working the night shift

Over the years Ryan & I have been together I have gotten many interesting wake up calls in the middle of the night, and I can assure you I am not referring to breakfast in bed.  There was the time when we were first married and still sleeping on a mattress on the floor when I awoke to Ryan screaming, "don't let Maci on the bed, she's covered in rabbit poop" as she simultaneously jumped onto the bed (don't ask, I still have no idea how it happened) or when we brought Griffin home from the hospital and I woke up to Ry tucking Maci into Griffin's bassinet instead of Griffin.  That one still throws me into a fit of laughter, we were SO tired!  My latest wake up call happened at about 2am.  I was being stirred out of sleep by a strange hacking noise.  I no more than opened my eyes when I heard a gag and then my back was all wet.  I immediately realized Griffin was in bed with us and he had just leaned over and puked directly on my back.  When I started screaming for help, Ry rolled over and said, "sweetie, you're dreaming....go back to bed!"  Then he heard the second round coming up and jumped out of bed to our rescue!  Thankfully folks, we have a guest room.  So we got all the puke sheets off our bed, got G in the bath, and got tucked right into a new bed.  He seemed to be fine after that!  Ryan and I sat up for a while recalling sick stories from our childhood...we were appreciating now all the nights up with us our parents spent.  Ahhh, the joys of being a parent.  We realized laying there in the guest room that this is only the first chapter of our up in the night with the kids, pets, ect.  It just made us laugh.  Neither of us do very well in the middle of the night, but with the common goal of getting back in bed and to sleep as soon as possible, we have figured out how to work well together!  

Dever, CO '09

Here are some pics from our much needed "adult get away to act like kids with our friends" trip to Denver!  Every once in a while you just need one of these little getaways to refresh and relax.  There was food, a Nebraska game, excessive amounts of laughter and some tears too, food, a trip to the mountains, shopping (to Ryan's dismay), crafting, sight seeing, a purchased pair of the most amazing black & white striped cherry mittens that I have ever laid eyes on, and most importantly...time to soak up our friends who we would consider more like family, oh and more food (sounds for the most part exactly like what we did in college, some things never change)!  We did miss Griffy like crazy and Casey & Zach probably thought we were nuts when we'd break into little bouts of things he says like, "ca cooooowww" or "momma, hi"!  The time away couldn't have been sweeter, and neither could the little face we came home to!  Love you

 Z & C, thanks for the great weekend!

The WONDERFUL world of WHEELS

Here's some pics of yet another adventure with Charlie & Micha!  This was a free event in Naperville where they literally pulled up a bunch of trucks, cars, vans, a bus, a limo and more and then invited every toddler within a 100 mile radius.  You better believe they all came too...trust me, moms with little boy toddlers have no way of saying no to FREE and TRUCKS!  It was so crowded Erin, MaryBeth & I would probably have had to fight off other crazed parents just to get close to most of the "wheels" but we did find our way over to the front of the fire truck for a quick photo opp!  They loved at least getting to look at them all up close, run around the moving van & take a spin on the hay ride!  

Gotta love that pic of G...he seems to be right at home on "woooooohoooooo, wooooohoooooooo"!

Judges Score: Perfect 10:)

This fall G started gymnastics.  It's his first class that I don't go in with him.  All the moms sit with each other behind a window over looking the gym and gawk over how cute a bunch of 2 year olds attempting to stretch and tumble are.  He absolutely loves the physical part of it (not surprising!) but I am also thrilled to see him wanting to be pat of the group and following directions.  I won't say he doesn't have his moments, but he is doing a great job!  We're already signed up for next session and Ryan even agreed that we should just keep enrolling him until he gets to an advanced enough level that he would need to wear a uni-tard.  Then he's pulling the plug, sorry Griffy!:)

lounging around durning free play

Mastering the bars with his teacher

Everyone's favorite part: the long trampoline into the foam pit!

Finally the seasons have changed full swing from summer to fall (and weather wise it's been a little quicker than most around here would have liked :)!) but like it or not, seasons change.  This year I was absolutely begging them to, but I think it was more in the sense of the season my life has been in.  I have been somewhat stuck in a season that has just worn on me and instead of letting up, it just seems to grind a little harder.  Without rehashing the details, let's just say I am more than ready for my NEW season.  I catch myself thinking, "anytime GOD, I am here, I am ready....bring on the new season...", as if hitting a new stride was just that simple of a request.  I guess in some ways, it is and I do believe that God can change things with the snap of a finger but this time, I am thinking(shoot, and deep down I know) that there is something to be gained from the journey and that seems to be where I am at.

Thankfully, all gray clouds, as they say, really do have a silver lining and I have had many.  Friends to encourage and support me, lots of God moments along the way, an amazing family to love on me and of coarse this little face...

he can drive me crazy but nothing gives me more joy!  

On Thursday we were getting absolutely STIR crazy because we had been couped up and snuggled in from the cold.  I finally decided that the cold, wind and rain were not going to keep us in a moment longer when Griffin and I got done playing with an empty paper towel tube for the 3rd time that morning....dude, we have to get out:)!  So we bundled up and went to the park, which of coarse was freezing, wet and a fine drizzle started just as we pulled in.  I debated turning around but remembered the paper towel tube and put the car in park.  I figured we'd stay a few minuets and then he'd be ready to leave.

I have to say that besides the cold, G and I had the best time at the park....sliding down wet slides, pants soaked, shoes muddy, just the two of us running around the playground like old friends.  It wasn't cold, or wet, or windy...it was just fun.  I was sitting at the top of this giant green slide and looking down at my son in soggy clothes yelling for me to come down and meet him and it hit me why God asks us to have faith like a child.  None of these rainy details once made a difference to G.  The kid could have played all all afternoon and never even paused to notice the outside conditions.  The focus was never once on what wasn't going right, it was just happy to be alive, outside, living in the moment, enjoying the day....all the cliche things that we as adults have to print on cute signs and hang in our office to remind us to CARPE DEIM!  I have a living, breathing, beautiful seize the day sign all of my own who daily reminds me (if I look) that I GET today...to be alive and happy and find the time to play outside even when it's freezing.  

Thank you God for knowing that I need not just a poster or adorable sign with an encouraging quote....but a small little curly haired boy is just the thing to remind me that there's hope and joy even in the seasons of life that we are more than happy to leave behind and that each season does have a sweet spot.  God in his great & infinite knowledge knows just the sweet spot that would spur us on to the rest of the great plans he has for our lives.  Going forward, I am going to try and savor even the smallest of things...like a good ole fashion "JUMP JUMP" on the bed!

"A glad heart is good medicine"

Proverbs 17:22