It's a Wonderful Life

Wonderful Day!

2009-07-05T05:44:00.000-07:00

We had such a wonderful day yesterday on the 4th of July. It RAINED ALL DAY, but I WAS NOT going to let it stop us from having a wonderful day and doing all (well almost all) we had planned. It seemed as though my family was going to be on our own because the rain was scaring off my sister and my parents. However, in the end, they all came out and it was a great day! First, we went to the parade - in the rain - and it was so fun. The kids LOVED it and got more candy than on Halloween :) We got a little wet, but we didn't melt. The people in the parade were SOAKED including my sister and her two daughters. It was so fun to see them in the parade! We then dried off our wet candy (and ourselves) and went to eat at McAlister's. We were going to grill out, but the rain did change those plans. I love McAlister's, so this change in plans didn't bother me too much ;) Then we came back to my house and watched old family videos and laughed so hard! It was nice. Last, we went to see the Fireworks. The weather changed where we went to see the fireworks, but we still got to see them. The kids were so excited because they had been waiting all day to see them. Luckily, by the time the fireworks were going the rain stopped, but we were so cold...on the 4th of July...we were cold!

It was such a wonderful day and I had so much fun. I am blessed.

Florida!

2009-06-15T13:01:00.001-07:00

Oh what a great time we had in Florida :) I miss the beach and the pool. It was our routine to wake up (at 5:30 - thanks Brenna!), eat breakfast, and head out. We went to the beach first and the pool second. Every morning. It was so nice. The sand and water was beautiful and we just enjoyed our time. We did fun things with the kids and just had a relaxing time. All in all, a great trip. The drive down was fast and the kids were great. The ride home was SO long and the kids were okay, but less tolerant of being the car that long! It is nice to be home, but I wish we were closer to the beach :)

Shorts

2009-05-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

I have NEVER been one to wear shorts. I have always hated how I looked and felt in them. This year is different. Maybe I am more comfortable in my own skin. Maybe I think I look better than I use to. Maybe I am just getting to old to care and I just don't want to be hot.

Whatever the reason, I am glad that I am comfortable in shorts now. It's freeing...

4 years old

2009-04-25T18:10:00.001-07:00

My baby boy is 4 years old (and has been for almost 2 weeks now) and I cannot believe it. He had a special treat at school, a special lunch with Daddy, and a party at home. They were stretched over the week of his Birthday, but still he had a lot of special times and fun things! He's such a big boy :)

Now in less than 2 months, my baby girl will be 2 years old...oh, how fast they grow!

"Happy!"

2009-04-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

Brenna sings. She loves to sing and it warms my heart :) Right now, while she is playing, she is singing "Happy, Be Happy, Be Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy." I love it! She got the song from her favorite show, Wow Wow Wubbzy. Although she has put her own spin on it, I am amazed at how well she sings it.

Also, she rocks "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" pretty hard!

My Robe...

2009-03-22T12:41:00.001-07:00

I had never been a robe person. I remember from when I was little that my mom use to always wear a robe, but I never thought I would because I was not a 'robe person'. This winter my mom showed me a robe she wanted and told me to keep my eye out for it when it goes on clearance (we never by something for full price...and on top of that...it has to be a great clearance!). So, I did. It went 30% off...not enough...then 50%...good, but not great...then we saw it...75% off! Yes! Now that is what I am talking about :) So, we picked out the color she wanted and once I felt the material, I knew I had to have one:) It was so soft and cozy...

So, I picked out my robe...still unsure that I was going to use it, but I thought I could try considering it was only $5. I now wonder how I lived without it :) I love this thing...I may not be super sexy in it...but I am WARM :)

Bren

2009-03-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

She is so sweet and funny. She is at such a GREAT age. She is learning all the time and talking just as much. She is saying so many new things and I can actually understand 95% of what she says. Now, most people may not, but since I'm her Mama I can :) However, other people are understanding her a lot as well. She is just gabbering all the time and she LOVES to talk on the phone! She calls people a lot when she sneaks the phone. When I let her talk on the phone, she takes it and walks away...giving whoever is on the phone an ear full! She gets mad at me when I take the phone away! I mean, c'mon, she was in the middle of a conversation :)

She is my girl and I love her so much!

