Vacation Day Five

Tuesday morning, we woke to heavy rain clouds over the gulf. Rain was not on our agenda for our vacation! Christy had run to Walmart for donuts and our favorite coffee, Cinnamon Swirl with Cinnamom Vanilla creamer. I think the only time I drink coffee is with her!

We sat on the balcony and watched the clouds and the waves and drank our coffee. We discussed how to plan our day while Kevin slept in.

Here are some pictures we took that morning



We decided to go look around Galveston's various historic disctricts and the Strand and hope that they rain would pass by afternoon so we could swim. We pulled Kevin out of bed and headed out. The girls only wanted to swim so we had to pacify them with descriptions of the hermit crabs they wanted to buy.

Here we are in front of one of the best Souvenir shops I have ever been to

Kevin and Kaelyn walking down the Seawall. This boulevard and walk-way runs the entire length of Galveston Island. It is so pretty to drive it and walk it.

Another view from the Seawall

Galveston is gorgeous. Of course, I am a sucker for historical homes and great architecture so this was right up my ally. Here are only a few of the pictures I took while touring the Island. Special thanks to Eddie for driving around and getting out in the rain so I could see the giant homes.




The Bishop's Palace






Let's see, what else did we do? We had lunch at a place called Yada's, rode the trolley, shopped the Strand, went to a few antique stores. The girls were really patient and on their best behavior. Christy's knee was hurting her so I really appreciate that she made the trip with us. Later I went to Galveston Bookstore and bought some books on the history of the Island. Fascinating!




By this time, the clouds had mostly passed and the girls were more than ready to SWIM!

The day ended with a trip to Ben and Jerry's for ice cream and then Kaelyn and I took a late night walk on the beach. Whew! No wonder I was tired!

Vacation Day Four

Monday morning dawned with preparations to head to Galveston. We repacked the car, for the fourth time, and headed out after breakfast (biscuits and gravy!) We had to take two cars as ours was packed so we followed Grandma and Poppy.

I have been to Galveston a few times. The first time was my very first visit to Texas to meet Christy and Eddie. Kevin and I had been married about six weeks and I had yet to meet his Mom! I was so nervous. But that's another story for another day.

The quick visits we had made to Galveston had wet my appetite for a longer stay. After hours of searching on the web, I booked a condo for two nights. It is so hard to pick a place to stay, in an area where you aren't familiar, over the internet! Now I am not really picky and will make the best of any situation, but I was anxious that we had Christy and Eddie going with us. What if it was a total dump? Or as Eddie said, a flea motel? So, first thing we did was drive by the condos and check if we could check in. We were a little early but were able to check in with no problem.

We stayed at Seascape, a little ways down on Seawall Boulevard, but worth it as the buildings sat right on the beach. I was so happy with out condo. It was so cute and very clean. We had a great view of the swimming pool and the Gulf of Mexico from our balcony. Kate got so excited to see the "water" that she immediately stripped her clothes off and grabbed an innertube. We wamted a quick lunch first, and she was NOT happy to get dressed and leave the water. She screamed all the way to Whataburger but once there became my happy little monkey again.

After lunch we returned to the condo and got ready to head to the beach. It was a fantastic afternoon. The water was so warm, we swam and played in the sand. Kaelyn tried to build a sand castle while Kevin searched for shells. Kate just carried around her green innertube. After a few hours, we left there and took a quick dip in the pool. They had a sixteen inch wading pool for kids and we spend the majority of the time there.

Back in the room, Kevin and I jumped at the offer of babysitting services from Grandma and Poppy. We cleaned up and went to the Fisherman's Wharf for dinner. We sat on the patio and watched the sunset and had a great meal. It was so relaxing and perfect. When we got back home, we checked in on the family, and everyone was asleep so we went for a walk on the beach. We rolled up our pants and waded as we walked and had a chance to really talk. It was very special. And that was our day...absolutly wonderful!

Kate ready to head out to the water...except she forgot her bathing suit!


The view of the Gulf from our balcony.


Playing in the water


Kevin searching for shells and Grandma


Building sandcastles


The girls relaxing, watching cartoons, after spending the day in the sun


Kaelyn gets the top bunk


Kate gets the bottom


The sunset over Galveston Bay


The tall ship Elissa next to the Fisherman's Wharf

Vacation Day Three

On Sunday, we had a big breakfast with Christy and Eddie. The girls were busy playing and showing them all the toys they had brought. Christy had bought the girls a movie to watch "All Dogs Go to Heaven". Kaelyn wanted to watch that immediately but asked to watch "All Dogs Go to Hell". We all got a big laugh out of that. Kaelyn went to a Lutheran preschool and did learn about Heaven and Hell so it was an honest mistake, but sure was funny!

Kevin and I left the girls behind to spend the day with Grandma and Poppy and we went to visit his Dad. We had a nice visit with him. Upon returning to Grandma and Poppy's, Grandma had made a delicious dinner of barbecue chicken, potato salad, and deviled eggs. Kevin and his mom rival my own mom in their homemade potato salad. I do not like most people's and won't even touch the store bought stuff. But if my mom makes it, or Kevin or his mom, yummy!

