Sometimes, we get lost in the good that we have in our lives. Our homes. Our cars. Our children. Our spouses. and good health. We forget how good we have it.
And sometimes, it takes a dying child to wake us up.
wake up.
please pray for this courageous and amazing family.
This weekend we took that step away from babyhood. I am sad, but I am also excited and cribs make me crazy! On Saturday,Racecar received his new big boy bed. He has slept wonderfully since and does not get out of his bed. He did at first, one time, but got in trouble by Dad, serious trouble, and we believe that has stuck in his mind since then! He is sleeping great-never waking up. I love that I can cuddle with him in his bed. I just love it. We did this sooner than I would have liked, but he’s so big, it just didn’t seem fair to keep him in his crib prison! It seems like only yesterday that we did this withAriel.
Here are some pictures!
Testing it out!
SO EXCITED!
His first night…sleeping peacefully and comfortably! 
So, yes, my dear, pregnant friend, Sara T. has called me out and told me my jeans are too big. You’re right, Sara, they are too big. They’re my size, they just run big. I had spent the day on Sunday showing Brian just how big they are on me while pulling my waistband out with my belt on. Well…I found a replacement jean and I’m a little embarrassed of them. I haven’t purchased them, yet, but I have tried them on and they are dreamy. They’re perfect. Perfect fit on my legs, waist, mid-rise, straight leg, great color and perfect length. But there is one thing wrong with them….they’re LEE’S. You know-the jeans you’re Mom wore during YOUR childhood? The big tan patch on the back waistline. The high waist that travels about 4 inches above your belly button and, please help me…the tapered leg.
Well, apparently Lee has some younger, fresher faces on board, as they have introduced a new line of jeans for woman. (FINALLY!) These jeans are available at Kohl’s. On Saturday afternoon I was telling my friend Lynette about these jeans, she said she should check them out because she is in the market for some new jeans. Monday night she was at my house when I exclaimed “WHAT ARE THOSE JEANS?!?!” while pointing at her legs. Sure enough, she went to Kohl’s the next morning and bought them and she had worn them since she purchased them. She said they’re so comfortable and they are so great to look at! 25 bucks!
So, Sara, hopefully the next time I make an appearance on my blog, my jeans will fit me a little better! (and not because I’ve gained my weight back–although, I did just eat 10 cookies)
It’s quite cold outside. sixty-two degrees. Nothing like the 9/11 five years ago, which was a beautiful, sunny, warm and glorious day. Eighty degrees with plentiful sunshine, not a single cloud in the sky. Such an amazing day that turned so awful and painful to endure. I’m surprised at how raw my feelings are on this five year anniversary. The pain I still feel, the sadness, the shock, the horror. I know I’m not alone, I know you still feel those feelings, too. And we should. I’m grateful that this is a story I want to relive, I believe it honors those that were killed. It’s not a story that comes on in this news that I turn my head away. I remember them and I remember that day with such anguish, a day I will never forget.
Days and weeks after I would always want to ask anyone I met where they were when they heard or saw the news and how it unfolded in their lives. I even thought for a brief moment that I should make a collection of everyone’s responses and keep them forever, I never did. I also did not ask everyone I met because I felt like I was asking something so personal and so real and it really wasn’t my business.
Yesterday, at the end of mass, we sang America The Beautiful. As soon as the song was announced tears immediately welled up in my eyes as the anniversary has been top on my mind. I could not sing a single word, but I paid special attention to the lyrics, which are so appropriate for the day.
Here is a portion of one verse:
I arrived at the dentist’s office and learned that they were evacuting downtown Chicago. I offered to reschedule the appointment, they said no, they would take me and go home for the day. I remember sitting in the chair thinking about how much I dreaded this appointment and how uncomfortable I was and how little it was compared to what thousands of people were going through at that moment. After the appointment, I picked Brian up, we drove home listening to the radio. Shocked, hurt and so sad. It was here that I learned of people in foreign countries celebrating what occurred on our homeland. I felt so much anger towards these people. I worried about my brothers, were were active (and still are) in the military, at their Army bases with their wives and kids. We returned home, on our answering machine was a message from my mother-in-law, making sure Brian was okay. She also wanted to tell me that she was praying for my brothers. That made everything so real to me. I talked to my sister-in-law and she told me about things that had occured during that day at the Army base and that scared me, too.
The entire day was so strange. Cable channels were off the air. For days there were no commercials. That night my friend came over and we went and picked up pizza. At some point I attended a prayer vigil, I’m not sure when. When I laid down for bed that night I prayed that the nation would remain untouched over night. I was certain we would be attacked again. I have never felt so unsafe, I can’t imagine living in a war zone.
Five years later, still remembering and forever heartbroken.
Yesterday, while Brian and I spent the day working at the festival, Brian’s mom took care of our children. Because we left at 5:50AM, she stayed overnight on Friday night. (she IS the greatest) Well, Friday night when I fed the fish, our biggest fish started to freak out and jumped all over the place, he literally jumped up and hid the lid, it was crazy. Apparently, he did it again early yesterday. Well, they all left the house for a little while and once they returned,Ariel walked into the living and said “look!” It was the fish on the floor. The fished jumped out of the tank. committed suicide. dead. no longer. So, after shopping forRacecar’s new clothes at Old Navy, we went to PetSmart and purchased three new fish and a snail.Ariel is very excited. She referred to the fish on the floor as “broken.”
Our booth was a great success. Brian, my mom and I left the house at 5:50am and didn’t return until after 7:00 in the evening. Our asses were kicked. I had such wonderful people helping throughout the day and even recruited walkers. One walker is a lymphoma survivor, she’s very inspired by FOA, I can’t wait to see her again next week at the walk. Brian and I were actually in bed, with the lights off at 11:05pm last night. It was been years since that happened, we typically stay up way too late at night, but last night we did not have a choice. Like I said, our asses were kicked. Well, at about 2 in the morning I felt something crawling on my chin. That’s right, CRAWLING. CRAWLING, crawling on my chin. I hit my chin, to kill or to rid of the crawling thing. I laid in bed thinking “hmmm…something was seriously just crawling on my chin.” BUT, I was so tired, I didn’t care and went back to sleep. A little while later, something woke me up, I remembered the thing crawling on my chin, it was then that I felt whatever it was, still in my hand. I immediately threw it. I had no idea it was. This morning, I woke up and went pee, while I was peeing I remembered all that occurred and I looked at my hand and sure enough, there was a brown “stain”, something I am sure from a creepy spider. I went to see if the spider was laying around somewhere, in the direction that I threw it, but there were no remains to be found. so, I think that means there is a severely injured spider stumbling around our house somewhere…it also means I will never sleep in my bed again.
Enjoy the pictures. I’m certain you’ll be hearing more from me as ALOT of my time has freed up! (by the way, my amazing Mom has let us borrow her camera…..)
On our way to Sunday School!!
A little timid
Could they be any cuter?
Our Friends of Allie booth at the festival
Hour 12
Anna before school one day last week
Playing with Grandpa
A future (strange) doctor
