Some days I sit wishing I could freeze time, rewind time, and even at times fast forward time. Over the last month I have been savoring each day, each hour, each minute. I knew the time would come that we would be moving, I have been preparing for this time for over a year. I knew it would happen, but I thought I would be more ready for it then I am.
This past month has flown by. I have watched as my daughters finished their last days of school here, danced in their last recital with Ballet Arts, did the last gymnastics practice at the Y, and many more things. While experiencing all of these lasts, I remind myself of all that the future holds. The future holds so much. My trust in God is stronger than it has ever been. That trust gets me thru each minute, each hour, each day.
In the next week I will experiences many more lasts with the kids and Brian here in Chillicothe, but I will also experience so many firsts. I will also have some agains. We will have Julianne's first and last sleepover in our house here. We will move, again. We will live in Sioux Falls for the first time as a family. So, there is so much to look forward to. We will plan weekends with friends, we will now call Chillicothe a place to visit, and we will reconnect with friends.
I thank God for these opportunities and experiences. I trust in God and his plan for us. I praise God for the glorious days ahead.
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Easter...how do you explain it?
My kids love this time of year and so do I. The sun is shining (usually), the wind is warmer (most of the time), and the temperature is on the rise (when it wants to). Oh yeah, and the kids get to do Easter egg hunts.
While a lot of parents struggle, myself included, to help children understand Christmas and the true meaning of why we celebrate it, I find myself really struggling with trying to help my children understand Easter and the days and events leading up the celebration.
While I continue to try and explain it to the girls, my words seem to get lost some days. What I do know is that my children to hear what I say, see what I do, and learn from our church family. We will keep celebrating Easter and one day they will understand the significance of Easter and why we celebrate it. For now, they will enjoy the Easter egg hunts, the extra time with friends and family, and the wonderful songs of celebration and rejoicing!
Thanks to Lou, my kids got to enjoy an Easter egg hunt at church. There were 12 kids that did the Easter egg hunt. I attend a small group with all the moms of these wonderful kiddos.
And yes, most of the pictures are of William because the other two took off and did it on their own. Once Julianne had collected her eggs she came back and helped William, what a great big sister!
While a lot of parents struggle, myself included, to help children understand Christmas and the true meaning of why we celebrate it, I find myself really struggling with trying to help my children understand Easter and the days and events leading up the celebration.
While I continue to try and explain it to the girls, my words seem to get lost some days. What I do know is that my children to hear what I say, see what I do, and learn from our church family. We will keep celebrating Easter and one day they will understand the significance of Easter and why we celebrate it. For now, they will enjoy the Easter egg hunts, the extra time with friends and family, and the wonderful songs of celebration and rejoicing!
Thanks to Lou, my kids got to enjoy an Easter egg hunt at church. There were 12 kids that did the Easter egg hunt. I attend a small group with all the moms of these wonderful kiddos.
And yes, most of the pictures are of William because the other two took off and did it on their own. Once Julianne had collected her eggs she came back and helped William, what a great big sister!
Sarah finding an egg.
William had a blast!
Julianne helping William.
Kids were running everywhere!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Dance Recital - February 2011
My girls are "tiny dancers". They are beautiful, talented, dedicated, and care free spirits when it comes to dancing and so many other activities. This past weekend we had the wonderful opportunity to watch both Julianne and Katelyn dance on the "big stage". Julianne did two dances, Loot Scootin' and Music. Katelyn did one, See My Balloon.
Both girls did a wonderful job and had a great time. I am glad to see them doing something they enjoy and are succeeding at it. I know they will both miss the studio here when we leave, but will find a new one they will like just as much!
I am one proud Mama of my girls. They both did a FANTASTIC job dancing on the "big stage". They smiled, remembered their choreography, and had fun. Each day they continue to amaze me with their talent, dedication, abilities, and love. I hope I can help to keep each of these things going and help them to grow into young women who contribute to society and are strong all on their own.
They are beautiful both inside and out and will ALWAYS be my little girls!!
Both girls did a wonderful job and had a great time. I am glad to see them doing something they enjoy and are succeeding at it. I know they will both miss the studio here when we leave, but will find a new one they will like just as much!
Julianne during dress rehearsal for Loot Scootin'.
Posing for a picture in costume.
Julianne with some friends, Abbey (in pink) and Emily (in red).
Katelyn in her costume for her dance. She was being a stinker and would not let me take a picture of her posing!
After about 10 minutes she finally posed for a picture.
When she would get warm, her costume would start to itch, so I folded the top down and she thought it was HILARIOUS!
The girls posing together. I wish I had a better picture, but this is it.
Julianne and some of the girls that performed Music.
Julianne posing. I love the form she has!!
Julianne will be going to competition in about a month in this costume, dancing to Music.
I am one proud Mama of my girls. They both did a FANTASTIC job dancing on the "big stage". They smiled, remembered their choreography, and had fun. Each day they continue to amaze me with their talent, dedication, abilities, and love. I hope I can help to keep each of these things going and help them to grow into young women who contribute to society and are strong all on their own.
They are beautiful both inside and out and will ALWAYS be my little girls!!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
It's a blizzard!
That is right, Chillicothe is in the middle of a blizzard right now.
As I have watched the news over the past week they have been talking about the epic storm that would be hitting the midwest. I watched and wondered if it would really happen. Guess what, it did! I must say I am enjoying it. To me, it is a comfort of home. I remember the days of sitting at home with my mom and/or dad during the storms. We would venture out, at least I would, with my sister and the neighborhood kids and we would go sledding or just play in the snow. Oh, those were the days!
Now, I am at home with my kids. They are watching this storm in awe. Julianne can't believe how high some of these drifts are getting. The wind is blowing and at times it sounds like objects are hitting the house. I check...it is just the wind.
Since we cannot go outside, well, I won't let the kids go outside, I need to find things to keep the girls' time occupied. Today we played in the basement for a bit and made no-bake cookies. Tomorrow I am planning on doing homemade Valentines, playing the Wii, and doing a little more baking.
If Thursday is another snow day I will be coming up with some more projects. It will include more baking and another art project. I think we will probably break out the boxes of plaster to make stepping stones.
Here are some pictures from the blizzard. A couple are from around 4:30 and a couple are from around 8pm. The snow fall got heavier and the wind picked up as the sun went down.
As I have watched the news over the past week they have been talking about the epic storm that would be hitting the midwest. I watched and wondered if it would really happen. Guess what, it did! I must say I am enjoying it. To me, it is a comfort of home. I remember the days of sitting at home with my mom and/or dad during the storms. We would venture out, at least I would, with my sister and the neighborhood kids and we would go sledding or just play in the snow. Oh, those were the days!
Now, I am at home with my kids. They are watching this storm in awe. Julianne can't believe how high some of these drifts are getting. The wind is blowing and at times it sounds like objects are hitting the house. I check...it is just the wind.
Since we cannot go outside, well, I won't let the kids go outside, I need to find things to keep the girls' time occupied. Today we played in the basement for a bit and made no-bake cookies. Tomorrow I am planning on doing homemade Valentines, playing the Wii, and doing a little more baking.
If Thursday is another snow day I will be coming up with some more projects. It will include more baking and another art project. I think we will probably break out the boxes of plaster to make stepping stones.
Here are some pictures from the blizzard. A couple are from around 4:30 and a couple are from around 8pm. The snow fall got heavier and the wind picked up as the sun went down.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Perseverance
Do you ever have one of those mornings that when the alarm goes off you don't want to get out of bed? I mean really DON'T want to get out of the bed. Not the I am just too tired to get out of bed, but the I just want life to pause for one day so I can just stay in bed and be lazy, not have to worry about getting the kiddos ready, or remember who needs to be where at what time. This morning was one of those mornings for me. I do not really remember the last time I had one of those mornings, but if I was going to guess, it would probably have been sometime last February when William had about a 6 week stint of ear infections and burst ear drums and I was also sick.
Anyways, today, I DID NOT WANT TO GET OUT OF BED!
I had to though. I got up, got the girls moving, and got ready. The morning routine is pretty normal around here. However, if you were watching somedays you wouldn't think that. It is not uncommon to hear, "Mom, what do I do next?". So, I once again repeat myself.
Out the door we went this morning, my butt dragging along. I am not sure why the sudden laziness, but it was there. I tell myself, I need to keep moving. First stop, Dewey school to drop Julianne off. Second stop, the post office to put pictures in the mail. Third stop, the Y. Hopefully I can gain some energy. My workouts seem to help with that. However, this morning that was not the case. I started working out and I just wasn't moving as fast as I usually do. I think to myself, come on muscles and brain work together! I am 6 minutes into my workout on the elliptical and I am still struggling to keep my normal pace. I keep pushing. I keep telling myself one more song and you can be done. I do this until the timer on the elliptical beeps at me. YES! I made it thru. I made it thru and persevered. Instead of my normal 35 minutes plus cool down, I did 40 minutes and cool down. It was a struggle every minute, but I did it.
