2008 Year In Review

I'll sum up the year....



BITTERSWEET



Very Bitter.


Very Sweet.

Some Christmas Pictures

Insights and Thoughts??

Well, now that Mariah has her own blog, I'm not sure what I can write about. I guess her blog will be the exciting one now and I will have to think deeper thoughts to post. I'm not sure if I can do it.

I guess I can start with this...

I had a dream the other night that I weighed 197 pounds.

Is it all the Christmas cookies I have been inhaling?

I think I have a stomach ache.

Ok, that's all for now. My brain hurts from thinking.

Training Wheels & Finger Paint

Mariah has her own blog now.

Click here to see it
(the address is http://sweetmariahgrace.blogspot.com)

The Dress Dance

Ok, this will be the last dance that I post for a while. This was also last night--we took tonight off and read books instead (a calmer activity). Mariah is definitely our little dancer.

A Performer and A Pirate

Both girls chose their outfits for the performance. I guess last night was just a dress rehearsal. They are just too darn cute.

Mambo No.5 Mariah Style

An Attempt at an Impromtu Photo Shoot

Ambria and I got out the camera today, but she was insistent on trying to see the pictures on the camera before I could even take the picture.

Don't move, stay still. I'll show you the pictures later...

Too close.

"CHEEEESSSH"

I'll take it.

I Smiled Today (and so did Ambria)

Good news....

The Meijer Pony is BACK!!

For a quick review, click here

More from Mariah

"Fun is boring."

Mariah Conversations

Mom: Can you believe Thanksgiving is this week?

Mariah: Yeah. Are we having a big chicken?

Mom: No, turkey.

Mariah: I'll just call it a big chicken nugget.



Mariah: Mom, when are we going to go to heaven?

Mom: I don't know. What do you think it will be like up there?

Mariah: Snowing, raining, sunshine, summer, Christmas.

Jumping Jacks

A quick video of the girls and Ambria attempting to do jumping jacks.

Beauty Shop

They are growing up and loving being sisters

(for the most part)

Baby Girls

A few weeks ago, Ambria and Alivia were playing and for some reason, they both felt like they could fit into a baby doll crib...

The bottom fell out and they got stuck. Nice try girls.

Added Note: Before you think that I am a bad mom/bad babysitter/bad aunt, the girls were having fun playing in the doll crib so I ran to get my camera. As soon as I got my camera, the bottom fell out of the crib and they started screaming. I decided to capture the moment anyway.

She is Smart?

Mariah: Mom, what does "date" mean?

Mom: Well, it can mean a date on a calendar, to go out on a date with someone, or the fruit.

Mariah: It also means "stick"

Mom: Nope, not really.

Mariah's new favorite topic of conversation is Barak Obama and John McCain and I find her talking to herself at random times about these guys. My little politician.

Mariah is learning tons everyday and her latest is learning to write letters and words. We do have labels all over our house that she has created, ie: chair, basket, light, stove, etc. Don't mind the paper and tape all over our house--it does drive me crazy because it looks messy. (Love you Mariah, oh and don't get upset if those signs disappear in a few days).

Pink Magic

I took the girls to Meijer today and we spent over an hour in the toy aisle getting ideas for Christmas.  Mariah was so good and she understood that we were "just looking" and we weren't going to buy anything.  Ambria's eyes were as big as saucers as we went up and down the aisles and when we got to the dolls, all she kept saying over and over was "baby, baby."  (I think I know what she will get this Christmas).  When we got to the "girly" aisle and there was PINK everywhere, Mariah's eyes lit up and she said "whoa, mom, this is sooo magical!"  Yup, that is my little girly girl.

(On a sad note, for those of you that don't know, Meijer took out ALL of the mechanical ponies from their stores.  What that means to parents with little kids---no more bribes for good little shoppers.  Huge bummer).

Zzzzz.

Sleeping has been a pretty fun hobby of mine lately.

It is pretty exciting, you should try it.

900 Stickers

We got a gift bag and among the goodies inside were 900 Halloween stickers.  Somehow, I keep finding these stickers plastered all over the house and I'm sure I will keep finding them well after Halloween is over.

I looked on Ambria's back and she had a sticker that said "Bad to the Bone."  Too funny.

The girls are loving the fun "let's put stickers all over everything" activity.  Whatever it takes to keep them occupied...  (It they are happy, I am happy).

Scary Movies = Crazy Dreams

So, what happens when a bunch of guys watch "The Ring" before going to bed?...  (I politely excused myself from this activity)

I was awaken in the middle of the night by Jerry kicking and huffing and puffing and snorting like crazy.  I asked him in the morning what the heck was he dreaming about, and he started laughing and said that he was chasing someone.  I couldn't stop laughing.

I don't watch scary movies.  Jerry is solo on this one.

