Awaiting My "Retreat"!

Well, today is my birthday...I know...Happy Birthday to me! Anyways, due to a hometown basketball game tonight, and a much anticipated "Civil War" football game on Saturday, we celebrated last night with the family! I made a big pot of stew, warmed up some good ol' fashioned garlic bread, and had some good times hangin' out with the fam!

As you know, with birthdays, come presents...so in summary...I'll be baking a stew in my new roasting pan, while wearing my new sweater and Moroccan shoes, before heading out to spend my $25.00 and enjoying a day of "refreshment" at the Retreat Day Spa here in town! Yes, while I got many wonderful things from the fam...the best, and most rewarding thing was a gift certificate from Kevin. I am supposed to "prepare to be refreshed", with a manicure, pedicure, hair wash, cut and style, and a 1 hour massage! I may just add a facial to that too!!! He said he may even watch the kids for me (joking of course...he's most definitely watching the kiddos!!!) I've got the phone number right here, and I'm making my appointment as we speak! I can't wait!

A Little Added 'Bling'

Being that Kynlee is a girl...I get to do all kinds of "girly" things with her! Now, I'm not one of those moms who is going to force Ballet, Dolls and Beauty Pageants on my daughter, but...I couldn't resist the ears!


Every girl loves Diamonds (or fake diamonds as the case may be), right!!! Arn't they precious!

As am I son...As am I

Yesterday was obviously Thanksgiving...so Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Since my family is overseas currently, we celebrated the Holiday with Kevin's family this year.

As a tradition in his family (as I'm sure many other families) we all go around the table and say what we're thankful for. There are affirmations of gratitude towards our loved ones, friends and family, The Lord for blessing us throughout the year, and a few odd thanks from the kiddos, etc. etc.

Well, this year when it came to Kallen's turn, he proclaimed (unprompted mind you) that he was thankful for ma'ma (grandma) and "shotting tarts" (shopping carts)!!! Are you laughing as hard as I was? Now...he most likely said that because the day before he and I had gone shopping at the local grocery store in town, where they have mini shopping carts for the kids. Every time we go in there (which isn't often because of the small town prices) he gets his own cart, and gets to fill it full of the groceries we need! He loves it! Although the "shotting tart" was fresh on his mind...it's so true. I too am thankful for shopping carts. Leave it to kids to think of the things we all take for granted!

The Verdict

Kynlee had her follow up eye appointment with the pediatric opthamologist yesterday, and it seems she is a-okay! He said she had beautiful eyes, and he doesn't think she actually has a ptosis, like they originally thought.

Instead, he thinks her eye sockets are different depths causing one of the lids to cover more. Basically the right eye sits further back into her skull than her left eye does and therefore has less surface area to be covered. As she grows, her eyes and eye lids will grow, shift and adjust accordingly and sooner than later we may never even be able to tell there was ever a difference!

Needless to say, it was GREAT news.

Slowing Down a Bit

I forgot to post this on Friday, so I'm doing it now!

Kynlee turned 4 months on Friday and everything looks great...especially in the weight department! She may still look like she could miss a few meals, but the scale is finally slowing down! She was 15 lbs this time, which means she only gained 1 pound in the last 2 months, as opposed to the 6ish pounds she gained the first 2 months! Not that I was worried or anything!!!

She's rolling over both ways, and enjoying time on her tummy more and more! Sleeping 10-12 hours a night and taking at least 3 naps a day is a big plus, and gives us lots of time to spend one-on-one with Kallen! She's definitely found her voice, and enjoys periodically screaming a "happy scream"at the top of her lungs, just because she can. To say we're having so much fun as a family of four is an understatement!

Kynlee

Kallen

Bite your tongue

Popcorn, soda and a little orange and black, to support the team, makes for a fun outing with the family...right??? Right...until the black looming cloud (the fans to our right) came "reigning" down!

Instead of finding a babysitter for this afternoons basketball game, Kevin and I decided to take the kids with us! We had a bag full of goodies, toys, popcorn to go around and were ready to cheer on our Beavers!

We sat down, Kynlee in the front pack, Kallen on Kevin's lap and the game began! The kids were happy, content, and not making a sound. Beavers have the ball, down the court, they shoot, they score!

Kallen: Clap, clap, clap "yeah, Beavers"
Rude, unhappy lady two seats to our right, talking to her equally rude husband: "Great...we're sitting by kids" sigh, glare, "hopefully they'll leave at halftime" sigh, "who in their right minds brings their kids to a game?" glare, shake the head, glare "well, what can you do?" more head shaking!
Kallen remains sitting quietly eating popcorn, while Kynlee is nearly asleep in the front pack!

Excuse me??? I can hear you. I didn't know this was a library! Pretty sure my son's clapping, and oh so quiet "yeah Beavers" is no louder or more distracting than any of the other fans around us! Isn't basketball a family sport?

I began to get angry, and wanted to call this woman out on her rude and inconsiderate assumptions of how the game would play out with children by her side, but thought better of it. What would yelling at this woman prove, and what would that teach my children who had no idea anything had transpired. I prayed that the Lord help me move past this, and that I "grow thick skin" as my dad always says, and enjoy the game. Moments later the seats in between us, and said fans, were about to be filled. While walking in front of us, and taking their seats, a different woman and her husband turned to me and said "you have such beautiful and well behaved children...what a lovely family!" Thank you Lord for helping me bite my tongue!

