Tonight we exercised on the Crystal Bridges trail, played at the park afterward, ate some dinner, then played in the front yard (a normal ritual now before bed).
And then I got some shots of them that I'm just loving! :)
Sunday, June 12, 2011
While Dad's Away...
June marks "team camp" month which means we don't get to see as much of Jason as we'd like (though he does a great job using all he can with us!)...and that leaves lots of time with me and the rascals, and - of course (I know you'll be thrilled) - more pictures!!!Thrilled...right?
Tonight we exercised on the Crystal Bridges trail, played at the park afterward, ate some dinner, then played in the front yard (a normal ritual now before bed).
Lincoln worked on his golf game a little...
And then I got some shots of them that I'm just loving! :)
Tonight we exercised on the Crystal Bridges trail, played at the park afterward, ate some dinner, then played in the front yard (a normal ritual now before bed).
And then I got some shots of them that I'm just loving! :)
Friday, June 10, 2011
There Will Be Blood
Here's one for the baby books:
At dinner tonight we were all enjoying some healthy grilled chicken and veggies when I looked over and saw Noah toppling backwards in his chair. He was about 50% to the floor when - with my awesome mom reflexes - I swung my arm over real quick to catch him and keep him from falling to the floor.
Only he was one my right side.
And I eat with my right hand.
And we were eating, which meant I had a fork in my hand at the same moment I swung it over to catch him.
Bad combo.
Not only did he end up falling to the floor anyway, but my fork caught the top of his head and scraped a good portion down the side of his head as he continued to fall to the ground.
People - there was blood and lots of it. My hands were covered in bright red blood and my mind racing to figure out where I had last put my phone cause we were headed to the ER and someone needed to come stay with Lincoln.
But we got him settled down, stopped the bleeding, and realized he probably didn't need to go to the ER after all (my husband's determination - who is very good at this sort of thing thank goodness).
Noah actually stopped crying and was laughing within about 7 minutes (I was not so much).
And sweet Lincoln turned into a little mommy comforter. He kept coming over to me with his arm on me going "Mommy, Noah's okay. He gonna be okay mommy." So sweet. And the he looked in my eyes all serious and goes "Mommy, I think Noah should probably go eat his dinner now...he okay mommy."
Melt my heart.
Lincoln continued to tell me this throughout the rest of dinner.
So yeah, how many of you can say you've ever stabbed your child with a fork??
At dinner tonight we were all enjoying some healthy grilled chicken and veggies when I looked over and saw Noah toppling backwards in his chair. He was about 50% to the floor when - with my awesome mom reflexes - I swung my arm over real quick to catch him and keep him from falling to the floor.
Only he was one my right side.
And I eat with my right hand.
And we were eating, which meant I had a fork in my hand at the same moment I swung it over to catch him.
Bad combo.
Not only did he end up falling to the floor anyway, but my fork caught the top of his head and scraped a good portion down the side of his head as he continued to fall to the ground.
People - there was blood and lots of it. My hands were covered in bright red blood and my mind racing to figure out where I had last put my phone cause we were headed to the ER and someone needed to come stay with Lincoln.
But we got him settled down, stopped the bleeding, and realized he probably didn't need to go to the ER after all (my husband's determination - who is very good at this sort of thing thank goodness).
Noah actually stopped crying and was laughing within about 7 minutes (I was not so much).
And sweet Lincoln turned into a little mommy comforter. He kept coming over to me with his arm on me going "Mommy, Noah's okay. He gonna be okay mommy." So sweet. And the he looked in my eyes all serious and goes "Mommy, I think Noah should probably go eat his dinner now...he okay mommy."
Melt my heart.
Lincoln continued to tell me this throughout the rest of dinner.
So yeah, how many of you can say you've ever stabbed your child with a fork??
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Tuesday Funday
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Summertime
Last year we had just moved into a rental house around this time with an awesome community pool right up the street. If you're a high school girl wanting peace and quiet and a tan (like me 10+ years ago), you would not think this pool is awesome...but if you're a mom with two toddlers who love the water and tend to lack a healthy fear of it, this pool is phenomenal.
The majority of it under 3 feet with a big wade-in part where even the 6 month old cats can relax and splash around. The "deep end" only gets as deep as 5 feet or so with a super fun slide. The 5-ft deep part is significant in that mom can stand there comfortably and catch the fearless rascals as they shoot out from the slide.
