current inventory...

OK...so here are the necklaces I currently have. Let me know if you see anything that interests you. (and I promise to stop pushing this on you now :)

**lengths (from top of clasp to last ring are as follows):
top left--19in top middle--17in top right--19in
middle left--19 in middle middle--17in middle right--18in
bottom left--19in bottom middle--20in bottom right--20in

feeding my creative side...

Lately I've become obsessed with jewelry. Finding the right necklace or bracelet can always make me feel so much more put together with whatever I'm wearing and can add just that certain thing that makes ME feel pretty. I have a few staples that I wear pretty consistently that add a pop of color or just complete whatever look I'm going for. I tell you all of this because in my attempt to find a new hobby and fill the need for a creative outlet, I started making necklaces and bracelets...and to generate a little income to feed my new hobby :) I decided to offer up some of my creations for sale.

As of now, I have 3 necklaces with these colors. They are not the same, but do have the same color beads. All the beads are glass with silver links and lobster clasps. Email me at abcarroll@sbcglobal.net if you are interested. Price for the necklaces is $25 and $15 for bracelets (prices include shipping).

If you are interested but these are not really "your" colors, please email me and let me know what colors you would like and I would be happy to make one to suit your wants and needs. I can also make children's sizes. These would make excellent Christmas gifts! :)

(I will post more pictures as they become available)

loss for words...

So, I have this problem where when I am stressed about something or have something that really occupies my mind almost every second of every day I only talk to my mom or my sister and I kind of shut everything and everyone else out. With both pregnancies (NO I am not pregnant) I would go weeks without having a phone conversation with anyone and would have little to nothing to say to my mom and sister before we told them. It was the only thing occupying my mind...I didn't have anything else to talk about. The same goes with writing here. I can't (or won't) write about some things and I want this to be an honest blog and our life is not all sunshine and roses so I can't pretend that it is so when I am having trouble putting together the pieces I tend to neglect this little space. I'm being very cryptic, aren't I? I'm just struggling (nothing major...just life) and I read this post of Jodie's or this one of Abbie's and I think...YES that is totally how I feel...except the problem is...I don't even know what my passion is. I don't have that one thing that feeds my soul and makes me...me. I have spent my whole life being someone's something, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mom...I laugh because I even get introduced as so-and-so's friend or Bob's wife, even to people I've encountered before...it is like I don't exist without being attached to someone else. And while I love all the roles I play in my life...I think I just want to know that there is something that is uniquely me. The one thing I always knew I wanted in my life was kids, anyone who has talked to me for more than 5 minutes since the time I was probably 16 is quite aware of that. And my kids and my husband are everything to me, I am thankful for every day that I have with them and I know how incredibly lucky I am, but there will come a time where the kids don't need me as much (I already see it happening) and then what will I be left with? I know I will always be their mom, but eventually I won't be dealing with day-to-day aspects of their lives (at least I hope I won't :)
Maybe it is this impending birthday and turning 30, maybe it is just because things aren't going as smoothly right now as I would like, but something in me is wanting that something that I am passionate about something that feeds my soul and makes me better at all the roles I have in my life and love. The question is....how do I find it?

(I promise to all 3 of you that read here :), nothing serious is going on, Bob and I are fine, the kids are fine...just the regular struggles of life and kids, etc. Things will get better, they are getting better...it just weighs heavily on me right now)

good thoughts and prayers...

Please send all the thoughts and prayers you can to Miss Claire today. She is having surgery today. Please pray (or whatever it is you do) that this surgery will be one giant leap in her recovery and elimination of this monster that has occupied way too much of her (almost) 2 years (she turns 2 next Saturday the 26th). She is one strong girl (as are her mama, daddy, and handsome baby brother)...stay strong little one and keep fighting, you have more people than you could ever know pulling for you! Lots of love and hugs to you Weipert family!

nine months...

It has been nine months little man since you've entered our lives, and boy have you taken it by storm! You are so full of curiosity, you have to touch everything. Although you do tend to break things as well. You move so fast and never want to sleep, it is like you are trying to experience a lifetime of things every single day. You have changed our family little man, for the better. We love you and slow down would you? All too soon I'll be sending you off to the first day of preschool.

**picture taken by the wonderfully talented Holly at Lily Bella Photography**

the long catch-up post...

OK...so I guess it is time for a catch-up post. And looking back, I guess we have to go back to the 4th of July. (not sure if I can remember back that far, but I'll try!).

The 4th of July weekend we headed to WI to the Goodness household. We spent the weekend hanging out with friends, playing bags, playing cards, eating too much, laughing until we cried, staying up waaay too late and drinking (just a little). At one point there were 18 people sleeping under their roof and it was so much fun. We always love hanging out with them and it was a great time as always! The kiddos spent the weekend with Grandma Nancy and Papa Bob. They spent their weekend going tot the library, cuddling, napping and getting lots of love. It was a great weekend for all! :)

The next weekend we headed to IA for a canoeing trip with some friends from high school. We basically had a barge going down the river (8 canoes tied together). The day was fantastic, my face hurt from smiling and laughing, it was so nice to be surrounded by such great friends...we definitely don't get to see each other enough!

We then spent a weekend at home with no real plans (shocking I know!). The kids and I met up with Bob's cousin, Amy, and two of her boys at Kiddieland on a Monday. Brianna had an absolute blast. She loved all the rides (I was afraid that she would be scared of the rides...but she LOVED them!).

The last weekend in July brought a visit from my sister and her family. We spent the weekend going to the pool, hanging out playing wii, and taking the two big kids to Build-a-Bear. They each picked out bears for themselves (well, Brianna picked a bunny) and for their little brothers. Then, on Sunday, Brianna had a playdate with 2 of her little friends for her birthday. We had a treasure hunt for the girls and they made princess wands and had cake and just ran around and played with each other. After the girls left we headed to the pool again.

