A day in the life...

October

2012-01-27T20:49:00.010-05:00

Because I'm so far behind...here are some pictures...

A cold trip to the zoo with Rylan's buddy Christopher.

This is how Lucy spent a lot of time during this month.

One of my favorite pictures of Lucy to date.

Rylan's first pumpkin carving. He had a great time!

Visiting the pumpkin patch with Grandma and Grandpa Kring, Aunt Lindsay, and Uncle Travis.

Another trip to the zoo. Ryan came too. This time we rode the train. Rylan loved it!

A visit with the high school crowd and all the kids. There were 9 kids all together. I think someone took a whole group shot, but I just had a few of the kids around. It was fun having everyone together! We added 4 kids to the crowd this year alone.

Lucy's first Halloween.

Rylan was a football player and Lucy was a football this year. We celebrated by going to Trunk-or-Treat at Grandma and Grandpa's church, going to Zoo Boo with Nana and Papa, and going Trick-or-Treating at family's houses.

Ryan and I also went to a Halloween party. I was the pregnant marathoner and he was Guy Fieri.

Rylan's First Field Trip

2011-11-28T08:40:00.005-05:00

I was able to go with Rylan on his first field trip with his class at daycare. We went to Matthys Farms. We visited the petting zoo, played on the playground, and rode the hay ride out to get pumpkins. Rylan was full of energy on this particular day, so I was after him a majority of the time. The kids enjoyed looking at the animals too. It was a great time!

Here is the group shot. Pretty difficult to get a group of two year olds looking at the same time. Also, Rylan's school puts all of the kids in the same shirt when they go on field trips. Due to it being a little chilly, you can't really see them. Except for Rylan's. They gave him a bigger size, so his is hanging out the bottom of his sweatshirt.

All of the kids waiting for the horse to come closer so they could pet him.

Rylan petting one of the goats.

Playing on the playground.

Picking pumpkins in the field, Rylan spent more time trying to get away from me than actually looking at the pumpkins.

Riding on the hayride. Rylan loved the big tractor wheels. Especially because they were driving through the mud.

Great Grandma Horein

2011-11-28T08:29:00.004-05:00

Lucy got to meet Great Grandma Horein for the first time in October during a trip to the lake. Grandma turned 91 on August 5th. One month before Lucy was born. Thankfully, we had a few great weather weekends in October. It is great to head up to the lake on those days. Grandma was enamored with Lucy.

Lucy was looking right back at Grandma as she was talking to her.

Here is a picture of Roger and Grandma fishing off of the deck. They were just sitting there talking and fishing.

Dave Ramsey

2011-11-27T22:58:00.006-05:00

Yes, Ryan and I drank the Kool-Aide! And it is so worth it. In 2007, Ryan and I (with the help of my sister) attended Financial Peace University at our church. We began to follow Dave Ramsey's baby steps to financial freedom. Since then, we are on a first name basis with Dave, and he is a friend in our head. We are not as intense as some, but this has changed the way we think about and spend money. It is fun to think of the possibilities we might have if we stay on the path we are on. We have already made great progress.

At the end of September, Dave came to South Bend to promote his new book EntreLeadership. Ryan and I took Lucy and stood in line for 1 hour and 40 minutes to get the book signed. We had a great time talking to the people around us while we weaved through the aisles at Barnes and Noble. Lucy was pretty quiet until we were about 10 feet from the table to get the book signed. Then she really started fussing and crying. I was attempting to get pictures of Ryan while holding her. It all happens very quickly once you get to the table so the pictures are not the best. It was exciting anyway.

Outside we stood in front of the tour bus.

Dave talking to the crowd before he began signing books.

Me with Dave (way) in the background.

Ryan talking with Dave and having him sign our book.

Another fun Dave fact is that my sister's BFF Angie's dad looks just like him! Here is the picture I took of their family photo to show Ryan after we visited them in Oklahoma a couple of years ago. :)

Uncle Eric and Aunt Cindy!

2011-11-27T22:51:00.003-05:00

We were so excited when we told Eric and Cindy we were expecting in January because they realized they would be in town for their friend Trisha's wedding just after Lucy was born. They flew in for a long weekend, met Lucy, and had a great time celebrating their friends. We also made a stop at the lake (Lucy's first trip).

Lucy's shirt says "Current Family Favorite". This is perfect for our family. She had to wear it when Uncle Eric and Aunt Cindy were in town so they could be aware of the change in pecking order for the time being.