I promise to quit talking about food. Except that Christy had also made six dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies. Her chocolate chip cookies are the best! I have the recipe but they are so much better when she makes them.

While we were gone, the girls played outside and swam in the wading pool. Christy said they were angels, although I find that hard to believe! After dinner I put Kate to bed and Kevin and I took Kaelyn for a walk around the neighborhood. Except we didn't make it too far before Kaelyn somehow fell over and landed on the side of her face and forehead, on the concrete making big scrapes and hurting her. We went back to Grandma's for some first aid and ice cream.

Vacation Day Two

Saturday morning was the day of the Crews reunion. We went to the farm early and had a chance to visit a bit before everyone got there. As always, the food was delicious and I ate way too much. Kevin's Aunt Karen made a coconut cake that was to die for.

I had the opportunity to talk with some members of the other Crews family and that was interesting. Here are some pictures from our day:


Kaelyn visiting with Aunt Janice's dogs. This is Pookie, a cairn terrier who looks just like my Mocha did in his younger days. Cairn's are awesome dogs and I can't wait until I can add one to my terrier family.


Kate and I playing on the front porch.


Kaelyn taking a break from playing, sitting by her Great Grandma Crews.


Kevin looking up at the tree that came from his family's property in Montgomery, Texas. They brought the tree to the farm when it was small and now has grown this big.


The day was really nice, and the weather was perfect, not too hot and no rain!


We had to leave as we had a long trip ahead of us to Houston, Texas. The girls took a long nap, worn out from all the running at the farm. Kevin was tired too so I drove for awhile. Somehow I ended up driving through Dallas and scared Kevin! My knuckles were white from gripping the wheel for so long. I learned to drive in Prairie Home, you know! We made it to Christy and Eddie's (Kevin's mom and step-dad) by 10 pm that night.

Vacation Day One

For the first time in my life, I was ready to leave on our trip the night before. I had all the bags packed and sitting by the table, ready to be loaded in the car. I suppose I could have went a step further and loaded the car but I wouldn't want to spoil Kevin. I had to run Kaelyn up to get "the trims cut" off her hair so that slowed us down a few minutes. We were to be in Columbia by 10 am to pick up the rental car. We didn't quite make it but managed to head out of Columbia a little after 11. Our car was a 2007 Chrysler Sebring. It was a nice car but a little tight with all we were bringing with us plus the four of us. We squeezed in and made it okay.

We drove to Seminole, Oklahoma, arriving there around 7 pm. The girls were so good, watching movies and coloring in their color books. I actually got to read an entire book, The Shack, during the drive. I highly recommend this book and would pass on my copy to anyone interested in it. You can read about it here www.theshackbook.com

We first went to Kevin's Aunt Norma's home in Seminole. She had dinner waiting for us...Meatloaf, corn and the best twice-baked potatoes. I meant to write down the recipe and forgot so Norma if you read this, I want that recipe please! Norma has a beautiful home filled with her collections and cross-stitching. The girls did good looking and not touching.

After dinner, we drove out to the Crews farm. Kevin wanted to see his Aunt Karen, who he hadn't seen in years. His Aunt Janice, Aunt Reba and Uncle Fredore were also there as well as Grandma Crews. The Crews farm is so peaceful and I love sitting on the front porch of the home, looking out over the property. Reba and David keep the grounds immaculate.

After visiting, we returned to Norma's and had a good night's sleep.

We didn't take any pictures on the first day of our trip but here is one of the Crews farm:

Home Sweet Home

And as always, "We make plans, and God laughs". The girls and I just got home tonight, three days after our planned arrival home. My Uncle Tim passed away so we split ways with Kevin in Kansas and went to Nebraska for the funeral. But we are home now and I will start writing about our trip tomorrow.

Packing Up

It's almost 8 pm and I still have a ton to do! But I will get there. I am so excited to leave. We really need some family time.

Here's our itinerary: leave tomorrow and go to Seminole, Oklahoma. We'll go to the Crews family reunion in Bowlegs, Oklahoma on Saturday and then leave that night for Magnolia, Texas. On Monday, we'll drive to Galveston for two days and then return to Magnolia until Thursday morning. Then we start the very long trek home.

Just in time for the weekend!

I could write more, but time to pack.

One More Day

Only one day before we leave on vacation. And I have a ton of stuff to do. Why do I always wait until the last minute? We are renting a car and driving to Seminole, Oklahoma for the Crews family reunion and then we'll drive on to Houston, Texas to visit Kevin's mom and dad. I am trying to mentally prepare myself for that many hours in the cars with the girls. They are actually very good riders but this will be a lot of riding! I have the DVD players to help entertain them.

Only My Husband...

Kevin is a nature fanatic. He likes all animals but really prefers the creepy-crawly ones like snakes, lizards and bugs. He has a box in the garage of turtle shells that he has collected over the years. He is constantly bringing home live turtles that he saves off the highway. And then I have to convince Kaelyn that no, we really can't have a turtle as a pet.

The other day, he came into the house and yelled "Do we have any nail polish remover?" I answered, that it was under the bathroom sink, then thought to ask what he wanted it for. "Nothing," came his reply. Nothing? Kevin needs nail polish remover for nothing? This set off alarms in my head so I went to check. He had found a butterfly and put it in a jar with a cotton ball with the nail polish remover on it, in order to kill and preserve the butterfly. Great.

