For You I Will...

I've learned a lot of things in my 28 years of life. I know I have a lot left to learn.

I always, always thought, even after I graduated high school, that I would never have friends like that ever again in my whole life. Maybe a bit dramatic, looking back on it, but how could I? How could I have friends like the ones I had my first slumber party with? That I had Christmas Concerts, church, and dances with? Who got in trouble right along with me for drinking at parties or staying out too late? How could anyone relate with me on that same deep, 13 year long level? And I honestly just thought that it would never happen and I just had to figure out a way to accept it.

Fast forward to college, and yes, I made some friends. I only really talk to 2 of them anymore. Oh, and those high school friends? I must say that I actually do talk to a lot of them still. And that I think about them a lot. And that I truly love them. We can go months without talking and pick up right where we left off. And those relationships are very important to me.

Enter, my sisters. They have always been my friends. Darci, and I don't think this is a secret to anyone, and it's not meant to hurt my other sisters, has been my best friend forever. We've had disagreements, of course. But she has really been my best friend and she's a friend I know that will be there for me no matter what, no matter when, no matter how. She's the first person I want to call when I am mad, sad, happy, or have big news. She knew about both of my pregnancies before my husband even did. She helped me through a loss of a pregnancy. She is my little sister, but in a lot of ways I feel like it's opposite. Like I need her guidance on many issues in my life.

Enter, friends in my early 20's. A lot of them were honestly great, but we just drifted apart. I had marriage and babies before most of them and we just reached different stages in our lives and that's okay. If it weren't for facebook, I probably wouldn't really know too much about how they are doing now. Of course there's one that stuck :) And we don't talk all of the time since she moved back to Sioux City to restart her life. But I love that girl for life.

My late 20's (wow, that's scary) have been amazing, especially as far as friendships go. In the last year I have met some of my truly, truly best friends. One in particular that I feel like I've known all of my life. We did this little thing called "Mom Prom" together last year, maybe you've heard me mention it before... :)

All of these friendships are treasured to me. And they all taught me something, good or bad, about myself and what a friend truly is. And to me, a friend never makes you choose sides. A friend is always there for you, right or wrong, but should be the one to tell you when you are wrong. And if you are a friend, you should accept that you are not always going to be right. A friend sympathizes with you when you are having troubles, if even hers are "worse." A friend should show up just because, not just when things are really bad or really good. A friend would bring over your favorite (or HER favorite!) bottle of wine just to chat. A friend shows interest in your life and invests in your children. And you do the same for her.

Unfortunately, I've learned what to avoid in a friend as well. Avoid friends who have "one up" you all of the time, ones that you can't trust, because just like a marriage, you have to be able to trust your friends. Avoid friends who suck the positive energy out of you. Avoid the friends who demand you be their only. Avoid friends who change their story. Avoid friends who have a sense of entitlement.Avoid friends who take advantage of your or exploit your weaknesses. Hold your friendship close and never just give out to everyone. It should be a chosen process. Think of the 5 people you are closest to. They speak volumes about what kind of person you are. Choose friends who are like you (but still different!) and that deserve to be that close to you.

Guess who told me that? One of my great girlfriends :)

I Love Lucy... Todd :)

As many of you know, we got a new puppy last night!! It seems like it was an 'impulse buy' to some, but believe me, I've been thinking about this for quite a while. Every time my kids have to say goodbye to their favorite dogs, Daisy (my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's dog) or Jingles (Grammy's dog) it crossed my mind. And if you know me, this is a stretch. I am not an animal person. I couldn't even imagine me petting a dog, heaven forbid one over licked me. When I think of a dog here is my train of thought. Literally. The dog goes outside. The dog pees and or poops. The dog steps in it. The dog licks it's privates. The dog licks your kids' faces. You kiss your kids' cheek. You basically just ate doggie doo doo. Yay...

