Last night my tutoring session was cancelled. Thanks to my loving husband, I was shooed out the door to have some "Tamryn-time." I have been aching for this for awhile. Sure, I have some space when the kids are down for a nap... but there is a difference in the quiet when they are napping, and my ears are still attuned to their cries, and the quiet of Starbucks, or some other place, where I don't have to even think about their waking up and wanting to play.
My first stop was an errand-stop - Lowe's - our new best friends. I then went to Starbucks. I didn't noticed how many women about my age were there.. all by themselves, like me. One was reading a book intently, the other was just sitting with headphones on, and I was journalling. I imagine these women were also having some alone time.
Target was my last stop. I love the coffee at Starbucks, and the ambiance, but my activities there are limited. Target is my go-to for some refreshing time by myself. Surprise-surprise, more moms by themselves :) I actually got to look around as slowly as I wanted. I came up with 2 amazing deals after coupons - 2 shirts for myself totalling 74 cents! I also found some tights for Lina for this next cold season for 74cents each!
When I was younger, I didn't always like shopping with my Mom. The trips that I look back on with bad memories are the ones where it seemed like we were in a store for hours while my mom combed each aisle. I know I loved many of the shopping trips my Mom took my on... but now I have a little more sympathy for my Mom on the trips that I disliked so much - she must have been needing some space! I guess there was no one to babysit me when she needed the space the most :) I never thought I would love combing each aisle as much as I do at this stage in life. Obviously, a lot of moms feel the same way (and maybe some daddys too?). Sorry I gave you such a hard time Mom!
So, now that I have had some space I am more rejuvenated, and I look forward to my next outing by myself.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
It has been awhile....
Since I last posted, we have added a beautiful little (chunky-monkey :)) girl into our family, and have purchased our first home! It is not like we haven't been busy or anything :) We have until the end of May to move our of this current home.
I have to say, I am a bit sad. Yes, the commercial ceiling tiles, brown linolium in the kids room, yellow hexagonal kitchen countertop tile, lack of insulation, etc... are not exactly things we will shed tears over when we move.. but, this house was the place we brought Ezzie and Lina home to for the first time (and our dog Kass). The place where so many "firsts" have occurred. I love sitting at the kitchen table and looking out at the neighborhood and up at the large trees as the wind makes their branches and leaves dance. I love sitting on the porch and playing with our kids and the neighborhood kids. Despite us living "in the hood," I have made so many wonderful friends, and will miss my neighbors dearly... especially our 2(am)oclock conversations over the phone about the gunshots and such. I have teared up a number of times at the thought of leaving, and may shed a few more tears as we lock the door for the last time and say goodbye. While I love an adventure, I do very poorly with endings.
As we update the house we will be calling home in just 3 weeks, I'll try to do better with posts :)
I have to say, I am a bit sad. Yes, the commercial ceiling tiles, brown linolium in the kids room, yellow hexagonal kitchen countertop tile, lack of insulation, etc... are not exactly things we will shed tears over when we move.. but, this house was the place we brought Ezzie and Lina home to for the first time (and our dog Kass). The place where so many "firsts" have occurred. I love sitting at the kitchen table and looking out at the neighborhood and up at the large trees as the wind makes their branches and leaves dance. I love sitting on the porch and playing with our kids and the neighborhood kids. Despite us living "in the hood," I have made so many wonderful friends, and will miss my neighbors dearly... especially our 2(am)oclock conversations over the phone about the gunshots and such. I have teared up a number of times at the thought of leaving, and may shed a few more tears as we lock the door for the last time and say goodbye. While I love an adventure, I do very poorly with endings.
As we update the house we will be calling home in just 3 weeks, I'll try to do better with posts :)
Here are some fun pics for now :)
Our Old House
Our New Home (My panoramic attempt :))
Our kids when they were both 7 months old!
The BEST Mother's Day ever.. well, so far :)
Meeting out needs...
Over the course of everything concerning our new home, we have been so blessed to tangibly see and experience how God has provided for every need, and even desire. Today I experienced another blessing. I received a call from our contractor informing us that our dishwasher was just a bit too tall for our counters. He did the leg work for us at Lowe's and found one that would fit in the space.. problem was, it was almost $200 more than what we paid for the other one. I hit my stress point yesterday over this... one more thing to go wrong.. one more thing to elongate how long all of the contract work is doing.. one more thing before Jon leaves on his trip tonight at midnight to put us behind schedule. Well, after doing some research I found that Lowe's matches advertised prices that are less than their cost, and then gives you 10% more off the price.. so the 699 dishwasher came down to 485.. yes, you see the right numbers. When I went in to Lowe's to speak with the man who has been so helpful, everything was set up. We even have the dishwasher being delivered tomorrow night.