Later that same week, I had bought two bottles of rubbing alcohol to make carpet cleaner. I noticed that half a bottle was gone and asked Kevin about it. He once again, replied "nothing" when I asked what he had done with it. One look was all it took for him to come clean. He was using the alcohol to soak a bird's skull that he had found in the yard!

Last week he came home with a giant moth that he befriended at the gas station on his way home from work. This thing is BIG and scary looking, but also quite beautiful, if you like that sort of thing, which I guess Kevin does, but I do not! This moth (butterflys have antennae with knobs in the end, moths have feathery protusions) has been living in our playroom all week. The first night it was here, it took flight and landed on Kevin's hand, and either defacated or laid eggs on his finger. We weren't sure which. Kevin was so proud!

I finally identified the species of moth, it is a type of silkmoth native to the Rocky Mountain area. I don't know how she got to Missouri! Notice, I called it a "she", it was eggs she was laying on Kevin's finger. I have learned a great deal about the life cycle of this moth and I am afraid that I will be learning a lot more. During her short stay, she has laid close to eighty eggs in my window sill, which of course Kevin plans to nurture. They should hatch in 9-14 days. After laying all of these eggs, the adult moth will soon die, and the circle of life continues.

Did you know that an adult silkmoth does not eat, that it doesn't even have any type of mouth? Interesting. I am sure I will be updating on our moth saga but in the meantime, here are some pictures of the little lady.

Family Fun Day

According to the Fly Lady, Saturday's should be Family Fun Days. So, this is what we did yesterday. All of us drove to the lake and first went to the Lake of the Ozarks State Park. We swam in the lake and enjoyed the sunshine. Then we had a picnic lunch before going to Ha Ha Tonka State Park to walk the trails. I had always wanted a picnic basket set but never could justify spending the money on one. After Kevin's Grandma passed away, we received hers. The girls had never seen it, and they were so impressed with the pastel plates, cups and silverware. They each picked out their color and ate from that. On the way home, we stopped at Sonic and had ice cream cones. It really was a perfect day! Here are some pictures.

Frustrated!

I was going to write a long post about our day today. With pictures and everything. But my computer is not acknowledging my memory card tonight for some reason so I can't load my pictures. Maybe tomorrow. I am tired tonight anyway.

Walking in the Rain

I walked again today...not for as long but it was raining out. But I still walked. I want to stay on track and make NO excuses for exercise! At least I didn't about croak from heat exhaustion.

Fly Lady

It is no wonder that I accomplished next to nothing while I was still working. Mind you I worked a lot of hours and Kevin and I worked opposite one another so we were rarely home together. Kevin tried but his idea of cleanliness and mine are a little different. I feel I have been busy all day and still am just getting the work done. The house is looking pretty good but I need to start working on some of the "special" projects, otherwise known as closets. They are overflowing. I am rereading the Fly Lady book and am going to try to follow her routines. She is awesome!

Overheated

I did a really dumb thing today. I overslept until about 10:15a. With Kevin not off until 11pm, he doesn't get home until close to midnight. I have a hard time sleeping before he gets home. We seem to be sleeping in later and later, all of us, including the girls. I really wanted to get back to my walking today so I headed out at 11:20 am. I walked for 45 minutes down a gravel road near our house. It was a pleasant walk, and as I walked I listened to the Fly Lady podcast. Once I turned around and headed back, I realized that I was really getting tired and hot. I finally made it home and crashed on the bed. I looked at the thermometer we have, and it was almost 95 degrees! I was red from head to toe. I took a cool bath and drank a lot of water. I have a slight headache and some nausea but am feeling better. I also have diarrhea (too much information, I realize) so don't know if this is all from the heat or something else going on. I tend to get overheated easily so will stay inside for the rest of the day. I needed to get some groceries but the air conditioner isn't working in my car and I wasn't about to head in after this happened. I guess I am going to have to start training myself to get up earlier to walk when it is cooler out.

Interview

Okay, the job interview was a little strange. It went well, I thought. The lady doing the interview was very nice but seemed concerned that the job entailed doing the same stuff I did at Woodhaven. She wondered if I had gone to school to get my Masters just to keep doing what I had been doing for eleven years. I have to seriously consider that myself. We'll see...I'm not going to worry it too hard until I get offered the job! Then I will have some decisions to make.

We got the girls another little pool yesterday. The last one we bought got a tear in the bottom and wouldn't hold water. They had fun. I also got myself an awesome lounge chair. I have been really trying to pinch pennies so this was a bit of a splurge for me but I really love it. It is so comfy and since I have to be outside when the girls swim, at least I can be comfortable. It felt so good, laying in the sun with a good book, that I got sunburned again. This time on my legs. Course I don't think they have seen the sun in several years!

