Sarah Tribune

Blessed To Be Stressed

2012-01-26T12:12:00.000-06:00

Lately I feel as if I can't keep up. Life continues to pile-on without allowing me to finish the last thing that was added to the to-do list. It's no surpirse that I have allowed the tough times to drag me down. It's usually when I try to depend on myself to fix things that I continue to fall. Thankfully I have an amazing Heavenly Father who taps me on the shoulder and reminds me that if I depend on Him, He will provide all the strength I need to handle life's to-do list.

Chris' back pain is an ongoing struggle between doctors and insurance. This has been going on so long that working life around his pain has become a way of life. I depend on him to finish the day at home while I work at night. Simple tasks such as bathing Sarah or loading the dishwasher causes him so much pain, it's not worth the help. There's always a dish in the sink and our home is a disaster zone. I've chosen to be okay with the mess.

As for the battle with the insurance...they are functioning under the misguided theroy of penny smart pound foolish. They have no concern for Chris' quality of life. I understand their job is to limit costs, but I do believe a surgery to remove a possible bad disk would cost more than a contrast die test of the disk to make sure the disk is the problem before moving forward. Common sense just isn't common anymore.

I have fought the urge to drop to my knees begging God to answer why he must suffer so. I feel like I'm holding on by my fingernails though. The answers I have seen though this trial is that I am very capable of doing a man's chores. I feel so weak watching him suffer. I've watched him cry himself to sleep because the pain is so unbearable. Showers are misery to lift his leg over the side of the tub. Shaving is a challenge of holding his arm up to his face long enough to finish. I've always known he was strong. I don't know how he hasn't cracked under the pain. I do know that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

This week our sweet home Alabama was destroyed by an unusual winter tornado. There's a reason why winter highs shouldn't get up in the 70's when neighboring parts of the country are in the 20's and 30's. We know people who lost their homes. Fortunately we don't know anyone who lost their lives. Tragedies like this cause me to exam our personal situation a lost closer. Don't get me wrong, times are tough right now. Chris' back pain is only one of the many things on my plate right now. I am so blessed to be able to face these struggles. God promises to give us no more than we can bear. I know through all of this we are growing. At the end of a very long day, I come home to this amazing little family in a very dirty house!

Now enjoy the rest of this post in pictures from our October photo shoot at Catigny Park in Wheaton!

New Year's Day

2012-01-22T16:15:00.000-06:00

We spent New Year's Day at my mom's house. We never get to spend enough time together. Last Christmas, I got sick and couldn't be around my grandma because of the virus. This Christmas, my mom was sick and of course, didn't want to spread it to Sarah or me. We had planned our get together for New Year's day because of my sister's trip to Disney World. We just didn't get to stay as long as we had planned. No matter how little time you get with family is better than no time at all!

New Year's Eve

2012-01-16T15:13:00.001-06:00

We spent New Year's Eve at my sister's house. My step-brother, his wife, and children came over too. I'm horrible at getting everyone together for pictures. I finally rounded up all the children for a Johnsey cousins family picture!

These two are so cute together! They look just like my sister and I did at that age.

Anna has a loose tooth that she didn't want to show me!

It was warm enough in Alabama on New Year's Eve to roast hot dogs and smores!

All the girl cousins making silly faces!

Campfire marshmellows prove to be too big for smores! Lots of sticky kids later that evening.

A sleeping bag sleep over. An easy end to a fun night!

Christmas Morning 2011

2012-01-12T10:37:00.000-06:00

Christmas morning found Sarah still snug in her bed long after Santa stopped by to drop off her presents! I kept waking up through out the night just like my sister and I did years ago to check if the big guy had come yet! Sarah on the other hand is a Christmas morning sleeper! She sleeps later this one morning than any other regular morning! This year we had to wake her in order to get to church on time. The first words out of her mouth were "has Santa come yet?"

One day I'll figure out how to keep my finger out from in front of the flash!

I think finding all the milk & cookies gone is really Sarah's favorite part of the morning!

Torture!

She really didn't have time to play with her new toys before church. So once we got home and a quick change of clothes, we started having fun with all her new toys!

Christmas Eve--The Tale of the Christmas Cookies

2012-01-09T14:35:00.001-06:00

I love traditions and customs. The holidays are especially my favorite time for traditions. I remember chatting Chris' ear off before we were even expecting a baby of how I wanted to create traditions for our children. So Christmas Eve quickly rolls around this season. The hustle and bustle of the week didn't allow for cookies to be made before hand. I kinda liked, past tense intended, the idea of making Santa's cookies on Christmas Eve.

So late that evening, we got busy rolling dough, cutting out shapes, baking, icing and decorating. I was kinda proud of myself. Sarah was getting ready for a shower and I was cleaning up around the cookies to snap a picture of course. I remember thinking as I wiped the counter how horrible it would be if I knocked them off onto the floor. Honestly a split second later and all three layers of cookies went crashing onto the floor. I burst into sobs. Earlier that day, my cake stuck to the pan. That had never happended in all my years of baking. I had just heard a commercial for name brand baking sprays that promise baked goods would not stick to the pan. I thought to myself 'Yeah right. Store brand is just as good.' Well folks I learned my lesson there too.

I calmed down after a loving hug from Sarah. Thankfully I had more cookie dough and made simple peanut butter and chocolate kiss cookies. I'm sure Santa isn't picky and we got a funny story for Christmas' to come. Next year baking will be done in advance!

The cookies baking in the oven before they met with the floor and two happy dogs!

The replacements!

All ready for Santa & his reindeer!

Preschool Christmas Program

2012-01-09T14:09:00.000-06:00

Sarah's preschool always puts on a Christmas program the week school lets out for the holidays. This year's program was really cute and the kids did a great job singing! They all know Santa will visit and bring them a gift. Sarah was convinced it would be the gifts she asked him for Christmas. It took some convincing her that it would be something different so she wouldn't be disappointed like last year!

Visit with Santa Claus 2011

2011-12-06T16:32:00.000-06:00

Today we visited with Santa Claus! Sarah was excited and I was pretty proud of myself for not waiting to the last minute like usual. We got there just as he was getting ready for lunch. I had planned on getting there earlier, but some pain meds left at home coupled with a late night the night before just didn't equal us getting up at at 'em too early this morning.

She's getting so big that Santa had to ask her to jump as he lifted her onto his lap. He asked her if she was a princess and I don't think she knew how to answer that question. You don't want to lie to Santa even though you are a pretend princess! Thankfully she is on the nice list. He gave her a hug and a 'ho ho ho' which made her day! Earlier she told me that he wouldn't say that at the mall; only at the North Pole or on his sleigh.

She's as tall as a polar bear cub!

I can't believe she's 4.5 years old now! The years are flying bye. I thought I had more pics of her with Santa on the blog, but I guess not. You can see Her first visit with Santa here. I'm really shocked I didn't post the others. I guess that can be another blog post!

Waiting in line has really changed since I was a kid.

The Doctor Thought He Was Being Punked!

2011-11-30T23:02:00.000-06:00

What's new with us? Absolutely nothing. Chris' back pain is turning into a medical mystery. It started off so simple. He tweaked his back delivering a water heater. Six visits with a chiro did not help. He moved on to top notch pain specialist who believed this to be a simple fix. I shared with him my wants to grow my family and he assured me that Chris would be healthy soon. Seven months later, taking into account the three month break from treating his back to treat his kidney stones, Chris' pain is way worse than it was in May. The doctor is baffled!

He believes the time it took to treat Chris' kidney stones worsened the situation. I would agree since his pain is off the charts. Ever try to sleep while your husband, who you've watched weather a brain injury and stay awake during surgery for two amputated finger tips, cries out in pain during the night? He ordered a second MRI believing he would see a significant change that would show on paper what Chris is feeling. The results showed a normal back. The doctor actually asked if he was on Candid Camera! The disc is bulging a bit, but not enough to indicate the kind of pain he feels.

You would think he would have some relief in the form of drugs. No way. Nothing has worked at all. Finally he was prescribed a drug that eased his pain during the kidney stones. It's my prayer tonight that it works. It's beginning to wear on me to watch Chris suffer every day. Honestly it breaks my heart. I have to try to ignore it just to keep from crying with him.

The next step is a disc-o-gram. Even though the MRI doesn't show it, we all believe the pain is coming from the disk and not just the joints. Those joints have gone through a lot of testing with only 1 out 3 test having a positive result. The disc-o-gram is a procedure which will show if the disc is healthy or not. Ever hoped for an unhealthy disc?

Until then, we'll just keep on keeping on.....

Our First Family Photo Shoot

2011-11-29T23:29:00.001-06:00

The timing of this post may be a little strange considering it was 4.5 years ago. I can't believe that it's been that long ago, but judging from my younger skin and Chris' fuller head of hair, it truly has been some time ago!

I didn't have a blog when I was pregnant with Sarah. Since I use this blog as a primary source of journaling and I have yet to print one of these beautiful photos, I thought I should at least make a post of the fabulous maternity pictures my friend did for us!

Not Much to Post About Today....