September Happenings

2011-11-27T22:14:00.008-05:00

Lucy was 9 lbs when she was born and 8 lbs 3 oz when we had her first appointment at 4 days old. We guessed most of the weight was in her cheeks! :) It's amazing how they got smaller so quickly!

First bath at home.

Check out that hair!

This is the first time Rylan asked to hold her. The picture isn't so great because I trying to make sure he didn't drop her.

First trip to church for bible study. (8 days old)

Rylan gave Lucy some cars to play with.

Check out that face! Hilarious!

Ready for her first lunch date at Hacienda!

Birthdays in the Hospital

2011-11-08T06:56:00.009-05:00

With having Lucy on the 5th, I was scheduled to go home on my birthday. Mom's whole birthday was wrapped up in helping with Rylan, getting him to and from school, and bringing him up to see us. I was surprised how sad I was in the evening after Rylan left the hospital. He was glad to see me, but didn't really love being confined in the space of our room. He also knew he was going to see Lucy, and called the hospital "Lucy's house". Thankfully he didn't seem to mind when we brought her home to live at our house.

Ryan reading to Rylan at the hospital to keep him busy.

While you're at the hospital, when you take medicine or order food (which was awesome, they have a new menu) they ask you your birthday to confirm you are you. When the gal brought me my breakfast on Thursday, she said "What's your birth date?" I responded, "Today is my birthday!" Then they brought me a cake at lunch! It was such a nice treat!

Here is the cake they brought me. Notice the "cravings" menu under the cake. It was like room service.

Ryan holding Lucy before we headed home.

Mom picked up Rylan on Thursday because we were coming home from the hospital later that evening. Of course we had to stop for McDonald's diet cokes and Hacienda to Go on the way home. When we got home, Mom and Rylan were coming out the front door and Rylan yelled, "Did you bring Baby Lucy home with you?". He was excited we were all back to normal again.

Here we are getting out of the car. I have the Hacienda bag in my hand! Happy Birthday to Me!

Rylan peeking in at Lucy.

Our new family of four at home for the first time.

It was a great birthday week! Next year it will be even more fun with Lucy turning 1.

Labor Day! Literally!

2011-10-19T15:50:00.007-04:00

Lucy Marie Kring is here!

She was born at 5:50pm on Labor Day
Monday, September 5th.

I woke up at 4am just like most of the days in the month of August, and start of September. I was then so excited when I started feeling light contractions shortly after. I was awake so I got up to start walking so I could keep it moving. I walked and walked around the living room watching the DVR of America's Got Talent and having contractions. Rylan got up around 6:30 (as usual), and I woke Ryan to tell him he would have to cancel his golf outing because I the day was here.

The morning was slow labor wise, and we started making phone calls. Grandma and Grandpa Kring came to get Rylan around 10 and then labor picked up. Of course when we headed to the hospital at 11, everything slowed down. I had to do the dreaded hour long walk in the hospital at 1pm. It worked wonders! And that was when the real pain started! I was admitted, got an epidural, and made quick progress in the next two hours.

Lucy arrived in 3 pushes while everyone raved about her black hair and big cheeks! We guessed her weight before they weighed her, and we were so wrong! I guessed she was around Rylan's size (8 lbs, 7 oz - but really didn't know), Ryan said in the 7 lb range, and the nurse guessed 8 lbs (ish) as well. We were all wrong. She was 9lbs!

What a great day! The family came up to see us, and we settled in for the night at the hospital. We had great nurses and felt good about the delivery process. We are grateful.

Now Lucy's birthday is the 5th, Mom's is the 6th, and mine is the 7th. I love week long birthday celebrations! Mom is right, she is a great present!

September 1st -- Due Date

2011-10-19T15:37:00.005-04:00

When I was due with Rylan, I posted this pictur e of me. I was feeling pretty good and so excited!

Here I am on September 1st.

I was having some signs of labor but worked through the 2nd. We had a relaxing weekend, and I made a list of all of the things I was going to do while I was off work waiting for Lucy to arrive. I thought for sure I was going to make it to my next appointment scheduled for my birthday, the 7th.

I was ready. I was tired, and it was difficult to get things done or take care of Rylan very well. I wasn't really complaining though, just moving really slow. Ryan helped me all the time. I was also SO excited to meet her, and see what she looked like, and tie my shoes without grunting. It is so funny to me how people in your life, some who you know less than others, predict when the baby is going to arrive. So many people said she would be early and she would come so fast because she was my second. I just kept saying there was no way to know with a smile on my face.

