It's quiet in my house. Aaron is at work and Maddie went to bed on time. All I can hear is the sprinklers - ch ch ch ch ch ch ch tttttttttttttttttt. Hmm, not sure how to type out that sound, but there's something about it that makes me smile. Summer days - reminiscing to childhood and the carefree days. Wouldn't it be nice to have that back? I get a glimpse of it as I watch Maddie enjoy her bliss. I'm thankful for those reminders.
I was sitting in my physiology lab today and overheard a classmate lamenting over her poor grade on our first test of the semester. She was very emotional, regretted that she has taken on too much because her personal life is a mess, and I knew what she was talking about. I also, shamefully, was proud of myself because I FINALLY pulled off a passing test grade in this class. It's about time. I have been in the best mood since I got my test score back. I seriously have been doubting myself with this class, wondering if I have what it takes to get through nursing school. Silly, really, because I know I can do it - I just need to be diligent in my efforts.
Aaron called today to let me know he was pulling into the property where I work. This is a daily activity. Maddie brings her daddy swimming every day when it's nice outside. I meet them at the pool so that I can apply sunscreen. It's nice to have a pool on the job, Maddie loves the water. After they get in the pool, I stand by and watch Maddie laugh and enjoy her time with her dad. I really think that's what it is about. There's no TV, no phone, no homework taking away his attention. She lives for this time. Aaron loves it too.
I'm sitting here avoiding housework, but I was waiting until Maddie was asleep so that I could run the vacuum. It's amazing how much mess a toddler can make in a day! Tomorrow is a busy day at work, and I have to find some time to get to the school district's preschool office. We are still trying to decide where to enroll Maddie this fall, we have several options. She is so excited to go to "the little school that you can't fit in." That's what she tells me about preschool.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Learning responsibility
Tonight as I was getting home from work, Maddie was helping herself to some leftover rice in the fridge. She is very independent and usually does things fairly well. Unfortunately, the lid popped open and some rice spilled on the floor. It was maybe a tablespoon of rice, but it did make a mess. Maddie apologized immediately. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do it. It's okay, we can clean it up, but it was my fault." WOW! I then offered to help her clean it up. She asked "Where's the sweeper?" so I pulled out the dustpan and handheld broom and decided to give it to her and see what happened. She knelt down and swept up the mess, it took about 30 seconds. When she couldn't get the last piece of rice up with the broom, she picked it up with her finger and put it in the dust pan. She then took the dustpan carefully to the garbage can and emptied the contents. She of course got a big positive reaction from Aaron and I.
I was so proud watching her take responsibility like that. This sweet child of mine wants so badly to do what is right and she wants to please us. I am so blessed!
I also have learned a little more responsibility myself, I suppose. I am currently on round 3 of human physiology. My first exam of the semester was last night. I studied hard, not as much as I could have, but much more than I have in previous semesters. I tried some new techniques and reviewed things a hundred times. Tonight we got the multiple choice section of the test back (90% of the test). I scored 80% and I was so thrilled! She will return the essay portion a week from tonight, but my score will only go up from here. This gives me a healthy position for the remainder of the semester. They say third times the charm...I'm feeling pretty optimistic about that at this point!
I was so proud watching her take responsibility like that. This sweet child of mine wants so badly to do what is right and she wants to please us. I am so blessed!
I also have learned a little more responsibility myself, I suppose. I am currently on round 3 of human physiology. My first exam of the semester was last night. I studied hard, not as much as I could have, but much more than I have in previous semesters. I tried some new techniques and reviewed things a hundred times. Tonight we got the multiple choice section of the test back (90% of the test). I scored 80% and I was so thrilled! She will return the essay portion a week from tonight, but my score will only go up from here. This gives me a healthy position for the remainder of the semester. They say third times the charm...I'm feeling pretty optimistic about that at this point!
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
If you can stand it
Or not, what do I care, this is my blog! :)
Another cute thing Maddie said that melted my heart! Sunday night as we were leaving my parent's house Maddie wanted me to pick her up. She gave me a big hug and said "I love you. You're the best mommy ever!" Awww. Too sweet! My mom said to make sure I went home and wrote that one down - to remind her of it 10 years from now. Sadly, I know that's true. I remember the days of absolute animosity towards my mom. Hard to imagine my sweet girl will some day possibly turn into a bitter teenager...oh, the things to look forward to! I'll just make sure to treasure these sweet memories that much more!
Last night Maddie had a really hard time settling down for the night, so I went in to her bed to sleep with her. She said just before she fell asleep "you're special." Where does she get this stuff? Maybe she knows she'll get further with us if she is extra sweet and complimentary...
Another cute thing Maddie said that melted my heart! Sunday night as we were leaving my parent's house Maddie wanted me to pick her up. She gave me a big hug and said "I love you. You're the best mommy ever!" Awww. Too sweet! My mom said to make sure I went home and wrote that one down - to remind her of it 10 years from now. Sadly, I know that's true. I remember the days of absolute animosity towards my mom. Hard to imagine my sweet girl will some day possibly turn into a bitter teenager...oh, the things to look forward to! I'll just make sure to treasure these sweet memories that much more!
Last night Maddie had a really hard time settling down for the night, so I went in to her bed to sleep with her. She said just before she fell asleep "you're special." Where does she get this stuff? Maybe she knows she'll get further with us if she is extra sweet and complimentary...
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Cherished Moments
My little girl is full of personality. I love that about her, she has so much excitement and enthusiasm bundled up in her little body. I am constantly amused by the things she does and says. She is such a cute kid - not only on the outside, but she's sweet, loving, perceptive - all the things that make her that much more adorable on the inside.
