Home Sweet Home!

After a very long but great vacation we are FINALLY home and I don't know who is happier, the kids or mommy and daddy!

We came home to a great clean house thank you Memaw Donna,  you are the best and the milk stocked in the fridge was over the top.  Caden thanks you very much.

It was a great week that I will definitely write about here soon but I just wanted to check in and note that we survived a very long drive with 4 kids and a minivan full of stuff!  We had our co-pilots with us that definitely helped out along the way but it sure is good to be back home in Indiana!

Here is what you will see in the coming posts that I will be writing:

• a heavy heart, my heart has been so sad for a friend who lost her little boy this past week
• things I learned on vacation
• things we checked off the to do list for vacation
• lots and lots of pictures!
• and now.....

So it was a great trip with wonderful weather, but I love being home and as I sit here and watch the babies bounce in their bouncers I know that all of my children also love being home in the things that comfort them.

Happy Saturday everyone and here's to being home again!

Whoa...that was more emotional than I expected

Yes I just quoted Joey Lawrence but it is the one word I can use to describe yesterday for me.

A new chapter has begun as my dad began his prison sentence yesterday.  I knew this day was coming, I thought I was prepared but how do you ever really prepare yourself for someone going away for 1.5 years?  I held it together while I talked to my grandma but right after I got off the phone a wave of emotion washed over me and I am still struggling to pull it together today.

So many feelings came at me: relief, guilt, regret, hopefulness, and worry to name a few. 
Relief, because I know he cannot hurt anyone else by drinking and driving.
Guilt, I didn't get to talk to him prior to him going into prison which leads to,
Regret, that I didn't talk to him, I didn't see him, I didn't try harder, so many things that I know I wouldn't change but maybe just maybe I should have
Hopefulness, that during the 1.5 years he is required to serve he will get some counseling and help for his issues.  That maybe we can have a relationship once he is out and that my children will get to know him
Worry, a whole new world of worry, can he handle this, how is he adjusting and will he make it through?
After all he is still my dad and I still love him through everything he has done.

So many emotions have come over me that I just needed a download yesterday afternoon so that is what I did. I took a couple of hours for myself and did what I needed to do. 
I was better this morning and reassured that I have done the right things for my family.  Little moments to remind me like this morning, as the toddlers and I headed to school listening to Jingle Bell Rock singing and laughing (yes we are still listening to Christmas music, I love it and know Granny Cool would too). I knew that I have done the right thing by protecting them but I am still a little hopeful that things can change. 

What all of this tells me is that no matter how hard you try you cannot change someone until they are ready or are forced to change.  I would have never gotten through the last 5.5 years if it wasn't for my Aunt Janice.  She has been there on this ride for good or bad and in every moment of the journey.  Through the first days of dropping him off at rehab to picking up the pieces the last couple of months.  She is an amazing person who I am very grateful to for all she has done and taken on during this journey. I am grateful my baby sister was there to talk me through this as well as my mom and Matthew.  You all were great and I love you.
I may not be through this emotional ride yet but I will get there.  There are 4 great reasons at home to get there!

To my dad, I am praying for you and hoping that things will get better for us all.

I still love you and hope that the end of this chapter has a happy one.

It takes a village to raise children!

That phrase has never rang more true for us or been more apparent to me than it has in the past week!

We are very blessed to have many family and friends who are helping us in this quest of raising our gaggle of wonderful children.  This week, which I was wishing to be a "normal week" required us to lean on our village and I am sure glad that they were there to help us

Here is a small list of those who have helped us this week:  Memaw Jo, Papaw Frank, Big Papaw, Aunt Haley, Uncle Adam, Miss Natalie, Miss Chris, Memaw Donna, Papaw Chris, my Tri Kappa sisters, the Cupcakes and Cocktails Crew and we cannot forget about all of our friends at day care! 
Plus all of the ones who just stop by to visit and end up holding a baby - thank you Aunt Cheryl! 
And of course all of those who cannot be here physically but call with concern or send love, we thank you too and need those prayers.

We are so grateful to you all who have helped us when we needed it, even if it was at the drop of the hat (or children for that matter, Haley you remember I let them off in your yard because Matt had wrecked the bus?)
We stay in Greendale for a reason, just this reason, so that our children can grow with the love and support of not only Matthew and I but all of those who love them and enjoy spending time with them.  This not only allows our children to develop relationships and bonds with those who already mean so much to Matt and I but it also allows Matt and I to do more for our community and to give us some couple time.

So as I am excited for the weekend that is near I want to thank you all for all of your support whenever you have given it and in whatever form. 

Please know that our world and family is stronger because of you all and your kindness. 

We love and I am sure we will lean on you once again in the near future because we love you!

So much for an easy week!

I should have never written my wish for a normal week, it has been anything but normal.  We have been to the doctor 3 times, Walgreens to fill prescriptions 4 times and traveled over 200 miles around the city in just one day!