Job Interview Response

I emailed Kevin about being nervous about the interview and I just had to share his response because it was that sweet:

I think you should be relaxed becuase you have the option. But in the same breath we should trust God. I think he knows about our circumstance and he probably has more information about us than we care to know but he knows what is best for us and you. I want you to go into that whole hearted and prepared to find something that you have been looking for and asking God for. This way if it isnt what you have been praying for you will know. ILY

Job Interview

I have a job interview tomorrow. I am getting a little nervous about it. I haven't had a job interview in over eleven years. Yikes! I'm not too nervous though because I know I know my stuff and I don't really know that I want a job anyway. I am enjoying being at home and hope to pursue my business so that I can stay home permanently. But we'll see.

Mom and I started sewing on the dresses for the girls. We didn't get too far. The sewing machine kept acting up. I realize now why I don't sew. I am way too impatient for sewing. But there are so many cute patterns for little girls that I want to learn how to do this.

Nothing else new to report for today.

The Crews Zoo

I have decided to really try to potty train Kate. So far today she has peed in the potty chair three times and pooped once in her training pants. Not too bad of a start! She's not coming to me and going, but will sit down when I ask her too, and offer her some candy. She'll sit there until she squeezes some urine out and gleefully claim her prize. So, I'm not sure if we are on the right track or not. There has been a few times when I have went into the bathroom and noticed urine in the potty chair that she just did herself. I would love to have her trained before our week long trip but that may be asking for too much. I just put her down for a nap in training pants and the little plastic cover thing. I am going to try to just use diapers at night.

In other news, we are puppy sitting all week. That is always a good time. One of the puppies is so cute. I have changed his name from "Hitler" to "The Poky Little Puppy". He is the laziest little thing. Whenever I can't find him, I know to go look in the laundry room and there he'll be curled up on the dirty clothes. It is definitely a zoo around here now, especially at food time with all four dogs vying for their bowl first. And Sam Henry, the cat, on top of the washer, meowing for his bowl. Add in the three birds, singing their songs of hunger and wowza! Welcome to the Crews Zoo!

Goodbye, Farewell, So Long, Vaya Con Dios, Good Luck, Wish You Well, Take it Slow, Easy Come, Girl, Easy Go" Party

Tonight was our party at El Jimador. We had a nice turn out and it was fun. There were a few awkward moments but all in all, it went well. I have worked with these people for so many years, it is hard to say goodbye. But I have faith that I am being moved into a different direction and am open to the possibilities.

It was strange walking back into the office building, no longer an employee. So different, yet so much the same. I got a big hug from our HR director and he commented that I looked stress-free! I'm working on it! I'm sure I looked much less stressed than the last time I saw him, giving him my resignation with tears streaming down my face. That was the hardest decision I have ever made. I will always believe in the mission of this company and will always take great pride in the team I built and the services we provided. But I had accomplished all I could there and it was time to move on.

Losing Track

We got a blow up pool last night and got it put up and filled this morning. The girls had so much fun playing outside today. We put the pool so the slide goes into the pool and they pretended it was a water park. The water was so cold but after a few minutes out in the heat, it felt great to walk through. We are all pink now as I didn't think to use sunscreen. The girls are taking a cool bath now and soon they will be in bed and it will be my turn.

I worked on my internship goals some more today and got them sent off for review. I also started working on my portfolio, or binder to keep everything organized. I checked and had received a grade for the last class I took, another A. As the internship is pass/fail, I have completed the program with a 4.0 GPA! Go me!

Still trying to think of a company name and am leaning toward Heather Crews Consulting. Not very original, but also not limiting to what kind of consulting I may do in the future. Kevin suggested Gemini Consulting and Training but did a Google search and it is way overused. Too bad, I kind of liked that one. I need to sit down with a thesaurus and see what I come up with.

Back to Business

This is my fifth week of unemployment. I have loved every minute of it. But I have accomplished next to nothing and I do not want to waste this time. It truly has been a gift dropped into my lap and I want to use it to my advantage. So, it is time to get busy. I reworked my internship objectives tonight and sent them in for review. I have a meeting on Thursday to discuss my first consulting job. It's with Woodhaven, but hey, they are paying me to do work for them so it counts! I am trying to find a name for my company and am hitting lots of dead ends with that. Any ideas out there?

I am going to start back to walking in the morning too.

And I bought material to make the girls some sundresses even though I don't sew.

And I really, really want to start scrapbooking.

And I need to keep on organizing my house and closets and garage.

And I discovered podcasts today and I already downloaded 11 to listen to. But I can multitask and do that whenI am walking so that is all good.

And can't forget our "Goodbye, farewell, so long, Vaya con dios, good luck, Wish you well, take it slow. Easy come, girl, easy go." party for all of us that have recently left Woodhaven, Thursday night at El Jimador.

And vacation in just three weeks.

Whew!

Here is a picture from our girls weekend:

It was a lot of fun and good for the soul!

Lazy Day

Today was a lazy day. I felt out of it all day. I didn't do much of anything. I need to get busy and get some stuff done. This summer will be over before I know it. Kevin got the time off for vacation next month and I need to get some stuff accomplished before then. I am excited for our trip. We are going to Oklahoma for the Crews family reunion and then onto Houston to visit. I want to go to Galveston for a day and take the girls to the beach. I also want to go to Sea World in San Antonio but not sure if we'll swing that. It will be nice to get away as a family.