2011-11-28T22:34:00.000-06:00

We had an extension of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend today. Chris found out last week that he has 42 hours of vacation/personal time to use before the end of the year. He took today off and it was a nice addition to the long weekend.

Sarah was super excited to have her daddy drop her off to school. We had a nice mini date during the 2.5 hour preschool morning. We enjoyed pastries and coffee at Panera, a trip to Menard's (such a man thing to do on your off day), and a quick trip to Target all before school let out. I really enjoyed my morning with him. I didn't realize how little time we do get to spend together since I went back to work three years ago. It's nice having this time together since he will not be able to go to Alabama for Christmas since he's in so much pain.

Speaking of his pain, he had an MRI this afternoon. Hopefully the answers are definitive and will lead to quick action, but not before he uses up those vacation hours!

Tomorrow it's back to reality around here!

Moving On Up---Again!

2011-11-27T20:57:00.000-06:00

It's happened agan! She just keeps growing longer and longer. We finally moved her into a full size twin bed. She's been sleeping in her convertible crib day bed. Lately she has been getting up a lot in the middle of the night. We think it's a combo of her wanting in our bed plus not sleeping well in her little bed any more.

It took some time as you can see here to move her out of the baby bed into the toddler bed. It felt as if my baby was turning into a big girl all of a sudden. Today felt the same. This time the change in beds has been really long over due. I couldn't decide if we should buy a new bed, convert her crib into a full size or just move the daybed out of the office/guest room into her room. Finally I just pulled the trigger and got it done!

You should have seen how happy she was as we were breaking down beds and moving things around. She had to call her cousins and tell them all about it! I'm happy knowing that she should stay tucked into warm covers all night. Here's to more sleep for the both of us!

Elf On the Shelf - Lucy

2011-11-26T21:46:00.000-06:00

I told Sarah that since she is 4 now, an elf from the north pole would be coming to live with us for the Christmas season. Well on Thanksgiving evening, just as we finshed dinner, I got a call from the North Pole letting me know our elf had arrived! I ran outside to welcome her.

Excited is not a big enough word to describe Sarah that night or any day since. She named her Lucy, but may change to Sophie before long. She can't wait to wake up in the morning to find Lucy's new spot in the house. She walks by her often through out the day throwing hugs and blowing kisses. She even ask me what toy do I want for Christmas so she can tell Lucy!

Welcome Lucy to our home! I'm looking forward to spending many Christmas seasons with you.

Thanksgiving Day Wrap Up

2011-11-25T21:09:00.000-06:00

This year, like most years, it was a quite Thanksgiving just the three of us at home. I love spending the holidays with family and friends, but it ususally doesn't work out for Thanksgiving. I couldn't be any happier spending the day with my two favorite people and that's exactly what I did!

The day started off nice and lazy. No rush for just the three of us to eat early. Thanksgiving is always served at dinner time at our house. We started with a french toast casserole in the oven while we watched The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. This was one of my Honeybun's favorite parades to watch. I watch every year, but this year felt a little more special to me.

The menu was nice and easy. I was surprised how everything went in and came out of the oven on time! We had the juciest turkey breast every. Who knew mayoneise was the trick? Cornbread dressing and roasted veggies with a rosemary olive oil coating were the fixings. The menu was complete with a home made apple pie ala mode. Yumm-o!

The kitchen was a quick clean up. The night ended with a visit from an elf sent directly from the north pole. Her name is Lucy which may change to Sophie. She's doing good work here! I'm sure a post will soon come about her. All in all it was a wonderful Thanksgiving.

We are thankful for wonderful family and friends who have seen us through the ups and downs of this year!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T21:50:00.000-06:00

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankfulness - Sarah

2011-11-23T23:27:00.001-06:00

Five years, almost to the date, after we were married we were blessed with Sarah. We both knew from the very start that children were important to the both of us. We thought for sure we would have a houseful. Starting a family seemed like it would return us to normalcy after Chris' accident and recovery and my year plus struggle with PTSD and depression.

Our first pregnancy was easy to acheive. Unfortunately it ended in miscarriage. We were devasted. I thought that after the trial of Chris' accident, we were in for some good times ahead. Well that fairy tale world doesn't exist. A long year later I was pregnant again and again lost in miscarriage.

It seemed almost everyone I knew was busy trying or having their second baby. Every day and night I would pray that if we could only have one, we would be forever grateful. Finally after encouragement from friends, I changed doctors and found one interested in helping us. A lot of testing and a few months later, my suspisions were confirmed that I had a low progesterone level. Praise God the fix was easy and we conceived within the next two months.

Sarah was born on May 4, 2007 a happy, healthy baby girl. Another day that forever changed me. Today my heart longs to hold another baby in my body and arms. We've lost two pregnancies since which confirms that levels are low once again. I remember asking God for just one baby to tuck into bed at night and I got just what I asked. I am amazingly content if she is our only angel on this side of heaven for I know we have five more (I had a twin pregnancy) waiting when we get home!

Thankfulness - Chris & Me

2011-11-22T22:19:00.000-06:00

I am very thankful for my husband and our marriage. I am extra blessed when it comes to Chris. Besides being a great guy, he's a living, walking, talking miracle! Anyone who knows me knows this story. Our marriage started with Chris having a horrible accident. Just as we were figuring out our lives together, the accident came as a major change. That day forever changed us.

We were young, but not invincible. I had turned 26 the month before and Chris was about to turn 30 that week. I was encouraged by the hospital chaplin to say my goodbyes to my husband of almost 9 months. I just couldn't say the words. As I stood outside the doors to the operating room and Chris lay on a gurnee, I held his left hand with my left hand and squeezed his shoulder with my right. The only words other than 'I love you' I could muster were for him to hurry up and come back to me. Thankfully he did!

It's been a long time since the accident. I wish it wasn't a part of our lives, but I some how can't seem to shake it. So I finally decided to embrace it. God blessed me richly that day. I was told he wouldn't survive the surgery and he did. I was given grim hope that if he lived, the possibility of him returning to normal was slim. He is so close to normal that you wouldn't notice the deficits.

I don't often embrace the change or the hard times it brought, but the one thing I wouldn't trade is the bond between us and my bond to his family. So this Thanksgiving and every day since February 13, 2003 I am thankful for God's blessings and mercies.

Kick Off to Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T23:12:00.000-06:00

I really love this time of year. I enjoy cleaning house, preparing the menu, & most of all cooking. I really enjoying spening time with family. Most years it's just the three of us and that's ok. I try to make it special and I'm looking forward to building memories as this holiday season get under way.

Every year at preschool, the teacher writes exactly what each child is thankful for. You'll get a kick out of hers this year, especially since she doesn't have any!

The Circus

2011-11-20T22:32:00.000-06:00

Today we made our first visit to the circus. I don't know who was more excited in the days leading up to today! She was very excited as we got ready and drove downtown. However she wasn't too excited when we parked. She said she was scared of the lions. Considering she didn't know what to expect, I guess I would be scared too.

Her fears quickly calmed once inside and the ample opportunities to spend money appeared. She had some spending money and dropped $22 on this spinny thing!

Waiting on the show to start. She didn't want to participate in the pre-show meet and greet, so we just watched from our seats.

After reading Water for Elephants I have a new appreciation for the circus and elephants.

iPhone Pics

2011-11-19T21:29:00.001-06:00

Sarah has a budding love affair with the camera. She mostly likes to video, but will snaps pics too. When I uploaded my iPhone, these are some of the fun pics I've taken of her since I got the phone.

It's never too early to start teaching her right. Especially with Chris down, I need all the help I can get!

Lots of these!

Cute new hat!

Plenty of this over the summer while we waited on Daddy.

Her fashion sense!

Waiting in line at the Streamwood Summer Celebration!

Story time with librarian Sarah. I love her love of books! She even likes the smell of them just like I do!

My great grandmothe's wig plus my doll, Lolly equals a priceless pic!

Her first Painted Penguin masterpiece!

A Family Photo of Sorts

2011-11-18T21:38:00.002-06:00

Any Old Day

2011-11-17T21:48:00.001-06:00

I spent today with this little cutie, just like everyday. The morning started early as we headed to Chris' work place for a health screening. Sarah was her usual shy self when people spoke to her. I embrace stranger danger. She is her mother's child after all! The car ride there was filled with tons of questions, reading books, and I think she finished Alvin & The Chipmunks for the millionth time!

We had every intention of going to IKEA. Why stores must open so late in the morning amazes me. We headed over to the mall to wait and got sucked into the familiarity of hanging at the mall. We never made to IKEA. I love these preschool days were time is flexible and plans can change just because.

I'm excited for the fast, rushing upon us holiday season! I bought Sarah the cutest snowman sweater today in preparation for meeting the jolly old elf.

Noah's Flood

2011-11-16T22:51:00.000-06:00

This morning as we were loading in the Tahoe heading to preschool, Sarah noticed a pair of Chris' work boots. She thought he had left them at home. I told her those were special boots Daddy wears when working in water. She quickly replied that God promised to never flood the Earth again. I praised her understanding of The Word. Never to be one to let a moment pass, she asked if her Daddy helped clean up after Noah's flood!

