Maybe Next Week.....

So, I was all excited to document a week in my little life, but my camera had other plans. I experienced some "technical difficulties" , and was unable to take more than a handful of pictures.

I will tryt again next monday. I'm thinking that next week will be a better week any way.

In the mean time I'm off to finish sewing the kids Halloween costumes (Mr. Potato Head and a dalmation).

A Week In The Life...

Today I am starting to document a week in my little family's life. I got the idea from the ever-so-talented and inspiring Ali Edwards.

I feel like time is just flying by, and I barely have time to catch my breath, let alone stop and realize what is going on around me.

So, for the next week I will be toting around my camera, and making notes of all our comings and goings.

Hopefully sometime before Christmas I will be able to turn all the pictures and notes into a small scrapbook. A way to remember my life at this point in time.

So, I'm off.....no time for blogging today. I have a "TO DO" list that is quite intimidating. I'll post some of the pictures I take today tomorrow.

2 Little Words

"I'm Sorry."

These two little words can be some of the hardest words to say, but also some of the most essential. When said sincerely they can fix mistakes, heal wounds, clear understanding, soften hard hearts, and just make you ( and often someone else) feel better.

This past week I said "sorry" to a friend I thought I had lost years ago. I didn't know what else to say. Any other words couldn't explain or make sense of the rift between us. I'm thankful to have this person back in my life, even if only through emails.

10 Years

10 years ago tomorrow I married my sweetheart. We have been through quite a lot together ( 2 kids, 5 moves, 2 cross country moves, 6 job changes, 3 graduations, 1 silly dog, 3 surgeries, 4 cars......) We have weathered some pretty heinous things together, and have come out the better for it.

I can't believe it has been 10 years! I am excited to see what the rest of forever brings.

I love you lots Mr. Thomas :)

Way To Go Momma

This past Sunday I witnessed something at church that really has made me stop and evaluate myself this week. I wonder what my actions are teaching my little ones.

After one of the meetings, I was sitting on the couch in the foyer trying to get my daughter to go to sleep. Sitting next to me was a mom and her young son. I couldn't help but to overhear their conversation.

The little boy was upset that he couldn't remember his lines for the upcoming primary program. His mom reassured him that he wouldn't be the only one that had forgotten, and that the teachers would be there to help him. The little boy was still unsure so his mom suggested that they sing a song so he could feel better. They sang Hakuna Matata from The Lion King (how cute is that) and a primary song (I don't remember which one). Then before sending him off to primary they said a little prayer together.

I was so touched by the simple actions of this loving mother. She taught her son that when he is nervous or scared that there are people who love him and want to help him. She taught him that singing a favorite song can help you feel better. She also taught him the importance of prayer in everyday life, in everyday situations. She taught me, through her sweet example, the things that I want to teach my own children.

Thank you Momma for being such a positive example to your son, and to me.

4 Candles

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Remembrance Day (http://www.october15th.com/).

I will be lighting 4 candles in remembrance of the pregnancies I have lost ( It makes my head spin to think that I have been pregnant 6 times!)

Anyway, if you or anyone you know has experienced a loss I encourage you to light a candle and think of them today.

I Am Going To Do This....

http://www.bsim.org

I figure if I am going to get myself in shape to run a marathon I might as well run one in one of my favorite places on earth!

Wanderlust

I've got it bad!

I want to pack up the currently questionably reliable Cruiser and hit the road. I want to open the sun roof, roll down the windows, and blast James Taylor.

I want to head for the coast. Somewhere on the west coast preferably. Somewhere where I can hear and smell the ocean. Somewhere where I can walk the beach looking for beach glass.(Fort Bragg or Monterey ?)

I want to go.

The Journey of 26.2 Miles Begins.....

with a visit to the podiatrist.

Several months a go Braden and I told our friends Brett and Kathleen that we would run the Disney World Marathon with them. Since I was uber pregnant with Bubba Dos when we made said promise I bought myself a litte over year and a half to get in top running condition. Those of you who know me will know that I am going to need every single day of it :)

Apparently I didn't get started on the right foot. I've been trying to follow a training program but have been experiencing some pretty intense pain.

A quick trip to the podiatrist, a few x-rays, and the verdict is in....I need surgery to fix one of the problems.

Having surgery would not only throw off my training, but what on earth would I do in a walking cast with two babies to take care of?! Not to mention I am anxious to ski this winter.

