This is the best thing that has come out of the election!! Enjoy!!! =)
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/10/24/von.ga.kids.political.rap.cnn?iref=videosearch
(I tried to upload the video itself with the embedded info but I couldn't figure out to get it to work.....so if any of you know how let me know!)
We finally made it to the pumpkin patch tonight! It took quite the effort to get us all there, and we still were missing Ali Jo (darn college classes, work projects, and intern applications), but it was a great time! We went to this place last year and the kids had a blast. It is very kid oriented so we went back again. Now I'm really getting in the mood for FALL & HALLOWEEN! =)
So hard to get them ALL to look at the same time!
Grammy was making Maya laugh! Great job Grammy. I love her laughter!
Me and my princess
I wrote this on December 19, 2007. I was reading through some old stuff and came across this. It was a great reminder for me and I wanted to share it with all of YOU!
Enjoy!
Satisfaction. I've been thinking about that a lot myself lately. What an insightful subject to think about. I often find myself wondering, am I truly satisfied? I have an amazing job, amazing daughter, fantastic family, and I am turning into the kind of independent woman I admire. But there are always things missing, whether it's a person, a feeling, or an object. What makes us decide that what we have is not good enough? What sends us over the edge of contentment and into the depths of a never-ending ravine looking for happiness?
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we finish school, find the right person, get engaged, get married, have a baby, then another. We soon grow bored and look for the next "step". The Stones had it right when they declared "I can't get no satisfaction". Are we so self-involved that we have to look to outside sources to make us happy? We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our boyfriend gets his act together, when we get a nicer car, buy a house, are able to go on a nice vacation, or when we retire. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?
My favorite quote comes from Alfred D. Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be worked through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no road that ends at happiness. Happiness is the dandelion on the side of the road. We should treasure every moment we have and treasure it more if we shared it with someone special, special enough to spend our time with. We need to realize that time waits for no one.
I'm done waiting. I take big bites of life. There are many things I want to do yet and I will, but not because I need to feel "complete." I've finally realized that I am complete. I am surrounded by wonderful people and I am thankful for that. I am a mother, and that alone is enough happiness. I have my head on straight and I'm not afraid to admit that I AM satisfied. I have a relationship with My Lord, My Savior, and a Heavenly Father who loves me for me. I no longer think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence because I know grass always turns brown when fall comes.
Stop waiting until you get a better job, get a nicer car, finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until the first or fifteenth, until you die, until you change; decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.
Don't let the good things pass you by because you focus on the past or the future. We shouldn't be worried about what we have to do or have to be satisfied, but rather enjoy what we have now that satisfies us.
I chose to be satisfied….NOW!
At first I thought it was just a one time thing, but now it is becoming a daily, seems like multiple times a day thing.....
So tell me, what do I do with my 21 month old adorable little girl who always wants to be NAKED???!!!!!
What started out as innocent "curiousity" with her body has now progressed into an obsession!!! She never wants to have clothes on, ever! And when she goes either #1 or #2 she is determined to take her diaper off and fight me to the death to put another one on. After the first few "oopsy's" of finding her naked, I have realized that she is very sneaky and determined about this! She knows I don't want her to do this so when she is good and ready she goes into her room to get naked in private. Going into her room has been a usual thing for her because she has a lot of toys in her room and she likes to play in there, but now her room has become her refuge of nakedness!!
It was just a couple days ago when I put her down for her nap and about 10 minutes later I could hear her banging something against the crib. It didn't sound like blankets, it had a more coarse sound to it. I immediatly panicked fearing what I would find, and so I rushed into her room.....
........and what do you think I found???
Yep, you got it. Not only was she naked, but there was POOP EVERYWHERE! All over her, her bed, her bumper, her crib, the blankets.....and the smell, oh my! I thought I was going to throw up. After putting her into the bath, opening all the windows, and washing everything twice on a HOT HOT cycle...I sat there thinking to myself, what do I do???
Seriously, I need help. As much as I'm laughing writing all of this, I really do need help. I tried to convince myself it was just a stage but it is not going away, it is just getting worse. I have been told by many, "oh she is just acting like a normal 2 year old." Really?
So in my attempts to handle this situation like a responsible mother, I decided that she would only wear sleepers for nap time and bedtime, zipped up from head to toe!! So far this has worked for sleeping after about 20 minutes of screaming herself to sleep because she can't undress herself, but how do I handle the daytime nakedness? No matter what time, no matter where....she is ALWAYS undressing herself. In the grocery cart, in the car, in nursery at church, at the park....I mean really...is this really just her being "almost 2"??