The first weekend in August brought our 4th annual canoe-a-palooza with some of our Knox friends. It has been faar too long since we've been together, but as usual, we fell right back in with each other and it is like we have never been apart. Great friends, a lot of laughter, and good memories...who could ask for more? Sunday (Brianna's 4th birthday) before we headed back home we stopped off at our family reunion where everyone sang to Brianna.

And that, brings us to this past weekend which brought the Dyersville Area Relay for Life on Friday night. It was cut short because of the weather (rain, lightning, high winds). We left a little after 2am. Saturday brought a day of making Brianna's birthday cake, cleaning, and visits from our cousin, Matt, and his son Chase (who was born 3 days after Bryce) and Pat and Sandie. Sunday was Brianna's birthday party (yes, we have been celebrating her birthday for like 3 weeks) Bob, Nancy, Brian & Mary made the trip to IA to help us celebrate. Angie, Nick and the boys were also in attendance as well as both of my Grandmas and, of course, my parents. It was a great time.

In the midst of all of this craziness, Bryce has started to crawl and pull up on everything. He is into way more stuff tha Brianna ever was and I spend most of my day pulling him away from things and telling him "no".

Whew...there is the "short version of our last month. I'll try not to let things get this behind again! Hope you all are enjoying what is left of your summer, I know we are trying to! I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of the kiddos. I'll try to get more posted soon!

Love to you all!

four...

Four years ago today, right this minute, you anxiously entered the world. A little early, but eagerly and full of life. You, little girl, have been a surprise to us from the moment you entered this world almost a full 4 weeks before your due date until this very moment. Every day with you over these last four years has been an adventure, and I can honestly say I have loved every minute of it (at least in hindsight). You are the most amazingly beautiful, talented, kind girl I know, I love so many things about you. You love with such a passion, I see it every day in the way you love your brother. I adore that you would do anything to make your brother smile and laugh and that you hug him and look at him and ask if he had a nice nap every single time he wakes up. I hope you never lose this passion and your willingness to love so openly. I know that no matter how I want to try to protect you from heartache, you will experience it, but I hope you know that no matter what, giving your whole heart to someone is worth the risk. I love that you dance and sing every chance you get and laugh wholeheartedly always. I want you to always find the time to sing, dance, and laugh because it is those moments that make life so special. I so hope that you and your brother grow to have the kind of friends your daddy and I have. Those that will laugh and cry with you and will do silly things with you even when all of you feel too old to do them. I know that you will cherish friendships like these because I have seen already how much you care about your friends. I, like most all parents, have hopes and dreams for you baby, but know that the most important thing to me is for you to be happy. Your hopes and dreams are my hopes and dreams and as your dreams change as you grow older I will always be right there with you being your biggest fan, your #1 cheerleader. You my darling at this moment four years ago gave me the greatest gift I have ever received....you made me a mommy. No matter how I may doubt my place in this world, I will never, ever, doubt that I was meant to be your mommy.
My little chicken....I love you... way, way, way, way, way more than you will ever know.
Happy 4th Birthday Baby.
ps. Thank you for saying that you can still be my baby if I want you to, because to me...no matter how old you get whether you are 4 or 40 you will always be my baby and if you ever need to curl up on my lap...I will be right here waiting for you.

we neeed your help...

I've been writing and re-writing this post in my head for weeks and I just couldn't find the words so I kept putting it off. But something happened yesterday and I knew that I needed to get this post up.
As you all know, the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life is something that is near and dear to my heart. I lost my grandpa to lung cancer in 2005, several members of my family have dealt with cancer in their own lives in one way or another.
Last night, I found out that my friend from high school's little girl has relapsed for the second time. I will let you go to their site to read in their own words what they are going through and I urge you to go read it, because I think you will then understand why I've made my goal so high this year and why I am going to try with all of my might to reach that goal.
In addition to that, last night while at Bob's softball game Brianna was playing with her little friend who is currently undergoing chemo to battle the leukemia she was diagnosed with early this year. She is only 1/2 way done with treatment...she just turned 3.
We all want to know what we can do to help, and I'm asking you to give money to fund research, these kids and hundreds, thousands like them need your help. I know it is tough out there and money is tight...believe me I know, but if in any way my money can help save these kids and prevent other kids from having to go through this, I will give as much as I can. All it takes is one look at my kids to know that I'm doing the right thing. Please, if you can, I am begging you to go here and donate. I will put a link up in my sidebar that will take you to my donation page. Thank you for all that you can do.
And if I could ask one more thing of you blogland...please pray, for these 2 little girls, their families and all of those kids and families who are battling this.

more pictures...

All of our family photos taken by Lily Bella Photography are now up on Shutterfly. Click the latest photos link on the left to check them out.

few random thoughts from the past week...

Whew...I feel like there hasn't even been a moment to catch my breath this last week.
The services for Grandma Caruso were beautiful and such a wonderful tribute to her life. I was asked to read what I wrote here about Grandma at the wake. I was very honored that I was asked, but those of you who know me well know that I'm a slightly emotional person. I didn't even get 1 word out before breaking down. But I did it for Grandma, she was another grandma to me and she welcomed me into her family and I am forever grateful for that. At the end of the day we went back to the place she had called home for so long, soaked in the beautiful sunlight while the kids swam and played in the lake. Smiles and laughter everywhere, I think it is just how grandma would have wanted it. On our way home we stopped back by the cemetary because Bob was telling me about the picture of Grandma & Grandpa Caruso that is in the center of their headstone. While we were there, Brianna was asking questions and I don't remember the entire conversation but at one point she asked "so Great-Grandma is next to Great-Grandpa?" and Bob told her "yes". The she looked at him and asked "so they can play together in heaven?" Bob and I looked at each other and smiled and nodded. I thought to myself "yes baby, I doubt they have stopped dancing since she arrived."

head on over...

