In case you were wondering...

Hi there! How are you? In case you were wondering... I'm still here!!

In case you were wondering... 2009 was a great year! Not that you would know it by my numerous posts (ha ha) but still, it was a great year.

In case you were wondering... I had a great birthday!! I turned 40 in June with a surprise party thrown by my husband and my very bestest friends!

In case you were wondering... our family trip to Maine in September was one of the best family get-aways that we have ever been on. Todd and I realized that in 10 1/2 years of marriage all of our family vacations have been with extended family or friends. Not once till September did we all get away and stay by ourselves somewhere. Granted we had family to visit but they didn't stay with us or us with them. Get it? Now don't get me wrong, I love staying with friends and family. It's just that something special happens when it is just your own family. We bonded in a way that we never had before. It was so cozy and special.

Hurray for "Team Cousins"

The dock from which Drew tried to push Reed and gave us all a heart attack!The crew with Aunt Sue.
All of us in Bar Harbor.

Lunch after the 1/2 Marathon. I love Ann all the way in the back holding up her lobster.
Look... they can sit nicely together!
Our spot on the coast of Maine. Thanks Aunt Sue!! We loved it here!!!

In case you were wondering... we had a great Thanksgiving at Mom-Mom's and Al's house. We got to hang out with the Pagleys and Todd's cousins, Luke and Brianna.
The boys doing magic tricks in the kitchen.Happy Thanksgiving!

Julianna and Brenna.

In case you were wondering... Christmas was soooo nice! The kids got the Wii they have been dreaming of for years now and we were able to travel to Deep Creek Lake with Robin and Buff and their kids to go tubing at Wisp. We woke up the last morning to blizzard like conditions (the likes of which are rarely seen in my part of Maryland) which thrilled me to no end!! I love snow!!
Julianna and Britney.

Sisters.

Me and my Todd.

Me and my February boys.

Creepy is in this year... glad Todd didn't get that memo!

All the cousins including "Nakey Jakey" who is nose pickin'.

More sisters!
Jake enjoying the tube like a big boy!
Me and my daredevils!

In case you were wondering... New Year's Eve was quiet (New Year's Morning... not so much). We stayed home and enjoyed an evening in. Julianna got to enjoy a sleep over with her cousin Britney. I on the other hand got to enjoy waking up with Britney at 4:30 am to hold her hair as she puked several times till I finally called my dear brother at 6:30am and told him he unfortunately needed to come and get his sick little girl. Good times.

(sorry no pictures here)

In case you were wondering... I posted about a similar night last January. Must be my lot in life to get up in the wee hours with kids (some mine and some not) and care for them as they get sick.

(again... no pictures here)

In case you were wondering... one of my New Year's resolutions is to blog more!!!

You know. Just in case you were wondering!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Why we love our Daddy and why he is the best Daddy ever:

Julianna: I love you Daddy because you taught me how to play basketball and the other day I got 5 baskets while we were playing! I love you because you will always be my special Daddy! I love you because at our special nighttime snuggles I feel like I can talk to you.

Drew: Daddy, I love when you play games with me! You are the best Daddy because I can always count on you and you never let me down. I love you Daddy.

Kyle: Happy Birthday! I love you so much! I'm happy to be at your birthday! I love to do wrestling with you!

Jake: Dada!! Dada!! Ca? (car) Cu? (cup) Fufoo! (used to be Woofoo which means "dog")

Michelle: I love you Todd because you are a man of great character. You work hard to provide for your family. You make me feel like I am the most special woman in the world (or at least your world). You take care of me without questions or grumbling when I am sick or hurt. AND when I "forget" how to change diapers on the weekend you always remember :)

I love you honey! I can't wait for our date tonight! xoxoxo

Out of the mouths of Mom-Mom's babes...

In honor of Mom-Mom's birthday I asked the kids what they love best about their Mom-Mom. Here are their unedited answers!

Julianna (age 8): I think Mom-Mom is great because she takes us all out for our birthdays. She is nice and very fun. She is a great friend and when you write to her she writes you back!

Drew (age 6): The first thing I love about Mom-Mom is that she always takes us out for a special evening when our birthdays are here. I love her because she sometimes always gives us gifts. She always makes me happy when I'm feeling sad!

Kyle (age 5): Happy birthday Mom-Mom, I love you so much that I'm happy to be at your birthday. I love Mom-Mom because she gave me the panda bear. I love M0m-Mom because she played "follow the leader" with us. Thank you for buying me something for my birthday!