Yeah! I have another 'friend'

2009-03-09T11:56:00.001-07:00

I have a new friend under the 'my friends' section of my blog! I have been meaning to ask those that I know have a blog if they mind that I put them on mine, but just haven't yet! Well, now Mindy is no longer all alone over there...Kindra has now joined her :) Yay!

So Kin, if you're reading...welcome to my blog!

Yep, Nevermind

2009-02-18T11:57:00.001-08:00

I knew I wouldn't post this...

But I don't know how to delete...

Nevermind

Spring time!

2009-02-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

I am so ready for Spring...warmer weather...playing outside...no coat! The weather this week has really been a tease and has given me the itch for Spring! I cannot wait until winter is over and I can get outside with the kids! Josh is such a downer because he keeps reminding me that we will have winter weather again and not to get use to this! :( I wish he weren't right...

Bad Day

2009-02-05T07:33:00.001-08:00

So yesterday I was having a bad day. I was so upset yesterday that I was crying in Wal-Mart. I know stupid, right?!? Anyway, I had two people reach out to me and I thought it was extremely neat.

I had a woman come up to me and tell me that she is praying for me and that God knows my name.

I had a man come up to me and offer to help.

I was shocked and overwhelmed at their kindness.

It really blessed me.

Threading!

2009-01-26T17:44:00.000-08:00

I just got my eyebrows threaded for the first time tonight and I LOVE it! I had some bad experiences with waxing and so I stopped doing that a LONG time ago and just try to do the "up keep" myself. Well, I HATED how I looked and how bushy my eyebrows had become and I was fed up! I was going to get them waxed...or something. I looked into threading and it seemed like a great option for me. It's great for sensitive skin and it's green. I was nervous, but I love it. There was nothing to be nervous about and I am so happy with how my brows look now!

Yay!

My poor sick babies

2009-01-19T12:49:00.001-08:00

Both of my kids are sick :( They are stuffy(with noses running like faucets) and coughing and running fevers. Bray is getting much better, but poor Bren is still not good. She has been such a trooper though (or 'storm trooper' as Bray would say). I am hoping that neither Josh or I get it! However, I much prefer this kind of sick (for me or my kids) than flu like sickness! It's good that Bray is on the mend (at least I hope!) and soon Bren will be now that she has an antibiotic to help her :)

I will say that they both sound so cute with their sick little scratchy voices :)

Facebook!

2009-01-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

I FINALLY joined the world of Facebook! It had been my intention to join for quite some time, but for some reason, I just never did. Well, last week I finally broke down and just DID IT! It has been fun so far. I am trying to learn all of the things that I can do. I am also trying to figure out how to talk to everyone and stuff. It's not rocket science, so I think I am doing just fine. I have already reconnected with an old friend and kept better in touch with family.

I don't know why I didn't join a long time ago...

My First Post in the New Year!

2009-01-12T05:52:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Yeah, I know I'm a little late on that one. It just seems like I have been so busy the last few weeks. Thanksgiving to New Years is my favorite time of the year, but to be honest, this is the first year I was okay to see it go! Things are just so busy and chaotic when you have 2 little ones...no let me rephrase that...when you have MY 2 little ones!

I am excited when I think of this new year. We have a lot to look forward to and many blessings to be thankful for.

So Happy 2009!

7 years

2008-12-22T08:04:00.001-08:00

Seven years ago today, Josh and I said, "I Do." I cannot believe we have been married for 7 years. It has flown by. Having small children can make time fly though, I've heard :) There have been ups and downs, good and bad, but I wouldn't change it for the world. The family and life we have made together is more than I dreamed and I am so blessed!

Happy Anniversary, Josh!

His First Christmas Musical!

2008-12-18T10:47:00.000-08:00

Today was Bray's first Christmas Musical! It was super short of course. The 2 year olds came out and sang a little song (too cute). Then the other 3's class came out and sang a song. After that Bray's class came out and sang! He did such a GREAT job. I was so proud of him. He sang every word, did every motion and kept his focus on his teacher. He did give Dad the double thumbs up at the end though :) Then the other 3's class came out to join Bray's class where they recited John 3:16 and then sang a song together. I LOVED it! I was smiling ear to ear. It was very cute that Brenna sat there in awe of the songs. However, when Bray's class came out and she saw her brother, she gasp and was off my lap quickly to go see him! It was sweet, but sad because I had to stop her :(

Daddy, Mommy, Brenna, and Grandma all came to see Bray perform. After, we got to have lunch at McDonald's with Grandma which was a special treat. We even bumped into Bray's best friend from school at McDonald's, Conner. That was also very exciting. I am filled with joy from the fun we had today. I can't wait for more special times like this with both of my kids.

