"I just went into the corner and sobbed."
AND THEN HE STARTED TO ACT.
Read about it!
Monday, July 13, 2009
This little man...
...turns 8 today.
How is it that I remember that moment he came into this world and made us a family like it was 30 minutes ago?
It's scary.
And everyone told me this would happen.
All those wise women with grown children.
I remember the advice to enjoy every minute because he would be grown before I knew it.
And although he's not "grown" yet, he is 8...and all I did was blink.
He is so special. My one and only son. And oh how I love having a boy! There is just something so special between and mother and son. And I am so glad I get to share it with him.
Ok...enough with the mushy stuff! You all know I love him dearly. So now I'm going to document some of his favorite things in this, his 8th year.
In his words.
My favorite:
TV Show- WipeOut!
Video Game- Baseball
Candy- Chocolate Bar
Color- Blue
Place to be- Baseball game
Sport- Baseball (are you sensing a theme here?)
Athlete- Albert Pujols
Thing to do with my family- Go camping
Thing to do with my friends- Play games
Subject in school- Spelling
Food- Beef Stroganoff
Drink- Orange Juice
Movie- Facing the Giants
Memory-Playing baseball with dad
How is it that I remember that moment he came into this world and made us a family like it was 30 minutes ago?
It's scary.
And everyone told me this would happen.
All those wise women with grown children.
I remember the advice to enjoy every minute because he would be grown before I knew it.
And although he's not "grown" yet, he is 8...and all I did was blink.
He is so special. My one and only son. And oh how I love having a boy! There is just something so special between and mother and son. And I am so glad I get to share it with him.
Ok...enough with the mushy stuff! You all know I love him dearly. So now I'm going to document some of his favorite things in this, his 8th year.
In his words.
My favorite:
TV Show- WipeOut!
Video Game- Baseball
Candy- Chocolate Bar
Color- Blue
Place to be- Baseball game
Sport- Baseball (are you sensing a theme here?)
Athlete- Albert Pujols
Thing to do with my family- Go camping
Thing to do with my friends- Play games
Subject in school- Spelling
Food- Beef Stroganoff
Drink- Orange Juice
Movie- Facing the Giants
Memory-Playing baseball with dad
Animal- Alligators and Crocodiles
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
And now it's 10:45...
...and this is the view from where I'm at...
They have a good 2 hours left in them, I'm afraid.
Cupcakes
I did cupcakes instead of a cake this year.
Took me about half the time.
And the cake part was 10 times yummier than the box mix I used last year.
One problem.
In my last-minute planning, I didn't plan candles.
Lani tried to tell me at the store this morning to get candles,
but I told her we had some in the drawer.
I was wrong.
So we sang to Brigg and I told him to pretend to blow out a candle.
He obliged.
Took me about half the time.
And the cake part was 10 times yummier than the box mix I used last year.
One problem.
In my last-minute planning, I didn't plan candles.
Lani tried to tell me at the store this morning to get candles,
but I told her we had some in the drawer.
I was wrong.
So we sang to Brigg and I told him to pretend to blow out a candle.
He obliged.
And the cupcakes were a hit.
I like to think it's a gift...
...but it is probably more like a curse.
i have this undeniable ability to block things out of my mind until the very last minute.
i LOVE to plan ahead. but just plan the event and schedule it.
mark it down on my calendar.
with a smiley face! :)
and then forget about it.
it's not like i don't know it's coming or i want to pretend it's not.
i just like to think about it being fun and enjoyable.
i anticipate it.
and then i remember...about 24-48 hours in advance...that i actually need to DO something to prepare for the big event.
brigg's birthday party is today.
i did nothing until yesterday.
and here i am...starting to panic.
i'm not ready!!
good thing he's 8 and doesn't really care. he's just happy 2 friends will be here in 45 minutes.
off to finish frosting cupcakes.
and procrastinating packing his suitcase to leave for a week with nana and papa b.
oh...is that just 2 days away.
oops....
i have this undeniable ability to block things out of my mind until the very last minute.
i LOVE to plan ahead. but just plan the event and schedule it.
mark it down on my calendar.
with a smiley face! :)
and then forget about it.
it's not like i don't know it's coming or i want to pretend it's not.
i just like to think about it being fun and enjoyable.
i anticipate it.
and then i remember...about 24-48 hours in advance...that i actually need to DO something to prepare for the big event.
brigg's birthday party is today.
i did nothing until yesterday.
and here i am...starting to panic.
i'm not ready!!
good thing he's 8 and doesn't really care. he's just happy 2 friends will be here in 45 minutes.
off to finish frosting cupcakes.
and procrastinating packing his suitcase to leave for a week with nana and papa b.
oh...is that just 2 days away.
oops....
