Memories

The Lost Gift

December 24, 2011 By Kristen 7 Comments

Have you ever bought a gift early? Like over the summer early? Like… you see it. It is perfect. You must buy this perfect Christmas gift that is perfect for your hard to shop for person….

I am photo sort of girl. I love all things photo related. I dream of Coach bags I can’t afford. I decorate with snowmen in the winter and most of my collectibles don’t matter to anyone but me.

My step mother loves to read. She reads books constantly. (We do have this in common.) But her tastes are different than mine. She collects skunks. (fake ones) She likes rod iron dragons and unique looking mystical things. Her tastes are diverse, and in a pinch – I know a Willow Tree figurine or a David Shore collectible will be appreciated, but earlier this year I found the perfect gift for her.

While at a craft show – I found rod iron Dragon Book Ends. Not the gift for me. The perfect gift for her. I mean perfect…. I knew she would love it. I bought those suckers right away and this feeling of complete satisfaction warmed my heart as I could check her off my list. early. Awesomeness.

I lost those bookends. Seriously lost them. We were camping when I bought them, so I have looked through all our camping gear and the crevices in our van. I ripped apart our gift hiding places. I ripped apart the twin’s room, our room, and Alexander’s room. Problem? We have a lot of people in our house. We tend to put things “out of sight” when we have therapy appointments, etc. Problem? We contemplated selling our house. When the man came to look at our house, we did a mad clean up of the house. Problem? Lost Bookends.

After I ripped the entire upstairs apart, I moved on to the basement. We’ve had a few bouts of heavy rain… with a little water. So – some things have been “thrown around” to make sure they don’t get wet. Then there are medical supplies. Don’t forget about the clothing we can’t throw away because Alexander will grow into it someday. *sigh* So many boxes to go through. I looked through these boxes… Did I shove these bookends in one of these places? Anything is possible when you know someone is going to look everywhere in your house? I looked in our playroom, office, and all storage areas. I even cleaned out the space under the seats in our van… just in case.

At first it was funny. (this was 4 days ago). Then I was worried (3 days ago). It moved onto introspective (2 days ago) as I used the time to look at old toys. Finally – today – I was frustrated.

Me ~ “Where is that freaking Gift?!?”

Ray ~ “Stop Cussing.”

Me ~ “I’m not cussing. Freak is not a cuss word. I would NOT cuss over a CHRISTMAS present. That is totally wrong.”

Ray~ “It is when you use it in place of another cuss word.”

Me ~ “Shoot.”

Ray~ “Stop cussing.”

We all have our flaws, but for me… when I ventured into the realm of fake cuss words so close to the birth of our Savior – I knew it was time to give up. I called my dad in tears. I asked him what Wal-Mart gift my step mom would like …. something she would really like – because we are celebrating in an hour and this was 10pm last night. He gave me a good idea, and I made my way to what I knew was going to be a hot holiday mess.

2 miles into my drive, I got a call from Ray. I found it. Buried under stuff at the bottom of Alexander’s closet.

So… I know you are dying to see this mystery gift. Here it is:

Not my perfect gift, but the perfect gift for her. And I’m not going to lie. I’m totally excited… because I know she will love it.

Anyone else at the end of their rope over something silly this holiday season? Anyone else lose gifts?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Memories, random, Writing

A Mother’s Thanksgiving

December 12, 2011 By Kristen 6 Comments

I’m thankful for my “missing toothed child” and Mommy hugs.

I’m thankful for my baby who sits on a chair.

I’m thankful for my mischievous son.

I’m thankful for the love of 3 siblings.

I’m thankful for my friend Liz. Who takes amazing pictures to capture our lives. Who shows love to my babies. She was one of the first people I told about Alexander’s blessing in our lives. She was the first non-family member to see my baby… with imperfections. She captured him then with complete perfectness and once again shows the world that love has no boundaries.

My babies are another year older. Another Christmas has come. And I am thankful for those blessings in our lives.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: blessings, life, Memories, Photo Heavy Post

The Same Story told 2 different Ways

July 28, 2011 By Kristen 3 Comments

There are lots of small town fairs that pop up every summer. There is the one that contains 3 rides, a little music, and lots of people – mentioned HERE, and there are more traditional one week carnivals that move from town to town. Yesterday was the “kiddie” day – where you paid one price to ride all day. We packed up the kids and headed out at promptly 10am so we could be in line, ready to go, at 10:30.