Jake (age 1): When asked "Who loves Mom-Mom?" threw up his hands and said, "Meeeeee!!!" but before you get too excited that's what he says when you ask him who loves ice-cream or who loves daddy, etc.

Then he started to whine and cry because he has a fever of 102. Good times!

Yes Julianna's shirt is on inside out. Yes, Kyle is wearing his Bumble Bee Transformer costume. Yes, Jake and Drew are still in their jammies.

Happy Birthday Ann!!

Today is a special day. Today is my mother-in-law's 70th birthday.

Sorry Ann, was that a secret? It shouldn't be. She's the youngest 70 year old I know.

I thought in honor of this special day I would pay a small tribute to this special lady.

I remember the first time I met Ann. I was a little nervous. Todd and I had been dating just a couple of weeks I think. I remember walking to the door of her home thinking about what someone had once told me. They had told me that you can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his mother. That how he treats her is how he will treat you.

Todd introduced me to his Mom and my nervousness evaporated. Talking with her was easy and comfortable. She made me feel so welcome in her home. She still does!

Watching Todd interact with his Mom made me laugh. They talked and joked so easily with each other. I could tell that he had so much respect and love for her. So this is the woman who raised this man! Yesssssss!!!!

For the first many years of Todd's and my relationship Ann's home was the meeting place for family get togethers. I always looked forward to going to her home. Sitting in front of the fireplace, eating good food, talking and laughing together. I was sad when she sold that house. There were a lot of good memories there.

Our kids love their Mom-Mom. She makes special time for each grandchild (she's got 13 now) on their birthday. She comes up and takes them out for lunch and shopping. Just this past week she took Kyle out. He asked every day for a week, "When is my date with Mom-Mom? Is it here yet?"

Just a few months ago she and Al and Uncle Blair all came over to our house to care for the kids so Todd and I could get away for the weekend. That really meant a lot to me. It meant a lot to Todd. The kids had a blast being spoiled all weekend long. When they left Jake cried for a few days. He had to get used to not being carried around all day long :)

This past Mother's Day my sisters and I had our sorta annual Mother's Day brunch. We invite our Moms and friends who are sorta like our Moms. Anyway this is a picture of Ann and I. I think it is like one of the only pictures I have of just her and I after all these years.


Anyway, I just wanted to say Happy Birthday Ann! You are a wonderful Mother and Mom-Mom and I love you. I'm so glad you are my husband's Mom. Thank you for all you do for your family. I hope I'm as "young" as you are when I'm 70. I hope you have a wonderful day!!

He, he, he! Just you wait till this weekend!

Bedtime Blessings

What I treasure about bedtime:
~soft, half sung, half whispered lullabies
~little chubby hands in my hair and on my face
~gentle puffs of breath on my cheek
~kissing sweaty hair that smells of baby shampoo
~and savoring every second because... he is the last... and growing way too fast.

Who let the Woof-oo out? Who... who,who, who?

Sooo... this morning I'm talking on the phone while the kids are all sweetly watching tv and playing down in the playroom.

Riiiiiiiiiiight!

All of a sudden my spidey senses started tingling... ok really I just looked up and noticed that the front door was wide open. That can't be good.

I realize that since no one is standing at the open door that the guilty party must have stepped over the threshold and made their (Jake's) escape.

I step out onto the front step and look down the sidewalk to see Jake running at top toddler speed (you know .00001 miles per hour) away from our house. For those of you who have seen Jake run: picture arms swinging to one side as his legs swing out to the other side!

I start to run after him noticing that my chest is bouncing quite painfully as I run. Why I'm still in my jammies with... ahem... no brassier on!!!! Heavens, what if the neighbors see?!

I scoop him up into my arms to shield my untethered chest from the neighborhood and he bursts into tears, "Woof-ooo!" He is leaning out of my arms and reaching with his arms towards... what, what did you just say? "Woof-ooo," he wails again!

I run to the house, "Penny? Penny? Where are you girl?" Oh blast it all! He let the dog out!

Just an aside here. In the past whenever Penny has gotten out she runs freely all over the neighborhood for a good 20-30 minutes. Sometimes seen, sometimes unseen. NEVER catchable till she is ready to come back.

I've got to find her quick! Where is my sweatshirt? (Note that the dog might be hit by a car and lying in the street but vanity still takes precedence here.) Where is Penny's leash? Got it!

