For when my kids realize I'm a spaz

Recently, I wrote this post about finding out that I was becoming a mother for the first time. It didn't start out pretty, because I was young and it was unexpected. But it turns out, that isn't the true focus of the story.  Sure I was scared. Sure I didn't know what I was doing or how things would turn out, but I did know one thing. I loved her. From the moment I laid eyes on her, on the fuzzy little ultrasound screen, I loved her.                                                                                                                                                                         Lately, I've been doing a lot of thinking. There are some that would disagree with me here. She thinks? They wonder.... I'm sure my Dad is remembering when I drove away from Casey's with the gas pump still in the Plymouth....

I'm still a total dip.

A year or two ago, a guy in Ankeny chased me down (I thought, to murder me...), to give me back my wallet that I had left on top of my car at the gas station while pumping gas.

So, I agree that I'm not brightest crayon in the box most days, but I do think about other things throughout the day. These thoughts cause me to do things like leave wallets on roofs, and drive away with gas pumps, leave houses without diapers or wipes....awesome.

ANYway, lately I've become aware during my thoughtful moments, of how much my children have changed me, affected me, molded me. I think, because I was a young mom, that we did a bit of growing up together, definitely a lot of learning together, and because of that there is much of them that can't be untangled from me. They helped make me. It wasn't their job or anything and they didn't know they were doing it and I didn't know it at the time either. But the more I think about it, it's true. I wasn't done growing up yet when I had them, so we traveled that road together a bit haphazardly. Sometimes they were lucky to have a young mom. OMG! I love pools and slushies too!! Did Mom just run after the ice cream truck? Heehaw! Then, sometimes it's not so cool, now that I look back. I was probably too impatient. I always thought I was failing and I thought normal things that every kid did were "naughty" or "annoying". Now, by kid #3, I'm so laid back, it's to a fault. But to Olivia, I owe an apology. She was probably confused most of the time.

"My mom is cool and fun! But she's impatient and frustrated. I don't get what we're doing here."

Agreed. I didn't know what I was doing there.

But I loved you.

Yesterday, you were playing a basketball scrimmage. You had chosen your own clothes and done your own hair. You could fix your own headband. Your legs are long. You are the tallest girl out there! You were wearing my shoes.... I couldn't stop staring at you! You are supposed to be small. I remember struggling to keep you in my lap to put in your "fountains" (pigtails) and you loved Dora and running through the sprinkler. I remember picking out your clothes everyday and reading you books at night and the way you'd scream "nnnnnnNNNNNNOOOO!!!" at me and run away like you were winding up the word before you'd actually scream it. You've always impressed me.

Babes, if there's ever a time when you look back and wonder, what was Mom thinking? What a spaz! Just remember please, I loved you. That's all I have to fall back on. That's probably all I'll ever have to fall back on. You are constantly changing me and making me better. You calm the frustrated parts of me and give them perspective as I am mesmerized at how fast you grow. You shine light into the dark places in my heart and make sure I don't dwell there. You have ensured that I am the richest person to ever walk the face of this earth.

I try very hard to give it back to you, to show you if but just a fraction of the amount of love and gratitude I feel for you. Through hugs and kisses, folding and cleaning, arriving on time (occasionally), filling my spot on the bleachers, food and treats on your plates, love notes in your lunchboxes, chasing and laughing through the house, planting flowers and watching them grow, and tucking you in tight at night. But if the time comes that you just can't figure what I might be thinking, if at all....

Just remember, my children, how I love thee.

Target

Plaid = dressing up

This might have been Halloween...or a regular day

 P.S. All these pictures are extremely old. Like you now. Look how cute you were!

Love,

Mom

What you remember

When the girls were little, I would write down every detail of our days. Where we went, what we ate, who we met up with, the weather. My blog posts were full of summer days and kiddie pools, sprinklers, popsicles, malls and playdates, books and naps, baking and bike rides. Pictures of pigtails and sunglasses and swimming babes. Details, details, details.

I realize as they've gotten older and Eli has been lovingly thrown into the wild mix that there aren't as many of those detailed posts and I will tell you quite honestly, it's because I can't remember a damn thing anymore.