I could have just went home this morning and skipped the Y, but I didn't. I pushed myself. Success for me is going to come thru determination. Today determination WON! The little devil on my shoulder fell off for the day. I made it thru my workout and was productive at home. Another workout done and another day of living! Tomorrow will be tomorrow, but today I will celebrate because it is a present.
Becca
PS. I hope no one construes this as whining or complaining. It is my motivation to keep moving and I have to remind myself that is okay. I also hope that it may be motivation for others to push thru when they want to quit or take a break. Have a great day!
Anyways, today, I DID NOT WANT TO GET OUT OF BED!
I had to though. I got up, got the girls moving, and got ready. The morning routine is pretty normal around here. However, if you were watching somedays you wouldn't think that. It is not uncommon to hear, "Mom, what do I do next?". So, I once again repeat myself.
Out the door we went this morning, my butt dragging along. I am not sure why the sudden laziness, but it was there. I tell myself, I need to keep moving. First stop, Dewey school to drop Julianne off. Second stop, the post office to put pictures in the mail. Third stop, the Y. Hopefully I can gain some energy. My workouts seem to help with that. However, this morning that was not the case. I started working out and I just wasn't moving as fast as I usually do. I think to myself, come on muscles and brain work together! I am 6 minutes into my workout on the elliptical and I am still struggling to keep my normal pace. I keep pushing. I keep telling myself one more song and you can be done. I do this until the timer on the elliptical beeps at me. YES! I made it thru. I made it thru and persevered. Instead of my normal 35 minutes plus cool down, I did 40 minutes and cool down. It was a struggle every minute, but I did it.
I could have just went home this morning and skipped the Y, but I didn't. I pushed myself. Success for me is going to come thru determination. Today determination WON! The little devil on my shoulder fell off for the day. I made it thru my workout and was productive at home. Another workout done and another day of living! Tomorrow will be tomorrow, but today I will celebrate because it is a present.
Becca
PS. I hope no one construes this as whining or complaining. It is my motivation to keep moving and I have to remind myself that is okay. I also hope that it may be motivation for others to push thru when they want to quit or take a break. Have a great day!
Monday, January 10, 2011
What the snow does...
Snow and ice create havoc at the intersection where our house is. Cars come down the hill and try and turn the corner at speeds that are too fast for the condition of the road. I must say that people aren't always going to fast, but most of the time they seem to be.
So, that brings me to today. It is snowing here in Chillicothe. We have maybe 3 or 4 inches of snow on the ground and the roads are slick. It is the snow that is beautiful, light, and fluffy, but once it is driven on it becomes ice. As I was running some errands this morning, preparing to be home for at least the next 24 hours, my 4 wheel drive Suburban was even having a few issues. Needless to say I would not be out in this unless I absolutely had to! I don't mind the weather and I think I am a good driver in these conditions, but I don't trust everyone else that is driving. Okay, so enough of the rambling, here goes what happened..
I am in the kitchen trying to get some lunch and Katelyn says, "Mom why is someone driving in our yard?" I say, "What?!?!" I go to the dining room and look out the window to find a car in the ditch in front of our house. My first thought is hoping the person is okay. I watch the car for a minute to see if there is any movement. I can't see any movement.
So, I tell the girls to stay inside and I am going to check on this person. I grab my cell phone and the home phone. I go down to the mudroom and get shoes and a coat on and head outside. As I go out the garage door the mail truck pulls up. The mailman gets out and says, "It just happened and I hope she is okay." I said, "Me too, I am going to check." So I go up the front stairs, across the yard, and down the hill. My thought, "She is definitely stuck!"
As I get closer to the car, she rolls her window down. I ask her if she is okay. She is okay, I think she is embarrassed by this whole thing. She tells me she was coming down the hill slowly and going to turn right, but her car just kept sliding. I understand completely. Cars do that all the time in these weather conditions. However in the past we have just seen the tire marks in the ditch, not the car.
After making sure she is alright, I offer to call someone for her or to borrow the phone, but she said she had a cell phone and would be calling her husband. She was just waiting to call him because he was at work. I am thinking I wouldn't be waiting, I would call and interrupt him. She then informs me he is a school bus driver. Okay, now I understand why she is waiting. Schools got out early because of the weather, so she wouldn't be able to get ahold of him quite yet. I offered help one more time and she declined. I told her if she needed anything to knock on the front door and I would help her. She then looked at me and said I can't get out. She was right, the driver's side of her car was jammed against the side of the hill and it would have been hard to crawl out the passenger door.
I did feel bad for this lady. And yet, the poor lady was more worried about the grass than her car. I told her not to worry about the grass the city beats it up anyways. I would be more worried if I was her because she is sitting in a ditch that is 2 feet deep! She was a bit surprised by this and then I think she did become a bit more worried about her car. I told her good luck and headed back for my warm house. As I headed in, 2 other vehicles stopped to offer help and and I could hear her decline the help.
I felt bad for her, but there wasn't anything I could do for her. So, back in the house I went. When I got in the house I called the neighbor and told her to look out her window and into my front yard. She looked and said, "Oh no". So, for the next 15 minutes or so we talked on the phone a few times as things changed out front. Our wonderful neighbor was going to take hot chocolate out to the lady.
Thank goodness help arrived that wouldn't take no for an answer. First, a truck, with 2 guys in it, pulling a little plow stopped to help. Next a guy in an Explorer stopped. I am guessing they wouldn't take no for an answer, because they started to work on getting her out.
While these 3 guys worked to get the lady out of the ditch, I got some comic relief watching. Julianne was mad at me because I kept chuckling about it. She kept telling me it wasn't funny. I couldn't quite figure out how to explain to her why I was laughing. But, I did reassure her the lady in the car was fine and I had went out and offered help.
As the guys tried to get her unstuck, the seemed to be having troubles. First, they pushed her backwards right into the concrete drain. Oops. Next they tried to push her forward. She went forward and into the ditch even farther. Then they tried backwards again, but with no luck. I watched as the guys talked. They decided to try something else. One guy went and got a tow rope and hooked it to the lady's car. Another guy went and got his Explorer. They hooked the tow rope to the Explorer. The Explorer started to move, the car started to move. Forward movement in the ditch, but the car wasn't coming out. Then the Explorer's wheels started spinning and the Explorer started sliding. I am no longer laughing, but worrying, we don't need 2 cars in the ditch! I watch as the guys look at it again. They decide to try and pull her out again. The Explorer starts moving, the car starts moving. The Explorer's tires start to spin and the Explorer starts to slide, but both the Explorer and the car are moving. The car moves 5 feet, then 10 feet, then 15 feet and she is out of the ditch! The lady in the car got far enough down on our property line she got to where the ditch is filled in.
They were all excited. Both vehicles unhook and the guys leave. A few minutes later I look at the window and see the lady cleaning her car off. I am thankful she is not hurt and glad some guys stopped to help her.
Thank you to the good samaritans that helped her, people are good and do care about others!
Lesson learned. Pay it forward!
So, that brings me to today. It is snowing here in Chillicothe. We have maybe 3 or 4 inches of snow on the ground and the roads are slick. It is the snow that is beautiful, light, and fluffy, but once it is driven on it becomes ice. As I was running some errands this morning, preparing to be home for at least the next 24 hours, my 4 wheel drive Suburban was even having a few issues. Needless to say I would not be out in this unless I absolutely had to! I don't mind the weather and I think I am a good driver in these conditions, but I don't trust everyone else that is driving. Okay, so enough of the rambling, here goes what happened..
I am in the kitchen trying to get some lunch and Katelyn says, "Mom why is someone driving in our yard?" I say, "What?!?!" I go to the dining room and look out the window to find a car in the ditch in front of our house. My first thought is hoping the person is okay. I watch the car for a minute to see if there is any movement. I can't see any movement.
So, I tell the girls to stay inside and I am going to check on this person. I grab my cell phone and the home phone. I go down to the mudroom and get shoes and a coat on and head outside. As I go out the garage door the mail truck pulls up. The mailman gets out and says, "It just happened and I hope she is okay." I said, "Me too, I am going to check." So I go up the front stairs, across the yard, and down the hill. My thought, "She is definitely stuck!"
As I get closer to the car, she rolls her window down. I ask her if she is okay. She is okay, I think she is embarrassed by this whole thing. She tells me she was coming down the hill slowly and going to turn right, but her car just kept sliding. I understand completely. Cars do that all the time in these weather conditions. However in the past we have just seen the tire marks in the ditch, not the car.
After making sure she is alright, I offer to call someone for her or to borrow the phone, but she said she had a cell phone and would be calling her husband. She was just waiting to call him because he was at work. I am thinking I wouldn't be waiting, I would call and interrupt him. She then informs me he is a school bus driver. Okay, now I understand why she is waiting. Schools got out early because of the weather, so she wouldn't be able to get ahold of him quite yet. I offered help one more time and she declined. I told her if she needed anything to knock on the front door and I would help her. She then looked at me and said I can't get out. She was right, the driver's side of her car was jammed against the side of the hill and it would have been hard to crawl out the passenger door.
