Thanks for the memories

I hate goodbyes, especially when it comes to saying goodbye to friends that you have learned to love so dearly. Even though we were only in Jersey for 3 years I hope the friendship will last a lifetime. I would like to think that it's not really a goodbye...it's more like a see you later.

Yesterday our dear friends had a little potluck goodbye lunch/playdate for us. One last chance for us all to enjoy one another's company. And enjoy we did!!! Jenn, Kathleen and I chatted, and chatted and chatted some more. We stayed inside for the most part. Kathleen's little Caroline was only 2 weeks old so with feeding and napping and being a newborn and all, we thought the indoors was the best place to be. And of course Zach, at 4 months was eating and napping too! The fantastic daddies on the other hand stayed outside with the kids a majority of the time. They played and played and played...even Kiersten stayed outside and didn't nap the entire day (which we paid for later). It was so much fun.

Jenn and Jim made pulled pork for sandwiches and cole slaw. Rich and Kathleen brought a fruit salad and spinach salad. We brought artichoke dip for the appetizer and cherry dump cake and ice cream for dessert. The kids and adults all played well together the entire day...there was no fighting, there were no tears and we couldn't have asked for better weather or company. We are truly blessed to have had these friends in our lives for the short time that we have been here. We have enjoyed getting to know their families and being apart of their lives and they all will be missed. Like I said...It's not goodbye, it's see you later.

Wonderful Weather

These pictures are from last weekend. It was pretty nice out, the temp was rising and the sun was out so we took full advantage on Saturday and spent most of the day outside. It was fantastic. This was really one of Kiersten's first chances to explore the outdoors since she was so young last year, and explore she did...rocks in the mouth, acorns in the mouth, leaves in the mouth. She is just so curious! And Yes, I do feed her! Leah on the other hand is an old pro at playing in our backyard. She has a sand table, 2 different slides and a handful of riding toys...not to mention balls, buckets, shovels, etc. Whenever her daddy is outside with her she likes to practice casting her Barbie Fishing Pole with him. I think Daddy is excited to maybe give that pole a real try in the near future. Otherwise not much to report...just busy getting ready for our move. The girls and I will be heading out in one week and Mitch will join us in Illinois on the 30th.

Elmo's Green Thumb

Last weekend we made the short trek to Philadelphia with some friends to go see Elmo's Green Thumb. It was at Temple University and it was a pretty nice venue. This was the first live show that we have ever taken Leah to see and she wasn't quite sure what to expect but she LOVED it. She was so excited to see all the character that she knows by name. Mitch and I were a bit bored with the content to say the least, but we both enjoyed seeing the girls so excited. It made us smile so much to see them light up. After the show we got a quick lunch with our friends Shawn, Amanda, Matt and Monica. This was the last time we were going to be having a playdate with them and it was bittersweet, but hey...at least we went out with a bang, ha!

Birthday Bug

This past Tuesday our little Kiersten officially turned 1! I decided to do the day up big...well, big for a one year old. It started with me rocking Kiersten and singing Happy Birthday to her as soon as she woke. We hit up the post office bright and early to mail some documents back to Illinois, and then we had a very healthy breakfast of Strawberry Sundaes at McDonalds. Mitch was like "You did WHAT for breakfast???" Oh well! So we played and snuggled and cuddled and read stories throughout the day and when the girls woke from their naps we had a great big heaping snack of fresh Chocolate Chip Cookies. Followed by a last minute trip to the store to pick out some special birthday cupcakes!

Of course I kept thinking about where and what we were doing a year ago. She was born just after midnight so for the most part I was remembering trying to get her to eat and holding her in the NICU. When Mitch got him we took her ceremonial 8th of the month picture for the last time. She is such a ham! We had a good dinner and she definitely enjoyed hearing us sing Happy Birthday to her, as she clapped along. We gave her the cupcake with the candle in it and I helped her blow it out. Not at all like her birthday party, this time she wasn't really interested in her cake. I had to break it into a few pieces before she would even touch it, and even then she wasn't really too interested. Maybe we overdid it with ice cream and cookies, but anyway after her bath I took her to her room rocked her in my arms and sang "You are my sunshine..." to her. Just like I did while she was in the hospital and so many nights after. I kissed her gently and put her to bed. Not a bad way to end the day if you ask me.

I took Kiersten for her 12 month/1 year check-up today. She is doing great. She hasn't had a bottle since March 1st and on March 3rd she started saying "Crackers" It's so cute. Her weight is up to 20 lbs 10.5 oz (40th percentile) and her length is 29.75 inches (75th percentile) so she is on target and charts along the same lines that she always has. She is definitely getting more and more vocal. Mitch and I have both noticed this. Lots more babbling and making sounds and she is getting much louder...I think she has to or she will never be heard over Leah, ha ha! Anyway, it was a good visit and just confirms how blessed we are with 2 happy and healthy little girls.