I yell for Julianna to keep an eye on Jake, fling open the door and... THERE SHE IS! SITTING ON THE FRONT STEP WAGGING HER TAIL! Don't make any sudden movements and make her run off again!

"Hi girl, come here Penny!" Then I watch totally astonished as she sheepishly wiggles back into the house.

Unbelievable!

Mindy and Shawn, did you teach her to obey while we were in Maine? Because in the almost 3 years that we've had her this is a first. I mean it is so amazing that I am EVEN BLOGGING about it!

So that was my morning! How's yours going?

Maine, running, Michelle Kwan, and the moon.

This post has been one that a year ago I fantasized about writing and for the past week and a half... I dreaded it.

It's time. I've got my kleenex in one hand and a glass of wine in the other... wait... scratch that... they are next to me as I type. I'm ready to share now.

There is a verse in the bible that goes like this: Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12

My hope has been deferred and I'm trying to be a good sport about it. Really I am. But I'm sad. Deflated. And (ask Todd) downright cranky!

Let me back up a bit.

Last year I posted about how inspired I became when I read Emilie's post about her running the MDI Half Marathon. I thought... no... I BELIEVED that I could train and do it too! So badly did I want to be able to train during the winter that I pleaded with Todd to buy a treadmill for Christmas. We did get the treadmill and my training officially began that day. I remember the date without even needing to look it up. Want to know what it was? Well, I'm tellin' you anyway! It was December 19! It's my blog... I can tell you if I want to ;) (told you I was cranky)

I loved the training! I looked forward to the long runs and reaching each and every milestone. I remember the first time I ran 7 then 9 then 10 miles. I love the burn you get in your muscles the next day from a good workout. Yep, I really, sincerely do!

May 3rd was the Frederick Half Marathon. I stressed that week about the rainy forecast, what to wear, running alone, and (excuse me while I get personal) what to do if a certain type of nature called during the race. All the while telling myself that this was just the "practice run" the real one was going to be in Maine in September.

The Frederick Half was an incredible experience! The rain held off till the half way point so that was cool and I found some unexpected friends to run with. I was on a high for the rest of the week after completing that race. I mean 8 months after deciding to do this I had trained and actually done it! Me! The notorious procrastinator!

Summer brought a bit of a rest time and before I knew it it was time to start training for the half marathon in Maine on the 19th of September. You know... my real goal.

Training went well up till I ran 7 miles. That was a good run. The next weekend I was supposed to run 8. I set out with my course plotted and my water bottles stashed.

I made it to mile 5 when all of a sudden out of nowhere pain assaulted my left knee. It was so sudden and startling that I didn't know what to do. I hadn't tripped, stumbled, twisted, or fallen. It was literally the difference between one step and the next. And it was excruciating! I walked a bit thinking... what? Maybe it would go away? Please Lord make it go away!

Walking felt fine. After a few dozen steps I tried to run again. No pain at first but then there it was building slowly and then suddenly excruciating!

I was 2 1/2 miles from home. I tried to walk/run till I finally gave that up to just limp home. Once home I sat to eat dinner. Then I tried to stand up... to find that I could put NO weight on that leg whatsoever. What was going on?

I iced it and took large doses of Alieve for a couple of days. (Note to self: remember to eat with ibuprofen!) AND I rested for the rest of the week. All week long my knee felt fine. It never hurt. I started walking on the treadmill. No pain. I ran a mile on the treadmill. No pain.

The next weekend our training schedule called for a 9 mile run. My thought was this: I'm going to try to run as far as I can. I'd like to run the whole 9 but let's see what I can do. After all the Half was 2 weeks away.

Soooo, once again I set out with water bottles stashed along my route. As I started to run I was so optimistic. I felt great. Nothing hurt. Aerobically I felt great. I can do this, I thought. Last week was just a minor glitch! Then I got to mile 2 and once again my knee betrayed me. I had to stop and walk. Like before I tried to run after walking a bit but it was no use.

I thought of Tom Hanks in Apollo 13, "We just lost the moon."

I thought of Michelle Kwan and the missed gold medals (that's plural folks!)

I know how they feel. (Yes I think to some small degree I do.) I hung my head as I walked and tears stung my eyes. I knew that if I couldn't run now that there was no chance for me to be able to run the Half. I just wouldn't have the training behind me.

As a matter of fact why even go to Maine? What was the point? I'll just stay home with the kids and Todd can go and be with his family.

