So far this morning...

I've been...

• Peed on
• Spit up on
• Snotted on
• Sneezed on
• Thrown up on
• and covered in gooey eye matter

all from a poor baby girl who's unfortunately sick.  Yep, its already been quite a day and it is only 8:15 a.m.

Poor Isabelle has been sick pretty much for the last two weeks straight. It has been an adventure and not one I'd like to repeat anytime again soon.

Two weeks ago we noticed she wasn't breathing as she normally does and after at trip to her pediatricians office we learned she had a respiratory infection, and since then she's developed quite a bad cold.

Last night however, when I picked her up from the sitters, the first moment my eyes laid on her, I knew I wouldn't be making it to work today.  It was a very short night, one that I spent more than 2 and a half hours in the boy's bathroom with the shower on as hot as it could be to create a "steam room" so she could breath better, and one where I had to use warm wash clothes on her eyes for several minutes just so she could open them.  I feel so bad for her.  I wish I could take every germ in her body and feel as crappy as she must feel, it it could make her feel better.  If only she could tell me how she felt, where it hurts, what I could do to make her feel better.  But she can't so I can only go with what I remember my mom and grandmother doing for me when I was sick and hope that's enough.

This morning after her second visit to the pediatricians office this week, and being called a frequent flyer, we were given a whole pack of prescriptions and send home with the doctors orders to "stay in all weekend, she's contagious and here's the same prescriptions for the boys.... I'm sure they'll be next and so you might as well get these now, that way you don't have to come back again." 

So home again for a second weekend a row.  In some ways, it feels like a present.  These days, I don't feel like we get to spend enough time at home, it always seems we're racing here or racing there.  It will be a weekend like last, a weekend I call a "relaxing weekend"  Last week when  I told the boys we'd be staying in because Isabelle and Michael were ill, I said, "were going to have a "relaxing weekend"   Right away the boys looked back at me with a puzzled face, "Mom, what does relaxing mean?"  I laughed and thought to myself, I guess we need to slow things down a bit around here.  After sharing with them the meaning of relaxation Gabriel said, "Mom, I bet you are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE this weekend"  Guess he knows me pretty well too.

I just hope after the long weekend we're all back to feeling better, rested up and booger, gooey eye gunk, and sneeze free.

Until next time,
Angie

You know you're a mom of boys when...

You crawl in your bed exhausted at the end of a long day to find sand everywhere in your sheets. Why would some little boy not want to empty his sand filled shoes on his mom and dad’s bed as he watches TV?
You find disguising, crusty and soggy socks behind the dresser in some boy’s room. Why put them in the laundry when you can just as easily discard them to no-wherevile and hope they’re never seen again.

You find toothpaste everywhere in the bathroom except on their toothbrushes . And why not smear toothpaste in a smiley face on the mirror?
You find a “parent note from the teacher ”, a note that you haven’t seen, in the recycle bin with the other school papers.  Why give mom the note the teachers asked to have her sign?  Throwing it in the recycle bin (and not showing your parents) is just as good right?

And finally,

No matter how bad you look, how tired you are or how grumpy you want to feel, to two little boys you are still the best thing in the whole world.  To them you are the prettiest princess and if you don't believe it, or feel it, each morning they greet you with the most sincere and true "Good morning Mom, I love you. and Did you know you look really pretty mom?" 

So that's it, that's how you know.  Okay its actually how I know I'm the mom of two great boys.  Its those mornings like today, when you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders and the short night pull you down.  Within moments of being greeted by such pure happiness and love, its the reminder why this life is so wonderful.  Its the reason why as I crawl into bed to find sand, that I just sigh and enjoy the sandy sheets.  Its the reason why we have 20 socks missing its pair, its the reason why we go through 2 tubes a toothpaste a week and its the reason why the teachers email me instead of sending notes.  Its all because of Gabriel and Michael and I wouldn't change it for anything in the whole world.

Until next time,
Angie

Pretty girls...