Today's the Day :(

2008-12-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

Today was the last day for us to go to Quiznos :( We went twice this week because we went on our regular day and then the last day. They are going to auction off their stuff next week. It's so sad, but we are glad we had so many years of good times there.

We made Becca and Mike each a photo book with pictures of the kids and some words of thanks. I actually did better than I thought I would...like I said, change is difficult for me...I didn't even cry. I am proud of myself because they probably would have thought I was crazy!

I have no idea where we will go now. Chick-Fil-A will be our temporary place and may become our norm, but I know it won't produce the same kind of friendships.

Mike told Bray to take care of the ducks for him and that is just what we will do. We will go back to feed the ducks on occasion, but it won't be the same without Quiznos. I bet it will hit me the first time we go back and they are gone...okay, I am shedding some tears now thinking about that...anyway, I am sure the ducks will be glad to see their old President again someday!

Quiznos

2008-12-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

Well, a sad day has come. Our "special" Quiznos is closing.

We have been meeting Josh for lunch at this Quiznos since Bray was born - maybe even before he was born. We know everyone and they have become our friends. Bray loves going there and has worked himself through the ranks to become President of Feeding the Ducks. He is such a hard worker that in his time there he has gotten many pay increases. He has moved from 5 cents to 20 cents. He has even received Christmas bonuses up to a dollar! He even got kick backs like pumpkins and Christmas presents. Mike and Becca have watched Brayden grow up and now have even been apart of Bren growing up. After this December, Quiznos as we know it will be gone. It just won't be the same going to some other Quiznos. The saddest part is, we may never see Mike or Becca again.

It has always been such a special time when we would go to Quiznos. After we finished eating, Bray got to work. He had to fill out his time card and envelope, punch his time card and then get his bucket of bread to head out back and feed the ducks (and sometimes geese.) The ducks were always ready! They would see him coming with his bucket and start heading toward him. He loved throwing the bread and some of the geese and ducks would even take bread right from his hand. Bren has really gotten into it as well! She loves feeding the ducks (even though she doesn't get paid!!) and she even says "Duck, Quack Quack!"

I know that I will be very sad our last day at Quiznos. Change is hard for me, even with something as little as this. I know that the kids will still grow and have many fun and exciting things ahead of them, but I know I will miss seeing them feeding the ducks at Quiznos. I don't know that Bray truly understands what is going on, but I know that he will be very sad when it's our last day there. Quiznos has been such a special part of our time in meeting Daddy for lunch, and now we have to find something different :( We were always so comfortable there, the kids were so comfortable there, and now we have to find a new regular place to meet.

I know it seems like I am going on and on about this seemingly silly topic, but it was special to us and I will miss it!

Christmas!

2008-11-21T09:19:00.001-08:00

I know that MANY would say that it is too early to decorate, but we put up the Christmas tree last night! I am so excited because this time of year is my favorite. Having two small children, it helps to decorate little by little, so tomorrow we are planning to put the lights up outside. I bought a huge blow up Santa that I know the kids (especially my little man) will go crazy for!

I also cannot wait until Thanksgiving (which is almost here!) My mom and I have been preparing for our day-after-Thanksgiving shopathon! I HATE waking up early - I LOVE my sleep(which I never get, but that's another post!) - However, I LOVE getting up EARLY to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving :) I will have to post how that goes later.

Yay for the Holidays!!

Election Day!

2008-11-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

Well, today is Election Day! I waited in line for 2 hours and 15 minutes to exercise my right to vote. At first, I was tempted to complain, but then I realized how much of a privilege it is to vote and how great it is that so many are voting in this election. I am so glad that I was able to vote.

Bren was such a trooper and slept on me for about an hour. My arms and back were (are) killing me! I was just glad I didn't have both the kids! That would have been IMPOSSIBLE!!! Josh only had to wait a little over an hour and a friend of mine only had to wait 50 minutes! Why it was so bad for me I don't know, but hey, I still got to vote!

Now comes the (fun) part where we see who won each office and by how much, etc..etc..

And can I just say that no matter what "side" you are on, it is such a sad thing that Barack Obama's grandmother did not live to see this election through. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family in what is no doubt an extremely difficult time.