With the busy schedule that we have, I try to maximize the time we have together. Some of my most cherished moments are the ones we spend in the car. I leave the radio off and let her talk. Yesterday, while we were driving to her great-grandma's house, I said "I love you" and made a kissy face in the rear view mirror. Maddie responded by acting like she was trying to get out of her carseat with all her might and said "I can't reach your kiss, mommy!"
This morning I brought her into our bed for some cuddle time with Aaron and I. Aaron was trying to get her to share with him what we bought him for Father's Day. I was sure that she would spill the beans. She is just 2, of course! Instead, Maddie was more interested in telling him what we bought for her (a little goodie bag of hair clips and jewelry) and the gift we bought for her grandpa. When he pushed for information on his gift, she said "Father's Day is tomorrow!" and wouldn't say another word about it. Very impressive.
When I took her to Granite High so that her Grandma Pam could watch her for the day, she said "Please hold my hand in the parking lot so the cars don't step on me." I obliged, of course, and said "You're such a good girl, Maddie!" and she replied "You are a good mommy!" As I look at the little person she has become, I am happy to take some credit. But, as I have said before, she has so many people in her life that love her, and I'm grateful that she's picked up some positive attributes from all of them. I can't take all the credit!
With the busy schedule that we have, I try to maximize the time we have together. Some of my most cherished moments are the ones we spend in the car. I leave the radio off and let her talk. Yesterday, while we were driving to her great-grandma's house, I said "I love you" and made a kissy face in the rear view mirror. Maddie responded by acting like she was trying to get out of her carseat with all her might and said "I can't reach your kiss, mommy!"
This morning I brought her into our bed for some cuddle time with Aaron and I. Aaron was trying to get her to share with him what we bought him for Father's Day. I was sure that she would spill the beans. She is just 2, of course! Instead, Maddie was more interested in telling him what we bought for her (a little goodie bag of hair clips and jewelry) and the gift we bought for her grandpa. When he pushed for information on his gift, she said "Father's Day is tomorrow!" and wouldn't say another word about it. Very impressive.
When I took her to Granite High so that her Grandma Pam could watch her for the day, she said "Please hold my hand in the parking lot so the cars don't step on me." I obliged, of course, and said "You're such a good girl, Maddie!" and she replied "You are a good mommy!" As I look at the little person she has become, I am happy to take some credit. But, as I have said before, she has so many people in her life that love her, and I'm grateful that she's picked up some positive attributes from all of them. I can't take all the credit!
Thursday, June 16, 2005
There just aren't enough hours...
I would like to think that I'd be accustomed to this by now! Summer semester started last week and it's keeping me busy. I'm taking physiology again. This is the third time. The good news? We've had 3 lectures and I feel like I know exactly what my professor is talking about. I've been much more diligent about reading in preparation for my lecture, then going home and reviewing everything again.
My days are full. I work from 9 until 6, but have arranged to have a mid-day lab on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon until 3. My lecture is Monday, Tuesday and Thursday night from 7 until 8:40. I feel horrible for making Maddie sacrifice the time she has had with me, but it's for a very short time.
I feel like we are finally close to our first goal - Aaron will graduate in December. The last three years have been very challenging! I am proud of us for making the commitment to get through it though. I look at Maddie and see a happy, flexible, well-adjusted child. She has so many people to love and cherish, and they have been so willing to help us through this.
I haven't updated this as often as I would like, but will try to steal a few minutes here and there to write more often.
My days are full. I work from 9 until 6, but have arranged to have a mid-day lab on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon until 3. My lecture is Monday, Tuesday and Thursday night from 7 until 8:40. I feel horrible for making Maddie sacrifice the time she has had with me, but it's for a very short time.
I feel like we are finally close to our first goal - Aaron will graduate in December. The last three years have been very challenging! I am proud of us for making the commitment to get through it though. I look at Maddie and see a happy, flexible, well-adjusted child. She has so many people to love and cherish, and they have been so willing to help us through this.
I haven't updated this as often as I would like, but will try to steal a few minutes here and there to write more often.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
I realized something this week.
As we get older and our circle of friendship and family expands, we are blessed to have more people to love and enjoy. I am thankful for that. I have also realized that as I've gotten older and more of life's experiences - opportunities, trials, gifts, and tragedies - have been presented to me, there are so many more people in my life that I worry about, pray for, and have reason to rejoice and celebrate for. That includes the unfortunate opportunity to mourn and weep with them too. While overall Lora's birth is a very happy, celebrated occassion, there were a few tense moments when Jodi's health was a huge concern for everyone today.
I became an aunt yesterday. "Baby Lora," as we've been calling her for months, was born via c-section Wednseday morning at about 7:00. 8 pounds, 2 ounces and 20 inches long. She's perfectly healthy and happy to be here. Shortly after my sister-in-law was settled in her room, she went unconscious. Fortunately, my brother-in-law went to check on her before he left to give his daughter her first bath. Jodi had a reaction to the morphine she was given and stopped breathing for a short period of time. Adam and her nurse were unable to wake her, and a code blue was called. Jodi said when she woke up there were about 15 people standing around her bed working on her. The affects of the morphine were counteracted with narcan, and she's going to be fine. It is really too bad that the happy events of the day were overshadowed by so much stress. I hope today was less eventful and that they were able to enjoy getting to know their new little girl. It is such an amazing blessing to have a child, and I'm so happy for them.
We went to the hospital last night to meet Lora. Maddie has been anxiously waiting for this baby since she heard about her. She has watched Jodi's belly grow wondering why she couldn't actually see the baby growing inside her. It's been quite amusing. It was love at first sight last night. Maddie was so gentle and sweet, lightly touching her and watching her facial expressions. She said at one point "Mom, baby Lora is smiling at me!"