The other day I was sorting through old magazines and tossed a bunch in the recycle bin.  They were Southern Living, Pottery Barn catalogs, Rachel Rays Cooking magazine and Parents magazine. What I didn't realize that there was a magazine of great interest to Michael.  I watched him as he walked by the recycle bin and noticed the old Victoria's Secrets catalog on top.  He paused, stood over the recycle bin to stare at the cover, then, with his interest peaked, pulled it out, and walked over and sat on the floor next to Isabelle. 

 

I stood behind the high counter and quietly observed while he started having a conversation with "Isabelle" but in reality himself about the catalog.  It went something like this...

 

Isabelle, do you see all the pretty girls? Yes, they are really pretty aren't they.
See in this picture they are wearing shorts because it is hot outside...

Oh see and in this one Isabelle, the pretty girl is going to go swimming.  Look at how pretty they are.



And page by page followed by descriptive commentary, until....

I couldn't help but interject and asked, "Michael, what are you doing?"

To which he responded, "Mom, I'm showing Isabelle all the pretty girls, so she knows how to dress when she's not a baby."

 

"Nice cover" I thought to myself, but smiled and instead said, "Well that's nice Michael."

 

Until next time,

Angie

First day of school 2012

I wrote this post back on August 6th and I guess in the chaos I forgot to publish it.  So although a few weeks late, it still covers the highlights of their first day. 

 

So today we sent the boys off to begin their first day of school.  School this year kind of snuck up on us, so we didn't make as big of deal of this this year as we did last year.  Perhaps we were wishing the summer didn't go by so quickly either.

But this morning the boys got up, got ready and were excited to begin their first day of school.  And just because Mom insists on taking pictures each year, here are a few of the photos we snapped before the boys insisted we go, so they weren't late.

And once we arrived at school, Gabriel was off, perfectly fine to be on his own playing on the playground and beginning his hunt for "Hannah" once again.  Meanwhile we got to accompany Michael inside to his classroom on the first day.  Outside of his room, we found the below welcome. 

He was excited about it and he stood by his name.

Then he admired the Donald Duck holding his "Michael" balloon.

Once inside the classroom he started unloading his backpack and following the instructions given by Mrs. Wurtz.

From this picture, it was clear he was in the zone, trying to do what he was told.

Meanwhile Dad snapped pictures, he's a quick moment when he stopped to give dad his "strong" face.

And put stuff in his cubby, before going to the carpet for a final story.  The Kissing  Hand, a great story for kids and parents.  I think it leaves more parents in tears rather than the kids, but anyway it was enjoyable.  Following the story, we kissed good bye and went on our way.

Jarrett and I both said we thought about the boys often today and wondered what they were doing at different moments.  In some ways I think the beginning of the school year is just as nerve racking for the parents as the kids.  We hope they both have a fun and enjoyable school year, where they learn a lot, meet lots of great friends and try their best. 

We shall see how the year goes, but so far we are off to a great start.  Michael brought home a green report (meaning he had a great day according to his teacher) and Gabriel was thrilled with his first day.  I think his exact words were, "Mom-- I got to see Hannah ALOT!"

Until next time,

Angie

A good question...

The boys ask a lot of questions.  I guess that is their way of learning more about the world and the many topics that interest them. 

Most of the questions they ask I can answer, however there are many I have no idea how to.

Take for example Gabriel's question this morning as I was getting ready for work and he was getting dressed for school, "Mom, where do dreams come from?  pause And how come you dream what you dream?" Still in a complete stage of grogginess I answered, "I have no idea Gabriel." which thankfully he accepted, before walking over to his sleeping dad and whispered, "Dad, where do dreams come from?"

And then there are Michael's questions, "Mom, does God live above the North Pole?"   "Yes Michael he does."  "Well, mom if the North Pole is the top of the Earth, then how can God live above that?"  Again I use my standard response, "Michael that is a good question." 