Go on over to Lily Bella Photography and check out a few of the pictures Holly took of our family last weekend. Leave her some comment love...she deserves it! Thanks again Holly, we can't wait to see the rest! (no pressure though!) :)

sadness...

Photo was taken as she attended the Senior Prom just 7 days before she passed.

Thanks DeeDee for sharing this beautiful picture of a most beautiful lady.

Heaven gained an amazing angel this week. Grandma Caruso passed away at the young age of 96. She is one of the sweetest and kind women that I know and will be dearly missed by our entire family. I will always remember her smile and laughter and the little spark she had in her eyes when someone (usually one of her kids) told her she shouldn't do something. I always saw this flash in her eyes that said "I'm a grown woman I'll do what I want!" There are so many things that I will remember about her and things that will remind me of her, tennis balls on a walker, Fannie May candy (she did love her candy), the story she loved to tell about how Bob and Brian got their golfing abilities not only from their dad but from her husband, and mostly how she always called Brianna and Bryce "precious" (I'm sure she called all of her great-grandchildren that, but I remember her saying it about our kids). I think everytime I hear that word I will hear it in her voice as she looked down at Brianna and hugged and kissed her.
You will be missed Grandma, but we know you are happy where you are and finally reunited with the love of your life. Thank you for being one of the most precious parts of our lives.

6 month and weekend update...

Before we headed to Iowa for the weekend, Bryce had his 6 month checkup on Friday. He is weighing in at 16lbs 4.5oz and is 26 inches long. He is doing well eating solids and we'll be moving on to stage 2 food as soon as the stage 1 we already have is gone. The boy loves his solid food, he pretty much doesn't even care about his bottle anymore. He is rolling over all the time and is pretty much sitting up unassisted at this point. He still falls over, so even as I type this he is sitting on the floor surrounded by pillows. He is babbling constantly and we are starting to see his little personality come out more and more each day. I still cannot believe he is 6 months old already, it has gone by so fast.

My favorite part of being home with the kids is watching them interact with each other. Brianna loves Bryce so much and he just lights up when she is around. She sings to him and reads to him all the time. I know as they get older they will fight and not like each other, but I sincerely hope that they will always remain friends. My sister and I fought (a lot) when we were kids, we were less than 1 year apart and we definitely got on each other's nerves, but now I can't imagine my life without her. We email each other throughout the day and we look forward to spending time together, although too many days together and we still know how to push each other's buttons. Guess some things never change! :)

As I said we spent the weekend in Iowa and attended the wedding of my cousin, Craig. It was a great time, the wedding and reception were absolutely beautiful and it was great to spend time with the family. Braden & Brianna were so excited to dance together and it was pretty darn cute to watch them. Congrats again to Craig & Rachel we wish you a lifetime of happiness!

I have one more post to get up and then I probably won't post for another week or so, I'm off this weekend to Angie & Nick's to help paint and when I get back from there we'll be heading to Iowa to drop the kids off and then take off for Galesburg for the Knosher Outing and then back to Iowa for Father's day. It is going to be a busy couple of weeks! I've uploaded new pictures to the shutterfly site so check them out. Mostly from Memorial Day and Brianna playing at the parks and a couple from the wedding, before my camera battery died. Here are a couple that I love :)

Happy Monday everyone!

houston we have a problem...

Meet our friend the swaddling blanket. Well, it used to be our friend. When Bryce first came home from the hospital he didn't sleep well. Not counting the fact that he had to be fed every 3 hours because of his weight and his jaundice, the only way he would sleep is if he was laying on someone (me specifically) or in his swing, occasionally he would sleep in his bouncy seat, but he never wanted to just lay down and sleep. When he was 8 weeks old we bought 2 of these, one of them is this exact one in fact. The first time we wrapped him in this and put him down he slept through the night...at 8 weeks. I was sure that it was a fluke, but we continued to put him in it and he continued to sleep through the night. Everything was going along just fine until a few nights ago. See this blanket has become too small for him. The "weight limit" is 14-15lbs, which by now Bryce is probably over, and his legs are starting to get scrunched in the bottom. And the biggest thing is that he can get himself out of it in about 5 seconds now. They have larger ones, but I am hesitant to buy them, because realistically we can't keep him in one forever. Last night he woke up 5+ times. Not the kind of wake up but he just needs his pacifier and he's back to sleep....oh no, he is wide awake at 3am! What the heck is going on here? Bob ended up feeding him a bottle at 3 because I couldn't function anymore. The kid hasn't had a bottle in the middle of the night for 4 months! I do realize we are extremely lucky to have as many sleep filled nights as we have, but that doesn't really take away from the fact that I am really tired this morning.
Goodbye swaddling blanket, we have loved you, but now if you could just leave quietly and not wake the baby no one will get hurt! (told you I was tired :)

outside...

So, we've been spending a lot of time outside these days, either in the yard, at the park or just taking walks around the neighborhood. (Hence, the lack of posts lately) The kids love being outside and it fills our day so much more productively than sitting in the house watching TV. I'm uploading a bunch of pictures to the shutterfly account, but here are a few of my favorites from the last few days.

Hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather we are having as much as we are!

graduation and birthday parties...

