The Frog Boots

This morning I came downstairs and the trusty galoshes were in the middle of the foyer floor. Yes it is the middle of the summer. With no rain. We just like to wear rubbers around apparently :)

I know other people get upset about clutter, but not me. Emma must have left these here because she had other adventures to get to, other places to chase her brother. Maybe a popsicle was calling her name from the kitchen and she just couldn't resist. I know I should teach her to pick up her things and put them in the proper place (the boot tray in the closet, perhaps???) and I do, promise. She's really good at putting her toys and things away. And I love how she's normally very willing to help me tidy up the house or go and put things away.

So when I see the boots lying there I am reminded that one day these boots will be just a flash in my memory and galoshes will be no more. She will have taken her own, adult wellies to her own home and I will remember that one day, long, long ago, a pair with green frogs on them once decorated our foyer floor.

Splash Pad

Emma has got so daring this summer that she will get her head wet in these things...so proud of her!
Looks like he's having fun, right? Yeah, this thing wasn't spraying water...he is so cautious about getting wet, its weird

I LOVE this picture...doesn't it look like she's praising God???

And here we have Cal...standing on the edge, ready to go home...

This summer we have started going to the Splash Pads a little more often. Emma LOVES them and Cal kind of likes them. They are just so cute when they play together. Splash pads were put in our area because they can install one for the same amount that they pay insurance on a public pool, about 100k...isn't that INSANE????

Plus I am a little uneasy about public pools. I remember working at one and when someone would have an "accident" in the pool we would dump BARREL'S of chlorine in the pool to get the PH levels back to the right place. Then everyone back in the pool. Ick.

Some pools I am okay with. I know the pool at a waterpark is okay because it has to actually be filtered through a system. You'll also notice that they are wearing shoes simply because I don't like weird foor fungus' in my house...ewww.

Anyway, there's my bit on water. The children are enjoying the summer and I think that they are just too, too cute. There was a button to turn the water on so it doesn't run all blasted day but it was too high up for the kids to reach. Whenever the water would go off they would run over to the drinking fountain and push the button on that...they thought that was the on/off switch...how precious!

Dominoes

Thank you Pumpkin Patch!

Last night I went to play Dominoe's at my Aunt Mare's house with the girls. It was so much fun and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I love spending time with my cousins and getting to listen to the older ladies in our family talk...they are all just so cute! I can't wait for next time and am hoping Donna makes some of her yummy homemade wine next time! :)

While there my Aunt introduced me to her neighbor who also is homeschooling so it was lovely to meet a new friend and chat with someone like minded! :) I think that is getting less and less in my immediate circle so I am looking for volunteers to form a new circle :)

Anyway I had only played dominoes a few times down at our cabin and wasn't super familiar with it but it was a lot, a lot of fun!

Hope you are all having a lovely day! I have been getting lots done around our home and celebrating the love that Christ has shared with our family! :)

Things I Love

This blog is being written after an incredibly difficult two day stretch of potty training gone completely wrong. Yesterday was one of the worst days. In an effort to potty train Calvin we only wore underwear yesterday...no diapers, no pullups, just underwear. Fail is all I can say. We went through about 14 pairs of underwear. He peed on everything we own. He discovered what sheer joy peeing on hardwood and then splashing in your own urine can be. Ugh.

This morning we woke up and I got him to pee on the potty twice. He was excited, I was excited and I felt hope. While potty training may have been okay he was reeking havoc on the rest of our day by being completely defiant and just outright ignoring me. It has been an awful stretch. I am getting ready for bed and can honestly tell you I have no idea if we will be potty training or not tomorrow. I guess I will pray it away when I lay my head on that pillow and how I feel waking up will decide the potty training decision. I pray for strength and patience.