And then tonight as the boys and I were folding the towels from the laundry, I asked them to help me put the kitchen towels away.  As Gabriel picked up the dishtowels I noticed there was a bath washcloth in his pile.  I said, "Gabriel you have a washcloth for our faces when we shower, can you please put that in the hall closet?"  At which point Michael looked at Gabriel to see what cloth I was talking about, and then looked at me and asked, "Mom, can I call it a buttcloth since I wash my butt with it?"  I smiled, sighed (good to know he's washing all his "parts" like I've asked) and replied, "Michael, that is a good question, I suppose you can call it that if you'd like.  As as he strolled on to put the bath towels away, I made a mental note to keep the boy's washcloths separate from all the others.

Oh the questions they ask.

Until next time,
Angie

6 months...

With everything going on this last week, (the start of school, Michael’s first day at kindergarten, our anniversary), we actually had another milestone in our home that didn't get the same amount of attention but is still important. Little Isabelle turned 6 months!


As with every month before, I’ll repeat myself in saying, where has the time gone? It is hard to believe our little baby can already be 6 months, ½ a year, 182 days old.  But 6 month she is, and even though it makes me a bit sad to see with my own eyes that she’s growing so quickly, I do have to admit with each milestone there are so many changes, so many new things, that in a way, it is a lot of fun too.

Isabelle now weighs 14 lbs 10 oz and is 27 1/2 inches long.  According to the doctors office, she is in the 20th percentile for weight and 95th percentile for height.  Growing 7 1/2 inches in 6 months, I have a feeling she'll pass her mom's height at a very young age.  She continues to be very healthy and the doctors says she is on track developmentally.  So that is always reassuring (you know two people who've never cared for a baby and often times feel like they are clueless).

Now that Isabelle is six months she’s so interactive and communicative, of course in her own way. She LOVES to talk. From the moment she wakes up in the morning until the moment she rubs her eyes for the last time of the day falling asleep, the girl is making noises of one kind or another. From yelling when she’d like someone to pay attention to her, to babbling on and on to her toys. One of her favorites is a singing yellow bee that for some reason plays Christmas songs. It has joined our nightly family dinners now for several weeks now. As she sits in her high chair she talks to the bee, smiles at him while he sings “What Child is This” and giggles when he makes the “buzzing” sound. It really is quite an interesting toy but she loves it so we listen to Christmas songs in August. It is pretty funny to watch because I really think she thinks the bee is alive.

Another one of Isabelle’s greatest toys is no other than Jack. Jack the dog, (as Michael calls him) has attracted a fan, and he’s not so sure of her complete infatuation yet. Isabelle LOVES Jack. When we walk in the door every night after school and work, Jack races to greet us. The minute Isabelle hears the ringing of Jack’s two collars, she turns her head around and looks for him. When she spots him, jumping around, wiggling his body, she lets out the most joyous sound I’ve ever heard. It is the biggest belly laugh and giggle as she plain out thinks Jack is hilarious. With every move he makes, she follows him and giggles continuously. It is so cute and completely precious, I look forward to it every day. The boys love hearing it too as they always ask me, “Mom, can you do that thing with Jack to make Isabelle laugh?” If only they realized, I don’t do a thing, but walk around carrying Isabelle which makes Jack follow me. When I hear her laugh, it makes every worry, every stressor disappear. To me hearing my baby laugh is one of life’s greatest gifts.

Isabelle has also in the last month started eating oatmeal cereal. We started just after she turned 5 months and it has been going really well. She actually LOVES her oatmeal and has figured out that when she’s put in her high chair not only will she get the bee but also some yummy dinner. Actually from the first time we tried she did a pretty good job figuring out the spoon but by now has mastered it. She’s now figured out she can make noises, her favorite MMMMMM, in between bites as a signal that mom needs to shovel it in faster. When we started the cereal eating I figured I’ve pictures of her with food all over the place. So far she’s been pretty good at just keeping it in her mouth and on her cheeks. We’ll be moving onto vegetable soon, so we shall see how that goes.

