Weekend

Friday:
Another week has gone by... I mean it's almost March.  Seriously?
Friday night we just stayed in... ordered pizza and hung out.  We had movie night -- watched "Wonder", and I bawled like a big baby.  I think Kayson had tears too.  (Such our sensitive boy).  What an amazing movie... good story, and amazing things to think about in life.  I think about how lucky we are... and how we all need to be kind to everyone.  EVERYONE. 

Saturday:
We slept in a little, which was nice...  kind of a lazy morning, then we started perking up.  Kayson attended a track clinic Saturday morning at the High School.  Small group of kids, which was great - he said it was great, and he really enjoyed himself.  And inside, I was beaming!  I love that he shows interest in track.  I'm not sure if it'll go anywhere, but for now, it's a good added sport to do, and it definitely doesn't hurt if he's fast and interested!  :)

Most of our day tho was spent just hanging out... cleaning, laundry and just being with the kids.  Saturday afternoon the kids and I did go over to Scott and Niky's to drop off an order to them...  and the kids ended up playing with Duke for awhile, and I chatted with Scott, Grandma Janis and Niky's mom.  Super nice time...  and got us out of the house!  ha.  Saturday night we stayed in again and just hung out. 

Sunday:
Church... and more playing.  The weather was nice so we did get some fresh air.  It was a good day... and good weekend.  Always bummed that the weekend goes so fast. 

Church friend - Sadie!

Church friends - Easton & Beckett

Weekend

This was our weekend planned to head to Sioux City... out the door we went about 4:45 Friday afternoon.  3 hours later, we arrived.  I was already tired!  ha.  I hate that drive!

Kids played some...  we caught up a little, then got the kids to bed.  It was a nice quiet evening. 

Saturday we were up early - started the day...  playing literally all day.  The kids were loud and crazy, all day long!  We celebrated Rhett too!  He got some great gifts, and did really well with the gifts (in between his sissy opening 90% of them!)  He was a good little boy... so happy.  It was fun to watch him... and crazy to think he's 1 already!

We just hung out the rest of the afternoon...  more playing and relaxing too.  We got on the road about 6:00...  3 stops for us on the way home, which made for an even longer ride.  I developed a terrible headache too... so not going to lie, I was miserable.  Super glad to be home around 9:20...  got kiddos to bed, and I crashed too.  

It was a nice visit, we haven't been over there in a long time.  And honestly, not sure when our next visit will be... our lives will be changing with baseball coming!!

Sunday:
Church... and just spent the afternoon literally doing laundry all day long... all day!  Kids played... and we just did this and that.  It was a nice day at home.

Pics from the weekend!

Valentine's Day

I don't normally post about Valentine's Day.  It's just another day in my eyes, but the kids had good, special days. 
Cora had a party at school - candy and all.  
Kayson had a party at school - no candy.  ah. They can bring 'treats', but not candy or food. 

I had cute pictures of them both, so decided to post.  :)

Thank School Teachers

There was a recent school shooting in Florida...  just awful.  It's one of those things I never thought I would have to pray about...  and never want to, however, now things like this are in my prayers every night - to keep my kids safe at school (and everywhere else).

I decided I should send Kayson's teacher a thank you note... for just being there every day to 'take care' of him, teach him, and hopefully protect him.  I sent a note to the Principal as well.  I received responses from both of them, which I really appreciate. 

Thank school teachers, thank coaches, dance instructors, mentors, law enforcement, etc.

Tumbling & Gymnastics updates

I haven't been very good about giving updates on tumbling and gymnastics for our girl.  Overall, she likes them both.  She's getting stronger and stronger...  I see definition in her arms and legs already, which I LOVE! 

Tumbling - Mondays at 4:00.  This goes well... she's doing cartwheels much better now, so that's exciting to her.  They do a lot of back bends and stretching... stuff like that.  They close the blinds, so I really can't see in (which sucks), but they'll have an observation time in April I think, so I'll be able to actually see what she's doing!

Gymnastics - Thursdays at 5:30.  This, too, is good.  She goes in with no trouble... she thinks it's cold in the gym (so she whines about that a little each time), but then is sweaty when she is done! They do a lot of stretching... then practice on the balance beam, bars and trampoline mat (I think that's what she calls it!)  I like watching her on this... she still is learning, but she does really well. 

We purchased a tumbling mat for home... and she thinks that's the bomb!   So fun.

I don't have many pictures of her doing either activity, just b/c the blinds are closed, or it's impossible to get a picture!  But here are a few lately.

 

 

 

Weekend

Well, our weekend turned to not what we expected, but was good too...  We had planned on going to Sioux City Friday late afternoon - to celebrate Rhett's 1st birthday.  But the Iowa forecast, once again, was full of snow.  Snow... lots of snow.  Then all of the sudden by Friday morning, the forecast was completely different - with just a little snow, but at random times and with high winds, etc.  (I really wish I could be that wrong at my job or life and everyone would be ok with that!!!!)  I was irritated.  So in a nutshell, we did not make the trip - so we plan to this coming weekend.
 
Friday:
I scooted out of work early - had a late lunch with my friend Katie.  That baby comes in less than a week and a half.  She's ready!  I did a few errands, then home with the kids.  Ryan got Iowa Wild hockey tickets for Friday night... so we did that.  Kayson and him love it...  Cora and I had never been, and we are right up on the glass, and her and I cringed and jumped at every bang on the glass!!  (and it was a lot!!!) Cora kind of freaked out at first, but then she relaxed a little... and seemed to enjoy herself.  Funny.  A late night for us...  tired family.
 
