Dear Family and Dear Friends who have a little time to read a lengthy update and who are as annoyed as I that this for whatever reason appears as one ginormous paragraph but will read on anyway... Each year I have high expectations to get my Christmas cards printed and mailed promptly two weeks before Christmas. Unfortunately, this has not happened, ever. So here you have the first ever Riedel New Year’s update. Maybe it will even arrive in the New Year’s time frame. (not likely). 2016 has been an incredibly busy, crazy year full of changes. First though, let me back up to recap some of the recent years and happenings that you may have missed. In 2011, 2013, and 2015 we had babies. Girl-Boy-Girl. Lauren-Carson-Harper. Hence, no updates. Although we feel incredibly blessed and graced by their presence in their lives we were/are completely unprepared for the changes they would bring including but not limited to: constant messes, essential lack of silence (or concern in the rare instance that this occurs), expense, busy schedules, inability to arrive anywhere on time or with shoes on, and destruction of property. In 2013 we spent the year in Arlington, VA while Craig fellowed at the Pentagon. Living in the DC metro area was a fabulous experience that is full of warm memories. Madison (18 yrs old) graduated from Duncan Fletcher High School in Jacksonville, FL in June. Craig took the easy way out and flew while the kids and I drove down along with my mom. The drive was complicated by 2/3 of the kids having hand foot and mouth. (I refuse to capitalize this condition as a symbol of disrespect). We were able to stop and spend some good times with friends from Raleigh along the way and share the love of hfm with them. It was the longest drive ever and shall never be repeated. The graduation was nice and we enjoyed a week in the St. Augustine area along with my mom and Craig’s parents. Our whole family fell in love with the ocean. The kids had a great, great time running along the sand and into the waves and collecting seashells. It was so fun that when our plans to visit Disney for a day were disrupted by a tropical storm the kids cheered for another beach day. (by kids I guess I mean Craig, Lauren, my mom, and I.) Madison has now finished her first semester at Kettering University in Flint, MI, formerly GM Institute. We are delighted to have her living closer to us although we still don’t see her as often as we’d like. Kettering seems to be a great fit for her as they rotate 3 months of academic studies with three months of co-op experience. Her first academic term went very well and she landed an amazing opportunity to co-op at Chrysler Headquarters where she is doing some automotive safety engineering. Her major is Mechanical Engineering with a Biomedical focus. Craig and I joined her for Parent’s Day this fall and really enjoyed seeing her in her element. Lauren (5 yrs old) finished 4 year old preschool in the spring and started Kindergarten at Immanuel Lutheran School this fall. She loves her teachers and is learning to read. She is also involved in a weekly Math Club which Craig leads once per month. Lauren takes gymnastics with her best friend, Ella, and loves crafts, watching play doh videos (if you are unfamiliar imagine an annoying squeaky voice narrating the formation of various playsets that she will later beg us unsuccessfully to purchase), and most recently has been enjoying playing with her sister. Say what? Lauren is dramatic, creative, loves to help, talks incessantly, and loves to have people over. She recently came in from playing in the back yard and announced that she had invited our new neighbors over for dinner. “Don’t worry Mom, I told them that we’d probably have PB&J.” I sigh a lot and can’t disagree that she is my mini-me. Poor girl. Carson. (3 yrs old) This one keeps us on our toes. He is a busy, busy little guy. If you could see all of the things in our home that are utilizing locks right now you would be impressed (or maybe not at all). He is clever and finds a way to get what he wants. We had a sitter one morning this fall and he lured her into the backyard before running back inside and locking her out. She said that he sat directly inside the patio door playing with his toys and laughing as she attempted to get him to unlock the door. That.is.Carson. We thought that once the terrible twos were over things would improve, but nope, we just marched right on into terrible threes. Carson is in afternoon preschool 5 days per week to focus on his speech development. He has unfortunately really struggled and fallen behind in this area. Along with school he sees an additional speech therapist, Miss Katie, twice per week. Let me tell you this boy is crazy about her. He smiles and giggles and is always on his best behavior for her, except for the time when he sneaked away from her and hid in the elevator. Thankfully, he couldn’t resist the alarm button that gave away his location. He is also sweet and cuddly, and loves Thomas the Train, water, baths, and playing with cars. Harper (22 mos.) will be two in February which seems impossible. She put her babyhood behind her entirely too quickly. She loves Minnie Mouse, food, hats, books, and shoes. She is funny, lighthearted, content, has the cutest giggle you could ever hear, and gives “the look” when you annoy her in any way. This involves directing her face at you and rolling her eyes off to the side while pretending that you don’t exist. Harper is our third, so she is not currently in any activities except for serving as a taxi copilot. She and Carson are little buddies. She likes to be where he is and he likes it when she tags along. Craig (30 something but barely) has had a lot of change to his work profile in the last few years. He recently was promoted to Deputy Product Manager of the Robot Logistics Support Center, which oversees all aspects of robots used in combat. His office is now back at Selfridge Air National Guard base and this shaves over an hour off of his commute every day. Craig really enjoys serving the Army in this capacity. He still travels occasionally, but not nearly like what he used to. Outside of work, Craig likes to do projects around the house, ride his bike, and work some more! Missy, Melissa, Sweetheart-(age irrelevant)—whatever you call me keeps plenty busy on the home front. There is always something or someone around here that is needing attention or a clean up. I love being able to be home during this season of life to nurture our little ones and watch them grow. At the same time the struggle is real at times to find balance between being a mom, wife, and having my own identity. This spring I became a consultant for Norwex. I love the ease and efficiency of cleaning with these products, the no hazardous chemical clause, and being able to share them with others during an occasional party. (Yes, that is a slight sales pitch—let me know if you want to try it out!) We have play dates quite often that honestly are just as much for my sanity as they are for the kids socializing. Every now and then I get together with some other mom friends for a night out too, which has been refreshing! As a family, we have done a lot of traveling. My Grandma Goemaat passed away in January and we were blessed to spend a few days around that time with family celebrating her life. We returned to Iowa in February during the kids’ spring break. In June we had the Florida trip followed by three weeks in Iowa and a gathering with 120 of our Favorite Nieuwsmas for a reunion. In October Craig and I took a 6 day Caribbean Cruise, while my mom and a family friend, Miss Marilyn, took care of our kids. We ported in Jamaica, Mexico, and Grand Cayman Island and loved every minute of it and can’t wait to go again! Craig even led an effort to bring home four trophies for various trivia competitions on board the ship. We became somewhat of celebrities hearing “Hey Detroit!” at times as we walked around the boat. After much prayer and consideration, we made Immanuel Lutheran our new church home. Although we still miss aspects of our previous church, we love it being much closer to home and being involved in a Home group again, which has been a tremendous blessing already. Spending Christmas at home this year has given us more time to spend together as a family and reflect more on the great gift that God has given us through the birth of His Son. We hope that the Joy that Jesus brought into the world can be felt ever present in each of your lives in 2017. With Much Love, The Riedel’s PS. The basement finishing project is well underway if anyone wants to paint, make a donation ( ;) ), or be an honorary guest in our new space.