A Little Love Lost

When we started telling family and friends that we were leaving New Jersey we started to hear a lot of "I bet you'll be so glad to get back home." and "No love lost." That got me thinking, that really there will be a little love lost. While I am ecstatic to return to the Midwest, It will be a little difficult to leave. I have made some wonderful friends here. Amanda, who is always good for a play date and some grown-up conversation. Kathleen, who I can vent to about anything and she will vent right back at me in return, and Jenn, who will rationalize with me and reassures me that my house doesn't always have to be clean and sometimes we need to just do and go to get through the day. I value each of these friendships and I hope that they will continue to grow. I joke that they aren't getting rid of me that easily. Jenn has three little ones, roughly the ages of my two and when we decide to have our next I think I will bending her ear quite often. She knows what it's like, she has managed the chaos and she can listen like no body's business and then helps me put things in perspective. Kathleen and I get along like 2 peas in a pod. We have filled in for one another in a pinch and have had some GREAT~FANTASTIC~WONDERFUL outings with our kiddos and I will miss those play dates the most.

Secondly, I will miss our house. No matter what it will always hold a place in my heart. Although we quickly outgrew this space, this is where I brought my babies home. This is where I rocked them to sleep and laid their little bodies in their cribs to rest. This is where I sat and nursed them from my body, rocked and cried in the middle of the night when they wouldn't go to sleep. It was here that they took their first steps, said their first words and memories like those cannot be erased. This will always be our first home as a family. I've mentioned to Mitch on several occasions how much I will miss our plush, large back yard. Granted we are moving to almost an acre of land so we will have plenty of backyard to play in at our new house, but I just LOVE our yard. The weather here has been so warm the past few days, okay not necessarily a heat wave, but mid-50's low 60's and Leah has been going out to play everyday. I am so happy that I am getting to watch her play and enjoy this space for a bit longer before it is no longer ours. Her smile says it all...and the mud on her jeans says even more.

Home Sweet...Almost Home

Man, our God is so good. All of our plans are really falling into place. This is our new house that I mentioned in the last post. We are doubling our space, YAY! It is a 4 bed, 3 bath, tons more square footage house on almost an acre of land and we can't wait to get moved in. We are set to close on April 7th! It is in the Southeast corner of Decatur just a block or so off the lake. We are probably going to be within walking distance of Scovill Zoo and the Children's Museum...so if you want to have a playdate with us give me a call. We went in with a low offer, according to our Realtor and we were very shocked when it was accepted. Come to find out, the couple that owned the house were being relocated as well. Their relo company purchased their house and was eager to unload it. The previous owners were actually packed up and moved out the day after we made the offer...so more or less, the timing of it all was just perfect. Talk about a big win for us!!! Now we just have to sell our house in New Jersey. WAIT~We did that already too! Our house was on the market for 3 days when we got our first offer. We thought it was too low, but it was a couple with an FHA loan so we countered. They ended up getting cold feet and decided to rescind their offer. On Day 10 of the house being on the market it was shown twice, with another showing the next day (Sunday) AND an Open House. To our surprise, Sunday night our Realtor called and asked Mitch if he was sitting down. A couple put an offer on our house just short of the listing price, they were paying cash and wanted to close by the end of the month!!! WOW, so contracts are signed and we are in Attorney Review. The inspection is Friday and if it goes well, which we assume it will...we have to be out by March 30th. So now we are working with everyone on our house in Decatur to get our closing date moved up to March 31st. Keeping our fingers crossed that everything will work out. Everything has gone so smooth up to this point, I keep waiting for the dark clouds to roll in. Say some prayers for us that everything works out and we can get back to the midwest sooner rather than later.

Transitions

It seems that transitions fill up every aspect of our lives. A friend and I were talking this weekend about transitions. How we have to make transitions in a marriage. She commented that no one ever warns you that a marriage is hard work. Once you add kids to the mix it doesn't get any easier. You transition from parents to the the couple and back and forth, sometimes you feel like roommates and have to find a way to transition back to being a couple. In parenting there are transitions. Mitch commented the other night that I parent our girls differently. I explained that I have to...they are different girls. One much more sensitive than the other, and one much more bullheaded (so far), so I am making transitions consistently in that arena as well. And what about as adult children to our parents. I can't tell you how many times I transition there. Sometimes I use my mom as a best friend, but other times I need her to be my mom...and give me advice that only a mother can give.



