1/28/2009 Cherish the Moments! After a morning of spilled crayons at library reading time(we're talking LOTS of crayons), frequent whining, unsuccessful photo shoot, and way too many spankings . . . I put Cade down for an early nap and slumped into my comfy chair. I was frustrated with the day and frustrated with my reactions to the day. The day was far from the picture of a mother sitting snuggled with her toddler reading a book while her infant lay smiling beside her! I went to the bookshelf searching for a book to refresh my spirit and came across Chicken Soup for the New Mom's Soul. I've picked this book up at different times through my motherhood journey . . . usually on days like these. After reading stories from other moms, I received the important reminder that these days will flee away all too quickly! So . . . today I determined to take the day at a more relaxed pace, snuggle more with Tess, and find fun things to do with Cade. Today as I sit in my comfy chair, my heart is much more peaceful than yesterday and I have a few more wonderful memories tucked in my mind. A few years ago at a Mother/Daughter banquet a group of ladies sang a song that has been running through my head: We have these moments to hold in our hands and to touch as they slip through our fingers like sand.  Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come, but we have these moments today! How true!!! I didn't get many things crossed off my to-do-list today . . . but it was a still a special day . . . actually probably more special than many of the days I "get a lot done"! More Photos

1/27/2009 Unsuccessful Photo Shoot!!! My brother-in-law requested a photo of our kids for his desk at work, so I decided this day was as good as any to capture that winning shot. The kids were dressed and pretty well behaved, so I draped a white sheet over our piano and asked Cade to sit down. He scooted back too far . . . pulled the sheet . . . and was hit smack in the head with the picture frame that had been holding the sheet in place. Tears! I comforted him and then sat him back down. As I resituated the sheet, he proceded to scoot too far back at the other end . . . pulled the sheet . . . and knocked over the lamp that had been holding that end. Broken lampshade! More tears! I should have known to stop the photo shoot at that point, but ignorantly I continued on. I promised grapes if Cade would pose for a few pictures, but he proceded to push Tess off her pillow. I spoke sharply to him. More Tears! Now both of them were crying. Sorry Jason! I'll have to try for that perfect shot another day! More Photos

1/24/2009 Ashley's Shower A group of ladies from church hosted a wonderful wedding shower for Ashley! Knowing the history of great shower food, I ate as little as possible for supper. I was right . . . I was able to enjoy fruit, cake, pretzles and more . . . all dipped in either a milk chocolate or white chocolate fountain!!! What a treat! Ashley loves horses and is engaged to Mark who is studying to become a vet, so the animal theme for their shower was perfect. May God bless the two of you as you start your life together! More Photos

1/22/2009 Fun Evening with Josh & Colby! Tim's cousin, Josh, was recently engaged to Colby! We were able to enjoy a fun evening of dinner, chatting and Jenga while Cade and Lathyn (Lafin in Cade's terms), Colby's son, entertained themselves in the toy room. We look forward to spending time with the two of you after your wedding, and pray God will bless you with peacefully hearts during this time of wedding prep! More Photos

1/21/2009 Bright Spots in a Day with Cade! When Tim comes home, Cade loves to play with trucks and tractors . . . but when I'm around he seems to gravitate to playdough, paint and markers. Hmmmm . . . I must not make truck noises as good as Daddy! More Photos

1/19/2009 Accountant Widow . . . Temporarily! Tim is an international tax accountant for a large company, so every January he has to put in long hours to compile their annual numbers for Wall Street. At the beginning of our marriage I really struggled during his busy seasons, but I've learned that they are just that . . . seasons. Aside from quarter ends, he has an 8 to 5 job. What a blessing! Over the last 5 years I've learned I do best when I keep busy and don't let my mind dwell on him not being home. I visit people, take special outtings with the kids, let the toys stay scattered all day, stop by and see him over a meal break, and head to Walmart when I just need to get away! I've been very thankful for Dad and Mom's company during this particular busy season. The kids and I have enjoyed many days at their home! More Photos

1/17/2009 Weekend Fun! Neil and Leann spent the weekend watching Jason and Natalie's kids, and they invited Shiela and our family over for dinner. We had a fun night playing with the kids and learning how to master Wi bowling! Jackson wanted to play with the adults, and he acutually did suprisingly well at "bowling" in spite of his unique form. I'm not sure how well his technique would work in an actual bowling alley! More Photos

1/16/2009 Colby's Personal Shower Mom watched Cade and Tim watched Tess . . . and I felt like a free woman for the night!!! I didn't realize how much I have missed hanging out with a fun group of girls. I had a great time laughing and chatting, and I didn't get home until after 11! Thanks for the invite, Colby. I had a great time! More Photos

1/16/2009 Play Group I'd invited the ladies from church over for play group, but due to a lot of conflicts it ended up being Susan and I. I really enjoyed catching up with her, while Lena and Cade kept themselves busy in the toy room! Lena had fun being the older kid and "helped" Cade all morning. It was so cute to watch! Thanks for coming over girls!