Pickled Videos

So let me just say that I am not a fan of kidney beans because they just aren't that good. I am less a fan of salt because too much of it (which really isn't that much to the ordinary Joe Schmoo) makes me sick. This week I opened up my Nieuwsma Family Cookbook. I figured I better brush up on some family favorites because we're having company in April and, well, they're Nieuwsmas. I thought that my great grandma's homemade bread might be a hit but wanted to practice. As I was waiting for the bread to rise and denying the fact that my son was littering our apartment with toys I didn't even know we had I started looking at some of the other recipes. One thing that jumped out at me was my grandma's three bean salad. Now, let me tell you that I am not a fan of just any three bean salad. At all. It is salty and not pretty, but that is three bean salad from a can. I had always heard that my grandma made the BEST three bean salad of anyone. Plus my aunt brought some to my mom's once for a potluck and I tasted it and it WAS pretty yummy. So I made a batch. And I ate the whole thing in less than 24 hours. With a fork right out of the container. By myself. Ironically, the best part was the kidney beans (and I found a no added salt variety at the grocery store. GO ME!) I dumped the remaining juice down the sink and since both littles were taking a rare synchronized nap I started cleaning the kitchen. Most kitchen counters accumulate a variety of things. Ours is no exception. Somehow our video camera had landed there so I tucked it into my arm along with a random sock, some water paint, and a Minnie Mouse light up microphone that plays the most annoying music ever. I take that back. We have a Caillou video where Caillou is singing about being a boat captain. That is more annoying. Anyway, somehow the camera slipped out of my arm and slid into the sink, but it didn't stop there. Oh no...it went straight down into the garbage disposal because some idiot (ok, it was me) removed the rubber seal in the sink drain because it was too stiff to let water through. For some reason the pickling juice from the beans hadn't drained, either and the cute little compact video camera that we bought just before Carson was born had taken a little swim in it. How exactly do you tell your husband that you pickled your newish video camera? Why does stuff like this happen to me? Urgh. As it turns out, my husband is awesome and just shook his head. P.S. I realize that this all looks like one big giant paragraph and I can't figure out what I can do to make that not happen. Blogger and iPad are having some little conflicts that they need to work out. People tell me I need to blog more, so I am and this is what you get. I did, however, get a keyboard for my iPad so one teeny tiny post is no longer an all night ordeal.

A Shoe Story

I do not really like to spend money. I agonize a lot at the stores because I see things I like but then don't want to spend the cash on them. Matter of fact, I still have some Christmas money from several years ago. I want each purchase to be something profound and useful. I am Dutch...thriftiness is in my bones. With that being said, a few months ago I bought Carson a new pair of shoes. The were cute--all brown leather with little blue airplanes on them. Before purchasing them I stared at them for a long time. Yes, they were only $15 and he is absolutely worth much more than that, but the fact is that a 6 month old really doesn't need shoes; they would only be for decoration. Yet I sighed and threw them in the cart. I even had a gift card and it was still a hard choice for me. Later that day we took a family trip to the mall, which is only about 3 blocks from our apartment. Craig wanted to spend some time looking at the iPad mini (which he ended up buying after thinking about it for a couple more weeks--he and I are alike that way--anyway, that is irrelevent to my very exciting story). I could no longer keep my girl entertained in that store, so we decided to head up one level to ride the mini carousel. I do mean MINI by the way. There are only three horses on the thing. On the way there we walked by Children's Place and they seemed to be having good sales so we jetted through there for a bit then Lauren led the way to the carousel. I decided to let Carson ride as well, but found when I sat him on the horse he was missing a shoe. We paused, checked the stroller, the hallway, everywhere, but the shoe was elusive. We went back to CP, back to Apple, still no shoe. I seriously felt anxiety. It HAD to be there. I could feel it in my gut. I want you to know that I have a crazy gut instinct. As a nurse, I could always just feel if a patient was in trouble. Many times I was able to identify a situation early on and take care of small issues before they became big problems. I could feel in my bones that sometihng wasn't right in my pregnancy with CJ. I knew Lauren was a girl and Carson was a boy long before any ultrasound confirmed. I knew that shoe was in that mall. I also knew how silly it was to dwell on such a trivial thing, but couldn't help it. Every time we went to the mall I made Craig check with Lost and Found, the Apple Store, and CP to see if it had turned up. It wasn't until the night when we went with him to purchase his iPad and the guy at the Apple store said "hey...aren't you the one that was looking for the baby shoe? Did you ever find it?" that I called off the search. Um, embarrassing! Just the other day I was cleaning and came across the lone shoe. I thought about throwing it away, but instead tossed it in the dresser with the intent of disposing of it when we move back home. Then tonight we went to the mall. We decided to take the kids on the carousel. Out of habit I glanced at all the nook and cranny crevices along the way. Craig busted me and we laughed. As we neared the carousel I noticed that the base of it waved in the breeze a bit as lightweight fabric does. "Hey Craig, wouldn't it be crazy if Carson's shoe was under that thing." "Enough about the shoe--it is gone. Forget it!" Whatever, I plopped down on my hands and knees and pulled the fabric back. I wish I would have had a camera when I pulled the long lost shoe out and showed it to Craig. Lauren, too, was as excited as she gets "That's Brother's lost shoe! Look Carson!" Three months had passed since we lost it and it was found in a mall that has literally thousands, if not millions of people walking past Carson's shoe each week. The other odd part is that Lauren had also asked multiple times to go back to the horses to get it. She was adamant and upset and would not forget about it. (Let me insert here that there is absolutely no denying that this is my daughter. We share issues.) When we got home I went to the drawer, pulled out the other shoe, placed them on his feet, and put him down to crawl. He looked at me, shood his head, cried "No no no no no" and took them off. Oh yeah...I forgot that he hates them. Sigh.

What? February?