I did feel bad for this lady. And yet, the poor lady was more worried about the grass than her car. I told her not to worry about the grass the city beats it up anyways. I would be more worried if I was her because she is sitting in a ditch that is 2 feet deep! She was a bit surprised by this and then I think she did become a bit more worried about her car. I told her good luck and headed back for my warm house. As I headed in, 2 other vehicles stopped to offer help and and I could hear her decline the help.
I felt bad for her, but there wasn't anything I could do for her. So, back in the house I went. When I got in the house I called the neighbor and told her to look out her window and into my front yard. She looked and said, "Oh no". So, for the next 15 minutes or so we talked on the phone a few times as things changed out front. Our wonderful neighbor was going to take hot chocolate out to the lady.
Thank goodness help arrived that wouldn't take no for an answer. First, a truck, with 2 guys in it, pulling a little plow stopped to help. Next a guy in an Explorer stopped. I am guessing they wouldn't take no for an answer, because they started to work on getting her out.
While these 3 guys worked to get the lady out of the ditch, I got some comic relief watching. Julianne was mad at me because I kept chuckling about it. She kept telling me it wasn't funny. I couldn't quite figure out how to explain to her why I was laughing. But, I did reassure her the lady in the car was fine and I had went out and offered help.
As the guys tried to get her unstuck, the seemed to be having troubles. First, they pushed her backwards right into the concrete drain. Oops. Next they tried to push her forward. She went forward and into the ditch even farther. Then they tried backwards again, but with no luck. I watched as the guys talked. They decided to try something else. One guy went and got a tow rope and hooked it to the lady's car. Another guy went and got his Explorer. They hooked the tow rope to the Explorer. The Explorer started to move, the car started to move. Forward movement in the ditch, but the car wasn't coming out. Then the Explorer's wheels started spinning and the Explorer started sliding. I am no longer laughing, but worrying, we don't need 2 cars in the ditch! I watch as the guys look at it again. They decide to try and pull her out again. The Explorer starts moving, the car starts moving. The Explorer's tires start to spin and the Explorer starts to slide, but both the Explorer and the car are moving. The car moves 5 feet, then 10 feet, then 15 feet and she is out of the ditch! The lady in the car got far enough down on our property line she got to where the ditch is filled in.
They were all excited. Both vehicles unhook and the guys leave. A few minutes later I look at the window and see the lady cleaning her car off. I am thankful she is not hurt and glad some guys stopped to help her.
Thank you to the good samaritans that helped her, people are good and do care about others!
Lesson learned. Pay it forward!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Today...
I am sitting here on the couch tonight and something calls me to look at some of my blogs from 2010. Wow, it is hard to believe that it is January 2011...where did time go? Shouldn't it just be the end of January 2010?
When I was in elementary school I always thought the days went by so slow, I think most everyone thinks that as kids. I remember my parents and many others tell me just wait, when you get older you will want time to slow down. I laughed at those words, but now I realize they were so very, very right! I WANT, I NEED, time to slow down. My baby girl (Julianne), okay she isn't a baby any more, can't be 6 already! Katelyn shouldn't be 4 and William definitely shouldn't be 1 - he should be a few months old at best.
Time does move forward whether we like it or not. I guess I'd better like it....life is much easier to be appreciative of what we have and enjoy the moments we have with each other, then to live in the past and miss the "now". I keep reminding myself if time didn't move forward I wouldn't have new memories of my wonderful (some days they do challenge the thought of them being wonderful) children everyday! So, I am accepting that time moves fast, but I am going to enjoy every moment and live for today.
Speaking of today, I enjoyed it very much.
Today I got to sleep in (thanks Brian)! Today I got to see all my kids smile and hear them laugh! Today I got to taste the food I ate! Today I got to smell the wonderful outdoors! Today I got to feel the love of my kids when they hugged me!
So, I am thankful for today. Today, the love of my family reminded me how lucky I am!
Goodnight dear friends and family. Tomorrow is a new day and I will appreciate it for everything it has to offer.
Becca
PS. I will try and get pictures up soon. I am adjusting to my new MacBook and trying to figure out where I want to store ALL my pictures. I take at least 250 in a normal week, and when there is something special I usually have a minimum of 500!!
When I was in elementary school I always thought the days went by so slow, I think most everyone thinks that as kids. I remember my parents and many others tell me just wait, when you get older you will want time to slow down. I laughed at those words, but now I realize they were so very, very right! I WANT, I NEED, time to slow down. My baby girl (Julianne), okay she isn't a baby any more, can't be 6 already! Katelyn shouldn't be 4 and William definitely shouldn't be 1 - he should be a few months old at best.
Time does move forward whether we like it or not. I guess I'd better like it....life is much easier to be appreciative of what we have and enjoy the moments we have with each other, then to live in the past and miss the "now". I keep reminding myself if time didn't move forward I wouldn't have new memories of my wonderful (some days they do challenge the thought of them being wonderful) children everyday! So, I am accepting that time moves fast, but I am going to enjoy every moment and live for today.
Speaking of today, I enjoyed it very much.
Today I got to sleep in (thanks Brian)! Today I got to see all my kids smile and hear them laugh! Today I got to taste the food I ate! Today I got to smell the wonderful outdoors! Today I got to feel the love of my kids when they hugged me!
So, I am thankful for today. Today, the love of my family reminded me how lucky I am!
Goodnight dear friends and family. Tomorrow is a new day and I will appreciate it for everything it has to offer.
Becca
PS. I will try and get pictures up soon. I am adjusting to my new MacBook and trying to figure out where I want to store ALL my pictures. I take at least 250 in a normal week, and when there is something special I usually have a minimum of 500!!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Happy 4th Birthday Katelyn!
Today is the day, Katelyn is celebrating her 4th birthday! She doesn't know it yet, but we are heading to Kansas City for a little shopping, some game time at Chuck E. Cheese, and then out to dinner at the place of her choosing. We have had a great morning so far. I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast, put candles in them, and sang happy birthday to her.
It is hard to believe that it was 4 years ago today that Katelyn made her swift entrance into this world. Brian and I headed down to Kansas City around 6 in the morning and I was induced by 8:30am and had her about 4 hours later! She was born at 12:28 p.m., weighing 8 pounds and was 20 inches long. Today she is around 35 pounds and 40 inches. She is a blessing in our life and can't wait to see what the next year brings!
Here is a little something I wrote for Katelyn's teacher for preschool, I think it describes her perfectly!
Katelyn is a spunky little girl who is easy-going and loves to giggle. She is very out-going, but can be very bashful. She loves to talk and be the center-of-attention. She has an older sister, Julianne and a younger brother, William. Katelyn is constantly asking questions and exploring in a quest to learn everything her sister knows and more.
Katelyn gigles quite often, causing the rest of the family to giggle and laugh. When she is not giggling she is smiling. Katelyn loves to tell jokes, tickle and be tickled, and just be plain silly.
Katelyn enjoys being with others. She loves to play games with family, friends, and especially her sister. Some of her favorite games are UNO, Clue Jr., and Littlest Pet Shop. Katelyn also enjoys using her imagination playing with play-dough, building with legos, and playing dress-up. On nice days you may find Katelyn outside swinging, chalking, or riding her trike.. She loves to play outside most days and enjoys the warmth of the sun.
Throughout the day Katelyn enjoys time to herself. During this time we often find her "reading" books, coloring, or playing her leapster. Other times she likes to cuddle and watch tv. Her favorite shows include Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Wipeout, and Tom & Jerry.
Finally, Katelyn is involved with dance and gymnastics. She attends class for both, but is found practicing at home quite often.
Katelyn is excited to be turning 4 and looking forward to lots of fun times during the year at home and at preschool!
HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY KATELYN! We love you!
Mommy, Daddy, Julianne, and William
It is hard to believe that it was 4 years ago today that Katelyn made her swift entrance into this world. Brian and I headed down to Kansas City around 6 in the morning and I was induced by 8:30am and had her about 4 hours later! She was born at 12:28 p.m., weighing 8 pounds and was 20 inches long. Today she is around 35 pounds and 40 inches. She is a blessing in our life and can't wait to see what the next year brings!
Welcoming Katelyn!
Katelyn's 1st Birthday
Katelyn's 2nd Birthday
Katelyn's 3rd Birthday
Happy 4th Birthday Katelyn!
Katelyn is a spunky little girl who is easy-going and loves to giggle. She is very out-going, but can be very bashful. She loves to talk and be the center-of-attention. She has an older sister, Julianne and a younger brother, William. Katelyn is constantly asking questions and exploring in a quest to learn everything her sister knows and more.