Little Bumps

Ambria loves giving "fist bumps" these days.  She will walk around the whole room giving everyone in the room a "fist bump" and then she will walk around the room and do it all over again.  It is pretty cute.  She will just walk up to anyone and hold out her fist and if they don't know what she is doing and they "deny" her, she just sadly walks away and finds a new person.

Just imagine this little tiny fist giving you a "fist bump."  It makes everyone smile.  Kids have a way of doing that.

Mom Shouldn't Laugh

The other night, Mariah was getting ready for bed and we were in the bathroom, brushing teeth, washing up, etc. The last thing Mariah does before bed is go potty. So, this night was not unlike any other... Mariah was done on the potty, but somehow she FELL OVER off the seat and hit her head straight on the tile floor!! I couldn't help but laugh hysterically. How the heck could THAT happen? Mariah didn't think it was too funny as she screamed her head off. So, she got a minor black eye, bumps, and bruises. I guess sometimes that porcelain seat can get the best of us. I'm still laughing about it.

A Smile for My Day

Ambria continues to melt my heart by the minute.

Her latest addiction is books, books, and more books and either wants to read them by herself or she will hunt me (or Jerry) down, pull on my leg, and give me the cute "read to me" look, until I give in and read to her (not just one book, but multiple books, and she has her favorites).
She has all the animal sounds down and she surprises me each day with new words, the latest are bubble, neigh, and Momo (Elmo)--it is just too darn cute to hear her talk with her soft voice.

Ambria makes me smile. She makes me smile when I see her run to the window, climb on the heater, and look out the window. She makes me smile when she gets all giddy when she gets her pink blankie. She makes me smile when she comes clumsily running to hug my leg when I get home. She makes me smile when she tries on all the shoes in the house and tries to walk in them. She makes me smile when I check on her before I go to bed and she is sound asleep. She just...make me smile.

Thank you, Ambria.

Pink Dirt

Mariah is the ultimate girly-girl who likes to wear dresses that twirl and pink sparkly shoes, whose favorite color is pink, pink, and more pink...

However, Mariah does have a tom-boy side to her as well. She loves to get dirty, play with worms, and hunt for roly-polies .

The other day I went into Mariah's bedroom after she was playing by herself, and this is what I found...
Hmm, Mariah put dresses on her play/plastic bugs. Not in the picture, were bugs in her dollhouse, in all the rooms and sitting at the table.

I guess when all the dirt washes away our little girly-girl appears - here is proof.

Hear Me Roar

Just a quick video of Ambria being cute.

Retro Flashback

Are you kidding me?! This was where it was at!!

An 80's Flashback--an Oldie but Goodie

One of my all-time favorite childhood shows. Ahhh, the memories. Does anyone remember Today's Special?

Lessons from Daddy (one good, one not especially so good)

Lesson #1

I heard Mariah walk into her bedroom and close the door. She was in there for a while and I was curious as to what she was up to (I was thinking she was changing into some dress up clothes, which is often the case). I slowly opened the door and found her sitting on her pink bed reading the Bible. I walked over to her and asked her what she was doing...

"I'm reading the Bible. I would like to be alone. Will you please leave?"

I excused myself and I was so proud of her. Later, I asked her why she was reading the Bible and wanted to be alone. She said

"I want to be like daddy."

Reminder, Mariah is 4.

(True Story. Oh my gosh, my heart just melted!! We are off to a good start with this kid).

Lesson #2

Mariah was coloring peacefully at the table and exclaimed...

"This is how I roll...like a true gangsta' "

(chuckle, chuckle from me)

She looks at me and says,

"I learned that from daddy"

Reminder, Mariah is 4.

(True Story. My heart didn't necessarily melt, but I got a good laugh (and so did Jerry). She might have regressed a little from the first story, so we will focus more on that one to hopefully have lasting effects).

Later, Mariah did stall going to bed and paused the bedtime prayer to "squeeze daddy's muscles." Another chuckle from both me and Jerry. She is just too funny.

A String Around My Finger

God is moving.

And just a reminder to myself...He never has stopped moving!

First Impressions

Mariah and I walked into her preschool classroom for the first time, full of anticipation and excitement. Mariah's first task is to find her name tag on the counter. She pauses, realizes that her name tag is on PURPLE paper.

"I want PINK."

Later, she finds her locker with the same PURPLE name tag and also sees a PINK tag. Her eyes light up, but quickly realizes it is for another girl who is sharing her locker.

"I want PINK."

Second day of school...Mariah has to find her cubby. Yep, it has a PURPLE name tag on it.

"I want PINK."

This might be a long year...

Luckily, the colors did seem to phase her too much and she had a great first week.

You can see the excitement in her eyes.

Oh wait, can you even see her behind that backback?