I became an aunt yesterday. "Baby Lora," as we've been calling her for months, was born via c-section Wednseday morning at about 7:00. 8 pounds, 2 ounces and 20 inches long. She's perfectly healthy and happy to be here. Shortly after my sister-in-law was settled in her room, she went unconscious. Fortunately, my brother-in-law went to check on her before he left to give his daughter her first bath. Jodi had a reaction to the morphine she was given and stopped breathing for a short period of time. Adam and her nurse were unable to wake her, and a code blue was called. Jodi said when she woke up there were about 15 people standing around her bed working on her. The affects of the morphine were counteracted with narcan, and she's going to be fine. It is really too bad that the happy events of the day were overshadowed by so much stress. I hope today was less eventful and that they were able to enjoy getting to know their new little girl. It is such an amazing blessing to have a child, and I'm so happy for them.
We went to the hospital last night to meet Lora. Maddie has been anxiously waiting for this baby since she heard about her. She has watched Jodi's belly grow wondering why she couldn't actually see the baby growing inside her. It's been quite amusing. It was love at first sight last night. Maddie was so gentle and sweet, lightly touching her and watching her facial expressions. She said at one point "Mom, baby Lora is smiling at me!"
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Mother's Day 2005
A question was asked on my message board yesterday: "What's the best present you've ever received on Mother's Day?" I thought that I have loved every Mother's Day since I've been blessed with motherhood - I truly feel it is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I remember the Mother's Day from 2002, just a little over 3 months before Maddie was born. The anticipation and excitement surrounding this little life that I was nourishing and protecting until she was ready to come into the world, the awesome responsibility that was about to fall on our shoulders. I was so excited at the opportunity that awaited us. I know many people have found motherhood through a lot more heartache, tears and struggles - whether it be years of fertility treatment that finally ended with a successful pregnancy or whether you were able to have your child placed with you through the miracle of adoption. I think that we all have similar emotions when we finally know that our children are coming soon.
I remember the Mother's Day from 2003, Maddie was about 9 months old. Her percocious personality was already shining brightly and I cherished every moment I had with her and every new milestone. She had already brought us so much joy and laughter and peace to our home. We were blessed with such a sweet and happy spirit. She had come to our family just when she was supposed to, I don't doubt that at all. Aaron was still substitute teaching and finishing up his nursing school pre-req's. Money was much tighter than we were accustomed to and things were pretty stressful, but we had our own little family that meant more than anything to us, we were also working towards a brighter future for all of us.
Then there was Mother's Day last year. Maddie made me a card and presented it to me with so much excitement - it was so sweet! She was able to talk in short sentences and communicated her feelings so well. She had learned some songs from her favorite movies and rides at Disneyland. She had such an enthusiasm for life, thrived on learning and seeing new things, and enjoyed making everyone around her laugh. This little person had certainly made a place for herself in the lives of many. She had brought joy and a reason for living to my MIL during her fight against cancer and another immuno-suppresant illness.
Today I was woken up by Maddie knocking on her door saying "Mommy, Mom?, Mommy!" and it is the best word in the world. She wants me in the morning, she always has. She came into bed and cuddled with me and said "You're my best friend and my nice Mommy, aren't you?" She is always concerned about the emotions of everyone around her. She seems to have an appreciation for everything in her life and is filled with gratitude. The "terrible two" moments are few and far between, and we are already developing a relationship that I hope I will continue through our lifetime together as mother and daughter. I love her so much and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing Aaron and I with her. I am also grateful, beyond words, for my husband and the way he has enjoyed being a daddy. He created a bond with her while I was pregnant, and has such a great attitude about being a dad. I love him more for it.
As I am celebrating my 4th Mother's Day and my 7th wedding anniversary today, I look at the occasions that this day celebrates. My life has changed so much because of both, and for that I am extremely thankful.
I remember the Mother's Day from 2003, Maddie was about 9 months old. Her percocious personality was already shining brightly and I cherished every moment I had with her and every new milestone. She had already brought us so much joy and laughter and peace to our home. We were blessed with such a sweet and happy spirit. She had come to our family just when she was supposed to, I don't doubt that at all. Aaron was still substitute teaching and finishing up his nursing school pre-req's. Money was much tighter than we were accustomed to and things were pretty stressful, but we had our own little family that meant more than anything to us, we were also working towards a brighter future for all of us.
Then there was Mother's Day last year. Maddie made me a card and presented it to me with so much excitement - it was so sweet! She was able to talk in short sentences and communicated her feelings so well. She had learned some songs from her favorite movies and rides at Disneyland. She had such an enthusiasm for life, thrived on learning and seeing new things, and enjoyed making everyone around her laugh. This little person had certainly made a place for herself in the lives of many. She had brought joy and a reason for living to my MIL during her fight against cancer and another immuno-suppresant illness.
Today I was woken up by Maddie knocking on her door saying "Mommy, Mom?, Mommy!" and it is the best word in the world. She wants me in the morning, she always has. She came into bed and cuddled with me and said "You're my best friend and my nice Mommy, aren't you?" She is always concerned about the emotions of everyone around her. She seems to have an appreciation for everything in her life and is filled with gratitude. The "terrible two" moments are few and far between, and we are already developing a relationship that I hope I will continue through our lifetime together as mother and daughter. I love her so much and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing Aaron and I with her. I am also grateful, beyond words, for my husband and the way he has enjoyed being a daddy. He created a bond with her while I was pregnant, and has such a great attitude about being a dad. I love him more for it.