Our new puppy is about 10 months old, so the rescue shelter estimated. She is very calm for a puppy. She is very small for a black lab/retriever mix. Her name at the shelter was Liv. I had a daycare kid named Livi (we called her Liv) and so I wanted to rename her. The rescue volunteer recommended we keep her name beginning with the letter "L" and so we now call her "Lucy." She was brought to the rescue center when she was found by a stranger.

I really wanted a big-ish dog. One that would bark when a stranger came too close to the house. It would make me feel more safe. (Not doubting my husband's ninja skills, of course. Have you SEEN the guy? I wouldn't mess with him... ehem....) Anyway.... Lucy is afraid of her reflection in the window, and I haven't heard so much as a yelp. So much for my guard dog.

How are we doing? So far, so good. As of 8:03 pm she has only had one "accident" and it was right by the back patio door so I am thinking I missed her "open the door, you fool" sign. We are going to get bells to hang on the door and teach her to ring it when she needs to go potty.

We went on our first walk and can I just say, we were a hot mess. I was pushing the stroller, I had Lucy on a leash and Callie was walking, or being tripped the entire time by Lucy. I rammed the stroller into her, the stroller nearly tipped over a few times, Lucy was running circles around me and I nearly fell... all in a matter of blocks. I am so glad it was dark and cold so no one could see the complete mess we were.

And can I just say, my friends and family have been amazing at helping me out with this?? I have been texting, facebook stalking, calling, anyone who has a dog and asking a million questions. So. Sorry. But so very grateful that you are there to help me out :)

The kids are in love. I'm in love. I think we'll keep her :)

Go Huskers!!

Saturday was my first ever Huskers game. Really, I'm not lying. "But your Dad has season tickets..." you say? Yes, yes he does. Let me explain. I have six sisters. And I am not the "golden" child. That would be one of my little sisters, Darci. And she gets alllll of the extra Husker tickets. When my other sisters are in town from Denver, THEY get the tickets. I can't blame my Dad. He's an avid Husker fan, and my husband is not. And my Dad is such a fan that it's hard for him to give his seats to a non-Husker fan. I get it. And I especially get it after the loss on Saturday. If Craig wasn't there, it would have been a win for sure. Sorry, Dad.

Our journey to Lincoln started at McDonald's. We figured since we would be drinking before noon, a couple of hashbrowns might come in handy.

We arrived in Lincoln, parked our car, and tailgated for a bit. I saw homeless people that I didn't really think were homeless (I think it's a Game Day thing, no?). We saw lots of drunk people, and I had high hopes of witnessing an arrest, not gonna lie. So it wasn't even noon yet, and Darci and Marcus have a tradition of taking a Jager shot before the game. Ech. But, I did it for the Huskers....

Nastiness. And for nothing.

After we had a few drinks we headed to Stadium Drive. We walked around for a bit and of course it didn't take long to figure out that all of that drinking is going to make us need a 'facility.' If you know me, you know I loathe port-a-potties. Nasty.

So we headed to the tailgate party put on by Sara Lee. It was a lot of fun. They were pretty serious about it, hooking up a satellite to the top of their SUV along with generators for power, of course. And good food, beer, and Bacardi. What else could a girl want??

The band went by and we followed them into the stadium. It was really a lot of fun, and you can feel the energy. I was seated next to a somewhat creepy man. He kept trying to get me to take bites of his food.... who does that?? I tried my best to ignore him but he kept waving his food in my face, asking me if I'd like a bite. I politely said no thanks. He really wanted to drink, so he left shortly after half time. Yay. We saw a fight break out, not sure why, and an old woman being carried away on a stretcher. But no arrests. Maybe next time?? And maybe a win next time?? Not sure there will be a next time, since Craig clearly has a Husker loss curse. And since I'm really not the golden child anymore. It was fun, even if just for a day!!

Trick Or Treat

Halloween has got to be one of my favorite holidays. I love the decorations (not the scary stuff), the costumes, and the fun parties. Callie dressed up as Taylor Swift this year, shocking, I know. And she already decided that next year she wants to be Cindy Lou Who. We'll see if that sticks! And Tanner was a dinosaur. A very cute dinosaur, that's for sure.

