Thoughtful Tuesday

My favorite parenting bright idea we've had lately was moving bed time earlier. Now that Brandon is in school twice a week, he has only been taking one nap most days. This makes for some grouchy evenings. To help this we moved up our bedtime routine to start at 6 now instead of 7. This puts B in bed no later than 7:15ish, which has been great for this mama!!  Natalie has been going down between 6:15 and 7, which is working well too. Even when we try and keep her up later, she's still up at 5, so we've stopped trying to keep her up.

Thoughtful Tuesday

Pacifiers . . .

It took four months, but Natalie takes a pacifier sometimes now. She hasn't been huge into them, unlike Brandon who loved his! We took his away on his second birthday. It wasn't too bad, and he only asked for it a few times. He doesn't ask for it very often any more, and he doesn't steal Natalie's very often either.

Thoughtful Tuesday

I am so thankful for everyone who came over to help us celebrate Brandon's birthday this past weekend!!  It was a blast, and I know that he enjoyed himself.  We are so lucky to have so many friends who not only love us, but also love our kids!!  These are just pictures from my phone, I promise to soon upload the pictures from the camera as well.

Brandon loves his new table from grandma and grandpa Hathaway

His new water bottle for school!

Cheese!!

Our drink station

Cars decor

Awesome banner made by my mom

Brandon's friends who love him more than I could ask for!!

Thoughtful Tuesday

Today was my second day back to work.  At this point I think that I have been way too busy to realize how much I miss the kids.  I know once school starts, on Monday, that I will be missing them more and more.  Right now I am in such a frantic mode to try and get everything done by Thursday morning that it hasn't really set in yet.  I wish that I knew a magic way that I could stay home with my kids, but it really isn't possible for us.  I know people say all the time that we should be able to do it, but with our expenses, we really can't.  Besides if someone was going to stay home, at this point in the game it wouldn't make sense for me to stay home, since I make more than Tyler. Who knows what could happen next year, lets see how things go this year, but I would love to be able to be the one to raise my kids, instead of having my parents and in-laws do it.  I am very thankful that it is them, and that B and Natalie don't have to go to a day care facility, but I would love to be home with them.

Thoughtful Tuesday

I know most of my thoughtful posts lately have been about my friends, but I do have to say I have some amazingly great friends!  I love that I have these women to depend on, and that they each help me be a better person, and each one of them has helped me become the friend, teacher, mom and wife that I am today.

Today's featured BFF is Susan!  We love Susan, and she has been a friend since my college days.  Susan and I went through the teaching program together in Irvine.  We both decided that we wanted to finish in four years, and with striving to do that, that meant we were in many of the same classes together.  Susan, along with two other girls, became my life lines during our junior and senior years.  We depended on each other for projects, working on TPAs, and surviving our student teaching.

Susan, Trish and I before graduation

The three girls that helped me through college!

After we graduated Susan moved up to Northern California to begin her teaching career while Tyler and I stayed in Orange County.  Then once we moved to Phoenix we traveled back to California during the summer of '09, and Susan went on our first massive road trip with us!  We drove from Northern California to Oregon to go visit Mer, another college friend of all of ours.  Our trip was a blast, and we enjoyed traveling with Susan.

Our trip to Oregon to visit Mer

Susan got to try our two year old wedding cake with us too!

Since then we have tried to get her to move to Phoenix!  She even came out to interview one year, but Bakersfield is where she ended up.  Susan has now been here multiple times to visit, and we still haven't made our way to Bakersfield to see her!  We will be stopping there next summer though, so I hope that she's ready for us and our darling children.  It's a good thing that she loves us, and our crazy kiddos!

Susan came out for B's baby shower

Visiting during Christmas Break '10

Came to meet Natalie, summer '13

Thoughtful Tuesday

My bible study girls have become some of my closest friends in the past year. I don't know what I would do without these special ladies in my life. It makes having my BFFs living far away so much easier. There are many days I wish we were still in Orange County to be close to Jon, Nicole and now baby Kinley. There are also many days I wish we were back in Nor Cal to be close to most of my family, and Bree an Kevin. Now that Chelsea and Allison have left too, I am going to miss them tons too!! I'm so thankful to have so many special ladies in my life though!! I love that I don't have to clean my house before any of them come over, it doesn't matter how long it's been since we talked, and I can wear my hair in a messy bun, sweats and a t shirt and they will still love me. I pray Natalie grows up to have some amazing friends in her life too!!

Thoughtful Tuesday

I have loved being off since the end of April, and I am not looking forward to going back to work and leaving my kiddos for ten hour days again. At the same time I am really looking forward to the routine that being in school brings. Hopefully we will be able to get Natalie into a pretty good routine so I'll be able to work out before work, or after bed time. I'm also going to work really hard to make sure that when I get home, until bed time it is all about my kids. I know these years are going to go by quickly, and then they won't want to hang out with me.