As I am celebrating my 4th Mother's Day and my 7th wedding anniversary today, I look at the occasions that this day celebrates. My life has changed so much because of both, and for that I am extremely thankful.
Monday, May 02, 2005
It's almost over
The semester is rearing it's ugly head this week with finals. I feel like school has been out for 2 weeks though...and that's a problem! :) I have a chemistry final tomorrow morning and then I'm done. Aaron took one today and has one tomorrow and Wednesday. That guy needs a break in the worst way! We are so relieved to be 3/4 of the way done with nursing school for him.
I did kidnap him and take him to Vegas for the weekend on the 23rd. It was a big hit, and he had no idea what was coming. I was loading up the car when he came home from work. He was a little (okay, a lot) surprised to see me up and ready so early on a Saturday morning. I told him to put some comfy clothes on and get in the car. He said "I have a lot of homework to do and I want to go to bed!" and I told him he could sleep in the car. Aren't I nice? We dropped Maddie off at my parent's house and were on the road headed south around 9:00 a.m. He slept all the way to Cedar City and woke up confused about where we were, because everything said Providence. I finally told him we were going to Las Vegas to see a show, and he guessed after a few tries that we were going to see Kevin James. We found Rancho Serene (corporate suite) around 3:30 that afternoon and took a nap for a bit. We went to dinner at the Aladdin and had excellent food. We were able to walk around the shops there for a bit and then we headed over to the Mirage for the show. We had a great time. I think Aaron appreciated the surprise and we really enjoyed each other's company. Sunday morning we had breakfast at the Golden Nugget and then headed home around 1:30 in the afternoon.
Auntie Barbara was in town last week for women's conference. I took Thursday off to go with Mom, Amy and Aunt B. I always enjoy it, but it seemed a little dull this year. I suppose that's because I'm a little off track and need to make some spiritual changes. Of course, my mom complained of it too, and I consider her on a much higher spiritual plane than myself, but I do know that I'm not where I should be. I just feel like everything is a little overwhelming right now and I am not doing anything as well as I should be. Hopefully the break will help me re-focus and make some new goals and habits.
I was able to go to Las Vegas again this past weekend with a bunch of friends. I find myself truly blessed to have met and formed friendships with these "internet" women. We had a riot, and found ourselves in some extremely interesting situations. Only in Vegas! :)
I have missed Maddie terribly with all of my traveling and I'm excited to have some down time with her over the next month before school starts up again. This morning I had told her that she could take some chocolate M's to Grandma Nina's. When we were in the car she was searching through her diaper bag and said "Mom, we forgot my chocolate M's!" and she was quite upset. I told her we could have them tonight when we got home, and she started crying. I then promised I would stop by Grandma's on my lunch break to bring her some. I followed through, even though I'm sure that by the end of the day I could have gotten away with not doing it, I believe it is better to follow through with promises! When I stopped by on my lunch break she was taking a nap, so I wrote a note and left the candy on the countertop. Grandma has to rock her to sleep and is always stuck there during the nap, so I couldn't explain to her what I was doing there. Hopefully Maddie was happy when she woke up.
I did kidnap him and take him to Vegas for the weekend on the 23rd. It was a big hit, and he had no idea what was coming. I was loading up the car when he came home from work. He was a little (okay, a lot) surprised to see me up and ready so early on a Saturday morning. I told him to put some comfy clothes on and get in the car. He said "I have a lot of homework to do and I want to go to bed!" and I told him he could sleep in the car. Aren't I nice? We dropped Maddie off at my parent's house and were on the road headed south around 9:00 a.m. He slept all the way to Cedar City and woke up confused about where we were, because everything said Providence. I finally told him we were going to Las Vegas to see a show, and he guessed after a few tries that we were going to see Kevin James. We found Rancho Serene (corporate suite) around 3:30 that afternoon and took a nap for a bit. We went to dinner at the Aladdin and had excellent food. We were able to walk around the shops there for a bit and then we headed over to the Mirage for the show. We had a great time. I think Aaron appreciated the surprise and we really enjoyed each other's company. Sunday morning we had breakfast at the Golden Nugget and then headed home around 1:30 in the afternoon.
Auntie Barbara was in town last week for women's conference. I took Thursday off to go with Mom, Amy and Aunt B. I always enjoy it, but it seemed a little dull this year. I suppose that's because I'm a little off track and need to make some spiritual changes. Of course, my mom complained of it too, and I consider her on a much higher spiritual plane than myself, but I do know that I'm not where I should be. I just feel like everything is a little overwhelming right now and I am not doing anything as well as I should be. Hopefully the break will help me re-focus and make some new goals and habits.
I was able to go to Las Vegas again this past weekend with a bunch of friends. I find myself truly blessed to have met and formed friendships with these "internet" women. We had a riot, and found ourselves in some extremely interesting situations. Only in Vegas! :)
I have missed Maddie terribly with all of my traveling and I'm excited to have some down time with her over the next month before school starts up again. This morning I had told her that she could take some chocolate M's to Grandma Nina's. When we were in the car she was searching through her diaper bag and said "Mom, we forgot my chocolate M's!" and she was quite upset. I told her we could have them tonight when we got home, and she started crying. I then promised I would stop by Grandma's on my lunch break to bring her some. I followed through, even though I'm sure that by the end of the day I could have gotten away with not doing it, I believe it is better to follow through with promises! When I stopped by on my lunch break she was taking a nap, so I wrote a note and left the candy on the countertop. Grandma has to rock her to sleep and is always stuck there during the nap, so I couldn't explain to her what I was doing there. Hopefully Maddie was happy when she woke up.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
"You're my nice mommy, aren't you?!?"
