Life is Good

My new favorite cookie!

2011-12-17T11:43:00.001-08:00

I'm pretty certain I have just discovered my new favorite cookie. Prior to today, I probably would have said that my mom's peanut butter temptations were my favorite [peanut butter cookie with a reese cup in the middle..yum], but I think I might have a different answer if ever asked what my favorite is. Now, the chocolate turtle cookie has taken over the top spot in my book! [Don't worry, the peanut butter temptations are a very, very close second. I don't like ties or I might say it's a tie.] Here's a play by play of how to make them, with my cute little helpers, of course!

Chocolate Turtle Cookies

5 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1/4 cup butter [1/2 stick]

1 [14oz] can sweetened condensed milk

2 [7.4oz] packages chocolate chip muffin mix

2/3 cup pecans

48 chocolate covered caramel candies [I used caramel hershey kisses.]

STEP ONE: Place chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until butter is completely melted.

STEP TWO: Mix chocolate and butter until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.

STEP THREE: Add can of sweetened condensed milk and stir until well blended.

STEP FOUR: Add both packages of chocolate chip muffin mix.

STEP FIVE: Stir until well blended.

STEP SIX: Put pecans in blender and finely chop.

[Somehow, I lost my picture of this step. I'm sure you can imagine what it looks like. :)]

STEP SEVEN: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into balls. [Leyton wanted me to prove I knew my letters. :)]

STEP EIGHT: Dip the bottom of each ball into the pecans.

STEP NINE: Place pecan side up on greased cookie sheet [or wax paper if you choose to dip them all at once.]

STEP TEN: Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until centers are gooey and cookies are crackly looking.

STEP ELEVEN: While still warm, place caramel kiss in center of cookie. [After trial and error, I learned it's better to allow the cookies to cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet before placing them on a cooling rack. Otherwise, you'll have pieces of cookie rather than a whole cookie.]

STEP TWELVE: Eat and be merry! [Be prepared for a yummy mess if you eat them warm. ]

You'll love them, I promise. I plan to share mine with my co-workers in a cookie exchange. I'm tempted to make a second batch all to myself. This whole being 29 weeks pregnant thing would go great with an entire batch of these cookies!! I'll refrain.

What a weekend!

2011-10-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend, packed full of fun! It all started on Friday with our ultrasound for baby #3. Guess what?! It's a girl!! :) I'm hoping this baby is a laid back, calm little girl, but will be happy with just a healthy little girl. One thing we did learn about baby #3 is that she has bilateral choroid plexus cysts. The choroid plexus is a gland in the brand and since it's a gland it is capable of producing cysts. In #3's case, hers have produced cysts. Alone, these don't mean much. In combination with other problems, these could indicate chromosomal issues. Thank goodness, she does not have any other problems. Her heart is perfectly healthy, as well as her kidneys and every other vital organ for that matter. The dr says that 5% of babies are born with these cysts and live with them for the remainder of their lives and have no side effects from them. The majority of the cysts go away on their own by 32 weeks gestation. We have a second ultrasound scheduled at 32 weeks to check to see if the cysts are gone or remain. I'm praying they'll be gone, just for the sake of my sanity. :) Feel free to pray along with me.

On Saturday, I had my first of many 29th birthdays. [I plan to be 29 for quite a few years now. Not sure how I'm going to like turning 30.] We headed off to the pumpkin patch with my parents and sister. The kiddos had fun seeing the animals and picking out pumpkins for themselves.

Leyton riding the pony at the pumpkin patch.

Josh and I waiting for the trolley to the pumpkins.

A windy trolley ride.

Afterwards, we had some great pizza from LaRosa's in Batesville. It was quite possibly some of the best pizza I've had in awhile.

Me and sister waiting on yummy pizza.

We ended the night with pumpkin carving and a bonfire at my parent's house. It was a great birthday!

The weekend was topped off with Jada's 2nd birthday party. We decided to host a costume party and what a great decision that was. I originally just expected the kiddos to come decked out in their halloween costumes, but my family went above and beyond. My parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even my grandpa joined in the festive fun and dressed up! They've now decided this needs to be an annual event. :) Jada had a great time as did the rest of the family. Needless to say, it was a hit!

Birthday Girl

2011-10-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

We celebrated a birthday this week! Jada turned 2 on Monday. We had quite a day of celebrating and are looking forward to celebrating with a costume party with the whole family on Sunday. We had lunch at Fazoli's complete with strawberry cupcakes. After lunch we headed to the park to play and then we just had to try out the newest frozen yogurt shop in Marion, JuJu Berry. I've been looking for a good reason to go since it opened and I found one! [It was pretty tasty, by the way!] After all the afternoon fun, we headed back home for nap time. Jada is notorious for climbing out of her crib. [I know, I need to get her moved to her big girl bed.] After a couple hours of sleeping, I went to check on her and this is how I found her:

asleep in the rocking chair in her room. Apparently that looked like a more comfy place to sleep than her bed. :) Or, maybe she was just a bit too worn out to play one minute longer. Gotta love that girl!

Happy birthday, Jada! We love you!!

Leap Day

2011-09-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Well hello long lost friends! (If there are even any of you out there!) It's only been half a year since I last posted. That's not too bad, is it?! :) I'm sure much has changed since then. Let's see if I can remember the main things.

1. I think the biggest news is that baby #3 is currently baking. He or she will be making an entrance around February 29th...leap day. I'm praying this child listens and obeys when it comes to the date of his/her birth and chooses not to come on leap day. I have a feeling my wishes will not be granted though. Leyton arrived four days early, on Josh's graduation day. Jada arrived three days late, on the one day my mom had said she couldn't be born because she would be busy catering a wedding all day. See? It's gonna happen, just wait and see. (Feel free to hope with me that it doesn't, though!)