As I mentioned in Isabelle’s five month update, her desire to stand has grown even more. Although she doesn’t have a lot of interest in sitting up, she has put all of her interest into standing. The girl can’t stand enough. If you are holding her, she wants to stand, if you put her on her play mat, she wants to stand. I have a feeling, if it is possible, she’ll just go from rolling over to walking. Thankfully we have also acquired a bouncer activity center which keeps her entertained many times throughout the day.  In fact, the bouncer is almost a continuous noise in our home.... if Isabelle's awake plan to hear banging, banging banging as she bounces continuously.  Oh and while she bounces she likes to scream, yell and talk louder than the activity center.  Sometimes she so loud the boys cover their ears and she just keeps on.

Since she was born there hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I’ve thought to myself, “Man time is going so fast, I wish it could just slow down a bit.”  And that is true more than ever now that I'm working full time.  Each day I feel like she changes, learns something new, and grows in a different way.  I feel guilty for missing out on so many critical hours and think about her constantly when I'm at work. Selfishly I wish I could be there to spend every minute with her, as I know she will be our only baby experience.  And even though it is tiring and challenging at times, having a baby is honestly the best experience ever.  When I feel guilty and wish I was there with her during every day, I remind myself I'm also doing my duty to help my family and by working, we are able to better make ends meet. 
So off to work I go.

Thankfully we've have a great neighbor who is a stay at home mom and has agreed to watch Isabelle while we are at work.  We are still trying to figure out a new schedule with her and I think it has been a more challenging transition than we originally thought it would be.  But we'll get there and hopefully soon we'll all feel into a new schedule so baby, mom/dad, and care giver all in sync.

In other news Isabelle has decided to go from her normal 7 hours of sleeping a night to waking up at least once but regularly a few times during a night.  Some nights it is just plain comical the amount of hours we spend awake. If it isn't the dog, barking or wanting to go out, it is Isabelle fussing because she wants her pacifier, a bottle or to make sure someone is there to care for her.  As the alarm bellows each morning, Jarrett and I pour ourselves out of bed, complain about how tired we are and don't believe we could be any more tired, and then get ready for work.  We repeat our days, have another sleepless night and wake up the next morning to complain how yesterday we were wrong.. it is possible to be more tired.

 A friend, and mom of three, said her babies have done this too around 6 months when they start cutting teeth and when she first went back to work.  Her hypothesis is that the baby misses the mom/parent and wakes up to find reassurance that the mom is still there.  I'm not sure what Isabelle's reason is for waking up several times throughout the night, but we are brainstorming, and implementing any suggestions for how to go back to the 7 plus hours of sleep.  Until then we walk around half awake and try to function.  Some days, I honestly don't think I could even tell you my name. 

I'm excited to see what her 6 month mark will bring as she is about ready to crawl and embarks on the journey of eating vegetables.  As I sit here tonight writing this, about ready to crash, I reflect back and think about just how wonderful, (tiring but wonderful) the last six months have been.  We've grown together, all of us, to be one happy family, complete with our arguments, our stressful times but in the end, we all truly love one another and wouldn't want anything different.

Two and a half years ago I would have never imagined my life to be the dream I always wanted.  There were many times, I worries, I'd never get to experience the joys of motherhood.  But God answered our prayers, and not only did we get to become parents to two wonderful boys, he also answered our prayers with our baby girl Isabelle.  Life is stressful, tiring, exhausting and sometimes plain out overwhelming but it is truly the best life I could have asked for.  And Isabelle Grace is the perfect addition to our family.

We love her very much and look forward to the next month's adventure.

Until next time,
Angie

He's at it again...

I've blogged before about Michael's talent of balancing multiple things on his body parts.  Well, it turns out Michael's been practicing his skills again.

Here's a photo of his recent balancing test...

He's working on adding more containers of play dough so stay tuned... America's Got Talent here we come (in a few years).