It looks as if I have a little catching up to do. I have good intentions to do a pits here and there, but good intentions do not keep respiratory infections away, chocolate milk off of the carpet, or babies from playing in toilets. Funny how priorities change when you become a mama twice over. We've been good. Still loving the urban ness of our locale, although this unusual cold spell has forced us to spend waaaay more time indoors than we'd like. I miss going to the park and out for walks. The kids miss their mommy being sane. We all miss Craig. He is at work an awful lot these days...something about earning a paycheck blah blah. The kiddos are getting so big. It makes me want to cry sometimes because they are not so babyish anymore. Lauren will be three in the end of March. She is getting tall and very princessy. She wants earrings (stick ons), tiaras, fancy clothes, and flip flops at all times. She is usually a very sweet and good girl. I feel fortunate that I can take her out and about places and she'll stay right with me and listen. She's got quite the vocabulary and imagination to go with it. I am amazed at some of the things that come out of her mouth. She is still not completely sure that she likes her brother, but is doing MUCH better at being nice. Probably because he has figured out that if he laughs, she can't help but laugh too. Lauren has recently discovered the exciting world of crafts. She is especially fond of glue, stickers, paint, and scissors. Sigh. Carson will be 10 months old soon. HOW?!?! He is 110% full speed ahead all day long. He is working on his 6th tooth and crawling everywhere. He loves anything that makes noise and lights up as well as toilets, shoes, and food. I wish I could post a clip of him laughing--it is the cutest sound ever. (I can't post hardly anything...matter of fact I am painstakingly writing this on my iPad...our laptop has ADD). Carson adores his sister and can't stand it if he is awake and she is not. He does his best to avoid baby foods. He wants to pick his food up and put it in his mouth himself and does a pretty decent job. Best of all, though, he loves to cuddle with his mama. I treasure those moments because I know that all too soon they'll be fewer and farther between. :'( I'd like to tell you about an exciting array of things I do in my downtime, but a) I don't have downtime,and b) I don't do anything exciting anymore. I will say that I have found that I rely love cooking more than ever before. Since restaurants here are not very kid oriented and expensive, we eat at home almost all of the time. I love the challenge of preparing my family a balanced meal that is mostly from scratch and low sodium. Tonight I concocted a chicken tortilla black bean dish that everyone ate well. Woot woot. I must have gone a little too heavy in the onion, though, because Lauren (in unrestrained 2 year old honesty) told me that I needed to take a shower and brush my teeth because I was kind of stinky. I'm assuming it was the onion. Ok folks, I should prob call it a night and try to catch some sleep before someone wakes up needing to potty or have a pacifier found and replaced. 'Nite all.

One Hot Mess

Oh what a complicated mess surrounds us.  We are living day to day, minute to minute in wait.  In the last few days we have had travel orders to return home, had them revoked, Craig has received notice of exemption from the furlough and then had it rescinded.  It is a hot mess, I tell you.  I don't even know where to begin.

For now we are being told to stay put in DC while the lawyers for the Army scrutinize the law to see whether or not Craig should be working.  On Monday, when Craig was advised to travel home, we had to give a seven day notice to the leasing office, which means that next Monday we will have to do SOMETHING, but have no clue what.  We may have to vacate our apartment if they are not willing to extend a new short term lease.  We may have to return to Michigan.  We may have to find a new place to live here.  He may be exempted and allowed to return to work.  The powers that be may reach an agreement and this whole thing will allow us to return to our abnormally normal life.  In the meantime, we are flinching every time Craig's work phone makes a peep in hope of an update.  We are packing a few things that we can do without right now in anticipation of going somewhere.  We are praying for our elected leaders to reach a resolution.  We are keeping things normal for our kids.  We are dwindling down our supply of perishables. We are wondering when we will get paid again.  

On Tuesday, I watched as an elected official gloated about helping break down the barricades so that the veterans on Honor flights could get to the memorials in the National Mall.  While I in no way want to sound like I disagree with the veterans' stance, (personally, I am thrilled that they didn't let the barricades stand in their way) I am beyond irritated that someone who helped put those barricades in place by failing to help find a compromise to the whole situation parades around like they are doing such a great thing by breaking through them.  Furthermore, shouldn't he have been in the senate or house (I don't even know what party affiliation he held, or what branch of government--it's irrelevent) working together with the others to fix it?  I don't know why I was so bothered, but my blood still boils when I think about it.  Grrr.  I guess you could say I'm on edge.

OK.  So I'm going to Totally shift gears and talk about something that makes me happy.  My kids.  Oh how I love them.  I got to facetime with Maddie last night and we are making some plans for the upcoming holidays. I miss her so much and can't wait to see her again!  I wish we could have her all of the time.

 Lauren is a busy busy busy little thing.  She is quite dramatic at times and has been acting so grown-up lately.  "I can do that, Mommy!"  However, the can-do attitude is quite often paired with stubbornness.  If she gets an idea in her head, there is NO changing her mind!  And when Lauren is frustrated, we all tend to get frustrated.  :)  I think that my dad said one time that he had a daughter like that.  Lauren is almost completely potty trained.  She still despises any effort to try to get her to go potty anywhere but at home, though.  Today we were at the dentist and she told me she had to go, but then realized that she would have to use their potty.  I asked her to try, and I guess you could say that she showed me who was boss because I am the one that walked out of the bathroom with wet pants.  Yes, in an effort to get her to sit she somehow managed to pee on my pants in such a way that it totally looked like I wet myself.  Not really the way I wanted to meet the new dentist, but such is the life of a mom.  Sigh.

Carson.  I never knew how much a little boy could steal his mama's heart.  He is such a happy, sweet baby.  He definitely knows who his mommy is and looks for me constantly.  Today Craig was holding him in the chair and trying to talk to him while I was making dinner.  Carson completely ignored him, stared at me and flashed me a huge smile and giggle every time I looked at him.  He has two teeth already and a ferocious appetite.  I can't believe my baby boy is almost 6 months old!  He loves his bath, toys, and watching his sister.

In days like these when our country seems to be falling apart and life has thrown a curveball into our normal, I find myself drinking in each moment of innocence with my little ones.  It is refreshing to me that they don't have a care in the world beyond when Carson gets to eat next or Lauren gets to watch TV.  The fact that we temporarily have no income, that we are totally living in limbo has no effect.  They trust that we will provide, just as I trust that our heavenly Father will provide for us as parents and as a nation.  Once again I ask "where would I be without faith?" and glad I'll never find out.

So Frustrated

So I haven't had much time to blog lately, but tonight I decided to stay up late and write. I had a post all set to go and then blogger did something crazy, and I only had the first little dinky paragraph of my post left. I've never had that happen before. Then again, I had not bleached a bathtub because of massive amounts of baby poo while watching my toddler pee on the floor while my husband did his best to keep from puking either--until last night. I guess it is a time of firsts. I'll try again another time!

Life

I know, I know, it has been a while since I have written.  Who could predict that having a baby and a toddler and moving, albeit temporarily, would do that to you?  I love to write, I NEED to write, and I have so much I'd like to share, but the thing I am lacking most of the time is free hands, as well as a mind that isn't being pulled in many different directions.

Carson Daryl arrived on April 8.  He is such a good, sweet little guy.  Truly a perfect fit for our family.  As I type this, we are sharing a chair.  He is lying next to me and trying to decide whether he wants his paci or his mouth unobstructed to smile at his mama. My heart is melting.

Lauren is growing so fast.  I can't believe how tall she is getting.  At first, I didn't see much resemblance between her and I, but now she is strongly favoring some of my toddler pictures.  She is somewhat ambivalent about her little brother.  She is protective of him, but really doesn't like to touch him.  It is even worse if he touches her.  If you were to ask her what she thinks of her little brother, and she were to offer any words regularly to anyone but her mom, dad, or few select people, she would tell you that Carson is "yittle." (Little) and that he does the following:  "Kicks, pits (spits), hiccos (hiccups), burps, poops, pottys, eats, and sleeps.  Yep, that pretty much covers it.  Lauren is very helpful to fetch a paci, diaper, burp rag, or whatever but just won't get close enough to let Carson kick her, because he did that once and it was "owie."

