A Great Start To A Rained Out Weekend

We had a great weekend of lots of outdoor time and riding bikes.

Brecken LOVED to ride her scooter bike, but mostly enjoyed riding it going backwards...she got the most momentum that way.

Here's Parker riding her bike with training wheels! After a few laps around the block, she was really getting the hang of it!

Here is daddy helping just a little bit in guiding her....

And here he is with no hands!!

Brecken has turned into quite the climber...she loves to get onto anything and stand up, even in places she's not supposed too...I just thought this was pretty cute of her trying!

Parker and my nephew Evan had so much fun playing in Nana and Papa's fountian last night! It had rained a ton in the late afternoon, but they LOVED playing outside, and the water didn't bother them one bit! Parker was SOAKED by dinner time!

I LOVE Judy

Judy is who watches Brecken for us while Chris and I are at work. We just started going to her in June of last year. I loved Betty who watched the girls before, but Judy is just different. Most noticeably is her computer savvyness, and the photos she shares with Chris and I on occasion...I LOVE THAT! Here is one that she took of Brecken earlier this week and just emailed to us. It makes me feel so good to know that she is having a great time during the day and well cared for, and that I get to see little glimpes of it. Have a great weekend.

Basket Head...

The girls and I were playing last night after dinner, while Chris was out for a work function. Brecken dumped out all of the blocks and started playing with the basket. When she put it on her head, It reminded me instantly of that movie with Steve Martin, and the kids, I can't remember the name of it, but the little girl in that movie was walking around the kitchen with a bucket on her head, and kept bumping into the wall...I remember thinking that part in the movie was so funny, and then Brecken reminded me of that last night! Here she is with the basket on her head..and no she didn't run into any walls!

Going Green and Random Thoughts

I’m thankful that we all are living in a time where it is cool to do your part in saving the earth….As I was walking to Dillon’s yesterday to pick up a few produce items for dinner I kept telling myself over and over again, I’m doing my part by walking, trying to convince myself that it’s cool to walk to the store…all the while thinking that if I drove, I would be there by now, and done in 10 minutes…instead it took me 10 minutes to walk there, and by the time I got home 45 minutes had passed…As I was walking home from the store, I made a mental note…don’t ever buy too much, as the bag is heavy, and I have to carry it home! I just picked up a few items, and brought along my own tote, so for yesterday I did my part in “going green”….some what reluctantly, but I did it…
You’re maybe wondering why I was home yesterday…I took a vacation day and took advantage of having the house to myself to clean…yes, I know, a vacation day to clean doesn’t sound like the best thing to do with a vacation day, but the house really needed it! We are almost done with the bathroom remodel, and the dust was unbelievable and everywhere. I cleaned from 8:45 till 4 when I headed out for the store. I was a gorgeous day and the sun was shining which I LOVED about the walk. The exercise was good too! The only bad part about spending an entire day cleaning is that as soon as the kiddos come home, it doesn’t quite feel as clean anymore..especially when they spill milk all over the kitchen floor, which is what happened this morning! Oh well!

Security Blanket

I thought I would share a quick story about Parker. Most everyone knows that she has a blanket that she got as a gift when she was a baby. Horsey goes with us EVERYWHERE! Last night I was getting her ready for bed at 8:00 and told her to go get horsey and come upstairs...a minute later she said she didn't know where he was, so Chris and I both started looking for him and also could not find him...we searched everywhere, and finally asked her if he came home from school with her...she thought about it a minute, and with a look of trepidation on her, said no....her lip started quivering and you could tell she was nervous..Chris sits her down, and starts asking are you sure, as we think through the night...As horrible as this sounds, we kind of chuckle a bit, as it's kind of funny that we're about to attempt to put her to bed and realize that this isn't going to go over well at all..It's Thursday night, she doesn't have school the next day and won't be back until Monday....I start thinking that the church where the "school" is at, would be having a service due to it being a holy week....I told him to head over, and find someone to let you in the classroom to find it...I put Parker to bed, and she cried for Horsey....I told her we would keep looking and that she needed to try and go to sleep, and as soon as we found him, we would bring him to her...after leaving her room, I called Chris, and he had successfully retrieved him from her classroom! He found a janitor cleaning in the basement, and asked to be let into her room to look for it! Whew, that was a close call. An hour later when he arrived back home, she was still awake, waiting for him! It was too cute.

Excited

Ok, how cool is this?!! Today at work I met a gentlemen that was ready to Join. I had talked to him numerous times over the course of 5 years, and today he stopped in to fill out an application. I was chatting with him and asked what kind of Dr. he was, and he replied that he was a Retina Surgeon with Greene Vision...I told him I'm very familiar with Greene Vision, and told him who my Dr's were..he looked very surprised that I was seeing someone within his group and asked what was wrong...I told him that I had Ushers, thinking he wouldn't know much about it, but to my surprise, he knew much about it. He does research specifically on Ushers, right now he's working on stem cell possibilities, and has worked with Dr. Kimberling at Boys Town who discovered the 1st gene linked to Ushers....How Cool Is That??!! We talked more, and I asked a few questions of him, and he confirmed that research is very exciting right now, and that definitely in my lifetime there will be a breakthrough in research!!! He said that I am in very good hands with Dr. Fogarty, but that if I ever needed anything he was right next door...I might consider very seriously about switching to him, as I LOVE that he knows about Ushers and would be on top of it!!