Anywho with today being a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. I decided to take pictures of things that make me happy. Ah. I've posted them here for you and I think I might do this every so often. Probably when you see this pictures you can know its been a doozy of a day and I needed to put on my rose colored glasses to get me through the day. Here are some of the things that make my heart light:

Tomatoes on our windowsill...from our very own garden :)
These nifty glasses Nick found at a resale store...he started a collection of vintage Hawaiian items when we were over on the Island getting married and he has quite a collection

Scentsy...its a little ray of sunshine in my kitchen when I am feeling glum

Amish eggs...just look at the size of the farm fresh one compared to the store bought

Yummy smelling dish detergent...its the little things I know

I am trying to make it a point to be grateful and/or thankful for everything, even the small things.

Our week :)

So we have been home from vacation for 5 days! And I am happy to report that the excitement of being home has not dwindled. When we were gone I started missing the children, our home, and even the simple mundane things around here, like laundry and cleaning. So this week has been a week of making sure the house is maintained and that I am getting my chores done. Laundry is done every week, I entered about 90 items into a children's resale, I washed windows, launder curtains, clipped coupons, cleaned our tree lawn, wrote a blog/article, did worksheets with Emma's, had craft time, and had Calvin's therapy time.

This weekend Nick unfortunately works but I am looking forward to the time that it will give us at home that we will be able to get some things done around here.

Nick comes home from work and reports about people and their comings and goings. One guy cheated on his wife and was SHOCKED when she threw him out, another guy had his wife cheating on him. I think all of these attrocities are just horrid but it is kind of nice for me. When Nick comes home he hugs me extra tight and tells me how thankful he is to have me and our marriage. He appreciates the cleaning, the cooking of dinner every night, the laundry being done, the lunches being packed. He is such a kind and thoughtful man when he makes sure I know how grateful he is.

As you can see this blog is pretty much about absolutely nothing. Sometimes during the day when I have no one to talk to these are just nice. Nice, nice, nice.

We are pretty sure that we are going to be homeschooling the children. The recent immunizations that are now required, the fact that they will be teaching children that marriage is between two people, and not a man and a wife, the fact that our children are AMAZINGLY smart, all reasons to convince us that homeschooling is looking better and better.

I've been researching homeschooling by looking at blogs and Iam holding my head in shame after looking at all of these things that moms do to teach their children! They do so much stuff, they have such great ideas! I am really going to have to get my fanny in gear. Thank the Good Lord that I have these blogs to refer to to get ideas on things to do!

Well I think that is it for now. We are having meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn for dinner so I'd better get cookin'!

Door County

Captain Nicholas-he guides our family with God at the helm :)
Here we are at the Tall Ships Festival

Nick carved our initials into a tree-how romantic is that?

We toured wineries...yep nothing like drinking at 10 in the morning ;)

Okay Nick hates getting up early but he did for me so we could watch the sunrise...isn't it just gorgeous?

Here we are on the coast...we are just so happy together

This is Door County, I L.O.V.E. this place, ahh

Nick did a lot of this over vacation, I am so happy he got to relax

Today is our anniversary and I am happy to announce that we are celebrating 7 blissful years of marriage :). We went to Door County, Wisconsin over this last week to celebrate early and had an amazing time. We went there last year with the children and had tons of fun but saw so many things to do that weren't exactly child-proof! So we went back to go to fancy restaurants, wineries, gift shops, and antique stores. Oh we had such a wonderful time just reconnecting and talking. I think lingering over meals was one of my best things.

I am so, so blessed that God partnered me with Nick. I could not have asked for a better marriage or a better husband. From that first kiss on the cheek he gave me in the fishbowl in college I have been smitten with him. I love him so much and I love our life together. Happy Anniversary honey, I love you so much! :)

Too Lazy to Find A Picture Tonight...

As you can see from the title I am sleepy. Tired. And yet my mind races...of course. My Aunt Jan left today to go back home and I miss her terribly! I hope to be like her when my kids are grown, I think she is my hero!

Tomorrow is our family reunion for Nick's family, which after 7 years of blissfullness I guess I should start calling them my family too... :) I am planning something called "outrageous brownies" in case any of you ladies are reading this.