It was a great laugh for me, but one that didn't make sense to her. The great flood could have been last year for all she knows. I wonder if she thinks the birth of Jesus was just a few years ago? Or if Heaven and Earth were newly created?

Driving home I thought about how wonderful it is to be a child. So close to Heaven that when she sleeps I can see the peace Jesus promises each of us. She doesn't realize life is fleeting and that she is growing way too quickly for my liking. It's moment's like these that make me grateful that I get to share every day with my blessing from above!

The Difference in Chores

2011-11-15T22:03:00.002-06:00

I worked outside today. I worked consistently from 11:30 AM until 4:20 PM with a quick break for lunch and a quick chat with my mom. It was a beautiful day to be outside. I only wish I had been doing this instead of raking leaves and picking up after the dogs. It was a nice, warm day in November and at least I was outside no matter what I was doing.

I like yardwork because it gives me time to think. My head has been a little crowded to say the least. The sound of the lawn mower or leaf blower keeps Sarah at bay. I can sort through a lot of thoughts that's been paiently waiting.

Today I thought about how outdoor chores differ from indoor chores. (I know this isn't a deep thought, but I found it interesting.) When cleaning the house or doing laundry, I never had to worry about the weather or my work schedule. This isn't true with yardwork. If I had to work that evening, I had to be finished cutting grass by 1:00 PM or my head was too swimmy to focus on my consultations or marketing. When we had the unbearable heat this summer, I watched the weather in hopes of a favorable day to cut grass.

Now with cold snaps becoming longer and the autumn rains falling, I find myself trying to squeeze it all in. Chris and I are usually trying to out run Old Man Winter when it comes to the final yardwork of the season. Since I'm a man down, I've been super focused on getting everything done. Now if that one last tree in the neigbor's yard would drop it's leaves, I would be finished. Who am I kidding? I still have gutters to clean!

Monday Monday

2011-11-14T23:31:00.000-06:00

Life has been so busy lately. I work a non-traditional schedule so I can be home with Sarah while Chris is at work. The down side to that is we are rarely home together as a family and only have one day a week off together and that's if I'm not at a bridal expo.

I usually take Mondays to catch up on chores and errands. Lately I feel like my body is on the verge of shut down. So today we planned a more laid back approach. While Sarah was at school, I came home and did a little work. After school we went to a friend's house and spent a lazy afternoon with healthy snacks for moms, good chat among friends, and a great play date for the kids!

Darth Vader & Iron Man a.k.a. Carter and Sarah

I got a good laugh at the height difference the Iron Man helmet gave to Sarah over Carter. She is taller than him, but not by that much!

My Two Favorite People

2011-11-13T23:53:00.000-06:00

These are my two favorite people in the whole world! I am blessed to be able to call myself a wife to the big one and a mommy to the cutest one. This time of year brings a focus on thanksgiving. I am so grateful for the love of my life. His daily struggles with pain burdens my heart. He's the other half of my heart and when he hurts, so do I.

I don't know if I have the words to describe how grateful I am for Sarah. We have wanted to add to our family for a couple of years now. A lot of things have happened and it simply hasn't been the right time. I can say that I amazingly content if she is our only one. I never thought I would be able to say that until we struggled with having a baby. I remember praying that if God would give us just one, I would be forever grateful...and I am.

This makes me grateful too!

Good Bye Charlie

2011-11-12T22:59:00.000-06:00

Today our long living sucker fish Charlie passed away. This may be weird to post about a fish but since I'm so often asked about him, I thought it was only fitting.

We got a large aquarium about 8 years ago. We started with a couple goldfish and a baby sucker fish. He probably wasn't an inch long. He grew to be a huge fish; a good 8" to 10" at least. I think people commented on his size because he was the largest sucker fish I've seen outside of a public aquarium. He's the only fish Sarah's ever known in our aquarium. Since he grew so large, we didn't have space for more fish. He will be missed.

A Spring Photo Shoot

2011-11-11T18:32:00.000-06:00

I can not believe how late I am with this post. I was looking through my pictures today and found a lot that I didn't post. Since blogging is my only journaling and scrapbooking is so far behind, I guess better late than never!

This day was the end of 3year old preschool which was mid May. I love how excited she was to have her acheivement certificate. When I first looked at the remarks and saw all "F's" my heart stopped. Then I read the key which said "F" meant frequently. The teacher wrote a note that said Sarah likes to share stories with others and for her to keep up the good work. I am so proud of the little social butterfly she is becoming!

It was a beautiful, sunny day and since Sarah was all dressed up, I took her to Volkening Lake for a few pictures. I usually wait too long and miss the tulips. This is the first year in her four years that I actually remembered.

Pony Ride

2011-11-10T23:59:00.000-06:00

Our first visit to Goebert's Pumpkin Farm was to the animal tents and the corn maze. Sarah begged me to ride the ponies. I promised to bring her back just for the pony rides. So one pretty afternoon she and I headed out again. This time specifically to ride the ponies.

She was all happy and fine until I went to lift her onto the saddle. The above picture is after the ride is over. It took a few go arounds before she would even loosen her grip on my hand. I finally pulled away and this is what she looked like. It looks like torture I know, but seriously she was fine. This wasn't her first pony ride.

This picture is what makes me laugh. It's snaped seconds after the one above. I asked her to smile and she put one for the camera!

Field Trip Mommy

2011-11-09T23:15:00.002-06:00

I signed up again this year to chaperone the fall field trip to a pumpkin patch. I remember last year thinking that once was enough. The cold temperatures mixed with the hustle of a preschool trip made me want to let someone else have a turn.

Fast forward to this year...and I signed up again. I truly love being a mom, enjoying her experiences, and being around other little kids. I remember being a kid and wishing my mom was able to the room mom or the field trip chaperone. Unfortunately, she had to work and was rarely able to attend those early childhood moments with me. So I was picked to go again this year and I really enjoyed it.

Sarah with her friend Olivia. Too bad these girls won't go to the same school next year. I guess playdates will have to do!

This next series of pictures is from the haunted trail ride. They had the goblins up, but nothing spooky happened. I loved watching their faces!

Pre-Holiday Warm Up

2011-11-08T22:29:00.000-06:00

I love this time of year! The preparations for the holidays are getting underway. This weekend, we needed to stop by the Home Depot. Sarah was all too excited to look at every last little thing that was Christmas.

Enjoy this video of her singing with Elmo!

Organization

2011-11-07T22:19:00.001-06:00

Sarah's definitely my kid! My proof is in her organizing items (toys, dolls, books, ducklings - her favorite) by size, color, and category. Unfortunately this hasn't been me very much since she was born. Before she came along, this skill got me my current job. I answered a question during a job interview about organization with 'I organize my dishwasher!' I really think that's what won Amy over.

Anyway, Sarah has the bug too! I wish she kept everything organized, but then again she is a kid and we don't want to start any disorders right? My organization is coming back too now that I'm finding the old Joy. I've missed her and I've enjoyed bing with her lately. More about that in another post.

Yard Work

2011-11-06T19:57:00.001-06:00

Yard work has been my new chore this spring, summer, and fall season. Chris has been in some serious pain for a long time now. When the cold weather lost it's grip and the grass began to grow, I knew yard work was my new chore.

Growing up, my mom did't allow us to be outside if dad was mowing the grass. When we got our own lawn to care for, I would help Chris, but as soon as the mower came out, it was instinctual for me to go into the house. So can you imagine the first time I mowed grass this past spring? A neighbor actually came out to see what was the matter with Chris!

Even though it's been time consuming and sometimes frustrating to figure out the issues our mower has had, I'm thankful for the experience. I'm very grateful that I am able bodied and even got a little exercise along the way!

Now onto a new adventure in the coming weeks; learning to use the snow blower!

Game Day

2011-11-05T16:47:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things about growing up in the South is college football gameday. There's just nothing like it. Thankfully Chris and I can still feel a part of the tradition since many Bama games are nationally televised.

Today's game will be a special one. I think it's the first time in regular season that the #1 and #2 teams have played one another. There's a lot of hype surrounding this game. Both of these teams are undefeated going into tonight's game. We've even heard people in Chicago talking about this game.

Chris and I will not get to experience this game live. This year his company is treating everyone to dinner and entertainment at Maggiano's. Sarah is going to a neighbor's house and we get to be kid free for an evening. It almost doesn't feel right not watching this game live. I guess that's one way of knowing that you are truly Southern born and Southern bred!

Roll Tide!

The Six Month Mark

2011-11-04T21:14:00.000-05:00

I am good with dates. I always have been. It helps considering the work I do. So today's date, November 4th always sticks in my head. Even though it's not the day she was born, it is the six month mark.

When she was only six months old, we celebrated! It was a mile stone that I needed to mark for my own sanity. The following year, we spent the day at the zoo to celebrate a friend's birthday. This is one of my favorite pictures of her.

Each year seems to be faster than the one before it. I'm loving every minute of it. Today she is a sweet, smart, compassionate little 4 1/2 year old!