:)

But today was special and I am writing it down now lest I forget. Likely.

This weekend, the boys are back at Steve's parents working on snowmobiles and it has left us girls here for a girls weekend. We've done what we always do when Eli is gone. We eat dairy. Lots of it. We went out for pizza with some old Polk City friends and I got to chat with an old friend I haven't seen in a while on Friday night. Saturday was the 10th annual Christmas Movie Marathon at Powers'. Best party ever. And my blouse was as stunning as ever and the shoulder pads still very paddy. My version of ugly sweater.

But today we had a home day, all day. We didn't leave the house at all. I can't remember a day like this in so long. We always have somewhere to go, somewhere to be. And today, Olivia was supposed to have Girl Scouts this afternoon but it was canceled too, and frankly, we were glad. There was a light snow that began in the morning today and lasted all day. It continues now. The snow kept us here today and we were thankful.

We played, baked cookies, organized our desks, had a visit from friends in the morning, played in the snow, stirred our cocoa with candy canes. We snuggled under homemade quilts and watched Looney Toons and giggled until we fell asleep on the couch. I taught Olivia how to wrap presents. We spoiled Rosie and let her stay in the house today. We played Nintendo until we were cross-eyed. The girls helped me chop tomatoes and avocados for tacos tonight and we ate together and talked about what it would be like when they went to college and what it was like when I was in college (oh geez) and what they might be like when they grew up. (It's not that far off Olivia reminded me). I knowwww.

"Was Daddy adorable and handsome back then?" Sophie asked. "The boys in my class are just weird."

I think he is now, don't you?

"I'm not going to have babies until I'm 40." Olivia said.

"How much does it cost to go to Iowa State?" Sophie asked. "When I save up enough for me, I'm going to save up more for other people to go."

Now they tromped upstairs to jammie up and they hollered down asking for me to read more of The Hobbit and I most definitely will.

I hope they remember this day. They might. I will. Because even though I can't remember my own birthday most of the time, I don't think I could ever forget this day.

I remember some things from being their age. I remember being awaken in the morning to "Better go look out the window....quick!" My mom would say. I would FLY out of bed to see it. SNOW!!!! I remember my mom tying bread sacks around my feet before I shoved them in my boots so my feet would stay dry in the snow. I remember the blanket that my mom bought me for my bed that I'd snuggle up with while I'd draw pictures in the frost on my window at night. I remember how my Dad loved to decorate for Christmas. It was the coziest, most festive place on Earth. I remember the warm rush of air when I'd walk in the door from the cold and the sleigh bells would clang on the back side of the door to announce my arrival. I remember the smell of chili and the color of our couch. Zoey Leon, our giant white cat, stretched out on the back of the loveseat.

It is so good to remember home. Even though I can't remember my own name most days, I do remember that.

I hope the girls remember home, this day, how much I love them.

Black Friday makes my coffee taste better

So last week, I wrote this about Black Friday. BF was going to be so magical, magical!!!

But then I missed this string of texts: Nov. 29 3:04 a.m.

Lianna (sister and annual shopping partner in crime): "Anyone else get their sleep ruined by a noisy infant?"

Mom: "I am ready!"

Lianna: "I'm waiting for Julian to fall asleep....Cross fingers"

Me: SILENCE.

Why? My sleep/rain falling with gentle thunder app must have been too loud. Coupled with my air mattress sleeping partner husband's snore machine swishing sound = no hearing of the texting......

Thus 5 am rolled around and I awoke to my horror of seeing these texts and finding that I had been left.

Nnnnnnnnooooooooooooo!!!!!

But there was no ill intent, see. The night before, we got some crazy idea to go to WalMart at 8 pm and had never seen such a disgusting sight and/or smell and we promptly left. Having that experience, we had decided just to sleep like normal and leave in the morning so they just thought I really wanted to sleep.

Whaaaaaat???!!!

Finding myself without my shopping partners was a total bummer, but then I found that Shawn was here too. And turns out, he had one big goal: To be one of the first 100 patrons at World Market and receive a genuine Downton Abbey tea cup.......

Seriously.

So we went. Because I immediately wanted one too.