2. Leyton has started his 2nd year of preschool. He loves it, all except the cleaning up time. He's gotten in trouble twice that I know of for not being a good cleaner upper. Once he missed out on playing outside and the other time he had to sit in time out for two minutes. He's not very good at helping with clean up time at home either. We have a daily battle getting him to pick up his toys. His favorite line during that time is, "It's hard work, Mom!" Any suggestions on making this any easier would be greatly helpful!

3. Jada is going to be 2 years old in just a few short weeks. It's hard to believe, but at the same time, it seems like she's been around forever! She's quite the pistol. Definitely fits in with the boys better than the girls. Meaning, she's rather rough and tumble. She loves to climb, jump, run, play in the dirt and be mischievious. She's especially good at the last. Speaking of climbing, she decided it'd be a great idea to attempt to climb up Leyton's dresser a few weeks ago. You can probably guess what happened. The dresser toppled right over on top of her! Thank goodness she didn't get hurt, besides the rather large bruise over her eye. It definitely could have been much worse. Needless to say, it scared me to death!

I think that hits on the news for now. I'm going to attempt to be better at updating. Maybe I'll even try to update once a week. I won't make any promises, but I will do what I can. Have a great week!

Snowy Days

2011-02-04T09:36:00.001-08:00

Of course, just like everyone else in the midwest, we have been snowed in this week. Not only have we been snowed in, but we've been dealing with a lovely stomach virus. It started with Jada last Friday and has finally [I hope!] ended with me today. Not a fun time to be snowed in, but I guess it worked out pretty well since Josh was able to stay home from work with the kids due to the weather while I was under the weather.

We finally ventured outside for a bit today. Leyton was itching to play in the snow and was pretty impressed that he could defy gravity and walk right on top of it! He had a great time racing his trucks over the ice covered snow. Jada? Well, she wasn't so sure of all the white stuff.

These trucks look like a cartoon version of Ice Road Truckers. Kinda makes me laugh...maybe it's just me.

[I think this might be one of my new favorite pictures.]

Happiness is...

2011-01-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

...Leyton being old enough to play T-Ball this year!! I have never been more excited! I have been looking forward to him playing since we found out we were having a little boy. I mean, of course there were other things I was excited about, but coming from a family that grew up at the ball field and then haivng a husband who would spend every waking moment at the ball field if he could, it's something I have definitely been looking forward to! I'm sure there will be many, many stories and pictures to come regarding that!

...Jada learning new words all the time! She's 15 months+ already! She can say mom/mama/mommy, dad/dada/daddy, pa, papa, ouch [oush!], hot [ha!], cheese, please [which also sounds like cheese], mine [my!], go [doh], hi, bye, uh-oh...and others that I can't seem to think of.

...Leyton saying hilarious things ALL the time! The kid cracks me up every day. The other day he was looking at our wedding pictures and couldn't quite comprehend why he wasn't in any of them.

He asked, "Mommy, was I at you and my dad's wedding?"

To which I replied, "No."

Through tears he asked, "But, where was I!?!?"

"Well, you weren't born yet."

"Was I in your belly?!"

"No, son."

I didn't quite think it was necessary to give any further explanation at his age. Eventually he'll learn all about marriage and the birds and the bees...just not now. :)

...Jada "singing" songs. Here's an example of her rendition of This Little Light of Mine. I love that girl...

and that boy. :)

Jada's 1st year Photo Book

2010-11-06T20:33:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Holy smokes, Jada is 1!

2010-10-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

Somehow my daughter has already gone from this...

to this...

a beautiful, determined, full-of-life 1 year old!

Here's how we celebrated with family and friends at our house yesterday:

The celebration started a few days earlier when Leyton and I began making goodies. Leyton was such a good helper making oreo cookie suckers dipped in white chocolate. He was quite the sprinkler!

My sister Lindsey came to my rescue as an excellent helper on Friday evening. We got started shopping and making even more goodies by 9a.m. Saturday morning. We made homemade caramel sauce, caramel corn, white cupcakes and carrote cake cupcakes, and a pennant banner than said "Happy Birthday Jada". After about 16 hours, we were finally finished with as much as we could finish before the party Sunday.

It didn't take long for this quiet, empty backyard...

to be turned into a yard full of fun people like this...

Jada got so many gifts! I think Leyton was more excited about opening them than Jada was, but she quickly figured out how fun it was when she realized what was inside all the wrapping and tissue paper.

Lindsey and I found this cupcake tower at Wal-Mart. It was originally black with a topper that said "Trick-or-Treat". We found the leaves at the Dollar Tree for $1, so Lindsey stapled them on to cover the Halloween decor. It turned out pretty well!

Of course, Jada loved the cupcake!

After everyone demolished a cupcake, we painted pumpkins!

At the end of the day, we were all exhausted.

We are very thankful for a beautiful, healthy little girl. We couldn't have asked for a better day to celebrate the first year of her life!

A lesson

2010-10-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Leyton just got home from preschool. I asked him the usual question...what did you learn at school today? His response?

L: "Well, we went to chapel and learned that some kids had to sit in time out."

Me: "Did you get into trouble in chapel?"

L: "No, I didn't. Adam did."

[I know there's no little one named Adam in his class so I figured out pretty quickly what Adam he was talking about.]

M: "Adam and Eve??"

L: "Yeah. A snake told Eve to eat the apple, so she did and they had to sit in time out!"

Wow. He listens. :)

My favorite time of year!

2010-10-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love fall, not to mention the month of October. Granted, my birthday just so happens to be in October, but now we have even more to celebrate...Jada's birthday! Can you believe she's going to be 1 in less than a week?! I can't! We'll have birthday celebrations to come, but for now, here are some pictures of how we've been spending our fall so far.

We went to the Jacobs' Family Orchard a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, it was ridiculously hot outside so we didn't spend a lot of time there, but we still had fun playing with friends. Jada is queen of the mountain!

Leyton was so excited to see Brady he could hardly contain himself.