This morning Lauren woke up when Craig was getting ready for work.  Since she is in a toddler bed now, she feels the need to exit her bed immediately after waking.  Craig brought her in to our bed to lay with me for a while.  I had just finished feeding and burping Carson and he was snuggling with me.  Lauren fell back to sleep and moved in closer to cuddle with me.  She had her arm over Carson and was stroking his hair.  He was wide awake and smiling like he was getting away with something when she woke up with a look of horror.  She quietly said "eew," rolled over and went back to sleep.  Crazy girl!

We have now been in DC for a week and are adjusting well. Our apartment is three bedrooms, but pretty tight. I love it that so many things are within walking distance.  Surprisingly, I am liking the smaller space.  It is easier to keep track of Lauren while being easier to clean.  The thing I don't like is cooking here.  I don't know what happened to me, but I have burnt everything and set off the smoke alarm 3 times.  The biggest problem with this is that I am too short to reset it and have had to start using a wooden spoon, which is just clumsy and awkward.  From the top of our building we can see the Pentagon, Air Force Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial.  We are on the dividing line between Pentagon City and Crystal City, so there are lots of shops and buildings and Craig can even walk to work!

Last Thursday there was some muffled voice echoing through a speaker in our ceiling.  I didn't think much of it until the smoke alarms started going off and I heard it again telling us that an emergency has been reported and to leave the building immediately via the closest stairway.  So as any good city girl would do, I promptly gathered up my children and the diaper bag and fled down four flights of stairs and asked at the front desk what was going on.  Fire drill.  I haven't participated in one of those since high school.  Well, we took the elevator back up and Lauren decided not to get off.  Actually, she did get off, she just ran back on as the doors were closing and away she went.  The other thing that girl loves to do on elevators is push buttons.  My heart was pounding as visions of her exiting her choice of 21 floors and running filled my mind.  I quickly called the elevator back and thankfully she was there.  Wide eyed.  Smiling.  And saying "wheee...fun!"  We now have a new family protocol for exiting elevators. 

We took the Metro on Saturday to see the White House.  I was pretty sure we were going to get invited in for lunch, but the prez must not have seen me in the crowd.  It was a fun little outing and awesome to take in some of our nation's history.  We're looking forward to seeing more sights soon.

That's it for now.  My kiddos are both napping and I need to get a few things done!

Wave of Changes

Life is funny.  It seems like in our world , Craig and I find ourselves in times of near boredom with the day to day and month to month passing with very little change and then suddenly there is more than one huge change in our goings on in a very short time.  This is one of those weeks where we are realizing that many things about our world are shifting.  It is all good stuff and I look forward to each aspect, but am a little overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.

First there is Baby Riedel.  I couldn't be more excited about meeting this little one.  We are ready.  Lauren is ready.  Baby is ready according to the ultrasounds. Last week (s)he was 7 lbs 1 oz.  At this stage, baby is expected to gain 1/2 pound per week through the remainder of the pregnancy.  In two days from today or sooner I will be looking upon the tiny face of this child that has already stolen another part of my heart.  I don't feel comfortable putting a lot of details on here, but will say that my doctors have said they are shocked that I haven't delivered yet with my current dilation and effacement.  If things don't happen on their own this weekend, I have an appointment first thing Monday morning to get baby moving.  I have been so blessed with an uncomplicated pregnancy this time!  Can't wait to meet you, little one!

Second, there is Washington DC.  As you may remember, Craig was awarded a Army Acquisition Fellowship last March.  He has been very successful in completing phase one of the program here at the Detroit Arsenal, and was gearing up for phase two, which means a six month stent in Washington DC.  Then sequestration happened and the funding was not available.  Shortly thereafter Craig was approached by two different commands that offered to fund him out of their own budgets.  This week, travel orders came through and Craig is to report to either the Pentagon or the Taylor Building on May 6.  MAY 6!  MAY THE SIXTH!! That is less than a month away! Argh!

We have secured a 1450 square feet 3 bedroom executive suite that is a 10 minute walk to whichever building Craig may be working in near the Capitol Mall complex.  I'm liking the fact that we will have room service available and a doorman. I am not crazy about but accepting of the fact that I will be spending most of my days there with a newborn and a toddler alone while Craig is at work.  I am 2/2 with moving away from my support systems either during pregnancy or shortly after! Thanks, Craig! :)

With a twist of irony one of the silver linings in this move is actually sequestration!  Although it will cut Craig's pay--our sole income-- by about 20% off the top (closer to 35% take home) until a final resolution is made in September, it will also allow him to work only 8 hour days and be "home" every Friday.  I don't deny that the dent in income will hurt, but if life has taught me anything in the last few years, it is that spending time with those you love will ALWAYS trump the value of money.  Just  another example to prove what The Lord tells us in Romans 8:28 "For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God."

So, as we enter this next season of life do I feel overwhelmed?  Yes yes, and Yes!  Do I understand how much packing up everything that my growing family will need or six months shortly after giving birth is going to stink?  Yes, although I have probably grossly underestimated it all!  BUT, More than stress, I am feeling blessed.  God has given us some amazing opportunities, and when it comes down to it we have everything we need and then some...Maddie, Lauren, will have a new baby any day, a great marriage, and the chance to spend six months in our nation's capital.  I can't wait to take it all in!

Whatever

• Blame it on baby brain.  Blame it on poor sleep habits.  Blame it on whatever you want, but the fact is I can't put sentences together for anything these days.  Here's a peek into my world.  Matter of fact, I just bullited this paragraph and don't know how I did it, or more importantly how to undo it, so this post just is what it is.
• Tonight we got Lauren her Easter dress.  I love it and she didn't want to take it off so I think she loves it too.  She is definitely a girly girl.  She watches me put makeup on in the morning, then demands my brushes so she can do the same, but only after she asks me to put lotion on her face. It's pretty cute.  And scary.
• Baby Riedel is showing more and more signs of being ready to make its grand entrance.  Without going not detail, I will just say that things are changing and I don't think it will be much longer.  Carrying this one has been relatively easy, and I can't wait to hold him/her in my arms, BUT I'm dreading the time between carrying and holding.  Enough said.
• Today two of my good friends threw me a baby shower.  It was a mix of people from the parenting and MOPS groups that I am involved in.We had lunch, opened gifts, and just hung out.  It was wonderful and I feel so blessed that I am friends with each one of them.
• Craig is amazing.  He dealt with a very crabby little girl all day so I could enjoy this time with my friends.  L decided that 2:30 would be a great time to start the day and refused to nap.  It was ugly.  This falls on the heels of yesterday when he was nominated to clean up a steamy surprise that L left in the shower.  In all fairness, I tried on three occasions to take care of it but could not stop gagging.  Amazing, I tell you!
• We are now mini van owners.  I like it, but it makes me feel old.  It has heated leather seats, which is nice, but the controls for them are hard to reach when a one month pregnant belly is in  your way of bending over.  I cried when Craig drove our CR-V away for the last time.  Love that car!