I must hear this a million times a day! I think it all started when I would ask Maddie "Where did my nice girl go?" when she was acting up. She has figured out how to use it to her advantage already! This one is going to keep me on my toes!
Saturday, April 09, 2005
This morning I was woken up by a very sweet alarm clock!
Aaron got home from his graveyard shift and was watching TV while I slept in a bit. I guess he opened Maddie's door when she woke up around 8:20. She came running in to our room and jumped up on the bed to give me a big hug and kiss. "I love you Mommy, you're my best friend! I just woke up too! Did you have a good nap?" She was super cuddly and let me snuggle with her in bed for a few minutes before the real alarm went off. What a nice way to start the day!
Thursday night we were eating dinner and Maddie wanted some Junior Mints out of her Easter basket. I told her she was welcome to have them after she ate her dinner. She said she didn't want dinner, just her mints. I said "You can't have your mints unless you eat your dinner." She got completely exasperated and said in the most dejected tone "I guess you just aren't nice to me, guys!" and sighed as she put her head in her hands. She was obviously upset (a little dramatic though!) and it was all I could do not to laugh. Sometimes it's difficult to remember that their feelings and emotions are valid to them, even though they're a little exagerated.
Thursday night we were eating dinner and Maddie wanted some Junior Mints out of her Easter basket. I told her she was welcome to have them after she ate her dinner. She said she didn't want dinner, just her mints. I said "You can't have your mints unless you eat your dinner." She got completely exasperated and said in the most dejected tone "I guess you just aren't nice to me, guys!" and sighed as she put her head in her hands. She was obviously upset (a little dramatic though!) and it was all I could do not to laugh. Sometimes it's difficult to remember that their feelings and emotions are valid to them, even though they're a little exagerated.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
It's been awhile!
I'll do a quick update today and try to be better in the upcoming weeks and months. I just had an entire entry written and lost it...that is so frustrating!
We are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel this semester, school ends in about a month. I'm feeling very optimistic about my classes and Aaron is doing well too.
Maddie is still growing like a weed and learning so much! She has recently learned to count to 10 and is quite proud of herself. She has such a happy spirit, we have truly been blessed with her in our lives. She is eager to tell us "I love you so much, Mommy (Daddy)" and when we get home from work she's quick to meet us with a big hug and a "I missed you so much!" or "I'm so happy to see you!" It's enough to make me cry! She's always telling Aaron and I that we are her best friends. Totally cute. She loves to sing and dance, and has an impressive imagination.
Aaron and I wish we had more time to spend together, but it's next to impossible with our schedules and school. I have a surprise trip planned for him in 3 weeks, I was able to get our corporate suite in Vegas and bought tickets to see Kevin James at the Mirage. It will be a quick get-away, but hopefully enough of a break to keep him motivated for the final 2 weeks fo the semester. I'm excited and he has no idea. My plan is to have the car loaded up and let him know when he gets home from work that Saturday morning that we are going. Should be fun!
We are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel this semester, school ends in about a month. I'm feeling very optimistic about my classes and Aaron is doing well too.
Maddie is still growing like a weed and learning so much! She has recently learned to count to 10 and is quite proud of herself. She has such a happy spirit, we have truly been blessed with her in our lives. She is eager to tell us "I love you so much, Mommy (Daddy)" and when we get home from work she's quick to meet us with a big hug and a "I missed you so much!" or "I'm so happy to see you!" It's enough to make me cry! She's always telling Aaron and I that we are her best friends. Totally cute. She loves to sing and dance, and has an impressive imagination.
Aaron and I wish we had more time to spend together, but it's next to impossible with our schedules and school. I have a surprise trip planned for him in 3 weeks, I was able to get our corporate suite in Vegas and bought tickets to see Kevin James at the Mirage. It will be a quick get-away, but hopefully enough of a break to keep him motivated for the final 2 weeks fo the semester. I'm excited and he has no idea. My plan is to have the car loaded up and let him know when he gets home from work that Saturday morning that we are going. Should be fun!
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Latest Maddie-isms
Monday night I got home from work and Maddie was so excited to see me. I was wearing a shirt that Pam gave me for Christmas. Maddie said "Is that your new shirt, mommy? I love that, you're so cute, just like Cinderella!" Oh, she's such a delight! Later that night as I was buckling her into her carseat after dinner out she said "Let me kiss you happy, mom!" She knows how to get what she wants! What a cutie.
Christmas break, 2004
We started it out with a bang by making a trip to Disneyland. We left on December 18th and came home on Christmas Eve. Here's the details on our trip:
Saturday morning I woke up at 6 am to get the car loaded up and ready to go, DH got home from work at 7:30. MIL stopped by to give us some goodies for our trip and we at 8:30 a.m. We stopped in Utah County to visit with a friend for a little bit, then were on the road towards Vegas by 10:00 a.m. We arrived in Las Vegas at 3:00 Vegas time. We freshened up in the hotel room (stayed at the Aladdin) and went down to do some window shopping in the stores there. We splurged (majorly) on dinner at the Aladdin buffet, it was so good! We were there for about an hour and a half LOL, had to get our $$$'s worth...and I sampled 5 different desserts thinking that would justify some of the money I spent LOL. We went back up to our room at about 7, bathed Maddie and started a movie for her. The bathroom had a nice big soaking tub so I treated myself to a nice hot bath while DH kept Maddie entertained. We were asleep by 8:30 or so.