Cherry-O

2011-11-03T22:06:00.000-05:00

I played with Sarah today. Yesterday at school the teacher told me that toward the end of class that Sarah was teary eyed and missed her mommy. I knew it was because she was tired combined with a sugary diet of Halloween candy. She hasn't been sleeping well lately and I sometimes feel like a new mommy.

So today we played. We played Hi Ho Cherry-O to be exact. Brother and Sister played too with a little help from the two of us since they are imaginary! It brought back memories of my sweet Honeybun. She would play with us forever.

I love the simplicity of that game. I often feel the weight of the world on my shoulders, but not today. Today I played!

NaBloPoMo

2011-11-02T14:47:00.001-05:00

NaBloPoMo. You probably think I've lost my mind. It sounds like I've taken up baby talk. What I've actually done is taken the challenge to participate in NaBloPoMo which is National Blog Posting Month. It's a challenge to write a post every single day in the month of November. Fun huh?

Back in the summer I was searching for something to challenge myself with on a daily basis for a short period of time. I thought about a lot of things like daily photos or new recipe posting. Honestly I can't remember what type of challenges I thought about. One night at the studio I met a sweet couple about to get married. I found out they met one another through their blogs back when blogging was just getting started. They asked if I had ever participated in NaBloPoMo. I was clueless. When they shared with me what it's about, I knew I had the challenge I was looking for. I just had to wait until November. I was tempted to write a few post to save for this month, but then that wouldn't be a true challenge would it?

I don't know where this will lead. I personally would like to experience the growth that writing has always cultivated in me. I'm looking forward to following others who have accepted this challenge as well. Google NaBloPoMo and you will find a lot of information.

I'm planning on continuing to post about our daily life in pictures. I think I have a ton of pictures that were never posted so that should help with any writer's block. I'm excited to see what this experience brings forth.

Happy NaBloPoMo!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T21:23:00.001-05:00

Every Halloween is more fun than the last! She finally wanted to be a princess...Cinderella to be exact. Thankfully there was no going back and forth on ideas this year. It's been decided since August! When it came time to dress up on Friday for Safety Town, I think I was more giddy than Sarah. I've been looking forward to the princess stage which for Sarah didn't start until recently.

She had preschool on Halloween. It started with a parade & she was smiling and waving all the way through.

Check out the Angry Bird! His dad made the costume. He almost didn't fit in the car!

Our sweet neighbors and stand in grandparents for Sarah.

This house was all decorated for Halloween. Sarah's admiring the graveyard with body parts in the front lawn. She got exactly this far before she turned around and needed my help!

She even said 'Trick-Or-Treat' and 'Thank You' when this monster opened the door!

I thought she would really want to go to a lot of houses. We did our street before Chris got home. He's in a lot of pain, so walking wasn't for him. I offered her to hop in the truck and do more houses in the area. She really wanted to go back to our house to hand out candy. I changed her mind when I told her we could go to her preschool teacher's house. That lead to more trick or treating when she saw her friends Oliva & Charlotte along the way. She did a few houses with them. That made her day!

Pumpkin Patch - Take Two!

2011-10-26T13:38:00.000-05:00

We decided to give the pumpkin patch another try when Monday turned out to be a nice day. I realized I didn't have one single picture of her with a pumpkin from our first visit. The ground was muddy & I thought we just might have another good weather day to go. This time we skipped all the money sucker attractions & had fun hanging out at the patch. She did ride the ponies and I'm saving that experience for another post!

Goebert's Pumpkin Farm

2011-10-19T14:19:00.001-05:00

***WARNING***

This post may contain a lot of pictures depending on your relationship to Sarah!

We made it to the pumpkin patch last week. It's most unfortunate for any one who goes with us because I always pick a miserable day to go. Hello hair tangles for the both of us! Wind is miserable except when I'm tucked in to the comforts of home.

I didn't take pictures of her next to pumpkins on the ground since it had just rained. I am hoping to go back, but from the looks of the weather forecast, the best is probably over. Stay tuned for another pumpkin patch pictures if everything comes together weather/work wise!

Don't you just love a giraffe's tongue? A few years ago before they built this viewing deck, I fed one a carrot. You had to let it take the carrot from your hand. It was a really neat experience.

I was really shocked how close Sarah came to feeding the giraffe. Then we bought feed in the tents and she was all about feeding the animals. This is a first for her.

I got great shots of Mazi copying the dinosaur. This year Sarah had zeo to do with the dinosaur. She stood way behind me the whole time!

Cousins

2011-10-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

This new school year is my nephew Austin's freshman year in high school. His class is the first freshman class in a brand new high school. The first football game of the year in the new stadium was held when we were home for Honeybun's funeral. She loved football and wouldn't have wanted Austin to miss it. We tried to have fun considering the circumstances. More so than having fun, we were able to enjoy time together as a family.

Unfortunately Austin wasn't available for any photo opps since he was busy hanging out with friends!

Allison, Anna, Sarah, & Brayden

Six Weeks Into Eternity

2011-10-03T13:45:00.001-05:00

My Grandmother, who my sister & I lovingly called Honeybun passed away six weeks ago yesterday. I've wanted to write about it for Sarah, but I found sitting down to collect my toughts really difficult. I loved her so much. She was more than a grandmother.

My Grandpa Al, short for Alfred, passed on just three months before I was born. She put all her focus, energy, and love into caring for me. Then just sixteen months later, my sister Jill came along. She always said it was like having twins!

She took care of the whole family. Daddy and Mom worked an hour away. She took care of the household. I was spoiled on all of her yummy cooking. I am glad that I paid attention to her cooking. Don't get me wrong, I am no where close to her delicousness. Now that I have a child of my own, I know the huge help she was to my family.

Ultimately she sucumbed to the disease she feared the most. The last 8 to 10 years have been really sad. I'm not sure if it's a blessing or not to watch someone you love slowly slip away. God bless my mom for taking such good care of her.

This was the sky the night we buried her, August 26. I like to think it was her way of smiling down on us.

I am so thankful she got to meet Sarah. Each time I miscarried before having a successful pregnancy, my heart broke just a little more at the thought of Honeybun never meeting or holding my baby.

I wish I had more pictures of her. These are probably the best from her later years.

My mom wanted to ride down to the river while I was still in town. My grandfather built a home along with the help of my great grandfather. This was his and Honeybun's vacation & fishing spot. Later, when I was four years old, we moved from Birmingham to Clanton to live full time. Almost all of my childhoold memories are based there.

Sarah, Allison, & Anna

My mom and her granddaughters.

DuPage Children's Museum

2011-09-26T16:31:00.000-05:00

Sarah participated in the Summer Reading Program at our local library. Each week she received rewards for reading and a pass to our favorite children's museum was one of them! We hadn't been in a couple of years and now that's she's four it was the perfect age. We met up with a friend and had a ton of fun!

This is the snap I got when I thought I had turned my flash off. I love their smiles. They were just too wiggly to ask for one more picture!

You can't see it, but this ring closes them into a bubble!

The upstairs has been redone into a train exhibit. When I went to check on her, she had set up a chair at the ticket booth and was selling train tickets!

4 Year Old Preschool!

2011-09-18T13:58:00.001-05:00

We have been super excited for preschool to begin. Although I hate to see summer go, I love the start to fall and so does Sarah! This year there were no tears or fears for either one of us unlike last year. It's hard to believe that soon I'll be registering her for big girl school!

Splash Pad

2011-07-22T11:59:00.000-05:00

We decided to beat the heat with a trip to the splash pad. We've had extremly hot temps near 100 degrees this past week. We've stayed home every single day. I finally decided that we would be up to our bums in snow before long, so we should take advantage of summer. We made sure to take plenty of water with us. I felt like a sports medicine person (that's for my nephew who prefers not to be called a waterboy) running up to Sarah every 10 minutes for a drink of water. It ended up being the perfect day!

When I saw this picture, I thought gross I need to brush her teeth better. Thankfully I remembered she was eatinga snack when I snapped this picture!

Capps Family Reunion - Out of Order!

2011-07-18T14:38:00.000-05:00

I am so behind on blogging. This post & my last one is out of order. I have some really cute & fun pictures from the spring to post. It's driving me crazy because I like things to be in order although you can't tell it looking from the outside in right now. Everything in my life seems out of order, literally & figuratively. I guess it seems fitting that my journaling of our life right now is out of order. I am blessed beyond measure, so I'll quite complaining & blog!

This weekend was the annual Capps family reunion. Every year we rotate between Chicago & Alabama. This year I was lucky enough to have my mom, my oldest nephew, and my youngest niece able to join! The economy has made the long distance seem even longer. We only have been able to visit once a year the last couple of years. So even though it was a short stay, part of Friday & all day Saturday, I enjoyed the time I got! I didn't take too many pictures which seems wierd since we don't see one another often.

Austin, Sarah, Anna, & Nana (my mom)

Sarah, Anna, Reese & Wyatt (My cousin Sheryll's kids)

I didn't think we were ready to walk down to the beach, so I didn't take my long range lens. I still like the picture though.