(sigh)
I love this time of year! There are soo many great things to do and places to go! Jenny and I took Avery and Maya to the Wee Witch's Festival up at Gardner's Village. It was a blast!!
Avery is going to be a witch this year for Halloween so she proudly wore her costume to the festival, as did many other little girls. Maya wasn't too sure about all the witch's walking around. We had only been there about 10 minutes when Maya saw a little boy who was dressed up as a power ranger with a mask on and it scared her to death! So from that point on she clung to me almost the entire day! We still managed to have a great time!
There was a petting zoo, a costume parade, witch's dancing and walking around everywhere, great shops and lots of festive decorations and people everywhere! Avery rode a pony, got her face painted, and even got a couple witch's autographs! All the while Maya was miss scaredy cat and didn't break a smile almost the entire day. Literally.
It was a lot of fun and I would highly recommend this great time to anyone!
Happy Anniversary to us!
Isaac and I met 3 years ago today when he spotted me from across the room. We made eye contact and he smiled at me. Instantly I thought to myself, wow...tall, dark, and handsome!! And what a great smile! Standing right next to Isaac was his cousin, Phil, who also saw me from across the room and I didn't know this then but later Isaac told me that Phil saw me also and wanted to approach me but Isaac told him to back off as he made his way over to me from across the room. I'm so glad he did!!! :) We struck up a conversation, talked all night, talked all weekend, hung out for about a week straight....and became great friends instantly!! We had a lot of fun right from the start getting to know eachother. We loved playing basketball together, watching sports, eating out, and just hanging out and talking about anything and everything and getting to know eachother. He didn't like to go shopping with me, however, but I forgave that. ;P
We had an amazing connection and had so much in common....I can still remember "the talk" sitting in his family room about us being "exculsive." He wanted me all to himself! I was a happy girl that day!!
Our relationship has had its share of ups and downs, laughter and sadness, tears and smiles, mistakes and lessons learned...and lots and lots of love, good times and great memories.
I made this ecard and sent it to Isaac and I just love this website that does these ecards that you put your own faces on them.
Check this out!
http://www.mushygushy.com/CELQPG
I'm so grateful for these last 3 years, for Isaac, and for our daughter! This has been a great journey! Especially the spiritual journey we have both been on just in this last year and a half, individually and together. We have both grown closer to our Lord and Savior and thus we have grown closer together. I look forward to the journey ahead!
Happy Anniversary babe! Love and miss you! XOXOXO
This picture was taken 3 years ago when it all started.....
Maya has found her nose and boy does she LOVE to pick it!!!! At home, in the tub, at the park, at Grammy's house, in the car, at the grocery store....anywhere and everywhere we go this girl is always diggin in her nose!! My aunt Joeen caught it on camera at the park last week. haha. This behavior she DID NOT pick up from her mama. This is all thanks to the men in her life, her daddy and her Grampy!!!
Today has been an emotional day to say the least. Isaac is finally on his way to Finland to go play professional basketball overseas. I am so proud of him and how hard he has worked for this. He played for a few years out of college overseas and did very well, but due to personal circumstances he did not play for a few years. So, at the ripe age of 30 he has made this year his comeback year and has been blessed with this opportunity to play again. It is bittersweet though, I think I've cried more tears today then I have in a LONG time. Tears of joy, of gratitude, and of sadness.
Maya just loves her daddy and the timing couldn't be worse for her to go around my house saying " dada" over and over again looking in EVERY room with a sad look on her face when she doesn't find her daddy. One of Isaac's favorite games to play with Maya is hide and seek so I think she expects to find him hiding and when she doesn't she comes running back to me saying "Dada" over and over again. I swear it's like she knows he is gone for awhile. We will miss him soo much and for that I am sad, but at the same time I am extremely happy and am grateful for this blessing in his life!
Christmas come quickly so we can see you again daddy!! We love you and will miss you babe!
Go get 'em!!!
Maya has figured out recently that playing with her food is much more fun than eating it! Just the other night she was tugging on the fridge and got it open all by herself. She grabbed a jello and brought it to me with a big grin on her face. It was bedtime and she was already in her pajamas (notice the crazy hair that had been in pigtails all day so it looks like that...haha) and I did not really want her to eat but she insisted.
SO......
I put her in her chair and turned away for just a minute to come back to her jello all over her clothes, hair, and the floor.
Then the following day while she was having some yogurt she thought it would be fun to do it ALL OVER AGAIN!!! At first I wanted to tell her that was a no, no....but all I could do is laugh and get my camera out yet again.
Looks like these eating adventures are becoming the norm around here. (sigh) ;P