Until next time,
Angie

9 years...

9 years ago on August 9 I married my best friend.

It was a beautiful day, full of love, laughter and happiness shared by many family and friends.

There are so many memories from that day that I cherish. 

I think often about the commitment Jarrett and I made to each other.

I think about the loved ones who were there that day with us,

so many we still have in our lives and others who've left this world and we miss.

Our wedding was a very special day and something I will always cherish,

 but I've come to love another day.

And that day is today. And tomorrow if you'd ask me, I'd tell you that that is my favorite day.  See although our wedding was special, and it serves to be a great reminder of our love, what is more important to me is the person I share my life with.   I've been blessed to get to share my life with a wonderful partner, someone who loves me unconditionally, who supports me in every way and someone who can even drive me crazy when he makes me realize, I'm not always right.

I've learned that in this life, things often don't go as one has planned.  In fact it seems in our life, most things haven't gone as he or I planned.  But looking back, I'm thankful the plan wasn't what we expected, nor exactly what we hoped for.  For in the past 9 years together Jarrett and I have learned to conquer uncomfortable situations, to be strong for each other when the other cannot be, how to look fear and the unknown in the eye and to not be afraid and to always, always believe tomorrow will be a better day.  

In the last 9 years I have learned that we are never promised a tomorrow. We are never guaranteed another anniversary, another date night, another dinner.  When Jarrett was sick, there were many nights I spent praying, hoping we'd get to celebrate our 5 years together, let alone 9 years. And here we are, blessed to have each other, grateful to be healthy and overjoyed at the three children we've been chosen to be parents to.  

How lucky can one person get?  It hasn't always been an easy road getting here but there is one thing that has always been constant.  And that constant, that rock in my life is Jarrett.  How lucky can one girl get.

Happy Anniversary, I love you.

Until next time,
Angie

Jeremy and Natalie's wedding.

Jeremy & Natalie

August 4, 2012

This past weekend we attended Jarrett's brother, Jeremy's wedding. Jeremy and his fiance Natalie were married on Saturday at their home together with their children and immediate families.  It was a beautiful day; the ceremony was very touching and the reception following was wonderful! 

  It was, for the boys, the first wedding they had ever been too. And with the excitment of the wedding came one large misconception. For I guess, the one thing the boys associate a wedding with is kissing and at their age, kissing is "gross". Thankfully we quickly cleared up that a wedding is so much more than just a kiss.

 Here they are minutes before the ceremony began.

 Bennett, Jeremy's middle child, and I have been buddies for quite a while.    He, and his siblings Julie and Alex, looked very precious all dressed up in their formal attire. 

 The ceremony was held in the newleyweds new home and was officiated by the pastor of their church.

And here's the "I know pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss your bride part."  This is the part of the wedding the boys were obsessed with. 

 An after the ceremony laugh with the pastor.

 Uncle Nolan, Jarrett's younger brother,  also happens to be very good at taking lots of pictures!

 Jarrett's Dad and him enjoying the day. Afer the ceremony we all got to enjoy an amazing meal made by one of Natalie's friends.  They had so much tasty food, I went back multiple times. 

Jarrett and  I volunteered to sit at the kids table, not becuase of the need to watch the kids, we just wanted to be closer to the food so we could easily go back for more!

After lunch the kids enjoyed watching a movie.

 Which was soon abandonded becuase it was more fun to crawl around on each other.

I believe there was even an impromptu wrestling match... which is what i'm sure we would have seen from Jarrett and his brothers when they were this age.

And then came the cake cutting...

Bennett stayed dressed up for most of the day... doesn't he look super cute?

Proud Mom and Dad, taking a picture after the ceremony...

Thank you Jeremy and Natalie for letting us be a part of your special day.  We wish you a lifetime of happiness and love! Congratulations!

Until next time,

Angie

Meet the Teacher...

