm pretty sure we'll all get some sleep in this afternoon. Tomorrow we'll head to Lincoln for some family time and a meal at good old Braeda.

Spring Break

I feel very random today. Maybe because I've been laying here in bed for the last 2 hours due to a bad sinus infection. An infection that took me to the doctor between classes this morning, the same infection that made me get a shot in the rear while at that said doctor. That's right! A shot in the rear...I don't think that has happened since I was 5.

Luckily, Mark is cleaning the house while I wait for my antibiotic to kick in. Ethan and Finn are both sleeping beside me because I was too lazy to move them or myself. For some reason I felt like reposting this picture of Beckett. He is currently in the other room with daddy and even though I know he is loving daddy time, I miss him. I actually miss him and he is in the next room. Note: it is a slight possibility that the drugs I'm on are messing with my emotions.....
We don't have a single thing planned for a couple days. And I gotta say I'm super excited about that. I do plan on finishing the rest of Rear Window tonight, a true classic if you ask me. For some reason I'm in the mood to watch movies from the 50's and Rear Window is a good one. Today started our Spring Break. We have until the 21st before we go back to classes. Next week my mother-in-law is visiting and helping with the kids while I go to St. Louis. More about all that later.

Today is cloudy and raining and yucky, which brings me to the photo below. This is Ethan's plane car. We bought it for him for Christmas. He loves it yet hasn't been able to ride it outside yet. He pedals it around the basement, but it isn't the same since the basement has carpet. We aren't really into battery operated cars or motorized cars that you have to plug in or change the batteries on. We've learned from other friends that those kind of toys usually just sit in the garage because someone forgot to get batteries or charge it before the sun came out.....sound familiar?

Ethan and I are counting down the days and bad weather until he can really give it a spin outside. It is just like a bike, expect bigger and obviously looks like a plane. My dad had one like it when he was little, expect it was a fire engine. I like that it brings back memories of older style toys. Finn has one similar he got for Christmas but it is a lot smaller for his size and is a race car and not a plane.

Oh warm weather, where are you? We want to go fly our plane outside!

Off to School

Every Wed and Friday Ethan goes off to preschool for the morning. My dad picks him up and takes him (so we don't have to load all 3 kids up to drive 1 mile to school)! Ethan gets all ready and packs his backpack with his stuff he wants to take to school. Usually he packs a pencil or a ball to show his best friend, today he packed his new alphabet books that I bought him to help him write. He gets so excited. Mark took a couple pics from his camera phone while Ethan was waiting for his ride. I hope he is always this excited to go to school!
Here is Finn who also gets ready to go, even though he stays at home while Ethan is gone. He really wants to go and says "with Ethan to school" the days Ethan leaves. Today Mark took him to the store instead of staying home so Finn wouldn't feel left out. He loves wearing Mark's old hat (pictured below). He is a character, that is for sure!

Love is Candy, Headbands, and Sunshine

Saturday we spent the day in Lincoln, in the sunshine! It was a beautiful day of warm weather, shopping at the candy store, looking for Easter outfits, getting myself a new headband, having a turkey sandwich and tea at Panera, and loving being in love with our three beautiful boys.

Princess Party

My adorable niece turned 4 over the weekend. She had a princess/barbie party!

This is the normal reaction of these two when they hang out....Ethan doesn't want to hug and hugging is all his cousin wants to do!

Crying it Out...

I'm not ashamed to say that I have not, do not, and will not use the CIO, Cry It Out, Method. I simply do not let my children cry it out as infants or little babies. It is a personal choice, one backed with many prayers and tearful nights of holding my babies while drifting in and out of sleep while I make sure they are safe and sound sleeping before I rest myself. Today I was reminded why I do this.

Another woman did the same and ended up saving her child's life from heart failure. Click HERE if you want to read her story.

Her story also helps me to know the importance of ignoring other people's judgement on my parenting skills, judgement on our life choices, and what we value as important. Mark and I talk daily about the importance of surrounding ourselves with those that love and support us no matter our choices.

I've learned true support only comes from those who truly love you.

And others who haven't truly loved or supported us have realized that sooner or later they will lose us as friends or family.

Is it really here?

Do I really smell Spring? Is it really here? Oh how I hope so!

How did we get so busy...

Tonight Finn starts gymnastics, he is signed up for the Toddler Tumbling class, the class we started Ethan taking when he was 2 also. I think he'll love it! I have ladies bible study tonight, which I'm looking forward to getting back into it after taking a break when I had Beckett. Thursday night we have my niece's birthday party. I bought her gift and wrapped it, I'm hoping she likes it!

I'll try and post the rest of the pictures from our weekend, above are a few more. I feel so blessed to be around family and friends that love us and that we can love back. I gotta say that I didn't appreciate our small town while I grew up, but as I'm at the end of my 20's, I love this small town even more. I love the little grocery store downtown, I love that I see someone I know every time I leave the house, I love our church, I love that my family lives down the street, and I love the friends we are surrounded by that welcome us into their lives daily.

Home

More to come of our weekend away....

At the Lodge

Our rules this weekend have been:

1) No talking about work related things (we do like our jobs, just need a break from talking about them)
2) eat whatever we want (later I'll tell you about the awesome barbecue place we went to)
3) bedtime is whenever people start getting tired
4) take as many pictures as we can (since we've been really busy since Beckett came along and haven't been taking tons

The Lodge

We're heading to the Lied Lodge for the weekend with my parents. Mark, I, and the boys are leaving after my work tomorrow and hope to make it back by church Sunday morning. Have a great weekend! I'm sure we'll have a few pictures when we return!