Tomorrow is girls weekend. Sheila and I are going to Kansas City to spend the night with Enola. We get to go to my favorite restaurant since it is my birthday! I love my friends!

We Are Home

My sister called on Monday afternoon. Her babysitter's husband had passed away unexpectedly and she was desperate for someone to watch Lily this week. The girls and I packed out suitcase and headed for Lincoln. We got home late last night. Kaelyn and Lily are five-months apart in age. I was so impressed with how well they are playing together now. Finally! It made our three days there much more enjoyable.

Love Shack

My HS BFF came over for a bit last night. We drove into Boonville and run to Walmart and drove through town, reliving the past. It was a beautiful night. We opened the sunroof and blasted Love Shack on the stereo and for a few moments, I felt sixteen again.

American Sign Language

I just pulled out all of our sign language books, of which there are eight, and I am going to start studying. My goal is to become a certified American Sign Language interpreter. I have always wanted to learn to sign but since meeting Kevin and his family, my desire has only strengthened. It is important to me that my children learn sign and can communicate directly with their grandparents and aunts and uncles. This is their culture. I am trying to find a community intro class that Kaelyn and I can take together. I know now is the best time for them to learn as their brains are young whereas mine is old and slow!

Sad!

I have been cleaning around the house today. Just vacuuming and mopping floors, a little dusting and a few other extra jobs. The house was looking pretty good when Kaelyn takes notice. She looked around, and commented "Is somone coming over, Mom?"

Graduation

Kaelyn graduated from preschool last night.

Little Sister

Friday night at the hotel, we all went swimming. Kaelyn was taking water into her mouth and spitting it out. My Dad saw this and told her to stop, that maybe someone had peed in the pool. Kaelyn thought for a moment and said, "Maybe Kate". I laughed and laughed when I heard this. I suppose it is only natural that as the little sister, Kate will forever be blamed for all the wrong-doings these two get into. Kate cannot defend herself yet, but I wonder what Kaelyn will do when she can. However, in this instance, Kaelyn was probably correct...it is likely that Kate did pee in the pool!

Our Trip

I have to say it is so good to be home. I had looked foward to this trip for months, and it was a great one, but it is always good to be home. The trip home last night seemed to take forever. We were all tired and cranky and that made for much fun when there were five of us crammed in the car. But we made it.

The weekend...we picked up Christy at the airport Friday morning and headed north to Des Moines. We went off the beaten path and stopped by Madison County, Iowa. We drove through Winterset, and saw the birthplace of John Wayne. We laughed as we imagined John Wayne, staying in Iowa, and just being a regular local. We got directions and headed to see Roseman Bridge (above), the covered bridge that was the star of the movie "The Bridges of Madison County". It was very pretty out there and I was glad we stopped.

On Saturday, we went to Adventureland, an amusedment park east of Des Moines. It was the first time for Kaelyn and Kate going to an amusement park. Kaelyn loved it and Kate was a hand full. She was tired but it's really not a place for a two-year-old. She was actually very patient, riding in her stroller. Kaelyn rode rides all day and had the best time.

Graduation was Sunday. It went well. For some reason, they left me off of the commencement program and didn't have a seat for me. I had to sit in the very last row. But it all worked out and it is done. Now I just need to finish my internship to get my diploma and I am done!

Playroom Pictures

Finally, here are the playroom pictures. It was worth all of the hard work and was good for me to have a project to throw myself into these past few weeks.

The playroom in it's entirety.

The Diamond Wall. It took Kevin and I three tries and four rolls of painters tape to get the diamonds to measure right. Then I hand stenciled a rose at each junction of the diamond. There are two "K"s also stenciled for Kaelyn and Kate.

I painted this entertainment armoire to match the decoration. It also has diamonds on them but I went back over it with glaze to give it an antique look. The same roses and "K"s are stenciled on it.

Mirror, mirror on the wall. This is for the girls to play dress-up.

We, and when I say we, I mean Kevin, laid this new flooring. It is a vinyl tile that comes in strips like wood floor. It really looks good and I am happy that it is moppable as this room exits to the backyard so dogs and little people are always tracking in.

American Idol

I love American Idol but since I am so busy during the day and evening, I have to DVR it. I love my DVR. Pause, fast foward, rewind...so much control, right at my fingertips. I find myself, for a split second,wanting to rewind the radio when I miss something. I sometimes wish life were like that...there are so many moments I would love to rewind or pause and even a few I would like to fast forward through! But, back to American Idol. I do love it and am very happy with the final two. I love David Cook. Watching the show on DVR, I have my own way of judging. I watch them all but if they aren't catching my attention, I fast forward through them. Kind of like the Gong Show. Mind you, I am usually watching this at 12 am so I have to do this or I'll fall asleep. That being said, I have never forwarded through David Cook's performances. They always keep me entranced. I love his voice and he has such charisma. I can't wait for next weeks show.

Final Farewell

I went to the farewell barbecue for my work tonight. It was really nice and I felt special. It was also very hard as this was so much more than a job for me. I will always miss it but know I made the right decision. I worked with the most amazing people, both clients and employees. The company I worked for is having some troubles right now and it's unfortunate because they do a lot of good. I truly hope they can work through the issues.