With summer quickly coming to an end, here in the Valley of the Sun it means the time for school has arrived.  Last Thursday night we loaded up the crew and headed to school to meet Gabriel and Michael's teachers.

It is still hard for me to believe Gabriel is in first grade and Michael will be in Kindergarten.  How can it be that my two small boys, (who weren't actually even that small when we became a family) have grown into kids.  No descriptive text before it, kids.  Not little kids, not small boys, just kids. 

So here we are, watching our two boys transition from preschool into both being in elementary.  In a way we are proud to watch them accomplish things on their own and grow more and more independent, but on the other hand, it is sure enjoyable having them be young too.  I think mom is handling it better than she normally would because she still knows there's one more "little one" at home.

As we arrived at the school, the boys were very determined to carry all of their school supplies themselves. They had meticulously packed and repacked, loaded, unloaded and loaded their backpacks so they had everything in the perfect place. Now they were getting to take it to school to their new classroom. 

In the cafeteria, where we go to get the names of the boys teachers, Michael stayed cautiously by my side, while Gabriel was on the hunt for something more important.... Hannah.  Yep, that's right,  Hannah's back in the picture now that schools back in session and with every blond haired little girl that walked by, Gabriel dragged Dad along to scoop it out and see if indeed it was her. 

Michael asked that I go with him to wait in line for the Kindergarten teacher assignment and when we got to the front of the line, we found Mrs. Garcia at the table. Mrs. Garcia attends our church and was the co-teacher in Gabriel's room last year. Having got to know Gabriel very well, she immediately greeted Michael with a huge welcoming hug and a "Wow Michael, aren't you handsome!" Michael soaked it all up and as Mrs. Garcia told him the name of his teacher, she added that her Granddaughter was going to be in the same kindergarten class. I guess that means Michael will get to see Mrs. Garcia frequently too. I find comfort knowing someone is there with the warm caring touch, like we've had for the past in the boy's preschool teachers, i.e. Ms. Stacey.

So after getting the boy's teachers names we headed off in search of the classroom. On the way Gabriel continued his Hannah hunt stopping outside every classroom to read the names of the kids in the class. Before getting to his class he spotted a classroom, and even though it was for a 5th grade class, he insisted Hannah was in that classroom because there was a Hannah on the roster. Jarrett and I just looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders.

Arriving in Gabriel's classroom, we introduced ourselves to Mrs. Ang and he went to find his seat.  Turns out he and Trinity, a friend from pre-school, and his kindergarten class is also in his new classroom and they are seated right next to each other.  Gabriel situated in his new desk and started unloading his belongings.  He was set.

Next we moved onto to Michael's classroom where we found out he is in a classroom with 27 children.  Yikes!  That is 8 more kids than Gabriel had last year, so we shall see how it works out.  Michael's teacher is an expert at the school, having been there since it opened 25 years ago.  Michael went proudly into the classroom, introduced himself to the teacher and tried to follow the many step instructions as best he could.  As he made his name tag he said hi to the boy, Andrew next to him.  They decided to sit next to one another.  In that moment I felt so proud knowing that my little boy, whose not so little anymore, was ready for school. 

 Gabriel helped Michael and showed him all around the classroom, as if he was an expert at Kindergarten.  Michael willingly followed along.

We spent time looking around the classroom, gathered up the piles of paperwork (parent homework) and left meet the teacher night with the boys feeling excited and ready.  Although its sometimes hard for me to welcomingly accept change, I know it is a must and the boys are excited.  For them, I'm happy. 

Until next time,
Angie

The end of summer...

Back in May I could have never guessed the summer was going to go so fast. In some ways I still feel like we should be looking forward to Memorial Day weekend, not the fast approaching labor day. Instead, the beginning of August is only days away and we are preparing to go back to school. Along with this we are also preparing, actually dreading, having to say good bye to MaeLyn and Aaron’s time in Arizona.