I was very thankful to spend 7 days in my classroom meeting my students and establishing routines. I am also thankful for my awesome sub for the fall (and into the winter), Barbara Bandera. I have known her since high school, and she couldn't be nicer. She is a great fit! God worked that out really well, as He always does, in His timing and on His schedule.

Last Weekends Before Baby

2011-10-19T15:24:00.004-04:00

With Lucy's arrival approaching, we spent some more time at the lake. Ryan took Rylan up with him one day while I stayed home. I don't know how much I got done, but it was a nice treat. Mom took Rylan to Lunker's to look at the fish tanks. Rylan also wore some awesome sunglasses which ended up finishing the trip in the lake.

Sunday, September 4th, we celebrated Mom and I's birthdays (September 6th for Mom, and 7th for me. This was noted very early on in our pregnancy as the due date was Sept. 1st.) We had a laid back day with lunch and boat rides (for some) and ice cream cake!

Here are Rylan and I reading a book. He barely fit on my lap at this point. I love his little hand on my belly. Mom says she has a picture of Eric on her lap right before she had me. This will be a great memory in 30 years. :)

Emily came home...

2011-10-19T14:50:00.005-04:00

to see me! Well, she came home to see everyone, but in my head, it's different. :) She blogged about it too! We had a great time just relaxing and enjoying each others' company. Here are some pics of our time together (and some good ones of Rylan, because I like him).

Rylan playing with his Tia, aunt in Spanish. He doesn't even know her name is Emily.

Playing with Papa in the lake...and crying because it was time to get out.

Some sweet corn, and some sweet hair indeed!

One of our best cousins, Kim, came up for the weekend too. We were hot enough to take a dip in the lake. Of course, I left my bathing suit in Chicago. So I had to act like a celebrity and bare the belly...in a bathing suit top and Purdue shorts. Everyone was fine after being blinded by my white skin. Emily and Kim boarded "Big Mabel" by the house, and I pushed/pulled them down the channel because I didn't think I could get my body up there. Well, I was tired on the way back, so we made it happen. And we cracked up the whole way. Uncle Dave had to help pull us in.

Get ready for your ride ladies!

Swimming out in the water with Em, Kim, Roger, and Uncle Dave.

Thanks Uncle Dave!

Summer Time

2011-10-04T18:51:00.010-04:00

We have spent the summer keeping busy, as families with 2 year olds do. It is hard to stay still when the little guy wants to run. Rylan had a fear of animals earlier in the spring. He was terrified of any animal, big or small. We have slowly moved out of that phase, thank goodness, because the zoo and the 4-H fair are summer staples.

Rylan checking out the animals at the fair.

We have also spent a good amount of time at the lake and at the new pool at Grandma and Grandpa Kring's house. Rylan has enjoyed swimming to the point where he jumped into the water without warning one time. This is the reason for life jackets.

Rylan jumping in the lake to Papa and swimming back to do it again.

Riding the swing and driving the boat with Daddy.

Checking out the fish Papa caught.

RIP TV/VCR Combo

2011-10-04T18:43:00.003-04:00

Before moving to Windsor, the dorm where I spent my sophomore year at Purdue, I purchased this...

I was so excited about my purchase. I paid just over $100 dollars of my hard earned Target money and even used my discount. This TV later spent time in 5 other residences before becoming our bedroom TV. Ryan would always say, "We have got to get a new TV." And I would say, "but this TV is such a good deal. I have really gotten my money's worth."
Unfortunately, after nearly 12 years of function (well, the TV anyway, the VCR stopped working a while ago), my beloved TV finally died. Though I hoped it was a problem with the DVR, the black screen with a green line in the center signaled it's end.
On a Dave Ramsey note, we did not run out and buy a bigger, expensive TV, we have taken an old TV from my Grandma Horein's house to replace "Old Faithful". We'll see how long that lasts.

Birthday and Bedroom

2011-09-03T08:13:00.010-04:00

July was a busy month! Rylan turned two! We can't believe he is getting so big. At his 2 year check-up, he was 31 lbs 4 oz, and 37 1/2 inches. He seemed like such a big boy in there, not really fussing or anything. I'm not sure if this is because he is such a big boy or because he has seen the doctor so many times in his 2 years. His ears look good now, so that is a relief!
We celebrated his life by inviting our families over and getting Rylan's big boy room ready. We decided to move him into our former guest room, and keep the baby room a baby room. Originally I wanted a regular twin bed, but was swayed to get a race car bed when we found it at a garage sale for $50! Rylan loves it!
We had a Mickey Mouse Birthday party because let's face it, he loves Mickey! I got some ideas off of the internet and got a little creative. I had fun preparing for his party. My mom and cousin helped me out a LOT with the cleaning and day of prep, I may still be getting ready if it weren't for them. Rylan had a great time. We tried to get him to announce what we were going to name the baby at his party, but he wouldn't do it on command. We just told everyone that were are going to name her LUCY MARIE!
Here are probably way too many photos of these events...enjoy!