This is just another of the many ways God has provided for us in ways we did not expect.. sometimes His answers of providence have required us to sacrifice, and sometimes He has provided in simply giving to us. Just wanted to share :)
This is just another of the many ways God has provided for us in ways we did not expect.. sometimes His answers of providence have required us to sacrifice, and sometimes He has provided in simply giving to us. Just wanted to share :)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Scandinavian Festival and Reunion
So, this August was a monumental time for Jon. He had his 10 year high school reunion, and it was the 50th anniversary of the Scandinavian Festival - in which he has danced and been a part of since he was a wee little tot. We had such a blast! The festival was so much fun, and did not have your traditional fair fare. The majority of the food was Scandinavian or European, and they had dancing and other events all day - the fun kind of dancing that doesn't all look the same :)
Jon lit up like it was Christmas as the festival, and Ezzie was super cute in how he just took everything in. You'll notice in the pictures the authentic costumes Jon and his family wear - Ezzie joined the ranks, but I didn't :) I was in charge of the pictures :)
Ezzie had a blast with his grandma, grandpa, auntie and uncle - as you can see from the pics below :)
I also loved getting to know and meet Jon's friends. I had met many of them before, and had a great time catching up. His friends, who I had only heard of, were a lot of fun to talk with as well. Being up in Oregon made me wish, again, that we lived closer. At this point we do not sense God leading us that direction, but in 3 years, when our commitment to LETU is over.. we hope that is where we end up :)
Jon also took me to see his grandma's house. We visited her gravesite as well. Jon loved her so much, and I was not fortunate enough to meet her - she passed away the summer before I met Jon. She sounds like such an awesome woman - I look forward to meeting her in heaven someday :)
Jon lit up like it was Christmas as the festival, and Ezzie was super cute in how he just took everything in. You'll notice in the pictures the authentic costumes Jon and his family wear - Ezzie joined the ranks, but I didn't :) I was in charge of the pictures :)
Ezzie had a blast with his grandma, grandpa, auntie and uncle - as you can see from the pics below :)
I also loved getting to know and meet Jon's friends. I had met many of them before, and had a great time catching up. His friends, who I had only heard of, were a lot of fun to talk with as well. Being up in Oregon made me wish, again, that we lived closer. At this point we do not sense God leading us that direction, but in 3 years, when our commitment to LETU is over.. we hope that is where we end up :)
Jon also took me to see his grandma's house. We visited her gravesite as well. Jon loved her so much, and I was not fortunate enough to meet her - she passed away the summer before I met Jon. She sounds like such an awesome woman - I look forward to meeting her in heaven someday :)
The time is coming...
very soon where we will get to meet our little girl! I am filled with excitement, nervousness, and a little anxiety. For those of you who know me well, you know it takes me quite a while to process my emotions and responses to situations. I usually hit a depression and take a while to even realize I am in it, and why. With Ezzie this happened after his birth due to a lot of factors - broken trust with my doctor, the shear shock of how hard the labor experience was, his 5-week undiagnosed diaper rash which became obvious as thrush based on my symptoms, his surprise hospital visit and horrible spinal among other things, and just the transition from working to being at home full-time. I hit a major depression which put me on the couch crying for hours each day, and Jon reaching out the best he could and lots of prayer and support.
Why do I mention these things? Well, I want to step into this next phase of my life aware of what I have been through, affirming myself in what has occurred, and being ready to embrace and work through whatever comes our way with Pi so that I hopefully can bypass the months of depression and the length of more than a year it has taken me to be ok with who I am as a mother, woman and wife as I adjusted to becoming a mom.
When we found out Pi was a girl I teared up - I was so excited. I am still just as thrilled. She is a gift from God, just like her big brother Ezzie. Jon and I are so blessed to even be able to add another member to our family. I have no idea what it is like to have 2 children, but even with the nervousness of how we will adjust I am really excited to see our family grow.
I have been reading up on babies again... even though Ezzie will only be 21 months when Pi arrives, I don't really remember when he did what (I'll probably have to review his calendar to double check these things :))! I am reading through The Baby Whisperer right now and really enjoying it. The review is very helpful!
Well, I know these updates are few and far between. I think part of my not updating has come from me pulling into my shell a bit more simply because we are about to embark on a major transition in our lives. Here is a picture of me at 36 weeks... not sure how much she can grow in me at this point :)
Why do I mention these things? Well, I want to step into this next phase of my life aware of what I have been through, affirming myself in what has occurred, and being ready to embrace and work through whatever comes our way with Pi so that I hopefully can bypass the months of depression and the length of more than a year it has taken me to be ok with who I am as a mother, woman and wife as I adjusted to becoming a mom.