Katelyn gigles quite often, causing the rest of the family to giggle and laugh. When she is not giggling she is smiling. Katelyn loves to tell jokes, tickle and be tickled, and just be plain silly.
Katelyn enjoys being with others. She loves to play games with family, friends, and especially her sister. Some of her favorite games are UNO, Clue Jr., and Littlest Pet Shop. Katelyn also enjoys using her imagination playing with play-dough, building with legos, and playing dress-up. On nice days you may find Katelyn outside swinging, chalking, or riding her trike.. She loves to play outside most days and enjoys the warmth of the sun.
Throughout the day Katelyn enjoys time to herself. During this time we often find her "reading" books, coloring, or playing her leapster. Other times she likes to cuddle and watch tv. Her favorite shows include Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Wipeout, and Tom & Jerry.
Finally, Katelyn is involved with dance and gymnastics. She attends class for both, but is found practicing at home quite often.
Katelyn is excited to be turning 4 and looking forward to lots of fun times during the year at home and at preschool!
HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY KATELYN! We love you!
Mommy, Daddy, Julianne, and William
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Control
So those of you who know me well, and even some who do not know me so well, know I am a control freak. I like to be in charge, know what is going on, and be in on making the decisions. This can be challenging at times, especially with 3 little ones, a husband living 6 hours away, and single parenting during the week. I feel like I am managing it all very well during the week, but it can be very challenging. Some days are more stressful than others, though I am pretty sure I bring that upon myself alot of times.
For those of you not following what I am saying here it is, "My name is Becca Johnston and I am a control freak." For as long as I can remember I have loved to be in control. I want things to be perfect. Why let others do it if you are just going to have to re-do it so it is "perfect"? I have taken many personality tests only to find out what I know, I am an extrovert who is a Type A personality. I want to be in control! I need to be in control!
When I was in elementary school (before we typed papers - gasp) we would "long-hand" assignments. My assignments needed to be perfect. I would usually use pencil on a "rough draft", though I never handed in the rough draft, and then re-write it in pen so it was perfect. I would even start over on the rough draft if there was an error and I couldn't erase it to my liking! Yes, I was that anal. Sometimes I wish I still was like that with certain things. Though, it is probably a good thing I am not!
As I got older, I liked to be the planner. I planned birthday parties for my friends....once we did a video scavenger hunt. I had to be meticulous in my planning, down to the minute of where we were going to be because other friends were dropping off the clues ahead of us and other friends were meeting up with us (pre everyone having cell phones). I loved it...I loved being in control.
Even with my kids births I had some control. I knew what day they were going to be born on. I was careful in picking the day, I wanted things to be perfect for my new little one coming into this world. I know, that no matter what else happened on that day, I always welcomed my perfect little baby!
I still love to plan and I carry my planner with me everywhere. I have my days and weeks planned out ahead of time, sometimes 3-4 months out, at least. When one summer vacation is over, I like to start planning the next one. I don't want to miss out on something fun and exciting!
Being a control freak or Type A personality definitely is challenging. I don't want to change it for the world, because it is who I am. So, instead of changing me I just make adjustments and move forward. I bury myself in other things to keep my mind off that which I cannot control.
But I will always remember, "My name is Becca Johnston and I am a control freak!"
For those of you not following what I am saying here it is, "My name is Becca Johnston and I am a control freak." For as long as I can remember I have loved to be in control. I want things to be perfect. Why let others do it if you are just going to have to re-do it so it is "perfect"? I have taken many personality tests only to find out what I know, I am an extrovert who is a Type A personality. I want to be in control! I need to be in control!
When I was in elementary school (before we typed papers - gasp) we would "long-hand" assignments. My assignments needed to be perfect. I would usually use pencil on a "rough draft", though I never handed in the rough draft, and then re-write it in pen so it was perfect. I would even start over on the rough draft if there was an error and I couldn't erase it to my liking! Yes, I was that anal. Sometimes I wish I still was like that with certain things. Though, it is probably a good thing I am not!
As I got older, I liked to be the planner. I planned birthday parties for my friends....once we did a video scavenger hunt. I had to be meticulous in my planning, down to the minute of where we were going to be because other friends were dropping off the clues ahead of us and other friends were meeting up with us (pre everyone having cell phones). I loved it...I loved being in control.
Even with my kids births I had some control. I knew what day they were going to be born on. I was careful in picking the day, I wanted things to be perfect for my new little one coming into this world. I know, that no matter what else happened on that day, I always welcomed my perfect little baby!
I still love to plan and I carry my planner with me everywhere. I have my days and weeks planned out ahead of time, sometimes 3-4 months out, at least. When one summer vacation is over, I like to start planning the next one. I don't want to miss out on something fun and exciting!
Being a control freak or Type A personality definitely is challenging. I don't want to change it for the world, because it is who I am. So, instead of changing me I just make adjustments and move forward. I bury myself in other things to keep my mind off that which I cannot control.
But I will always remember, "My name is Becca Johnston and I am a control freak!"
It's Just One of Those Days...
It's just one of those days to put on a big smile and take a step forward.
It's just one of those days to cry a little and then wipe the tears away.
It's just one of those days I am thankful to be enduring it, for I love every moment - easy or hard, good or bad, happy or sad.
It's just one of those days to ask for forgiveness and to be forgiven.
It's just one of those days to forgive.
It's just one of those days to lift my worries to God and say a prayer of thanks for His unconditional love!
It's just one of those days to cry a little and then wipe the tears away.
It's just one of those days I am thankful to be enduring it, for I love every moment - easy or hard, good or bad, happy or sad.
It's just one of those days to ask for forgiveness and to be forgiven.
It's just one of those days to forgive.
It's just one of those days to lift my worries to God and say a prayer of thanks for His unconditional love!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
William's One Year Check-up
Yesterday William, Katelyn and myself headed to Kansas City for William's check-up and a little shopping. Here are William's new stats:
Weight: 23 pounds 6 ounces
Height: 29 3/4 inches
When I did he birthday blog I took a guess at his weight and height. I guessed he weighed about 24 pounds and was between 30 and 32 inches tall. I wasn't too far off on either. The other big news from his check-up, the doctor gave me the okay to put him forward facing. I wasn't planning on doing this until at least January, but he constantly fights getting in his carseat and screams when he is in in. During the hour and a half drive to KC yesterday he screamed for about an hour of it. After a good conversation with the pediatrician, I put William's carseat forward facing and he loves it! He loved to just look at the window and point at things. The drive back to Chillicothe was much more peaceful!
Becca
Weight: 23 pounds 6 ounces
Height: 29 3/4 inches
When I did he birthday blog I took a guess at his weight and height. I guessed he weighed about 24 pounds and was between 30 and 32 inches tall. I wasn't too far off on either. The other big news from his check-up, the doctor gave me the okay to put him forward facing. I wasn't planning on doing this until at least January, but he constantly fights getting in his carseat and screams when he is in in. During the hour and a half drive to KC yesterday he screamed for about an hour of it. After a good conversation with the pediatrician, I put William's carseat forward facing and he loves it! He loved to just look at the window and point at things. The drive back to Chillicothe was much more peaceful!
Becca
Thursday, September 16, 2010
GREAT NEWS!!
I am sitting at the computer all excited and overwhelmed. Today Brian took a position with Avera in Sioux Falls. He is their new Executive Director, eCARE Operations. I am so excited for him and for our family!
When Brian and I got married and he graduated with his Masters for Minnesota, we believed that living in or real close to Sioux Falls would not be a reality. Brian loves rural healthcare and what it has to offer. I accepted this and we went on. I thought that if we ever lived within 2 hours we would be lucky.
After graduating he took a job with Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City and we lived in Warrensburg while I got my Master's degree. Next we moved to Trenton and he worked for Wright Memorial Hospital. Brian's third job was with Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe. We thought we would be in Chillicothe for quite some time. In fact, when we made it to the 2 year mark I was so excited. It seemed he changed jobs about every 2 years and that meant a move.
And while we made it past the 2 year mark in Chillicothe, this spring life changed. Brian started looking for a new job. After a few months of praying, worrying, looking, and more praying he found a position with Avera. The position he found wasn't the right fit, but it led him to the position he will be starting. Unfortunately that story and job search isn't quite that easy.
While I prayed, I also cried. I don't like the unknown, uncertainty, or change. But really, who does? He did interviews, both on the phone and in-person. We even made a trip to Columbus, Nebraska as a family so we could see the town, look around and found out what it had to offer. The position Brian interviewed for seemed a perfect fit. The town was very nice and had a lot to offer to our family. I thought to myself, I could live here. Then we got the dreaded call, he didn't get the job, they hired the other candidate. I questioned that day why this happened. I wanted to know and wanted answers. I wanted certainty in my life, I wanted control.