Part 1.
We were in for a complete shock when we got there. There were at least 100 people in the line… at least. We went to the other line for tickets and that line was equally long. I stood in line while the kids and Ray tried to keep themselves occupied.. all the while becoming more and more whiney. Not only that, but I was a little concerned about the heat factor and Alexander. Finally – 45 minutes later – I got to the front of the line, handed my $26.00 and received… a ticket. With instructions to go stand in another line to get the “ride all day” bracelets for the kids. Are You Kidding Me?!? I turn to look at the other line… at least another 45 minute wait. You have got to be kidding… I was so irritated. I actually asked in the booth to whom I could complain. (Please trust me on this… ALL the parents were upset at this point in the line). No sign was out to say it would be another wait. I have 3 kids under 3. Almost 2 hours wasted standing in line… my kids are going to need a nap soon at this rate!

With whom to express my displeasure???? This woman at the booth sent me to the lady in the Cotton Candy Stand. I promptly gave Ray our tickets with instructions to stand in line and walked over there to explain how this set up was probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. The Cotton Candy lady was flabbergasted. “Not my fault.” “Go see the Fair officials.” No problem, Lady. So Alexander and I walk to the other end of the fair and (ummmm.. explain) to the fair officials that this ticket set up was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. “It’s not my fault… I don’t have anything to do with it. Go see the lady in the first ticket booth.” No problem sir. I’m not going away. You see… obstacles can be a stumbling block… or they can be a motivator. I was a motivated mommy. When I arrived at the first ticket booth you will never guess what they said…. Yup, It wasn’t their fault either. I needed to go speak to a woman (they gave me a description) at the ticket booth I had originally left from. Do you see a little foreshadowing here?

The original lady. The lady who sent me away. She was the one who made the decision to sell the tickets like this. When she saw me coming, I swear her face turned 2 shades of grey. I marched right up to her and asked her if she remembered me. Mother of 3 kids under 3? We’ve been here for 2 hours without riding a single ride yet? It is in the 90’s? Her face got a little redder and she said yes. I’m not going to lie. I had been sent on a wild goose chase, was hot, and really angry. I used my “G” rated vocabulary, but I did give her a big piece of my mind. And… no lie… the crowd of moms around clapped when I was done. No lie. So – they are going to sell the tickets differently next year. I offered to come in and give extra help if that is what they need. I left my name and number to call me next year. And we spent almost $30 for an hour of fun before the kids were just too hot to continue anymore.

I could choose to remember yesterday like that. I could let that be the imprint in my mind. OR…. I could remember this.

Part 2.
Love, Smiles, and Sunshine.

Sweet signs for lollypops and other things candy. Love.

We really didn’t have to pay for any games…. The kids would have been totally ok with riding the tractors for sale all day. Addison kept saying, “Just one minute! I have to shift the gears.” Love.

Stores set up in the middle of the walking isles. You can buy anything your heart desires…. Love.

Need to catch a dream? Make a wish? No problem. Love

Dream big Little Buddy…. Reach for the Stars Big Sister…. Love.

It’s my parental right to snap the picture of my kid screaming on the ride… right?

Because in the end – there is nothing quite like fair fries. Loaded with salt and dripping with Ketchup. The rides that blow the wind through your kids hair on a hot summer morning. The people you see – that you haven’t seen in forever and they all rush up to greet you like long lost pals. Because you are long lost pals. Homemade ice cream. Some guy demonstrating how to climb the rock wall. Cotton Candy (even though I don’t think they will let me near that booth any time soon.)

Next year I’ll go back to the fair. And these are the memories I want to have from that day. You can focus on the bad things that happen… and let them hurl you into a ruined moment that lasts a day and ends up being a week. Or – you can push aside those moments of irritation and capture the moments of smiles. And choose to remember the smiles. I will put away part 1 and remember part 2.

What is your favorite summer fair memory?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Family, Frustration, life, Memories, random

A sucker is born every minute–also known as…

July 23, 2011 By Kristen 4 Comments

~~Beach madness part 3~~ or ~~The most fun money can buy~~ or ~~Capturing the happiness of my 4 great loves~~ or ~~Why Ray has valid points about us going to 1 income.~~ Truth is… any one of those titles would work. At the end of the post – tell me which title most appropriately applies.
Yesterday it was over 100 degrees F … so we decided to go to the aquarium. The kids LOVED it. All the exhibits were totally interactive, so we spent several hours there with absolutely no agenda. We were the first people in the door and left just as it was starting to get crowded around lunch time.

The kids looking at the fish. The sharks swam over top our heads and one of the employees fed the fish while we watched = Kids in AWE. Alexander just took it all in, but Andrew was all about touching.