We tried to get a group photo but we all know how difficult it is to get 3 kids age 3 and under to cooperate.

This past weekend we took a short trip to Wabash to visit the pumpkin patch. Jada enjoyed climbing on the huge pumpkins. As you can tell, the weather was a bit more like fall for this trip. :)

Leyton loved the animals. He was able to get up close and personal with donkies and goats. He was trying to coax the donkey to come closer by asking very nicely, "Mr. Goat, can you please come over here?" It didn't work, but it was a nice try.

How are you spending your fall?

Life on the Beach

2010-09-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

We just got back from vacationing in Myrtle Beach. This was our first official family vacation, and I've already decided we're going to have to do whatever we can to make this an annual event. We had such a fun time. Leyton has been asking since the day we got home if we can go on vacation again today. I think he had fun too!

We spent a lot of time at the beach and the pool. Jada loved the salty sand and Leyton loved the waves. Both of them are far too brave. Leyton took off for the water without any fear of being washed away. We had to keep a very close eye on him, especially since Hurricaine Earl was lurking some 100 miles out. The waves were pretty crazy the first day we spent at the beach, but calmed quite a lot after that. Surprisingly, we didn't see one drop of rain. Earl skipped right past us, thank goodness!

Leyton is a pool fanatic. Every morning he woke up and wanted to go straight to the pool. We spent many hours there. Luckily for the kids, the pool was completely shaded. It was actually under the building, but still outside. It was perfect for not having to worry about them getting fried. Jada liked the pool quite a lot too, but maybe not as much as her brother. She wasn't afraid to sit on the side and hop right in to us.

On Sunday, we went to the Dixie Stampede. Leyton was mesmerized as soon as the lights went out. He loved all the animals. The food wasn't too bad either. Of course, we couldn't leave without him getting his own pony and cowboy hat.

I would definitely recommend Myrtle Beach for a family vacation. A lot of people told us it was a great place, and I would agree. There are still a lot of things that we didn't get to do that I would like to go back for.

Family vacation #1...success!

9 Months!

2010-07-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

Jada is 9 months old! At 9 months she:

--weighs 19 lbs [56th percentile]

--is 26.75 inches [45th percentile]

--has 2 bottom teeth [finally!]

--says da-da and ma-ma

--crawls everywhere

--climbs up and down stairs without help [but not far, no worries!]

--stands up holding onto anything

--walks/cruises around the couch or anything else that will support her

--LOVES playing with her big brother

--sleeps about 12-13 hours every night and takes 2 naps during the day [such a good girl!]

--eats just about anything we put in front of her

--LOVES her mama. She doesn't like to be out of my sight when I'm around, but is a perfectly content, happy baby when I'm not.

--LOVES her daddy. She lights up the moment he gets home!

--loves to play pat-a-cake

--waves bye bye

...and much, much more. :)

She reminds me a lot of Leyton at this age. She seems to have just as much energy as he did, but I'm hoping I'm wrong. I'm not sure if I can keep up with 2 kids who never stop! :) She's such a great addition to our family and we're loving seeing her personality start to blossom.

Relay for Life

2010-06-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

My co-workers and I put together a team for Relay for Life this past weekend. We have been working hard to raise as much money as possible for the fight against cancer. We all had such a great time spending the evening together, acting goofy, being loud, but most importantly, seeing some of the faces that we had the privilege of caring for during a very difficult time in their lives. One of the best parts of the night was the survivor walk and balloon release. It was awesome to see so many people who have fought so hard for their lives. What an honor to be a part of!One of the funniest parts of the night was the Miss-ter Relay contest. We dressed our co-worker Nena's son up and he pranced around the stage and then all throughout the relay collecting donations for our team. Although he deserved to win, he was awarded 2nd runner up! He made a darling luau girl! :)

I'm really already excited about the ideas that our team has come up with for fundraising throughout the next year. If you want to help us out, let me know! We'd love to take your money! ;)

Nice trip!

2010-06-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm a fall risk! I fell two times in a 30 minute time span at work last night. The first time I landed directly on my knees on a nice hard floor, the second time, directly on my rump! What is the deal?! Guess I need more sleep! :)

Busy, busy

2010-06-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

Here I am again...almost 2 months later. A lot has happened in the last 2 months! Here's a quick overview!

Leyton is 3! Holy smokes! He looks 5, but is only 3. At his latest well check-up he was 42" tall [completely off the charts] and 41 pounds [again, completely off the charts]. As I said, he looks 5...but I promise he's only 3. Everything checked out great, of course. He's a tall, smart, healthy little guy. He's loving "school" [or daycare]. He likes to think he's going to school, and really, it's quite similar. He has a teacher, a small class of about 9 kids, and they do a lot learning activities. He has learned quite a lot already! It's been really great for him. I've noticed a difference in his manners and he's blown me away with things he's learned. For instance, while we were at the dr's office, he was playing with shapes. I started asking him what each shape was. Of course, he was able to tell me the square and triangle, but then got to another that I really didn't think he would know until he yelled out, "That's an octagon!" Say what?! I had no idea he'd know that. A few days later I was telling Josh about him knowing what it was so Josh asked him, "Leyton, what's an octagon?" I started to say that he wouldn't be able to explain it to Josh, but instead point one out when he said, "It says STOP!" Guess he proved me wrong! Such a smart cookie! :)

Jada is 8 months old! At her 7 month well check-up she was 26" long [46th percentile] and 17lbs 9oz [62nd percentile]. She's a little more of an average size baby, but seems so small since Leyton has always been off the charts from day 1. She's still crawling all over the place, but is now able to climb up the stairs [she hasn't quite figured out how to get down], stand up holding onto just about anything, cruise along the furniture, and walk behind her walking toy! She's trying to follow in her big brother's footsteps and walk at 9 months. I'd be just fine with her holding off on that, but we'll see. She says da-da all the time and just within the last few days has started saying ma-ma! [It's about time! :) ] She has grown attached to my leg. She loves to follow me around and grab onto my leg and not let go until I either sit her back on the floor or pick her up. I try not to spoil her by picking her up all the time, but it's difficult. She's just too darn cute and the pouty lip gets me every time!