We moved forward and Brian kept searching and interviewing. I continued to pray. Some days the prayer seemed hard and I just wanted answers and I wanted them now! Wow, I felt like a little kid who is learning patience. Then, I thought of the words I told Julianne so many times to cheer her up and calm her down, "Enjoy each day we have here. Focus on each day and don't worry about the future". Wow, that is what I needed to do. From there I decided that I needed to do that. Have fun, hang out with friends, play, swim, and enjoy the time.
But still, I wondered why he didn't get the job that seemed such a good fit. Today though, I know why...God had better plans for us! We could not see the future to know that we WOULD have the chance to move back to the Sioux Falls area. God did know and while getting us there he has taken us on an amazing journey and blessed us with 3 wonderful children.
We thank each of you who have blessed our lives along our journey. We thank God for each of you.
We have a lot to look forward to with this next move, but we also will shed some tears as we move away from some great friends.
Brian will be starting his new job next week. The kiddos and I will be hanging out in Chillicothe. We have a house to sell. So, the uncertainty continues, but I know that God has a plan and I will wait to see what he has for us. I am blessed to be living life each day and look forward to all the fun times ahead!
When Brian and I got married and he graduated with his Masters for Minnesota, we believed that living in or real close to Sioux Falls would not be a reality. Brian loves rural healthcare and what it has to offer. I accepted this and we went on. I thought that if we ever lived within 2 hours we would be lucky.
After graduating he took a job with Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City and we lived in Warrensburg while I got my Master's degree. Next we moved to Trenton and he worked for Wright Memorial Hospital. Brian's third job was with Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe. We thought we would be in Chillicothe for quite some time. In fact, when we made it to the 2 year mark I was so excited. It seemed he changed jobs about every 2 years and that meant a move.
And while we made it past the 2 year mark in Chillicothe, this spring life changed. Brian started looking for a new job. After a few months of praying, worrying, looking, and more praying he found a position with Avera. The position he found wasn't the right fit, but it led him to the position he will be starting. Unfortunately that story and job search isn't quite that easy.
While I prayed, I also cried. I don't like the unknown, uncertainty, or change. But really, who does? He did interviews, both on the phone and in-person. We even made a trip to Columbus, Nebraska as a family so we could see the town, look around and found out what it had to offer. The position Brian interviewed for seemed a perfect fit. The town was very nice and had a lot to offer to our family. I thought to myself, I could live here. Then we got the dreaded call, he didn't get the job, they hired the other candidate. I questioned that day why this happened. I wanted to know and wanted answers. I wanted certainty in my life, I wanted control.
We moved forward and Brian kept searching and interviewing. I continued to pray. Some days the prayer seemed hard and I just wanted answers and I wanted them now! Wow, I felt like a little kid who is learning patience. Then, I thought of the words I told Julianne so many times to cheer her up and calm her down, "Enjoy each day we have here. Focus on each day and don't worry about the future". Wow, that is what I needed to do. From there I decided that I needed to do that. Have fun, hang out with friends, play, swim, and enjoy the time.
But still, I wondered why he didn't get the job that seemed such a good fit. Today though, I know why...God had better plans for us! We could not see the future to know that we WOULD have the chance to move back to the Sioux Falls area. God did know and while getting us there he has taken us on an amazing journey and blessed us with 3 wonderful children.
We thank each of you who have blessed our lives along our journey. We thank God for each of you.
We have a lot to look forward to with this next move, but we also will shed some tears as we move away from some great friends.
Brian will be starting his new job next week. The kiddos and I will be hanging out in Chillicothe. We have a house to sell. So, the uncertainty continues, but I know that God has a plan and I will wait to see what he has for us. I am blessed to be living life each day and look forward to all the fun times ahead!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
A crazy update...
Wow, how crazy life has been! We are going thru a lot of changes in our lives and are looking forward to the adventures that lay ahead. Brian left this morning for a conference in Chicago. He will be back Thursday night. Friday morning he leaves for another conference, this time he is only going to Jeff City and will be back early Saturday evening.
We had Will's ears checked last night. His left ear is clear, yeah! Unfortunately his right ear is still pink. The doctor did not prescribe any antibiotics, he wanted us to check in with Will's pediatrician first. Though Dr. H said that he wouldn't be surprised if his right ear had an infection again in 2-3 days, ugh!! So, this morning I called Dr. Burgert's (our pediatrician) office to let them know. I had to go through the whole story of the ear infections and burst ear drums, I knew I put it all on the calendar for a reason! The nurse told me she was going to pull Will's chart, talk to Dr. Burgert and give me a call back. I am anticipating a trip to KC for us this week. If we do it will be a quick and crazy trip as I am the taxi driver for everything this week for the girls and it is not a light week. Oh well, it is part of motherhood and I love to watch my girls be involved in things, so they are social, disciplined, learn, and most importantly have fun!
I will keep you posted as to what I find out with his ears, but the understanding I have from Dr. Burgert, Dr. H and a few nurses is that Will is a candidate for tubes. Hopefully I will know more within the next couple of days because I am getting worn out with all these ear infections!
Here are the stats for Will's ears:
Feb. 8 - Ear infection #1, right ear only
Feb. 12 - Finish first antibiotic (5 day treatment)
Feb. 14 - Both ear drums burst
Feb. 15 - start antibiotic ear drops
Feb. 22 - end antibiotics
Feb. 23 - 4 month check-up, ears given a clean bill
Feb. 27 - ear infection in both ears, start Augmentin
March 8 - finish the augmentin, now has a rash, start benadryl
March 11 - Rash is gone, talk to Dr. Burgert's nurse, Will is probably allergic to Augmentin (further talks lead to allergic to penicillin)
March 12 - ear infection in both ears, start Bactrim
March 22 - done with Bactrim and had his ears checked; left ear looks great, right ear is still pink
March 23 - Talked with nurse at Dr. Burgert's office, waiting to hear from Dr. Burgert
As you can see Will has been on some type of antibiotic for around 32 days of the last 43! I am not liking this at all. Hopefully we will get something figured out so my little guy can get better. He was sleeping thru the night until the ear infections started, now he is up 1-2 times a night. I know I should not complain about this since I have friends who are up more than that during the night, but it is hard to regress from sleeping thru the night!
Please say a prayer for Will to get those little ears all healed up. Also, a prayer for Benjamin and Isaac that they both get well and stay healthy!
Love,
Becca
We had Will's ears checked last night. His left ear is clear, yeah! Unfortunately his right ear is still pink. The doctor did not prescribe any antibiotics, he wanted us to check in with Will's pediatrician first. Though Dr. H said that he wouldn't be surprised if his right ear had an infection again in 2-3 days, ugh!! So, this morning I called Dr. Burgert's (our pediatrician) office to let them know. I had to go through the whole story of the ear infections and burst ear drums, I knew I put it all on the calendar for a reason! The nurse told me she was going to pull Will's chart, talk to Dr. Burgert and give me a call back. I am anticipating a trip to KC for us this week. If we do it will be a quick and crazy trip as I am the taxi driver for everything this week for the girls and it is not a light week. Oh well, it is part of motherhood and I love to watch my girls be involved in things, so they are social, disciplined, learn, and most importantly have fun!
I will keep you posted as to what I find out with his ears, but the understanding I have from Dr. Burgert, Dr. H and a few nurses is that Will is a candidate for tubes. Hopefully I will know more within the next couple of days because I am getting worn out with all these ear infections!
Here are the stats for Will's ears:
Feb. 8 - Ear infection #1, right ear only
Feb. 12 - Finish first antibiotic (5 day treatment)
Feb. 14 - Both ear drums burst
Feb. 15 - start antibiotic ear drops
Feb. 22 - end antibiotics
Feb. 23 - 4 month check-up, ears given a clean bill
Feb. 27 - ear infection in both ears, start Augmentin
March 8 - finish the augmentin, now has a rash, start benadryl
March 11 - Rash is gone, talk to Dr. Burgert's nurse, Will is probably allergic to Augmentin (further talks lead to allergic to penicillin)
March 12 - ear infection in both ears, start Bactrim
March 22 - done with Bactrim and had his ears checked; left ear looks great, right ear is still pink
March 23 - Talked with nurse at Dr. Burgert's office, waiting to hear from Dr. Burgert
As you can see Will has been on some type of antibiotic for around 32 days of the last 43! I am not liking this at all. Hopefully we will get something figured out so my little guy can get better. He was sleeping thru the night until the ear infections started, now he is up 1-2 times a night. I know I should not complain about this since I have friends who are up more than that during the night, but it is hard to regress from sleeping thru the night!
Please say a prayer for Will to get those little ears all healed up. Also, a prayer for Benjamin and Isaac that they both get well and stay healthy!
Love,
Becca
Thursday, February 4, 2010
"Life's A Dance"
John Michael Montgomery: "Life's a dance you learn as you go, sometimes you lead sometimes you follow, don't worry about what you don't know life's a dance you learn as you go."
This chorus and the rest of the song has been going thru my head for the last 4 or 5 days. It is so true, but sometimes so hard to remember.
