Memorial Day Weekend

Summer is officially here!! It's Memorial Day weekend, which to me, is the official start of the summer. Originally, we were going to go to Diamond Lake, and go camping with my parents at the campground. However, the forecast showed alot of rain, so we decided to stick around home and go camping another weekend. 

We ended up having a pretty fun weekend around home. On Friday night, we went out to eat at TC Referee's and then we took the kids to a park to wear off some energy. It was a beautiful evening to spend some time outside. 

Saturday was a little on the rainy side, but we made the most of the day. We ran some errands in the morning, and did a little shopping at Menards and Payless. And, we let the kids play outside and splash in puddles and play in the rain some. They thought it was great. The afternoon turned out to be a little nicer, and we spent some time just playing outside and doing some yard work. 

Yesterday was the best day of the weekend. We overslept, and didn't quite make it to church, but we had a good day. The kids played in the kiddie pool for quite a while, and loved it. It was a little chilly for swimming, but the kids didn't mind. While they splashed around, John mowed the lawn and fixed up the trees in the yard. 

After some well-deserved naps (for everyone) we headed to Lake Vermillion to eat some supper and let the kids play. It was a gorgeous evening, and a perfect one to spend at the lake. The kids had fun with the picnic lunch, and then they played on the playground, and Emma even did a little swimming in the lake. It was a perfect way to start off the summer. 

Today has been a catch up day around here. I did a little cleaning, played with the kids outside, and now the kids are napping again. We may possibly hit up the zoo yet today, but everyone is pretty tired from our busy fun-filled weekend. 

It has been a great holiday weekend, and I have really loved the time away from work and with the kids, but part of me is ready for a schedule again, and a little less running around. 

Also, don't forget to think about all the soldiers who have lost their lives fighting for this great country. Freedom is not free. That is truly what Memorial Day is all about. 

Happy Memorial Day!!

Puddle Jumping

Enjoying Lake Vermillion

18 Months Old

Somehow, Elliott is 18 months old today. I can hardly believe it. Time sure flies when you're having fun!!

Eli sure has turned into quite a character lately. He is learning and using more and more words all the time, and he is getting better about communicating his needs, instead of just yelling and pointing, which is good for everyone. He can blow kisses (which is adorable), he runs everywhere, and he absolutely loves to be outside.

I haven't even set up his 18 month appointment yet, but he is growing like a weed. I'm sure him and Emma weigh about the same by now, but Emma is still quite a bit taller. Emma and Eli actually play really well together, and its really fun to watch them interact together. Of course they fight over toys, and fight sometimes, but overall they get along really well so far, so that's a relief! :)

Elliott's Likes
-He is obsessed with puppies right now. Really any animal. If he sees an animal, he wants to touch the animal, and he wants to chase the animal. It's cute, but he's a little aggressive sometimes!

-Books. Oh boy. He loves to read books and he loves having books read to him. Over and over and over again. And if you stop before he's ready to stop, he throws an absolute tantrum. I love that he loves books, but sometimes a break would be ok :)

-Pacifer/Blanket. These are nap time and bed time essentials. We finally have him pretty much weaned from them during the day. We still use them in church, and on road trips as needed, but otherwise they are for sleep time only! But Eli loves them, and would use them all the time if we let him.

-Being outside. He loves to be outside and always wants to be outside. Always and forever outside. Some of his favorite things include sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and the sandbox. Or a big pail of water.

-Going "bye-bye". This kids gets cooped up fast, so he loves to get out of the house to go shopping, the zoo, the park. It really doesn't matter where we go, and long as we get out of the house.

-Mommy. He is a little mommy's boy right now. If I'm around, he thinks I need to be holding him or playing with him constantly, and he will scream if daddy takes him away from me. Not sure what the favortism is all about, but I'm sure it will change before I know it.

-Eating. Still a good eater, and will eat just about anything.

-Singing songs. He  loves songs that have actions to them, like "if you're happy and you know it" "the Itsy Bitsy Spinder" or "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". These are all favorites of his, and he loves to sing them and do the actions to them. Super cute.

-Daycare. He still enjoys daycare and being with his friends. He gets kinda sad some days when we drop him off, but he does very well at daycare.

-Saying No. In Eli's mind, it's his way or the highway. He has a very strong personality, and let's us know when he's not happy.

-Sleeping. He's still super easy to put to bed. PJs, blankie, pacifier, and then just lay him in his crib. He sleeps like a rockstar and usually sleeps from about 8pm-7:30 am (or so). It's awesome.

-Yelling at "Memma". If he hasn't seen Emma for a while or he thinks she should do something, he will yell "Memma!" "Memma!" like he has some authority over her. It's pretty cute, and funny.