Sigh

2008-10-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

I am so tired today. My kids are in rare form. Brayden didn't hardly sleep at all last night. We were up from about 3:30-7:30ish. Then I slept until about 7:55. Man, that 25 minutes really hit the spot - if you don't need sleep to function that is. We don't know what to do with that boy. He does not want to sleep in his own bed...this too shall pass I suppose.

What a night!

2008-10-11T18:18:00.000-07:00

I had one of the most horrible nights! It started off great. Brenna and I were out for a girls night and we were not on any schedule and we were taking our time. We walked around Target for at least an hour looking at everything! We looked at all of the clearance and all of the holiday stuff. Just browsing. Then we headed to Wal-Mart. This is where it gets interesting...

I could have picked up the things I needed at Target, but it escaped me. Like I said, we were just there for no reason, just browsing, so I didn't think about having a list and needing anything. I thought, "Oh Well, Wal-Mart is just across the street, I'll go there." So here we go again, shopping still taking our time, but with a little bit more purpose. So after walking around a bit, I went to get some canned fruit. They didn't have what I was looking for, so I stopped to think about what I wanted to do. A lot of times when I am thinking I twirl my wedding ring. So as I was thinking I started to spin my ring and my diamond.was.gone! It didn't slip out of the prongs, it had been ripped of prongs and all! I FREAKED! I started (loudly) saying "oh no! it's gone! I can't believe this!" and started crying!!! (the people in Wal-Mart were staring and every where we went people were asking, "What is wrong with her?!?")

That's when this sweet woman asked me what was going on and to think about what I'd done and to BREATHE and calm down! She walk the whole store with me looking for my lost diamond. This was at least an hour. She held Brenna and helped me. It was so sweet. We looked all over Wal-Mart and found nothing but bits of glass that fooled us with it's shininess. So we checked out and I was certain I would never see my diamond again. She was heading to Target with me to look there - which was going to take forever - because like I said, we went EVERYWHERE over there!

So, we get to my car and I say, "Well, I guess I'll check in here as well." Knowing that in the dark and in my toy filled car it would be very difficult to see anything. The first place I check is in Brenna's car seat. And to my surprise there.it.was! I almost fell to my knees and even though I had been BAWLING for the last hour, I had tears of joy left to cry!

I cannot believe I found it. I was trying to come to terms with the fact that it was gone. I am so thankful to Autumn, the woman who helped me.

So now, my back hurts from all the crying (yes, I was crying that hard!) and I am just exhausted!

What a night.

As I'm sure you know by now...

2008-10-07T08:16:00.001-07:00

...They got swept :(

It's okay - 'cuz someday it's gonna happen!

Go Cubs!

Well, Obvioulsy they didn't win :(

2008-10-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

It is so frustrating that the Cubs lost again :( A another crushing loss and I am crushed as well! I may just be hopeless though because I am still holding out hope! Maybe just maybe they can come back and win the series. I am not giving up yet. I am a Cubs fan win or lose and I will be stoked if they win, but will still be there if they don't. I am still rooting for my Cubbies and know that they can win 3 straight if they get it together!!

Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago what do you say, the Cubs are gonna win today!!!

Let's Go Cubbies!!!!

So Disappointed!

2008-10-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Here I sit watching Game 2 of the NLDS and I literally want to cry!!! We suffered a crushing loss last night against the Dodgers and it sucked to watch. I was so hopeful for tonight - after all - my "brother" Carlos Zambrano is on the mound. He is doing great, but he has NO help so far tonight :(

Oh how I hope we can pull out a win after this ROCKY start.

No matter what I still bleed blue and all I have to say is GO CUBS!!!!

It's been a while!

2008-09-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't written anything for so long, so I will do a short (as short as I can!) update of everything.

Brayden is doing so great in preschool. He LOVES it and the first day went amazingly well. No tears from him or reluctance to go into class as of yet! Which is strange because we have gone to the same church since before he was born and we still CANNOT get him to go into Sunday School class. There are tears, screaming and clining - maybe that says something about our church (but that's another post!) He comes home with great stories and fun pages. It is good! I did cry on the first day, but not until I got back to my car because I did not want him to see me ;)

Brenna is doing well! She has her 15 month doctors appointment today. We (Well, I am) going to talk to her Dr. today about her growth. I guess she could just be small, but Josh keeps asking me why she's not growing - like I know :) I say, she is, but at a snails pace. She is still about 16 pounds and 27 inches tall. I guess I will get more accurate numbers today, but she's 15 months and wears 6-9 months clothes! Sometimes 3-6 months :) She' small.