Life has been a bit crazy for us over the last 2 weeks. Brian had been working extra hours to inform people about the new hospital and encouraging them to vote yes on the ballot issue. Julianne has had a number of activities (we don't say yes to everything, but they all seem to happen at once), I was without my Suburban for 27 days, I took Katelyn and Will to see Elmo in KC, Julianne has a cold she can't get rid of and now Brian and I both have it (knock on wood Katelyn and Will seem to be healthy - just a little cough), and finally the new hospital did not get approved by the voters of Chillicothe.
I know that I just need to put all these things in perspective and remember that we are a family who loves each other and will continue to move forward, getting stronger each step of the way.
The questions of the past few days: Where does the hospital go from here? What about you?
The answers: The hospital comittee will regroup and figure it out. Probably some renovations, but who knows. As for us, we just keep putting one foot in front of the other and move forward. We enjoy the community of Chillicothe, we are a part of it.
Okay, so that is my soapbox, I am sure I could say more, but I don't want to say things I may regret or give the wrong impression...I just want to continue forward loving and caring for my family the best possible way I know.
Enough of thise. I have the pictures downloaded and I am going to work on blogging about the kids and our family time!
This chorus and the rest of the song has been going thru my head for the last 4 or 5 days. It is so true, but sometimes so hard to remember.
Life has been a bit crazy for us over the last 2 weeks. Brian had been working extra hours to inform people about the new hospital and encouraging them to vote yes on the ballot issue. Julianne has had a number of activities (we don't say yes to everything, but they all seem to happen at once), I was without my Suburban for 27 days, I took Katelyn and Will to see Elmo in KC, Julianne has a cold she can't get rid of and now Brian and I both have it (knock on wood Katelyn and Will seem to be healthy - just a little cough), and finally the new hospital did not get approved by the voters of Chillicothe.
I know that I just need to put all these things in perspective and remember that we are a family who loves each other and will continue to move forward, getting stronger each step of the way.
The questions of the past few days: Where does the hospital go from here? What about you?
The answers: The hospital comittee will regroup and figure it out. Probably some renovations, but who knows. As for us, we just keep putting one foot in front of the other and move forward. We enjoy the community of Chillicothe, we are a part of it.
Okay, so that is my soapbox, I am sure I could say more, but I don't want to say things I may regret or give the wrong impression...I just want to continue forward loving and caring for my family the best possible way I know.
Enough of thise. I have the pictures downloaded and I am going to work on blogging about the kids and our family time!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
It's been awhile!
Okay, so it's been a little while since my last update. I think I will get to the blog later today or tomorrow at the latest and then it doesn't happen. I guess that is the life of a mom with 3 kids! We have been very busy these past few weeks and each day brings new joy, new experiences, and new challenges. I love every minute of life, but wow somedays I wish it would just slow down!
I know that we choose to do what we do, but even if we choose to stay home the time flies by! At home we read books, color, play games, pick up toys, do laundry, and many other things. Each of these items may only last 10 minutes, but 10 minutes doing 10 different things really adds up!
Okay, so enough of that. I am going to get busy and add some new pictures and blog about what we have been up to.
Love,
Becca
I know that we choose to do what we do, but even if we choose to stay home the time flies by! At home we read books, color, play games, pick up toys, do laundry, and many other things. Each of these items may only last 10 minutes, but 10 minutes doing 10 different things really adds up!
Okay, so enough of that. I am going to get busy and add some new pictures and blog about what we have been up to.
Love,
Becca
Friday, January 22, 2010
Yeah, it's the weekend!
So glad to say it is the weekend! I am hoping Brian doesn't have to work nearly as much this weekend as he did this week. We had a good night tonight. We celebrated Brian and Mary Kay's birthdays with a wonderful meal. We had steaks, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, deviled eggs, acini de pepe salad, bread, stuffed mushrooms, and pound cake for dessert. Tonight was a night of small portions! We now have leftovers for the weekend. Happy Birthday Brian and Mary Kay!
My goal this weekend is to transfer video from the camcorder to the computer and onto the blog. Wish me luck. Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Naps: A peaceful time for Mom!
Ah, the peaceful time during naptime. So, on days when I am lucky I get both Will and Katelyn down for a nap around the same time. During the week it is probably 3 out of 5 days that they nap at he same time, usually about 45 minutes of overlap. I love these days. I have time to do what I want and usually complete what I am working on in the first attempt. It is also a time for me to enjoy peace and quiet and to clear my mind. Sometimes I use it for a nice, long shower. Other times I clean. Sometimes I take a nap myself. Each day is different, so it just depends on my mood and how the kids were in the morning. On January 14th, both Will and Katelyn napped at the same time. They looked so peaceful sleeping and I was able to get a lot accomplished. I cherish my children and the moments of serenity!
Today, is not one of those days...Katelyn isn't wanting to nap. Oh well, at least Will is. Good news is, bedtime should be real easy tonight!
Katelyn resting
Will resting
Today, is not one of those days...Katelyn isn't wanting to nap. Oh well, at least Will is. Good news is, bedtime should be real easy tonight!
Katelyn resting
Will restingTuesday, January 12, 2010
Happy Anniversary to us!
Yep, that's right...today is Brian and I's eight year wedding anniversary! I remember it like it was a year or two ago, not 8. It was a beautiful day...the sun was shining, it was around 50 degrees, and there was some snow on the ground.
I got up around 8 or 9 in the morning. I headed, with my sister Rachel, to the hairstylist. We met Brianne, Jenny, Jacki, and Breanna there. We all got our hair done and that headed our separate directions. Rachel and I went back to our Mom and Dad's house, got a little lunch, packed up everything I needed to get ready at the church and off we went. My bridal party met at the church and got ready. We shared some laughter and talked. After getting ready, we headed to the Sanctuary for pictures. The photographer took some pictures of me. Then, they blindfolded Brian and Chris (his bestman & brother) led him into the sanctuary to see me. He stood there, I was looking at him, anxious to be his wife. He removed the blindfold and just looked at me. We stood there for a moment and to me it was like no one was around at that split second. Soon thereafter we hustled thru pictures.
At some point, I can't remember what time, we needed to leave the Sanctuary because guests were arriving. We went and took a few more pictures. After the few pictures wdmas e headed our separate ways, for the last few minutes as Becca Maiwald and Brian Johnston. I waited and headed, in a round-about way, to the back of the Sanctuary. I had my Dad and sister with me, along with my other bridesmaids and flower girl. My Mom was sitting upfront already. I waited as the music played and my bridesmaids and groomsmen walked forward. Pretty soon the music stopped and it was my turn. I started to cry, no surprise to those who know me. I looked forward and there were all these friends and family members there watching me. I don't remember too much of walking down the aisle.
I am now up front, I have eye contact with Brian. I can't believe it is finally here, I am getting married! The ceremony was beautiful. We wrote our own vows and shared them with each other. We had 2 songs played at our wedding...Destiny by Jim Brickman and The Wedding Song by Paul Stokey. We had our Mom's light candles and from those we lit our wedding candle. Though we didn't have traditional candles. We had "oil lamp" candles. I had them engraved for our special day. We also shared flowers with our grandmothers in remembrance of our grandfathers...4 grandmas joined us at our wedding, and 4 grandpas with us in spirit!
After the ceremony the bridal party got in a limo and headed to Falls Park. We enjoyed our time there by taking a few pictures and enjoying the weather. After a short time there, we got back in the limo and headed to our reception. The reception as at All Occassions in Tea. We walked in and it was beautiful. I loved the look of the whole place and could feel the love of all our family and friends there. We came in and were announced as Mr. & Mrs. Brian Johnston.
Next it was dinner time, what more can I say except that we enjoyed good food.
be
After dinner it was time to dance. We did a lot of dancing! I don't remember too many details from dancing, but I do remember a few things. 1. Brianne had a glowstick break in his mouth. 2. Stacey caught my bouquet. 3. Chris caught the garter. 4. The Pike serenaded me. 5. Brian drank alcohol from his shoe (Thanks to one of his Minnesota classmates). These are the highlights of what I remember.
It was a great night. I think it is safe to say a lot of fun was had by many!! Brian and I headed off to our first night as Mr. & Mrs. Brian Johnston.
Thanks to everyone who joined us on this wonderful day, those who were there in thought, and those who have shown us support. We thank God for all our wonderful family and friends who are part of our lives
And to you Brian, thanks for the wonderful journey we have been on since the day we met (did you ever find those keys?). I look forward to see what our future holds and the path we take! I love you very much.
Love,
Becca
PS. When I told Brian about this, he shared with me his most vivid memory of the weekend. Here it is, in his words: "I remember Pastor Tim looking at us and telling us there will be no alcohol consumed before the wedding. If I find out that you have had even a drink you are out of here and that includes you (Pastor Tim looked directly at me (Brian)).