Here is the car bed. He loves it!

This is our attempt to organize his toys. We have moved many of his books and toys into his room now. However, they still seem to make their way out to the living room.

Here is Rylan in his "big boy" bed.

This is the invitation I made for Rylan's birthday. I found an example on etsy and made my own. (I'm still deciding if I might make my own and sell them since they were asking $45 for 20 invites. I made 25 for less than $9.)

Here are the desserts I made for the party. It is fun putting it all together. The cake was a little lopsided, but it still looked cute.

Rylan's cake.

Mom has had this cookie cutter since we were kids. Good thing she hangs on to everything. ;)

Opening presents. I saved an outfit for Rylan to wear that day and he ended up wearing his bathing suit the whole time. The rug is now in his bedroom.

The kids having lunch at the cute picnic table.

Backing up...

2011-09-02T17:24:00.006-04:00

In May, Ryan, my family, and my dear friends from Son City Kids and Monroe Circle surprised me with a baby shower/thank you party. They all really had me fooled, and I was delightfully surprised! Ryan made up many stories about taking me out to dinner but we had to stop at MC3 on our way to help LeRoy with something. When we pulled in, I said "look at all of the cars...something big must be going on"...HAHA to me.
For background, I helped found and run an afterschool program at our church's inner city outreach building, Monroe Circle Community Center (MC3). We began in 2007 and decided last January after prayer and thinking about what is best for our family to stop volunteering for a while. It was a really hard decision, but now is the time for me to be at home with my family. I miss the kids and the volunteers so much! I really want to get involved again, but I know myself well enough that saying no is really hard, so I have to tread lightly. It is easy to get hooked over there. :)

Anyway, what a fun party my friends threw! They decorated and everything! It was fun to see everyone, and I felt so humbled and blessed to be a part of this group. Here are a few pictures from that evening. Good thing I didn't wear sweats!

Ryan bringing me into the surprise.

Everything looked so nice!

My lovely friends who organized the gathering (I miss them).

Opening all of the little girl presents.

Another zoo...

2011-07-19T23:32:00.002-04:00

...in another city.

Despite our zoo membership at Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend. We went to our third zoo of the season in Kansas City.

Ryan, Rylan, and I flew to Kansas City to visit the Bellas at their new house. Ryan, Todd, and some guys stayed downtown to go to the Cubs/Royals games and hang out. Rylan and I stayed with Shannon and Lilly back at the house. We played outside, colored, visited the zoo, met up with the boys downtown at the Crown Center, and sent both kids into the church nursery screaming.

It was great to catch up with Shannon and let the kids get reacquainted. They had fun together. Rylan told me a couple of days ago in the car that he wanted to "go to Yiyee's house". (He's still working on those Ls.) The big boys had fun too! We are glad we made the trip!

McWhit Wedding

2011-07-19T21:07:00.006-04:00

The day school was out, began the wedding festivities for my long time baton buddy Kara Whitaker and her groom, Joe McClyde (McWhit). Early in Kara's engagement I volunteered to be her wedding day coordinator, taking vendor phone calls, organizing people, etc. This was before I was pregnant and extra snow days pushed back the end of school. It was also after Ryan's annual golf outing was planned for the same weekend.

Kara and I at her bridal shower in December

Anyway, I was so excited, fatigue and no date didn't slow me down. I had a wonderful time enjoying their beautiful day at Notre Dame with their wedding at the Basilica and reception in the new Percell Pavilion. It was so great to share their day, catch up with old friends, and remember why you love someone!
Even though I didn't feel that busy on her wedding day, I only took one picture...here it is...

Kara applying mascara in the "bride room" before walking down the aisle

Congrats to Joe and Kara! You guys are going to be so happy together!

Traveling alone with a 22 month old...

2011-07-19T20:21:00.006-04:00

Over Memorial Day weekend, I took Rylan to see Em and Gabo in Mexico. Ryan is so awesome for even considering letting his 6 month pregnant wife take his precious boy to a foreign country without him. He was nervous though Gabo assured him he would keep us safe.