Me - well, I did not make the band - I know so sad right? I was stoked about the idea, but as it got closer to real with more auditions and stuff, I started thinking, "Do I want to miss putting my kids to bed at night?" "Do I want to miss Friday night family time?" I was sort of second guessing it, but thought if it's meant to be it will all work out. I would have only missed putting them to bed like 2 nights a week, but they are still so small right now, it didn't seem right. I guess it wasn't either because they don't want me :( It was a lot of different things, but one of their booking agents is friends with their current female singer and they were afraid if they fired her, they would lose those gigs. Also, they really wanted someone who played an instrument - which unfortunately, I do not. This is not the first time that not playing an instrument has bitten me in the butt. I really need to learn to play - something...the guitar or the piano, any suggestions? :)

By the way...It's the first day of Fall!!! - celebrate ;)

Preschool

2008-09-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

So...Brayden starts preschool on Tuesday. Last night was the "Meet the Teacher" night followed by an ice cream social. We were all so excited. I had been hyping this to Brayden for a while and he was stoked!

Well, then it happened - Mommy flaked :( I had read the card a THOUSAND times when we were supposed to be there and evidently, every time I read it, I read it WRONG!!! I do not know how I could have been so wrong on something we had been planning for so long. We got there 25 minutes late (the whole thing lasted 30 minutes, mind you). He still got to see his classroom, meet his teacher, and have ice cream. To him the night was a success and he did everything we set out to do. To me it was a disaster. He didn't get to explore his class, hear how school was going to go, or meet any of his classmates :( I was SUPER disappointed - I cried.

To top it all off, the teacher misspelled his name - everywhere. I think this bothered me so much because everything else was wrong that night and this was the icing. The newsletter she sent home, the snack list, sticker charts, his folder, the car line tag, everything was misspelled. I sent her an e-mail asking her to fix it - poor teacher - the school year hasn't even started and she is dealing with "that" parent! I hate being "that" parent, but hey, he's learning how to spell his name and I think it should be correct - everywhere :)

Well, sending my baby to preschool is hard enough and this night made it even harder! I expect I will not be the only Mommy crying when I take my baby to school and even if I am I don't care! He's my baby and he's my first and this is a new milestone and I have every right to cry!

Oh boy! How am I going to handle preshool? Pray for me! (AND Brayden!)

More Sweet Moments

2008-09-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

Sweet moments between brother and sister seem to be few and far between around here, so when something that just warms my heart happens, I like to share :)

Today Brayden was playing Mario Kart and Brenna just loves to watch, and of course, try to play. Usually this causes Brayden to get mad, but today he "let" her play. He gave her the controller while he showed the replay of the race he just finished. While she "played" he would say, "Good Job, Brenna!" when it was a good part and "Oh, it's okay." when the car fell off the edge or something. I just loved hearing him encourage her :)

That boy has a sweet streak - when he wants to show it!

Ah, September!

2008-09-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

September is the beginning of Fall. I know that is doesn't "officially" start until the 21st or whatever, but to me - it's Fall - My FAVORITE time of year!!!!

I am so excited - pumpkins, leaves, apples, sweaters - love, love, love it :)

Just can't wait :)

My "Live" Audition

2008-08-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

I had my live audition last night. My sister was kind enough to watch my kiddos so that I could go (thanks Erica!). It went okay. Of course, if you know me, you know I always think I could have done better and I wish I could have done this or that. However, over all it was good.

We got off to a little bit of a late start, which was fine, but added to my anticipation. Once everything was set up we started and I couldn't hear myself - I felt like I was screaming just to be heard! I was screaming just to be heard. We tried everything to fix it. A floor monitor, switching mics, mic cords...but in the end, the problem was as simple as placement. There was just better acoustics from where the other mic was placed. After an hour of screaming, we figured that out for just one last song. It was a WORLD of difference! I could totally hear myself and the other singer said that he could understand now and had no idea had bad it was other there! I had such a headache and sore throat after that because I was trying so hard to be heard.

