Blessings

Can I just say today has been a TOTAL blessing?!?! If you read my last couple of posts, they are just down right depressing. I know that. That's because I was down right depressed. But as I cried most of the night last night (and have the wonderful puffy eyes to prove it), I just prayed. I prayed and prayed and prayed. Even the times that I woke up during the night I prayed. I have come to the realization that things aren't going to change right now so I just need to suck it up, put on my big girl panties, and count my blessings instead of crying over what in my mind I am missing out on. 

When I woke up today, I felt the burden lifted from my shoulders and finally came to the realization that I am doing what is best for our family right now. Although it isn't exactly "my way," I know this is God's way. I know that this is God's plan for our family for the time being. It could change anytime, but I need to hold on to God's hand and let Him guide me, not take over the steering wheel. 

I had two choices when I opened my eyes today...1. Sulk over the fact that I am a working mom again and have a HUGE pitty party for myself or 2. Come to terms with our situation and look for the blessings. I got to wake up to 2 beautiful, healthy children and a wonderful husband. I got to hold them and cuddle with them all morning. We stayed in our pj's all day and were just together (Nic had to work). I could have sat on the couch, feeling sorry for myself while the kids played in the playroom, but instead I went in with them and took every chance I got to just play with them. Although this won't be our everyday routine anymore, it can be our weekend routine. 

I do want to get one thing straight though for all those critics out there. Nic did not MAKE me go back to work. We decided together that I would return so he did not have to kill himself working 80 hours a week. Nic is the hardest working man I have ever seen. He does everything in his might to provide for us. But I would not sit back and watch him work his you-know-what-off, not being able to see the kids but for 30 minutes a day. That is not a family. Working will allow him not to have to work all those extra hours and for us to have our evenings together, as a family. I just wanted to make that clear for some of those "judges" out there:)

On another note, I started decorating for Hayden's birthday party...that is over a month away:) We have decided to go with a Minnie Mouse theme since she is a little obsessed:) I knew I didn't want to do the actual decorations that you find in the store, so about 3 weeks ago, I started searching blogs about different ideas for a Minnie Mouse party. I came across a blog that I fell in love with. The color scheme of the party was pink, black and zebra. I LOVED IT!!!!! It was still cute while not overdoing the cheesiness....anddddd...when Hayden saw the pictures, her eyes lit up and she said, "OOOOOO." So I knew I had her approval. I looked all over etsy at different ideas and decided that what I saw on etsy was over priced and that I could do it myself for 1/4 of the price. 

SOOO, my mom and I went to Hobby Lobby the other day just to see what was out there. I am telling you right now, that was our biggest mistake. My mom and I get in a lot of trouble when we shop together. Let's just say my husband is going to KILL me...not because of the price (everything was 30-50% off), but because of the throw up of zebra and hot pink materials we walked away with. 

Today, Hayden and I worked on the Minnie Mouse banner, the cupcake tier thingy, and the other banner we will be using. And when I said Hayden, I mean Hayden helped with everything. She was such a sport! She loved helping me! 

 We hot glued zebra ribbon on the cupcake tier...

 Then added bows

 This is far from being professional, but this is the start (didn't feel like paying 30 some dollars for a banner)

 We made a cardboard minnie mouse head and bow by tracing a bowl and 2 cups...then traced it and cut out on black card stock. Hayden helped punch out white dots and then we glued those on to the bow.

 This is a different banner that will go over the doorway...still have a lot of work to do. We cut out bandanas and then will use ribbon to string through the holes. 

 Some more of the banner

This evening was great...
Dinner, bath time, fun time, movie (Ramona and Beezus) and popcorn (love how Hayden watches the whole movie and laughs at the funny parts), and then some special time with Hayden after Colt went to bed...we made peanut butter swirl bars...and boy did she like it:)

 She's ready to start bakin':) Don't worry about the glue...that went with our other project!

 I was pouring the mix into the pan and turned around to see this:)

YUM!!

God is good...and He has blessed me amazingly.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Son

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COLTON ROBERT!

Exactly a year ago, I was holding my baby boy for the first time...all 6 pounds and 3 ounces of him. A year ago today our lives changed from a 3 person family to a 4 person family. A year ago today, I fell in love with my baby boy.

Dear Colton,

I still can't believe I am already writing your 1-year birthday letter. That's right, you have been in our lives for a WHOLE year. When I think over your first year of life, I can't help but smile and thank God for His wonderful blessings you have brought to our lives. I love you sweet, sweet boy.

This past month has flown by. Maybe that is because you are on the GO constantly! You are the fastest little crawler that I have EVER seen! You crack me up every time too because you will crawl, pivot, crawl, pivot, and laugh the entire time.

You laugh...all the time. Mostly at your sister. You have a beautiful smile, which makes everyone around you smile. When you smile, your eye brows go up, your eyes get big, and your smile reaches from ear to ear.