A New Arrival!

* Here's a little update...Joeys says he was more like 7 lbs, 14 oz and definitely 21 inches! This is big brother Josiah seeing Benson for the first time!

Okay...so I'm a little unclear of all the details since I got the phone call at 3 am this morning, and was only half awake, but.....My sister Danielle, hubby Joey and big brother Josiah, welcomed...

Benson Ezekiel at about 12:20 am our time!

He was 3.5 kilograms (that's how they weight the little guys in that part of the globe), so about 7 pounds, 7 ounces, and I think 55 cm (this is the part I'm a little unclear of, not sure if he was 55 or 53cm), anyways, something like 21 inches.

Momma and baby are doing Great!

Happy Birthday Benson, and we can't wait to meet you!

Already???

Sob sob, tear tear..................excuse me while I wipe my eyes!

Today is my little man's birthday and I still can't believe he's already two! It wasn't that long ago that he lay helpless in ones arms, cooing and babbling as his only means of communication. Now he's running around, saying, and often yelling, any and everything that comes to his mind! We're even potty training...potty training for goodness sakes! That was the true point when he moved from my little baby to my little boy...the moment we first put on the unds and got rid of the diapers!

He has changed so much in the last year and I'd love to tell you all about it, but with my ability to ramble I could write pages and pages. Instead, I thought I'd spare you all the reading and simply say I love this little boy more than I could ever express, and thank the Lord each and every day for blessing us with him!

Happy Birthday Kallen!!!

One of my favorites (7 months)

Picture Me

I was tagged by Amy to do this fun little meme! I'm supposed to post a picture of myself, then write about it...so here it goes:



This is a picture of Kevin and I on our "second honeymoon" to Cancun! When we got married, we were both still in school, and finances were a little tight. It was the middle of January, so we simply went for a fun weekend away in the snow!


In December of '04, Kevin and I decided to take the honeymoon we never had, a trip to Cancun, and this was us on the first night we arrived! We had a great time just being us! It was also on this trip that we decided when God was ready for us to be parents, we were ready too! I was pregnant with Kallen a month and a half later! Good times!


Now I tag Dani, Kim, Jessica and anyone else who wants to participate!!!

A New...well, recycled...Adventure

After Kevin and I got married, I got a wild hair to try something new and bring in a little extra cash as well. I became a Pampered Chef consultant! I was finishing up my teaching degree, had some time in the evening, and LOVED Pampered Chef products myself. So....why not sell them! I did it for a year or so, and really had a great time!

Then...I was at a point of almost being finished with school, and beginning my career, and felt that I no longer had time to devote to this "hobby"...so I stopped!

Well, It's been nearly 3 years of friends and family continually asking if I did, and requesting me to...sell Pampered Chef...so...Here I go again! I just reactivated my consultant information, and have once again become a Pampered Chef consultant! I'm not going to be holding "home parties", but instead doing a once-a-month "open house", where people can come see new and seasonal products, and place orders! Email and phone orders work great too, and pretty soon I'll have my own PC website where people can log on and order directly that way! I'll also be doing catalog parties for people as well!

So...If you need Pampered Chef...I'm your gal!

Just Clownin' Around

Halloween and I have never been very good friends at all! I don't decorate for the day but rather for the season! I've got leaves, pumpkins, scarecrows, and the like scattered throughout my house. A ghost, goblin or haunted house...I have not...The same way my mom used to, and still does, decorate. That being said...As kids, we always enjoyed dressing up and going out and about to "Trick or Treat" (maybe a little contradictory, but still)...and now...I enjoy dressing my kids up! One rule we have however, (the same rule my mom and dad had) is nothing dark, scary or evil of any kind! When you look at the Halloween costumes that are found at the store, it is amazing how many of those dark, scary and evil costumes there are...even for the little guys! That may be one of the reasons, aside from the fact that it's so much fun, that my mom always made our costumes. I can only think of one time that we bought a costume, and that was when I was 5 because I REALLY wanted to be this smurf that I saw at the store!

I decided to try and carry out the same tradition and make my kids costumes! Last year Kallen was a chicken made from stuffed onesies, feather boas, and rubber gloves...a Martha Stewart idea mind you!!!


Well this year I decided to take one from the "Craig & Karri costume idea vault" (my brother and sister-in-law), and Kallen was a "Rodeo Clown". He didn't dig the face paint, and had a really hard time with the idea of suspenders, but all in all he pretty much sauntered around and played the part of a goofy rodeo clown very well!


Where we live, the downtown association has always put on a trick-or-treat extravaganza. The businesses that would like to participate, open their doors and offer kiddos in costume treats! The mass chaos that is the downtown area on Halloween offers lots and lots of interesting people and things to see!

From free ice cream cones at Dairy Queen, to leaves in the park, Kallen had a great time walking around and taking in the sights. Occasionally I could get him to walk into a store and actually "trick or treat", but for the most part he was content just walking, which was definitely fine by me!

Kynlee on the other hand, basically slept the whole time in the front pack, and hardly made more than a peep! I was a bit of a slacker when it came to her and didn't even make a costume! I think she'll forgive me that she didn't dress up for Halloween at 4 months! The sad part is that I took about 100 pictures of Kallen, and not a single picture of my sleeping beauty! Poor girl, I'll have to make up for it later!!!

Eatin' ice cream with his cowboy buddy Dawson!