We love this pool.
It is opening late this year (Tuesday!) because of complications, but we are pumped. The splash park has kept us entertained in the meantime (which is also great because you can't drown at the splash park).
So here's the deal...Lincoln, last year, was absolutely fearless and a complete madman in the water. Noah was so little at the time and sometimes just slept in his stroller while we played, so I could have my total attention on my wild man. He would jump off the side and be totally submerged in water (we would literally have to scoop him out), would think he could "swim" in the deep part, would go off the fast slide repeatedly (again, we'd have to scoop him out from under the water)...I was glad he had no fear and enjoyed himself so much, but I was also a nervous wreck at times (nothing like the peaceful "Getting a tan" moments I had always associated with the pool).
And now this year.
Our dear sweet Noah, I'm afraid might like water even more than Lincoln did and am a little nervous he could be a total handful this summer! This is actually expected, but the part that makes me wonder how fun pool days will be this summer is whether or not Lincoln will still have the same fearlessness.
I'm going on a limb and guessing he will not. I think the guy has developed a little bit of hesitancy (but we'll see). My first thought is that this would make me sad. But then I think a bit more and realize there is nothing wrong with a little healthy fear of the water! And if Noah takes his place, I need at least one toddler to have a little healthy fear (if we'll be going without Jason in the day at least).
So I'm just curious how next week will go...2 fearless toddlers, or just one?
We'll see! And if it's 2, that's what those self-containing floaty "boats" are for, right? :)
The majority of it under 3 feet with a big wade-in part where even the 6 month old cats can relax and splash around. The "deep end" only gets as deep as 5 feet or so with a super fun slide. The 5-ft deep part is significant in that mom can stand there comfortably and catch the fearless rascals as they shoot out from the slide.
We love this pool.
It is opening late this year (Tuesday!) because of complications, but we are pumped. The splash park has kept us entertained in the meantime (which is also great because you can't drown at the splash park).
So here's the deal...Lincoln, last year, was absolutely fearless and a complete madman in the water. Noah was so little at the time and sometimes just slept in his stroller while we played, so I could have my total attention on my wild man. He would jump off the side and be totally submerged in water (we would literally have to scoop him out), would think he could "swim" in the deep part, would go off the fast slide repeatedly (again, we'd have to scoop him out from under the water)...I was glad he had no fear and enjoyed himself so much, but I was also a nervous wreck at times (nothing like the peaceful "Getting a tan" moments I had always associated with the pool).
And now this year.
Our dear sweet Noah, I'm afraid might like water even more than Lincoln did and am a little nervous he could be a total handful this summer! This is actually expected, but the part that makes me wonder how fun pool days will be this summer is whether or not Lincoln will still have the same fearlessness.
I'm going on a limb and guessing he will not. I think the guy has developed a little bit of hesitancy (but we'll see). My first thought is that this would make me sad. But then I think a bit more and realize there is nothing wrong with a little healthy fear of the water! And if Noah takes his place, I need at least one toddler to have a little healthy fear (if we'll be going without Jason in the day at least).
So I'm just curious how next week will go...2 fearless toddlers, or just one?
We'll see! And if it's 2, that's what those self-containing floaty "boats" are for, right? :)
Friday, June 3, 2011
American Dream No More
That's right. We are no longer home owners and at this point in our lives, we couldn't be more thrilled (a little backwards, I know).
Throughout this, we've gotten a handful of questions that I'll attempt to answer.
Now that you sold your house, where are you moving to??
Nowhere. We are staying put in the house we're renting because we have a great deal on it and we love it. We've been here a year and it's actually our house in another town (where we have not been living) that finally sold.
How did you sell it?
We saved money like madmen for the past year to put in to it so that we could make a quick sell this spring/summer. We didn't want to pay that savings to a realtor to sell it for us, so we did Owners.com, put a sign up and got an MLS# in March, and waited patiently. But I believe it was no doubt a God-thing. We had ONE person even inquire about it, and in the end, that one person bought it...and we closed the day after our renters were to move out. I committed about 6 months ago to praying for this exact situation on a daily basis. God is faithful.
Will you eventually buy again?