One more day before our trip to Des Moines. We got a lot of housework done today, with mom's help. Thanks Mom! I am close to getting my house back. Now if only my washer was working! Mom has saved the day there too doing umpteen loads of laundry for us. It's amazing how much laundry we go through. The play room is done! I took pictures and will post tomorrow. I am too tired tonight.

Lots of Laundry

I walked for over an hour today with my new iPod. I love it! It sure made the walking seem to fly by.

As the days go by, I am more and more convinced that I made the right decision for me and my family. I am still working to get the house cleaned and organized and then can just maintain it. I hope to get some serious work done with my mother-in-law here next week. But in the meantime, I have to have the house at least presentable when she gets here. I made a list dividing out all of the rooms in the house and am trying to follow it. Then the washing maching starts leaking water out the bottom. I took three loads to mom's tonight and have at least another three to do.

Excited!

God does provide one way or another. After talking to friends, I realized that the iPod that I needed, uum wanted, was around $150. I didn't need (want) it that bad. Then I remembered that my cousin Karl had been trying to sell one when he moved here. He had been given one at a promotional thing and didn't have much use for it. So, he gave it to me. I am so excited and trying to load a bunch of my CD's on to it. Not only that, but the ones I needed/wanted was 4GB and this one is 30GB! Not really sure what a GB is but that is okay!

We are close to getting the playroom done and it is so cute. No one could ever accuse me of doing anything halfway. I think we are going up to the PTO carnival and playground dedication this afternoon. And that is all from this neck of the woods.

Great Day!

Today was a really great day. My BFF Enola came to spend the day with us. We did a whole lot of nothing and had a great time doing it. We walked to the restaurant and had lunch. We took the girls to the school playground and watched as they played in huge water puddles pretending to be mermaids. We had dinner at mom and dad's and then came back and got the girls ready for bed. It was so nice just spending time together, having a chance to talk and catch up.

Otherwise nothing much new to report today. I am going to go paint diamonds on the wall in the playroom now.

iPod Search

I am still trying to get the playroom done. It is taking forever! It's going to be really cute when I am done, just not sure when that will be!

I have walked 45 minutes the past two mornings. I want to get an MP3 player to walk with. I did a search last night and realized that I know next to nothing about them. So I called my friend Jennifer and she told me that I needed an iPOD Nano. The walking has felt so good. Yesterday I headed out of town and walked down a gravel road. It was so peaceful. I am reclaiming simplicity in my life and it feels great!

Manic Monday

I have spent a good part of the day painting the toy room. It looks like a princess threw up in there! It is pink and purple and blue and lavendar and dark pink and tinkerbell green and well, you get the picture. I need to do the wallpaper border and a few other things and I think it will all come together. Kevin got the floor done this weekend and it looks great. I am so excited to have a floor that I can just mop up after the dogs run in with dirty feet.

Kate is finally starting to really talk and I feel like we are getting to know one another. I was on my way out the door to work when she would be getting up in the mornings. She goes to bed at 7 pm so our time together was limited. I am really enjoying my time with her. I look at Kaelyn, five already, and realize how fast they grow up and I don't want to waste a single minute. This is the most important job I will ever have.

It was a good weekend. Mom, Dad, Kaelyn and Devan loaded up in one car while Kellie, Kate, Clairice and I loaded up in mine and we all headed for Nebraksa on Friday. It felt great to be headed out of town. I hated to leave Kevin home but he got a lot done for us while we were gone. We didn't do much but just spent time together as family. We had to referee the girls some as they squabbled like five girls together will but they had fun. As always, just being with my sisters, is healing to me.

It was a good trip, I feel strong and ready to face the week.

Happy May Day

Well, I guess May Day is officially over now but I was wondering if anyone celebrates May Day around here. We always did when we lived in Lincoln. We would decorate little "baskets" and fill them with candy. Then we would take them to our friends' homes and leave them on the doorstep, give a knock and run! It was so much fun. When I moved here, no one seemed to know what I was talking about.

I started painting the play room tonight. I used Posies for Pooh and Honey Pot Purple on one wall. On the main wall, I put one coat of Fairest of Them All and am going to put diamond shapes all over with Pretty in Pink. Kevin is going to use Bibbidi Bobbidi Blue to make a cloud ceiling. I have always wanted a cloud ceiling! Yes, I know...this room is for the girls but I can't help being excited about it! Not sure what to do with the other walls yet.

And my best news of all is that Christy, my mother-in-law, will be coming to visit us for six days. She will go to Des Moines with us for our graduation and then come stay with us for three days. Her positive nature is infectious and will be a good influence on me. She is also the best painter I have ever seen. When she was here for Christmas, we painted the dining room and living room. I hope to do our bedroom this visit.

SAHM?

Life is a journey...I try to live by this motto as truer words were never written. This blog may actually become interesting as I document my transition from career mom to stay-at-home mom. And maybe not.

The highlight of my day yesterday was that my girls actually had three meals. And then Mom burst my bubble and said that they'll probably get fat now! Fortunately I think they have more of Kevin's skinny genes than my pleasantly plump ones so they won't have to worry about that. Prior to this change, our meals were hit and miss. We had fast food at least one time a day, hence my ever expanding figure. But no more!