We got there at 5:50 and they opened at 7. There was no one in line. Obviously we were the only ones who wanted one of these....people were m-i-s-s-i-n-g out!!!! We decided we were a tad early. What to do.....we went elsewhere to shop. When we returned at 6:20, the parking lot had begun to fill. People were waiting in their cars and there were a few in line outside the store. Shawn began to sense his competition...he began to estimate their numbers.

We decided there weren't enough to threaten us yet and left for a while longer. When we returned there was a line! NOOOOO!!!! We ran to the line. Shawn counted their numbers. We must retrieve our Downton Abbey tea cups.

Then we realized the people in line had tickets of some sort. Where did they get them we asked? The front the line? The front of the line. Ok. We ran.

We GOT TICKETS!!! Victory!

They also had terrible Dixie cups of bad coffee and shortbread. How festive!

We ran back to the back of the line. (Why were we running?)

We were next to a really old lady and a very well dressed man in a checkered scarf. We discussed Downton Abbey and the upcoming season. What would they do now since they killed off Matthew?! We snapped a photo. I shared my shortbread with the old lady. Just when I thought I had frost bite on my left thumb......

The line moved. WE WERE IN!!!!!

And this happened.

Posed regally in front of the wine racks.

Man, this was so worth it. And then World Market became my favorite store ever. We found a ton of gifts and stocking stuffers for my mom and sister. Shawn and I filled our cart with gifts. Their prices were phenom and the quality seemed to be great! I'm so excited about this store!

Shortly thereafter, we met back up with my original BF clan at Target, my home shopping wonderland, and the rest is Black Friday history. Magical magical magical.  We were all together again!

Here is what I'm drinking my coffee out of this morning.

It tastes so much more....I don't know what. Better.

Happy Thanksgiving and BF 2013!!! 

Robot is a Dip

Tonight, from his tiny toddler bed, Eli was calling his Robot a "Dip".

This is Robot. Eli actually loves Robot and sleeps with him every night. Robot sings him songs....well, his Mom does and makes Robot do the actions to Wheels on the Bus and whatever other songs Eli requests...but anyway. Point being, Eli and Robot are tight.

So tonight, Eli was calling Robot a "Dip". I don't know where he's heard that before....

Kind of like that one day at daycare, when the adorable and sweet director was asking Eli about his "All About Me" poster. She said, "Awww...Eli, is that your puppy?!"

Eli replied, "Yep. That's Rosie Posie Clark. She's a JERK."

ME: "Oh...hahahaha....(nervous laugther)....kids these days. Where DO they come up with this stuff? Just kidding. That one was totally from me."

Anyway....

Tonight, Eli was putting Robot to bed and he said, "Go to bed, you Dip!"

ME: "Poor Robot. You are hurting his feelings. You shouldn't call him names like that."

Eli: "Robot doesn't have feelings, Mom! He has buttons."

(That's true).

ME: "Well, we still shouldn't call him names. Go to bed."

Eli: "Robot, you're a DIP."

I snorted out my nose and tripped out the door into the kitchen where Steve asked what was wrong with me and I tried to recount this story through my laughter. Steve went in there to say good night to our precious little son.

Steve opened the door...

Steve: "Goodnight Eli. I love you."

Eli: "DAD! Ugh. I'm trying to sleep!"

ME: More snorting and hysterical kitchen laughter.

I don't know where they get it from.

It choked me up

You really shouldn't take my opinion on movies seriously.

Please help me....anything that isn't Air Buddies, Space Buddies, or dogs playing sports and single parents with dogs finding love with other single parent families with dogs meeting at the soccer field finding love and joining families simply fascinating sooooooo......

That being said...

We watched a movie the other night that totally rocked my world.

Before I tell you what it was (because you'll stop reading), I'll tell you why.

At the end, if you can make it there, there is a scene in the climax of the movie, where time stood still. Where there was the ultimate picture of what it meant to make the ultimate sacrifice for another person. To give them your life.

It choked me up.

It choked ME up.

The movie was Mars Needs Moms.

Stop laughing. 

