so many updates

Gosh I don’t even know where to begin with this.  Ok – 1 thing at a time.

The weekend of June 26^th Aaron and I got out of town for our anniversary celebration.  This was his year to plan so I had no idea where we were going.  We ended up in Tunica, MS.  Of course we had a great time – I mean any time I’m away with my best friend all by ourselves it is a great time!  So nice to have those moments when we just get to be Aaron and Jen, not always mom and dad.  This is one of my favorite things we started in our lives and I’ll look forward to our “anniversary weekend” every single year of my life!

Austin had his half-birthday since my last post.  Didn’t do too much since he doesn’t get it too much yet.  But we did sing to him and he loved that!  He is such a monster these days and wants exactly the opposite of what you are getting ready to do that he just told you he wanted 2 seconds ago, but still just has a smile to melt my heart.  He talks a mile a minute, mimics his big brother in everything he does (uh oh, we could be in trouble here!) and still looks more like his daddy every day.  He is such a daddy’s boy. 

Went to Moberly a few weeks ago to visit the grandparents and give Aaron some quiet time to work on school stuff.  Allen and fam also arrived the same day so it was awesome to see everyone.  A little fishing with Grandpy, dinner out with the family, sitting with Granddad, breakfast with Nannan and sleeping at Grandma’s….it was good for the soul for all of us.

We just got back from Michigan for a little vacation and the Walker family reunion.  Had a great time of course.  Always do with that side of the family.  Stopped by Lake Michigan on our way home and the kids had a blast.  It was overcast that day, but didn’t phase them a bit.  They loved playing in the “ocean”.  It was whirlwind trip.  We had to mix in some business with our pleasure.  I had 2 interviews throughout the trip.  One on our way, one while we were there.  So mentally and physically I had to keep changing my mode of operation from family time, interview, play time, worry about work stuff.  I’m glad that it worked out for me to see the company so I can be confident in my decision, but do regret that it had to take away some of my vacation.  Maybe I’ll just negotiate in an extra week for that! Lol  So I’m still waiting on an offer – and driving myself nuts, but I’m pretty sure one is on the way.  I just hate waiting and running through a hundred different scenarios through my mind.  I want to finally be able to act upon whichever it is.  

Tonight I get to see Ellie.  She is staying at our house with Ann and Branson for the night so they can catch an early flight in the morning.  Can’t wait to see her and have her in my home, around my table, part of my family.  I can’t believe she is already 8.  We are so incredibly blessed and lucky to still have her in our lives.  Open adoption is a beautiful thing.

I need to down load more pics, but here are a few to tie over till then….

 

Wish Upon a Star

Last night I took the kids out on a late night walk.  We’ve been so busy this week between VBS, soccer camp and school that I was missing my babies.  So as we are walking Mackenzie sees the North Star, and it is the only star in the sky, so she suggests we make a wish – GREAT idea sweetheart.  So we all stop,

“I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight” squeeeeeeze our eyes shut and make our wish.  

We start back walking and I say, “guys I think my wish has already come true because I have all of you in my life.”  To which Mackenzie responds that her wish came true a long time ago – to have the very best family in the universe.  Yes sweetheart, I think I can confidently say that both of our dreams have come true.  I love you all so much. 

Link to Pictures

Here’s a link to the pictures we got taken recently.  I don’t see how anyone could not look through the progression of these pictures and not be smiling – so I hope it starts your day with a smile!  

 

http://www.SearsPhotos.com/ViewSharedAlbum.aspx?ShareID=f0611a8b-cbae-4275-bc78-e774bbb2c12d

 

Memorial Day Weekend

We had such an amazing Memorial Day weekend!  The weekend started off getting the kids pictures taken.  I’ve been meaning to do it for a while now, it has been almost a year since our last session so we were well overdue.  They turned out soooo cute (of course!).  Then we had our garage sale – made a little extra money, could have done better, could have done worse – but at least we had spending money for the weekend.  But more importantly, it also marked a big milestone – Mackenzie’s first Lemonade Stand!  She did it for charity, so sweet.  So after the garage sale, we packed up and headed South for Mo’s baby shower.  Always good to see them, and Mo just looks so darn cute all super prego.  Christian will be here anytime now!  We ended up staying there and hanging out outside for a couple drinks and pitched the tent Saturday night.  Around the time we got the tent set up, we noticed we had a flat tire – great, what a way to start off the long weekend.  So Sunday we got up, packed back up, put on the spare and headed in to town to get it fixed.  Thankfully we didn’t have to buy new tires and we only ended up having to pay $10 for the fix – awesome.  While the tire was getting fixed we walked up to Sonic to get Aaron some breakfast and the rest of us got ice cream.  I gotta say – I like getting ice cream for a mid morning snack.  Sitting out there, giving the kids a treat, feeling the breeze – got is back in to a good mindset for the rest of the day.  Left there and drove down to Johnson Shut-ins.  Drove through the campground and got the only campsite still available…our luck was changing.  So we set up camp and took the kids down to the river.  We had a blast.  Then back to the campground, had a 15 minute downpour to endure – but it cleared up and we kept everything relatively dry, showers, food, and back out to do a “build a volcano” activity at the campsite.  Kids thought it was so cool, and fun getting their hands all dirty.  Yeah we had just had showers, but you can always clean up again, so I just said go for it!  Got back to camp and roasted marshmallows and then we all headed to bed.    