Josh is coaching the summer baseball team for Indiana Wesleyan by himself this summer. It's exciting for him, yet scary at the same time. This is his first time being able to call all the shots. I'm sure he's going to enjoy it once he gets the first few games under his belt and gets the jitters all out. He's still working throughout the day and then has baseball games about 2 nights a week for the next 6 weeks or so. Baseball, baseball, baseball. That's what we do around here. :)

As for me, I've switched from working 3 11am-11pm shifts, to 3 7pm-7am shifts a week. I had the opportunity to choose between day shift and night shift, and silly me chose night shift. It's been about 6 weeks and it's really worked out pretty well so far. I love the coworkers I get to work with, and so far, I've been able to sleep decently throughout the day while Leyton and Jada are at daycare. It helps that Leyton likes to be at daycare, so I don't feel so guilty sleeping while they're there. Most of my days off consist of either baseball games or church league softball games, so we continue to spend most of our evenings at the ball field. I'm sure we'll still find time for the pool during the day though!

Well, nap time is almost over...I better be going! I hope you all have a great start to your summers!

A life update...

2010-04-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile, and for that, I apologize. I've not had time to get a haircut or take a shower without a little boy at my feet lately, much less spend any length of time on the internet thinking coherently. Why, you ask? Because baseball season is in full swing. In case you're out of the loop, that means Josh and I are on completely opposite schedules. He's home while I'm at work, and I'm home while he's at work and the baseball field. It's my favorite time of the year. [Note sarcasm.]

So, since it's been 4 months since I've updated anything going on in our lives, I'll take this opportunity to do so. [If there's something that doesn't make sense, it's most likely due to interruptions of "Mom..what time is it? Mom...I need my shorts on! Mom...I need a drink!" etc. :) Just bare with me.]

Leyton is going to be 3 in just a few short weeks. It's hard to believe, isn't it? Well, it is for me. He's so on the go all the time...I wonder if he'll ever slow down. From the looks of it, I'm thinking not. He loves anything that has to do with running, throwing a ball, or racecars, and he loves to be outside. Before long, he'll be as brown as a biscuit. :)

Jada is already 6 months old! Half of a year! She's a crawling machine! She started army crawling at about 4 1/2 months and has been completely crawling for the last 3 weeks or so. She's fast, too! One second she's sitting innocently and the next second she's made her way over to the movie tower and pulled it over on herself. Leyton is always the first to scold her. He's pretty certain he's her boss.

Leyton is really starting to enjoy his little sister. I'm not sure how long this will last, but he always wants me to put her on the floor so he can play with her. They're so cute together, too. He puts all of her toys around her on the floor, but of course, she will crawl to find something of his that she'd much rather play with.

After looking around, we made the decision to put the kids in daycare. Leyton loves to play with other kids, so I knew he was going to love it! He can't wait until we go to church so he can "play with his friends". Friday we visited and he was so excited. As soon as I told him where we were going, he went running around the house saying, "I need my back pack...where's my back pack? I need my computer!" Yesterday was their first official day, and apparently, Leyton's a bully! Josh picked the kids up and was asking Leyton how his day was and he started off by saying he got in trouble. Josh asked him why and he said, "Me had to stand in the corner." After trying to pry it out of him, he finally told Josh that he hit a girl! Today, when I asked him about it, he told me she was trying to get on his scooter. Hopefully he's learned his lesson and won't be hitting kids anymore. That's definitely not the best start to daycare. I really think it will be good for him though. He needs the socialization. He's a little social butterfly. Hopefully he'll learn a few things in the process.

Well, I suppose I have spent enough time filling all [3] of you in on our lives. Hopefully I'll find time a little sooner to share some tidbits of our days. Have a great week!

Christmas Celebrations

2009-12-30T11:06:00.000-08:00

We've had 3 of our 4 Christmases so far this year. We still have one more this weekend in Greensburg, so I'm sure I'll have more stories to share from that one, but here's the run-down of the 3 we have had already.

The 20th we spent time in Greensburg for an extended family Christmas at Aunt Beth's house. We had a good time watching all the little kiddos open up their gifts. Leyton was pretty excited about his Cars tent he got for his room. We finally got it out yesterday and he begged me get inside with him. Let's just say we both didn't fit. Last night Daddy had to take a turn. I think he pretty much wore the tent as a shirt.

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day in Holland with Josh's family. We woke Leyton up with the video camera and, after figuring out what was going on, he took off running upstairs to see what Santa had brought him. He was so excited and immediately started looking for the castle and dragon he was sure he would be getting. Santa saved that one for last! At first, he wasn't sure about it...but now he is loving it!

Jada was content sitting with GG for the morning while Josh and I opened her gifts. GG did a great job showing Jada all her new stuff! [Look at those chubby cheeks! :)]
On Saturday, we headed to Pioneer, OH for Josh's extended family Christmas. We had a white elephant exchange for the adults and the kids exchanged gifts as well. I came home with a hospital water jug. Josh got two Cleveland Indians mugs. Leyton was very happy with his new race car trailer. The kid has more toys than he knows what to do with and I'm sure he's going to come home with more from Mamaw and Pa this weekend. Jada had no clue what was going on, but still got all kinds of cute outfits, teethers, baby dolls, and even her first purse! She was stylin' on Saturday in her new sweater dress!

Sunday, we spent the afternoon in the SNOW! Lots of snow. We took Leyton sledding. He loved it! I took a video while the two of us went down the hill, but unfortunately I have no clue how to download it to the computer. I'll have to have Josh teach me that one and I'll share it with you. [If there is anyone that even reads this!] I was able to take a few pictures too though.

This is the trail on the way to the top of the hill. Quite the scene!