Taking into account that the surgery is nothing critical, and my intense desire to spend some time on the slopes this winter, and the fact that I need to be able keep my little ones entertained and well taken care of, I have decided to try some custom orthotics ( I sound like such an old lady) and hope for the best.

I am going to try running just 3 miles a day three days a week until my feet feel a little better. In the meantime I'm taking up yoga again.

So, if you happen to see me limping around at church, the grocery store, the park, or Target, or if you happen to be around at 6 am on the days that I run, wish me luck. I think I'm going to need it.

Frazzled

I decided that I am moving to Utah.



I started what was supposed to be a nice, relaxing, 3 week vacation by getting on an airplane at Dulles Airport. I got off the airplane 4 1/2 hours later in Salt Lake City, and made the decision right then and there that there was NO WAY that I was going to fly back to Maryland by myself with my 2 kiddos.



Have you ever been on a flight where someones child screams and cries the entire time, and every other passenger on the plane is shooting the kid dirty looks, and every minute seems to drag on forever? Well, in this case "that kid" was mine!



To make the adventure all the more adventurous I also got to deal with a diaper blowout and wardrobe malfunction (seriously, don't ask about that one ).



As I was walking to baggage claim I couldn't help but notice all the perfectly coiffed , calm, neatly dressed passengers that were leisurely looking at magazines, checking email on their laptops, casually grabbing a bite to eat, or just watching the airport news monitors. Then there was me......... I felt and looked as though I had been dragged behind the plane during take-off and landing.



I just tell myself that my 2 year old was reminding me how long I waited for him, and how much I wanted children in the first place (Thanks Bubba - I got the message LOUD and clear ;) )



So, to all my friends back in Maryland....its been nice knowing you. If you ever happen to be in Utah drop by for a visit.

Yikes!

So, I've been craving change lately (Like having a new baby isn't enough to throw anybody for a loop).

I was hoping to get my haircut by the woman who usually cuts it, but our schedules kept conflicting so I broke down and just went to the Hair Cuttery by my local grocery store.

To make a long story short.....I walked in to get my hair cut, and walked out 30 minutes later looking like my hair had been caught in a blender. Thats all I really want to say about that.

Thank goodness hair grows back!

Besides getting my hair butchered, other changes are on the horizon.

I am going to visit my family in Utah for 3 weeks. I miss them terribly. It is hard being the only member of my immediate family not living in Utah (they all live within 30 minutes of each other).

Though being gone for that long will be hard on my 21 month old son ( he is daddy's little buddy), it will be nice to be home.

One more change coming is a strict diet and exercise program.

When I had my son in 2006 I was back to my pre-pregnancy size the day I got home from the hospital. I was wrong to expect that to happen again.

I work with the youth at church, and more than once they have commented how skinny I used to be ( I have to appreciate their brutal honesty).

So, wish me luck with the exercising, and send happy hair-growing thoughts my way :)

A day in the life....

I'm an at home mom to 2 small children ( one is 21 months, the other just turned 1 month). I love being a mom, but I don't love how unglamourous my life has become.

Yesterday was pretty much the same as all my days are.I was spit-up on no less than 8 times. It wasn't just a little bit of spit. Oh, no....the floodgates were opened. So, here I sit at 12:30 in the afternoon in my pajamas waiting for the washer to finish.

Seeing as it is allergy season around here means there are runny noses. Can you see where I'm going with this? My son used me as a kleenex yesterday. Whenever his runny nose bothered him he would come running to me, give me a hug, then ask for a kleenex. Yup, I got slimed.

Having two small kids means we go through a lot of diapers. Yesterday, against my better judgement, I headed off to Target just before nap time. That was not a good idea. I walked in with 2 fussy kids, and walked out a half hour later with $95.00 worth of extra stuff and kids in full blown melt down mode.

This morning I glanced at myself in the mirror. Yikes! That was scary! The bags and circles under my eyes are huge! My hair looks like straw, and in the month since my daughter was born I can count on one hand the times I've put my contact lenses in.

So is the life of a mom.

I'm not going to take this laying down though (if I did I might fall asleep). I'm going to do something about it. Tonight I'm going to give myself a mini facial. Tomorrow I'm going to get my hair cut. On Saturday I'm going to treat myself to a pedicure (they better have my favorite color back in - O.P.I Deer Valley Spice). Hopefully, I'll be able to notice a difference, and hopefully nobody else will notice the little reminders all over me that I am a new mom :)

Another one bites the dust

I never thought I would give in to the blogging world. To make a long story short... I was obviously wrong!

So, here it is. A place where my thoughts spill over.

Enjoy.