It's a day of reflection. Just as every other year on this exact day. We're ready to say goodbye to the past 12 months and prepare to usher in a new set. It's time to sit back and reflect on what's happened, both the high and low lights of the past 365 days.
I could go on and on and on and on and on and on and on as I'm sure everyone'd all be delighted to read and hear about! (Ha!) But instead, I'm going to keep the ramblings short, to just our top 11 events for the year 2011.
In no particular order...
**Reilly had his first (and we pray, ONLY) surgery this past Spring when he got his ear tubes put in.
**I had carpal tunnel surgery on my left hand.
**Dave officially became the father of two teenagers!
**We sadly had to put Dave's Red Rocket (his not so family friendly red Volkswagen) to rest.
**We moved the two teenagers to the basement! :)
**Dave and I celebrated being married 4 years.
**We celebrated the main man in our house turning 2 with a big ol' Elmo Bash!
**Reilly got to go on his first boat ride this summer with Aunt Kim, Uncle Glenn and Brady
**We spent many, many, many days at the zoo.
**I experienced going to the REAL BINGO hall with my dear friend Kendra and two dear sisters.
**I had my first weekend away (since being a mommy) with a great bunch of women in Chicago for a dear friend's birthday.
There are so many more that didn't make the list. The most important being--Spending such important time as a family, and with our family and friends who mean everything to us.
This remains our New Year's Resolution for 2012....surround ourselves by good people and make memories that will last a lifetime.
Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
15 years
15 years. It's a long time. An even longer time if that's how long you've experienced a heartache of huge proportions. A long time to miss someone who you so dearly love. Trust me, it's a LONG time.
15 years ago this morning, we were forced to say goodbye to the most prized treasure of our lives. She was our rock. Our friend. Our supporter. Our shoulder to cry on. Our "wait till your father gets home" threatener. Our chef. Our bill payer. Our nurse. Our doctor. Our house cleaner. Our MOM. There is no other lady like her. She was the best. Simply the best.
There is not a day in the past 15 years that I haven't talked to her, prayed to her, whispered things in my head to her. There isn't a day that I haven't missed her, wished she was here with me and prayed that I become a mom just like her.
I look at Reilly and know there are parts of my mom in his smile. In his orneriness. In his fits. He's just like me, and I'm just like her. I wouldn't rather it be any other way. I know that she would be proud of him. I also know that he will always have a very special angel always looking over his shoulder and keeping him safe. Just as we all do.
15 years is a long time. Although, if I stop long enough, I can remember her smile. I can remember her laugh. I can remember how angry she would be, and then 5 minutes later, she'd be giving you a hug. I remember everything about her.
No matter the days. No matter the years. I'll never forget.
She'll always be my mom. She'll always be in my heart.
15 years ago this morning, we were forced to say goodbye to the most prized treasure of our lives. She was our rock. Our friend. Our supporter. Our shoulder to cry on. Our "wait till your father gets home" threatener. Our chef. Our bill payer. Our nurse. Our doctor. Our house cleaner. Our MOM. There is no other lady like her. She was the best. Simply the best.
There is not a day in the past 15 years that I haven't talked to her, prayed to her, whispered things in my head to her. There isn't a day that I haven't missed her, wished she was here with me and prayed that I become a mom just like her.
I look at Reilly and know there are parts of my mom in his smile. In his orneriness. In his fits. He's just like me, and I'm just like her. I wouldn't rather it be any other way. I know that she would be proud of him. I also know that he will always have a very special angel always looking over his shoulder and keeping him safe. Just as we all do.
15 years is a long time. Although, if I stop long enough, I can remember her smile. I can remember her laugh. I can remember how angry she would be, and then 5 minutes later, she'd be giving you a hug. I remember everything about her.
No matter the days. No matter the years. I'll never forget.
She'll always be my mom. She'll always be in my heart.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
A Perfect Stranger
Perfect strangers are sometimes the perfect people. Our family is learning a lot about that this week.
On Wednesday afternoon, I received a phone call from my dad sharing that my step-sister's house had been ravaged by fire that morning. He was pretty sure that there wouldn't be anything to save from the three boys' bedrooms. He was indeed right.
They are a family of five who lost a huge chunk of their home, 90% of the loss being the bedrooms that were upstairs. All three boys, and my step-sister and brother in law had the clothes they were wearing that day and a lucky load of whites they later found in the dryer. Much of the house contents were lost to smoke and water damage.
Asking for help doesn't come easy to many people. I'm one of them. So are they. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much choice but to ask, and rely on their faith to pull them through this difficult time. This week has been about AMAZING people reaching into their pocket books, just a week before Christmas, and giving to their family. This includes perfect strangers. AMAZING people, who are strangers. They don't know Teri and Justin, and Teri and Justin don't know them.
Kim, Keely and I have all sent emails to the amazing people we work with, and the love and support that our family has been shown has been overwhelming. These people don't know the kids, and yet they are bringing us bags upon bags of clothes and items that Teri and Justin can start to rebuild their home with.
Today, Keely and I were out shopping. As we were leaving Old Navy, feeling pretty proud of the savings we got and the deals we made, we had an extra pep to our step. There was another lady behind us that shared some of her story. It started as she said,
"That store is really amazing. I am out shopping today for a family that lost everything in a house fire earlier this week. When the worker found out what I was doing, she gave me an extra 30% off. I was so pleased with their customer service and so very thankful. I don't even know the people who had the fire, they are friends of a friend, but I just had to do something. I had some extra this holiday season, so I came here to get a few things for them."
This peaked Keely and I's interest, so much so, that I had to ask. I asked her if she knew the names of the people who had the fire, and she said they were her friends' friends. She finally came up with the name.
The very same name as my step-sister and brother in law.