And regarding my figure, I walked with the girls in their stroller twice yesterday and it felt good. Our little town is so pretty. There was a nice breeze blowing and fragrant lilac in bloom. It was really nice and it felt good to be doing something for myself.

Amazing how everything can change in just a few short days!

Well, this has been some week and it's only Tuesday. We just got home from Kaelyn's Kindergarten night. We got to visit her classroom and the playground. Guess which one she preferred?!?

A long chapter in my life is coming to an end. Change is always hard but as much as I have agonized over this decision the past few years, I just knew the time was right. I am excited about what the next chapter will be for me and my family. I plan to spend the summer at home with the girls and then see what autumn brings. But for now, I am gainfully unemployed! And very happy to be!

Getaway

I am feeling better tonight. Just in time for the weekend. And I actually have the whole weekend off. Wowza! Kevin and I may leave town for a night and stay at a bed and breakfast. I'll see how I feel tomorrow. We do need the time away, to spend together. It is so hard to stay connected in our busy days and I hate that. I spent the evening searching the net for some place to stay. Many places were full but I found some great places to go next time we want to get away. Here are a few that look good: http://www.chateauavalonhotel.com/ , http://www.yateshouse.com/ ; and http://www.thegardenhousebnb.com/ . We want to go somewhere close to home and somewhere we havn't been before. Last year we went to St. Charles and stayed here : http://www.booneslick.com/ . We stayed at the cottage and it was so nice. Kevin is sitting on the porch of the cottage in the above picture. And here I was, enjoying my favorite part!

Great Grape Taste

It's pretty sad when you're sick and all the medicine you have in the house is Children's Dimetapp Cold and Allergy Elixir in Great Grape Taste and you feel so bad that you take it anyway. And for an adult, that means four teaspoons every four hours. Four teaspoons is a lot of elisir, Great Grape Taste or not! And then as we are out of dishwasher detergent, there isn't a clean spoon in the house so I used the children's syringe to take my medicine.

I still feel like crap.

I went to Barnes and Noble and bought four books earlier today: Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky, Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin, Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield and The Ultimate Cheapskates's Road Map to True Riches by Jeff Yeager. What to read first?!? As with most things in my life, my reading tastes are qutie eclectic.

I went to happy hour on Tuesday with my co-workers to celebrate our supervisor's birthday. I had really good Bruschetta (but not as good as Bucca di Beppo Bruschetta) and two Pomtinis (pomegranante martinis's) Yum!

Happy Belated Anniversary To Me (Us)

I have been so busy that the days and weeks are running together. I can't believe that it is only Monday! Of course, working on Saturday and Sunday makes "weekends" obsolete.

But...things are looking up and we have gotten a lot accomplished at the home where I have been spending much of my time. That's the important part, the paper work will wait.

Yesterday was my marriage anniversary. I say it that way because we also have a wedding anniversary. Six years ago, Kevin and I eloped to Las Vegas and tied the knot. It was the most spontaneous thing either of us have ever done. We are both pretty cautious and reserved. After we did it, we were both scared and decided not to tell anyone for awhile. Kevin left me in the hotel room and went down to the lobby for a cigarette. While he was gone, I started calling people and left messages with our big news. Kevin was back when the calls started pouring in. His eyes grew wider and he finally asked "how many people did you call?" Just my family and my Woodhaven family!

It's been a good six years and we have accomplished a lot. Kevin graduated with his Bachelor's degree in 2004. We will both graduate with our Master's degrees in a few weeks. We have two beautiful, funny, and intelligent daughters that light up our lives. We have jobs that we love "most days" and a warm and inviting home. Well, not so inviting at the moment but soon it will be again. As soon as Mom comes over to help me clean it. We may need a bulldozer.

I am hoping to get shifts covered and be able to go to St. Charles this weekend for a quick getaway. We need it.

And yes, I do expect present for BOTH of my anniversaries.

Little Princesses

I am back at work for another awake overnight. I just got fully recovered from Wednesday night!

I have been here for 2 1/2 hours and already gotten a good deal of work done. That's the silver lining, I guess.

Today was Kaelyn's birthday party. She chose a princess theme, but not Disney Princess. I found cute decorations on-line and worked from that. It all came out nice. We had the party at mom and dad's because our back yard is very muddy and quite frankly, I just haven't had time to clean inside the house! Actually I think Kevin and I are at a impasse over the house. We are both frustrated and tired and nothing seems to get done. At this point, I need to take a weeks vacation just to get the house picked up. It's that bad.

There isn't time for a vacation anytime in the near future.

But back to Kaelyn's party. It all went very well and we had seven little princesses and one little prince attend the party. I had bought foam tiaras for the kids to decorate and bought the little boy a visor instead. He chose to decorate up a tiara though. He looked pretty cute in it too! The funny part though is that when Kaelyn and I were making invitations and counting up how many we needed, I mentioned Tyler's name. He is one of Kaelyn's oldest and bestest friends so I knew he would be at the party. But when I mentioned his name, Kaelyn exclaimed, "But he isn't a princess!"