You have such a personality. You want to keep up with your sister, but at the same time you are your very own person. All you need is some sort of ball to chase around the house and you are the happiest little boy ever. You are a little impatient if someone is not paying attention to you, and you aren't afraid to let us know...you are a little loud! Your face turns red and it's almost like a little growl! I have a feeling that you are going to be a talker:) You babble all the time, like you know exactly what you are saying.

You still only have 6 teeth, but that doesn't hold you back from your food. You will not have anything to do with baby food. You want what we eat, whether it is pizza, chicken, green beans, tacos, spaghetti, you get the point. Speaking of spaghetti, you had your first experience with those stinkin' noodles a couple nights ago...let's just say it looked like your sister decorated you from head to toe in noodles! But you liked it, the little amount that actually made it to your mouth.

If you aren't chasing balls, you are chasing Hayden everywhere. You love her...even though I have to rescue you most days from getting shoved to the ground. You have started trying to get revenge when I am changing her....you pull her hair while she is down. You try to do everything she does and you go along with everything she does...like squirting the whole bottle of Diaper Rash Cream on the hallway floor, smearing it all over each other...top of head to your toes...all over the floor, and even made it to the walls. When I caught you, you both just smiled as if to say, "look mom!" Needless to say, it took a couple of baths and scrubs to even get it off and out of your hair. I have a feeling you two are going to be partners in crime.

YOU ARE STANDING! You want nothing to do with walking, but you love to stand, and then fall. You think it is the funniest thing. Then, when we laugh, it is like it encourages you to keep doing it.

You are still sleeping through the night...you even sleep in later than Hayden. Not much longer because she likes to come in your room to wake you up! You are still taking only one nap that lasts about 2 hours.

You sure know your momma. Whenever I am gone and then walk through the door, you smile your Colton smile, then crawl as fast as you can to me and open your arms for me to pick you up. I love it...so very much. You melt my heart. I love to go in your room each morning and see you smiling and reaching for me.

Sweet boy, I pray for you every day. I pray, pray, pray. I pray that you will always keep that smile that goes from ear to ear. I still pray that you will grow up to love God whole-heartedly. I still pray that you will always keep your heart opened....that you won't let anything or anyone harden it. I pray that you love people. I pray that you look for the best in people. I pray that you dream and follow those dreams. I pray that you never settle. I pray for pureness. I pray for happiness...a life filled with laughter. I pray for your health. I pray that God will use your father and I as instruments to bring you and your sister up in a Godly household. Not only do I pray for these things, I thank God for everything about you. I am thankful for your personality. I am thankful for your health, I am thankful for the joy you have brought to our lives. I am thankful that you are my son. I am thankful for God allowing me to be your mother.

Know that you are, and always will be loved...ALWAYS.

Happy Birthday, baby boy!

Love you always,

Mommy

How old are you? 1!!

Go ahead...make fun of the hat! I still love it! Haha! He was thrilled!

Happy Birthday, Kristen!!

Today is my little sister's birthday. She is a whopping 24 years old. I know I am just her sister, but I feel like a proud mama. If you know Kristen, you know she is a special person. Growing up we were the typical fighting sisters and usually hated each other. But as we grew older, we started a friendship. That friendship grew closer and closer throughout the years and I found myself wanting to share special things that were happening in my life with not just my other friends, but her as well. She is one of my best friends. You see, my sister has the qualities you want in a best friend. She is trustworthy, she is kind, she is HILARIOUS (yes she has book smarts, but common sense?? Hmmm!), she looks for the best in people, she is positive, she quicks you in the butt when you are out of line (and that is quite often), she is a prayer warrior, she has a heart of gold that loves people, she is opposite of drama, she is loyal, she is strong, she is just special. I am blessed to have her as my sister. Mom, did you ever think you would hear that from me when I was about 10 years old?! Hehe!

Kristen, I hope your day is filled with blessings and laughter. I am so thankful to God that he has given me a sister like you. Thank you for being my friend. I love you so incredible much!!

Birthday Fun

This weekend we were able to celebrate my baby girl’s birthday second birthday. Her birthday isn’t until Thursday, but we thought we would start celebrating her birth early. We actually started last weekend with my family while Kris and Sarah were here. This girl has some amazing, caring people who really love her. Thank you to those who were able to celebrate with us and make this such a special day. I was talking to a friend when everything was done and everyone went home and I was telling her that it is so weird how we stress for so long and have to make sure everything is PERFECT and everything is clean (floors, carpet, bathroom, bedrooms, kitchen counter, laundry put away), and then the big day comes and it is done before it even starts. Does that make sense? All the preparations (baking pies, ruining pies, making more pies, finding a cake that isn’t Halloween because you forgot one of the most important things about a birthday party…the cake, cleaning the kitchen up 5 times in 2 days, and the list goes on) and after 2 hours, everything is done and everyone is gone and everything is a mess again. And it’s over. And then the whole exhaustion from the weekend hits you like a tidal wave. But….it is ALL worth it to see my baby girl smile when she opened her toys, when she loved playing with the other kids, when she saw her cake that she didn’t even know it was the ugliest cake ever, when she wanted to play with ALL her new toys. So yes, it is so worth it. To see my baby girl happy made every worry and doubt disappear. Everything went smoothly and it was a success! Hayden LOVED all her new toys and played with them ALL day yesterday and is already starting her morning playing with them. It was so much fun this year to watch her actually enjoy opening her presents and her facial expressions told it all. She cracks me up!!! Anyways, here are some pictures:

Hayden wanting to help SO bad with the apple pie!