Eli's Dislikes:

-Baths. All of a sudden they aren't as cool as they used to be. Sometimes he screams and cries through an entire bath, and other times he tolerates it ok, but doesn't love them like he used to.

-Being changed/dressed. Anything that interrupts playtime is a bad thing. Especially something as trivial as putting clothes on. If his diaper is wet enough or poopy, sometimes he will bring us a diaper to change him into. So, he's not totally against that.

-Being told no. Absolutely the worst thing ever. Expect a meltdown.

-Being put down. Somedays he thinks he needs to be carried. Alot. And he's heavy.

-Cuddling. Nope. He would rather just be put in his crib. There is no rocking, or hugging, or cuddling allowed.


Elliott sure is growing into a little boy. He's getting really good at walking, and even can handle a little running without falling over too much. He understands so much, and is such a sweet little boy. Sometimes if I am sitting on the floor, he just backs it up and plops down right in my lap. And every once in a great while I can get an Elliott cuddle in.

Every day is such an adventure around here. Some days Eli can be an emotional wreck, but most of the time he is so fun to be around and has such a goody personality. We love him so much, and we are so excited about all the fun and adventures we will have this summer!!!

Happy 18 Month Birthday Elliott :)

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Springtime Adventures

The last couple weeks have once again gotten away from me. The weather has finally started to behave, and we have had some beautiful spring days. Most of my time has been consumed with work, softball, and then taking the kids to the park, the zoo, or just playing outside with them on my days off.

Lately, Emma has been begging to go to the park. So, we have spent quite a few evenings running around at different parks. Emma loves it, and she is finally old enough to just run around and play, and I don't have to worry about her falling down or off the playground set (well, not as much as I used to anyway). Eli is another story. He absolutely loves the park, and he loves going down the slides and he does pretty good on them. But to him, the bigger the slide, the better. And sometimes he goes down on his face, or flips around on the slide, but it doesn't bother him. He just gets up and wants to do it again. There is no slowing that kid down.

We also have been playing in the front and backyard at home, and the kids love it. We play bubbles, or sidewalk chalk, or in the sandbox. They eat it up. I made homemade chalk paint the other day, and Emma really enjoyed that. We had almost the entire driveway covered.

We also gave Emma an old Ipad of ours and she call it her computer. And she really enjoys playing games and watching her shows on it. We do have to set limits though, or she would probably play with that thing all day long. And little brother Elliott likes to come over and pound on her Ipad which really gets Emma in a tizzy.

John and I have been having fun playing softball this spring. We play on our church league team on Monday nights, and then I am on a women's league on Tuesday nights. We really enjoy the adult time and playing with our friends from church. Usually Grandma Barb or Grandpa Jim come and watch the kids, so it's a win-win for everyone.  Our teams are pretty good too. Our church league has only lost one game, and my women's league is undefeated so far.

Other than that, things have been pretty calm and normal around here. Kids are staying pretty healthy, we are enjoying beautiful days, and everything is going well at work for both of us. So, no news is good new I guess.

The kids are growing like weeds and are adorable as usual. Eli is almost 18 months old, and he sure is growing and learning, I will do a separate post on him shortly, there's a lot to say.

I have today off and am spending it at home with the kiddos. Right now Eli is napping, and Emma is painting and coloring. It's been a good day so far, I enjoy my time with the kids at home. Maybe later (if the weather holds up) we will visit the zoo for a while.

Happy Spring! We can't wait for the weather to get even warmer so we can go swimming!!!

My Mother's Day, Birthday, and Nurse's Week Haul

Emma Lynn

Popsicles 

Outdoor fun

Mother's Day 2016

Wow, what a busy, exciting week it has been. Everything always seems to fall in the same week in May, and this year is no different. My birthday, Nurse's week, and Mother's Day all were this past week, and it made for one busy, fun week.

On Friday, my mom came to town to help watch the kids for parts of the weekend. Saturday was a busy day. Mom watched the kids while John shot a wedding, and I helped with a garage sale that a bunch of families from church were throwing. After w few hours of selling our used baby clothes, Emma and I went to Abby's birthday party while Mom and Elliott stayed home. Elliott was still feeling kinda crappy, and was a little on the grumpy side, and we just thought it would be better for everyone if he stayed home.

Emma had so much fun at Abby's party. It was a "My Little Pony"themed birthday party, and Emma loved running around and playing with Abby and Anna. They made quite the trio. They played outside, played play-doh, and just generally had a good time together, with minimal fighting. They also really enjoyed opening presents, and getting all sugared up on cupcakes. We left around 7:30pm and had one tired  little girl.