These two were inseperable! Funny fact: They both celebrated their golden birthdays this past May!

This picture best describes how this poor guy is feeling. Spine issues AND kidney stones at the same time. I'm ready for him to feel so much better. If it's tough on me knowing he's in pain, I can only imagine how he feels.

These two were still going strong after a dance party. This picture was snapped around 11:30 PM. Thankfully we all had very long naps that afternoon!

The 4th...It Didn't End Like We Planned

2011-07-14T12:42:00.000-05:00

This year we planned to go to a different town's parade. I'm kinda tired of the local one here. It's a little boring. I'm use to the big ones with marching bands & floats. This parade didn't disappoint. We just didn't anticipate that we parked close to the residential section versus the business district. Chris couldn't walk too far due to his back issue. So we ended up on the very sunny, hot side of the street. Fortunately, we found a family who let us share their lawn!

Later that afternoon, we enjoyed a nice BBQ and planned to attend the fireworks show. Sarah was really excited about that part of the day. After lunch, Chris started not to feel well. I honestly didn't think much of it assuming it had to do with the pain issues connected with his back. So I went to visit with my neighbors and share some desserts I had made for the holiday. Not long into the visit, Chris calls their home asking me to come home. I found him laying on the floor between our kitchen and living room. He was writhing in pain. Long story short: an ambulance trip to the ER, an almost overdose of pain drugs (yep he was turning blue & unconscious), a CT Scan to reveal 2 kidney stones, an admittance to the hospital, and surgery on Wednesday morning to retrieve 1 of the 2 stones was how our July 4th ended.

Sarah with no shoes in the middle of the road!

Best seat in the house!

You see that lady on the left side of the picture that obviously not with the band? That's where she stood the whole parade. Some bands had to march around her. It bugged me because I couldn't get any good pictures without her in them!

A little strange way to advertise?

2011-06-25T20:22:00.000-05:00

Since Sarah's birthday fell during the week, we met up with our friends at Build-A-Bear Workshop. I told the lady who greeted us at the door that it was Sarah's birthday and boy did she get the special treatment. It was really fun for her even though she doesn't like attention directed her way unless she's requesting the attention. Trust me that she ask for plenty of attention all the time and isn't one bit shy. Currently is shrilling at almost the top of her lungs in public. It stops all conversations!

This bear is "extra" special. It has two hearts full of wishes!

Welcome Fluffy to the family who shares her birthday with Sarah!

Easter Sunday

2011-06-25T19:22:00.000-05:00

Easter was really exciting this year. It was later in the spring which helped for all the snow to be melted although it wasn't as warm as I would have preferred.

This year the tricky Easter Bunny hid Sarah's basket. He hid it in her favorite hiding spot. He'll have to be smarter next year to outsmart this one!

Sarah had been asking since the winter why she couldn't see God. I tried to explain as best I could, but she just wasn't getting it. One morning after Easter, we were on our way to preschool. We passed a church with the crucifixes still on display. She asked again about seeing God. I asked her if she could feel Him in her heart. She thought a moment & said no but she could feel me. That made my whole week! I asked her if she believed in the Easter Bunny even though she couldn't see him. She said of course because he brought her a basket. I told her it was the same with God. Just because she couldn't see Him she could see His work all around us. That simple answer worked after all the months of her asking. So just like those cute kids on TV when I was a kid "Thank You Easter Bunny!"

Don't you love the PJ combo? A little Christmas thrown in with Easter!

Trickier hiding spots this year!

Dyeing Easter Eggs 2011

2011-06-10T07:45:00.000-05:00

She showed a lot more interest in dyeing eggs this year. I only bought a dozen eggs. She definitely would have had the patience & interest in doing more!

2011-05-18T23:15:00.000-05:00

Dear Grandma & Whoever Else Keeps Up With The Ballengers;

Blogger isn't allowing me to upload photos of your precious granddaughter. It will allow me to do so from the laptop which has horrible downloading and storage issues but not from the computer where our pictures are stored. I will continue to work so you can keep up with our dimple darling.

Love,

Joy

Sheriff Woody Meets the Easter Bunny

2011-04-22T22:07:00.000-05:00

She was supper excited to meet the Easter Bunny this year! She was a big girl too. Not like in the past were Mommy had to sit with the Bunny & get clawed by a freaked out kid. She got a little nervous in line, but the nerves seemed to pass when she realized that good ole Sheriff Woody would go with her. The bunny played with her a bit before she hopped up on the seat. That smoothed things out just right.

Saying Goodbye to a Friend

2011-04-19T12:07:00.000-05:00

Our friends, the Chany's have moved to sunny Florida. We met when these two were just weeks old. I am so grateful that my hospital offered a nursing support group. Not only did I build the confidence needed to nurse, but Sarah and I both built great friendships. Sarah's been blessed to have a close knit group of friends for four years. She will miss Nick. They had a lot of fun at their last impromptu playdate.

F.I.N.A.L.L.Y.

2011-04-11T12:52:00.000-05:00

Thank goodness we had a warm weekend! Cabin fever was beginning to take over & the thought of Old Man Winter never leaving town was becoming depressing. We had a good bit of wind to contend with, but I'll take wind over drizzle & cold any day. Just not every day, please.

Our village rebuilt a few parks at the end of last season. One just happened to be in our neighborhood. Sarah patiently bidded her time once the snow melted and the orange barriers were taken down. We visited twice this weekend!

How Did She Do That?

2011-02-23T09:41:00.001-06:00

The other night I was sweeping up after cutting Chris' hair & as always, Sarah took off with the broom. When Chris walked into the living room, he found the broom standing on its bristles! How did she do that?

Hapy President's Day from The Lincolns

2011-02-23T09:36:00.000-06:00

This was Sarah's preschool craft as she learned about President's Day. It made for a cute photo shoot!

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T13:38:00.000-06:00

Chris pulled off a surprise this year! It's rare for him to catch me off guard, so when the delivery guy came to my door with flowers, I was very surprised. They are beautiful!

Sarah focused on yummy Valentine projects!

This was her teachers' gift. The tag says, "Whisking you a Happy Valentine's Day". It was a hit!

Morning Person?

2011-02-08T12:28:00.000-06:00

Sarah and I have been doing a lot of riding in the car since last Friday when Chris' truck broke down. She has been a real trooper considering we sat for 1 hour and 20 minutes waiting for the tow truck driver and another 20 minutes waiting for Chris to get out of work. Not to forget that she waited a good 30 minutes while I tried to help Chris fix his truck late on Friday night.

This morning, we drove Chris to work. We were in the car by 5:15 AM and home by 6:40 AM. Sarah was confused by me telling her it's morning when it was still dark outside. You see, she's not suppose to come out of her bedroom until the sun comes up telling us it's morning. She asked me Saturday morning to tell the sun to go back down, she was still tired! I made her a hearty breakfast of eggs, bagel with cream cheese, and apple juice praying that it would give her the energy to stay awake during preschool. It must have given her just enough energy because she passed out on the short trip home!

Ground Hog Day Blizzard

2011-02-02T21:34:00.000-06:00

We have lived here for 10 years this March & this was our first Chicago blizzard. Chris & I experienced a blizzard in Alabama of all places in 1993. This was more of a thunder snow storm than I remember in 93. The winds were crazy all night long. I stayed up late watching & listening. I really like stormy weather. It was fun trying to take pictures, but a little difficult to capture the fury of the storm.

The wind was blowing the snow so hard it came in under the garage door & along the sides. It was pretty cool to see it stick to the cob webs. I should have taken a picture earlier before they were so heavy with snow. I guess when spring gets here, we have some cleaning to do!

The winds broke our street lamp.

The dogs were not happy that they couldn't go outside this morning. Chris had to go to work. Crazy I know since he isn't a police officer, firefighter, EMT, or medical personnel. Who ask their employees to be in by 7 AM after a blizzard of possible historic proportions? Anyway, he went, couldn't get into the parking lot & was sent home. Thankfully he made it there & home safely considering it is February.

So excited to get outside!

Christmas Morning

2010-12-26T09:45:00.000-06:00

This Christmas season was magical. Sarah began learning that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of baby Jesus. She also caught on quickly to the concept of Santa Claus! I thought for sure this would be the year that she woke us up early. I was wrong. Just like last year, we had to wake her up. Any other day of the year, she is up bright & early. I guess the excitement of Christmas Eve tuckered her out!

This movie, Beauty & The Beast is all Iheard about at the end of summer/early fall. She talked about how she wanted it for Christmas. She forgot all about it. I love the complete look of surprise on her face!

Two Sing-A-Ma-Jigs. They can sing in harmony.

I had to include this picture for memory/journaling keepsake. When will I learn to look a little better for Christmas morning pics? Anyway, Sarah made this gift for us at preschool. She kept it a secret for at least two weeks. Right after she played with her toys from Santa (a pillow pet & a Zhu Zhu pet) she insisted that I open our gift from her. She is so sweet & thoughtful!