Saturday:
Fiddle farted around all morning... cleaned, laundry, kids played... was a nice morning.  We grabbed lunch out, then looked at loft beds for Cora.  No huge luck, but we have some ideas.  (her room is SOOOO tiny, and she's got a lot of crap... so we are looking at that option!)  More to come, I hope!  Kayson had his friend Carter over for the afternoon.  Cora and I kept busy... and out of the boys' hair.  It was a nice day.
 
Sunday:
Church.
Cora and I then met Trish, Jill, Eden and Lindsay at a prom shop in Urbandale for a couple hours.  Cora was in awe. Literally.  The sweetest thing ever... she really watched every move those girls made (along with the 30 other girls there too!).  She got lost in all the dresses... helped unzip...  helped 'fluff' and 'lay' the dresses.  She loved it.  Eden and Lindsay both found the dresses they liked... and they were off.  Good couple hours.
 
Kayson had baseball practice.  And the rest of the day was just this and that...  A quick Sunday it seemed. 
 

 
 

 

 

with friend Carter

 

 
 

 

 

With Linds and Eden. 

Essential Oils update!

Things are going well on the Essential Oils front...  I'm keeping up with reading more and more each week about oils, and blends, and options, and so on.  I'm posting more 'snippets' to my Facebook page - Essential Approach.  and I just submitted my first big... I mean HUGE order!!!  I'm so excited. 

I've gotten a couple 'new' people on board... or at least willing to try some things.  And I couldn't be more thrilled.  I have a co worker who's had a terrible time keeping his family healthy (two young kiddos), so the Momma is fed up, and wanting to try it all!  ha.  I slowed her down a little, and we are starting on the basics in hopes to get their immunities built up and feel better for more than a week at a time!  Poor family!
I then had a couple other new clients that were interested as well!

I'm just excited to be comfortable with the oils and pass on what I know.  I am SOOOO still learning, and have a long ways to go, but I am pleased with this past order and just hope that it makes some major improvements in these peoples lives!

Feeling bummed... and This & That

Well, today I'm just bummed...  over the past couple months, my sisters and I had today planned to take off and spend together cleaning at the farm.  The farm needs a good cleaning, and Dad is on a mission trip in Texas, so we thought it would be a perfect day to do this!

I was going to drive to Clarion last night... spend the night and get started early today so we could have a full day.  6" of snow toppled onto Iowa yesterday, leaving the roads terrible... and just not worth the drive in the dark.  So my plan was to make the trip this morning...  but waking to negative degree temps, roads still being iffy... and the possibility of more snow this afternoon... I just decided against it. I'm so bummed about it!! 

Hoping Trish and Jill get a lot done, and we can plan another day like this... 

Miss my family.

Other things going on:

• Cold, winter weather - I'm over it!
• Kayson loved the snow fall we got last night... he and I shoveled quite a bit, then Ryan finished off with the snow blower.  Kayson attempted the snow blower, but he said "It was heavy!!" 
• We've made a change with Cora's rests at daycare - cutting them down, as we have trouble at bedtime.  We are about a week in, and it's going well. 
• K and Cora have been playing super well together lately...  should knock on wood!  They build forts, they talk with each other, it has just been going well. 

Not much else going on right now!

Weekend

Has been a nice weekend...  but another cold one.  I'm not going to lie - I'm so ready to for winter to be over... but sounds like we still have another 6 weeks (apparently).  BRR. 
Friday:
We stayed in...  quiet night.

Saturday:
Ryan worked a little, then came home and got Kayson - they went to watch Duke play Bball for a couple hours.  Cora and I played... cleaned... and got groceries, good morning.  Our afternoon consisted of snuggling.  Cora and I sat/laid on the chair - watched TV and literally snuggled.  Oh it was so sweet.  

About 4:00, Tricia came down here...  Ryan and I were getting together with some church friends.  So I asked Trish to come watch the kids, as she hasn't done that in a long time, and she's usually all over it.  They have a really good time together.  So bonus.  :)  Ryan and I headed out about 5:00 - met the others at The Escape (Escape rooms)... and oh my goodness, we had such a good time.  We got two rooms - boys vs. girls of course.  Us girls did well - but the first 10-15 minutes, we all were like - "What the heck do we do?!!? and where do we start!?!"  But we got the hang of it, and figured it out... with the help of some clues!  ha.  But overall, great time... we are already talking about doing it again!

Then we went to Bravo for supper...  good time.

Sunday:
Church.  and that's literally about it.  It's too cold to do anything...  Kayson's been attached to electronics, which I want to freak out about!  Cora's played pretty good...  helped me clean a little... but really, it's been a lazy afternoon.  Super Bowl is tonight... so just doing snacky foods, and hopefully a quiet, warm evening inside. 

Holly/Mike, Suzanne/Clint, Haley/Clete, us

I apparently need to take more pictures...  :(

So true

I've seen this, heard this for years... and it's really true.

It seems like over the past 3 weeks, Ryan's been gone... Kids have been a struggle from time to time... activites are overwhelming... my mind races... I miss Mom...  life just is hard and exhausting...  so then it feels like the days are SO LONG.  I mean - forever it takes to get from 9 am to 4 pm!!!  But the years are SO SHORT.  It's already February 2018.  What?!  How does that happen?