Both kids climbed into a clam and slid down the mouth of a shark. Can I tell you it makes my heart happy?

But I must say…The Pirate ship was the hit of the entire Aquarium. Completely interactive. Completely Awesome!

After the Aquarium we headed off to find a cheap place to eat fast. Here is the problem… those two words – in conjunction – in an area we didn’t know at all. Not only did I have 2 screaming hungry toddlers, but I also had 1 hungry husband, a baby that needed fed and out of the heat, and no sunscreen. It seemed a logical choice to find a place right on the boardwalk – a place filled with shops and restaurants. The only real decision was – walk left or right. As hard as it seems to believe, we chose right when we should have gone left. Shop after shop… then the Italian Cuisine place that screamed “Expensive!” … then more shops, a few bars, and more shops… All the while I can feel the delicate skin of my children burning to a crisp. Finally – we found a place that didn’t say bar or have a wine list posted outside. Those were our only requirements at this point.

We ended up at the Key West Grill – and the food was great. Not only that – but the pirate theme totally rocked the kids world. Coolest thing – the manager let the parrot out for the kids to check out. I think Ray wants to get the kids a parrot when we get home. *sigh* But seriously – check out Addison’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich. The thing was the size of her head. Our sandwiches were the same way… let’s just say this was not the “hole in the wall – el’ cheapo – restaurant we thought it might be.

Of course… we had to stop at all these cool shops on our way back to the car.

Now… if you look closely, you will see part of our problem. 2 two year old toddlers in the toy store of the century. And ONE extra excited father. Notice… Daddy spots the train section… Daddy and Andrew confer on what toys will be necessary… oh – and Daddy picks up some pirate hats for good measure.

Finally, the end of our adventure for the day. We already had reservations for the evening. It was supposed to be our “date night out.” Ryan and Brooke babysat all of our kids and we headed off to Rioz – Brazilian Grill. If you have never been to one – you have to go. They are amazing. I ate sushi. I ate some exotic egg. Salads and cheeses and breads and … everything – on the salad bar. Then, these men come around with meat on skewers and slice off whatever taste of deliciousness you desire. It is not a meal, it is an experience. For the price of an experience. $$. Completely worth every penny.

I got off one clean shot of my plate (not my meat plate) before Ray explained that this made us look like country “bumpkins” and I needed to put my camera away. So I did… but you get the idea.
**I thought coming here would make everything seem so much clearer. I thought I would just “know” after this week. The truth is, I’m still left with more questions than answers. This day started out so simple and ended up costing a fortune. If I was not working, we might not be able to take vacations at all – much less expose our children to cool things like the Aquarium. I think, that in this process – I blog to help us all remember that the good times outweighed the bad. In that same light – We also do extra – to make memories with our children… so that when they look back on their childhood they can remember these good memories – over the bad ones of waking up in a strange house and not seeing us for several days. Will I be taking the second half of that equation away from them? ** sigh** still not “enlightened over here. **
But… Finally, a few last pictures of our time here :

And … just in case anyone is thinking of inviting us on another vacation – we are terrible house guests:

But a lot of fun….

See everyone back at home tomorrow. A “vacation” doesn’t need to involve the beach or spending lots of money. Be Pirates… Go hunt for treasure. Take lots of pictures. Love. Love. Love. each moment as if it could be your last.
A special thank you to my aunt and uncle who generously donated their beach place so our family would have a place to stay. And to my cousin and her family… who loves us as much as we love them.

For more pictures – check out HERE or HERE or some thoughts HERE.
Oh…. which title would have been the best? I bet you forgot that question by the time you hit the end of this post.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: fun, Memories, These Kids just might Drive me Crazy

The Honest Truth – a Dream Fulfilled

July 21, 2011 By Kristen 1 Comment

I once wrote a post called The Honest Truth – an Unfulfilled Dream. In that post I poured out my heart about this one thing that I hadn’t really realized was something I wanted until it was too late. That post was written in March… and even now – a mere 4 months later – I can see those dreams become memories, not longings.

In the same respect, I am happier. Have you ever seen the scene in Shrek about how Ogres have layers?

Well… apparently so do I. These layers of happiness. Just as I think I’ve found this amazing point in life where I can be happy and content, something new happens. It peels back another layer in that big onion of happiness. It exposes a dream that I had hidden… for fear it would never come true.