In the past three plus years my life in general has been full of transitions...got married, moved to New Jersey, bought a house, had a baby, went to work, finished grad school, had another baby...that's a lot for one person and a married couple to weather in such a short time. Mitch and I are so grateful to have done it together. It has made us stronger as a couple, made us more resilient and more patient with one another. So in a few short weeks we will be undertaking another major transition!!! One that we have been hopingand praying for, for at least the last 2 years. Finally our prayers and persistence have paid off.



On August 15th I found a job posted on line for ADM in Decatur. I called my dad and asked if he knew anyone. Mitch emailed his boss at the U of I. Fortunately we were able to get Mitch's resume directly in to the hands of those hiring. In early October it was starting to feel hopeless and on the 8th, they called to schedule his interview. We headed out on the 23rd and on the 26th he interviewed. It went well, he was optimistic and was in email contact with the company and they seemed optimistic as well. On December 23rd they called and asked if they could interview him for another position. He was confused, had the original position been filled? He sent out an email and the VP CALLED him back immediately and explained that he was still being considered for the first position but that they were restructuring and trying to find the best fit.


The first week of January he did some phone interviews and two days later they called and offered him the position. FINALLY! We were just happy to have some closure one way or the other, but so grateful that our prayers were being answered. So with that being said...WE ARE MOVING!!! We went on a house hunting trip the last week of February and found a great place in Decatur, IL. Can't wait to get there and be a little closer to all our family and friends!

Target...how I love thee, let me count the ways!

I can admit it...I LOVE Target. Not just because it doesn't make me nauseous to walk through the door like the other big-box store. Not just because they have some great home decor stuff, but most of all because they have the HUGE dollar bin aisles that I love to look at. I always find something cute. Sometimes it's Valentine's, Easter or Halloween goodies for all our nieces and nephews, but most of the time it's something completely silly for my own two girls. Last year I found fantastic HUGE Bubble Blowing wands just in time for summer. We've grabbed many-a-coloring book from those bins, and last night we found some adorable headbands. Leah picked out a perfect pair of bunny ears, but alas she is recently at an age where she will outright refuse to let me take pictures. I found this adorable Butterfly headband for Kiersten and even Mitch agreed that she looked pretty darn adorable. I've had fun putting them on her today and watching her waddle and toddle all around. So next time you are at Target take a look in those dollar bargain-bins...you never know what kind of cute things you might walk away with.

ONE is so FUN!

We had the Bug's first Birthday party last weekend when we were home in Charleston and it was a fantastic time. You'll have to forgive me that some of the pictures got out of order, oh well...anyway, it was so fantastic. We had so many fantastic friends and family that attended. Of course there was Gigi and Papa, Uncle Matt, Aunt Cynthia, Macy and Colby. Tara and Jameson, Tiffany and Brooklyn, Paul , Michele, Tyler and Spencer, my friend Andrea with her two kids Daniel and Hannah, My friend Rachel, Great-Grandpa Merle and very dear friends Cece Robison and Colleen and Kelly Peterlich. It was definitely a house full, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Kiersten had perfect timing. The party was scheduled to start at 4PM and she woke up at 3:40, we brought her down stairs and she got so happy like she knew it was all for her. You can see that in the picture of her and her daddy while she still has her jammies on. We got her dressed in her birthday party dress...actually it was a party onesie, customized just for her with her red pettiskirt from Christmas. I put the adorable red bow in her hair but of course she didn't want to keep it there.

We started out just letting the kids play, followed by lots of yummy goodness. Gigi and Papa ordered Pizza's for us all, we had the ladybug marshmallow pops that daddy and I worked on all morning, a huge fruit platter and a veggie tray. It all went over pretty well with this crowd. after that the kids played a little longer while the grown-ups visited and then it was time for cake. Her expressions were just priceless. She couldn't figure out what everyone was singing about. That's the picture with her in the high-chair with no cake. And then of course she was adorable giving her cake the taste test. She got a little cranky when we tried to take her cake away, but other than that there were no tears from our little bug on her birthday!!! We got her cleaned up and headed into the living room to open gifts. She was so attentive and got so excited opening the packages. She would clap her hands and make happy noises, then she would get worked up and start yelling when we couldn't get the toys out of the packages quick enough. She got so many adorable outfits, a few stuffed animals a baby doll, a mermaid, some bath toys, a coupe riding toy from Gigi and papa, and an Elmo from Mommy and Daddy. It was a great day for Kiersten and for all of us who love her...can't believe she will be one in 6 days!