This was her homemade gift. A beautiful Christmas ornament!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-25T12:37:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve was filled with fun & excitement! We baked, watched Christmas television, & opened gifts from our sweet neighbors.

We left cookies & milk for Santa along with a letter. Sugar was left for the reindeer!

Holiday Cupcakes

2010-12-18T19:52:00.000-06:00

We stopped at a bakery the other day to look at the Christmas pasteries. Sarah loved these Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer cupcakes. I can't blame her. We bought two! Sorry for the messy background. This was my cupcake & I was ready to enjoy. You can guess that Sarah scarffed her's down the moment we got home!

Sarah's Idea of Baking

2010-12-15T11:37:00.000-06:00

Sarah was getting a head start on baking me a birthday cake. She came up with the ingredients all by herself which consisted of water, flour, and an egg. I'm impressed that she cracked the egg all by herself.

She used the piece of bread & a gingerbread man cookie cutter to make a gingerbread cookie. She then decided it would add good flavor to the cake!

As always, her partners in crime!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-26T09:53:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving didn't go according to plan. My planning & cleaning got screwed up when Chris came home from work Tuesday morning with such a severe migraine he was crying. I have never seen him cry with the pain of a migraine. He's had a head & chest cold. The coughing intensifies his migraines and he was throwing up from the pain too. I got him into see the doctor on Tuesday and found out he has pneumonia!

I still got all my grocery shopping done & was excited to have a cozy Thanksgiving dinner with my family. I decided on a turkey breast since it's just the three of us. Turkey must be my nemesis. I chose a turkey breast because it would be enough for us and the plus side is that it would roast quickly. I thought I had done enough research, but after cooking the turkey for roughly 5 hours, it still had pink around the edges. Disappointment and feelings of failure set in as I realized all my hard work didn't turn out. Thankfully my side dishes and desert did turn out. I finally cooked green beans like my mother-in-law, chicken and dressing, and home made mashed potatoes. To top it off, we had my first ever pumpkin pie with home made whip cream.

It may not have been the dinner or the experience I had hoped for, but it was a day spent with my family. We've had a lot to be thankful for this past year. Chris has a new job with a great company, my business is growing, watching Sarah grow, and the day-to-day life of being a family are just a few of our many blessings!

If you want to know more about the way I'm helping others earn additional income or create a plan b, check out my website at www.GreenHomeandHeart.com.

Unfortunately the only photo taken yesterday was from Chris' cell phone.

Sleeping Beauty

2010-11-22T22:23:00.000-06:00

She slept until 9:30 AM this morning! I couldn't believe it. She rarely slept late as a baby. I guess she really needed to catch up on some rest since naps are a thing of the past. I wish I could sleep as soundly as she does. It must be a mommy thing to always have an ear out or sleep just below consciousness. I guess if Chris, Sarah, Daisy, Gabby, Max, and sweets would take a weekend vacation, I could have a full night of deep sleep!

Don't ya love how close Gabby is snuggled up to Sarah? Gabby loves to get under blankets, cold nose & all, and snuggle as close as possible to a warm human! Needless to say, I got a lot of work done this morning!

A Warm November Day at the Arboretum

2010-11-16T14:15:00.001-06:00

Every so often, we get a warm day in early November. It was much like this day when we went to the zoo with 70 degree weather. I played hookie from my business, I'm my own boss right? We had a lot of fun & I'm glad we went since we didn't fit a trip in this spring or summer.

This is Mazi showing off his climbing skills.

This is Sarah clearly not interested in climbing!

They love the wood bridges at the alpine look out.

This was a lot spookier than I thought it would be. Sarah was unsure if she could do it when we were on the top of the platform. I'm really proud that she didn't chicken out & want to go back down. Honestly going back down that ladder was a scarier idea than just doing the open rope bridge.

Autumn Leaves

2010-11-07T17:28:00.000-06:00

Today we were blessed with a beautiful autumn afternoon. It's almost as if God is giving us just a few more days to clean up autumn's fall before Old Man Winter brings his fall.

Sarah had a great time helping rake leaves, clean up a few small piles, & of course jumping in a large pile of leaves.

A little while later, she was helping me in the front yard. I asked her if she knew God made the plants we were working on. She said, 'yes, He's a genius!'

Couldn't you just nibble her dimples? She had so much fun falling backwards into the leaves that she had to do it a few more times!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-04T15:22:00.001-05:00

This is the year! This is the year that she "gets it". We had so much fun preparring for Halloweeen & enjoying all the festivities. I was a little surprised by her choice of costume considering she's been saying she wanted to be a witch since September. She was an adorable Little Red Riding Hood. Her daddy & I were suppose to be the Big Bad Wolf & Grandma although we skipped the costumes!

Off she goes trick-or-treating. She was skipping!

Waiting patiently at a neighbor's house for candy!

She saw a bunch of leaves not really piled on the sidewalk. Before we could stop her, she ran & jumped into them!

This is her waiting for us because she was getting too far ahead!

We had to get a picture of her with this Mickey. We had to ride by this house almost daily to see Mickey.

Halloween Festivities

2010-11-04T15:22:00.000-05:00

This year we enjoyed a lot of different Halloween festivites. It was really a lot of fun!

Sarah's 3 year old preschool class. Notice Buzz Lightyear & Woody. They are twins & their mom homemade their costumes!

Thursday night we went to the Hoffman Estates High School for their carnival. Black Spider Man (Mazi) and Little Red had a great time!

The next day we went to Club Kidfield. My pictures didn't turn out since there were so many people. But a photographer from the Daily Herald caught a cute picture of Sarah & other little ones dancing. I'll try to find a link.

Pumpkin Carving 2010

2010-10-24T21:31:00.001-05:00

She still wasn't too interested in the pumpkins. She said she liked the "gross stuf", but didn't hang around to help clean out the pumpkins.

This is how my pumpkin turned out & below is Chris' pumpkin.

This is what Sarah did to her pumpkin. She tried her best to carve a pumpkin with what few tools we let her work with tonight. I promised finger painting for her pumpkin so tune in later for how this little pumpkin turns out! Check out her first attempt at finger painting here!

Halloweenapalooza

2010-10-24T21:18:00.000-05:00

This past Friday, our local library held a Halloweenapalooza. There were games & prizes for little ones up to the age of 5. Sarah had a great time!

Sarah's First Field Trip

2010-10-21T22:16:00.000-05:00

Today was Sarah's first field trip with her preschool. I was choosen to chaperone via the eeny-meeny-mynee-moe method. She was thrilled to ride a school bus for the first time although a little confused as to why we had to drive to her school to meet the bus. It was definitely a different experience chaperoning than lazy visits of the past.

This picture is so funny. The poor kids are facing directly into the morning sun plus it was only 48 degrees max with a gusty wind!

All Too Soon

2010-10-18T13:28:00.001-05:00

This little girl insist on growing up all too soon! When I'm getting ready for the day, she is right next to me. I really enjoy it. It's fun watching her pretend to put on make-up.

On a slightly different note, there are days that I think she trying to drive me crazy or kill me. Last week, I just finished shredding a whole chicken. I set it in a bowl off to the side away from the dogs. A few moments later I went back to the kitchen to make the casserole & I couldn't find the bowl. It took less than a second to know that Sarah had taken it outside to the dogs!

While I was on the phone with my mom that very same afternoon telling her about her granddaughter's misadventures, I hear a crash in the living room. Sarah had bent the door on my solid oak entertainment center back upon itself until it seperated and broke off. I'm not sure if I'll still have a house standing on it's foundation by the time we get her to adulthood!

Scarecrow Festival

2010-10-15T09:33:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we went to the Scarecrow Festival in St. Charles. It was so much fun! There was so much to do. Unfortunately we didn't get there in time to do or see it all. I really hope we can do it again next year!

My family as scarecrows! Pretty scarry huh?

The had a booth with fresh, HOT, cookies. We spent most of our ticket money designated for rides on a bag of these cookies. Sarah really enjoyed them.

Since I've never been to the festival before, I was imagining we would see the standard scarecrows. I was surprised to see all the different ways people and business made scarecrows. Below are my favorites from the day.

The Three Little Pigs & The Big Bad Wolf. It won one of the categories. Sarah went right up to the wolf & shook his hand!

We had just watched Shrek earlier that day. This was made by teenagers from a local high school & it won for their category.

Of course there were carnival rides. I'm sure Sarah will be a thrill seeker like me. Only roller coasters may not be her cup of tea yet. She's all happy in the first picture, a little scared in the second, and not very happy in the last.

Meet Ted E. Bear

2010-10-07T15:16:00.001-05:00

Sarah is in the Bear room at preschool. This past weekend was her turn to bring home the class mascot Ted E. Bear. He was able to join the fun we had over the weekend.

I must have slipped and hit my head just before Sarah asked if she could go to Chuck E. Cheese Friday afternoon because I agreed to it right away. We had a great time!

Ted E. Bear met Chuck E. Cheese

You of course must take one of your best friends with you!

I know this picture was in the previous post, but since I'm writing about Ted E. Bear's adventures with the Ballenger family, I'm including this picture again. He had fun riding on the hayride!