When we found out Pi was a girl I teared up - I was so excited. I am still just as thrilled. She is a gift from God, just like her big brother Ezzie. Jon and I are so blessed to even be able to add another member to our family. I have no idea what it is like to have 2 children, but even with the nervousness of how we will adjust I am really excited to see our family grow.
I have been reading up on babies again... even though Ezzie will only be 21 months when Pi arrives, I don't really remember when he did what (I'll probably have to review his calendar to double check these things :))! I am reading through The Baby Whisperer right now and really enjoying it. The review is very helpful!
Well, I know these updates are few and far between. I think part of my not updating has come from me pulling into my shell a bit more simply because we are about to embark on a major transition in our lives. Here is a picture of me at 36 weeks... not sure how much she can grow in me at this point :)
Monday, May 24, 2010
Pi's quilt
When I was expecting Ezzie, I dared to make him a quilt. Now with Pi coming, I was excited to make her one too! This quilt is a little different in approach. I will also be making her bumper pads too. Not so sure about the shirt and skirt... those seem a little far-fetched... maybe by the next one I'll be up for something new :)
Here is the front, and close-up of the bird, and back:
Here is the front, and close-up of the bird, and back:
I love this stage!
Even though I struggle with the cost of being a mother - in the continual sacrifice of time, energy, and so many other facets, I cannot deny how much I love being a mom. We have heard other couples comment on how they cannot imagine their lives without their kids. We are shocked to see that this saying is our reality... we didn't quite understand how this could be the case before Ezzie :)
We have 4 months left as a family of 3, and I want to take it all in. We are excited about Pi's arrival, but we don't want to miss out on the joys of this season of life. Right now Ezzie continues to surprise us with how much he is picking up. It seems like each day brings some new development.
Communication has been a big development. It really goes back to the day I was tired of Ezzie fussing when he wanted more food. At snack time I said "more, please" and signed it. I kept doing this, and showing what the reward would be, until Ezzie finally chose something from the 3 options... "more," "please," or signing. He chose signing. It was worth the battle for him to choose something. I have noticed his fussing when he is hungry has gone down, and he now employs the signing for more than food.
Even since then he has been imitating more words. Even today, his friend Sam was over and he said "yuck," and so did Ezzie (a new word to add to his vocab :))
Just to name a few - last week, Ezzie began dipping his fries in ketchup. He also has been playing differently with other kids. He and his friend Evan are now initiating high-fives on their own and even giving each other hugs. Evan is only a month older than Ezzie.
I have a feeling that Ezzie is going to be a great big brother. Today Titus (who is almost 3 months) was playing in our playyard. Ezzie was playing with him, and even began to lay down and cuddle with him. It was completely adorable!
I am so proud of my son. My heart just feels with joy when I think of him.
Our little Pi is a mover and a shaker. I absolutely love feeling her move around!
Ezzie kind of understand baby... he says "ba-ba." He often will point to my stomach. Sometimes he points to Jon's stomach or my chest. I am not sure what his understanding is exactly :)
Here is a picture to leave you with of Ezzie, Pi and I.
We have 4 months left as a family of 3, and I want to take it all in. We are excited about Pi's arrival, but we don't want to miss out on the joys of this season of life. Right now Ezzie continues to surprise us with how much he is picking up. It seems like each day brings some new development.
Communication has been a big development. It really goes back to the day I was tired of Ezzie fussing when he wanted more food. At snack time I said "more, please" and signed it. I kept doing this, and showing what the reward would be, until Ezzie finally chose something from the 3 options... "more," "please," or signing. He chose signing. It was worth the battle for him to choose something. I have noticed his fussing when he is hungry has gone down, and he now employs the signing for more than food.
Even since then he has been imitating more words. Even today, his friend Sam was over and he said "yuck," and so did Ezzie (a new word to add to his vocab :))
Just to name a few - last week, Ezzie began dipping his fries in ketchup. He also has been playing differently with other kids. He and his friend Evan are now initiating high-fives on their own and even giving each other hugs. Evan is only a month older than Ezzie.
I have a feeling that Ezzie is going to be a great big brother. Today Titus (who is almost 3 months) was playing in our playyard. Ezzie was playing with him, and even began to lay down and cuddle with him. It was completely adorable!
I am so proud of my son. My heart just feels with joy when I think of him.
Our little Pi is a mover and a shaker. I absolutely love feeling her move around!
Ezzie kind of understand baby... he says "ba-ba." He often will point to my stomach. Sometimes he points to Jon's stomach or my chest. I am not sure what his understanding is exactly :)
Here is a picture to leave you with of Ezzie, Pi and I.
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