I think over all it went well. On my way over there I called my Mom to calm my nerves. I came to the realization that I shouldn't be nervous and if it was meant to be it will be (I know you're thinking DUH, right? - well, that is easy for me to say and not so easy for me to follow through with). I don't want to be in this band if it is not the right place for me. I had fun singing and I would like to sing for the band, but now it is just waiting to see if they think I am the right fit!

FFH

2008-08-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

I LOVE FFH. They are such a great band. I love their music, their lyrics and I love the people themselves. I am currently reading a FFH book that is a little old (meaning it's not a recent release or anything). I am loving it. It's just simple stories from each of them about life on the road and how God moves. I could read this book in one sitting, but I don't get that kind of time! I just don't want to put it down. It's an easy, light read (which is perfect for me right now in my chaotic life). I think they are just the whole package! Their lyrics are so moving and simple. That reflects the same in this book.

Anyway, I love FFH and just wanted to share :)

Sweet Moments

2008-08-19T08:48:00.001-07:00

I am usually telling Bray to "Be Nice To Your Sister!!" He seems to love making her scream. Ah, boys!

Anyway, today he was playing "No Deal or No deal" (as he calls it) and she was very interested in it. It has a huge red button and Brenna couldn't resist the call :) She went right over to Bray and leaned up against him. I was waiting for the push and for Bray to say "Brenna I'm playing!!!" Well, that is NOT what I saw. Bray put his arm around Brenna and let her push a button. He told her "Good Job, Brenna!" They stayed that way, cuddled and loving, for about 2 minutes. It was the sweetest moment...

The Audition.....

2008-08-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

I finally had my audition yesterday. I was so excited and they wanted me to sing "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood. I did not think I would be nervous, but unfortunately, I WAS! I tried so hard to fight it. I thought I was so past getting nervous, at least to the point that it affected my performance. So because I was nervous, I got frustrated on top of that and I felt like a fool. I didn't let on that I was feeling like a super loser. They said I did a good job and then we tried some harmonizing. All of this was overwhelming because they were wanting me to do this in the recording booth, and to be honest, I'm not use to working that way so it was weird - especially when I was feeling uncomfortable anyway. I am probably making it sound worse than it actually was, but I do wish I could have been less nervous.

They didn't say anything about when they would get back to me. They did ask me to look at their schedule and see if it was something I could commit to. They also said that if they wanted me to join, they would like me to start as soon as August 30th. (well, to perform then, so actually practice before then)

So...I am anxious waiting to hear from them. I would LOVE to do this and think I could do a really good job once I got settled and wasn't so nervous. I hope I get the chance!!!

We survived...barely!!

2008-08-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

Well, the family trip to Chicago was fun! There were ups and downs, of course, but over all it was a good time.

We left for Chicago and all was going smoothly! Bren fell asleep and Bray watched movies, played games, sang, etc. He did start to get unsettled the closer we got because he was ready to get out of the car! We DO NOT pay for parking when we go to Cubs games, so we had to drive around for about 20 minutes to find a space, which was agonizing for little ones who wanted out of their seat :)

We packed all the drinks, snacks, diapers, wipes, etc and carried our sweet babies to Wrigley Field! Bray was excited. We walked to the very top of the stadium and sat about 4 rows from the very top! It was an exhausting trek, but we made it! Then Bren needed a diaper change, so I took her to the bathroom. Then Bray needed to go. Then they just wanted to walk around a bit. Then Bren needed another diaper change. I didn't get to sit in my seat longer then 30 seconds until the 5th inning. Then Josh took Bren for a walk and then I had to take Bray back to the bathroom! Once I came back from that Bren was asleep and so I took her and actually got to SIT!:) Unfortunately, the Cubs were losing big time. We decided to leave in the 7th inning because the kids were spent, we were exhausted, and the Cubs were losing :( The Cubs did end up losing on Saturday. They won Friday and Sunday...We decided we aren't going to anymore Cubs games...We're back luck :(

We then drove to the hotel which was ALL Bray talked about :) He COULD NOT wait to go to the hotel!!! He and I slept in the same bed, Josh slept alone, and Bren in the pack-in-play. She was not so fond of sleeping that night. She slept for about 3 or 4 hours and then was up - totally awake! She was just not use to her surrounding and it was hard to sleep. So I was up with her for about 3 hours. It is difficult in a hotel because I didn't want to leave the room at 3:00 in the morning and there is no where to go! So...we went to hang out in the bathroom. She liked looking in the mirror and was obsessed with the sink. She wanted to sit in it so bad. So I let her. She fit in it perfectly. Then, of course, she turned on the water. Yep, soaked! All I could do was laugh :) I was so tired and had no other jammies to put her in, so I laughed! I just put her in an extra outfit and she eventually went back to sleep. For me, the morning came to early! So we got up, went swimming, had breakfast, checked out and then we were off to the Lincoln Park Zoo!