WHO could've seen that one coming?

http://youtu.be/CCRJNPAWOHA

The whole movie the son has tried so hard to achieve a goal and he couldn't do it. Then, as you have seen, things shattered and he was there on the ground, unable to breathe, gasping for air...dying. Was there another choice for her? What was a mother to do?

What is a mother's love?

She would unflinchingly give her life for her child.

What is a father's love? That he would do the same.

What is our Father's love then? I wondered. That he sent his Son to breathe life back into us. Like he did.

It chokes me up.

Yellow

There is a song by Coldplay called Yellow. Most have probably heard it.

Once, an ultra-cool college boy played it acoustic for me in his college dorm room on campus and I was mesmerized.

But now I hear it, and it resonates in my head. It speaks new words although they are the same words and the same notes that have always been. 

But now, I am a mom. I've been a mom for 10 years. Yikes! Being a parent changes you. You give birth to new people or you accept them into your family and it is a birthday for you too, because you are no longer the same you either. You are new. You are a mom or a dad, and you've never been that before. You see things new like your children do and you hear things new like they might. It's a gift, really, whether you get to be a mom or dad, or you get to work with the babes, or teach them, or deliver them into the world, or meet them on the street. They change you, for the better.

That's why I think, the familiar words of this song from back then, now sound like this, to me:



Look at the stars!!!

Look how they shine for you (my babes) And everything you do
Yeah, they were all yellow

I came along
I wrote a song for you (I'd do anything for you)
And all the things you do
And it was called 'Yellow'

So then I took my time (Sometimes I've taken the long road) Oh what a thing to've done
And it was all yellow

Your skin, oh yeah, your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful (a fantastic creation)
D'you know? You know I love you so
You know I love you so

I swam across (I had to grow up)
I jumped across for you (I left childhood behind)
Oh what a thing to do (It was so worth it) 'Cause you were all yellow (You shine so bright)

I drew a line (This is who we are)
I drew a line for you (We had to change for the better)
Oh what a thing to do
And it was all yellow

Your skin, oh yeah, your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
D'you know? For you I bleed myself dry (I'd lay down my life if you needed it)
For you I bleed myself dry

It's true
Look how they shine for you (Please don't forget) Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for

Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And all the things you do (I'll always love you)

Read more: Coldplay - Yellow Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Our very YELLOW tree

Where you belong

Location: Women's bathroom. Target.

Characters: Eli and his mother

Eli gasps suddenly.

Eli: "Mom! Are we in the GRILLS bathroom?!"

Me: "Yes. We have to go to the girls' bathroom because Mom is a girl."

"I am NOT a GRILL. I DON'T BELONG HERE!!!!!" Eli screams.

(All the ladies in the bathroom are laughing now).

Me: "Eli, next time we will have Daddy take you, ok?"

"I'm a BOY, MOM!!!! NOT a GRILL!"

Got it.

I've been put in my place. Now we all know where we belong. 

Creeak

Creeeeek.....It's not Halloween. That's the sound of my joints. That's the sound of the jar of my glucosamine-chondritin opening..you know...Osteo-Bi Flex supplements? For my old lady joints? I knowwww.  That's what happens when you try to play soccer against your kids on their last night of practice. Nice.

Talk about it being forever since I've put anything up here. You know where I've been? Soccer. In the rain, sleet, sun, and wind. Soccer. And class. And work. And Target. Like always. Nothing new really.

But I do have news.

No, I'm not pregnant. Get over it. I won't EVER be pregnant again.

But here it is: I got accepted to be a new writer for the Des Moines Moms Blog!!!!

WHOOOOHOOOO!!!!!

My sister, who totally rocks, and writes for the Iowa City version, wrote me on fb and said, "You should do this". I ignored it for a few days and then wrote back and said, "Ok, but if I don't get it, you owe me a blizzard." (Preferably Yule Flip Peppermint Chip....if it's back on the market by then).

But then I totally got it!!! Yeeeehawwww!!! I met the ladies the other night and they are so awesome. I'm excited to get started. It will be adding something new to my repertoire......so now it will go something like this:

Soccer, basketball, sleet, sun, snow, wind, rain, soccer, Target, work, class, WRITING FOR MOMS BLOG!!!!!, soccer, basketball, snow, wind, rain........(please note that cleaning is not on my list).