Last Saturday we headed downtown to attend Mary's law school graduation from Loyola. It was a beautiful mass and a wonderful ceremony. The kids did really well during the whole thing, mostly because they were so excited to see Brian and Mary I think! :) (side note...Lovie Smith was also at the graduation, apparently his son's girlfriend was graduating. He sat a couple of rows behind us!) Congrats Mary, we are so very, very proud of you!

Sunday we had two birthday parties to attend. The first was Brianna's little friend from daycare. Brianna was sooo excited to see her friends and as icing on the cake the party was at the Painted Penguin so she got to paint as well. Pretty sure that was one of the best days ever for her. After that party we headed off to our friend Josh's surprise 30th birthday party. It was a good time and it is always fun to see Bob's golfing buddies. By the end of the day we were all exhausted and all piled into our bed to watch a movie. I think everyone was sleeping by 8:30 (except me of course). All-in-all it was a fun filled weekend.

See, even when we're home on the weekends we're not really ever home! :)

mother's day...

We had a pretty low key Mother's Day. We spent the weekend in Wisconsin at Ben & Amanda's house. The boys golfed and the girls shopped and got pedicures and we played some Guitar Hero World Tour. It was fun to spend the weekend with them it has been a while since we've seen them. On Mother's Day we went to Bob and Nancy's and had breakfast with the family. Bob and Brian had to take off for Indiana for a qualifier Brian had the next day, so we stuck around to chat with Nancy for a while and Brianna ran around outside. We headed home and spent the afternoon napping, playing and just relaxing. It was a great Mother's Day all-in-all. My kiddos and hubby are the best...what more could a girl ask for!

6 years in the books...

Yes I am quite aware that this post is significantly late, however...better late than never! So on Sunday May 3 Bob and I celebrated our 6th anniversary. It is shocking to me that it has been six years. So much has happened in that time, loss of grandparents, births of children, weddings of friends and family, the buying of our first home and more laughter and memories than I have the time or space to share. I don't know that on our wedding day, these two kids (and yes, we are kids...holy cow we look young!) could possibly realize what their life would be this six short years later.

(I do realize this is a hideous picture, but it was actually taken on 5/3/09 so I wanted to use it :)Bob and I had a great anniversary we slept late (for us) and went to brunch and then played 9 holes of golf, it was nice to walk around the course talk and just be us for a little while. Life is crazy and hectic, but there is no one I'd rather be in this crazy, hectic life with. I love you, Bob! Here is to 100 more years of (mostly) wedded bliss :).

my favorite things...

As I've said before I'm not an optimistic person. I would call myself a realist, I prepare for the bad, so I'm not disappointed when something doesn't go the way I want and am pleasantly surprised when things do. In an effort to appreciate all the small things in my life, here is a list of the things I love about the ages my kids are.

Brianna age 3 (almost 4)
The crazy outfits she puts together.
The way she complains the whole time I brush/braid/whatever her hair, but then looks in the mirror admiring her hair after I'm done.
The way she says "don't be upset Bryce, big sister is here"
The way she runs to the door screaming "daddy!" when she hears the garage door open.
The way she wakes up in the morning and smiles at me and asks "did you have a good sleep, mommy?"
The other million little things that make her my sweet, funny, aggrivating little girl.

Bryce age (almost) 6 months
The way he smiles when I get him out of his crib in the morning.
The way he stretches after I undo his swaddling blanket and the look on his face that says "I'm free"
When he is really tired I can pick him up and hold him close to me and he immediately falls asleep.
The way he laughs when I change his dirty diapers.
The way he smiles and gets everyone to fall in love with him within moments of meeting him.
The other million little things that make him my adorable, flirty little man.

monday musing...

So, question for you. Today the kids and I walked to Wal-Mart (it is a few blocks from our house...long enough that it sort of tires Brianna out, but short enough that she can walk the whole thing) anyway, there is a redbox there where we rent movies almost every Monday (they have free movie Monday's with a code that is texted to your phone or you can go here and get the code). After we got our movies we walked around Wal-Mart for a bit looked at toys and got Brianna a new thermos because her lid was broken. As we were standing in the checkout line she started whining and wanted to be held. I picked her up for a moment to talk to her and then set her back down. She started whining again and the guy (or maybe he was a boy...he looked very young) in front of us eyed me and then Brianna and then me again and then he looked at her and said "are you OK?" I was a bit taken aback by his question to her. she wasn't screaming bloody murder, I didn't hit her or anything of the sort, I picked her up and talked to her and then put her back down. She is (almost) 4 and she sometimes doesn't behave perfectly. He kept looking at me the entire time until he was checked out and gone. Now, maybe I'm overly sensitive, but I don't believe there was anything going on that warranted him asking HER if she was OK. I know that people's actions can be misinterpreted, but the whole thing is very odd to me. I'm pretty sensitive about the judgement (as I perceive it) other people pass on me as a parent. After the guy asked Brianna that I said "she is fine". What would you have done? Do you think that is super strange or that I'm overreacting? (I realize that is hard to answer since you weren't there...but I swear to you it happened just like that) :)

I will be back soon with an update of our weekend, because I'm sure you are all wondering how we spent our 6th anniversary! :)

29...

Yes, I know I already turned 29, but today this guy joins the club. I could not ask for a better person in my life. He is a wonderful dad and a fantastic husband.
Happy Birthday, Bob!!
We Love you!

b book...

Brianna reading to Bryce. :)

friends and fun and crafts...oh my...

I think the titles of my posts get more lame every time. Anyway, I have a bunch of stuff to share since I last posted, so lets get to it.