Callie, Dreu, and Tanner

We started a tradition since we moved into our house a couple of years ago. Every Halloween night, we invite friends and family over for chili and cinnamon rolls, and then we head out for candy. It's a lot of fun, and it's a quick, easy supper that I can prepare during the day.

We also went to a party at my friend's house over the weekend. Craig actually dressed up for a costume party. Also, very shocking, but this time really. We went with some friends and dressed up as the gang from Scooby Doo. It was a fun night and I found out that I don't totally suck at pool. Who woulda thunk?

The kids were totally exhausted after all of the trick or treating. At first, Tanner was not really loving it but once he figured out that he gets to eat the candy, it was okay. And a couple of days later, it snowed here! I am sure most of you are fully aware,but I love the snow. Love it. And it was just enough for the kids to be able to go outside and play in it for a little bit.

*LOVE*

I only wish it would have stuck around. It went too fast. Not enough time to sled or anything fun like that. But watching the kids' faces light up when they saw it was so much fun. Callie asked me today when winter was coming back. Soon, I hope Callie, very soon :)

It's Official...

I am the worst blogger. Ever.  It's been over a month since my last blog. I'll tell you why. This girl has been super busy! And since there's no end in sight to the madness, I'll just have to blog in the wee hours of the night... okay... maybe just after 9:00 pm but for me, that IS the wee hours of the night!

What have I been busy doing? Birthdays, Book Clubs, Bunco Nights, sick kids, playing outside while the weather is still 'play outside-able,' and cleaning. This fall has been busy! We've been to Vala's a few times this year and if you have never gone, you need to. No matter where we end up living some day, I will always bring the kids back to Vala's. It's really one of the most fun, family friendly places I've ever been to. I've been to a couple of craft fairs, which were really fun, and we have finally gotten Callie in swimming lessons. You'll remember her near drowning here. We thought it was absolutely time to get her comfortable with the water. She was never really too afraid of it, but I'd like her to know what to do if she ever finds herself in a similar situation as last year. I pray she never does.

Callie is going to preschool for a few hours a day now, five days a week. She loves to write, count, and rhyme. Her daddy has taught her how to "plus" things together and she really gets a kick out of showing off her skills. Tanner is adding more and more words to his vocabulary by the day and has mastered the art of the perfect temper tantrum. Definitely a "Mama's Boy" at this point, and loves to go bye bye. He loves when we read books and do all of the silly animal sounds.

My favorite time of year is upon us. I broke down and had my first Starbuck's hot chocolate of the year. I've started my Christmas shopping. I have started my mega list of what we need to get. I feel more organized this year than ever before. We'll see if it pays off :)

Like I always say, I am going to try to blog more, I promise. I will be shopping again on Black Friday this year. If you didn't catch all of my fun times last year, check it out here.  That always promises a great blog. As long as I have my brave photographer, Caity with me!!!

Easy, Psycho...

If you have met my beautiful, sweet, smart 4 year old daughter, chances are, you've probably seen her "crazy" side. She's really a sweet girl 90% of the time. But every once in a while she gets this crazy look in her eyes like she could choke someone. Her eyes warn you that an attack is imminent.   And the funny thing, kind of scary thing, is that all I have to do to make it go away is say, "Eeeeeasy Psycho!" and she starts smiling and laughing. Huh? In  a snap second she goes from rabid dog to my smiling little angel. How does that happen?

Side View...

Aaaand back to a sweetie pie.

Psycho...

Sweetie Pie.

It started really young...

She gives me a run for my money, no doubt. Just this morning she told me, "Mom, you are so mean. You are ruining my life!" She learned that from watching "Freaky Friday" of course. Lovely. You know what provoked her outburst this morning? She got out of bed 3 times last night. So she lost her TV privileges and she didn't get to pick her breakfast this morning. Can I just say that I am dreading 16? But you know what, if she learned a lesson from it, I am fine with her "hating" me for a few minutes. Even a few hours.

Oh, September...