Isn't life grand?!!!

Thanks, Sis :) 

What is perfect

Autumn Roast Coffee

Between you and I, it is something you want. Target will sell it to you. I'm having it right now with cinnamon vanilla creamer in it and Redi Whip on top. It is what I like to call a"Fall Miracle" if you will, and I will.

Cheers.

The morning is cool today and I need a blanket while I sit on my couch and write to you.Who's excited?!!! (It's supposed to be 98 today later). I'm ignoring that. The transformation to fall is my favorite time of year, one that my sisters and I love so much, we think it happens much earlier than it does and we can be found wearing sweatshirts and drinking cider in July sometimes. Shopping for school supplies and thinking about football and chili makes me giddy.

I haven't had words to express exactly what I've felt since moving out here to our new place. I don't know that I can pin it all on moving to the sort of country or give credit to the location solely either. Maybe it's my age (strrretch), this time of life, my kids growing up...I don't know what. But there is change taking place in me, in who I am, in how I think. It is too big for me to understand and bigger yet for me to adequately verbalize or eloquently offer to you here in any sort of understandable manner because it confuses me, but I do know that starting over is good. So, I'll say that. Starting over is good. It reminds me of where I came from, and lets me embrace and teach those things to my children. It reminds me of my things in my past I'd like to leave behind but won't let myself forget. It reminds me of things I want to keep in my memory forever and pass on to them so they will remember too. It reminds me of who I am and why, the good and the bad and the funny and whatever else there might be that has shaped that.

As some of my favorite people say, "It IS what it IS."

Whatever that means.

What I do know is that I have to learn to accept that this is who I am, shaped by the things that I do and I don't like in my life. I can work to be a better person and work to be healthier and kinder and do this and do that and work harder and harder, but in the end, hating on yourself is something else entirely. That is a fine and thin line that I cross often.

Nothing is perfect.

On Sunday morning, Eli ran out to pick up all of the flags we had out in the yard to mark out Rosie's invisible fence. His job was to pick up every one of them on the whole property. He ran out in his striped fire truck pajamas and bed head and super man shoes through the morning dew and I followed him, wrapped up in a cozy sweatshirt clutching my coffee. He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him and I watched him grab every flag and bring it back to me as if he had found the greatest treasure there had ever been. We walked the whole property doing this in the morning sun.

I realized that in that moment, taking in everything I could, watching my son finding so much joy in something so small, that I suppose I was wrong. That was perfect. Nothing has ever been more perfect.

What is perfect to you?

Worst planners ever

It has been brought to my attention recently that we are terrible planners. (For everyone who knows me I know you just slapped your hand over your wide open mouth in shock). I plan out what I'm doing exactly 30 seconds before I do it. I will invite you to dinner two hours before dinner. If you ask me to do something a weekend in October, my palms get sweaty......I think that this is more of a coping mechanism than anything else. If I don't commit to a thing, I can adapt to the needs of the moment and to the needs of the people around me. Is my child falling apart right now? Perfect! I have no plans. I can put them to bed. Does this make me lame? Absolutely. Does this make me incredibly spontaneous? Yes! Is this the right way to do things?

Um....

Who is done with rhetorical questions?

Anyway, this brings me to this weekend: Labor Day. Some people plan out what they are doing (in advance). Steve and me? Never occurred to us.

Sooo.....this weekend came. We looked at each other. A few people asked us what we were doing for the holiday. We looked at each other, confused. Holiday?

But then, thankfully the girls' social lives totally came through for them and they had some sleepovers. And so we got a babysitter for Eli and Steve and I took the motorcycle out. It was beautiful out and chilly and I wasn't prepared for it (imagine that, I wore a tank top) and we had to stop and buy me a new sweatshirt at Target because we were going to go to the mall but didn't prepare for the fact that it would be closed on a Sunday night (imagine that), but I scored a new sweatshirt out of the deal didn't I? It was good. This whole having a 15 year-old girl living across the street deal now is too sweet to describe. This is our second date in two weeks. (Record).