That's it.  I'm tired and that s all the news that is coming to mind.  Soon, I will have exciting news that I can't wait to share! G'nite.

Family

Three years.  In some respects it seems so much longer ago, but in others merely moments, really.  I remember it so clearly.  I was laying in a hospital bed surrounded by amazing nurse and a midwife who earned so much respect in the days that bracketed that moment.  My tiny baby boy's little heart was beating its final beats and all became still within me.  I knew he was gone but refused to confirm until Craig could be by my side.  He was stuck in Alabama for the night and would arrive just before noon the following day.  My mom was with me, but our words were few.  How could this be happening?  It had only been six months before that we lost dad in his tragic accident, and one year since Kim died.  How old this baby that had become a symbol of hope during such tough times be taken as well?

Craig arrived the next day and my guard finally fell.  I collapsed in his arms and begged him to just hold me forever.  Later in the day we had an ultrasound. The Doctor's face is frozen in my memory as her eyes focused on the screen, scanning for the tiny flicker that meant life.  There was none.  The silence of the room spoke volumes.

I chose to deliver our baby rather than have a procedure to remove it.  From the second I saw him there was an odd mix of emotion created within me that has never left.  I became a mom, but one with a baby who didn't ever take his first breath.  He didn't need me, but I needed him so very much.  There was so much raw pain in my heart, and as Craig and I held each other, we made a promise.  Our family's journey would not--could not--end in this place.  We would somehow have another child someday and tell them the story of their big little brother, Christopher Job.

I never would have imagined that three years later we would be parents to a very healthy and very loved almost two year old little Lauren and a few weeks away from a new baby joining out family.  God has been so gracious to us.  We are greatly blessed, indeed, but have not forgotten our sweet firstborn.  We will never forget.

Tomorrow, I'll go through the box of memories we have from that day.  I'll look at the pictures and smell the little hat that he wore...hoping that I can still smell the baby oil he was bathed in.  I'll fall in love all over again with my little Christopher Job whose time with us ended far too soon, and I'll celebrate the day that I held him.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift we named Christopher Job and for allowing us to be his parents.  And thank you for walking with us through those difficult moments and bringing us to a place of healing.

Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Worship His holy name!  Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes!

Just refrain, please.

There are a few things that pregnant women do not want to hear or be asked.  Usually if someone makes such an error one can hold back.  Unless you are my husband, which none of you are.  Poor Craig has said "whoa" or "whoops" a few too many times under his breath lately.  I want to be nice, but my honest thoughts just escape through my lips these days.  He's learning, though.

Today, I nearly asked the med tech at the OB office whether she never took the therapeutic communication 101 class in college or whether she did take it and failed.

Usually at my Monday morning appointments I see the doctor first and then have a non stress test.  Today they did the NST first.  Not a big deal.  As the tech was wrapping the belts around my 34 1/2 week pregnant belly she blurted out "it is getting harder and harder to reach around here."  I laughed. A VERY fake laugh and wanted to rip her hair out.  I know my belly is getting bigger and I'm fine with that, but her comment was just stupid.  I wanted to, but refrained from saying "Oh yes.  It was definitely was not as much fun for me when someone could put the bands on without having their nose in my belly button."  Seriously, I had to bite my tongue.

So my twenty minutes passed and I was taken back to the exam room, where the barrage of normal questions were fired.  Last, but not least, she asked how I was feeling.  I'm tired of downplaying how miserable this head/chest cold has made me feel.  So I told her that baby-wise I felt fine except for tons of low pressure when I cough, but overall, I feel like a slime truck has emptied into my nose and chest.  It has been two weeks since I started feeling crappy.  It gets a little better for a day or two, then comes back with more intensity.  The last three nights, I have not been able to sleep because I have been in this cough til I puke, can't breathe, and need to pee cycle. Then come the contractions and leg cramps.  By this point, I am nearly in tears because I am so sick of it.  The tech turns from the computer and proceeds to tell me that she knows just how I feel because her husband has had a cold for three weeks and recently had rotator cuff surgery. Does she not realize that it s all about ME?  Hello? I'm pretty sure if all this coughing keeps up a baby is going to come flying either out of my lungs or where it is supposed to come out of any moment.  Can her husband say that?!?

I gave her the silent treatment.  On her way out the door, she patted my shoulder and told me that she hopes I feel better before delivery--Gee thanks...that buys me a projected 5 weeks to get over it--and then went on to say that her daughter recently delivered a baby while she had a bad cold, and it was a horrible experience.  Then the baby got sick and had to be in the NICU for a few days. Wonderful warm fuzzy thoughts were everywhere! Puke.

Finally the doctor came in and suggested we do a few days of antibiotics to try to get this cleared up.  She was kind and assured me that even though she could tell I felt miserable, baby is fine, and all the crud is actually probably helping him or her to form a strong immune system.  I found myself near tears again, only happy tears this time.  The hormones of carrying a baby do that to you.  Crying happens very easily...whether it is the result of happiness, sadness, or frustration...there are tears!

The point of all of this?  If you can't say something helpful, just purse your lips.  If you can't do that, maybe an OB office is not the best fit for you.

On my mind

Random things on my mind in this moment.  Of note, it is 1053 on a Saturday night.  Not that that has anything to do with anything or anything.  Anyway...

• I really want some ice cream right now.  I have already flossed and brushed my teeth, though, and am far too lazy to do it all again.  But I really want ice cream.  I have been cycling this for the last 1.5 hours.  
• Today I took a snuggle nap with my sweet Lauren.  There is something so fulfilling about holding my girl while she is sleeping.  I knew I should have just put her in her bed, but couldn't resist.  Tonight I paid the price for our blissful nap as she cried "Mama, I want you" from her crib.  To keep her from going into hysterics, I sat on the floor in her doorway for over an hour.  This is in no way to find comfort in such seating arrangements while 7 months pregnant.  
• Now that Lauren is finally sleeping and I am laying in my bed, baby Riedel is wide awake and on the move.  I teeter between being so anxious to meet him/her face to face and not wanting to ever stop feeling these movements from within.  So in love with this little one, too!
• I have another batch of sugar cookie dough chilling in the fridge overnight.  I feel a little bad that I hid the previous batch from my family and have now eaten all but two.  I feel worse that I told Craig that if he found any cookies anywhere that they were mine and I was unwilling to share.  I may give him one from the new batch. Maybe.
• We have finally decided on names for baby.  For today.  Tomorrow that may all change.
• I think I have an obsession with vegetables.  I can't get enough of any food that is green right now.  Today I had a spinach, eggplant, and feta cheese thin crust pizza with caramelized onions and tomatoes for lunch at Uno's.  I hope they have those in heaven, because if I ever get out of the donut shop there, I really want some of that pizza.
• Said lunch was with a good friend.  And no kids.  It was amazing to have a conversation that was not interrupted by toddler needs.  I love my daughter, but felt so refreshed after having a break from her.  She and daddy seemed to enjoy having some time just the two of them, too.
• I know it is a bad time to be thinking about it, but I can't wait to go on a vacation someday.  Other than trips to see family, we haven't been on a REAL vacation since 2009.  We used to go to Colorado every summer, but haven't been three since...gulp...2006.  We are so due when these kiddos are a little older--or born, in the little one's case!
• I only have 5 more Weekly progesterone injections.  After giving myself over 100 shots in the backside for this pregnancy, I'm beyond ready to break up with syringes.  For the last 13 weeks, they have burned and itched for 1-2 days afterwards.  I'm tired of candidly trying to scratch my gluts.  (But I do not mean to complain...it has helped the pregnancy go smooth, and that is huge!)
• Ok.  I need sleep more than I need to blog now.  Goodnight, all!  But I still kinda want ice cream...