What a mixed bag September is for me. One of my favorite, happiest, most sad, and least favorite month all at the same time. More good than bad, but why does the bad have to be so bad? But I try to keep in mind, it could always be worse.

Let's start my blessing counting with a positive. September 2011 marks ten years of Craig and I living together. We were so young. I am sure a lot of people doubted it would last long. I remember the day we moved in. HE picked the furniture. That's right. HE did. (With the help of his Dad). We ended up with leather couches (faux leather, of course), a nice kitchen table that now resides in my Dad's kitchen, and a sage green/oak bedroom set that now resides in his sister's bedroom! We just bought a new bedroom set after all of these years, upgraded to a King size bed, and I am in love. Start counting... He did pretty good. I remember all of the freezing cold Minnesota mornings. Who am I kidding, the cold Minnesota mornings, days, evenings, and nights... I don't miss you Minnesota!

September is one of my favorite months because it is the beginning of Fall. My absolute favorite season. I love jeans, cute flats, cardigans, and dressing the kids in cute, layered clothes. I love the colors, the weather, and letting chili cook in the crock pot all day long. I love going to the pumpkin patch and picking out pumpkins and decorating them with the kids. Start counting...

My sister just lost a co-worker at her daycare center. I didn't know her. I didn't know her daughter. All I know is that she was gone in a heartbeat, and that little girl doesn't have a mommy anymore. And her Daddy has never been a part of her life. I know she'll be well taken care of by other family members, but it's just not the same. It really broke my sister's heart. And mine too. And it made me think. Start counting...

September is also sad for many, if not all Americans. I'm sure many of you have thought about where you were when 9/11 happened. I'm sure you watched some of the 10 year "Looking Back" specials. I did. And then I couldn't sleep at night. I couldn't get those images out of my head. I couldn't stop thinking about when I would tell Callie what happened, how I would say it, and how you explain what pure evil and hate can breed, without scaring her. That was just the extreme, right? I will only have to explain ONE terrorist attack of that magnitude to her, right? The truth is we don't know. We don't know if the terrorists are planning another attack. We don't know who the target would be, although I doubt it'd be where I live. We don't know if, when, or how many more times. I pray that it will never be that bad again. I thank God it wasn't worse. Because it could always be worse, right? I pray to God that we have seen the worse. This has always been a happy day in our family because it's my Dad's birthday. It's not supposed to be a sad day. And most people would say that if I cry and am sad all day that the terrorists win. I don't see it that way. I cry for the families who have lost their loved ones, the soldiers out there still fighting, the heroes that are looking down from Heaven, feeling no more pain, no more fear, and are finally at peace. I can't imagine going through that. And that's why it's so important, and I hope you aren't sick of hearing me talk about this, SO important to be thankful for every day you have. It's not like people only die from terrorist attacks. People are dying every day. Babies, children, teenagers, adults, senior citizens, are all sadly dying. You are not promised a tomorrow. Spend every minute you can with the people you love. Tell them you love them. Don't sweat the small stuff. Keep a positive attitude. Know that someone always has it worse than you, no matter how bad you think you have it. Count your blessings. Be kinder than you were yesterday. Thank God for the gifts in your life. Hug your little ones every chance you get. They grow up too fast. Listen to your friends, invest yourself in them. Play with your kids. Whenever I am in a bad mood, chaos has broken out and I have 8 children under the age of 5 unhappy, you  know how I turn it around? I turn on music. Loud. And we dance and dance and dance. And within minutes, everyone is smiling and happy, including me. Keep counting...

I will try to stop all of the "preaching" about how you should live your life:) It is your life, you can do whatever you want. I just feel like we waste so much time with negativity. I have some friends who have gone through unimaginable pain. From losing a loved one, children who are sick and won't be getting better, children losing their parents, it all just shakes me to the core. The fragility of life and how in an instant it can all be gone. If you are reading this, I probably consider you an important person in my life. I count you as a blessing. And if I'm counting up all of those in my life, I can't even count that high. Thank you Lord. Here's to promising a less serious post next time, and that you have so many blessings in your life, you can't even stop counting for second.