We don't see that happening in our near future for sure. We lost money in our last house and it just doesn't feel like an "investment" these days. Currently, with our financial plan, buying a house doesn't fit for us. Doesn't mean it won't one day, but not now. To us, it's still owing to a debtor...it still ties us to one place (which also isn't conducive to Jason's occupation).
The coolest thing???
I was reading through our private blog we keep about finances and one year ago this month (when we started it and wrote out this massive plan to get us to where we owe nothing to anyone), I had written a side note at the end about 2 things that needed to happen that were out of our control (the rest depended on us being frugal, disciplined, and keep our vision)...
1. Sell our newer, nicer car and buy a significantly cheaper one (we had to sell that car!)
2. Sell the house buy the end of summer.
We sold the car and got a new one last fall, and, well...you know how #2 ended up! So praise the Lord for His faithfulness! I felt like selling the house yesterday was a big hug from God reminding us to keep pressing on the path we've been praying over...that He is our ultimate Provider and has a plan for every aspect of our lives, wants to involved in every aspect of our lives - even our money. What a big weight lifted!!!!
Throughout this, we've gotten a handful of questions that I'll attempt to answer.
Now that you sold your house, where are you moving to??
Nowhere. We are staying put in the house we're renting because we have a great deal on it and we love it. We've been here a year and it's actually our house in another town (where we have not been living) that finally sold.
How did you sell it?
We saved money like madmen for the past year to put in to it so that we could make a quick sell this spring/summer. We didn't want to pay that savings to a realtor to sell it for us, so we did Owners.com, put a sign up and got an MLS# in March, and waited patiently. But I believe it was no doubt a God-thing. We had ONE person even inquire about it, and in the end, that one person bought it...and we closed the day after our renters were to move out. I committed about 6 months ago to praying for this exact situation on a daily basis. God is faithful.
Will you eventually buy again?
We don't see that happening in our near future for sure. We lost money in our last house and it just doesn't feel like an "investment" these days. Currently, with our financial plan, buying a house doesn't fit for us. Doesn't mean it won't one day, but not now. To us, it's still owing to a debtor...it still ties us to one place (which also isn't conducive to Jason's occupation).
The coolest thing???
I was reading through our private blog we keep about finances and one year ago this month (when we started it and wrote out this massive plan to get us to where we owe nothing to anyone), I had written a side note at the end about 2 things that needed to happen that were out of our control (the rest depended on us being frugal, disciplined, and keep our vision)...
1. Sell our newer, nicer car and buy a significantly cheaper one (we had to sell that car!)
2. Sell the house buy the end of summer.
We sold the car and got a new one last fall, and, well...you know how #2 ended up! So praise the Lord for His faithfulness! I felt like selling the house yesterday was a big hug from God reminding us to keep pressing on the path we've been praying over...that He is our ultimate Provider and has a plan for every aspect of our lives, wants to involved in every aspect of our lives - even our money. What a big weight lifted!!!!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Bentonville Steals
So I only have 2 of them (well, maybe two and a half), but for those that live in my area, I've had a few fun outings in the past few days that cost little-to-nothing and thought I would share.
The Bentonville square is one of my favorite places in this city. It is filled with things to do (family-oriented) for hours and we have spent quite a bit of time there in the past year.
Let me give you an example of a "day on the square" we have now done twice:
**Take the kids to play at the Splash Park for an hour or so.
** Dry them off and put them in the double jogger for our run through Crystal Bridges Trail (which is breathtaking GORGEOUS).
**Take a detour to check progress from the "lookout tower" of what Crystal Bridges Museum will soon be!! So excited for this one!!
**Stop by our favorite, Table Mesa to grab some Sweet Potato Fries to-go...they're AMAZING and the best part is a whole to-go box full, costs only $1. Seriously.
**Take our goodies to the fountains and play on the ridge in the pretty atmosphere (our kids LOVE this fountain!)
**The you can go to another restaurant on the square called Central Station and they give free ice cream to the kids! again, SERIOUSLY.
**Sit outside at their table son the square and let the kids eat some ice cream.
I did this little outing with Noah last week, and Jason and I took the kids out on the same little routine 2 nights ago. So much fun and we only spent a dollar when it was all said and done (and even got a workout in).