Humbled

I'm spending my time these days feeling humbled.  And amazed.  God has blessed us in so many ways.  Saturday marks week 28 of this pregnancy...the start of he third trimester.  I can't believe how good I feel.  Everything about his pregnancy is totally diffent than before.  I did have a lot of nausea weeks 8-17, and have felt a lull in energy, but that is par for the course for me.  Actually more like a double eagle if we're using golf terms.

I had so many fears and reservations about the thought of trying to expand our family.  What if our infertility treatments don't work and we're out all that time and money?  What if I lose the baby well into pregnancy again?  What if I have to spend week after week on bed rest again?  What if God's plan for us is just to have Maddie and Lauren?  Somehow, God--in typical God fashion--gave me a sense of peace and his spirit told me calm down and trust Him.  He would take care of the details.  Just trust and follow His leading.  So that is what we did and were surprised/thrilled/ecstatic to learn a fairly short time later that there was a strong little heartbeat under my own heart!  Truly a miracle.

We kept the news to ourselves for a while.  I wanted to tell my mom in person and knew I wouldn't see her until about 17 weeks.  Shortly thereafter, we broke the news to the world.

Yet, as I said before, I am very humbled.  It wasn't so long ago that I wasn't sure if we would ever have a child.  Now we have a beautiful, very active, and healthy 22 month old, and an equally healthy and active little one within.  I have not forgotten all of the emotional pain it has taken to get here and my heart breaks for those who are in that place now.  I will never forget how empty my arms felt during those days, months, and years as I waited for The Lord to give us a child to love.  My heart breaks for the dear friends whose dreams finally seemed to be taking shape and faced devastating loss.  It is a treacherous path for so many, and although there is much joy in where we are at today, part of me will always remain in the journey where things were not looking good.

I don't talk in detail about all that we've been through with many.  I tend to be pretty vague with that kind of stuff.  I've learned so much along the way, but the biggest lesson learned~or should I say reinforced~is that God is way bigger than all of the statistics.  A doctor once told me that I had a 20% chance of getting pregnant, and that if I did get pregnant I had a 80% chance of not carrying to term.  Jerk.  Look at my daughter and see how God gave us a 100% miracle.  I really believe that it is because we placed her completely in His capable hands.  Just as we have with is baby.

Each day I am challenged to be a better mom because I've lived the years of yearning.  I can honestly smile somewhere inside (please don't tell Lauren!) when she throws a tantrum and or dumps cereal on the floor.  I've chosen to appreciate even the most frustrating things because they come with the territory of being a mom.  I've chosen to embrace the woes of pregnancy because there is an unending line of people who would gladly take my place. I am blessed and I know it with everything in me.  There is a very good chance that this baby will be our last.  After all, Asking for three miracles is a bit much, isn't it?  Whatever happens, it is well.  God is in the driver's seat.

Yes, accepting miracles is humbling!

Ps...I'm hoping to be able to post more now that I have updating from my iPad figured out.  We are down to one computer  (that I despise) due to the combined destructive nature of toddlers and the apparent inability of parents to keep such devices in a safe place.  :/

I never...

A few weeks ago at the MOPS group that I attend we discussed our pre-child philosophies on being a mom in a simple format and then compared them to our realities now that we are parents. The format was simple, just fill in the blank.  "Before I was a mom, I never thought I would____________."  I've been thinking about how much being a mom has changed me.  The things that were once ultra-important (a clean car, a tidy house, showering daily for example) are still important but take a back seat to anything that my girl might need.  For the record, I still shower almost daily, but am usually accompanied by a 18 month old that has an infatuation with shampoo bottles and bubbles. 

Before I was a mom, I never thought I would....eat food out of someone else's mouth.  It is disgusting, but I have to admit that it has happened.  What else is a mom to do when you are at a friend's house, your daughter takes a bite of something and spits it out into your hand.  Top it off with being in general too tired/lazy to get up, feeling slightly hungry, and eating the rejected food object becomes a viable option.  It happens and I KNOW I am not the only one who does it. 

Before I was a mom, I never thought I would...sleep in a bed affected by a diaper insufficiency.  When L was really little I would change her in our bed at night.  I don't know whether it was the cool air hitting her or what, but when that diaper was off the girl would pee every time. I guess I'm a slow learner because I kept changing her in our bed. My coping mechanisms when sleep deprived are very compromised and so I would turn an absorbent pad upside down over the puddle, put her back to bed, go back to sleep, and deal with the linens in the am.  My pre-mom self would be very disappointed. 

Before I was a mom, I never thought I would...wear sweat pant equivalents every day unless there was a compelling reason to not do so (ie..going somewhere.) I realized when pregnant just how comfortable sweats are and that never really changed after L was born.  Old Navy comfort pants...where had you been my whole life?

Before I was a mom I never thought I would...be ready for a good nights sleep at 8 PM.  Some days I am just so exhausted from chasing Lauren around, picking up countless toys, fixing meals, playing, and all the other things that moms do to keep a house running.  I love to sleep and don't get to sleep in much anymore, so going to bed early is my escape.

Before I was a mom I never thought I would...let a kiddo sleep in my bed.  It is not intentional and it doesn't happen too often, but sometimes L does sleep with us for some portion of the night.  Often she wakes up in her bed around the same time as Craig (around 4:30), will cuddle up with me, and sleep for a few more hours.  I know it is not a good habit, but to be honest I love those early morning hours of watching my girl sleep and praying over her.  I know that the day will come when she won't want to curl up next to me and it makes me want to cherish each moment now.

Before I was a mom  I never thought that I would...let my kid wear clothes in public that had leftovers from lunch spilled everywhere on them.  You know what?  She is 18 months, and she can be a messy eater and I don't want to do 5 loads of laundry a day so sometimes she does wear a little squash on her shirt to the store and I'm ok with that.  Matter of fact, sometimes we wear matching food spots on our clothes.  Don't judge us. =)

Before I was a mom, I never thought I would...go to bed without picking up all the toys.  A MOPS friend recently told me that trying to keep a tidy house with a toddler is like trying to brush your teeth while eating oreos.  I concur. 