So that's what I told everyone. I was staying home.

Except... for a year we have been telling the kids that we are all going to Maine. Todd has been training too and why shouldn't we go and at least cheer him on in his first half marathon race?

Maybe I could walk the 13.1 miles instead of running them?

I went to an orthopedic doctor who specializes in sports injuries. He took x-rays and could find nothing wrong with the bones in my knee. He recommended 2 things: 1- It could be an over-use injury brought on because I didn't cross train while training this time. So rest for a few weeks followed by gradually getting back to working out. Then if the same thing happens again he would send me for an MRI. Or 2- go straight for an MRI right now.

I opted for #1. And decided that for better or for worse I would walk the half marathon in Maine instead of running it.

So On Thursday the 17th we got up at 3 in the morning and headed for Maine. It was a 14 hour drive. With 4 kids. Who were fantastic. But still... God bless whoever decided DVD players in vans would be a good idea!

Maine is breathtaking! But I will post about Maine and pictures in another post. This one is all about moi. Sorry like I said, my blog!

Race day was beautiful. Crisp, clear, cold, and beautiful. Emilie met us there early. Walkers start an hour earlier than runners. I was not expecting to see her till the end but there she was. And I knew what that meant. She lives twice as far away from the race as from where Todd and I were staying. So she had to get her family up extra early to make it there for my start time.

Emilie, Thank You. (and of course if you just got there early because you are just anal and need to get places early do not tell me... as this post is all about me that would just ruin the tone now wouldn't it?)

Thank you for getting there early and bringing breakfasty things for the kids and seeing me to the start line. I think you are pretty cool and awesome and sweet. And I'm sorry that Drew tried to kill Reed. Really I am. But more about that in another post.

Soooooo... getting on with the story... before I knew it they blew the horn and we were off and walking. When I say "we" I mean me and all the other walkers that I did not know. That is until Marliese happened by and started to talk to me.

Somehow we just kept talking and walking and before I knew it the first hour had flown by! And I had walked 4 miles in that one hour! Then Marliese tells me that the last half marathon she walked she finished in under 3 hours! Earlier she had spoken of her daughter who is in her early 30's so I'm thinking that she's at least 15 years older than me. AND I'm struggling to keep up with her! Not because of my knee though. At that point my knee was holding out just fine.

It was mile 6 that started to do me in. It was all steadily up hill. My knee started to complain and I started to slow down. By mile 7 I had to say goodbye to Marliese. I knew that she had a time goal and I didn't want to slow her down.

It was then when I was alone (surrounded by walkers and by now runners have started to pass us by... but still alone) that I really looked around and started to take it all in. I was HERE. In Maine. Where I made it a goal to be. And it was breathtaking! And I was here! I might not be running. BUT I had a body that could walk. I could waste my time being sad for what I couldn't do OR I could spend my time praising God for what I could do.

It was so bittersweet that I still don't know quite how to put it into words. I'm thankful for what I can do but at the same time I'm sad that I didn't get to do what I dreamed and trained for... for an entire year.

I know it's ridiculous to compare what I went through to someone like Michelle Kwan or the astronauts of Apollo 13 but don't we all have times like that in our lives? Times where we plan and prepare and even train for a certain outcome only to have disappointment reign? How do we pick ourselves up and keep going? and even try, try again?

Hope.

Hope deferred makes our hearts sick. But a longing fulfilled? Why that's a tree of life! And what is a tree of life? Why it bears fruit with seed. Seed that when planted brings forth a harvest!

Soooo, I finished the half marathon in a "respectable" amount of time (according to my sister, Meredith) and went on to have a fabulous few days in the gorgeous state of Maine.

And while I'm trying to be a good sport and gracious about not being able to do what I set out to do... in a way I'm mourning too. I'm mourning the loss of my dream. I'm sad.

I thought of Michelle Kwan and how she smiled and interviewed through tears after she lost the gold. I remember commentators saying that she should be more poised. WHAT??? Seriously? For someone to be so passionate about something and then lose it... how can you not cry? Especially when you've given so much of your life to train for it.

So, I'm taking the time to be sad. After all, Christ said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

I think I'm done mourning now. Time to get back on the horse... er... treadmill.

The Frederick Half Marathon is coming up on May 2, 2010!

Here's to Michelle Kwan.

Here's to aiming for the moon!

Here's to hope.

I said WHAT???!!!