Monday morning woke up and packed up and headed to Tom Sauk Mnt.  We all went up in the observation tower.  I was so proud that the kids were brave enough to go up – always up for an adventure!  It was a beautiful view.  Then we loaded up to make our way back home.  Stopped off at Cracker Barrel for a good lunch and games of checkers.  Mackenzie darn near beat Aaron – they came down to each having a King against each other.  We truly didn’t want to come back home.  I could have stayed out camping for the week.  It is amazing how much it relaxes me and washes away my stress and worries, and re-centers me.  I guess just being out with just the basics and being so happy makes me know that as long as I’ve got my family, I don’t really need much else to be happy.  

Tuesday after work we met up with friends for the first concert of the “Free concert in the park” series.  This is one of mine and the kids favorite activities during the summer.  We pack up a picnic dinner and listen to the music while the kids play on the playground and do the free activities.  Aaron has had softball for the past few summers on Tuesday nights, so he hasn’t been able to join us – but we just love it.  

Not sure what we have up our sleeves for this weekend yet – maybe more camping, church carnival, bike riding…who knows, but I’m sure it is going to be another great weekend.

 

Happy Half-Birthday..and update

I gotta say, I think the celebration of half-birthday’s is one of my favorite traditions I’ve started in our family.  I can see it being passed down for generations to come.  I’m not sure where it came from or why we started, I guess it probably just an excuse for me to get to make a cake and have a party.  The kids look forward to them as much as a real birthday – always loving to add that “half” to telling people how old they are.  We don’t do presents, it is usually just our family, unless the kids happen to have friends over or something, and they just get to decide on their dessert/dinner they want me to make for them.  Then we sing, blow out candles and celebrate!  We usually try to do something fun that day to make it a little more special.  I’m always up for letting my kids now just how special they are to my heart.  If I could have a party every night to celebrate one more day they were a part of my life I would.

So this past Saturday was Turner’s half-birthday.  He is now officially 4 and a HALF!  And so proud to tell you so.  Soccer got cancelled because the fields were too wet, so we didn’t have that.  We hung around the house for the morning and put up our tent in the backyard.  Then went to the store and he picked out his cake (angel food with strawberry icing…yummy).  Then Mackenzie had a gymnastics show that afternoon so we picked up two of her friends and went to that.  When we got home we just let the kids play, ate dinner…just keeping it low key and hanging out.  Then we built a fire in the pit and did smores.  That night I slept in the tent with Turner, Mackenzie, Belle and Abby.  It was PERFECT weather and a perfect idea.  I fell asleep with Turner cuddled up in the nook of my arm, listening to three six year old girls’ explanation and wonderment of the sky and stars, looking up at the stars and drifted to sleep.  It was wonderful.  Turner told me the next day it was one of his best days ever.  The first thing he said in the morning…”Now that’s what I’m talking about!”   Oh and other funny quote out of his mouth this week – so we are leaving church on Sunday (what? Church? Us? – yes we try to make it at least every other week) – and we hear Turner from the back seat say “I’m following God, and you know what God is saying right now...he telling me to do really good in soccer, and baseball, and football!!!’  Ahhh kids views on the world.  He is also the one who went outside last night to play and come running back in yelling…mom mom I just saw a part of Heaven! (the sun was setting behind a cloud and sending out beautiful rays).  So sweet.

So you may have caught on to me saying Mackenzie and gymnastics….yes, we finally got her signed back up.  We pulled her out last fall when they had their fall break, and just never got back.  But it has been killing me.  She just loves it and it is so good for her, and she is really good.  I’d love to have those skills, so I’m all for it.  So about a month ago we found a gym a little closer than the other one, and signed her back up.  She is loving it and so are we.  I think after the summer I might sign Turner up also.  It will help in any sport to learn to take total control over all the muscles in his body…just no spandex! Lol

Austin is a total HAM these days.  Man the kid cracks me up.  He is all about giving us kisses right now, and a kiss that doesn’t hit exactly, smack on the lips doesn’t count – so don’t even try to get by with a quick peck on the cheek.  But I’m glad, it is almost like time slows down watching him near closer and closer with his lips all puckered up trying to gauge the location just right.  He has also become a kid of opposites – meaning he usually really wants exactly the OPPOSITE as he tells you the first time.  This can get in to a pretty tricky game for mommy, knowing that if I really want him to want something, I know it has to be the second choice.  Then there are times like the other day leaving a soccer game when he wanted to ride with daddy, NO with mommy, NO with daddy (repeat for about 3 minutes), and finally making the choice for him to go with mommy and hearing him scream the whole way home how he wanted to go with daddy!  Ughh, yeah – he was tired that day. 