ER Visit

I did an awake overnight last night. That means I had to go to work and stay awake the entire night. I am way too old for that business. I had a lack-of-sleep hangover all day because of it. I tried to nap this afternoon but just couldn't do anything more than doze. And just when I thought I had both girls in bed and was ready to hit the sack myself, Kaelyn starts screaming that her cheek hurts, and her ear hurts. Uh oh, I know what that means. Ear infection! Every time Kaelyn has a cold, like she did this weekend, she gets an ear infection. She was screaming and hitting her ear, inconsolable. I finally got her to take some Motrin and called mom for advice. She came and got Kate and Kaelyn and I headed in to the little hospital in Boonville. We were in and out in thirty minutes and Kaelyn is back on antibiotics. And now I am really tired but sleep still eludes me.

My Baby

It has been a whirlwind of a week. My days have been constant running, trying to get everything done, with no end in sight. I keep reminding myself, "I love my job, I love my job, I love my job". I am so thankful though for the awesome people I work with. They have made this time of change so much easier.

So, I'm not getting too much work done on my internship. I have some great ideas though. If only there were more hours in the day.

And last but certainly not least, I registered my baby for kindergarten today. She seemed to do very well with the screening and seems excited for school. I was thrilled to learn that they may have summer school and the pre-kindergartners can go two times a week for half days. I was trying to figure out something for Kaelyn to do this summer so that would be great. It is looking like there will be 15 kindergartners in the fall. My graduating class had 15, so that is a good number. The teacher seemed very sweet.

Here is my baby, almost five years ago. Kaelyn's birthday is Friday. I am going to school with her in the morning, taking cupcakes for her to share with the class. I'll stay for the rest of the morning, as it is "Trike Day" whatever that means. Ms. Gerhard promises it is fun so I am looking forward to it. Afterwards, I think we'll go to Columbia, have some lunch, and then go to the mall for haircuts and manicures. I can't wait!

Yawn

Just finished my second fifteen hour day in a row. I am tired, tired, tired, tired...going to bed now because very soon now, it will start all over again.

Never quit!

Read this on the web tonight and wanted to share.

Life happens. It will happen again and again - the routine demands of life will overload you, or unexpected events will blow in from nowhere and threaten to drive you off course.

You might run into a crisis at work and feel overextended, your kids
might get sick, your computer might burn itself to smoldering
microchips (as mine did while I was writing Unstoppable Women), or your babysitter could announce she's moving to Des Moines.

Life has infinite possibilities - and infinite ways to complicate your plans.
When such things occur, we all must confront the urge to give up. Don't do it! When you're tempted to rationalize - "Well, I'll quit for now, but I'll get back on track tomorrow or next week" - seize the day! Take one immediate action to get yourself moving toward your task before the temptation to once again throw in the towel gets too strong.

Quitting is a habit. Every time you quit, you damage your self esteem and send your psyche the message that you're incompetent. You are competent! And each time you take action and stick to your commitment when you felt like quitting, you'll gain a newfound confidence that makes the next step increasingly easier.

Blessings

Today has been a very long day. Some days it just seems like everything is futile. I could sit here and complain, but instead, I am going to list my blessings...

I have two beautiful daughters who are healthy, happy and fun. They always make me smile.
I have a handsome husband who also makes me smile.
I have a loving family who supports me in all I do.
I have a beautiful, warm home...mess and all.
I am educated and will graduate next month.

There are so, so many more that I can't begin to list them all. I am thankful for them all, though.

I am so very blessed and do not want to waste time feeling sorry for myself. So, I won't!

Fairy Dust Glitter

I had a surprise visit from my old BFF this morning. We were all still in bed asleep when I heard knock, knock, knock. I tried to ignore it but she just kept knocking. My house was a disaster! I hate to have people see how we really live! I managed to push that aside and sit down and have a nice visit with her. Despite only living a little over an hour away, I haven't seen her in three years. We are just both busy with our lives. When I am with her, I become seventeen again. It's kind of nice for a few hours!

I am still working on Kaelyn's invitations. Once I get the prints made, I glue them to cardstock, and then add a bow and other adornments. I printed out the address labels and addressed the envelopes. I used glitter glue on part of the invitation and then dusted the entire card with fairy dust glitter. I got more on my floor then on the cards. Oh, I also stamped stars all over the back of the cards. They look nice. I'll take a picture of the final project tomorrow. The part is only two weeks away and I am so not ready.

I just looked down and I have fairy dust glitter all over my bosom. Nice.

I just had to do a google search to find out how to spell "bosom".

Sad Day

I am feeling a little sad today. I have spent a lot of time this week on the phone with my best friend from high school. We shared some wild and crazy times together. She was there for me during a very hard time in my life. She is having some hard times of her own now so we have been talking and reminiscing. Some of the memories make me laugh and some make me cry. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times, I guess.

You're Invited

Hello Dolly!

So, Dolly Parton was on American Idol last night. Side note: I love Dolly! Jolene, Here You Come Again, 9 to 5...great music! Anyway...Kaelyn walks into the room and sees Dolly on the screen. "I know her!" she exclaims. I look at her dubiously, certain she has never heard of Dolly Parton before. "That's Hannah Montana's Aunt!" she told me. And of course, she is right. I have seen Dolly on Hannah Montana lately. And that is why she is the smartest kid in the world.