Today was another packed day, and flew by in a hurry. We started off by going to church, then John and I went shopping while mom watched the kids again. We also found some last-minute Mother's Day gifts, which was an awesome last-minute find. We got both our moms some color changing yard lights that look like flowers. They were pretty cool. We brought some lunch home, and after that, mom headed back home.

After an Elliott nap, we headed out to John's parent's house. The kids had so much fun running around and seeing the animals and riding on the 4-wheelers. They ran and ran until they were utterly exhausted. John and I picked out our flowers for our planters and also our plants for our garden. It was such a beautiful day, and it was nice to spend so much of the day outside.

It was a wonderful, beautiful weekend, and I got to spend much of it outside with family. I had such a good weekend, I just wish it wouldn't have flown by so fast. I am so not ready for another week of work and hustle and bustle, but I guess it's coming none-the-less.

I am truly blessed to have such great mothers around me, and I am especially blessed to have two adorable children who get to call me mommy. Happy Mother's Day!!

Emma and Anna enjoying cupcakes

Presents!!

The girls playing with Play-Doh

John with the color-changing flowers

4-wheeler rides

So happy to be outside 

Petting the kitty!!

29 Years Young

Well, just like that, in a blink of an eye, I just turned 29. What?! How am I in my last year of my 20s? I really don't mind approaching 30. It doesn't terrify me, or depress me. Time marches on, and I am pretty happy with all I have accomplished in my 29 years of life. It just scares me how fast time flies past. I feel like I'm going to blink and my kids will be in school, and then teenager, and then out of the house. So, I am trying so hard to savor all these great moments with my little kiddos (and even the not-so-great ones) and just enjoy life the way it is now.

God has blessed me so much in my life, and I really need to think Him first and foremost. He keeps my family safe everyday, and I am trying to be better in my daily devotions and prayer. Also, we have become more involved in Church and church activities this past year, and what a blessing that has been.

I had a life goal to be done having kids by the time I was 30, and I think we are there. This isn't really anything concrete, but John and I are so happy with the two amazing kids we were blessed with, and we lucked out to have one of each, I feel like our baby days are behind us. But, surprises and accidents do happen, so I guess we will see on that one.

When I reflect on all that I have, I realize how extremely blessed I am. I have a wonderful, supportive husband, who is wonderful with the kids, treats me like a queen, and never complains about my crazy, hectic nursing schedule. Sure, sometimes I wish he would remember where he put his wallet or his sunglasses, but honestly, when I think of all the great qualities John possesses, they far outweigh the little things that bother me sometimes. We are really trying to cherish our alone time together, since it comes so far and few between, but we are looking forward to some bonfires this summer, grill outs with friends, and of course catching up on Game of Thrones. I really love my husband.

My children are one of my greatest blessings. It's not always a walk in the park, and some days I question whether I am really cut out for parenting (I hope I'm not alone on that one), but I would not trade being a mom for anything. I love all of our cuddles, our 'love yous" and most of all I love the days off I have with the kids at home. We don't always do something really exciting, and sometimes we don't even make it out of the house, but there are always some special moments shared when it's just me and the kids for the day. Our days get to be very routine, but I love it, and love my children to the moon and back. :) John and I are also blessed to have great parents who support us in everything we do and are willing to watch the kids just about any time we ask.

I am also blessed to have a career I love and have so many opportunities in. I am still working in the PACU, and I still really enjoy what I do. I also work in Ambulatory, and help get patients ready for surgery, so that has added some 5 and 5:30am shifts, which was an adjustment, but I love having my afternoons and evenings at home. My shifts are still all over the place, and it can get crazy at times, but I love what I do, and how many people I can help on a daily basis. And they allow me to work only 4 days a week, so I always have a day at home with the kids, which is awesome.

I am also blessed to have my health, as well as a healthy family. Sure, I need to work out and eat better (who doesn't) but I am lucky to not have major health issues personally or in my family. I am also playing on 2 softball leagues this summer, which is so much fun. It's nice to have time carved out every week for some adult fun. It's important to take care of yourself once and while as well.

I guess what I am trying to say in this wordy, wordy post is that 29 doesn't intimidate me, or make me sad because when I reflect on what I have accomplished in the past 29 years and what I have been blessed with, all I can think are happy thoughts. Age truly is just a number. I still feel young, I still feel energetic, I still feel like a million bucks. I have drive, I have purpose, and I have more goals to accomplish in the years to come. So, I say bring on another year. Another year of blessings, another year of fun, another year with the ones I love.

Happy 29th Birthday to me!