Oh on the tired thing – this cracked me up the other day.  So when Mackenzie had her two friends over we hit a few of “3s a crowd” moments.  So the next morning Belle is talking to Aaron and she says…..”ughh yeah, sometimes Mackenzie gets a little….umm…..cranky?!”  Aaron just laughed.  I told him he should have told her that when Mackenzie gets like that to ask her if she is tired or wants a snack…..ahhh true to my own heart, my blood definitely runs through her! LOL

Oh another big event about a week ago – all three kids now sleep in their own beds!  We took down the bunk beds so they are on opposite sides of the boys room.  It was just getting too crowded with all three in Mackenzie’s bed, and they kept keeping each other awake, and bed time was getting very frustrating.  Amazingly it has gone off super easy!  Turner still cries every night when we say it is time to go to bed, but then falls asleep within a few minutes.  Him and Austin both have their flashlights that they sleep with.  You can often hear Austin in there yelling “Turner, you awake? Turner wake up” but then he is usually out within a few minutes too!  Mackenzie was not excited about the idea when we started it, but is the most fine with it now.  She sleeps so much better without Turner waking her up because she went to sleep first and he is scared, or Austin kicking all night long.  So it has been a wonderful decision for us.

And lastly – yesterday was the last day of school.  I can’t believe Mackenzie is going to be going in to first grade already!  She already informed me yesterday that she misses school already.  When we asked what she would miss she said all the people because “friends make school fun.  But at least Abby is still her neighbor.”  I’m sure we will be seeing a lot of Abby and Belle this summer which is fine by me…the more the merrier!

We are planning a big weekend with garage sale, baby shower, BBQ with friends, camping, exploring, swimming, more camping….can’t wait!

Graduations

We've had a few graduations in the past week. First started with Aaron and I walking for our Masters degrees. Mine an MBA, Aaron a Masters in Education. Now we haven't actually graduated, but we got to walk in the ceremony. We had all of our family show up. It was a wonderful night, a late night, but a good one. It was so important for me for our kids to watch us walk. Mackenzie was as excited as we were about it. I love this picture of us with the kids. They had gotten home before us and started getting ready for bed, but just to see us with our 3 kids, and standing there with our hoods, an awesome feeling. Kind of made it real, like we really did do this. We couldn't have done it without lots of support, from the beginning with Cameron agreeing to babysit for us, to others that have helped with our crazy schedule. So thank you to everyone for your support through our journey. It has been a sacrifice for all of us, with time away from the kids to attend class and even at home having to write papers or be studying, being a single parent at least one night a week...the memories of me already up early on a Saturday morning working on my paper as Cameron and Caitlyn came walking in from the night before...the multiple times I've stressed over Aaron cutting HIS timelines short...I actually think his school has been more stressful for me than my own! It has been a journey for sure. We are so ready to be done with school....for now!! lol

The next graduation was just as important. Mackenzie had her Kindergarten graduation. I can't believe she is going to be in 1st grade next year. Just crazy how fast it is all going. She has done such an amazing job this year. it amazes me how much she has learned. Exiting Kindergarten, she can now read just about anything, of her favorite books is her bible, and her chapter books about dogs. She can do math, writes by sound, writes stories.... She makes me sooooo proud!!

Good Morning Blog

Good morning blog, I know I’ve been ignoring you lately, please forgive me!  It always seems like so much is going on that I think how could I possibly write abut it all, but then on the flip side it seems like nothing major has happened, just our normal life.  Of course I fully understand that our family’s idea of “normal” may be what is skewed!  I guess the easiest way to go about updating here is to go person by person…..So first up….

