Don't Worry Baby

Worry.  It is such a simple little word yet it can be all consuming.  Before I had children I had worries but nothing like I have now.  Now I worry about the day to day things like whether or not they have fun at daycare (or school as we call it).  I worry about if I dressed them properly for the weather, does Matthew have enough diapers or do I need to go to the store, am I feeding them the right things, is Claire getting enough exercise, is Matthew getting enough stimulation, do they know how much they are loved and how special they are - and this is just the every day worries.  Then there are the big worries; how do I raise them to be Christians who will live the life Christ wants us all to live, how do I instill confidence and humility in them at the same time, will Claire meet and marry a man who will take care of her and treat her well, will Matthew grow up to be the type of man I would want my daughter to marry, will they go to good schools and become successful in their own right before they commit to another person's ideals, will they be happy and healthy adults - and the list goes on!  One of the biggest worries for me is how do I protect them and keep them safe and this worry was tested, granted on a small scale, but still tested this week.  Claire came home from school yesterday with a very red cheek and by bedtime it was swollen.  I asked her what happened and she told me that one of her friends at school pushed her down and made her cry.  At that moment, a little piece of my heart broke off.  Now I know this may sound dramatic but it truly did and then a moment later I contemplated taking down a three year old - that was a fleeting moment though.  What is so hard is the realization that I can't protect them from every little hurt along the way and I know that it is those experiences and our conversations about those experiences that will help teach them and shape them into the adults I dream they will become. 
With all of these worries it's hard to believe you can enjoy being a parent at all but that is the really magical part - everything else melts away when one of those babies snuggles me, or holds my hand, or sits in my lap to read a story or sing a song, or when my sweet little girl puts her hand on my cheek and says "I love you Momma" completely out of the blue.  It is during those wonderful and precious moments that I am so full of love and hope that even a mountain of worries can't compare to the pure joy of being Momma.

Take This Job and Shove It

That is exactly what my so-called nanny basically told us today.  She was perfect; energetic, smart, creative, had great references, was easy to talk to, and seemingly loved my children - at least that is what we thought.  She was scheduled to start Monday which was exactly two weeks after she said yes to the job and signed an agreement to work for our family.  Not so coincidentally, that is also two weeks after we gave our notice to our current day care - notice a theme with the timeline there.  Yeah, she said yes and I put our notice in at day care.  TODAY she sends an e-mail to my husband saying that regrettably she is not going to be able to accept the position that she already accepted two weeks ago!  Thanks a lot.  Anybody know any good nannies?!?

Pour Some Sugar on Me

My mom co-hosted a wedding shower this weekend and asked me to make the cupcakes for the party.  I have never made mini-cupcakes before so it was a little bit of trial and error but in the end they turned out great and Mom said they were a hit at the shower!! 

Fondant hearts with an "N" for the bride's new last initial

Up close mini

All boxed up and ready to go!

I hope they enjoyed eating them as much as I enjoyed making them!

Free Fallin'

Who knew running could be so bad for your health?  I think I mentioned that I am training for my first 1/2 marathon to take place in November and training was going well.  So, Lanaea and I met at the dam at 5am on Thursday to complete our 4 mile run for the day.  We had just finished crossing the dam and were running to our turn around when it happened.  It was dark and the pavement uneven and I just caught my toe right on a raised place and down I went.  I honestly don't remember exactly what happened but I do know I slammed down on my left shoulder and then slid down the pavement.  How do I know that?  The extreme pain in my shoulder that requires stabilization with a sling and this:

 Nice, huh?  I am hoping for a speedy recovery so I can get back out there and start training again!

Doctor, Doctor

Unfortunately, my sweet Claire Bear has to have a little surgery tomorrow.  She has what they are currently calling a hemangioma that must be removed.  Normally these go away on their own but upon further examination, they have determined the Claire's is vascularized so they must take it out.  I have complete confidence in our pediatric surgeon but I gotta tell you, anesthesia makes me nervous.  Keep my little girl in your prayers tomorrow.  We will be praying that everything goes well and the pathology report gives us the news we are hoping for.  Also, please pray for the doctor, nurses, and anesthesia team while they are working on my baby. I will try to update tomorrow.

I'm So Excited

I just can't tell you how excited I am to be officially done with Microbiology forever!  The first day of class began with our professor telling us that nobody makes an A in Micro, some people make B's.  Well, he was right, not a single person in our class made an A but I did make a B!  This may be the first time I have ever been this excited about a B.  My first official nursing class starts in about two weeks.  Let the games begin!

Sad Eyes

Really I have one sad eye and one happy eye.  See if you can spot the difference. 

Life is a Highway

Here is a list of some of the things I have learned so far since my return to running:

1. Every mile is different.
2. I may never be first, but some will never even start (new t-shirt idea?).
3. Running IS a social sport.
4. I actually miss running when I don't go.
5. I am my best motivator and my worst detractor.
6. Music helps.  A lot.
7. I need reflective gear.
8. You can get a contact high running in my neighborhood.
9. Running in the rain is awesome. 
10. Running in the lightning is not awesome.
11. Starting a run before the sun comes up really makes the rest of the day brighter.
12. Tis better to run than yell OR running can really improve my mood ;)
13. I need new running shoes.
14. If you try to run to meet the standards of others, you will always fail.  You must run for yourself.
15. Potato soup and running aren't the best companions.

We Are Family

Mom and I decided to take the kids to see my Grandmother a couple of weeks ago and it was such a nice day.  They really enjoyed spending time with their GG and you can probably guess but GG was beaming the entire time we were there.  While there, I took one of my favorite pictures:

It was a really special day and one I will always remember.

When You Smile

I tell you what, there is nothing in this life that I enjoy more than having one of my sweet babies smile at me.  It occurred to me that I shouldn't be selfish and keep it all to myself so I am spreading the love today.

Well, all of Matthew's pictures aren't necessarily smiles but they make me smile!

School's out for Summer

I will be singing this very shortly for a whopping two weeks!  I only have to endure Microbiology for one more week after this one and I can't wait.  To give you a slight taste of what I have been experiencing, please enjoy the following photo montage:

Looks like fun, right?

Still Crazy After All These Years

It's time to celebrate people!  It's my Happy Bloggiversary!!  I just realized that July is the 5th anniversary of the start of my blogging life.  A lot has changed since then - I met a boy, dated and married him, and then had two wonderful children with him.  On top of that I decided to change my life and went to work earning my 3rd college degree.  My nursing clinicals start in January - I'll keep you posted.

Looking back I now wish that I had been more faithful with my writing so I had more to look back on.  Lesson learned so get ready to hear a lot more from me.  Pass it along.

You Better Run

HELP!  I need motivation.  I am training for my first half marathon in November and I was doing really great with the training and now I have slacked off.  I'm headed out tonight to get back on the horse but I need encouragement.  I am trying to think about the sticker below that I am definitely putting on my car to announce to the world "I did it!"  I think I need more ideas.

What do you do to stay motivated?  Anyone?