Yesterday, we were like....should we go to Menards? Sure. So we did. Then we went on a picnic. Steve wanted to go somewhere new other than our standard Big Creek adventure so he googled somewhere in our new vicinity. We ended up here:

Voas Nature Center. History says this: The initial 265 acres were donated to the Dallas County Conservation Board by Lyle and Mae Voas. Both brother and sister had a desire to see their family farmland restored to a native prairie and forest condition similar to pre-Euro-American settlement. They intended for the area to become a wildlife refuge and educational center.

We got into the parking lot and said, "Let's drive in a little bit further" because it didn't look like anything but a building. But then there was nowhere else to drive. :) So, we parked and walked behind the only building there, and it was like a paradise back there! There was a hidden area with a picnic table and a hidden walkway, and then miles and miles of groomed trails through prairie and forest. It was fabulous. We had a blast. There was so much to explore. We'll definitely go back. Did I mention we had the entire place to ourselves?

Luckily, we had the place to ourselves. Otherwise, this would have been embarrassing.

Plan it or don't. It doesn't matter. Just don't forget extra underwear for your potty training son. Happy Holidays.

Oh, and for my planning friends. Please plan for me. I need you.

Preteen

Steve and I recently celebrated our 11 year anniversary! Whoop whoop! The big 11. Like totally preteen. I suppose this means we'll start being moody and slamming doors and refusing to pick up our clothes-n-junk. That stage. I'm excited. Marriage is always a ride.

Stars aligned for us and we got a last minute babysitter so we took the motorcycle out and hit up Felix and Oscar's in West Des Moines for some ahhh-mazing Chicago-style deep dish zaaa. Then we rode on out West a little further and found ourselves in Waukee and by our stroke of luck, it was their town festival time!!! Yes, it was. So we wandered around their, what turned out to be, fantastic little town for a bit, ate ice cream at the Waukee Ice Cream Shoppe (because Steve says if they add an "e" it has to be better)...On the reviews on their website, one guy stated it was his new home away from home. Whoa. It suddenly became imperative that we visit this place. Additionally, whenever we are kid free, we are also dairy allergy free so we eat things like pizza and ice cream.

Moving on.

On our way back on the bike, I pointed to all the people in lawn chairs staring into the empty field to our left. I got the feeling there might be some fireworks coming up. I was RIGHT!!! Steve and I pulled into the Hy-Vee and everyone was waving at us (I'm not joking), apparently they are that friendly there, and we parked next to a cart-hold because the entire lot was full and music was blaring from a DJ like it was tailgate city. (Waukee knows what is up). I was not paid to say this and I do not live there. This just happened. So Steve and I had this cart-hold to ourselves and we sat there in the lovely moonlight and watched THE BEST fireworks show I've seen in a really long time set to music by whoever Hy-Vee hired. Good job guys. I was glad the kids weren't there because they would be seriously disappointed by our future playing off of sparklers and the burn pile as our Fourth of July in the future.....it was seriously awesome. Firespraying....boom boom boom.

Sigh....it was fun. We've been married 11 years. That equals forever to me and it was not all easy. I'm not easy to live with (shocker) and Steve isn't either but we do this together with these three other crazy hooligans that aren't always easy to live with either, but we are doing it.

And some of our once to twice yearly dates....are just perfect. We didn't even go to Menards this time!

Happy Anniversary to my Stevie.

Enjoy our crappy restaurant photo!

Don't generalize that $#&@!

So I was doing my assigned reading for my Ethics class. Snooze..... 

Naw....Here's what this guy says about people who want to take a quick view and generalize the whole human race to get it over with:

"Why, then, should anyone ever have thought it a true view? (He's talking about psychological egoism here....that we all do things motivated by self-interest)...Perhaps because of a desire for theoretical simplicity: in thinking about human conduct, it would be nice if there were some simple formula that would unite the diverse phenomena of human behavior under a single explanatory principle, just as simple formulae in physics bring together a great many apparently different phenomena."

BOOM. He slammed those lazies didn't he? It would be NICE wouldn't it? To unite us under a single explanatory principle like he says we try to do so often. Yeah, buddy James Rachels. I smiled at my reading like a big nerd. So then I wrote it here because I didn't want to forget it.