 

Austin – Wow he is growing up so fast!  Not hardly a lick of baby left in him.  He is almost 2 yrs, 4 months – and doesn’t think he is a day under 5!  Of course he knows when to use it too, when playing with the big kids or wanting to do something like them, he is all grown up – but then switches on a dime to still wanting me to carry him forever!  The other morning he wanted some juice and I was telling him to drink his milk first and he told me “I don’t want to get big”.  His favorite show right now is “Backpack” – aka Dora – but I guess it sounds more boyish if he calls it Backpack?  He talks right along with it – Dora: “Is THIS the sticky tape” Austin “No”……  He has his moments of being both a momma’s boy and daddy’s boy – but I’d say more often than not he is a daddy’s boy.  He LOVES his Daddy.  Right now I’m being called “MomMom”; not sure where that came from.  He is a little brut, holds his own around the big kids, is talking up a storm.  No formal potty training going on yet, but he does ask sometimes and will sit up there and go.  So sometime in the next year I’m sure it will happen.  I’m not one to push getting potty trained faster, so not too worried about it.  It will happen when it happens. He can also throw one heck of a tantrum right now.  The other morning it took me over 45 minutes to get him dressed – he is strong, even stronger willed (don’t know where that comes fromJ), and like Houdini getting one leg out as I’m getting the other in.  Well, good thing he is so stinking cute.  And I know exactly where he gets that from – his daddy.  He’s looking more like his daddy every day.  Lastly, Austin loves being the center of attention, making everyone laugh – again, just like his daddy.  

 

Turner – Turner is now in his first season of soccer and a superstar.  I mean I hate to brag – but the kid is a natural athlete.  It has really made him seem more grown up now, and is really neat to see him have his own thing.   He is getting better at things like counting, ABCs, writing his letters, but still needs work.  Aaron plans to work on it with him more over the summer. He is a gamer, always begging to turn his game on, and is good at it too.  Aaron said he beat him the other day.  But we limit him playing so that he still remembers how to play outside!  In the summer him and Mason are playing t-ball together, and Aaron is coaching the team.  That should be a great time.  I can’t wait to see him out there. Turner cracks me up that he’d probably jump off the roof of the house if he could figure out how to get up there, but will scream like a little girl at a fly (he gets that from his daddy!).  He is getting better, I think it is more he doesn’t like to be taken by surprise and not being able to gauge the next move well.  He’s very sensitive, which some people (i.e. Daddy  and Grandpy) see as a fault, but I’m ok with it.  He is an absolute goof head, and always breaking out with some random goofy saying or move.  He loves anything sports, fighting, swords, guns……him and Austin both are 150% all boy.

 

Mackenzie – Wow is Kindergarten almost through, I just can’t believe it.  She is reading very well now, I’m not sure there is much she couldn’t read right now.  She also started back up with soccer, and is by far the best player on her team.  She is really good with technique, and takes direction very well.  She just looks like a soccer player out there.  She is so beautiful, just that natural beauty.  She’ll be one of those girls that other girls will despise because she could walk off the soccer field hair in pony tail, flushed cheeks, and look cute as can be.  We also got her signed back up in gymnastics and I’ve just loved watching her back out there.  She is also doing Daisy’s (Girlscouts) – and has fun with that.  I don’t even think I could talk about Mackenzie for 5 minutes without Abby’s name coming in the mix.  They are still 2 peas in a pod.  Seems like they are always at one house or the other on the weekends.  But Abby is really a great girl and very well behaved, so we don’t mind at all.   It is just so sweet to see them have such a bond, although I know it is somewhere in our future that they will have “that” fight, or one of them will get a new friend, and the other’s heart will be broken.  Patrick is still the only boy she has eyes for! LOL  I just love spending time with my girl.

 

Aaron – he just got done with his student teaching last week so it officially certified to teach High School business classes.  He also took his test for Social Studies, so hopefully he will pass and have that certification also.  There is a SS position and assistant football coach position at the school where he did his student teaching, so that may work out to be an option for him.  So right now he is back to being stay at home dad for the summer.  He still has some online classes to take this summer to finish his Master’s in Teaching, but has the next month off to relax.  I’m still so glad that he changed paths to teaching, he will be such a good teacher/coach and have a passion for it.

 

And finally, yours truly – well, I’m in my last session for my MBA.  I’ll be done officially the end of June, but Aaron and I both get to walk in the ceremony on May 14^th.  My job will be ending the end of July.  I’ve been applying, but no real good leads at this point.  We’ll be ok for a while though, so if I end up not finding something right away, then I’ll take advantage of the extra time I’ll have with my family.  We are still confident that things will work out just the way they are supposed to, whatever that may be.  We are open to going anywhere, so our lives could make a pretty dramatic shift over the next few months or so.  Wish us luck.  Aaron and I got to go out on a date night Saturday, it was wonderful.  There is really no other person who’d I’d rather spend time with.  Sometimes life starts getting in the way, and we get stressed and bicker and fight, but when all that is stripped away, he is the one I want to be sitting there talking and just hanging out with.  I hope that never goes away for us. 

 

So this is NOT a perfect life, but it is MY life, and I am very happy in my life.  I choose to keep my eye on the positives, and change those things that don’t make me happy.  And trust that there is a great plan and a purpose for my life.

 

Well, speaking of that work thing, guess I’d better get back to it.