Where is Spring?

I'm holding onto the hope that Spring is around the corner; this is Ethan last Spring. I'm hoping that since March is less then a week away, that warm weather is coming....

Lately

What is happening around here?

Well, Finn counted to 14 all by himself on Saturday! To 14! Ethan was counting coins and stopped at 5 and then Finn starting counting and made it to 14.

Mark starts his new job on March 1st. He had last week and all of this week to do nothing before the new job starts. Well, not nothing...he takes care of the kids! He is really looking forward to starting and today was the first day he could announce that he is officially an employee of the State of Nebraska. Getting used to the new schedule next week may prove to be an adjustment. He will be working evenings while I am working days.

Ethan continues to practice his flute for Kindermusik at his preschool. He is getting so big and grown up!

Beckett is eating and eating and eating. He is already in 3-6 months clothes and is definitely our little cutie....well, maybe not little....our growing cutie!

Phone Pics

These are all from Mark's phone, hence the bad quality, but they do capture for the most part our day today.




Ethan getting ready for our trip to Panera and Barnes & Noble. Mommy had to buy some books for work, so we all made a trip out of it. He loves his Woody! Daddy and his Wild Rice Soup....his favorite.

We love our Panera!

Beckett was just happy to be along for the ride!

Evening Out

Yesterday was the last day for Ethan's best bud from church staying at our house. I think Ethan will really miss him! They even took naps together in Ethan's bunk bed. After his buddy left in the late afternoon, we took a trip to Lincoln.

While at Target, we tried shopping for blinds. I'll be honest, I dislike very much shopping for house items. As I stood there in the curtain section, starring at 52 different styles of shades, blinds, and window treatments, I kept thinking how little I care what color my curtains are or type of fabric the drapes could be. Don't get me wrong, I'm not judging those who do care about those things, I just am not the type that wants to spend my time picking out cloth embroidered curtains or stained wood blinds.

Long story short, we left the home decor section of Target with no window treatments or any idea when we would go back. We did however have an amazingly mouth watering dinner at Braeda.....now that is the kind of thing I care about:)

Ethan started Kindermusik at his preschool. He gets to play the flute. He seems really excited about it. Finn has enjoyed our new house, he runs up and down the halls and around the basement all day, and Beckett is getting even more adorable as time goes on.

Unpacking

We aren't fully unpacked...I feel like whenever I can't find anything, Mark is always saying to look in some box. We might get to it this weekend, but I'm pretty sure we'll be trying to locate a washer/dryer instead. I feel like I'm 19 again having to go over to my parent's house and do laundry at their place. Luckily they don't mind.

The basement play area is really the only place in the house that is set up/unpacked. We set up a sitting/couch area downstairs and the rest of the room is for toys. Note: I've told my parents to stop buying toys, but I don't think it's getting through.....

Hopefully we'll locate a washer at least this weekend and then move onto unpacking the bedrooms fully. Saturday night Mark is taking Ethan/Finn to the Father-Son banquet at church, they are super excited already. I'll have my own little evening in with sweet Beckett...I imagine we'll spend the night doing laundry either at our house or my parents:)

More Haitian Pictures from Dr. Pearson

Dr. Pearson is the man on the left

There is tradegy yet hope,

death yet life,

pain yet healing,

evil yet God's power.

Hearing a fellow Professor speak on his Medical Mission

One of the professors here are York College recently traveled to Haiti to help the Haitian people with their medical issues after their earthquake tradegy. I can not imagine what he has experienced during his time there; however, I will be listening intently when he speaks tonight at our church about his recent work in Haiti along with showing pictures from his time there 2 weeks ago.

Besides the fact that God's work through Dr. Pearson is commendable and he in fact helped to save lives, I can not ignore that I am constantly enthralled by medical missions. I have long had the dream of being a medical mission photographer. This dream has sat on the shelf for many years and will continue to be put on the back burner. It is a dream for a different life, this life is devoted to my precious children. However, if ever a chance arose that this dream could in fact become my future, I can't deny that I would consider the option. A Photojournalist....maybe someday.

For now, I will continue to do what I can to support those who, led by God's mighty hand, choose to serve hurting people in foreign lands. It is a job that few have the talent and strength to do.

To read more about Dr. Pearson and his work, visit http://www.yorknewstimes.com/

Weekend

Last weekend flew by...Friday night we stayed home and unpacked. I know, it doesn't sound exciting, but it was nice to be able to find things.

I woke up Saturday morning to the doorbell ringing. It was my parents coming over to arrange furniture and unpack the storage unit. I think it was bothering them that the living room didn't have seating yet and boxes were kinda in every nook. We worked on the house for a couple hours, then it was lunchtime.

Saturday night we dropped off Ethan and Finn at the church babysitting fundraiser for the youth mission trip. Beckett stayed home with us and we cooked dinner for my parents (pork chops, potatoes, corn, and Boston cream pie) since they were coming over again that night to hang pictures and put the daybed together. After we all ate dinner, they set hung all our stuff and organized the office for us. We picked up the boys from the church and everyone went to bed. Sunday was church and then a day of catching up on work stuff and grad school papers.

My brother came by my office and chatted during his work shift. It is kinda funny because people/neighbors always assume something is wrong when he comes over, but it in reality he is a state patrolmen and parks his work car at our house sometimes. So, I promise, the police aren't over at our place every week.....it is just my brother stopping by when he gets bored during work:)

The pictures above were sent to me from a friend that helped at the church babysitting fundraiser.