Last weekend we headed to WI to visit with some friends. Abbie and Chris graciously invited us to their house along with the Isaacsons. We headed to their house late Friday morning and arrived to beautiful weather. The kids ran around outside and played and the adults caught up on what was going on in each of our lives. The boys got to play some golf on Saturday, while the girls did some crafts and ran around outside some more, the weather was PERFECT, and when they got back from golfing we took the kids to the park. Saturday night after the kids were in bed (and all were sleeping except Brianna...big surprise on that one) we started playing Guitar Hero World Tour. My wonderful husband got this for me for my birthday, and it is seriously hours of entertainment, especially when there is alcohol involved. There was tons of laughter and I don't think I will ever forget the singing, dancing around, banging on the drums, and some choice quotes that were said that night, which will not be posted here because well...this is a family blog. Abbie and Chris were such wonderful hosts and it was so good to finally meet little Samantha. Brianna had so much fun playing with Andrew and Holly's two little girls Ella and Lily and Bryce ate up all the attention that was given to him. I know I enjoyed chatting and catching up with Abbie, Holly, Andrew and Chris and Bob most definitely had fun playing golf with Andrew and Chris. I was having so much fun I didn't even take out my camera the whole weekend. Abbie has some over on her blog and Holly said she'd be posting some soon (no pressure...I know you're busy :). We are so very blessed to have such wonderful friends. Thank you again Abbie and Chris for letting us invade your house.

This week has been pretty low-key...but today we did a craft that Holly told me about. Brianna had so much fun making these (anything that lets her use glue and stickers will make her happy). I made Bryce's (obviously) because even though he's not big enough to do this stuff himself, I love having both of their crafts hanging on the wall or whereever they may end up (Brianna is pushing for daddy to take them to work...so we'll see). I absolutely love crafts that incorporate hand and/or foot prints. They are my favorites because beyond the decorating and the little touches Brianna puts on her projects, there is something so personal about them being made from their hand/footprints. It is a part of them, the part that reminds me to cherish these moments because they won't be this small for very long.

Enough with the rambling...here is a picture of the butterflies.

Have a great weekend everyone...hopefully I'll be back before long.

going purple...

All the small things is going purple. This is the first chance I've had to make the change. We are going purple to honor Ian and Maddie and all the premies who have lost their battle, and in honor of McKenna and all the ones who fought and are still fighting to stay healthy. The March of Dimes is a wonderful organization, one that I whole-heartedly support and am happy to send my money to each year. The March of Dimes deserves your support because they help these babies have a fighting chance at a healthy life, and I think we all agree that every baby deserves that. So, go here or here and give what you can...do what you can to give these babies the best start in life.

easter...

I hope you all had a great Easter. We had a very good, but busy weekend. We were in Iowa from Friday night until Monday morning. We had a great time with family, although there was a definite lack of sleep on the part of the kids and myself :) I think that I don't want to spend my time with my family sleeping because it seems like we don't get to see everyone much so I tend to not sleep much at all while at my parents. But we had a great time and it went too fast as always. We had Jackson's birthday party Saturday and Sunday consisted of candy, Easter egg hunts, naps and spending time with family. A perfect day in my opinion. Yesterday we left mom and dad's about 10 (and only forgot a few things) and headed to Galesburg to stop by the business office. We stopped and had lunch with Steve and Alli (and then Alli & Gavin accompanied us to Galesburg as well). We got home about 7:30 last night and are trying to recover today. We take off again Friday for WI to visit some friends so in the 2 remaining days this week I need to get laundry done and the house cleaned up. We'll see how that goes. :) We are looking forward to seeing some friends we haven't seen in far too long, so we are all excited about the coming weekend. Hope you all had a very Happy Easter filled with family and friends.

I'm uploading a bunch of pictures from the weekend to shutterfly, so feel free to take a look.

I'll leave you with a couple here. Have a great week everyone!

crazy day...

I'm tired already. :) I've been up since 5am. I do not get up at 5am EVER. I woke up and all the little things I needed to do today started running through my head...the things I needed to remember to pack, the kid's Easter basket stuff, pictures, camera (you get the picture). So of course I could not go back to sleep. So I actually got up and decided to be productive. I think everything is ready to go except that I still have to pack clothes for the kids and myself (which you would think would be the biggest concern...but...no). The house is picked up and the dishes are done. We've got about 6 more hours before we have to be out the door, and in that time I have to pack clothes, shower, get dressed, get the kids dressed, feed everyone, pack the car and get out the door so we get to Bryce's 4 month checkup ontime so we can then leave for Iowa. Whew...and did I mention that I've been up since 5 and am running on no caffine? Since I gave up pop for lent and don't drink coffee I'm kind of SOL today. :) I realize today that I am insane, what woman in her right mind gives up pop/caffine with 2 small kids at home? Anyway, Mr. Bryce just woke up (yes, he has been sleeping since last night...this is why I don't get up at 5am EVER) and is probably starving...so I'm off to get moving on this day...again. I leave you with a couple new pics of the kids. Happy Easter everyone!

there are no adequate words...

I've mentioned before how I tend to blog hop starting out reading this one, and then ending up somewhere many clicks away from where I started. Well about a year or so ago, I blog hopped my way over to The Spohrs are Multiplying. I read whatever post happened to be up that day, which was (I'm sure) funny and had some adorable pictures of Maddie. So, I added it to my Google reader. I went back through their archives and found out more about Maddie and was drawn in by her story. Maddie was a preemie, born 11 weeks early. As any of you who have been here before know, my cousins, Dale and Suzanne, have had 2 preemie babies both born 25 weeks gestation. I was hooked, and have been reading their blog ever since.