Friday, July 10, 2009
Could be a long day...
Nap time is not going so well.
Ever since the fireworks, Ayla appears to have PTSS (post traumatic stress syndrome).
The thunder is not helping.
I think she's having flashbacks.
She is sincerely scared.
And there is no way she's going to sleep with this thunder...
Ever since the fireworks, Ayla appears to have PTSS (post traumatic stress syndrome).
The thunder is not helping.
I think she's having flashbacks.
She is sincerely scared.
And there is no way she's going to sleep with this thunder...
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The days are running together
and the calendar keeps filling up.
brigg is going to be off and running most of the rest of the summer.
a few days next week with nana and papa b.
a week in florida with nana and papa s and bode.
he is so excited.
but first of all...he has a birthday to celebrate!
and i have done nothing to prepare.
he's having 2 friends sleep over.
bowling in the evening.
fishing in the morning.
simple enough.
i need to make a cake.
and tonight i went and picked up a gift or 2 for him.
it's more fun to buy for them as they get older! no more spiderman toys! YAY!
8.
he's going to be 8.
he was the first one up this morning.
he sat on my lap and we talked.
he felt HUGE.
i think it is merely DAYS before he doesn't sit on my lap anymore.
that makes my heart ACHE. truly hurt.
i'm not ready for that.
not ready for him to pass the point of no return.
i love the little boy so much. not ready to let my one and only boy grow up....
brigg is going to be off and running most of the rest of the summer.
a few days next week with nana and papa b.
a week in florida with nana and papa s and bode.
he is so excited.
but first of all...he has a birthday to celebrate!
and i have done nothing to prepare.
he's having 2 friends sleep over.
bowling in the evening.
fishing in the morning.
simple enough.
i need to make a cake.
and tonight i went and picked up a gift or 2 for him.
it's more fun to buy for them as they get older! no more spiderman toys! YAY!
8.
he's going to be 8.
he was the first one up this morning.
he sat on my lap and we talked.
he felt HUGE.
i think it is merely DAYS before he doesn't sit on my lap anymore.
that makes my heart ACHE. truly hurt.
i'm not ready for that.
not ready for him to pass the point of no return.
i love the little boy so much. not ready to let my one and only boy grow up....
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
laundry
does anyone else feel like all they've been doing all summer is washing and folding beach towels?
Monday, July 6, 2009
Christmas in July
*written by Jody Landers and then tweeked by ME to fit my own blog!!
Yep, we are going to talk Christmas real quick.
And when we talk Christmas, we talk Water.
So here's the deal:
With the continued effort of our Voices (people who made a $20 monthly commitment and a number of other one time donations), the Water For Christmas effort will have raised an additional $40,000 by Christmas time. Putting the total in one year at close to $100,000. That is 20 villages who have gotten and will get soon the life-saving access to clean water. That is a big deal.
Huge.
World change.
SO, Jody was chatting with charity: water staff about the upcoming Water For Christmas campaign which will launch at the beginning of November and the charity: water staff person said, "If you persist and stay focused on Liberia right now, we really have the opportunity to see the needle move on this country." Do you get that? We have the opportunity to see a nation change...to see how clean water really does effect everything.
BUT we have a ways to go...there are still millions of thirsty people in Liberia. We are going to have to continue to raise our voices, give, and advocate. And perhaps we are niave and passionate enough to believe that this can be done. We think it can. And we are going to move with that...
SO we need you. If you want. To be a part. We need you. We want to involve as many as we can. We sometimes feel like our stay at home mommy voices cannot reach much further. But if we can encourage and equip you to take it to your circles...your friends, your families, your workplaces...there is no limit to what we can do together.
WE are working on some ways for you to be involved if you want. OR you can dream up your own ways. There is no script here.