I have an article due tomorrow night. Have I mentioned that I haven't STARTED that article yet? Guess when I will have time to write it? Yep, tomorrow night.

I miss my husband but I have good news...he only has to work nights 3 more times! I am so stinkin' excited about that! When we get home from vacation he will be on days and I will get to have my husband home for dinner every. single. night. Sigh. Hello meatloaf...

My house looks like toys had some type of fraternizing party last night...musical instruments everywhere, Elmo Live is lying on his back with his hands stretched towards the sky, I have a rock collection spilled over the foyer floor, there's a Big Bird on a submarine and somehow as I look at all of this I know exactly what my kids were up to with their imaginations. That either makes me a rockin' awesome Mom or someone who terribly needs the impending vacation.

Speaking of vacay-have I mentioned we are leaving Thursday. Dear Auntie Bean is watching our angels so I have made directions as she has never spent the night here. I love Auntie Bean...she gets me. But I don't know if Auntie Bean will get the remote so I have detailed instructions. :).

Vacation...do you know what I am looking forward to? Steamy sex? Long walks on the beach? Fancy dinners? Nope, probably none of those will happen (at least that I'm telling you pervy people about!)...I am looking forward to sleeping in with Nicholas. Ah. However sleeping in does often cause fights between us as sleeping in for me is say, oh, 9. Where with Nicholas, the man who has slept 27 hours at a time before, you just never really know when he is going to wake up. I might go this entire vacation with him asleep. Only future blog posts can tell :)


Well that is it for now. I am stressed about things to do tomorrow but am residing that I will not worry about it tonight. Tonight I am stepping over the rock collection to lock the front door, I will ignore the Dora toothpaste that is frosting the top of the sink as I brush my teeth, and I will go to bed...because this hot Mama needs some sleep :)

You Might Not Want to read this...

This post is uncharacteristic of me. So I'm sorry but I get to write the blog. The word for tonight is lonely. I am so, so terrible alone. Bitterly alone. I have my children with me every day, I walk the aisles of the supermarkets with tons of people by my side, I share my opinion on motherhood to thousands of readers, and yet I am alone. The man I love is working. Always, always working. I know that it is for the best and it is for me and the children and for all of us but it always leaves me alone. He says he'll always make time for me. Do you know how much I've talked to him today? 12 minutes and 54 seconds. Yep.

When I tell him about the kids or about I am stressed about something he just tells me to stop. Stop acting that way, stop worrying, stop. I know he is trying to help but I so bitterly want to cry out "who the hell do you think you are to tell me to stop? You hardly know me anymore, you are gone all of the time. You don't get to judge my feelings or to tell me how to react to something." Errr that frustrates me.

People all the time ask me where Nick is. I think they think I am lying and we are secretly not even together. Which then makes me think, are we together? I know we are, but what keeps two people together who never, ever see one another and occasionally get to talk for 12 minutes and 54 seconds?

Even when Nick and I are together there is a pit in my stomach. Its like when you are in an abusive relationship and then you meet someone really great. You don't get too close, you keep yourself guarded. That's how I am...never letting my guard down, never enjoying time too much because soon it will all be over and he'll be gone again. If I love him too much then it hurts too much when he has to leave.


As I calm down and the tears stop flowing please let me disclaim by saying that I love my husband passionately. I know he loves me. I am just frustrated. I know if he could he would be home with us and I love that about him. I love his drive. I love his ethic. I love that he's not like anyone else I've ever met. I love that he chews stupid people out about not wanting to breastfeed and can talk my pregnancy pains until he is blue in the face. I love that he was never one of those guys who had to carry around a man bag with their child...he proudly wore the pink bag because he was a Daddy. Point being that I know he is sensitive too. He is so intune to his kids needs that that is why he is making sure I am home with them. And he is sensitive so I know that being away from us kills him just as equally. I guess maybe he should get his own blog then...