Sometimes girls, skewl is kewl. Don't forget it.

The weight is over

The weight is over....Get it? Weight? Who doesn't love a good play on words? Mwahahaha?

People who aren't nerds?

Right.

Well, I made it. I lost *32* lbs in my 30th year and my big goal was 30 lbs in my 30th year so WAM BA DA BAM DA BAM!!! We did it! Now it's time for new goal.....I don't know what. 10? I think I'll do that because I feel tired right now and slightly unmotivated as I drink this vanilla latte....

Many people just now are noticing that I lost weight. I think it's mostly because I lost it really slowly errrr maybe because I was super fat to begin with. I dunno. Probably. But, they ask me HOW I did it. So, here is the lowdown:

I asked my cousin Brandy in AZ how she did it and she said:

1. Track your food intake on livestrong.com

So I did. There. That was it.

Once I did that, it was clear that I was eating too much even though I always thought I was eating appropriately.

NOT so.

So, once I got that mastered, I could enter in my activity and track my weight loss and many other cool features and it was all FREE. (My favorite word).

I only used it for the first few months and now I just know how much to eat. But it was a great boost into healthy land.

In the last 8 weeks or so, I began on the wonderful journey of 5K training. There may or may not have been some sarcasm attached to that statement. My friend Jess asked me to train with her because I had just run the Grand Blue Mile (not well) and she thought we could do the PC 5K coming up in July. Sure, why not? So here we are! And I think both of us have surprised ourselves. We are better than we knew we could be. And we have had a lot of fun training. We run and talk and chat about everything under the sun and most of the time the sun is going down or down already as this is the only time we can escape to run soo.....anyway......So, with that coming up in July here along with some big birthdays too (Eli turns 3 and Mel turns 31 and my parents and 49 other people I know have birthdays in July too), we're pretty pumped for the month.

What about you? What's on your sched for July?

Blue House/New House

Here it is! It's our Blue House/New House 2013 4 Life.

We are so happy. We frolic in the field. We play football and soccer. We mow ALL the time. Olivia has already earned $5. (I know). I wake up in the morning and look out my window and smile at my garden. Sigh......we love it. It is good. Enjoy our phots.

It's a tiny baby garden!

Fire pit. Hott.

Little barn house

These are AWESOME lilac TREES. The BEST things EVERRRR. I am in love with them. And they are plants.

This is a big shed we don't know what to do with. Steve will figure it out.

Olivia is the only one who my family got to. She is an Iowa fan.

Eli sleeps in the lawn. But it wasn't really fair because he was sick. But we should sleep in the lawn on a good day. It's awesome out here!

Funny things grow out here.

These funny Franklins are growing up out here now too. 

A million thanks to everyone who helped us pack, move, mow, load, unload, and various other moving related projects. We are so thankful for YOU!

Thanks for sharing in our new adventure!

Denial is always never my best friend: A tribute to our tiny awesome first home

We are leaving our tiny awesome first home soon. I'm in a little bit a lot of denial. It has been so great. 

Just look at it. I will miss it.

It might be cute to just us. But, we have lived in and loved this place like no other. 

We brought our tiny Eli home here. Look at his giant paci!!!

 We have started two babes into their first day of Kindergarten from these steps.

 We have plopped babies like flower pots in the front lawn

We have made beautiful things grow out of the sandy ground.

And spent countless days with our like-family neighbors who will never be matched

We celebrated holidays and plenty of awesome birthdays here with my notoriously amazingly self-decorated cakes. I am all booked up on orders. Sorry.

And enjoyyyed them

Dance, cheerleading, 49 seasons of soccer, girl scouts, water polo...whatever we could think of.

 We have mixed feelings about the whole thing and understandably so.

 But most of all, we are just excited!

I just knew that I'm so good at denial that if I didn't write this now, it'd just never be. Here's to new beginnings and a couple of acres of land for big gardens and fruit trees. And here's to awesome memories of a first home that we won't ever forget and to amazing neighbors that are like family to us. (We love you Murray's!) God has blessed us here, and we pray for continued blessings out on our new home on the range....

Blue House...the Clarks are coming!