HERE is what we need right now:
1. We are going to need crafters. There is a Water For Christmas etsy shop. Everything in the shop will be sold at Christmas time with 100% of the profits going to Water. We just need your crafting. IF you would like to donate to it, we will list it and mail it to the buyer for you. You simply need to craft it and mail them to us. We will sell it (and list you as the artist and link your site ect) and give all profit to Water. So if that is you, be dreaming about what you can create to sell there. You can email ME--I will be running the shop--and I will send you the address to which you can mail your creations. Start now. We would love to have a full, full shop. People are looking for opportunities to shop with a purpose. We are going to give them one.
You can also sell the on your own etsy shop if you would prefer. You can make your own donations that way. We just hope to drive a lot of traffic to the Water For Christmas shop and eliminate some of the hassle for the artists. It's up to you. Either way is fabulous.
2. Churches. We are going to hopefully utilize churches more this year. Be dreaming and thinking about ways you can use it in your own home churches. Email Jody if you have questions or need ideas for that. She is working on some.
3. Business/Company/Corporate Support. We know that many business and companies look for Christmas charities. Sometimes all you have to do is ask. We also hope to have buckets available to hand out for people to take to their offices and businesses so people can participate in $10 Friday or perhaps a "Jean Day" or just a place to donate during the holiday season. Perhaps it's something you can organize in your area too.
4. Schools. A number of you ran successful campaigns in your preschools and schools last year. We do have a packet of ideas for school efforts or you can come up your own.
5. Foundations. This is one that I don't know a lot about. IF anyone has any expertise in this area, we could use it. But I do believe there is potential there and that we could tap into it. Email Jody if you know more about this.
6. Events. We will do another Water event at our local country club. We are aiming for Dec. 6. It might be cool to have a number of events going on that same day around the country. Could be exciting. But regardless of the day, it's a good way to involve the community. We can give you some ideas if you need it or at least let you know how we did it.
7. And then whatever else you can think of...we had people do everything from bake sales to running marathons last year to help raise awareness and support of clean water. It is amazing and darn exciting when people come together for a common cause...that is so much bigger than us. One that frees us and teaches us and blesses us so much in the process. I can't wait.
Come November, we will have 6 basic products available at water4christmas.com (all other products will go in the etsy shop). And water4christmas.com will be information central.
But we wanted you guys to start thinking and praying and dreaming with us. Because we need and we want you to be a part.
Start emailing me with your questions and I will help as much as I can as we all prepare together for the November launch of the campaign.
And all that because 4500 mothers watch their children die every day from water related illness. It doesn't have to be.
We can change that.
Want in?
Many, many thanks.
Yep, we are going to talk Christmas real quick.
And when we talk Christmas, we talk Water.
So here's the deal:
With the continued effort of our Voices (people who made a $20 monthly commitment and a number of other one time donations), the Water For Christmas effort will have raised an additional $40,000 by Christmas time. Putting the total in one year at close to $100,000. That is 20 villages who have gotten and will get soon the life-saving access to clean water. That is a big deal.
Huge.
World change.
SO, Jody was chatting with charity: water staff about the upcoming Water For Christmas campaign which will launch at the beginning of November and the charity: water staff person said, "If you persist and stay focused on Liberia right now, we really have the opportunity to see the needle move on this country." Do you get that? We have the opportunity to see a nation change...to see how clean water really does effect everything.
BUT we have a ways to go...there are still millions of thirsty people in Liberia. We are going to have to continue to raise our voices, give, and advocate. And perhaps we are niave and passionate enough to believe that this can be done. We think it can. And we are going to move with that...
SO we need you. If you want. To be a part. We need you. We want to involve as many as we can. We sometimes feel like our stay at home mommy voices cannot reach much further. But if we can encourage and equip you to take it to your circles...your friends, your families, your workplaces...there is no limit to what we can do together.
WE are working on some ways for you to be involved if you want. OR you can dream up your own ways. There is no script here.
HERE is what we need right now:
1. We are going to need crafters. There is a Water For Christmas etsy shop. Everything in the shop will be sold at Christmas time with 100% of the profits going to Water. We just need your crafting. IF you would like to donate to it, we will list it and mail it to the buyer for you. You simply need to craft it and mail them to us. We will sell it (and list you as the artist and link your site ect) and give all profit to Water. So if that is you, be dreaming about what you can create to sell there. You can email ME--I will be running the shop--and I will send you the address to which you can mail your creations. Start now. We would love to have a full, full shop. People are looking for opportunities to shop with a purpose. We are going to give them one.