Look close, her sandals are on the wrong feet--we celebrate that she knows how to get her shoes on, we'll work on the correct feet later.

Tonight we worked on writing Mariah's name. She did it in the correct order for the first time and she also wrote an "R" for the first time. She was pretty proud of herself. Ok, I was proud too. I think this means she already passed preschool with flying colors.

Mariah, mom and dad are so proud of you! It is so wonderful to watch you learn and grow right before our eyes. It is a privilege to be your mom and dad. Thank you for being our daughter. You are a blessing. You are loved.

Game Time

Well, college football season starts today. Jerry is more than ready. What does this mean in our house?

Saturdays are football Saturdays.
Loud television.
Sports Center.
A captivated husband.
Screaming, stomping.
Cheering (hopefully).
High fives (hopefully).

U of M has to win otherwise we don't have a happy household, and we like a happy household.

So, Go Blue!!! (for the sake of everyone's happiness in our home).

Added Note Saturday Night: Post Game Update....No good news. This might be a long season.

A Beautiful Heartache

"God whispers to us in our pleasure,
speaks to us in our conscience, but
shouts to us in our pains;
it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
-C.S. Lewis

Words cannot even describe how much I/we are learning these days, as individuals, as a couple, and for our future. So much has changed, and we are liking the change. We are excited. We are alive. Jerry is taking this time to be still, to say no, and to recharge. I am taking this time to/too...

I know that Jerry is longing to speak, but I overheard a conversation on the phone last week asking him to preach at a citywide service, and he turned it down because he said he doesn't have God's permission yet. Jerry is taking this time seriously. He is being restored. God is working on him. He is under construction. But he will be back.

Jerry has these lyrics on his blog from Over the Rhine "What a beautiful piece of heartache this has all turned out to be" and that it so true.

We are starting to hear again...and we are listening to so much.

...and we are grateful.

A Chocolate Debate

We've been to three parades this summer, and our candy supply is overflowing, particularly with dum dum suckers of all varieties, countless tootsie rolls of all shapes and sizes, a few loose pencils from election candidates, and broken peppermints (what kid wants a peppermint?!).

That brings me to my question...

In college, my roommate and I had a discussion about tootsie rolls, you know, those chocolate flavored nougats (we were definitely serious scholars).

Can a Tootsie Roll satisfy a chocolate craving?

Not sure if this is "blog worthy" but it got me thinking when I was eating a few today.

All Dressed Up

Jerry's sister, Jennifer, got married this weekend, hence the fancy clothes, jewelry, and fun hairdo.

The reception was outside on a beach. The rain cleared up and the sun came out just in time for all of the festivities that ran late into the night. Lightning in the night sky was reflecting on the lake and it was absolutely beautiful.

I'm smiling here, but the whole time I am thinking..."I have sand stuck on my feet and it is driving me crazy." Ok, the thought only lasted a second before I started having fun again.

Mariah was absolutely glued to the whole ceremony, as it was her first wedding. She loved every minute of it, but then the princess wasn't such a princess anymore when she figured out she wasn't going to the "party" and had to go home with the sitter.

Mariah and Brianna looking pretty.

Innocence

Whispers and Wishes

Mariah's new preschool teachers came over to the house this evening and Mariah was very excited. She got dressed all by herself early this morning--a nice winter jumper and turtleneck with very sparkly pink dress (play) shoes. She sweat all day long. We even went outside to rollerblade--she was looking sweet in skates, knee pads, and elbow pads...with her winter jumper. Gotta love her.

So, while her teachers were here, they were talking about how they sing and dance in class and of course Mariah was pumped about that. Randomly, she walks over to me and whispers in my ear...

"Mom, I think I am about ready for karate"

(I just raise my eyebrows as if to say "wow" )

"Because I like to kick and punch"

...Preschool should be interesting...

Ouches and Spoons

Ok, I kinda have this thing where I say "ouch" or "ow" several times a day (well, probably more than that). I say it whenever something unnatural happens, but it doesn't necessarily hurt, I just exclaim "ouch" or "ow" sometimes audibly and sometime not. (ie: when you hit your hand on the corner of the wall when you walk by, bite your lip, or step on a stone--you know, things like that). I know, I am totally a girl. So, when something does happen to hurt for real and I use my exclamation, Jerry doesn't come running because I say it all too often (he laughs under his breath I am sure).

So, the other day, we were in the kitchen drying dishes and I dropped a spoon on my toe from counter top level. Umm, yeah, it hurt for real. Jerry started laughing and said "oh, come on, it is just a spoon." So, I said, "you try it."

Ok, so you try it. Drop a spoon at counter top level (vertical position not horizontal) right onto your toes and let me know your exclamation.

(Warning, you might swear, cuss, and/or cry...or laugh when you think of this post and why you are dropping a spoon on purpose on your toe).