We made it to the top!Emily, Elizabeth, and JonathanLeyton and Uncle Jonny getting set for take off.

I would say we have definitely had a successful Christmas holiday. We have been lucky enough to be able to spend time with both of our families. I hope everyone else has enjoyed their holiday as well!

Thoughts

2009-12-29T10:54:00.000-08:00

I went to the funeral of one of my patients yesterday. I don't go to many of my patient's funerals. Actually, this was the first funeral I've gone to, but I have gone to two other patient's calling hours. Like many other people, I wouldn't say going to a funeral is one of my most favorite activities, but this funeral was one of the best I have attended...if there is such a thing. The life of this man was definitely celebrated, and what a great life it was. I always think that I wish I had the opportunity to meet some of the people I have been privileged to take care of prior to them becoming sick with cancer. I have met some of the most amazing people during the past [almost] 5 years I have been an oncology nurse. I can only imagine how their lives were before they got the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis. Even in the midst of battling a horrible disease, these people are always so positive and uplifting. Someone said yesterday during the funeral that [we'll call him T] had every reason to be bitter and angry at the world, yet he was always the exact opposite. The first person to have a smile on his face, the first person to have encouraging words...even when the doctors told him from day one that he was terminal. It's amazing the attitudes of these people. I am seriously inspired every day I'm at work. I'm pretty sure that's just one reason I love my job. People always ask how or why I would want to take care of cancer patients. Isn't it sad? Yes, it definitely has it's sad moments...but it also keeps life in perspective. It constantly reminds me that life can change at the drop of a hat. You never know what tomorrow will bring. That's why we have to live every day with purpose.

Thank you, T, for teaching me how to live life. Your life was a great inspiration to many people.

First Christmas

2009-12-20T07:23:00.001-08:00

This was Leyton's first Christmas. 3 years ago, already. It really doesn't seem possible that this is his 3rd Christmas. It seems crazy, actually.

But, really, this year seems like his first Christmas. He LOVED seing Santa this year---all 3 times so far. He has LOVED waking up the past few mornings to snow being on the ground. He has LOVED seeing Christmas lights when we drive down the road. And, he is LOVING seeing Christmas presents under the tree. Actually, he said it best just last night. "I love Christmas time, Mom!" [What 2 1/2 year old says that?!]

I can't wait to see his face Christmas morning when he sees that Santa has brought him new toys! Hopefully Santa finds the castle, dragon, and fighter he wants. After all, he's asked him for it 3 times!

For my sister...on her [almost] 30th birthday!

2009-12-18T12:09:00.001-08:00

The first memory I have with my sister I was being chased around the yard by her. She loved to chase me with her big, googly eyes. It scared me but made her laugh. She apparently got a kick out of it. What big sister wouldn't, I guess?

A few years later, I remember going on a camping trip with the whole family. I have no recollection of where we were, but I remember a campsite and a lake. Lindsey and Jeni decided it would be fun to go to the other side of the lake...without me. Me, being the little sister, wanted to follow...so I took off running to catch up to them. I fell and gashed my leg open on a tree stump. Many stitches later, I now have a nice scar on my right knee as a forever reminder of that trip. [Pun, intended.]

I remember when I was 8 and our grandma lost her battle with lung cancer. I remember waking up that morning freaking out because I thought we were late for school. Lindsey sadly told me we weren't going to school that day, that mom needed to talk to me, and she escorted me down the stairs to mom. I got the news...with my sister by my side.

In high school, I was a measly freshman while Lindsey was a senior. Of course, still being the little sister, I always wanted to follow her everywhere...out to dinner with friends, taking a drive through the woods, shopping--anywhere. Wherever she was going, I wanted to go along. I remember her being extremely annoyed when Jody would be on my side and talk her into letting me go. [Thanks, Jody! :)]

Later in my high school years, Lindsey became my battle fighter. She was always the first person to stand up for me. Any time she thought someone was treating me badly, she wasn't afraid to do the talking for me. She fought many battles in my honor.

Then, off to college I went and things changed. My sister was no longer just my sister. She became my friend. It's funny how that change just happens, isn't it? All my life I grew up with this girl. We fought. She suffocated me. I scratched her--and left scars to prove it. We yelled at each other. I'm sure we even said 'I hate you' once or twice. But, we grew up...thank goodness. And now, I can honestly say, she is one of my best friends. I am so thankful to have a sister, and even more thankful to say that Lindsey is my sister.

Happy birthday, Sister!

Sisters is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship. ~Margaret Mead

Lazy days

2009-12-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

I really don't have anything fun or exciting to talk about. Just felt like writing, I guess.

Jada is 2 months old already. Time flies by when you don't want it to, that's for sure. I only have a little more than 2 weeks before I have to go back to work. It's kind of bittersweet, actually. In some ways [like the pocketbook] I'm totally ready. I do miss my coworkers and just my job in general, but I'm sure once I get back I'm going to wish I had more time at home with Leyton and Jada. It's been a lot of fun to be able to spend time with Leyton every day. I'm sure he's going stir crazy though. We've spent quite a few of these days locked up in the house thanks to the yucky weather and the lovely swine flu floating around. It'll be interesting to see how he does once I'm back to work and he's with the babysitter. I'm sure he'll be fine...he always is, but this is obviously the longest he's gone without having to stay with a babysitter.

We're gearing up to spend the next 3 weekends away from home again. This weekend we'll be back in Greensburg for an extended family Christmas. The following weekend we'll be in Michigan for Christmas Eve until the day after Christmas. Then, the first weekend in January we'll travel back down to Greensburg for Christmas with mom, dad, Lindsey, Jordan and Landon. Then...it's back to work I go. I think having the holidays during maternity leave has made it go by even quicker. It's been great to be able to spend the holidays with our families, but not so great that it's made the time fly by.