When I opened my Google reader yesterday, I saw a post that little Maddie had passed away on April 7, and I cried. I cried for a little girl I have never met and for her parents, family, and friends. There have been hundreds of posts written about Maddie in the last 2 days and as of now over $18,000 has been donated to the March of Dimes in her name. She has touched so many in her too short 17 months on this earth.

My thoughts and prayers are with her family. Thank you for sharing your beautiful angel with all of us.

following her lead...

In honor of Jodie's air it out post I've decided to give it a shot myself...


1. Our kids have no bedtime routine, it is not unusual for Brianna to be awake at 10pm (or later) this is our fault, but I do not have the patience to try to instill a bedtime routine.

2. I try to give the kids a bath every other day, but that doesn't always happen (read...almost never) Heck we are stuck inside all day, every day...how dirty can they be?

3. The thought of packing up 2 kids in carseats to drive down the block to the store (when it is too cold to walk) makes me want to cry, so we don't go anywhere.

4. I often threaten that we will not go somewhere because of bad behavior, but don't often follow through because it is usually more punishment for everyone else than it is for her.

5. I have showered 1 time since last Friday, it was also the only time I've left the house since then.

6. I can't remember the last time I dusted. Our living room furniture is supposed to be a dark wood, instead it looks gray.


7. I have stood in the shower until the hot water runs out because it is the only place I occasionally have some privacy.


8. Our 3 year old has a TV in her room, and it is on every night when she goes to bed.


9. I didn't feel guilty having Brianna in daycare. I realize now how many less dirty diapers I had to change while she was there. (plus she loved it)


10. I've taken a shower and put on the same (dirty) clothes I've worn and slept in for days on end...more than I care to admit.


There are a million more, but I'm not brave enough to share all of them :)


I'm embarrassed about these things because of the way I think people will react to them not because I'm truly embarrassed about them (well maybe the shower thing :)).
I just watched the Oprah show from yesterday and it is funny how I related to the mom's on there who said a million things I've been thinking, so I wonder why I still feel so ashamed of all the things I feel and why I wrote and edited this post about 15 times before I even felt slightly comfortable posting this.

twenty-nine...

In just a few hours I will technically turn 29 (7:12am). I will hopefully be in a blissful sleep at that time. In all honesty, most days I can't remember what age I am (it is a good thing I was born in 1980 so I can usually figure it out pretty quickly...as long as I remember what year it is :)) Some days I feel 80, and other I feel like I'm just a kid playing house. I look and my life and wonder where the time has gone. How is is possible that I have an almost 4 year old, and that my little man turned 4 months old today? My life has turned into a cliche...the days go slowly but the years go by so fast.
As I sit here thinking about the turns my life has taken in these last years, I find that while there are some aspects of my life that I thought would be different (job/career), there are other things...the important things...that are exactly(or better) than I always imagined they would be. I have a wonderful, loving husband, 2 great kids, and incredible family and friends. So, my gift to myself this year is to live in the now, to be grateful for what I have in this moment, and to not dwell on the things I don't "have". I tend to get so wrapped up "what-if's" and "if only's" and always wishing there was more...more time, more money, more space, that I don't realize that in reality I have all I ever need.
So, I am embracing 29 and all it's possibilities. Here is to the peace in knowing that I'm exactly where I want (and am supposed) to be.

whirlwind weekend...

Wait...what day is it again? Wow, we put a few miles on the car this weekend, but we ended up getting to every place we needed/wanted to be. Friday we packed up and headed to Iowa, we stopped by my aunt and uncle's house on the way through Cascade, so we got to see a few family members. We finally rolled into mom and dad's house around 11/11:30, and of course the kids were wide awake. I think everyone finally settled down around midnight or so. The alarm went off at 5am, which is just inhumane if you ask me. Bob and I got ready and put some stuff together for mom to take the kids and headed off to Galesburg for Coach Heimann's memorial service. It was a wonderful tribute to his life and the way he lived, coached, and taught. We were very glad we went. After the memorial service we grabbed some lunch and headed to Cedar Rapids to attend the wedding of one of my high school classmates. We had a fantastic time at the wedding and we finally went to bed about 20 hours after our day had started. Of course while the wedding was happening, there also happened to be a blizzard going on outside. We stayed with some friends in Cedar Rapids and drove back to mom and dad's around 6 Sunday morning in about 10 inches of snow. We spent some time with mom and dad and then headed for home around 8 Sunday night, getting us home around 11/11:30, with...you guessed it, two kids that didn't want to sleep. Finally everyone got to bed and then we had to be up this morning to go to a funeral. Nancy's cousin passed away and we didn't make it back in time to go to the wake last night (obviously) so we went to the funeral today. We left home around 10am and got home about 5pm. So, to sum it up...lots of time in the car, not much sleep, lots of time with family and friends...it is amazing how quickly your emotions can change when you have a sad event, a joyous one, and another sad one. But in attending both the memorial service and the funeral, I think it makes me appreciate the people around me even more and for that I am grateful. Much love to you all.

jackson is one...

This little guy turns one today. It is hard to believe that he is one already. I can't wait to see him in a couple of weeks. Happy Birthday Jackson! We love you!

chick craft link...

I found it back!! To anyone interested...here is the link to the chicks we made the other day.
Duck Paper Plate Craft

finger painting...

I know, I know...3 posts in one day. But just wanted to share our craft project from today. (These are probably getting old, I promise not to post every single one). This project came from Sarah (Miss Claire's mommy) she said the Child Life group at the hospital did this with the kids during the winter and the kids loved it. It was pretty simple to do, only a few things needed.