Then this morning, I got up with Lincoln while the rest of the house slept, and we headed to Krispy Kreme with a coupon for a free donut we've been holding on to for a few weeks now.
And just to add for you B'ville folks out there, we all found an awesome snow cone stand a mile or so off the square tonight called "Frozen Tung". We are snow cone snobs to some degree and loved these tonight!
Jason and I were just sitting here talking about how exciting these next few months are going to be. I remember this time last year being super fun with each other and our kids - especially the ages they are at. This warm weather this weekend has given us a taste of what's to come and I can't wait. Now if our dang pool would hurry and open! :)
The Bentonville square is one of my favorite places in this city. It is filled with things to do (family-oriented) for hours and we have spent quite a bit of time there in the past year.
Let me give you an example of a "day on the square" we have now done twice:
**Take the kids to play at the Splash Park for an hour or so.
** Dry them off and put them in the double jogger for our run through Crystal Bridges Trail (which is breathtaking GORGEOUS).
**Take a detour to check progress from the "lookout tower" of what Crystal Bridges Museum will soon be!! So excited for this one!!
**Stop by our favorite, Table Mesa to grab some Sweet Potato Fries to-go...they're AMAZING and the best part is a whole to-go box full, costs only $1. Seriously.
**Take our goodies to the fountains and play on the ridge in the pretty atmosphere (our kids LOVE this fountain!)
**The you can go to another restaurant on the square called Central Station and they give free ice cream to the kids! again, SERIOUSLY.
**Sit outside at their table son the square and let the kids eat some ice cream.
**By now we're usually reaching 2.5-3 hours, and if the kids are up for it, we will head to the other side of the square and play at the park (which, of course, happens to also be our favorite).
I did this little outing with Noah last week, and Jason and I took the kids out on the same little routine 2 nights ago. So much fun and we only spent a dollar when it was all said and done (and even got a workout in).
Then this morning, I got up with Lincoln while the rest of the house slept, and we headed to Krispy Kreme with a coupon for a free donut we've been holding on to for a few weeks now.
When we got there,
I let Lincoln pick out his free donut (and of course he insisted on "paying for it himself with his coupon), and while we were waiting they gave us 2 hot glazed ones (as usual, i think?).
Lincoln ate the one he picked out, and I put the 2 additional free glazed in the bag to take home for daddy for his breakfast - zero money spent! Lincoln and I had a good time together...we hung out in there for about 45 minutes, watching them make the donuts (he was fascinated...and wore the hat the whole time), and he even did a little dance party for the customers which was hilarious.
So those are my two recent "cheap dates" if you will, that were a blast with my fam. Love them.
And just to add for you B'ville folks out there, we all found an awesome snow cone stand a mile or so off the square tonight called "Frozen Tung". We are snow cone snobs to some degree and loved these tonight!
Jason and I were just sitting here talking about how exciting these next few months are going to be. I remember this time last year being super fun with each other and our kids - especially the ages they are at. This warm weather this weekend has given us a taste of what's to come and I can't wait. Now if our dang pool would hurry and open! :)
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Heavy Heart
I'm really not sure where to start...this week has been rough (we'll start there, I guess). As it is for the rest of the nation, Joplin remains heavy on my heart. I had the opportunity to spend 2 consecutive days there this past week and though they were long, exhausting, and emotionally draining, I am thankful for an active "body" that lives close and can just help where needed. It was massively encouraging to meet the vast amount of volunteers from all over the country who took time out of their lives to offer help and support. Literally, one day i worked with people from 4 different states who had just showed up to use their specific skills in helping.
The creativity of how people used their God-given talents was tremendous. The stories of the people of Joplin were heart-wrenching yet, oddly enough, uplifting in some respects.
One person took us through their flattened home and showed us the tiny bathroom that protected their entire family...his neighbor, however, had just pulled their 12-year-old son from the rubble; he did not survive.
Another lady wanted my help in looking at her sister's flat tire. As we were looking at it, I asked about her sister. She had been thrown into a field and died...her daughter in ICU from the storm...this poor lady was just trying to get her deceased sister's car out of the parking lot.
Some men from our team were helping a lady sift through the rubble that once was her house. She said the only 2 things she wanted to find was her wedding ring and a stuffed animal she had as a child. The men miraculously found both.