Just carrying on the humor that I found on MckMama's blog and also Emilie's. This post was oh so fun to write!!

What silly things have you found yourself saying now that you are a parent that you would never have believed you would EVER say before you had offspring?

Here are mine that I can remember!


~Mommy needs privacy now... please do not ask me for a snack while I'm sitting on the toilet. Please leave the bathroom right now.

~No, you called me in here. You may have your own privacy when you do not need me to wipe your butt any longer. The sooner you learn to do this yourself the sooner you may have privacy too.

~What do you mean you need another piece of gum because you lost the first piece? Where is it?

~My favorite line from my sister who teaches kindergarten. This was said to a student who just shoved another student while they were all standing in line in the hall: You say excuse me before you shove someone!! (apparently saying "excuse me" makes it ok?)

~I'm still waiting for you to find that piece of gum!

~Take that out of your mouth! We only put food or a toothbrush in our mouths!

~Mommy needs peace and quiet for a little while... please sit down and watch some TV.

~(came out of my mouth while typing this post) Go and tell your brother that it does not feel good when he punches you in the stomach and you don't like it and he should stop.

~Did you find that gum yet?

~Go over there and pee in the bush!

~Why is this gum under your pillow?

~If you don't stop I'm gonna pound you! seriously?

~No when I was a little girl I didn't have Zach and Cody... or Hannah Montana. No, I wasn't sad. I had other shows that were just as funny. Yes, they were!

where there is life there is worth

Here is my Grandma:

On August 26th she turned 91!
We all traveled to the nursing home where she lives to celebrate her and her life. To honor a life of 91 years. A life where the first 85 years were spent taking care of herself and others. Now she can't get out of bed, or feed herself, or dress herself, or do anything to care for herself.

But this she does do:

She brings us together, to love, to care, to enjoy, to serve...

And when we leave, we do so knowing we have touched her life:

And touched each other's lives...

And we leave feeling loved and a little bit silly and definitely full of life.

After all, look at ALL the lives that ARE... because of her.

Here's to 91 years and counting!

Kyle's Day

*** The Final Update for today ***

When Todd got home from work today we asked Kyle where a 5 year old boy might just LOVE to eat dinner.

And he chose... drum roll please... BURGER KING!!! Ahhh nothing like the fine cuisine of Burger King to celebrate turning another year older.

Dinner was followed by a shopping trip to Wal-Mart where Kyle was fitted with a brand new Spiderman bike! Julianna and Drew just had to join Kyle out in front of our house with their bikes. Drew hasn't ridden his bike in so long that I was laughing to see how "small" the bike had gotten. It still had training wheels on it! He has never learned to ride without them. He scoots everywhere on his scooter (hahaha... my cooter, my pooter... that's a shout out to you Emilie!) and probably hasn't tried his bike in over a year. We took off the training wheels and WOW did he learn fast! I'll have to get better pictures of Drew on his bike tomorrow when it is actually light out.

Anyhoo... back to Kyle!

And when bike fun was all done... inside we went for ice cream! Yummy!
The kid party is Saturday so the cake will make an appearance then. The theme this year is Transformers. Should be interesting!

*** Update***
Kyle wanted to carry his own lunch to the playground for our birthday picnic. He got this little lunch backpack for his birthday last year and loves to carry his own stuff around in it.

Julianna and Drew enjoying lunch together!

Jake insists on feeding himself these days. Here he is feeding himself a peanutbutter sandwich. NO JELLY!! (Mommy does not like the mess!)

Just hanging out! What a cool dude, huh?

Have I ever shown you the royal canine? Here she is! Watching over us carefully :)

Don't you just love the static from slides?

Julianna and Kyle towering above me.

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ORIGINAL POST:

How did my third born and middle son get to be 5 already?

Seems like yesterday that we were moving into this house and waiting for Kyle to make his appearance.

Kyle has been SO excited to turn 5. He started asking 4 months ago, "How many days till my birthday?" At first it was one hundred and something days, then sixty some days... the excitement grew all summer as he kept asking and the numbers kept getting smaller.

Finally last week he couldn't stop giggling when I told him he had less than 10 days left!

Last night I asked him what a five year old wanted to do on his birthday.

His answer?? A picnic!! Of course!!

And of course cinnamon rolls for breakfast! No birthday is complete in our home without cinnamon rolls on the "celebrate plate" for breakfast!

Sooo... stay tuned! I will be adding pictures all day :)

(does that make you happy Meredith?)