Before I was a mom, I never thought I would...be so deeply concerned about every aspect of someone else's life.  Not that it is in a controlling "I want her to be perfect" way, but in a way that says I love her so much that I want to protect her and guide her to make good choices and be healthy physically, emotionally, and socially. 

Before I was a mom, I never thought that I would...be this happy as a mom. 

I also never thought I'd admit in a public place that I have slept on baby pee.  But I did.  Because I'm a mom.

18 Months of Lauren

Eighteen months ago we held our little Lauren for the first time.  Those early days with her are somewhat of a blur as we were overwhelmed with being responsible for such a precious gift, but I do distinctly remember looking Craig in the eye and saying things like "What do we do now?" and "What have we gotten ourselves into?"  Tonight, I sit in amazement of this little girl that is growing up before our very eyes.  She is getting so big and picking up new words all of the time.  Being a mom is MUCH more demanding than I ever imagined, but so much more fulfilling.  Here are the latest tricks that she is up to.

Lauren has discovered that she has a hole in her nose.  As far as I know she still thinks there is only one...on the right side.  She has also realized that her right pointer finger fits perfectly in this hole.  Yuck. 

The ever expanding vocabulary is amazing.  She will not say many words on command, but when you are not expecting it, she has LOTS to say.  The other night, for example, we were at a friend's house and I was standing next to a veggie tray.  (I tend to hang out by the food...go figure!)  I dipped a carrot and offered some to Lauren.  "No."  Then, as clear as can be, she said "Tomato."  Sure enough, after giving her a tomato, she was happy as a clam.  Her other favorite word is "Poo."  She says it at least 50 times per day.  In Lauren's world Poo is a universal term for pretty, shampoo, and, well, poo.  She'll look at my earrings or a picture of herself and say "Poo."  She also says it repetitively during diaper changes until we either confirm there is poo or tell her no that it is just potty.

Her first kiss.  It has happened.  From a boy.  I think it caught her off guard, but her little friend Connor planted a big old kiss right on her lips during a recent playdate.  The look on Lauren's face was priceless as he pulled away.  Completely frozen.  I don't think that she really liked it.  Psshhew.  P.S.  Daddy is keeping a closer eye on Connor these days.

Books.  This girl LOVES books.  We read at least 40 books per day...no exaggeration necessary.  She doesn't show a lot of favoritism, but really likes ones that have animals in them.  She also has her favorite pages within them.  For instance, in the Big Bird's Big Bike book, she only wants us to read the 3 pages where Big Bird is riding the bike down the hill going "EEE-YII-YIKES"  "EEE-YOW" and "AAII-EEEE!"  Every now and then we have to shove a particularly annoying book under the couch to keep from having to read it constantly.

Eating.  If you ask her before any meal what she wants, she will always tell you "ga gog."  Hot dog.  Gross.  She does get hot dogs a couple of times per week but I cringe every time and feel like I am failing as a mother.   Lauren doesn't like potatoes, (which some say means she can't be a true Riedel), but loves most vegetables.  Corn on the cob, green beans, tomatoes, avocado, squash, cole slaw(!), and brussels sprouts are the favorites.  Yeah!

Mario Kart.  Craig and I still play Mario Kart quite regularly.  It is one of those things where we are almost equally matched (although I admit I am usually not the one with the higher score).  As soon as she hears the music, Lauren chants "go Mama go."  On occasion, she'll say Dada but then smiles and says "No, Mama!"  Smart girl.

"Melmo"  aka Elmo.  Tonight we went to Wal-Mart for a bit.  I never realized that they display Elmo in nearly every aisle, but they do, and Lauren pointed each of them out.  I am not a big fan of commercializing kid's clothes, diapers, etc, but I do love Pampers Baby Dry diapers and they happen to have Sesame Street Characters on them.  While it is mildly ok to wear "Nernie" (Ernie) and "Bir Bir" (Big Bird) at times, the girl's eyes tryly light up when an Elmo diaper is pulled out of the box.  I broke down and bought her a pair of Elmo jammies this week (because they were cheap and she needed new pj's) and was awakened in the night more than once to Lauren giggling "Melmo Melmo Melmo." 

While she truly does cute things all day long, sometimes she is a little on the naughty side, too.  She likes to throw food.  And toys.  And make the house look like a bomb went off.  And lift up my shirt in public to show others my belly button.  However, I thank God every day that He allowed me to be the one that she calls Mama.  So in love with her.  Here's a short video of her and Daddy reading a book.

                                                    
(Sooo...we bought a new video camera and I evidently STILL can't figure out how to upload videos. Sorry!  Check back...I'll keep trying!)

Daddy's Home!

Lauren was so excited last night when Craig walked through the door after being in Maryland for 3 days for work.  She was sitting in her high chair at the time and immediately stopped eating (the girl loves her food--this rarely happens!) and followed him around the rest of the evening.  They read books, shared ice cream, and littered the house with all of the toys that I had meticuloulsy picked up.  I became invisible. 

I, the one who stayed up late with my girl on Monday night when she spent the hours of 9-10:30 in her bed, and then in my bed saying "Dada Dada Dada."  And who later that same night (or perhaps more appropriately early the next morning) coddled her when she was up from 12:15-1:30 saying "Dada Dada Dada."  And who again from 4:00-6:00 held her, sang to her, and told her how much daddy and I love her as she cried "Dada Dada Dada."

I fed her every one of her meals and changed every one of her dirty diapers.  I took her to the mall to play on the germ-infested playground, I took her clothes shopping, I took her to Church to play with other kids, I read books, stacked blocks, and gave her candy by day and by night did my best to comfort her as she cried "Dada Dada Dada."

And on Thursday Daddy came home and all was right in her world again.  She slept for 12 hours straight after Daddy, of course, put her to bed at her request/demand.  This morning when I got her up (Craig had to work) she smiled and said "Mama."

I guess she still loves me, the girl just missed her daddy!

Three years of yellow roses.

On the mantle above the fireplace I have a memorial picture of my dad.  Lauren has taken notice of it lately and demands that we stop to look at it for a while saying "Pa, Pa" and pointing.  I tell her how that is my daddy and he is in heaven.  I tell her how much I miss him and how I am sad that I can't see him.  I tell her how much Grandpa would have loved her.  And we talk about the expression on his face...how he is smiling at us because Grandpa liked to smile and tease.  She smiles back.  For those moments Lauren is perfectly still in my arms taking it all in while I fight tears and occasionally let them fall.  Every time. 

Since I first learned that I was pregnant with CJ and then with Lauren my heart would break all over again knowing that they would never have an earthly relationship with their Grandpa Daryl.  Maybe it is my mother's heart that can accept that my dad is gone but continually wonders why my children were robbed of the chance of building memories with him.  God has given me an overwhelming desire keep memories of him alive so that my child(ren) can have a sense of knowing him. 