I'll keep that in mind next time...if there is a next time. :)

Sweets and Treats

2009-12-04T11:29:00.001-08:00

Mom and I have been busy...just a little.

Yesterday we spent 10 hours in the kitchen making up some yummy goodness. I'm not even kidding when I say the kitchen looked like our own little candy store/bakery. I would shop there anyday!

I spent a good 5 hours dipping pretzels and marshmallows in chocolate. I'm telling you, it was well worth the time. They are delicious!

Take a gander and let me know what your favorite is. Maybe we'll save you some! ;)

Quite possibly perfect red velvet cupcakes [homemade, of course]

Red velvet cupcakes iced and ready to much on!

Peanut butter balls...aka buckeyes.

Banana bread fresh out of the oven.

Chocolate covered marshmallows...like a s'more, only better!

My personal favorite, peanut butter fudge.

It's been a lot of fun and a lot of work. Hopefully it will pay off tomorrow when the whole family gets a chance to enjoy [and buy] some of our treats!

What a goof!

2009-11-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

Not so funny funny story.

A couple of days ago, I was sitting with Jada on the couch when Leyton walks into the living room with a tator tot. Not a tator tot from the freezer or from his plate...but from the OVEN! Like, straight out of the oven! He opened the oven door and plucked a tot off the scorching hot pan. He walks up to me and says, "Blow on this Mom. It's hot!"

After a few minutes of trying to explain to him that he is never to get into the oven I decided to see how much he was paying attention.

Me: "Leyton, who is allowed to get into the oven?"
Leyton: "Mommy and Daddy."
Me: "Right. What will happen if you get into the oven?"
Leyton: "I will get burned....and cooked."
Me: "Right."
Leyton: "Me not a cheeseburger, Mommy!"

Where do they come up with these things?!

She's here...

2009-10-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

...and a week old already! How is it that time goes by so quickly when you don't want it to, yet takes for-ev-er when you do want it to? Not sure why that has to be, but it's certainly true.

After 40weeks and 3 days of waiting on my little girl to enter the world, she is finally here and home where she belongs. Labor was much easier than it was with Leyton--what an answered prayer. I was seriously dreading being in labor, but I can honestly say I felt great after Jada was born. I didn't feel tired, didn't have much pain, and was extremely happy to see that a healthy little girl was born.

Then, of course, she had to give us a scare and end up in the NICU for almost 4 days. Being told she was being admitted to the NICU scared me to death. It was about 1 a.m. and the nurses tell me they're going to keep her in the NICU to rule out a blood infection, but not to worry and try to get some sleep. Are you kidding me? How was I supposed to do either of those things? Let's just say I did the exact opposite. I spent the next 2 1/2 hours scared, anxious, crying, and praying that everything was going to be fine. At about 3 a.m. I was able to go into the NICU and see my sweet girl attached to monitors, IV lines, a feeding tube, and oxygen. Not the sight I was hoping for. She was breathing about 70 times per minute---in other words--working very hard. I continued to pray that she would be fine and I would be calm. Seeing her did ease my mind and I knew the nurses and doctors were going to take great care of her.

Every day, Jada continued to get better. She was slowly able to get rid of a wire or two each day, until she was finally able to come home with us Wednesday evening. What a blessing!

Leyton has been doing pretty well adjusting to having a baby around so far. He loves to give her kisses and hold her [although briefly]. Thursday, the first thing he said when he woke up was, "Where's my sister?" I think he's going to be a great big brother!

So remember the post about being patient? Well, I definitely think God was trying to teach me a lesson...and let me tell you, I think He got His point across.

[Im]patiently waiting

2009-10-05T12:50:00.000-07:00

I've always thought of myself as a patient person, for the most part. I think I'm changing. We're 2 days from Jada's due date and I'm about to go crazy! I think the fact that Leyton was 4 days early made me think that Jada would come even sooner...seeing as that's usually how the 2nd pregnancy goes. I was dilated the same as I was with Leyton at my 36 week appointment and I've made even better progress this time around...up until now. On Thursday I was 4 cm dilated and about 80% effaced so I thought for sure we'd be coming home from the hospital with a little baby girl by today. I'm sad to say that's not even close. :( Even worse...the doctor says I'll have to wait until the 14th to be induced should the baby decide to continue liking her environment! The 14th! That just sounds unbearable. My hips hurt like they've never hurt before, I'm certain my belly can't stretch any more than it has, and I'm sure my husband is sick of helping me off the couch and out of bed. I'm ready. I'm more than ready, actually. Anyone have any suggestions for moving this along any quicker?

There's no doubt she's a Stearns...already making me wait on her. ;)

A nursery in the making

2009-07-21T08:03:00.003-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, I called in all the troops for a day of painting. I had planned to paint the nursery, Leyton's bedroom, and our bedroom...all in one day. Let's just say I was a little off. After about 12 hours of painting, with a few breaks for eating, we were able to get the nursery and our room painted. We decided to leave Leyton's room for another day so he didn't have to sleep in the middle of the hallway while we were invading his room for the night. The paint cans are still sitting outside his room waiting. I decided to go with the yellows in the nursery. I couldn't find a green that matched the fabric well enough and didn't look like vomit, so yellow it is. Sister rolled on the first of the 'school bus' yellow paint. This is only on the wall behind the crib. The rest of the walls are 'butterfly bush' yellow...so sister has named the nursery 'butterfly bus'.

After we finished painting Saturday, sister and I got to work in art class. I painted the letters of Jada's name to hang above her crib, and sister began painting the wall art.

These projects took a little longer than expected as well. I was able to get the letters finshed before bed, but sister was only able to get part of one of the wall paintings finished before she had to leave. Luckily, I still had 3 of my 7 days off from work[!] left, so I was able to finish them by Monday evening.

Leyton painted his own project on Monday to keep me company. It's possible he painted the table as well, but luckily it was an easy clean up.

And, just in case you were wondering, mom and Jeni came to town as well. They were great at keeping Leyton entertained outside while we were busy filling the house with paint fumes.