So here is the run down of the children:

• Caden has a diaper rash that we have been fighting for a while and I am happy to say is on it's way to being done!
• Maggie was fine until Wednesday morning after she got to day care and complained of her ear hurting.  Turns out she has a very serious ear infection!  Thank you amoxicillin for getting her well enough to head off to dance tonight for her date with her daddy.
• Cale was fine until 4:00 yesterday when he spiked a fever!  So off to after hours care we went and he has a bronchitic infection.  Antibiotics were a callin once again!
• Mallory - knock on wood, is the only child who has not been to the doctor nor is she on a prescription

Yes it has been crazy, yes I feel like I am paying for our pediatrician by ourselves, yes I feel like I am funding Walgreens and their employee retirement fund but I am sure glad that it is happening this week and not next!

I will never, ever again ask for a normal week, I should know better by now but it was a good dream I just wish it could have lasted longer.

So as I sit here and work from home with the baby twins I have to say their entertainment is great and Cale is doing amazing for not feeling well - he is sleeping peacefully so mommy can get back to work!

Here's to hoping next week is just as insane and fun!



My little helper!

Sleeping Peacefully and Getting Better!



I may not be a seamstress...

But I am a mom with a sewing machine, a little bit of ability and a lot of creativity!

Miss Maggie received some wonderful dress up outfits for Christmas that she wears almost daily.  So much so that her "Sleeping Beauty" dress, this is a purple dress which she has deemed her Sleeping Beauty dress, was in shreds last night.  She suggested many things to fix her dress, my favorite was a Band-Aid, she said "I'll be right back mommy, I will get a Band-Aid and make my dress all better!"  God I love that kid and her attitude of  "let's do".  She is a resourceful little devil. 

After what seemed like a million times of her asking and me trying to convince her that the repairs needed to  to wait I finally caved and pulled out the sewing machine.  Doing that with two 3 year old toddlers is a chore enough much less trying to sew!

But boy was that dress a mess, the skirt was coming all of the way off, the strap was ripped and all of her pretty streamers were falling off but I was determined to do my best to fix it.  It is these moments when I sure do miss Grandma Potter, that lady was amazing with a sewing machine.  While I do have her machine, I do not have any where near her ability to create and sew.   But because I am a mom with a little girl who has a HUGE imagination, I did my best. 

So the purple dress or excuse me "Sleeping Beauty" dress is repaired.  I would not suggest looking at the quality of my craftsmanship underneath! I am pretty sure Ms. Synder, my junior high home ec teacher, would be appaled by my attempt, but just tell Maggie how beautiful she looks in her dress.  She even paid  me $1 for fixing her dress, it was my gift certificate she gave me then took back for herself, again being resourceful.  Now I would call that a deal for her! 

As I sit here and think about this task and the moments it brought me with Maggie, I truly realize what that dress in shreds is all about.   

I could care less what the sewing looks like underneath, on top it is back to it's wearing and dancing form, and that is all that really matters, that and the fact that it brought a smile and a kiss from one of my favorite little people!

To my Maggie, mommy will always try to repair your dresses, as long as you keep dreaming big my little Sleeping Beauty!

Maggie showing off her dress at it's prime! 
Christmas time at Memaw Donna's and Papaw Chris's! 



Here is to a "normal" week

If I have learned anything in my 3 years as being a mom I know this, there is a never a normal week in our lives!  What I am wishing for is one that is a little more normal than the last couple have been for us.  Between the snow, delays, ice and long work hours for mommy it has been absolutely crazy.

So when I ask for a normal week I am looking for a week when we can get to where we are going without waiting to see if day care will be open, a normal work week - no more long days, a week where the chores that need to be done during the week are at least 50% accomplished and one where Matt and I are not two ships passing in the night.  Now for those who know me well, you know that this is a pipe dream, but one I am striving for as this momma is tired! 

We had a great weekend, which followed a busy week, but we are getting things done, checking off the "to do" list, and spending lots of time with the kids.  We even had a great visit with two of our favorite people this weekend.

I absolutely love seeing my kids interact with Maddox, there were numerous times when I caught he and Maggie just hugging, they were all laughing and chasing each other.  There was even a moment when Maggie said she loved Maddox!  It makes a mom proud to see your children grow in their relationships with others.  This has really came to light for me in the last couple of days with both Caden and Maggie.

Maggie, as I just mentioned loves playing with Maddox and he loves playing with Maggie, they are a lot alike and just light up when the other is near.  Caden, he too enjoys playing with Maddox but I noticed his growth at school last week.  He has his buddies at school and early last week when I was dropping off one day he started taking his coat off, this is not the normal morning routine.  He said to me, "mommy take my coat, I need to go play with my friend Xander."  My heart was proud, normally he doesn't take his coat off anywhere he goes for at least 15 minutes.  He did want a kiss before he ran off, yes he still wants those, but he was so excited to go hang out and play. 

I just love watching my children form the bonds with other kids and learn what friendship and family are all about.   I love the simple things that remind me what life is all about.

I may not always see or feel it but everyday I am learning from my children and seeing the world in a whole different scope. 

They are teaching me more than I will ever know!