I know I’ve alluded to it before, but last summer was so difficult. I have this vivid memory. We are all home. We are in the back yard and I am holding Alexander. He needed me. The twins are playing with Ray and I just sat there like a zombie. Crying, staring, trying for all that it is worth to figure out what in the heck we were going to do. I remember going in and calling the doctor and telling him I wasn’t coping very well. I remember the nurse asking me if I had to go to the hospital. (It seriously took me a few minutes to figure out what she was talking about) – and then I started to laugh / cry. I said no! I don’t need to be locked up. I’m just really … sad. is this normal? I’m a laugher (in fact, I’m laughing as I write this memory) … and I can’t laugh. The doctor got on the phone and assured me it was normal. But… I still wasn’t me. I still didn’t know how in the world we were going to continue on…..

skinny me… just kidding.. not me

Fast forward to this week. We are on vacation. Another layer has been peeled back. Happiness is exposed. A dream I didn’t even know existed. A fear I didn’t realize I had. That we would never have a vacation again. And yet here we are…. on vacation…together. A dream fulfilled.

I have this amazing pride for my family. We’ve done it. Yes, it has been so much easier going with another family. They have older children, they love my children, and they are able to pick up those times when my kids need attention and we are preoccupied. But, we could do it alone. We could do it alone.

Vacations are not a thing of the past. A Dream Fulfilled….

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Family, life, Memories

The Taste of Rainbows

July 20, 2011 By Kristen 2 Comments

So who diets at the beach anyway? When there are Krispy Kremes right down the street? And you can take your kids to see how they are made? And then you swear you are only going to buy 4 and somehow that stinking sales girl checks you out with a clean dozen?

Andrew loves the water – waves crashing over him – blowing bubbles in the water with his cousin.. all of it.
Our beach time is beyond perfect. The weather is beautiful, the sand is … well, sandy – but the water is just the right amount of refreshing. Andrew is a complete fish. He loves the sand, he loves the water, and he loves the beach. Addison loves the sand, but is not completely sold on the water yet.

Poor girl… every time she works up the courage to go out into the water, she gets wiped-out. I know… bad parenting. Except, one time I wiped out with her! Not to worry… she really wants to do what Andrew is doing; which means she will go back in the water soon.

And don’t forget…. when given the choice – taste the rainbows. Or at least choose rainbow ice cream.

**Stay tuned for more fun in the sun. **Or you can check out pictures from yesterday HERE

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: life, Memories, These Kids just might Drive me Crazy

You are my Sunshine, My only Sunshine…

July 19, 2011 By Kristen 2 Comments

You know what I love about the beach? The sun burns brighter. How can you lay on the sand and not smile? We were here before, when the twins were little, but they don’t remember it.

And in 2 years from now – they won’t remember this trip either. But Ray and I will. I remember talking to Brooke one day about taking her small children to Disney. I said, “but… they didn’t even remember it, they were so little.” And she said, “but I do.” I totally get it. My kids won’t have adult memories of our vacation, but I will have sweet footprints in my mind of the first time they ran down to the water. The first time we built a sand castle. The first time we felt the waves wash over our feet and giggled. I’m excited for my water baby to be on the beach and in the water. The beach screams happiness out loud. Our family needs to hear happiness. Screamed. Out Loud. There are a million other fun vacations. Ones that don’t require so many items to be packed or so many miles together in the car…. and they would be fun, but they wouldn’t be close-your-eyes-and-taste-the-rainbows-fun. Here are some pictures. Enjoy.

“Addison, You having a good time?”
“Yeah Andrew. It’s very fun here.”
**Love from us to you. More sunshine to come. **

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Family, fun, Memories, Parenting

A Picture’s worth 1000 Words

July 11, 2011 By Kristen 1 Comment

We’ve been doing. Painting, playing, going, …. spending time together. Loving

We are all about the trains around here. Raymond is on this e-bay / craigslist kick about the trains – and the kids are loving it. Brilliant idea – buy trains at Michaels and let the kids paint them. They LOVED it!

Is there any wonder my kids have a fascination with Doctors? Funny fact – when my kids look at the framed wedding picture of Raymond and I on the wall – they say, “Mommy is a princess and Daddy is a doctor.” I have NO idea where this idea came from, but it is so cute.

I’m working on an entire post about this…. how my kids have really bonded this summer. They love each other. And I love this…

Speaking of… Look at “little buddy” just chilling while I make lunch. LOVE.