Sarah was very sad when Ted E. Bear had to return back to school on Tuesday. She enjoyed her time with him and is excited to see where his adventures take him!

The Much Anticipated Pumpkin Festival

2010-10-02T18:33:00.001-05:00

Sarah has been asking for what feels like forever if we can go to the pumpkin festival. They advertise it at her preschool so she's seen the sign for about 3 weeks now. So I left work early, Mother Nature naturally dropped the temperature, and away we went to the pumpkin festival. We had so much fun!

Sarah's first hay ride!

I'm really shocked that she was pretending to feed the animals. Just this past May at Randall Oaks farm, she was timid about feeding animals. They didn't have food to give the animals today, but she went right up to even a llama and petted her face to face.

We bumped into one of her besties!

I couldn't help but to include a picture of the pretty fall leaves!

Sleigh Ride

2010-09-27T22:20:00.000-05:00

Sarah's imagination was busy at work again today. She set up a sleigh ride with her horse & a swing. I was pretty impressed since I didn't think she had a clue what a sleigh ride means.

Look at how she tied the "sleigh" to the horse. Impressive!

Choices

2010-09-24T21:04:00.000-05:00

I gave Sarah her choice of what to wear today. I did this against my better judgement. I proved that the mommy voice in my head was right about not introducing chothing choices just yet. What was I thinking? She chose a cute new outfit. And of course within minutes she had changed her mind. I, trying to teach her to stick with her choices, refused to change her into new clothes. Sarah, always using her brain, takes the clothes off herself. I give in and put the other outfit on her. Sarah = 1 Mommy = 0 I think we'll put clothing choices on hold until later.

Sarah's First Day of Preschool

2010-09-14T15:26:00.000-05:00

Today was the big day. Today was one of the days I thought about when I swaddled my pretty in pink baby girl in my arms 3 years ago. Today was her first day of preschool.

I know maybe the first two sentences of this post sounds like she is off to kindergarten & starting the K-12 school years. Well for me, today marks an important milestone in our relationship as well as her development. I've been blessed to be a working from home stay at home mom. Is there a monaker for that? If not there should be (WAHM). Anyway I think today is really important for many reasons. Mainly she has never been in someone else's care. It takes trust on both of our parts.

She did really well. She was brave as we stood in line & swapped kisses into one another's pockets. I however was a little choked up, but didn't want her to see. She was brave when she picked out her chair at the table and brave when I stepped back to take the picture. Her braveness turned to tears when I gave her one last hug goodbye. It was those tears & pouting lip that had me near tears as I walked back to my car. We both survived!

We drove to a park after school for a picnic. While driving we talked about what happened at preschool. When I told her she will have so much fun on Thursday, she replied, "I have to go back again?"

I'm Just A Little Bit Scared

2010-09-09T00:19:00.000-05:00

This afternoon as I was swapping our daughter with my husband, I reminded her that she would be meeting her pre-school teacher in the morning. I've really be trying to build her excitement & calm her fears by checking out books of some of her favorite TV characters and their first day of pre-school.

While Chris & Sarah were driving home from my office, she told him 'I'm just a little bit scared.' Oh when I got home and Chris told me this, it nearly broke my heart. I'm so excited that she can have this opportunity & I can have some focused time to get my business off the ground. A small bit of guilt crept in because I'm so excited while she's just a little bit scared.

Why does mothering bring tears to your eyes no matter the occasion, happy or sad? Boy the tears are rolling as I sit here & type this out. I promised I wouldn't be the mom who was saddened over my little one starting pre-school. Am I going to eat my words Tuesday morning? I can't cry & try to talk to someone about Melaleuca.

Volkening Lake

2010-08-23T09:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we were headed to the grocery store as a family to pick up a few things we needed for the week. I grabbed an old loaf of bread to stop by a pond and feed the ducks. Chris decided on going to Volkening Lake. This was our first visit. We pass it almost daily, yet we've never stopped. I only wish I had fixed Sarah's hair before going.

This picture makes me laugh. She's a natural at hamming it up! I would show her where to sit & she provided the rest of the posing.

This wasn't the best picture, but I love the background.

No better way to feed the ducks than from a paddle boat! They were speed racing as they swam by our boat. As soon as I chunked a piece of bread into the water it was as if their radars went off. They basically could walk on water!

Once Upon a Time....

2010-08-20T15:12:00.002-05:00

This child has an amazing imagination! It's truly one of my many favorite things about my firstborn. Yesterday, she shared with me one of her fairytales. It went a little something like this.....

Once Upon A Time there was a big bad wolf named Mommy Wolf. There was a little pig named Sarah Pig. She made her house out of graw (straw). Mommy Wolf came into Sarah Pig's house. Sarah Pig was making bug soup. The bugs jumped all over Mommy Wolf & tickled her (insert sound effects from the Wolf being tickled). Mommy Wolf ran away.

But there's more to the story....

Sarah Pig ran to Daddy Pig's house. He built his house from bricks. It took a long time, but it was strong.

At this point, she starts getting hyper and I couldn't understand what else happened to Mommy Wolf.

Should I worry that she sees me as the villan of the story?

McCleney Family Visit Day 1 & 2

2010-08-13T09:15:00.000-05:00

We were so excited when Paw Paw, Grandma, Uncle Barry, Aunt Amanda, & Molly finally made it to our house. Thanks to Chicago morning traffic for holding them up getting here. I don't know who was more excited, Chris & me or Sarah. I think it was pretty even.

The first day of their visit was very low key since they travled all night long. The second day us girls went to Woodfield, but other than that, a lot of relaxing & enjoying family time together.

I know this picture is blurry, but I couldn't resist snapping a picture of Paw Paw reading to Sarah.

Our walk around the block. We take a lot of walks during the warm months. Pretty much if it's an evening that I'm home, we take a walk. I love it. It seems to sort out my thoughts. Sarah had her pick to walk with that night!

McCleney Family Visit Day 3

2010-08-09T21:58:00.001-05:00

I'm running behind in my posting, but what's new? The third day of visiting with our family, we went shopping. Us ladies hit IKEA. It was a madhouse, but somehow it didn't seems too crowded. Anyway, I think Amanda really loved it & may have some good ideas now for book storage!

(We've always known Sarah was truly a monkey at heart. I think she finds at least one thing a day to hang from!)

After IKEA, it was over to Cabela's to meet up with the guys. What visit from our family would be complete without a trip to Cabela's? Anyway, this seemed to be Sarah's favorite store. Check out her wish list below!

She seemed like a natural in this boat. Chris & I both were raised with a fishing pole in our hands. It seems to be encoded in her DNA to want to be in a boat. I think this really excited her Paw Paw!

It also seems she has an interest in jungle exploration. Who knows? Maybe she's a monkey after all!

Considering wish list items #1 and #2 weren't happening anytime soon, she found herself the lucky owner of a new Barbie rod & reel. She loves it! Thank you Paw Paw & Grandma. I'm sure many memoires will be made fishing when she learns how to cast!

I know items #1 and #2 wouldn't have made her this happy!

McCleney Family Visit Day 4

2010-08-02T22:15:00.001-05:00

This post & the next few will be out of order. I feel like you should know this because I'm an order kind of girl. The best pics from the visit came on the last day, so that made my first post for some reason. There, I feel better!

Chris' family visited us at the end of last week. We had a great time. Sarah was so excited to have company. She soaked up every minute which meant no naps except for one at the mall & one in the car. She also stayed up late & woke up early. It's really easy going when family comes to visit!

(Aunt Amanda, Uncle Barry, Grandma, Paw Paw, Sarah, & Chris)

(Sames as above except sub me in for Chris)

Do they look thrilled that I asked them to pose for a pic together?

Can you say Paw Paw's girl? They were pretty inseperable except us girls went shopping! This morning after they left, she told me we couldn't go to the zoo tomorrow because we wouldn't have Paw Paw with us.

She's an equal opportunity granddaughter. Loves Grandma too!

She loves birds & wishes she could fly!

A Few Things I Hope Never to Forget

2010-07-29T00:05:00.003-05:00

This post is a collection of the cute sayings, bad dreams, & 'you won't belive what Sarah did!' The pictures have nothing to do with the post other than they are of her being silly.

The other night, she had a bad dream. Her pediatrician advised me to not ask her to tell me about a bad dream. It can turn into a fish story! So lately, she's been sleeping with a lamp on dim. A night light creates shadows which become ghosts in the middle of the night.

Tuesday morning she got in bed with me about 4:15 while Chris was getting ready for work. She hopped in & promptly when right back to sleep. As soon as she woke up, she told me she had a bad dream. I didn't even ask. I told her sorry & I loved her. She then said, 'Mommy you were made out of a dinosaur!' I apologized that she had a bad dream & told her that I would love her forever. Then she continued, 'Daddy was made out of a dinosaur too!' Just think of her saying this with an accusatory tone. I told her the same as before & left it at that. She couldn't let go. It grew into a fish story. Eventually the dogs & her imaginary dragons, Maziazi & Saraphina were part of the bad dream too!