Yet, when that picture catches my girl's eye there is a stillness that comes over her.  It is almost like she knows him.  When she spots a picture of Craig or I or my nieces she gets excited and wants to look at them together but it is short lived.  With pictures of Dad she is drawn in. I think--or maybe just hope--that she is feeling a connection. Oh how they would adore each other.

Tomorrow will mark the three year anniversary of the day that Dad died.  Three years.  It has been tougher than I ever thought it could be. In some ways it seems like just yesterday that he was here and in others it seems like he has been gone a lifetime already. Three years of a single yellow rose marking Dad's absence on the table through the holidays and other special days for the family.  Three years of missing him. 

If wishes could change reality I would wish for one more talk with my dad.  One more hug.  To hear his laugh one more time.  One chance to see him and Lauren play and bond.  I guess one more of any of things would never be enough. 

I find so much comfort in knowing that dad is in paradise basking in the fulfillment of God's promise of eternal life...but some days I just miss him so much here!

Bye Summer =(

Wait!  Where has summer gone?  This has been the fastest one to pass ever!  I'll try to recap the highlights.

Maddie was here for 6 weeks.  It was like she arrived and then I blinked and she was gone.  We had a splendid time.  She took an American Government class just for fun and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It became a little difficult at times because her pick up time was smack dab in the middle of Lauren's nap time.  We tried to delaying her naps until we got home...didn't work. We tried attempting to get her to nap earlier...fail. We tried staying close to Maddie's school so that she wouldn't fall asleep in the car...disaster.  Finally, we had Maddie take a bus home..Ding Ding--it was a winner!

We didn't do a whole lot this summer in terms of outings or vacation, but we did take in a Tiger's game and get together with some friends.  Maddie was also in Soccer camp which she loved so that kept us grounded to home, too. 

Craig's parents came out for a week towards the end of July and my niece, Brooke, spent the last week that Maddie was here with us.  That week was filled with all things One Direction.  I guess since my days of boy band infatuation are long forgotten I was not the most enthused about entertaining those who referred to themselves as Mrs. Horan and Mrs. Styles for the week.  We did have a great time together, though!

I spent a lot of time in Iowa this summer.  It all started when I went for a while to help my mom sort through some stuff at the farm in anticipation that she move SOME DAY.  While I was there we decided ot look at a few houses just to see what was available on the market.  One thing led to another and we she totally fell in love with the perfect house for her.  It was fun to be able to help her in the house buying process since it had been 25 years since mom and dad bought the farm, and she had never done such a thing on her own. 

Sadly, later that week our family suffered yet another tragedy as my cousin Josh passed away.  I'll never understand why God chooses to do things the way He does them sometimes.  I am so incredibly tired of seeing people that I love and care about (as well as myself) hurting.  But I do know without a doubt that God uses these horrible things to bring about good for His kingdom.  Still, though, why?!?!

Later in the summer, I was able to spend a couple of weeks helping mom get settled in her new house and doing a little handy work.  I changed the deadbolt locks for her, installed a peek hole in the door (which I tease will only allow her to see people's belly buttons because she is so short!), put in a keyless entry for her garage door, and installed some shelving in the pantry and closet.  It was fun to be able to use power tools that Craig doesn't let me use.  It was fun.

Last but not least we finally had some long overdue family pictures taken.  Since the farm is going on the market later this month and will be sold before we return to Iowa we decided to have the pictures taken on the farm.  They turned out very nice and I can't wait to get my prints!  I'll try....and I do mean TRY...to post a sneak peak below. 

Hope this summer has found you all healthy and safe.  Life is busy with a little girl who does not walk, but RUNS everywhere, and doesn't stop unless she is asleep, but all these are reminders of how blessed we are.  We are loving every minute with our sweet girl!

Ok.  So I got it to lad, but I can't make it bigger!  Also, the edited version doesn't looke like Lauren's head is floating on Craig's chest!

Playdate/Maddie/Tires/Father's day.

What??? TWO posts in one week?  Yep! 
Yesterday Lauren had a playdate with her little friend Zachary.  It was so fun to see them pass toys back and forth, chatter, and burn off tons of energy following eachother around the house.  I guess she is finally at the age where she can actually play and interact with another kid instead of just play in the same room.  It was nice for me, too, to have Zachary's mom here and have conversation other than "Please don't throw your food on the floor" and "Let's not get that out until we put a few hundred other toys away."  It was comical when Z's mom and I sat down in the recliners--me with my glass of water and her with her Diet Pepsi sitting on the table between.  The kids immediately both sprang to their feet to bum a sip (or backwash into our drinks would perhaps be more appropriate!) while we both instinctively pushed the glasses to the back of the table.  I guess being a mom of a 14 month old will do that to you! 

Craig left last night to go get Maddie.  Can't wait to have that girl here which will make our family all be in one place.  I've missed her so much!  We've got some fun stuff planned, but my favorite is just "family time."  Every evening after dinner we make sure we do something together as a family...like a walk, a game, or an outing.  We have made an effort to do this ever since Maddie was little, and now if we get up to go our separate ways we are met with "Hey wait!  What about Family Time?!?!"  Love it.

As I write this, L is napping and Craig and Mads are actually at a tire store somewhere in Illinois getting a tire looked at.  It has had a slow leak for a while and I specifically asked a certain husband of mine to get it fixed before this trip, but, according to him anyway, he was "over tasked" with too many things by yours truly.  Baloney.  Anyway, hopefully they get it fixed soon and can get back on their way.  It's not nice to say "I told you so."  Especially not on the day before Father's day. 

I am on the ball for father's day this year!  I have corn on the cob shucked and ready to cook, burgers ready for the grill, and one of Craig's favorite desserts in the fridge.  Cards are bought, signed, and either mailed or in their hiding places until tomorrow.  Check.  I am that good.  However, this day is really very sad for me.  I REALLY miss my dad.  I'm trying to look at it from the standpoint of celebrating Craig and my father-in-law, but that doesn't stop the reminders that someone is missing.  I don't know if it will ever get easier.  ='(

Ok that is it for now.  Have a great weekend everyone...honor those special men in your lives tomorrow!
~M

Summer is here, and Lauren has discovered how much fun the lawn sprinklers can be.  Last night Craig and I were adjusting some of the sprinkler heads and turned to find little punkin giving herself a shower.  She was soaked, but having a great time!
I'm trying to figure out Lauren's personality.  She is social and loves to go up to new people, but then she tucks her chin in and won't say a word.  I don't know that I was every shy like that, but I'm sure it is normal for her age.  At home, she chatters non-stop.  She is really into animals and their sounds right now, especially goats and dogs.  They're cute, but my favorite is her snake sound.  So cute!
I always have intentions of writing thought provoking, meaningful posts, but in the midst of even this short one, a little girl has helped herself into the Lazy Susan and dumped Cheerios all over the floor, brought me a container of oatmeal, and now smells a little funky, so I best be wrapping this up.  Things are busy busy busy here but oh so much fun!