Tonight… I came home from my Weight Watcher’s meeting. Ray had been in charge. The kids were … well – dirty. And everyone was crying. Apparently, the twins got into the diaper cream (something he used to make fun of my other twin friends about when it happened to them) and proceeded to put diaper cream on their favorite stuffed animals. “Teddy” and “Doggy” were covered in butt cream and needed new outfits. Poor Andrew was beside himself that “Teddy” was going to have to sleep naked. Honestly. I had to put a stinkin’ diaper on that bear just so he would calm down.

Alexander decided he didn’t really feel like eating today. So he put his arm into the bowl of peas. And when I scolded him – he smiled. Little stinker!

Finally – story time before bed. Lovin’ this family time.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: blessings, Family, Memories

Our Story…. Chapters 1-5

July 7, 2011 By Kristen 6 Comments

They said I should meet you.
I have no trouble meeting people, thank you.
They said they could arrange for us just to get together.
I don’t do blind dates.
They said we would be perfect for each other.
I need some time alone… I don’t want to date anyone right now.

You were everything I wasn’t looking for. You lived too far away. I didn’t want a long distance relationship. I didn’t want to fall in love. And yet I did….

You were everything I wasn’t. You were an athlete… A race is not my idea of fun. I’m unorganized and usually make things up as I go…. You plan itineraries for our vacations. You think 3 words makes a conversation… I leave a 3 hour answering machine message. You are private… I am not. You load the dishwasher with the plates in the back… I load the dishwasher with the plates in the front. (you just said, “this is possibly the worst dishwasher loading I’ve ever seen in my life” as I typed this.)

My one aunt says she has never seen people so opposite… and yet – you are they half that makes me reasonable. And I am the half that makes you relaxed. If ever there was a ying and yang – it would be us. And I love it.

I love the grumbles. I love the itineraries. I love that you plan so I can relax. I love that you help me see the world with a different perspective. I love you.

They were right. Tomorrow will be 5 years since I pledged forever – and your life has been my life for more than 7 years.

Our summer of love brought us together. One summer where 2 teachers had nothing really to do but get to know each other. We hiked to see sunrises. We took spontaneous road trips. You bought me a coffee maker. We camped. We laughed. We talked. I looked… I really looked – for some reason we shouldn’t be together. I couldn’t find one. You were the one for me.

5 years later…. here we are. 3 beautiful babies and a house full of love. Sometimes our differences seem so evident, but … they were the things that brought us together. We were blessed by that blind date. We were blessed by those friends who didn’t give up. Here’s to 75 more years.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: blessings, Memories

A Father’s Day to Remember….

June 19, 2011 By Kristen 5 Comments

What if one day you woke up and made the choice to live life as if tomorrow might not exist as you know it? We make plans, we break plans. Life spirals out of control. What if you decided that you would make the most of today? So if tomorrow spiraled out of control – you could smile about today. I think we have been slowly moving to that point… and Father’s Day this year was much different than holidays in the past.

Our celebration started with a picnic on Saturday. The picnic was planned at the last minute ~ which just goes to show you ~ the best of times don’t need to be a big production.

Cousins

There was laughter at this table. This is what Father’s Day is about. Kids laughing. Thank you Pappy, Daddy, and Uncle Patrick for raising kids who know how to laugh together.

Aunt Laura … lovin’ on Alexander (Who’s lovin’ it.)

“No fair! her arms are longer!”

Addison

Not Addison – her soul sister

Not Addison either… the ring leader “soul sister”

Check out this trick

He actually can become totally submerged. (But then you can’t even tell he is in there)

Uncle Patrick totally rocked in the cold water. Because – truth be told… I didn’t feel like getting in there!

Cousins…. Andrew asks about “B” all the time.

Soul sister is so beautiful.

Nothing like a campfire to finish out a night with family.

One note *** Oldest Cousin ‘K’ – stop hiding from the camera! ***

****
The next day… was relaxation and memories at the same time. The kids woke up and helped me make daddy breakfast. An omelet it is. Beautiful memories….

They were so proud to “cook” to Daddy. I should have snapped another picture – Alexander is sitting off to the edge watching everything. And every 2 minutes or so a kid will hop off the chair and run over and say, “Awww… I love you little buddy.” Melts my heart every time.

*****
After breakfast we packed the kids in the car and headed out to make some more memories. Why put it off? Thomas the Train was waiting for us.

****

Finally, we ventured home. A nap, some cuddles, a story read with 3 kiddos in bed. We made another impromptu decision to put the second bike trailer together and take a bike ride. Ray loves to ride bikes, and he bought these bike trailers so we could take the kids. The only problem with the trailer was Alexander was not quite the right size to fit the trailer. If there is a will, there is a way. We are 5 strong. We all ride bikes together.