We finally got to the zoo after fighting lots of traffic and after hearing lots of "how long until we get there?" and "I want to go to the zoo!". We saw lots of animals. The kid did well and they had fun. Bray and I got to ride the carousal and the train. We took beautiful pictures of the Chicago skyline and it was nice. We ended our day with a paddle boat ride. Bray was so excited and LOVED it! Josh and I did too! Bren liked it so much it relaxed her to sleep!

Then it was off for home...sweet home! It was a great trip, but we were glad to be home! :)

Steven Curtis Chapman

2008-08-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

I have always loved SCC (Steven Curtis Chapman). He is such a talented singer, songwriter, and performer. I once met him a long time ago, briefly, and he was angelic. Josh makes fun of me all the time because I say that, but he just seemed to glow. You could just see the love of Jesus shine out of him. He is someone I admire and think is such a wonderful example of Christ.

I was so sad for him and his family when I heard of the loss of their daughter Maria. My heart ached for them as I thought about my own children and the impossibility of dealing with something like this. I just watched him and his family on Larry King live and was moved to tears. I cannot imagine what they are going through and will continue to go through. I thank God for the health and safety of my own children and family. I truly do not understand how they are so strong...but I should.

I am a Christian and I should understand how they can be strong. But I think - no I know - if it were me, I would be falling apart! This has had me questioning my faith and the strength of my relationship with God. I feel like since having kids, I have pulled away from Christ because I am afraid that He will take them away from me or I will be taken from them. Kind of an oxymoron, huh? I mean, shouldn't I run to Him? Shouldn't I know Him better than that?

Anyway, their story has been inspiring...

Not Thursday...

2008-08-07T09:34:00.001-07:00

Well, it doesn't look like Thursday will be my band audition now. (Which is today BTW) It looks like it will be early next week. That is okay with me because my mom really wanted to come with me and maybe now she can! I hope :) I am anxious to "audition" and I hope this means I will do better because of more practice...?

Anyway, I will post how it went when I do audition!

Well, Here I go....

2008-08-05T10:19:00.001-07:00

I heard back from Andy (the studio guy) and we have been e-mailing back and forth about the songs. He sent me mp3's and had me "approve" them and see if they were loud enough, good mix, etc. I am pleased with 2 of the songs, but the other one is just "okay." I am going back into the studio on Thursday to "audition" to be in a band :) It makes me nervous and excited all at the same time! The cool thing is that they are an established band and I would be performing on the weekends and stuff with them. I don't want to get my hopes up, but it would be so cool! I am hopeful, but I'm not going to let it get me down if it doesn't work out.

I will let you know how it goes after Thursday!

The Studio

2008-08-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I went in and recorded a demo on Monday. It is not the first time I've tried to do this. The other times I've tried, they just didn't sound professional enough, or I didn't like the mix, or I just didn't like how I sounded. I am hoping for a better outcome this time. It felt pretty good. I am anxious to hear it, but I am getting frustrated because the guy hasn't gotten back to me. I know it's only been a few days, but he should at least answer me to say that it's not done yet, right?

My mom went with me and I am really glad that she did. It was so nice to have my biggest fan with me and someone there that I could talk to that wasn't a stranger. I originally was going to go alone, but it worked out she could come and it meant a lot that she was there with me. It sounded good from what I heard there, but once you step away and hear it again, you can really get a feel for how it went. I guess once I hear from him, I can tell you all how it went. If there is anyway to post a song here, I will try that, too :)

Go Cubs!

2008-07-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

So, last Saturday to celebrate Josh's birthday, he and I went to a Cubs game...ALONE! No kids. They were with Grandma and Grandpa. (God Bless'em!) It was the first time we have ever gone to a Cubs game alone since the kids were born. It was nice!