I got up around 8 or 9 in the morning. I headed, with my sister Rachel, to the hairstylist. We met Brianne, Jenny, Jacki, and Breanna there. We all got our hair done and that headed our separate directions. Rachel and I went back to our Mom and Dad's house, got a little lunch, packed up everything I needed to get ready at the church and off we went. My bridal party met at the church and got ready. We shared some laughter and talked. After getting ready, we headed to the Sanctuary for pictures. The photographer took some pictures of me. Then, they blindfolded Brian and Chris (his bestman & brother) led him into the sanctuary to see me. He stood there, I was looking at him, anxious to be his wife. He removed the blindfold and just looked at me. We stood there for a moment and to me it was like no one was around at that split second. Soon thereafter we hustled thru pictures.
At some point, I can't remember what time, we needed to leave the Sanctuary because guests were arriving. We went and took a few more pictures. After the few pictures wdmas e headed our separate ways, for the last few minutes as Becca Maiwald and Brian Johnston. I waited and headed, in a round-about way, to the back of the Sanctuary. I had my Dad and sister with me, along with my other bridesmaids and flower girl. My Mom was sitting upfront already. I waited as the music played and my bridesmaids and groomsmen walked forward. Pretty soon the music stopped and it was my turn. I started to cry, no surprise to those who know me. I looked forward and there were all these friends and family members there watching me. I don't remember too much of walking down the aisle.
I am now up front, I have eye contact with Brian. I can't believe it is finally here, I am getting married! The ceremony was beautiful. We wrote our own vows and shared them with each other. We had 2 songs played at our wedding...Destiny by Jim Brickman and The Wedding Song by Paul Stokey. We had our Mom's light candles and from those we lit our wedding candle. Though we didn't have traditional candles. We had "oil lamp" candles. I had them engraved for our special day. We also shared flowers with our grandmothers in remembrance of our grandfathers...4 grandmas joined us at our wedding, and 4 grandpas with us in spirit!
After the ceremony the bridal party got in a limo and headed to Falls Park. We enjoyed our time there by taking a few pictures and enjoying the weather. After a short time there, we got back in the limo and headed to our reception. The reception as at All Occassions in Tea. We walked in and it was beautiful. I loved the look of the whole place and could feel the love of all our family and friends there. We came in and were announced as Mr. & Mrs. Brian Johnston.
Next it was dinner time, what more can I say except that we enjoyed good food.
be
After dinner it was time to dance. We did a lot of dancing! I don't remember too many details from dancing, but I do remember a few things. 1. Brianne had a glowstick break in his mouth. 2. Stacey caught my bouquet. 3. Chris caught the garter. 4. The Pike serenaded me. 5. Brian drank alcohol from his shoe (Thanks to one of his Minnesota classmates). These are the highlights of what I remember.
It was a great night. I think it is safe to say a lot of fun was had by many!! Brian and I headed off to our first night as Mr. & Mrs. Brian Johnston.
Thanks to everyone who joined us on this wonderful day, those who were there in thought, and those who have shown us support. We thank God for all our wonderful family and friends who are part of our lives
And to you Brian, thanks for the wonderful journey we have been on since the day we met (did you ever find those keys?). I look forward to see what our future holds and the path we take! I love you very much.
Love,
Becca
PS. When I told Brian about this, he shared with me his most vivid memory of the weekend. Here it is, in his words: "I remember Pastor Tim looking at us and telling us there will be no alcohol consumed before the wedding. If I find out that you have had even a drink you are out of here and that includes you (Pastor Tim looked directly at me (Brian)).
Monday, January 11, 2010
Another day...a busy day!
Today started off as an early day. Katelyn was the first one up at 5:45 am! I got up with her, got her on the potty (she has stayed dry 4 nights in a row), and took her back to her room in hopes of getting her back to sleep. I even layed down with Katelyn, something I have done only 1 or 2 other times in the last 6 months. Unfortunately I was not successful. As I lay there awake with Katelyn I am not sure what time it is, but I am thinking I am going to be quite tired because I stayed up too late getting things done around the house. Just as I think I will put a cartoon on for her so I can sleep for another half-hour I hear Will. He has been asleep for about 10 hours and is going to be very hungry. I get out of Katelyn's bed and head to Will's room. I look at the clock and it is now about 6:15am. I can't believe I was laying withKatelyn for a half hour. As I am changing Will I hear her in the hallway. I get Will changed and head to my room to nurse him. I get comfortable and start to nurse Will. Katelyn climbs up into the bed with me...I am thinking there is hope, she is going to go back to sleep. I wasn't that lucky...she didn't go back to sleep. After nursing Will, he layed on the bed just relaxing cooing. Katelyn cuddled up next to Will...what a joyous moment! If I only had a camera with me at that time, but I couldn't ruin the moment and go get it.
At some point Brian went and woke Julianne up for school. Boy was I glad she was going back to school today (to be honest, I think she was very excited also!). She came into my room and said good morning. It was wonderful, she was in a great and loving mood. What a great way to start the week, even if I did get woke up at 5:45am. Julianne got ready for school and I dozed off and on as Katelyn and Will snuggled with me. Julianne and Brian came in and said goodbye. Off they went to school and work. Alright, it is time to start the day, motivate, and cross things off my to-do list.
Negative, that wasn't about to happen. My head hurt and I couldn't keep my eyes open. It is now about 8:15 and I am ready for a nap and hoping Katelyn is too. Will is definitely ready for a nap. So, I nurse him for a few minutes and rock him to sleep. I go and lay Will down in his crib. Oh, I want to hold him and cuddle with him while he sleeps. I don't because he won't nap as well and he really does like his sleep. I also know I need to spend some time with Katelyn during Will's nap.
So, I crawl back in to bed to cuddle with Katelyn. She is loving this. We watch the news and pretty soon she is waking me up asking to watch Mickey Mouse. I am tired and would love a half-hour of sleep so I oblige. I turn on Mickey Mouse and fall back asleep. Well, it isn't the most quality time with her, but it will have to do at this point! So 2 cartoons later, I wake up. I am still tired, but I do feel better. Katelyn is happy she got to watch Mickey Mouse.
Now it is time to be productive. I need to get the laundry going, clean some more, and play with the kiddos. I start working, Katelyn is helping me...boy does she love to clean! We clean, fold some laundry, and enjoy some time together. I love it! Will gets up from his nap and I get him. I nurse him once again and then put him down for some tummy and back time. Katelyn loves it and talks to him. I now realize it is 12:45 and we haven't had lunch. My how time flies! I get Katelyn lunch and tell her after lunch it is nap time. She says okay. So, she sits down for lunch and eats a few bites...I can't get her to eat any more, but she does drink most of her milk.
Now, it is nap time. I am hoping this goes smooth and quick. She has been up for almost 8 hours...she should be tired. We go to her room, get her a sleeping bag down (she wants her flannel sheets back on), get her and her baby tucked in, she starts playing her leapster, and says goodnight. Awesome, she should be asleep in a few minutes. I get Will down for his nap at about the same time. I am thinking great I have 2 hours to be very productive.
I head to the kitchen to get myself some lunch. I get the meat warmed up and my sandwich made, I pull a bag of chips out of the drawer, pour myself a cup of milk, and fill my water bottle. I turn around and there is Katelyn. Why is she not asleep? She has got to be exhausted. I tell her to go back to her room and lay down, if she is not going to sleep she at least has to have quiet time, but please go to sleep! I sit down to eat and Katelyn is out in the family room once again. Please Katelyn go to your room, I will come and get you in 10 minutes. This goes on for the next 10 minutes while I finish my lunch. I give up, you win Katelyn, come on out.
So, Katelyn comes out. I ask her if she wasnts to come outside with me or play downstairs while I shovel. She wants to watch Mickey Mouse. "Fine", I say, "which one?" I really need to get the sidewalk shoveled and work on the driveway. She picks out Mickey saves santa. Great, you watch Mickey Mouse while I got shovel. I tell her to come knock on the window if Will starts crying. I head out to shovel. I work on shoveling snow and chipping ice...wow, the ice is thick! I keep working. Whitney comes home and Julianne is home soon there after. Julianne wants to help shovel, great! She starts shoveling and she is pretty good at it. I keep working and am able to break up quite a bit of the ice on one side of the driveway and on the front stairs. Whitney comes out to tell me Will is starting to cry. "Alright, I will be in in a few." I finish the spot I am working on and head inside.