A group of us unloaded a packed uhaul of case of water into a semi for a good hour. I randomly asked the driver of the uhaul where he was from (thinking NWA); he was from Texas. Took a donation at his home church and drove it all the way up - with 2 flat tires on the way.
It was very common for people to load their cars/boxes up with food and water and walk/drive up and down the destruction offering it to the workers and families. One guy made a massive make-shift cooler with a pulley system attached and drug loads of fresh-cut watermelon, grapes, and other fresh fruits through the streets offering it to people.
Logan's Steakhouse (this is the group we got hooked up with) had 6 or so regional managers from all over the country cooking gigantic thick burgers for the people. They've been there since Sunday in the same spot, cooking about 2,000 burgers/day from 10-5. They plan to be there at least a week doing the same thing every day. One lady said it was the first hot meal she had since the tornado.
When we were giving burgers to a lady, a friend recognized her and ran to hug her. It was obvious they had not yet seen each other since the tornado. They both broke down crying in each other's arms...completely overcome with emotion.
One family whose house was completely destroyed, could not find their little dog the night of the tornado. The next day when they came back to sift through the rubble, their dog was there waiting on them.
These stories are just some of the ones I heard during my short time in Joplin. I'll be honest, after those 2 days, my mood was down. I didn't sleep well and I was having a hard time finding joy. In that day, I got news our buyer's loan went through successfully and we were set on closing this coming Thursday. But shortly after that, i got news from our buyer's that there is one potential glitch, completely independent of the loan and all, that could jeopardize the sale. We will know for certain if it's a "go" or not Monday. This crushed me and caused a wave of anxiety that added to my overall mood yesterday.
So I've prayed a lot these past for days. For the people of Joplin...for God's provision...against my own worry.
He is faithful.
The creativity of how people used their God-given talents was tremendous. The stories of the people of Joplin were heart-wrenching yet, oddly enough, uplifting in some respects.
One person took us through their flattened home and showed us the tiny bathroom that protected their entire family...his neighbor, however, had just pulled their 12-year-old son from the rubble; he did not survive.
Another lady wanted my help in looking at her sister's flat tire. As we were looking at it, I asked about her sister. She had been thrown into a field and died...her daughter in ICU from the storm...this poor lady was just trying to get her deceased sister's car out of the parking lot.
Some men from our team were helping a lady sift through the rubble that once was her house. She said the only 2 things she wanted to find was her wedding ring and a stuffed animal she had as a child. The men miraculously found both.
A group of us unloaded a packed uhaul of case of water into a semi for a good hour. I randomly asked the driver of the uhaul where he was from (thinking NWA); he was from Texas. Took a donation at his home church and drove it all the way up - with 2 flat tires on the way.
It was very common for people to load their cars/boxes up with food and water and walk/drive up and down the destruction offering it to the workers and families. One guy made a massive make-shift cooler with a pulley system attached and drug loads of fresh-cut watermelon, grapes, and other fresh fruits through the streets offering it to people.
Logan's Steakhouse (this is the group we got hooked up with) had 6 or so regional managers from all over the country cooking gigantic thick burgers for the people. They've been there since Sunday in the same spot, cooking about 2,000 burgers/day from 10-5. They plan to be there at least a week doing the same thing every day. One lady said it was the first hot meal she had since the tornado.
When we were giving burgers to a lady, a friend recognized her and ran to hug her. It was obvious they had not yet seen each other since the tornado. They both broke down crying in each other's arms...completely overcome with emotion.
One family whose house was completely destroyed, could not find their little dog the night of the tornado. The next day when they came back to sift through the rubble, their dog was there waiting on them.
These stories are just some of the ones I heard during my short time in Joplin. I'll be honest, after those 2 days, my mood was down. I didn't sleep well and I was having a hard time finding joy. In that day, I got news our buyer's loan went through successfully and we were set on closing this coming Thursday. But shortly after that, i got news from our buyer's that there is one potential glitch, completely independent of the loan and all, that could jeopardize the sale. We will know for certain if it's a "go" or not Monday. This crushed me and caused a wave of anxiety that added to my overall mood yesterday.
So I've prayed a lot these past for days. For the people of Joplin...for God's provision...against my own worry.
He is faithful.
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