(This is her idea of fixing her hair when I asked her to brush her hair. She wears my hair bands I use while washing my face all the time. Chris thinks she looks like Pocahantas.)

Today at the library, I was sitting on the floor putting together a puzzle with Sarah & a friend. I stood up and the back of my jeans were stuck to my legs. My calf to be exact. I tugged at my pant leg thinking it was just pinched up. Well it wasn't. It was stuck to my skin. I finally pulled the pant away from my skin. It was a lot like pulling off a huge band aid. When I rolled my pant leg up to see what had happened, I was suprised to find the dime size amount of Play Doh that I let Sarah play with yesterday! You may wonder why this little piece was so sticky. I, being the care free-it's just Play-Doh, mom that I am, let Sarah hold it under running water in the bathroom. Now I don't have to wonder where she stuck the Play Doh!

(There's no reason for the lip poked out. She may have thought I was upset when I grabbed the camera. We were on a timeline, but I will always have time to capture the moments of her growing up!)

She has the cutest little Sarah-isms. Such as:

Yesterday or any day in the past: Last Day

I want to hear your beat, i.e. heartbeat (I think she got that from the opening song for Arthur although it's not about a heartbeat.)

Mommy, you're my lady.

I don't want to go to preschool. I like the friends I've got already.

Daddy leaves his socks all over the house. That makes me angry! (She didn't get that from me considering our house is rarely picked up.)

Where Ya Going?

2010-07-28T23:19:00.000-05:00

Kodi found these cute kid maps at a local gas station. Mazi loves maps & apparently so does Sarah. They were so cute discussing where the cactus & whales live. They are a pair of Little Einsteins if you ask their moms!

Country Girl

2010-07-12T20:04:00.000-05:00

A Full Heart & Eyes

2010-07-11T00:46:00.002-05:00

Sarah has an active imagination & loves to play pretend. Case in point, she likes to play

hide 'n seek while strapped in her car seat. She simply covers her eyes so that she's hiding. I certainly can't do much searching while driving the car, so I changed the words to the song "Oh Where, Oh Where has My Little Dog Gone" (I'm not sure that's the title!) Anyway, it goes something like this:

"Oh where, oh where has my little girl gone?

Oh where, oh where can she be?

With her eyes so blue and her hair so blonde

Oh where, oh where can she be?"

Then she uncovers here eyes and proclaims "Here I am Mommy!"

This afternoon, Chris, Sarah, and I are loaded up in the truck. Sarah wants to play hide 'n seek. Since I'm not driving she ask me to hide. Then the sweetest little voice that still fills my heart and brings tears to my eyes sings our hide 'n seek song. That folks was the cherry on top of my day!

(Sarah flying like a bird. Maybe one that was just shoved from the nest!)

***********

I found part of this poem the other day and I thought it was fitting for the way I feel and this post:

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

For children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

The 4 "F's" of July 4th - Family, Friends, Food, & Fun

2010-07-09T11:48:00.001-05:00

I wanted this year's 4th of July post to basically tell it's story through pictures. The day started with just the three of us hanging out around the house. Later in the day, the Khadivars joined us for lunch and playtime.

I'm really bummed about the pictures of the ribs. I had beautiful pictures of them on the grill, but no CF card in the camera!

My cousin Jo Ann's pasta salad recipe. It's so yummy!

Lemon ice box pies that my mom taught me how to make.

The fun pretty much ended when the kids were playing in the back yard and Chris got stung by either a bee or a wasp. He had an allergic reaction & that pretty much did it for our playtime.

He felt better when it came time for the fireworks although his hand was swelling and it stayed swollen for a few days following.

This was her first sparkler. She had a lot of fun with them.

They shot off a firework a little eary I'm guessing to test things out. I love the look on her face. (Notice the snacks in her hand. It's from the game Operation. She calls them 'sick snacks'. Love it!

I narrowed down my favorite pics from the fireworks. I know I posted a lot of them, but I just couldn't decide which ones to take out.

I liked this one the best. It reminds me of scenes from Star Wars.

4th of July Parade

2010-07-04T00:44:00.002-05:00

This morning, this little cutie & I went to the Hoffman Estates 4th of July Parade.

She was bummed when I told her that Mazi wasn't coming along & she was confussed when I told her the people in the parade would throw "her" candy. She of course took it literally and whinned about people taking her candy.

Thankfully this cute little family showed up. Sarah ask me almost every day if she will make a new best friend. After crying about Mazi not coming to the parade, she said 'maybe I'll make 2 new friends.' Well her wish came true! She played with them before and during the parade. Hopefully we can play with them again soon!

Thankfully she enjoyed the parade. Last year she was scared of the loud noises.

Moments later this resulted in a boo boo as they both stumbled off the curb into the street. Oh the boo boos!

All tuckered out!

A Priceless Day (Kinda)

2010-06-26T23:05:00.000-05:00

Our local mall has a FREE program the last Friday of the month called Club Kidfield. Usually your typical kid performers such as jugglers, bubble blowers, & magicians come to entertain the masses of children. This Friday was a little different. Just for showing up everyone received a free ticket to Legoland. This was a great freebie considering it should have cost $34, I think, for the both of us. So after playtime & grabbing lunch at the mall, we headed across the street to Legoland.

I was really impressed with the Lego replica of the beautiful Chicago sky line. I wanted to get a picture of how many blocks it took to make the major structure, but it was kind of croweded in that area and (2) 3 year olds aren't very patient!

She lovesd this Safari Tour Guide. I wish I could have snapped the picture of her looking into the binoculars or trying to shake her hand.

Not the best picture of the day. They were too excited to stop. They just came off riding the dragon through the castle and once we were upstairs it was a frenzy of kids running around building mainly race cars for the tracks upstairs. At this point, I gave up trying to get pictures. They also watched a 4D movie (11 minutes). It was Sarah's first 3D. She absolutely loved it.

Membership to Club Kidfield = FREE

Tickets to Legoland = FREE

Enjoying a Day of First with Sarah = PRICELESS

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T15:45:00.001-05:00

I had no doubt that my wonderful hubby would make an awesome dad! He's been doing a great job for the past 3 years. He never balked about changing diapers or giving baths. When I went back to work 3 nights a week, he jumped right in with finishing up dinner, cleaning up toys, & bedtime routine. I even get out of the house as much as I want for a much needed break. What a great guy!

Happy Father's Day Love!

Silly faces!

Hodge Podge

2010-06-16T23:26:00.001-05:00

Last month went by so fast & we had a lot of activities to post home about and a bunch of odd & ends too. I'm sorry for how long this post will be with all the pictures. One day I hope to have a nice photo editing program that makes a hodge podge look a lot nicer!

Mother's Day

She was so proud of her use of stickers. The stickers on the potty were a little tricky to remove. Thankfully my company makes an all natural furniture polish that takes the sticky right out of stickers!

I wish this one wasn't so dark. She was pretending to be the Easter Bunny & it was the baby's turn to sit on the Bunny's lap. She did remind me that she doesn't want to sit on the bunny's lap. She said she could sit on my lap while I sat next to the bunny. I guess she's already thinking about next Easter!

First of all, she does have on pants! This step stool worked like magic. She loves climbing up on the stool to climb on the potty although she doesn't need to. I know it wasn't the stool, but she was wearing panties full time within 2 days!

Kodi makes some awesome cupcakes every year for Mazi's birthday. Sarah liked eating bugs!

Doesn't every kid wear sunglasses upside down? Love it!

I posted this pic just because....she's adorable & looks a lot like me at this age!

This is the way we spend a lot of warm, non-rainy days! I'm so thankful for a fenced in backyard!

Mornings

2010-06-10T15:41:00.004-05:00

This morning has me questioning if I'm a good mommy. I'm really tired in the mornings, but who isn't? I work at the studio 3 nights a week and the weekends. During the day, I stay home with Sarah while trying to start a business from home.

Amy is on vacation this week at the studio, which makes a lot of extra work for me during the hours I'm there and instead of leaving between 9 pm - 9:30 pm it's more like 10 pm - 10:30 pm. So a little extra shut eye in the morning is nice.

Well this morning, I'm laying in bed half awake while Sarah is playing in her room. Chris calls from work, so I go ahead and get up. I could smell what Sarah was doing in her room before I even opened the door. She had a bottle of finger nail polish! I don't even know where she found another bottle after the first incident with nail polish back in the fall. She painted the floor and Max. No big deal. But what makes me want to cry is when she painted her fitted sheet from her nursery set. I'm pretty sure it's headed for the garbage. I guess if we have another baby girl, I get to go shopping!

I know I'm a good mommy. I love her more than life itself.

The Before:

The After:

On a much lighter note, this morning Sarah was singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider". After the spider climbed up the water spout, she said 'Mommy where does the spider go when she gets to the top of the spout?'

I said, 'Doesn't the rain wash her down?'

She says, 'No she's going to see her mommy, daddy, brother, sister, and babies. She needs to baby sit.'

I'm really thankful for the cute, sweet moments that overshadow the rough start to this day.