We checked out of the hotel on Sunday morning and were back on the road by 8:30 a.m. Traffic was heavy, but we maintained the speed limit all the way to Orange County. I did not have a map, and the signs did not direct us the way I expected them to, so we ended up in LA and had to back track a bit. We got to our hotel at 1:00 p.m. They wouldn't let us check in until 3, so we went to Downtown Disney to browse and grab a bite to eat. Once we checked in we took a nice long nap. We ventured away from the Disney area and found a Little Caesar's for dinner...$5 pizza is easy on the vacation pocket book! We went to bed early again and were excited to get to Disneyland on Monday morning. Monday we got to Disneyland at 9:30 in the morning. It was a lot more crowded than we had expected and it took us that whole day to get into the groove of everything. We were able to see Sleeping Beauty on our way to the annual passport counter, Maddie gave her a hug but lamented afterwards that she forgot to give her a kiss LOL. Aaron and I waited at separate times to get our pictures taken for our annual passports, which took forever! We had lunch at the Jazz Kitchen at Downtown Disney. We hit several rides that afternoon and left the park around 8 to get some burgers at Jack in the Box.
Tuesday we went to California Adventure for a couple of hours and then we met up with my friend Laurie from the August '02 playgroup board. We had lunch together at the Rainforest Cafe with her kids. That was a lot of fun. We stopped at Build A Bear so that Maddie could have some fun making her own souvenir. That was a huge hit! DH's feet were bothering him really bad so we found out how to get to the closest Sears to look for some shoes. No luck (of course) and it was the middle of rush hour...so we decided to grab some food and go back to the hotel for some swimming. Wednesday and Thursday were Disney days all the way. We got to the park by 9:30 both days and were there for most of the day (minus naptime). We had gotten smart and picked up stuff for sandwiches at the grocery store, we figure this saved us around $50. We did have one meal at the park each day for convenience. Wednesday night we took turns going on the Tower of Terror (lots of fun!) and then saw the Electric Parade at CA. We then ran over to Disneyland to catch the fireworks and magic snow. It was so windy that the snow didn't fall like it's supposed to.
We had been looking all week at different items to buy for Christmas, and went shopping on Thursday afternoon while Maddie slept in her stroller. We picked up two Disney Princess dolls, a sweatshirt, a jewelry/music box and a bracelet and necklace for Maddie. We also found some piano music books for MIL and found a way to transport mint juleps home for BIL (his favorite Disneyland treat). Thursday night we watched the Christmas Parade at Disneyland, that was really fun. The whole trip was worth it to see It's a Small World and the Haunted Mansion all decked out for the holidays. We had a great time. We checked out of our hotel at 8:30 on Christmas Eve and headed home. We arrived in SLC just before 7:00 p.m., very grateful for clear weather all the way home.
A few things I observed while we were on our first "family vacation" with just the three of us.
1. It's extremely difficult to keep a 2 yo happy, calm, entertained and well-behaved when there are only two people to trade off.
2. It's more fun to make sure your child gets to do everything they want to do than to get in all the rides you like.
3. 2 yo's don't understand the height restrictions on rides like Splash Mountain - she wanted on that ride so bad and cried every time we passed it.
4. Aaron has a hard time passing up anything even remotely cute, this observation alone has alerted me to problems we will have in the future when our kids will know that dad's the softy.
5. Portable DVD players make long cartrips completely bearable and almost fun LOL.
7. Family vacations are a great way to build memories that will last a lifetime.
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Christmas Day was really nice. We had to wake Maddie up so that we could get everywhere we were supposed to go that day. She was excited to open all of her presents and was happy to find the puzzle she'd been expecting from Santa Claus. After we were dressed and ready we left for my mom and dad's. Grandma Fay was in town from Phoenix, it was nice to visit with her. We had a nice brunch, opened gifts and lounged around for a few hours. We headed over to Grandma Despain's at 2:00 for the family party and lunch. We left there at 5:30 for Pam's and opened gifts, oh so many gifts! We had munchies there and then went home. Pam had to follow us home in her car to deliver everything we had opened, and our house that had been pretty much spotless on Christmas Eve was a disaster! We had fun getting everything opened, hooked up and put away.
Aaron's enjoyed the extra time to spend with Maddie. He's only worked three days since Christmas, so they've had lots of time together. It's been really nice to just get up and get ready for work myself without having a lot of running around to do. I'll enjoy one more week of it before school starts on the 10th.
New Year's Eve started out with a party at Thanksgiving Pointe. Maddie won tickets to Radio Disney's Noon Year's Eve party, we took Pam and had a fun time going through the dinosaur museum. We returned to Salt Lake at 12:30 and I met up with Amy to go to lunch while Chelsey watched Maddie for me. Amy and I are planning our trip to San Francisco at the end of the month, we are excited for some time away. After lunch I took Maddie home for a nap. We returned to Mom and Dad's for New Year's Eve because Aaron had to work at the hospital. Maddie stayed up until midnight and we shared the top bunkbed - too small and too high for me!
Saturday morning I woke up at 6 am to get the car loaded up and ready to go, DH got home from work at 7:30. MIL stopped by to give us some goodies for our trip and we at 8:30 a.m. We stopped in Utah County to visit with a friend for a little bit, then were on the road towards Vegas by 10:00 a.m. We arrived in Las Vegas at 3:00 Vegas time. We freshened up in the hotel room (stayed at the Aladdin) and went down to do some window shopping in the stores there. We splurged (majorly) on dinner at the Aladdin buffet, it was so good! We were there for about an hour and a half LOL, had to get our $$$'s worth...and I sampled 5 different desserts thinking that would justify some of the money I spent LOL. We went back up to our room at about 7, bathed Maddie and started a movie for her. The bathroom had a nice big soaking tub so I treated myself to a nice hot bath while DH kept Maddie entertained. We were asleep by 8:30 or so.