Shaving cream, glue, and food coloring (optional...Sarah said when they did this at the hospital they left it white). I'm not sure of the exact ratio of shaving cream to glue. In all honesty I put some shaving cream into the container and then added a bunch of glue, there was no measuring on my part during this process.
I split ours into 4 different containers and had this:
I then let Brianna loose to paint on paper plates. Obviously you can use paper, but we always have an abundance of paper plates around here and always end up short on paper thanks to my little artist.














After all was said and done it was a little messy, but easy to clean up and Brianna had a blast, although she was less than thrilled with how dirty her hands were.

We had a great time and finger painting is good for those of us a little over the age of 3 as well :) Thanks again Sarah for sharing the great idea!!

state of our house...monday edition...

So, in the 5-6 hours the kids have been up, our living room has gone from picked up to this... It sure is Monday around here, we're all still in our pjs, the house looks like the above picture, the tv has been on far too long, Bryce just wants to be held, I haven't showered, we are just eating lunch...leftovers and oranges, yum yum. But, it has still been a good day so far because even in the middle of this mess there was still enough room for an impromptu ballet recital and plenty of smiles from the little man.














Oh Monday...what are we going to do with you?

sunday flowers...

Yes, I know it is Monday, but I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday. Brianna and I made another bouquet of flowers Saturday. I think these turned out much better, and all of the colors bring a smile to my face on this gloomy Monday. Have a great week everyone!

friday craft...

Yesterday Brianna and I made chicks. I found the idea on the internet (but I'm too lazy to look it up and link it right now), pretty easy, and we had all the supplies, paper plate, construction paper, yellow paint, googly eyes. You put the pieces together with a stapler, but maybe glue would work better and not be so obvious. Oh well it worked out. I made one for Bryce with his handprints as the tailfeathers (hence the reason we have two). Brianna is loving all of our craft time and LOVES to paint, it is fun letting her do these things without getting crazy about how messy she is being. This afternoon/evening we may be making some more egg carton flowers, she had a blast doing those. I also saw a craft for making flowers out of kid's handprints (I tried one with Bryce's handprint, but it may be too small to get the desired effect and I was rushing) so I'm sure we'll be trying that in the near future. And my friend Sarah just emailed me a few craft ideas that I'm anxious to try, especially painting with shaving cream and glue! Maybe that is a project for this week. If we get to it, I'll be sure to post pictures. Thanks Sarah and Holly for all of the ideas you've sent me, Brianna and I are really enjoying our time together while we do these things. Without further ado...our chicks from yesterday...

busy week...

We've had quite the week around here. First of all the weather has been georgous (well Monday and Tuesday at least). We spent tons of time outside those two days, it did us all some good. Monday we walked to the bank and Walmart and then I decided I needed a haircut so we walked across the street and saw Gina and got my haircut. By the time we walked home it was lunchtime so we ate and then headed back outside to play. We colored with chalk, Brianna rode her bike and ran around until Bob got home. It was fantastic. We saw some neighbors that were surprised to see that our family had grown. :)

Tuesday we played outside again, it was slightly windy so we didn't spend as much time outside (Bryce was not a big fan of the wind), but we painted in the driveway and did some bike riding. Tuesday night we had some company. My cousin Tina and her husband Randy were in town on some business so they came over for dinner (corned beef and green beer :)). It was so nice to see them. Yesterday Tina accompanied us to the mall where we walked around Brianna played for a little bit in the play area, then we met up with Randy for lunch, and they headed home and so did we. Brianna actually fell asleep on the way home from lunch and slept for a little bit after we got home, giving me a chance to do some work.
Today, Brianna and I made egg carton flowers and cookies. Last night we (Bob & I) went grocery shopping and he saw these cookies at Sam's (basically chocolate chip cookies that were sandwhiched together with frosting and rolled in sprinkles). So today, being the good wife that I am I made them :) I haven't baked in a while, and I actually love to be in the kitchen, so it was fun.
All-in-all, it has been a great week, it is amazing what some time outside and some sunshine can do to brighten my mood! Hope you are all having a great week. I'm looking forward to a weekend at home spending time with the family, no plans (for once :)) Hope you all enjoy your weekend. I've posted new pictures over at shutterfly, so feel free to check them out!
And just so you can see the little man...

Happy Birthday tomorrow to our little friend Samantha! 1 already...how crazy. We can't wait to see you in a few weeks.

sadness...

Today the Knox community lost one of it's most beloved. Coach Tim Heimann passed away this morning. As most of you know, Knox is near and dear to my heart and while I never had a personal relationship with Coach Heimann, I am filled with a tremendous sadness. I had him for a professor for one trimester and knew him through Bob and other close friends that he coached. One of his sons graduated in 2002 with us and I've never heard anyone say anything but good things about Coach Heimann. He is indeed a very special man. Knox will not be the same without him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this most difficult time, he will truly be missed.

(The photo above was taken the night he coached his last game for the Prairie Fire, only a year ago. The world is losing too many good people to cancer, so if you can...I urge you to please go donate.)

book contest...

You know how much I love books and I especially love children's books. That said, the sweet ladies over at On My Bookshelf are giving away Llama Llama Misses Mama. So go on over there and enter, tell them I sent you (just kidding)!

thursday has started with a bang...