There was no rush. No lugging kids in 90 degree weather. No getting a thousand snacks and drinks ready. No crying, whining, or talking our ear off. We didn't have to go through the bag line at the game. We didn't even have to get up at all during the game. We were sitting in the shade and it was a very nice, calm, relaxing time. We don't have much luck with weather and seats at Wrigley, but we lucked out Saturday! The bad news...the Cubs lost :( It was the perfect day, until then. They went 12 or 13 innings (I lost count due to my extreme hunger!)

Even though I had a pouting husband to deal with, we still managed to pick some things out for the kids and get Josh a t-shirt. We got Bray a foam bear claw. He LOVES it. Bren got a small helmet bowl for snacks.

We go back to Wrigley as a family in 2 weeks...If I survive, I let you know how that went ;)

Pneumonia, in July?!?

2008-07-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

Yep, Brenna has pneumonia...in July...? No one in our family has ever had pneumonia, but it especially seems weird having it in July. I know that germs and bacteria are around all year long, but you typically think if getting sick as a winter affair.

We decided to go to the doctor on Monday since she had a fever since Friday. It even got up to 104.5 over the weekend so we were going to take her to the MedCheck. However, they don't take patients under 18 months! When we got to the doctor, they said she needed an x-ray. I thought, "Yeah, okay. Let's get that out of they way so they can get to the real diagnosis." I was shocked when the doctor said that she had pneumonia in her right lung! She had been such a trooper :) Not 'acting' sick and still sleeping pretty well. I felt so bad for her :(

Now she is on an antibiotic and hopefully will be better soon! I have to take her back for a follow up - I guess to see that it's not spreading?

My poor baby!

The Fair!

2008-07-15T19:10:00.001-07:00

I love going to the fair! I get so excited every year to go to fairs and festivals. I don't really know why I enjoy going so much. It's a lot of work to take 2 small children to the fair. It's hot. It's expensive. It's messy. And it is tiring!

We spent 4 hours at the fair and all we did was eat, wait in lines, and ride the rides. I didn't get to go to any booths or walk around and look at crafts. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to do those things, but the whole point in going is to let the kids have fun...and they did :)

Bray was just beside himself with excitement. He couldn't wait to go to the fair! It was all he talked about that day. He didn't like the waiting in line and constantly asked, "Why is it taking too long!" He was a good boy and wasn't too impatient.

Brenna on the other hand didn't get to do too much since she is too little :( She just wanted to walk and walk and push the stroller, which is difficult to do when you are a 1 year old navigating through a sea of people. She did enjoy the elephant ear though! She got give a monkey a quarter and he would give her a high five. She LOVED this and would smile and laugh at him :)

It was such a tiring day, but it is so worth it just to see the joy it brings the kids.

Mommy, I'm Hungry!

2008-07-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

I hear these words at least 20 times a day. Brayden is always hungry and wanting a snack. These days it is not just Brayden, but Brenna as well. She can't say the words (yet), but she walks to the pantry, points, and tells me...something :)

I run out of ideas of things to give them that are healthy choices. Fruit snacks are not healthy! I have to tell Brayden that they are candy, not fruit! If anyone has any great snack ideas...I am listening!! :)

Fireworks!

2008-07-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

So, for the first time since Brayden was born we went to see fireworks on the 4th of July. We went to Cicero and sat right down by the lake and had a front row seat :)

It was such a nice time and the kids really enjoyed it. It was uneventful (surprising!) and just a great time. Brayden was equipped with hunting head phones to dull the noise. He liked watching them and just laid on the blanket in awe :) He said green was his favorite. Brenna could have cared less about the noise. She wasn't scared at all! She LOVED them! She would point and laugh at each burst :) It was such a sweet time.

I am so glad that we got to see the fireworks this year.

Again I ask, why?

2008-07-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

I know I said this in my last post, but I have no idea why I started a blog!! I don't have enough time to keep up on anything else, why would I think I could have a blog?!? Well, as I type, Brayden is tugging at me trying to get me to fix his GeoTracks. The reasons I can never get anything done...

I guess the only saving grace I have is that nobody knows about this blog and therefore, no one reads it! So no worries, right?

Why?

2008-06-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

Well, for some reason, I have started a blog. Why? I'm not sure. I like the idea of having an outlet for my thoughts and having a place to share my life with family and friends. Who's reading this? Probably nobody, but it's a place I can come and put my thoughts and be able to look back some day to see how I have changed and grown. I can read old posts and think, "I remember that!"

So here ya go! My blog...