God works in mysterious ways....I wonder what's in store for me!!

Prayer

My bible study group that I have been meeting with for the last 4 years just started a new study called Let Prayer Change Your Life. Up until recently, and I mean very recently, I’m slowly starting to open up and become more comfortable in acknowledging where I am at…. I’m usually the very quiet one only speaking vary rarely, and mostly listening and taking everything in and learning that way. I haven’t been very intentional as far as opening up the bible and studying it at all. Mostly because I am so intimidated by the whole concept. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in God, I have a relationship with him, but I never seeked to study him. 4 years ago a few sweet friends invited me to join an amazing group of women and I have learned SO much from each of them, different things in different ways, and over the years, I have felt my inner being changing in a way I can’t explain, but until recently fully understanding why the last 4 years (of what I’ll call character building) were so important… Chris and I were talking the other night after a couples study we are participating in called the Truth Project. After the 1st night, we were discussing it, and I asked, “is it possible to have eternal life by just having a relationship with god, but not seeking to know him?” After asking that question out loud, but mostly to myself, I decided that it is important to be more intentional. So back to this current study…could the timing be more perfect in my life for a study such as prayer? Within the first 3 weeks, I’ve decided that I’m not very good at prayer…yes I pray, but not consistently, yes, I have a relationship with God, but that sometimes its just one sided..I talk to him throughout the day, but I’m not listening to what he has to say back to me…SO, after Monday night, I decided it is time to start doing something about my relationship and being more intentional in it, and being comfortable asking God for what it is I need. So Tuesday started different for me, and I can honestly say, I have never taken this step..I got up earlier than usual, only 15 minutes to be exact, to start reading and praying….praying for my life, my direction, and what I’m supposed to do with where I am at….It’s only 15 minutes, but it’s a start…I will leave you with a verse that was given to us as part of this study that fits perfectly to my life stage and circumstances.

James 4:2
You do not have because you do not ask.

Parker's A Big Help

I have mentioned before in passing that we are in the middle of a bathroom remodel! We are nearing the end of this process, yea!! Last night Chris was painting and Parker was SO EXCITED to help daddy paint! Chris told her that he would call her when he was ready for her help....she was downstairs with Brecken and I and kept asking "when is daddy going to call me to help?"...he finally did, and I had to snap a photo! Sorry for the quality, the lighting isn't all that great yet!

Also this weekend we went out shopping for a while to get out of the house so the tile guys could work in the house without the kiddos running around. We were at the mall and the Bubble Man was there!! Here is a picture of Parker inside a huge bubble!

Spring Dress

Parker got this dress as a gift when she was just a baby and I loved it, and couldn't wait to put it on her! Brecken now gets to wear this dress. Here is a picture of Brecken, and then Parker wearing the same dress...It's amazing how different my two girls are! Parker was too big for the dress by the time she could wear it, and for Brecken, it fits perfectly!! Enjoy!

Things I Hate

Normally I have a really good attitude, and I don’t like for people to pitty me at all. This post is not intended to be that at all…I was conflicted about whether or not to write it but I also want to be real, and for others to understand what it is like to have this disability. I have my moments, I’m not perfect…so here’s to a post about things I hate about it…with a few praises at the end!

I hate……

When people think I'm a snob because I've unintentionally not seen the wave or offer of a handshake.

The poles in the middle of the isles of stores…Target gets me every time…

Running into little kiddos, especially my own, because I choose to look out, and not down…

Seeing my girls tears because I did knock them down….

That I haven’t seen the stars in years….And I forgot all about it until recently Chris mentioned it to Parker.

That I can’t see in the dark at all, having to constantly walk with my arms extended out to not run into anything and not seeing Chris lying next to me in bed..

Not being able to drive anymore, and having to depend on everyone else to help me with my errands, and losing control over the car radio!!

When people come into my office while I am on the computer and standing there waiting for me to notice them, but I don’t because I didn’t hear them come in.

On the flip side…

I am SO THANKFUL for my awesome family.

I LOVE it when friends call to ask if I have any place to go or errands to run, as they are going out too, Thanks Sarah, You’re the best!

I really like that I don’t have to walk the distance from the employee lot to the Club anymore, front door service is really great, especially in the rain or snow!!

I LOVE hugs and kisses from Chris and the girls, and how quickly the girls forget that I've just knocked them over!

I never half to go to the grocery store alone anymore, which is my least favorite thing to do on the weekends!!

I am also thankful for the close proximity to the mall…I had never thought about it, until my girlfriends mentioned it in bible study, and they were right, I’ve walked to the mall on a couple of occasions already and it’s not too bad. The exercise I will benefit from not driving anymore will do me some good…I was looking for a way to get in shape…not really what I had in mind, but it will work!