Small Town Girl with a BIG family!

Yep that is me, just a small town girl with a BIG family, a big heart, a few dreams and living a life bigger than I could ever imagine.

Yes I grew up in a small town, technically we still live in a small town, I love the John Mellencamp song, "Small Town", I partied in the corn fields during high school, I still talk to my friends from high school, I still see my cousins, and I am proud to be raising my kids in this small town with my hubby. 

What does that say about me?  Well the truth is that I am living a life that I never really knew was possible, I have more going for me that I could ever imagine (GASP did I just say that out loud?) I love our family and that our extended family is close by.  I love that I come from a LARGE extended family, married into a just as large extended family and count most of my friends as family. 

Recently, the Horstman crew was able to pull together for Christmas in July - it was perfect!  A summer day, a beautiful pool built by my Uncle Jimmy, FABULOUS - the best ever hands down - fried chicken from my Uncle David and his helpers, YUMMY sides, WONDERFUL conversation, watching the next generation play together, catching up with those you live far away, missing those who could not attend and really missing those who are no longer with us, I love you all and miss you every day. 

That day was great, even though it ended with Cale screaming his head off there are a few photos that I will treasure from this day:


Lola, Montana and Maggie - being the best of friends!

These three girls made fast friends, Maggie is the oldest, Montana (middle) followed her in March 2008 and Lola arrived in May - yet Maggie is still the smallest.  The scary thing is that their parents all used to play for endless hours when we were little!  These little ones were on the swing, comparing their age, talking about what 4 year old girls talk about and just having a grand old time!  

Grandkids (well 1) and Great Grandkids - the next generation!  this was not an easy shot to get!

 This is the next generation, John in the gray t-shirt is a grand child but the youngest of us all, he is surrounded by the great grand kids of John and MaryAnn Horstman.  When we were little we used to get all of the kids together on the steps in grandma and grandpa's house, well this was a chore just to get them all to stand there.  There are 13 of them that are 4 or younger, yes we grandkids have been busy!  And we just welcomed our newest, Miss Lauren!  I took probably 15 of these shots, laid on the ground and had no less than 7 adults screaming at them behind me! 


The kids who started it all!  The Horstman Children

And the children of John and MaryAnn, the ones who started this large group of children and grandchildren!  My mom and her siblings.  I am so proud to have this picture, we actually get it updated about every other year but this my friends is where we started this tradition of being together, well no in fairness that comes from my grandparents but these are the ones who work hard to continue this tradition of getting together as much as we can. 

I love this family, I am proud to come from this family and I could not have dreamed of a better family!  I am very lucky that I have the small town raising to enjoy this family.

I am truly a small town girl, who just happened to have some very big influences in my life who have taught me I can do more. I have had a an amazing role model, my mom, she built an awesome career and really has pushed me to do more in my life and to make a difference in my life.  I have the loving support of my husband to do my job and to build my career, I am doing a job I did not imagine possible for another 3 years.  My hubby pushed me to make the jump to ConAgra, it was honestly one of the best things I have ever done.
 
Now I wrestle with the question, what more do I want out of my career, do we consider a move, do we stay and lean on our support and family, do we stay and I disappoint my ConAgra family?  Those are the questions, but for today, I am thankful for this family, I miss my grandparents and my Gina, I wish I could have met Cole, I hope that one day we all are in the same place at one time for just one more family photo!  I am thankful for my small town, I look forward to the St. Leon Fireman's festival to sit down with my girlfriends and have our "birthday beer" and to just catch up in their lives.  I miss them but know that they understand that my life is crazy and that I cannot always be around.  One day girls, one day! 

I hope that whatever life may bring, my kids know, they are part of a HUGE family and I hope they appreciate it just as much as I do!

Oh to be a 2 year old!

During my commute to work I think about a lot, mostly my mind wonders but there is one thought that has been coming up more often than others and it is this.....if everyone could be two, the world would be a better place.

Here is why:

• Two year olds know nothing other than unconditional love: no matter what you look like, if you have money or not, if you have a disability, if you had a bad day, if you can count to ten or even if you can walk.  They know nothing about how cruel the world can be and they are not mean to anyone, that is unless you steal their toy. 
• They are sponges to learn: they question everything, they never take no for an answer and try until they get it right.
• They know when you need a hug or snuggle: there are many of days that they amaze me that they know I had a rough day and it can all quickly go away with a hug, some kisses and snuggles.  Mallory has a habit of grabbing your cheeks to bring you to get a kiss from her and a BIG kiss it usually will be.
• They are polite: they are leaning and remember their manners and use them for everything - bye, bye cars; bye, bye Abby (as Cale said when we left the pool with Abby and Megan on Sunday, even though we were going back to their house); bye, bye bike; bye, bye friends as we leave school and on and on until there is nothing left to which to say goodbye.
• They have no concept of rushing through things: either walking into school, eating, going potty or whatever they are doing, it is at their pace and that is not always fast.  Too often the people in the world are rushing through life and do not stop to take things in, not a two year old, they are on their own time! This quality is gone so quickly, Maggie who is only 4 cannot wait to turn 5 and has been wanting to be 5 for over a year now - really Mags, slow it down for momma!
•  The world is an unknown and safe place for them: everything is good, there is no evil and no war, there are no tragedy such as a shooting in a movie theater, there is no cancer effecting our loved ones, there is only their perfect world which they have known for 24 short months.
• They have the biggest hearts and could care less how they look in a swimsuit: when we were recently at my mom's and I forget my swimsuit, Cale grabs a swim diaper and says "here you go mommy" he could care less if I had a proper swimsuit, to him all you need is a swim diaper!  As adults you know we all care how we look in a swimsuit and try to find one that flatters us the most.

I know that many say the "terrible twos" but we have not really had those in any of our four children, now let's talk in 12 months when they are three - that is a completely different story for me.
For now, I am enjoying my two year olds as well as my four year olds.  I am reminded often that even though my patience is tested with each of them at times, these children are my blessings, pride and joy, I could not have seen the plan that God had in store for Matthew and I in being parents but I cannot imagine my life any other way!

Mallory and Cale, thank you for being my reminder to slow down, be a little nicer, enjoy the world we love and to learn as much as I can!  I love you and your lessons you are bringing and the jumping out of bed as you do each day to face the world!