Enjoy

Little Whiny Boy

I took Mariah to the video store to get some free kids' movies tonight, and of course, she picks out "Caillou," for some reason, this has been her all time favorite for a few years now (definitely not my first choice, and am hoping she will grow out of this phase quickly).

"Mariah, how about Clifford instead, or even Barbie (another yuck, but better than Caillou)."

Nope, Caillou it is.

Have you ever seen "Caillou?"

I think he is a parent's worst nightmare--a VERY whiny little boy that always gets his way and never gets in trouble (not loving him so much).

So on the way home, Mariah asks...

"Mom, what is Caillou's last name?"

Me: Hmm, not sure. He just goes by Caillou.

Mariah: I bet it is Caillou DePoy

Me: Um, probably not.

Mariah: Caillou DePoy, Caillou DePoy

Me: (no comment)

Mariah: Or Caillou Mithers.

Me: Mithers? (where the heck did she come up with that?)

Mariah: Yeah, Caillou Mithers.

Me: Ok.

Of course, of the four movies she picked out, she is watching "Caillou" Mithers right now and she won't even stop watching it to eat dinner. I'll have my "talk" with Mariah later about not acting like Caillou and explain how he is a bad influence.

Welcome Home, Jon and Sara!!

Our "one big happy family" is all together once again. Jerry's brother, Jon, his wife Sara, and cutie patootie son, Malachi, were in Omaha for 10 weeks and today we gathered again for the first time all summer. So, where else to have this happy reunion, but...the beach (of course)!

The cousins were so excited to see each other and Mariah started jumping up and down and squealing as soon as her feet hit the floor this morning (only to get in a fight with Malachi at the beach and say that she "wasn't going to be his friend anymore!" Welcome home, Malachi).

Later on, Mariah reconsidered, and was friends with Malachi

Having fun in the waves

This picture was actually taken before Mariah didn't

want to be friends with Malachi

Ambria and Alivia taking it all in (I think Livie is eating sand)

Ah, the beach babe bums...it's a hard life

We are home now so the girls can take naps before the excitement continues tonight. Grandma is going to take on the task of watching all 8 grandkids so us adults can go out. Good luck with that one. (We love you, Grandma!)

It is great seeing Jon, Sara, and Malachi again. Next time, don't go away for so long!

Peaceful Beach Day Interrupted

Kinda ironic that I love the beach and HATE the sand (Jerry makes fun of me).

Imagine this, two little girls that get sandy from head to toe and then want me to hold them and want to climb all over me!! Get out of town!!

Ok, this is when the LOVE wins over the sand.

(Oh, and sometimes we choose going to a pool--it is a much cleaner activity)

Short and Sweet

Good things are happening!!

And that is all I have to say about that.

Remote Control Update

We have turned the house upside down, inside out, looked under, above, and through...and our little piece of hand-held technology has yet to be found.

We are keeping an optimistic outlook on the situation.

And the little one is saying mum (pretty literally) and hasn't given us any clues (we are for certain this was her work).

Thanks, Ambria.


Added Note: I FOUND IT!! The day after I wrote this post (Wednesday) I continued my search and found the remote behind the tv in the midst of all the cords and wires. Hooray.

A Missing Report

Our DVD remote control has been missing for four days.

All search efforts have come up empty (and we are stumped).

AMBRIA??!!!!

The Little Joys

It is tradition in our family that whenever we leave the house, Mariah runs to our big picture window to wave and blow as many kisses as she can before Jerry or I drive away (Ambria goes to the window now as well, but she is a few inches shy of being able to see out, so she just pretends).

However, last night was a little different. As I backed out of the driveway, I stopped to wave and I saw two little faces in the window, instead of just one. Mariah, being the wonderful big sister that she is (most of the time), picked up Ambria to see out the window. This means that Mariah had to use all of her might to lift Ambria and Mariah had to fore go waving and blowing kisses because she had her hands full--how thoughtful.

It just melted my heart. I love you, girls!!

Check out this link to watch the girls playing and Mariah being a good big sister
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwA7BGLNsWc

?My Answer?

So, a lot of people these days have been asking me how I am doing. Well, it depends on if it is a greeting or a question, and if it is a question, it is a loaded question, so you will get a loaded answer...

I am

good

bad

happy

sad

optimistic

pessimistic

hopeful

joyful

pissed off

hurt

excited

angry

depressed

content

anxious

blessed

and any other emotion that I missed.

And, at any moment of any day, I can experience one or more of these emotions (huge props to Jerry for putting up with me).


Oh, and thanks for asking.

More Pictures Because Pictures are Fun

When I read other people's blogs, I enjoy looking at pictures, so, lucky you, you get some more pictures of the girls to look at. I love looking at pictures of my family so you must enjoy it too. Here are some pics of the beach and Mariah at Princess Camp.