It's been a while...

Here's why:

1. We moved last week. It's kicking my butt. Moving with 2 kids is NOT fun!! It's our 8th move in 6 years and I've had it!! Hopefully we'll be here for Dustin's last 2 years of school. Our next move better be more permanent!!

Some of our moving crew.


2. Also last week, Jack learned how to crawl, pull himself up, walk along the furniture, clap, and he got his first tooth! Whew...that's a lot!!





See my new tooth?!?!


3. Well...that's actually it. But trust me, that's enough!

When I come up for air, I'll be back!

This is what I feel like doing, too!!

Thinking about Mom's Day

I am enjoying a perfect peaceful evening to myself. Dustin has been out practicing with his band for a few hours and won't be home until after the Pens hockey game tonight. The kids were super tired tonight and Jack was sooo cranky. It is 7:40 and they are both in bed and sleeping. Aaaahhhhh....Now the quiet peaceful evening I was talking about begins.

I have had a lot of time to think today. I went to the gym today and it was very peaceful. It's a really small gym and there was only 3 people there :) And I was alone with the kids (again...) which also made me reflect alot.

Both as I was saying the dinner prayer for me and Kate tonight and as I was snuggling with her before bed, I broke down in tears. Now if you've only known me for the last several years, you know this is totally out of character for me. Well, with Mother's Day tomorrow, I always get a little emotional. First because my mom passed away when I was 16 and I miss her terribly during this holiday. And second because I LOVE my kids more than I could have ever imagined loving anything in the whole world. It is indescribable that you could love in this capacity. Who knew your heart could love so much. I miss my mom so much. Kate and Jack will never get to meet her on this Earth. She will never be able to baby sit her grandkids. They will never get to play with her or see the caring, kind, loving person that I knew. I can never call her for advice about the kids, cooking, love or anything. She wasn't there when I gave birth. She wasn't there when I got married. And she won't be there for any other event in my life, big or small. My babies are my life. Sure I get grumpy on rainy days like today when we're stuck in the house or when they are whining or whatever else might be going on that day. Or when I'm "stuck" home with them all the time while Dustin is out doing whatever he wants. But I sure wouldn't trade them or the blessing it is to stay home with them for anything in the world. Tonight while I was crying Kate says, "It's okay Mommy. I love you. Don't cry. (as she stroked my face) I do everything for you. I share my paints with you, I help you set the table. Don't cry. It's okay. You're just the best that I ever saw."

Anyways, I just don't know what I would do without my babies. They mean everything to me. They can make me laugh and cry both in the same day. They keep me going.

I know this is really long and if you are still reading, thank you. Thank you for letting me share a piece of my heart with yours. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a mom. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I appreciate my mom more than I was ever able to tell her when she was alive. Being a 16 year old teenage girl when she passed away, I'm sure it wasn't always clear to her that I loved and appreciated her. But now I know all the sacrifices she made as a single mother of 3 to help me to be the person that I am today. I love you, Mom. I miss you.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms reading this. You have a job to do that is like no other in the world. You are doing a tremendous job!


(disclaimer...please excuse how "beautiful" I look in these photos. Just another perk of being a mom!)
Me and Baby Jack




Me and Baby Kate

Me time

I rarely (if ever) take space on this blog JUST FOR ME!! But I wanted to share my new experiences with working out :)

After a fun vacation to Michigan to visit my BFF Erica in March, I started working out at my local YMCA. It has been SO much fun! They have childcare in the mornings so we go 3 times a week for an hour. I started jogging on the treadmill and LOVE it!! I have never jogged before in my life and would have never got on a treadmill. But now I love pushing myself further and further. I started jogging at like 5 miles per hour for 1.5 miles...but now I jog at 6 mph for 3 miles :) I do realize this is nothing compared to you runners out there!! But it's an accomplishment for me!! And I LOVE to do running intervals at 7.5 mph for 1-2 minutes. It's almost euphoric. It feels so great. I use a few of the other machines for my arms and legs and the yoga ball for my abs.