;)

The Ring

Hey look! This is my engagement ring! Have you seen this sucker before? I bet you have although you may have never LOOKED looked at it. And I am going to bet that everyone outside of maybe 1 of you doesn't even know the story behind this symbolic piece of jewelry that I am lucky enough to have so here it goes...

Nick and I had been dating for oh, probably about a year and half and knew we wanted to get married. We weren't engaged yet but we talked about getting married and I guess I just assumed that we would. The problem being that we were broke college students. My mom had given me her ring set from her first marriage so that we could one day use the diamond or trade it in for another ring. I more than willingly gave it to Nick and he just thought that was absurd. There was no way I could just GIVE him a diamond. So he bought it from me...for $1.00. One of our dear friends Beth describes these stories Nick and I have as an "us" story because it is so like anyone else but it is so cute and funny.

So in telling the story I will tell you that life went on its merry way for a while longer and when we had been courting for about 22 months Nick popped the big question. Super exciting, and it is also a cute story so I am saving for another time and another place :).

The ring that you see above is the ring he gave me. He had been telling me he had "study groups" he had to go to when all the while he had been sneaking away to a local jeweler to design my ring. I was so surprised! It is a platinum ring and the diamond in the middle is actually the one from my mom's ring. The sides have channeled diamonds and sapphires. People actually ask me a lot of the time if I am missing diamonds because actually the sapphires are such beauties that they almost look black.

Here's what I really love and think about the ring:

The Design: I LOVE that this husband of mine made this ring. He had the design in his head and was able to make it a reality. I just really think that is something very, very special and it makes it feel even more of a gift from him to me.

The Diamond: My diamond is not ginormous and it actually has a flaw in it. Nick said he had to have it appraised by about 3 different jewelers who said they've never seen a diamond like that but yes it is in fact a diamond. I know I think too much into things, blah, blah, but that is one of the reasons I love the diamond. We aren't perfect but we are definitely unique and love each other just the same. I also love the story behind me selling him the diamond. I love that I got my ring when we were just poor college students...looking at the diamond reminds me of where we've come from. When all of my friends were getting engaged I used to feel jealous about how big of a diamond they would get and personally I think that that sometimes shows the immaturity of a relationship. I never would have wanted Nick to think that he had to get me some huge rock, and obviously he knew that he didn't have to...there were no expectations to uphold or anything to prove. He gave me a ring because he couldn't stand for me to not be his anymore and that is what I love about the ring. Going back to the jealousy thing, I no longer feel jealousy. And sometimes, based on the person, I feel sorrow or pity that they center their lives around size and trying to keep up with others. So basically my ring is a good reminder of the maturity in my own life and way of thinking toward material possessions. *My disclaimer here is that I have several friends with gigantic diamonds who are not shallow...I am not talking about everyone here...duh!

The Sapphires: I LOVE sapphires and wanted them in my ring. Nick did not. But as you can see he designed them with sapphires because it is my ring after all, and he loves me (read this to say "I Won! I Won!" Just kidding). This is a good reminder for me of compromise and the enduring love that comes with our marriage. Sometimes we agree to things we may not necessarily want but we do it because we love the other person so, so very much.

The platinum: one of the strongest metals but also one of the most easily to be scratched. This ring is gouged to the hilt. Sometimes I get upset with myself that I've treated it so poorly, but I have the hands of a wife and mother and my ring represents that. My ring has been worn while I've kneaded bread dough, held seizing baby's, changed countless diapers, and my husband's hand in a hospital bed and from a hospital bed. It never left me through the birth of our two greatest accomplishments and it never, ever leaves me.

So that is the story behind the ring. Nick hopes to one day upgrade me and me, being the sentimental one, really have my qualms about it. If we do "upgrade" it will be with a sapphire. I HATE what diamonds represent and the sacrifices made to obtain them and until about the 1920's sapphires and other gems were what were on wedding rings. I would be fine with my ring but I know it bugs Nick that he never actually bought me a rock, so I "guess" I will let him buy one, which again will be a compromise...like the sapphires I have represent... :)