This is a somewhat-finished product of our painting. The white stripe between the two walls will be painted the lighter of the two yellows, but we were unable to tape off the darker yellow wall due to the paint not being dry quite yet. Almost 2 weeks later, the white stripe is still there. Hopefully I'll remember to paint it before October arrives!

Random Ramblings

2009-07-01T07:54:00.001-07:00

[1] We have a cat. Well, we don't technically have a cat, but there has been a cat in our yard every morning for the past few weeks. Leyton spotted him [?] one morning and I thought he was just making stuff up until I looked out the window to see for myself. The next morning, Leyton was so excited to see him again. I still thought he was making it up until I looked for myself, and sure enough, he was back. We haven't named him, except for Leyton referring to him as 'my cat'. I snapped a picture of Leyton staring at him the other morning. I don't mind looking from a distance, but I'm not a fan of having one in the house. We'll just stick with the neighbor's cat visiting for now.[2] My friends from work came up for a visit yesterday. We had planned a day at the Splash House [the water park in Marion...yes, we have one!]. They brought their kiddos and nephew for a day of fun...in the freezing cold. Who would have thought a month ago when we planned this that it would be barely 70 degrees on June 30th? C'mon Mother Nature. Anyway, we had a good time anyway. We lined the kiddos up on the couch for a group picture. Trying to get kids from the ages of 11 months to 6 to be happy, much less look at the camera at the same time, is a joke.

Roll call: Diane's nephew Thomas [6], Season's daughter Georgia [11 mos], Shanielle's son Brady [22 mos], Aubrey's daughter Meriah [18 mos], Leyton [26 mos], and Diane's son Jaden [4]

[3] Leyton and Brady "played together" at the Splash House. It cracks me up how 2 year olds play together. Took a look for yourself.

[4] Jada is growing! I'm 26 weeks today. I feel great, besides the fact that I think I totally ripped my round ligament the other day. I'm really not sure if that is possible, but it feels like it is. I picked Leyton up Sunday night and felt the burn. Now, it burns whenever I move the slightest bit. Otherwise, things are progressing well. My next doctor's appointment is July 10. It's hard to fathom having 2 kiddos, but I guess I better get ready! :)

Time to get creative!

2009-06-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I've decided I'm going to attempt making my own crib bedding for baby Jada. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?! I've been looking online for different sewing patterns, and I've found some that make it seem pretty easy. I'm going to start by making the dust ruffle [in the striped pattern]--I think it'll be the easiest--and then move on to the bumper pads [in the dot pattern]. Only problem is- I got rid of my sewing machine a few years ago. Maybe I should've realized this before I bought the fabric. :) I'll find one though. Maybe Josh's grandma will let me borrow hers for awhile. I'm excited to get started! Here's the fabric I've bought so far. I LOVE it! I've also picked out a couple of paint samples to match with the fabric. I'm thinking I like the yellow better than the green at this point. I'm thinking of painting the darkest yellow just on the wall behind the crib and then one of the lighter yellows on the rest of the walls. [You can't really tell in the picture, but the yellows are different.] What do you think?

I'll keep you updated with pictures as I get started. Gotta find a sewing machine first! :)

Meet Jada Layne!

2009-06-09T05:32:00.000-07:00

How cool is that? A 4D picture of Jada's little face! Her arm is up by her face as well, and you can see the umbilical cord in there. Pretty amazing the things we can do with technology these days. She's beautiful, isn't she?! :)

This is a look directly at her face. It's kind of hard to make anything out in particular besides the shape of her head and eye sockets, but she's in there and doing well!

Another profile view with her full bully in the shot this time. We think her ultrasound pictures look a lot like Leyton's. What do you think?

This was Leyton when I was 19 weeks pregnant with him. I think they have the same little button nose.

And lastly, here's a quick 4D glimpse of Jada's profile. Amazing, if you ask me. :)

I'm pretty sure I'm in love.

I love this kid!

2009-05-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

Leyton and I spent some time outside today to play in the sunshine and the sprinkler. I maloves to play in the water! He's found many times throughout the day standing on his step stool in the bathroom "washing his hands"--as he likes to put it. I think I made all his little dreams come true when I dressed him in his swim trunks and turned the water on just for him. I have to admit, I loved watching him run through the water and scream when it hit him. He had tons of fun!

Tiptoe through the Tulips

2009-05-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

I spent the last few days with sister, momma, and Leyton in Holland, MI for the TulipTime festival. We went up on Thursday [after a drive that seemed to take FOR-EV-ER] and came home yesterday afternoon. If you've not been to see the tulips, you should. They seriously line the streets of downtown Holland...

...and there are fields of them in the most random places.

It's pretty amazing.

We spent a few hours on the beach of Lake Michigan. Poor Leyton was strapped into a car seat or stroller for the majority of our visit, so he needed to break free for some time in the sand.

We visited Veldheer's Tulip Farm where there are literally 500,000+ tulips planted to walk through and choose your favorites. After seeing all the choices, we ordered some that will be shipped in October for planting. This is just one of the bunch that I ordered. Isn't it pretty?

Unfortunately, Saturday night ended with a trip to the Urgent Care Center. Leyton was wheezing so badly, he could hardly talk. After a breathing treatment and a chest x-ray, it was determined that he was having an asthma attack [even though he's never technically been diagnosed with asthma...yet]. We were sent home with some prednisone and an albuterol inhaler. He's been doing better, but still coughing and wheezing a lot. The poor kid doesn't know how to slow down enough to catch his breath!

So, now we're beginning a new week. What joys will this week bring?

Happy belated Mother's Day!

My baby is TWO!

2009-04-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

Leyton's 2nd birthday was yesterday. It's hard to believe that it was 2 years ago that I was awaiting the arrival of such a sweet little boy. It seems like just yesterday but then again, it's hard to think of what life was like before he was here. I can't imagine life without him now.