I realized with (at the time) a 6 month old baby that it was time to get my baby back into pre-baby shape. I don't necessarily feel the need to lose weight but just to tone my mommy body. However, I have lost 6 pounds :) I'm not too willing to change too much about my diet so it's not going to melt off me! I have tried to be a little more health conscious. (Little being the KEY word!) I just want to be healthier and more in shape. Plus I LOVE the hour I get to myself a few times a week!!

Thanks Erica for helping me change!! I hope to stay in shape and continue to take care of my body!

Thank God for Good People

I just had one of the nicest experiences of my life :)

We went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Grove City. We got there right at dinner time and it was really packed. They had to seat us at a table joining another table of 4. They started talking to us and were very nice. They adored the kids and couldn't stop talking to them and oohing and ahhing over Jack. :)

Anyways...
The guy next to me was super nice. As soon as I sat down next to him I felt like I knew him. He was very friendly. He overhead me talking to Dustin about a financial budget I want to implement for us. I was saying that maybe we could budget for one restaurant night a month. And we talked to them about being in Slippery Rock while Dustin was going to school, how our kids were crazy at the restaurant because we never go out to eat and yadee yada.

Well they go to leave and he leans over and says, "you guys enjoy another meal this month because this meal is on me. I paid your meal for you." I nearly started crying!! What a sweet gesture!! There really are good people in this world!!

I am so grateful for good people!! He really made our day!

Note To Self:

NOTE TO SELF: Do not leave this little boy alone anywhere near his bowl of oatmeal!!


He will try to feed himself...with his fist or his spoon.


Then rub it in the floor.


I was in the middle of feeding jack a bottle when I saw the neighbor walk past to go to the laundry. I remembered I had laundry in there so I stopped feeding him and put him on the floor real quick to go get my laundry out of her way. I had a bowl of oatmeal on the floor for jack...well he helped himself to it :) He was putting a fistful in his mouth when I got back!!

Happy 3rd Birthday KATE!!

It's late and I've been going to bed soooo late every night so this is just going to be a picture post of the fun we had this weekend for Kate's birthday! We had a big party for her on Sunday then took her to Chuck E. Cheese's on Monday for her actual birthday. She had lots of fun!!

Soooo tired!!

Jack was so tired tonight that he couldn't even wait! He just put himself to bed right on the floor! This is how I found him after I was done brushing and flossing Kate's teeth! He makes putting the kids to bed by myself most nights sooo easy!!

How did I get here, Mama?!?

This boy does not move...he doesn't scoot, he doesn't crawl, and he only rolls to the left. So how in the world did he find himself under his crib!!??

Oh man, I'm gonna be in trouble. This girl has some attitude!!

Our happy Easter

Us with my dad, brother, Justin and sister in law, Melissa.





Easter egg hunt at Grandma's.


Easter egg hunt at Pap's.


They found their baskets!!


Don't ask me why the Easter Bunny brought him a purple basket! (it was his pap, not me. I promise!!) If this boy ends up with some kind of issues...I'll understand why. Poor Jack!!

Kate fell asleep in the car on the way home from the grocery store at 6:00 pm...and then she wouldn't wake up. Not when the car alarm accidentally went off (twice), not when I tried to wake her and not after 3 1/2 hours of "napping" in her bed. Let's see what tonight brings for us!!

I feel really bad, though, because she didn't even have dinner. :(

Just stuff...

Dorothy...the new dress-up of choice. She's worn it every day for about 2 weeks now!!

The kiddos at the mall last weekend to meet the Easter bunny.

Big boy in his high chair! Someone stop him from getting any bigger!!


This is what you get one you try to take a picture of Jack..a little jealousy!!

This is Kate "not going to take a nap" with the family!! One lazy Sunday we all took a nap and Kate refused to go to her bed to take a nap. This is how I found her when I woke up!

Helping Mama paint her toenails!!