You can also sell the on your own etsy shop if you would prefer. You can make your own donations that way. We just hope to drive a lot of traffic to the Water For Christmas shop and eliminate some of the hassle for the artists. It's up to you. Either way is fabulous.
2. Churches. We are going to hopefully utilize churches more this year. Be dreaming and thinking about ways you can use it in your own home churches. Email Jody if you have questions or need ideas for that. She is working on some.
3. Business/Company/Corporate Support. We know that many business and companies look for Christmas charities. Sometimes all you have to do is ask. We also hope to have buckets available to hand out for people to take to their offices and businesses so people can participate in $10 Friday or perhaps a "Jean Day" or just a place to donate during the holiday season. Perhaps it's something you can organize in your area too.
4. Schools. A number of you ran successful campaigns in your preschools and schools last year. We do have a packet of ideas for school efforts or you can come up your own.
5. Foundations. This is one that I don't know a lot about. IF anyone has any expertise in this area, we could use it. But I do believe there is potential there and that we could tap into it. Email Jody if you know more about this.
6. Events. We will do another Water event at our local country club. We are aiming for Dec. 6. It might be cool to have a number of events going on that same day around the country. Could be exciting. But regardless of the day, it's a good way to involve the community. We can give you some ideas if you need it or at least let you know how we did it.
7. And then whatever else you can think of...we had people do everything from bake sales to running marathons last year to help raise awareness and support of clean water. It is amazing and darn exciting when people come together for a common cause...that is so much bigger than us. One that frees us and teaches us and blesses us so much in the process. I can't wait.
Come November, we will have 6 basic products available at water4christmas.com (all other products will go in the etsy shop). And water4christmas.com will be information central.
But we wanted you guys to start thinking and praying and dreaming with us. Because we need and we want you to be a part.
Start emailing me with your questions and I will help as much as I can as we all prepare together for the November launch of the campaign.
And all that because 4500 mothers watch their children die every day from water related illness. It doesn't have to be.
We can change that.
Want in?
Many, many thanks.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
4th of July 2009
Hair color...
Cousin Tate...
Cousin Tate...
And sparklers...
Good times.
(all the while missing Macy and Bode and listening to Ayla scream bloody murder until we removed her from the fireworks area. but overall, good times! :))
Friday, July 3, 2009
Tee-Ball
Lani started tee-ball a few weeks ago. She had her first games this week.
They are the White Sox.
And she is a pro! :)
They are the White Sox.
And she is a pro! :)
Brigg spends most of his time doing this during the game...
Ayla really wants to be in tee-ball.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
a sea of children
You may just think there was a big crowd at the River Bandits game.
And you would be right.
But the majority of the fans in the "grassy berm" were our children.
The Smiths
The Landers
The Burbacks
And you would be right.
But the majority of the fans in the "grassy berm" were our children.
The Smiths
The Landers
The Burbacks
I can't get enough of that hair...
Brigg, of course, studying the roster.
Great friends.
Great times.
Great start to the holiday weekend.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Scenes from the baby shower
My cousin's daughter, Jasmine.
Talk about eyes...
My grandpa and Ayla on the deck...
Talk about eyes...
My grandpa and Ayla on the deck...
The guest of honor.
Truly, she was peaceful the whole day except for the one moment I got my camera out for a photo. She must not be used to the paparazzi flashes like MY kids. :)
Family, food and good conversation...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Today
It is FREEZING.
I'm not kidding.
Tomorrow is the first day of July and we need sweatshirts if we're going to be outside today. I'm serious.
Crazy Iowa weather!
Brigg has a buddy over.
Ayla is napping.
I have a load of laundry going, meat thawing and I'm playing a game with Lani.
Things are pretty good around here for the moment.
Especially considering I am honestly HOARSE from the yelling fit I had this morning.
LOST my cool.
I'm pretty sure I have never screamed at the kids like that before.
They were scared. And immediately scurried to their rooms while I cooled down.
We are working on some new rules, etc.
It's been a rough couple of days in the discipline arena. They are growing up and it's just not easy.
So there you have it.
Back to our game...
I'm not kidding.
Tomorrow is the first day of July and we need sweatshirts if we're going to be outside today. I'm serious.
Crazy Iowa weather!
Brigg has a buddy over.
Ayla is napping.
I have a load of laundry going, meat thawing and I'm playing a game with Lani.