Once inside, I ask Whitney to change Will and I am going to shower quickly. I am ready in 10 minutes! I grab a cheese stick and juice and then get Will from Whitney. I sit down to nurse Will and it all begins. Julianne and Katelyn begin arguing...they both want to sit on Whitney's lap, but refuse to share her lap. Come on girls, please share...we are heading to Grandma Kay's shortly. How about one of you come and sit with me. Yeah right! Please quit it. Julianne stop, don't do that to your sister. Alright, time out. Please stop. Listen. One more chance and if you don't listen you and I will stay home from Grandma Kay's. I'll listen. Great! Julianne, I told you to stop, come sit by me. Okay. Stop! That's it, you and I are staying home while everyone else goes to dinner at Grandma Kay and Grandpa Dick's. No Mommy, I'll listen. Too late Julianne, I have given you 8 warnings. Just one more. No. I call Brian and ask him to come and get the other 3, Julianne and I are staying home. Sorry Mary Kay, Julianne and I won't be coming. I have to stand my ground on this one. Mommy, just one more chance....lots and lots of crying, whining, screaming!
An hour and a half later Julianne finally settles down. She eats dinner (at our house), has a shower, and gets her pjs on. Does Katelyn get to stay up late? No Julianne, she is going to bed at the regular time. You are going to bed early. It's time to call Grandma Kay and apologize. Okay she says. We call Grandma Kay and she apologizes and starts crying again. I talk to her about what she did and about the consequences. She crawls up into bed. She says she loves me and gives me a hug and a kiss. Wow, as hard as that was, maybe she learned a lesson. I love you too Julianne, now good night.
It is 6:30 and Julianne is asleep! I have a few minutes to myself until the rest of the gang gets home. Ah, I will sit down and relax let's hope I can have a peaceful evening after everything that happened with Julianne.
So now, it is 11:40 and I was hoping to be in bed at 10! Oh well, I wanted to get my thoughts down about the day before I forgot them. Hopefully tomorrow I will get some pictures from this weekend and a few more from Christmas. Happy Tuesday!
At some point Brian went and woke Julianne up for school. Boy was I glad she was going back to school today (to be honest, I think she was very excited also!). She came into my room and said good morning. It was wonderful, she was in a great and loving mood. What a great way to start the week, even if I did get woke up at 5:45am. Julianne got ready for school and I dozed off and on as Katelyn and Will snuggled with me. Julianne and Brian came in and said goodbye. Off they went to school and work. Alright, it is time to start the day, motivate, and cross things off my to-do list.
Negative, that wasn't about to happen. My head hurt and I couldn't keep my eyes open. It is now about 8:15 and I am ready for a nap and hoping Katelyn is too. Will is definitely ready for a nap. So, I nurse him for a few minutes and rock him to sleep. I go and lay Will down in his crib. Oh, I want to hold him and cuddle with him while he sleeps. I don't because he won't nap as well and he really does like his sleep. I also know I need to spend some time with Katelyn during Will's nap.
So, I crawl back in to bed to cuddle with Katelyn. She is loving this. We watch the news and pretty soon she is waking me up asking to watch Mickey Mouse. I am tired and would love a half-hour of sleep so I oblige. I turn on Mickey Mouse and fall back asleep. Well, it isn't the most quality time with her, but it will have to do at this point! So 2 cartoons later, I wake up. I am still tired, but I do feel better. Katelyn is happy she got to watch Mickey Mouse.
Now it is time to be productive. I need to get the laundry going, clean some more, and play with the kiddos. I start working, Katelyn is helping me...boy does she love to clean! We clean, fold some laundry, and enjoy some time together. I love it! Will gets up from his nap and I get him. I nurse him once again and then put him down for some tummy and back time. Katelyn loves it and talks to him. I now realize it is 12:45 and we haven't had lunch. My how time flies! I get Katelyn lunch and tell her after lunch it is nap time. She says okay. So, she sits down for lunch and eats a few bites...I can't get her to eat any more, but she does drink most of her milk.
Now, it is nap time. I am hoping this goes smooth and quick. She has been up for almost 8 hours...she should be tired. We go to her room, get her a sleeping bag down (she wants her flannel sheets back on), get her and her baby tucked in, she starts playing her leapster, and says goodnight. Awesome, she should be asleep in a few minutes. I get Will down for his nap at about the same time. I am thinking great I have 2 hours to be very productive.
I head to the kitchen to get myself some lunch. I get the meat warmed up and my sandwich made, I pull a bag of chips out of the drawer, pour myself a cup of milk, and fill my water bottle. I turn around and there is Katelyn. Why is she not asleep? She has got to be exhausted. I tell her to go back to her room and lay down, if she is not going to sleep she at least has to have quiet time, but please go to sleep! I sit down to eat and Katelyn is out in the family room once again. Please Katelyn go to your room, I will come and get you in 10 minutes. This goes on for the next 10 minutes while I finish my lunch. I give up, you win Katelyn, come on out.
So, Katelyn comes out. I ask her if she wasnts to come outside with me or play downstairs while I shovel. She wants to watch Mickey Mouse. "Fine", I say, "which one?" I really need to get the sidewalk shoveled and work on the driveway. She picks out Mickey saves santa. Great, you watch Mickey Mouse while I got shovel. I tell her to come knock on the window if Will starts crying. I head out to shovel. I work on shoveling snow and chipping ice...wow, the ice is thick! I keep working. Whitney comes home and Julianne is home soon there after. Julianne wants to help shovel, great! She starts shoveling and she is pretty good at it. I keep working and am able to break up quite a bit of the ice on one side of the driveway and on the front stairs. Whitney comes out to tell me Will is starting to cry. "Alright, I will be in in a few." I finish the spot I am working on and head inside.
Once inside, I ask Whitney to change Will and I am going to shower quickly. I am ready in 10 minutes! I grab a cheese stick and juice and then get Will from Whitney. I sit down to nurse Will and it all begins. Julianne and Katelyn begin arguing...they both want to sit on Whitney's lap, but refuse to share her lap. Come on girls, please share...we are heading to Grandma Kay's shortly. How about one of you come and sit with me. Yeah right! Please quit it. Julianne stop, don't do that to your sister. Alright, time out. Please stop. Listen. One more chance and if you don't listen you and I will stay home from Grandma Kay's. I'll listen. Great! Julianne, I told you to stop, come sit by me. Okay. Stop! That's it, you and I are staying home while everyone else goes to dinner at Grandma Kay and Grandpa Dick's. No Mommy, I'll listen. Too late Julianne, I have given you 8 warnings. Just one more. No. I call Brian and ask him to come and get the other 3, Julianne and I are staying home. Sorry Mary Kay, Julianne and I won't be coming. I have to stand my ground on this one. Mommy, just one more chance....lots and lots of crying, whining, screaming!
An hour and a half later Julianne finally settles down. She eats dinner (at our house), has a shower, and gets her pjs on. Does Katelyn get to stay up late? No Julianne, she is going to bed at the regular time. You are going to bed early. It's time to call Grandma Kay and apologize. Okay she says. We call Grandma Kay and she apologizes and starts crying again. I talk to her about what she did and about the consequences. She crawls up into bed. She says she loves me and gives me a hug and a kiss. Wow, as hard as that was, maybe she learned a lesson. I love you too Julianne, now good night.
It is 6:30 and Julianne is asleep! I have a few minutes to myself until the rest of the gang gets home. Ah, I will sit down and relax let's hope I can have a peaceful evening after everything that happened with Julianne.
So now, it is 11:40 and I was hoping to be in bed at 10! Oh well, I wanted to get my thoughts down about the day before I forgot them. Hopefully tomorrow I will get some pictures from this weekend and a few more from Christmas. Happy Tuesday!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
It's snowing again!
Yep, that is right...it is snowing again! I am enjoying the beauty of nature as I look out the windows around me and see the snow falling. I am sure some thing I am crazy, but I do love the snow!
It has been a good morning at the Johnston household. Katelyn and I made pumpkin bread together (I will post pictures later), Will took a good nap, and I even folded some laundry and have more in the washer and dryer.
Now it is time to nurse Will and get him down for his afternoon nap, then it is back to the grind for me. The laundry is calling my name and I want to get some more cleaning done. I love cleaning...it is so refreshing. Last night before bed I looked out to see our garbage and recycling piles and felt proud of myself for everything I had gotten rid of. My new approach is minimalist. Unless it is absolutely needed I won't buy it the first time I see it...I need to wait a few days and revisit it, 95% of the time I don't even go back. Yeah for me.
Well, time to go until later tonight. Hopefully I will get pictures uploaded tonight!
Love,
Becca
It has been a good morning at the Johnston household. Katelyn and I made pumpkin bread together (I will post pictures later), Will took a good nap, and I even folded some laundry and have more in the washer and dryer.
Now it is time to nurse Will and get him down for his afternoon nap, then it is back to the grind for me. The laundry is calling my name and I want to get some more cleaning done. I love cleaning...it is so refreshing. Last night before bed I looked out to see our garbage and recycling piles and felt proud of myself for everything I had gotten rid of. My new approach is minimalist. Unless it is absolutely needed I won't buy it the first time I see it...I need to wait a few days and revisit it, 95% of the time I don't even go back. Yeah for me.
Well, time to go until later tonight. Hopefully I will get pictures uploaded tonight!
Love,
Becca
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