Yikes, today has not started well. First of all, it started too early. I know I shouldn't complain and most of you will hate me for this, but my kids sleep until at least 8am every morning, sometimes as late as 9. And yes, I have become accustom to this. I don't go to sleep until very late, so I enjoy the fact that my kids sleep late. Even when I was working outside of the home I didn't have to be at work until 9, so I very rarely got up before 7:30am. I'm generally not a morning person, I can get up and be productive, just do not talk to me, and I especially don't like being waken from a sound sleep by someone crying for no reason. At about 7:15 this morning Brianna comes in screaming and crying about how she wants to go downstairs and watch TV. Oh, hell no. Of course the dreaded snowball effect and Bryce wakes up. So, before we're usually up on most days, Bryce has been changed and fed, we've had breakfast and are quietly playing now. I have, have, HAVE to get some work done today. So I'm trying to shake off my bad mood and turn it into being productive. Plus I had an epiphany on how to arrange/organize our dvd collection and keep it organized, so that is exciting me to no end right now. So, there is our plan for the day, play, arrange/organize dvds, work, and hit the gym tonight in time to watch Grey's and Private Practice. Is it sad that I have to go to the gym to watch two of my favorite shows uninterrupted? The upside is that I work out for 2 hours while watching!
Happy Thursday everyone!

partially to blame for my funk...

OK, last post of the night, I swear.

I just wanted to expand on my other post a little on me being in a funk. I know all of the things I've listed in the previous post are contributing factors to my funk. However, one thing that always contributes to my funk...is my weight/body image. This weight from being pregnant is HORRIBLE. I'm frustrated and angry that it will not come off. I realize it has only been 3 months, but I am an expert on weight hanging around, and the longer it hangs around the harder it is to get rid of. It is amazing how much my body has changed (and not in a good way). I read a blog the other day that this mommy blogger posted a picture of her stomach. Uh, never in a million years would I do that. I admire her for having the strength and courage to do it, but not me. All of the weight from Bryce is in my stomach, which makes me 3 months after delivery look like I'm still pregnant. Frustrating.

I've made the conscious decision to not let this consume me. I have to be OK with my body as it is right now. It may never change. I have to be OK with that. I will never be completely satisfied with my body (who really is?). That is not to say that I will not continue to work out. I am still working out and trying to eat better, because I want to be healthy for myself and my family. But I refuse to let this define who I am any longer. I am more than the number on the scale and it is about time I start realizing that.
(But I will still never post a picture of my stomach on the internet! :))

my craft closet beginnings...

How coincidental that today I received a coupon in my inbox for Oriental Trading Company. I just placed my order for some googly eyes, pipe cleaners, paint, jewels, geometric foam shapes, monster foam shapes, etc. I always look at Oriental Trading Company and like some of their kits (especially for kids Brianna's age), BUT...I really don't need 12 of the same thing floating around here. Some of the stuff I got on sale, others I think are just a good deal (I hope so anyway). As long as I can keep it under control/organized I think it will be great. One of their craft kits I think I'm going to copy for Easter, so we'll see how that works...I'm sure there will be pictures. And speaking of pictures I really need to try to take more pictures of the kids. (If only there were like 5 more hours in the day, or I didn't need to sleep I might actually get everything that I want/need to get done done.)

I can't wait until our shipment of stuff comes! :)

gloomy tuesday...

So, here we are, another rainy day. I am in a funk. I think part of it is the weather, the cold, gray, rainy weather we've been having for what seems like forever. We've been cooped up in the house for what seems like an eternity. I know, I know...I could load the kids up and take them to the mall play area or to target and walk around...but the thought of bundling them up taking them out in the rain, wind, whatever...is not all that appealing.

I'm trying to think of stuff we can do that doesn't cost money, that doesn't involve hours of tv, and is short enough that we can do in between Bryce's feedings. While he is doing great at sleeping through the night, he makes up for the lack of eating by eating every 2 hours during the day. I probably should try to give him an extra ounce at each feeding, but he has a tendency to spit up, so I don't want to push it. Brianna has been having some set-backs. She had 4 accidents last week, and she wet the bed last night and had another accident today.

Beyond that, I think I'm just feeling a little burnt out. I love being home with my kids, but I feel like I never get 5 minutes to myself. The only time I get to myself is at the gym, but the gym is not a relaxing, enjoyable time for me. I go because I have to, and yes I feel good after I work out, but it is not the thing I would choose to do if I could do anything. The thing is is that I don't know what I want to do that is enjoyable anymore. I love to read, but I can't just sit in the house and read because if I am here, there is no quiet. And it seems silly to go somewhere else to read. I guess I need a hobby, but I don't even know where to start with that.

On top of all of this, I have to find time in the day to do my bookkeeping work and finish my transcription class, so any "free" time I do have I try to work on that stuff.

So, I am at an impasse, I need things to do with my kids, and I need to figure out something I can do to rejuvenate myself so I can be the kind of mom and wife I want to be. I am trying to come up with crafts that Brianna and I can do together, but am coming up short with ideas.

So, I'm posing some questions to you blog readers...
1. What are some of your craft ideas for a 3-year-old?
2. What do you do to give yourself some time to re-energize?
3. Have you experienced set-backs in potty training and what do you do about them?

hello again...

Well, I guess it has been a little bit since I've posted. Not too much going on, just the same old day-to-day stuff. I cannot wait for the weather to warm up so we can play outside, we've been playing lots of Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, and Memory lately also coloring and putting together puzzles. (All of which Brianna does better than me by the way). Other than that I've been busying myself with some work and trying to finish up my transcription class...I'm so close. I will be glad when I'm done. Naps as always are a battle with us, so it is really hard to get too much done during the day. We've got a few trips lined up for the next few weeks and I think March is going to fly by. Bryce has been doing really well sleeping (so I'm not sure why I'm so tired :)) I'm excited to take our little family on the road this weekend, it'll be nice to get out of the house and see some friends. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to post after this weekend. Until then, I'll leave you with this picture of Bryce. (it was taken on my phone so it is not the best quality)

Sorry for this boring post, my brain is not functioning well. Hopefully I'll be back soon with something of more substance. :)