1/9/2009 - 1/11/2009 Ben's in Town! We teamed up with Dave and Lori to host Ben and his parents for the weekend. As much time as I've spent with Ben, I had never met his parents. It was fun to meet them and learn about another aspect of Ben's life! We hosted everyone for supper on Saturday, and then my parents hosted us all at their cabin Sunday afternoon. We spent a lot of time laughing, as Ben's dad is quite the story-teller! Now we know where Ben gets his whit! Ben was quite the "guest" and made US breakfast on Sunday morning. He whipped up a mean batch of biscuits and gravy using some sausage from his dad's meat locker! We called him our butler for the rest of his stay! More Photos

1/10/2009 Normal Life Ahhh . . . it feels so good to get settled back into a routine after the holidays!!! My brain functions so much better when things are organized and the kids are on their normal sleep/wake/play schedules! Cade's play time has been so fun lately, as he is ever curious and very interested in learning. He has a very happy disposition and brings a lot of joy to my day! Tess is generally a pretty good baby, and it is fun to see her getting stronger every day. We have yet to see a smile, but I'm sure it will be here within a few weeks! More Photos

1/5/2009 Fun Pizza Lunch! Jeff and Brenda's family spent the night at my parent's cabin, and I was able to join them for lunch. It was fun to catch up with their family!

1/1/2009 The New Year Begins! We spent a fun afternoon at J & Nat's house! It was complete with football, pizza, play time, and even a Nerf war (Jason vs. Tim)!!! More Photos

12/31/2008 New Year's Eve Party! Shannon and Susan invited us over for their New Year's Eve party, and we had a wonderful time! We also enjoyed the company of Jason & Natalie, Keith & Tami, and Jeff & Carie. The past few nights had been pretty rough with Tess, and to be honest, I didn't know if I would be able to make it until midnight! Sleep is what I longed for, as I felt the most exhausted and out-of-sorts that I ever have (a feeling only other mothers can completely relate to!). But God knew I needed to hear stories of His faithfulness as everyone shared what He had taught them during the past year. The common theme- God is good . . . all the time! We crawled into bed at 2 a.m., and after shedding a few tired tears I fell fast asleep. God provided a miracle that night, and Tess slept for 6 hours! I awoke refreshed and ready to begin a new year! More Photos

12/25/2008 - 12/29/2008 Christmas at the Cabin We had a wonderfuly relaxing Christmas at my parents' cabin! This was our first Christmas with a complete family circle, as my brother was married this past fall. There's nothing better than family, a fire, a comfy chair and a blanket! More Photos

12/23/2008 Mini High School Reunion Brad and his wife, Kate, were home for Christmas, so his parents, Dave and Lori M., invited us over for supper. I was able to reunite with another former classmate, and it was fun to catch up with her and Brad! Kate got her baby fix holding Tess and Adrian's baby. More Photos

12/25/2008 Merry Christmas!!! Merry Christmas from our family to yours! More Photos

12/19/2008 - 12/22/2008 Christmas in Kansas Dad and Mom Lehman hosted a wonderful Christmas! Tim and three of his sisters were able to be home, but we missed Kristen who lives in Phoenix!! More Photos

12/13/2008 Two Sets of Twins!!! Tim and I had a great time watching Quinton and Heather's two kids while they had a night out. The two babies slept, and Cade and Emma had a great time playing together. It was actually pretty easy, but I would not want two sets of twins full-time! More Photos

12/12/2008 Christmas Potluck Natalie and Jason hosted a fun Christmas potluck at their physical therapy practice! We're usually in a different group, but were thankful for the invite. They had a wonderful meal from an Italian restaurant in town! After dinner the guys played on the exercise equipment, and Neil won the vertical leap contest. Actually . . . after he jumped, no one wanted to challenge him! More Photos

12/9/2008 Darin & Danni's New Place! Darin and Danni are still working to buy a house near my parents, but the bank seems in no hurry to get it processed. In the mean time they are renting a home from some of Danni's family. The house needed quite a bit of TLC, but Darin and Danni have done a fantastic job making it into their first home! They invited Dad, Mom and our little family over as their first dinner guests, and Danni prepared a delicious meal!!! It was fun to see them settled in their new house, complete with a real Christmas tres and outdoor lights! More Photos

12/6/2008 Fun Evening at the Mall Tim and I thought it would be fun to get Cade out of the house, so we called Quinton and Heather and met them at the mall. Cade and Emma enjoyed running around the play area, while the adults enjoyed some good conversation. Heather and I were able to snuggle our babies, while the guys ran after the kids! I'm so thankful God made husbands! When the kids were done playing we enjoyed some ice cream from DQ and then headed to see Santa. Cade and Emma were quite frightened by him, so the just got their reindeer hats and were done! More Photos

11/29/2008 Thanksgiving Celebration! Tim and I arrived home from the hospital on Friday, but we were ready to get out and see my dad's side of the family on Saturday! We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving meal that, I must confess, tasted quite a bit better than the hospital's! It was fun to reconnect with aunts, uncles and cousins, and it was also fun to introduce them to Tess. We also had the opportunity to share memories of my Grandma Naomi, and it was neat to hear the different nuggets each person found to be so special! More Photos

11/28/2008 Visitors We have enjoyed many visitors since Tess arrived! We have also been blessed with many wonderful meals brought by ladies from our church. What a blessing to not have to think about supper prep! We are enjoying great food, and our fridge is filled with many desserts we don't usually have around! More Photos

11/28/2008 Taking Tess Home!!! Thankfully, Tess arrived a healthy, baby girl, so we were able to leave the hospital on Friday. We picked up Cade from Grandma's, and it was so fun to drive to our home with two kids in the back seat. Somehow our family felt more complete! Cade has done fantastic with the transition, and Tess has been a very easy baby!!! I must say it's been a much easier transition than I anticipated. Praise God! More Photos