We had a fun-filled last few days. Friday, we went to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate with my immediate family. Leyton had a great time climbing on all the toys and Pa even took him down the slide a few times! He sure loves his Pa!

On Sunday, Josh and I took Leyton to the Ft. Wayne Children's Zoo. [Which, might I add, is much better for little kids than the Indianapolis Zoo.] Leyton walked throughout the entire zoo like a big boy. He wasn't about to miss out on something by riding in his stroller! He rode a pony, pet a little chick and a rabbit, and got to see all kinds of other animals up close and personal. We had a really fun day! I would definitely recommend a trip to Ft. Wayne to check out the zoo. I'd be glad to join you as well! :)

Then, yesterday, as a final birthday celebration, we had dinner at Uncle Phil and Aunt Stephie's house with cake and ice cream afterwards. Leyton had a sudden fever after dinner, so he wasn't feeling the greatest by the time we had cake. We sang Happy Birthday, quickly ate some cake and came home for bed. Poor little guy. Can you tell he wasn't feeling well?

So, two years have come and gone. What a fun two years they have been! I can't wait to see what it's going to be like with 2 little ones running around!! Happy birthday, Leyton! Mommy and Daddy love you very much!!

A long time coming

2009-04-02T10:31:00.001-07:00

I've been itching to share the news of Baby #2 since the day we found out he or she was on the way, but I decided to wait until after the first dr. appointment before I spilled the beans. Well, that was two weeks ago! Our computer has been having issues--still haven't figured that out--but today it has decided to work, so here's the news...late.

SURPRISE!

Baby #2 is on the way and due October 7th! We're very excited and anxious to know who is going to be added to our family. I'm confident Leyton will be a great big brother. He loves to hold babies and is constantly telling me, "My baby!" and sometimes even, "My baby boy!" Hmm...will he be right? We shall see!! Keep us in your prayers. My mind does some crazy things! :)

Potty Time!

2009-01-09T11:20:00.001-08:00

The time has come to start potty training Leyton. Oh joy! We bought a potty chair that he can either sit on or we can place on top of the "big boy potty"...whichever he prefers. So far, I'm not sure he prefers either. I'm not sure what is scary about sitting on the potty, but obviously there's something. The poor little guy bucks, kicks, and screams just at the sound of the word "potty".

This is going to be a challenge.

Any suggestions?

Quick Note

2008-12-30T14:05:00.001-08:00

Want to see the Leyton's latest photo shoot? Go here: www.artisticstudiosite.com

Click on CLIENTS on the bottom and the password is leyton. Isn't he handsome?!

Christmas Memories

2008-12-26T09:32:00.001-08:00

It's crazy to think that Christmas has already come and gone. Well, sorta. The actual day has passed, but we are only half-way finished with the gatherings. We still have two more to go --with Josh's family.

We had a great time hosting my family yesterday. My parents and my brother made the trip up to watch Leyton open his what seemed like millions of presents. We got video of all of it, but I forgot to start taking pictures until about half-way through. I really wish I would have caught him trying to open the first gift---he got frustrated and attempted to bite the wrapping off. He did a really good job opening all of his gifts besides the fact that he was about to have a meltdown by the end of it all. As Josh said, if he gets bored before he's finished--maybe he has too many presents!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas! Enjoy the pictures!

Pa was trying to put together Leyton's new Fire Truck Buggy. I'm pretty sure Leyton slowed him down. He would run over to see the progress after opening each present. He just couldn't wait to take it for a ride!

Daddy helped Leyton open all of his presents. I wasn't looking too great for pictures. ;)

Sporting his new Elmer Fudd hat.

Memaw and Pa took him outside for a quick ride in his new buggy. He's definitely a fan!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2008-12-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas with my family last night. I love getting together with my family. There's just something fun about filling my parent's small house with 20+ adults and 7 little ones ranging from the age of 1 to 5. They are pretty hilarious...especially when you get them all together. Leyton and Bryan [who is 5] are starting to play so well together. Leyton dances around to the sound of a singing snowman while Bryan stands next to him pointing and laughing. I have to agree...Leyton dancing is pretty humorous. I wish I had video of that. [Note to self: Remember the camcorder at the next family gathering.] We attempted to get a picture of all of the great-grandkids together in front of the Christmas tree. Remember, the kids range from 1 to 5 years of age. I'm sure there are all kinds of things running around those crazy little brains...and trying to get all 7 of them to stop and focus on the same thing for a matter of minutes is quite difficult. It was proven in the following:

left/back row: Paisley [3 1/2], Bryan [5], Jeremiah [5], Elijah [3 1/2]
left/front row: Leyton [1 1/2], McKensey [1 1/2], Cameron [1]

Cameron thought something was absolutely hilarious, obviously McKensey and Leyton had the same thought, and the older 4 actually remembered to smile...just not at the right person.

Cameron is still cracking up, Leyton's hands are way more interesting, Jeremiah sees something on the floor pretty funny, Bryan and Elijah are off in la-la land, and Paisley is paying perfect attention--to me, even!

Maybe my cousin Tyler was passed out on the floor in front of them...I'm not sure. [Leyton's hands are still more interesting.]

I'm positive of what happened here...my cousin Tyler was sticking his tongue out making noises trying to get everyone to smile. Leyton didn't necessarily think it was funny...he just thought it looked fun. He imitated him and of course, the others [except McKensey--she's too cool for that] thought it was funny.

This is about the best we can do.

This is for Katie.

2008-12-16T12:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, not completely for Katie, but partly. I have been wanting to start a blog for quite some time...I just haven't taken the time to do so---until today, that is.

So, here you go. Welcome to my little corner of the web. Hopefully I will remember to take the time to stop here frequently to update anyone who wants to know about the happenings of my life. I'll do my best to keep it as interesting as I can, although I have to admit--my life is not all that exciting.

Until next time...