We checked out of the hotel on Sunday morning and were back on the road by 8:30 a.m. Traffic was heavy, but we maintained the speed limit all the way to Orange County. I did not have a map, and the signs did not direct us the way I expected them to, so we ended up in LA and had to back track a bit. We got to our hotel at 1:00 p.m. They wouldn't let us check in until 3, so we went to Downtown Disney to browse and grab a bite to eat. Once we checked in we took a nice long nap. We ventured away from the Disney area and found a Little Caesar's for dinner...$5 pizza is easy on the vacation pocket book! We went to bed early again and were excited to get to Disneyland on Monday morning. Monday we got to Disneyland at 9:30 in the morning. It was a lot more crowded than we had expected and it took us that whole day to get into the groove of everything. We were able to see Sleeping Beauty on our way to the annual passport counter, Maddie gave her a hug but lamented afterwards that she forgot to give her a kiss LOL. Aaron and I waited at separate times to get our pictures taken for our annual passports, which took forever! We had lunch at the Jazz Kitchen at Downtown Disney. We hit several rides that afternoon and left the park around 8 to get some burgers at Jack in the Box.
Tuesday we went to California Adventure for a couple of hours and then we met up with my friend Laurie from the August '02 playgroup board. We had lunch together at the Rainforest Cafe with her kids. That was a lot of fun. We stopped at Build A Bear so that Maddie could have some fun making her own souvenir. That was a huge hit! DH's feet were bothering him really bad so we found out how to get to the closest Sears to look for some shoes. No luck (of course) and it was the middle of rush hour...so we decided to grab some food and go back to the hotel for some swimming. Wednesday and Thursday were Disney days all the way. We got to the park by 9:30 both days and were there for most of the day (minus naptime). We had gotten smart and picked up stuff for sandwiches at the grocery store, we figure this saved us around $50. We did have one meal at the park each day for convenience. Wednesday night we took turns going on the Tower of Terror (lots of fun!) and then saw the Electric Parade at CA. We then ran over to Disneyland to catch the fireworks and magic snow. It was so windy that the snow didn't fall like it's supposed to.
We had been looking all week at different items to buy for Christmas, and went shopping on Thursday afternoon while Maddie slept in her stroller. We picked up two Disney Princess dolls, a sweatshirt, a jewelry/music box and a bracelet and necklace for Maddie. We also found some piano music books for MIL and found a way to transport mint juleps home for BIL (his favorite Disneyland treat). Thursday night we watched the Christmas Parade at Disneyland, that was really fun. The whole trip was worth it to see It's a Small World and the Haunted Mansion all decked out for the holidays. We had a great time. We checked out of our hotel at 8:30 on Christmas Eve and headed home. We arrived in SLC just before 7:00 p.m., very grateful for clear weather all the way home.
A few things I observed while we were on our first "family vacation" with just the three of us.
1. It's extremely difficult to keep a 2 yo happy, calm, entertained and well-behaved when there are only two people to trade off.
2. It's more fun to make sure your child gets to do everything they want to do than to get in all the rides you like.
3. 2 yo's don't understand the height restrictions on rides like Splash Mountain - she wanted on that ride so bad and cried every time we passed it.
4. Aaron has a hard time passing up anything even remotely cute, this observation alone has alerted me to problems we will have in the future when our kids will know that dad's the softy.
5. Portable DVD players make long cartrips completely bearable and almost fun LOL.
7. Family vacations are a great way to build memories that will last a lifetime.
************************************************************************************
Christmas Day was really nice. We had to wake Maddie up so that we could get everywhere we were supposed to go that day. She was excited to open all of her presents and was happy to find the puzzle she'd been expecting from Santa Claus. After we were dressed and ready we left for my mom and dad's. Grandma Fay was in town from Phoenix, it was nice to visit with her. We had a nice brunch, opened gifts and lounged around for a few hours. We headed over to Grandma Despain's at 2:00 for the family party and lunch. We left there at 5:30 for Pam's and opened gifts, oh so many gifts! We had munchies there and then went home. Pam had to follow us home in her car to deliver everything we had opened, and our house that had been pretty much spotless on Christmas Eve was a disaster! We had fun getting everything opened, hooked up and put away.
Aaron's enjoyed the extra time to spend with Maddie. He's only worked three days since Christmas, so they've had lots of time together. It's been really nice to just get up and get ready for work myself without having a lot of running around to do. I'll enjoy one more week of it before school starts on the 10th.
New Year's Eve started out with a party at Thanksgiving Pointe. Maddie won tickets to Radio Disney's Noon Year's Eve party, we took Pam and had a fun time going through the dinosaur museum. We returned to Salt Lake at 12:30 and I met up with Amy to go to lunch while Chelsey watched Maddie for me. Amy and I are planning our trip to San Francisco at the end of the month, we are excited for some time away. After lunch I took Maddie home for a nap. We returned to Mom and Dad's for New Year's Eve because Aaron had to work at the hospital. Maddie stayed up until midnight and we shared the top bunkbed - too small and too high for me!
Monday, December 06, 2004
I'm okay with having to take physiology again...maybe this time I'll get it right!
It all started the other day when I got my horoscope text message on my cell phone. Silly, I know. I honestly don't give it any thought, but it's kind of fun to start the day with. My horoscope said "The road to your goal is not exactly what you expect. Be adaptable." This is something I struggle with. I have wonderred lately if I've made the right choices. Well, I've made some wrong choices, and am trying to rectify that. I honestly believe I'm on the right track...even though it's a difficult one.