My sister MaeLyn and her, other half, Aaron came out this summer to spend time bonding with our children. In real terms they were our babysitters. We joked all summer about how they were our Nannies and they should start a business called Nanny and Manny Incorporated. I think it has a nice ring to it and we even tried to do some networking for them as we talked to some friends who actually needed a nanny. But Iowa has been their home and they feel called to return to their lives back there, so we prepare to send them back to friends and family who are excited for their return.

There’s that saying it takes a village to raise a child and this summer has taught me just how true it is. While this summer brought my return to full time work, I can’t help but be extremely thankful for having my sister and Aaron here. The stress, emotional toll and overwhelming feeling of balancing full time work, family obligations, home responsibilities and everything else on our plate was made so much easier because of their help. Having them available to assist in anything and everything from changing diapers to helping the boys with school work, to running errands and even cleaning the house. The gifts they gave us, I don’t ever think I’ll be able to repay.

The greatest gift though did not come though from all the chores they did or the errands they ran, the greatest gift they gave us this summer was their time. The bond they built with our boys and little girl will be something Gabriel, Michael and Isabelle (even at 5 months old) will remember for their entire lives. Heck, I’ll remember it and be forever thankful. And although MaeLyn and Aaron had to provide discipline and consequences when bad choices were made, they established a level of respect that the boys have for them and that too is a gift.

This summer has also given Jarrett and I a chance to reconnect with MaeLyn and get to know Aaron better. MaeLyn and I are 10 years apart and we had only met Aaron a couple of times before having him come out. Being so much older than MaeLyn, I’ve always in some ways felt like a second mom to her and this summer I’ve seen her mature and grow in ways that I’ve realized, she doesn’t need a second mom, just being best friends and close sisters is perfect enough. And Aaron, we’ve grown to know and love him after watching him go through a situation more difficult that most people ever have to face in their life, we’ve develop a true sense of honor and respect for his determination and spirit to keep going. Even though he’s witty and able to dish out crap, he’s truly one of the most caring, sincere and thoughtful guys, I’ve ever met. Together they make a great couple.

This summer after almost practically living together, we’ve learned things about one another that will forever unite us. After observing them spend days and weeks perusing through homes for sale on their laptops, research top ranked food places in the valley, introducing me to Pintrest and watching hours and hours of reality TV together, there is no going back. In fact, after Aaron felt comfortable enough to bash my singing skills, we decided he’d love it if I sing Peter Catera’s The Glory of Love at their wedding. Watch out Aaron, don’t doubt me, I’ve been known to make a fool out of myself a time or two before. It just may happen if you dare me.  In case you care to get a preview, here’s Peter …http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWHOF_0-6Hg

Living in Phoenix for the past 7 years and living away from my family for that time has without fault of anyone, resulted in relationships with my family not being as close as they could be. We are not there for the weekend gatherings, the during the week dinners or the casual drop in visits. All of our interactions are over the phone with multiple time changes in between. That is the reality and we realized that unfortunately could happen when we decided to move to Phoenix to begin our careers.

Now that we have children and I realize just how difficult it is to be away from my family, I think back to my childhood and am thankful my parents lived close to my grandparents and extended family. I guess in some ways, being completely honest with myself, those are the days when I wish we could live in both places. But you take what you can get and this summer, I got a taste of what life with my immediate family close by was like. Iit tasted good. And now I wish it was a permanent piece of my life, of our life I too would like to give my children the same gifts I was given (to be close to both grandparents and both sides of the family). But if having those 10 weeks together is all the treat I get, I’m still glad we had it for it was a great summer and I’m forever thankful for them putting their life on hold to help us.

The summer of 2012 will be remembered for many reasons. It was the summer we went to Iowa, to Lake Tahoe and to San Diego all within 5 weeks. It was also the first summer with our baby girl and it was a summer full of many fun and lots of great memories, all thanks to MaeLyn and Aaron.

We love you guys and will miss you terribly.

Remember our house is always open for you and we can’t wait til you come back.

Until next time,
Angie