Thoughtful Tuesday

Is a teachers job really ever done? I know I joke around about loving teacher for breaks and summers, but I really do love my kids and teaching! If I didn't why would I spend all summer pinning away on Pinterest, hitting up back to school sales the day they start, looking at curriculum and playing with my Cricut to design awesome stuff for class?!

Thoughtful Tuesday

It's crazy to believe that Tyler and I have never been married for six years!  So much has happened over the past six years, and we have come so far.  We have been blessed with an amazing family who loves and supports us.  We have two beautiful children, who I wouldn't trade for the world.  We have friends who have become our family in multiple states.  I wish there was a way we could have everyone we love in one place, so we could always spend time with those that we love.  Even though we are all spread out, it makes those times when we get to spend time with those who are far away even more special.

Our awesome family in early May for Natalie's newborn photos, by Christina at Patchwork Photography

Thoughtful Tuesday

I am so thankful for friends who have given us so much for Natalie to use. I'm glad that we have been able to pass it on as well. Since we had Natalie, and we knew we were stopping at two, I have been able to give all of Brandon's clothes to our friend Hans. I have also been able to start shipping things to Nicole for her baby girl coming in a few weeks. I just love how generous people have been, and am so thankful that I can share the wealth with others!

Thoughtful Tuesday

In the past week we have gone to two different zoos. We went to the children's zoo in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and then we went to the zoo in Omaha. I understand it must be expensive for the up keep of the animals and their exhibits, but I feel like zoos take advantage of you. At least both of the zoos we were at let us bring stuff in with us, as long as there was no glass.  Either way though, $15 for an adult to get into the zoo? Then, thank goodness B is still under 2, because if he wasn't then he would have been like $12!! Both of the zoos were really cool though, and I wish we would have had more time at the Omaha zoo.

Thoughtful Tuesday

We were able to meet Tyler's family today. I have now officially met all of Tyler's family. Tyler's grandma and grandpa were able to meet the kids too. It was a good day. We're looking forward to a reunion tomorrow with everyone too!

Thoughtful Tuesday

I need to start being better about taking pictures!  I went over to the Watts' house today to hang out with them before they move.  They are going to be leaving next week, and since we head out of town tomorrow, I knew I had to go over there to see them today.  I love them, and they have been one of the families that I have grown the closest with over the past five years.  I have had two of their children, and I was going to have their third child this next year.  Any ways, I went over there this morning with the kids to hang out before we had to say goodbye.  I had my phone with me the whole time, and I didn't take one single picture!  I even cried with Eileen before I left, but no picture.  Luckily, I had Eileen take a picture of the girls and I on the last day of school, and then she took a picture of E and I at her party last week too.  I am going to miss this family tremendously.  They have been such amazing people, and one of the reasons that I was so adamant about staying at Shepherd.  This family always goes above and beyond, and does more than is ever asked of them.  I love them, and have been so blessed to watch E grow up over the past five years.  I am honored to be able to call Eileen a friend as well!  They will be missed at Shepherd, but they will also be missed by me!

First day of school, August 2010 

Last day of school, May 2011 

August 2011

Brandon's Baptism, December 2011

Last day of school, May 2013

Thoughtful Tuesday

I think the saying is true, you never know how good you have it until it's gone. I went to work today for yearbook signing and then graduation is tonight. I am going to miss these people. I am going to miss my daily hugs from E. I'm going to miss talking with Eileen after school. I'm going to miss my good morning shouts from down the hall. I'm going to miss the witty humor. I'm going to miss the sounding board. Most of all I'm going to miss my best friend, the person I could go to at any time. I'm going to miss knowing she's right next door, and ready for ice cream whenever I had a bad day. I know God has much bigger plans for her, and I've been blessed by her friendship and love for the past three years, but I'm going to miss her.

Thoughtful Tuesday

Brandon's new island

We are so lucky to have grandparents who love Brandon, and Natalie.  Tyler's parents are great, and close to the house, and will help out when they can.  My parents are awesome, and buy crazy toys like this for Brandon that he can play with at their house!  I really don't know what we would do without a support system like them!  The kids and I came up to grandma and grandpa's house on Sunday afternoon, and will be here until this weekend.  My parents are amazing with how much they jump in to help with the kids.  We are going to have a great vacation in June, but we will miss my parents, the kids will miss their grandparents, and I think my parents will secretly miss the kids too!  (Even though she will enjoy sleeping at night again!)

Thoughtful Tuesday

I am so glad that Brandon loves Natalie. I just wish he would talk to us and tell us what he needs or wants.

Thoughtful Tuesday

As I sit here snuggled with my baby girl on the couch I am watching my crazy almost two year old run through the house. I can hear my mom in the kitchen doing dishes, and playing with B. We are awaiting the arrival of my mother in law, so that way we can take Princess to her appointment. We are beyond blessed to have parents who love us, and love being grandparents.