Today I was on www.lds.org looking up a talk and the quote on the main page in the corner was from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. He said "We need to do all that is in our power to accomplish our goals, and the Lord will make up the difference." While I have felt overwhelmed, I haven't always done all that I can...and I often forget to include the Lord in my life. I know things would be easier if I would. So...I'm hoping to begin making improvements. Maybe some day I'll actually pass my physiology class LOL. Hey, if my horoscope says so AND an apostle...it's got to be true, right?!?
Today I was on www.lds.org looking up a talk and the quote on the main page in the corner was from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. He said "We need to do all that is in our power to accomplish our goals, and the Lord will make up the difference." While I have felt overwhelmed, I haven't always done all that I can...and I often forget to include the Lord in my life. I know things would be easier if I would. So...I'm hoping to begin making improvements. Maybe some day I'll actually pass my physiology class LOL. Hey, if my horoscope says so AND an apostle...it's got to be true, right?!?
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Maddie
So, did I mention that Maddie is the light of my life? I absolutely adore her. She is such a sweet yet spunky little girl, full of personality and ambition. The other morning I had looked for my car keys for 20 minutes and was running very late. I called Aaron and left a message asking if he had seen them. He called me back 10 minutes later and told me right where they were...I was so frustrated that I started crying. Maddie ran up to me saying "want hug! want kiss!" and then grabbed me tight and said "don't be sad, don't be sad Mom." It was totally cute. She is so sensitive. We get a lot of time together at nights and on the weekends because of Aaron's schedule, and it is so fun to build a relationship with her of trust and love.
The holiday season with her has been really fun. She loves all of the music and decoration. She has learned several songs and can recite many lines by memory. The list includes "We Need A Little Christmas," "Up on the Housetop," "Jingle Bells," "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer" and "Where are you Christmas?" She has such a cute voice and really tries to sing well. She dances like my dad, it's really funny. Last night when I picked her up from my mom's house she had learned the chicken dance and was insisting that everyone march around the coffee table while doing the dance. I'm sure that was a sight!
She has been such a blessing in our lives. I never imagined how much love I would have for my child, it is incredible and overwhelming.
The holiday season with her has been really fun. She loves all of the music and decoration. She has learned several songs and can recite many lines by memory. The list includes "We Need A Little Christmas," "Up on the Housetop," "Jingle Bells," "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer" and "Where are you Christmas?" She has such a cute voice and really tries to sing well. She dances like my dad, it's really funny. Last night when I picked her up from my mom's house she had learned the chicken dance and was insisting that everyone march around the coffee table while doing the dance. I'm sure that was a sight!
She has been such a blessing in our lives. I never imagined how much love I would have for my child, it is incredible and overwhelming.
Physiology Blech
This semester has been difficult and frustrating. I am taking physiology for the second time, not fun. The nursing program requires a C+ in the 5 pre-req classes. I am struggling getting there with this class. Tuesday I got my third exam back and figured out that there is no way that I will get a C+ this semester either...I was so upset! Honestly it has been very difficult for Aaron and I to go to school at the same time. Aaron's schedule is a little more flexible and more school friendly. I work Mon-Fri from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. By the time I pick up Maddie and get home it is almost 7. She goes to bed around 8:30, which leaves me an hour max before I'm too tired to focus on studying. And of course...there are a thousand other things I could be doing instead, dishes, laundry...those usually win out. Spring semester I am registerred for chemistry and a history class, and I think I will take physiology next summer when Aaron doesn't have classes. Summer term is only 8 weeks long so the material is condensed and I think it will be a little more manageable. I feel like I've wasted 8 months on this class! Oh well - there's only so much I can expect to do and still do it well. I'm working on that.
Sunday, November 28, 2004
A place for my thoughts and an introduction
I finally decided this is the best way to keep a journal. I suppose others will come across it, which is why I will mostly be sharing the good stuff that's going on. Just in case anyone I don't know stumbles upon this, I'll do a brief introduction. I'm currently 26 years old. My husband, Aaron, is 29. We have an adorable little girl that is 2 years old, her name is Madilyn but we call her Maddie. Aaron and I are both currently in school, he is in the nursing program and I am finishing up my pre-requisites for the nursing program. We both work full-time, which makes our lives especially hectic with school and a 2 year old. We are so blessed to have a large support system to help us get through this. Aaron's grandma watches Maddie for us 4 days a week and Aaron's schedule allows him to be home with her 1 day a week, we're both around on the weekends. It's not the most ideal situation, but I believe Maddie is getting the best care and the maximum amount of attention from her great-grandma. Maddie's vocabulary and cognitive development is amazing, and I attribute alot of that to her getting so much one-on-one time with her GG.
We are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This is a strong foundation to build our lives and our family upon. My core belief and value system stem from what I have learned and gained a testimony from the gospel. Aaron and I were married and sealed for time and eternity in the temple in May of 1998. It is an amazing promise that if we do as we are taught our family will be together forever. I am so grateful for that knowledge. I need to be better about being dilligent in the teachings of the gospel. Life makes it convenient to slack off in some areas, like scripture reading and church attendance. Making excuses doesn't help, so I am resolving to do better and work on it a little bit at a time.
I will let the rest of the details about myself will come out in future blogs.
We are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This is a strong foundation to build our lives and our family upon. My core belief and value system stem from what I have learned and gained a testimony from the gospel. Aaron and I were married and sealed for time and eternity in the temple in May of 1998. It is an amazing promise that if we do as we are taught our family will be together forever. I am so grateful for that knowledge. I need to be better about being dilligent in the teachings of the gospel. Life makes it convenient to slack off in some areas, like scripture reading and church attendance. Making excuses doesn't help, so I am resolving to do better and work on it a little bit at a time.
I will let the rest of the details about myself will come out in future blogs.
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