The finished product:

My dad was SUCH a help this day...he took the kids for a couple hours while I got the rest of the house ready...Thank you dad!!

Hayden and Payton:

Hayden and Payton playing dress up with Tara's present:

Such a GREAT group of friends:

OHIO!!!

The following was written on Friday, October 8:

Today is a very special person’s birthday. She has been my number 1 fan since I was born. She has always stood up for me, always loved me, always encouraged me, and always inspired me. She brings a smile to my face every time I think of her, see her, and talk to her. She is my grandma. My sweet gram-gram. My friend. I can still remember as a child how she would always stand on my side (even when she shouldn’t have). She was and is very protective of me and my siblings. I can always count on her to listen to my woes and then make me laugh about my woes. Whenever I go to her house, I can always count on her to make me gain 5 pounds within one visit. She is an amazing woman. Anyone who meets her loves her immediately. So, happy birthday Grandma!!!

Last night we got to celebrate her birthday at my parents’ with some Olive Garden. I cherish every moment with my grandparents and am so thankful that God has allowed us to have the relationship we have. I sat back and just watched everyone interact and was reminded yet again how blessed I am.

Friday:

Today my mom, the kids, and I headed to Ohio for a baby shower. This is a special shower because it is for a special woman. Our families have grown up together and have use to go on yearly vacations to Hilton Head together. There are 7 of us kids between the 2 families. Four of us are now married, one engaged, three with kids, and one pregnant. Although we all live different places now (California, Texas, Chicago, Indiana, Ohio, and Arizona), we still manage to see each other, not all at once, put as many of us possible at weddings, wedding showers, graduations, and baby showers. And although we all live busy lives, we still some how find a way to reconnect, which has been very special. We are known to do our trademark picture every time we can, which is our staircase picture. We all line up from oldest to youngest-Kristen, Adam, Lindsay, Me, Matt, Kristen, and Sarah. It used to really look like a staircase…ok…well, that only lasted for a couple years until I got passed up by both Matt and Kristen and now Sarah. Thanks. Anyways, we have always had a great time together playing hide-and-seek, pretend weddings, video games, watching movies, and laughing until our stomachs hurt. There are so many memories that are in my heart with the Sivards. I hope and pray that my kids will have memories like these to hold on to and smile back on. Even though we carry on with our separate lives, we always reconnect and it’s like we start where we left off. So…back to the beginning of this story, we are here in Ohio for Kristen’s baby shower. She is the oldest of the 7 and the leader. I always thought we were alike in a lot of ways…both brown hair, both teachers, both LOUD, both crazy, and so on. I always looked up to her and Lindsay both. I remember thinking I wanted to be just like them when I was younger. We got to stop over there this evening after Kristen (my sister) met us at the hotel. Lindsay’s little boy, Sam, and Hayden played very well together. They were hilarious together! I can already see the next generation beginning their friendship.

Saturday:

Today went by in a flash. We had a lazy morning in the hotel after another sleepless night thanks to Mr. Cole Bob himself. We all took our time getting ready and then headed to the lobby for some breakfast. Hayden flirted with the workers as usual by batting her big brown eyes and saying, “hi!” to everyone that looked at her. After we got back in the room we still had time to kill so we let Hayden entertain us by dancing to Kristen’s music. We were laughing so hard that we had tears streaming down our face. I have to admit…the girl does have some rhythm! I haven’t laughed that hard for a long time. She got her little knees bending up and down and her little pointer fingers waving through the air as she jumped around in circles with her squeaker shoes. After we lost about a million calories thanks to laughing, we headed over to the Sivards for the shower. When we got there we were excited to see that Matt and his fiancé, Kate, were there as well! Kate is the next person to join our little cult and we are so excited for another shower and wedding to come! Although we were missing siblings and spouses, we still had a FANTASTIC day with each other. Kristen got so many wonderful gifts and is now ready for her little girl to enter the world! Well, she has to wait until her daddy comes back! Of course, our time went by way too fast…and before we knew it the kids were packed up in the car and we were hugging each other as we set off back to Indiana. And now I am sitting here in my living room wishing we could have spent more time with each other. Oh well…until next shower!

Kristen, Lindsay (and Sam), Me (and Colt), Kate (the soon to be Sivard), Kristen (and Hayden)

Then we added Matt

While I was in Ohio, Nic was in charge of our first vendor/auction even with Shaklee. He said that it went great and he was excited for what’s to come. Since this was our first event, we weren’t sure what to expect. But thanks to Suzanne, Kara, and Kyle, the whole thing was a success.

Wow…it’s only Saturday!

Sunday:

Ok, it’s official…I am just going to be a zombie for the next couple of years. Why does he not sleep…why??????????? I’m tired.