Things are pretty good around here for the moment.
Especially considering I am honestly HOARSE from the yelling fit I had this morning.
LOST my cool.
I'm pretty sure I have never screamed at the kids like that before.
They were scared. And immediately scurried to their rooms while I cooled down.
We are working on some new rules, etc.
It's been a rough couple of days in the discipline arena. They are growing up and it's just not easy.
So there you have it.
Back to our game...
Monday, June 29, 2009
More cousin time
We got home Sunday in time to spend the afternoon with Bode and Brenda.
We're soaking up our time with him...they will be moving to Florida in one month...
We're soaking up our time with him...they will be moving to Florida in one month...
Here we go.
One more pretty busy week this week before things start calming down.
Swimming lessons all week.
Piano lessons tonight.
Baseball Monday and Wednesday.
T-ball Tuesday and Thursday.
Golf on Friday.
Brenda and Bode here today.
Playdate/picnic on Thursday after swimming lessons.
And hoping to sneak in a River Bandits game on Thursday night after t-ball.
My head is spinning just typing it.
One thing that I have learned this summer is how to use a planner much more efficiently!
It's good practice for the upcoming school year with 2 in school.
I've scheduled some blogs to post throughout the week in case I become overwhelmed.
Just pictures from this weekend, but cute nonetheless.
We are getting our porch columns fixed this week...or maybe early next week.
HUGE project.
HUGE money.
NOT fun.
But maybe it will help sell this place. The porch is a concern for everyone who looks at it.
Within 2 weeks baseball and t-ball will be over and we'll have a few relaxing weeks before heading back to school.
I can't wait.
Swimming lessons all week.
Piano lessons tonight.
Baseball Monday and Wednesday.
T-ball Tuesday and Thursday.
Golf on Friday.
Brenda and Bode here today.
Playdate/picnic on Thursday after swimming lessons.
And hoping to sneak in a River Bandits game on Thursday night after t-ball.
My head is spinning just typing it.
One thing that I have learned this summer is how to use a planner much more efficiently!
It's good practice for the upcoming school year with 2 in school.
I've scheduled some blogs to post throughout the week in case I become overwhelmed.
Just pictures from this weekend, but cute nonetheless.
We are getting our porch columns fixed this week...or maybe early next week.
HUGE project.
HUGE money.
NOT fun.
But maybe it will help sell this place. The porch is a concern for everyone who looks at it.
Within 2 weeks baseball and t-ball will be over and we'll have a few relaxing weeks before heading back to school.
I can't wait.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Let's just say...
It was better than the Dam to Dam.
The race was at 7 am this morning.
The weather was AMAZING.
And now that we are 15 hours past it, I can say it was fun!
The race was at 7 am this morning.
The weather was AMAZING.
And now that we are 15 hours past it, I can say it was fun!
Nana B's birthday
So Saturday morning it was up early and out the door to the baby shower for 2 hours and then back to Lisa's for the rest of the weekend. It was, after all, Nana's birthday.
It was beautiful out. We did singing and cake and SLIP-N-SLIDE.
It was beautiful out. We did singing and cake and SLIP-N-SLIDE.
Never a dull moment when we are all together.
I tried...
To paint.
Don't ask what got into me.
I've never painted in my life.
But I was inspired by the 2 new Hadleys in the world.
And I had a baby shower for my cousin's Hadley this weekend.
So I gave it a shot....
The purple one was for THIS Hadley...
Don't ask what got into me.
I've never painted in my life.
But I was inspired by the 2 new Hadleys in the world.
And I had a baby shower for my cousin's Hadley this weekend.
So I gave it a shot....
The purple one was for THIS Hadley...
And the pink one was for THIS Hadley...
Equally beautiful.
The babies.
NOT the paintings.
Whew...
We're home.
Spent the weekend traveling and hanging out with family.
Friday night we went to Sturgis Falls in Cedar Falls.
The girls and their daddies...
Ayla "smiling pretty".
oh my...
Spent the weekend traveling and hanging out with family.
Friday night we went to Sturgis Falls in Cedar Falls.
The girls and their daddies...
Ayla "smiling pretty".
oh my...
Nana with 3 of her grandkids.
Brigg went with my mom for the weekend...but we did meet up with him briefly on Saturday in Ames.
Like I said, we were all over the place.
And funnel cakes, well, they have a way of knockin' you out...
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