A perfect stranger, who felt called to help. A stranger who didn't know Teri, Justin or the boys. A stranger who went to Old Navy and purchased clothes for someone they had never met.
Keely and I got in the van, a bit shaken, with goosebumps on our bodies. What are the chances????
I hope that perfect stranger knows she's a perfect person.
On Wednesday afternoon, I received a phone call from my dad sharing that my step-sister's house had been ravaged by fire that morning. He was pretty sure that there wouldn't be anything to save from the three boys' bedrooms. He was indeed right.
They are a family of five who lost a huge chunk of their home, 90% of the loss being the bedrooms that were upstairs. All three boys, and my step-sister and brother in law had the clothes they were wearing that day and a lucky load of whites they later found in the dryer. Much of the house contents were lost to smoke and water damage.
Asking for help doesn't come easy to many people. I'm one of them. So are they. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much choice but to ask, and rely on their faith to pull them through this difficult time. This week has been about AMAZING people reaching into their pocket books, just a week before Christmas, and giving to their family. This includes perfect strangers. AMAZING people, who are strangers. They don't know Teri and Justin, and Teri and Justin don't know them.
Kim, Keely and I have all sent emails to the amazing people we work with, and the love and support that our family has been shown has been overwhelming. These people don't know the kids, and yet they are bringing us bags upon bags of clothes and items that Teri and Justin can start to rebuild their home with.
Today, Keely and I were out shopping. As we were leaving Old Navy, feeling pretty proud of the savings we got and the deals we made, we had an extra pep to our step. There was another lady behind us that shared some of her story. It started as she said,
"That store is really amazing. I am out shopping today for a family that lost everything in a house fire earlier this week. When the worker found out what I was doing, she gave me an extra 30% off. I was so pleased with their customer service and so very thankful. I don't even know the people who had the fire, they are friends of a friend, but I just had to do something. I had some extra this holiday season, so I came here to get a few things for them."
This peaked Keely and I's interest, so much so, that I had to ask. I asked her if she knew the names of the people who had the fire, and she said they were her friends' friends. She finally came up with the name.
The very same name as my step-sister and brother in law.
A perfect stranger, who felt called to help. A stranger who didn't know Teri, Justin or the boys. A stranger who went to Old Navy and purchased clothes for someone they had never met.
Keely and I got in the van, a bit shaken, with goosebumps on our bodies. What are the chances????
I hope that perfect stranger knows she's a perfect person.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
"Uh-Oh, It's UCK!"
I hear "Uh-oh" and "Uck" a lot. As in multiple times a day. As in multiple times an hour. As in over and over and over and over and over.
Thanksgiving morning, Reilly and I were up first and we decided to tackle the chewy pumpkin caramel bars. Part 1 of the process is unwrapping all the caramels. Not a task I love. Reilly enjoyed it though. We had many "extra" caramels that couldn't be used since the nimble hands of a two year old dropped quite a few.
He also sampled some. Ok, he sampled a lot. Sometimes sampling meant licking them and then putting them down. Sometimes sampling meant taking an itty-bitty bit. Sometimes sampling meant putting the whole caramel in his mouth. (This kind of sampling meant I had to stick my fingers in after the whole caramel and take part out.)
We were nearing the end of our unwrapping task, and he had taken yet another bit of the caramel. For some reason, he decided this bite was not worthy of traveling to his stomach. I don't know why.
As he does when he doesn't like the taste, texture or temperature of something, he politely grabbed my hand, opened my palm and placed it under his mouth. He then opened his mouth and tried to let the caramel fall into my hand. This is how it works. I catch it, we discreetly throw it away and we move on. Only this time, it didn't. It stayed and he wasn't happy.
As he was leaning over my hand, trying to let the caramel fall into my palm, he kept saying, "UH-OH, UCK, UH-OH, UCK." As I was trying to hold back from laughing, and his finger was trying to pry the caramel off of his teeth, I am sure we were quite a sight. He struggled for about 45 seconds before I couldn't hold it in any longer, I started laughing, he started crying and I told him to just swallow, which he finally did. All the while, he's still saying, "UH-OH, UCK!"
I'm not sure you know how much I love that silly boy of mine.
Thanksgiving morning, Reilly and I were up first and we decided to tackle the chewy pumpkin caramel bars. Part 1 of the process is unwrapping all the caramels. Not a task I love. Reilly enjoyed it though. We had many "extra" caramels that couldn't be used since the nimble hands of a two year old dropped quite a few.
He also sampled some. Ok, he sampled a lot. Sometimes sampling meant licking them and then putting them down. Sometimes sampling meant taking an itty-bitty bit. Sometimes sampling meant putting the whole caramel in his mouth. (This kind of sampling meant I had to stick my fingers in after the whole caramel and take part out.)
We were nearing the end of our unwrapping task, and he had taken yet another bit of the caramel. For some reason, he decided this bite was not worthy of traveling to his stomach. I don't know why.
As he does when he doesn't like the taste, texture or temperature of something, he politely grabbed my hand, opened my palm and placed it under his mouth. He then opened his mouth and tried to let the caramel fall into my hand. This is how it works. I catch it, we discreetly throw it away and we move on. Only this time, it didn't. It stayed and he wasn't happy.
As he was leaning over my hand, trying to let the caramel fall into my palm, he kept saying, "UH-OH, UCK, UH-OH, UCK." As I was trying to hold back from laughing, and his finger was trying to pry the caramel off of his teeth, I am sure we were quite a sight. He struggled for about 45 seconds before I couldn't hold it in any longer, I started laughing, he started crying and I told him to just swallow, which he finally did. All the while, he's still saying, "UH-OH, UCK!"
I'm not sure you know how much I love that silly boy of mine.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)