We flew over night Thursday night. Rylan did pretty well with the traveling and the waiting for a full hour while AeroMexico experimented with their new system and worked to figure out how to collect the fee for Rylan to fly without a ticket. They "let me go" after the hour to go wait for the plane. We got in line at 10:15pm and sat down at the gate at 12:00am. Rylan was still ready to run at that point. The plane was full. I was in the middle seat with Rylan on my lap and two non-English speaking gentlemen on either side of us. The one on the left seemed nervous about flying and the one on the right was very nice saying (in spanish) Rylan could put his feet on him if he wanted. I was thankful for that and Rylan was really fidgety. I was just beginning to pray that Rylan would settle down and go to sleep when the flight attendants came up to talk to the man on the aisle. I thought they were asking him to change seats with me so I would be on the end, but they were asking him to move to the only other empty seat on the plane! What an answered prayer. I seriously almost cried. 5 minutes later we were moving and Rylan (and I) were headed to sleep. He slept the entire flight, taking full advantage of the empty seat!

Now it was Friday. We got to Emily and Gabo at the airport with very little incident and went straight to sleep at their house when we got there. Later that day we went to the park and Rylan played in a fountain while we took turns enjoying frozen yogurt. Em and Gabo bought him an airplane blow up toy from a balloon lady. It is hanging above his bed in his new room...more to come on that later.

Saturday we went to the zoo in the morning. Rylan was, at this time, taking baby steps out of his "scared of animals" stage and seemed to enjoy it though he spent much of the morning in Gabo's arms. It was a very nice zoo. It was also hot! Later that afternoon we picked up Gabo's dad and headed to Coyoacon to walk around and eat churros. Gabo and his dad also got coffee from one of their favorite spots, and Rylan made some new Mexican friends while playing in another fountain. We also went to Chili's for dinner. We knew we were pushing Rylan's bedtime, but his need to play in the kid area pushed him over the edge. Again, we took turns holding him while the other two were eating, and sweet Gabo climbed in the germ filled kid area so Rylan could try to play. He was really too small. Needless to say he went to sleep quickly.

Sunday we relaxed most of the day and Gabo's sister-in-law came over to cook us lunch (3:00pm). She made chilaquilas, hamburgers, and noodles. It was all very good. In order to be polite, of course, I ate it all. Ryan would have loved the chilaquilas! I should really learn to make them. Rylan slept most of the way through lunch with 20 of Gabo's family members. It was fun being able to see them. They want us to know they are taking care of Emily without us there, that's why his sister-in-law cooked for us. So nice!

Monday we went to the children's museum and hit up every spot for kids under 3. Rylan had a great time at each spot as well as a screaming fit every time we were ready to move to the next one. He went to sleep quickly on our return trip home. On the way home, we picked up Angie at a gas station, and saw a very large man toweling off (remember it is hot) while sitting in his car. Later that night we had a girl's + Rylan night with Costco pizza and girl talk.

Tuesday morning, after another stint in line with AeroMexico, we sat down on the plane 2 minutes before it was scheduled to take off. I had already cried with Emily, was rushing, nervous about going through security, and sweaty. When I finally was settled on the plane and Rylan was happily yelling at the other planes out the window, I started to cry. It could have turned into the ugly cry again but this nice lady sat down next to me and we were instant friends. That helped me so much! We chatted most of the way. Rylan did well again and said "I unt to ride a airplane" as soon as we landed.

I'm so glad we were able to go! I love seeing them. I have no idea when I (we) will get back there with the new baby coming soon and Rylan turning two and having to have his own seat. I'm thankful for this trip, and the hospitality. Despite the fact that I got a viscous stomach bug when I got home. Parasites and amoebas were ruled out yet it lasted two weeks! It wouldn't have been so bad had Ryan not caught it from me! Oops!

April

2011-07-05T22:44:00.010-04:00

April brought a much welcomed spring and visit to Chicago to see new baby Tessa B! We had a fun couple of days hanging out with the Purdue pals at the Burritt's and the zoo. We had three 2 year olds at the zoo. Rylan was clearly the "stongest willed" of the group asserting himself each time it was time to go back in his stroller to see another animal or go somewhere else in general.Rylan and Kyri

Rylan, Kyri, and Conn0r

We had a great weekend together as usual. Rylan has been going through this scared of animals phase though, so that was less than enjoyable with the Burritt's pooch, and all of the animals at the zoo. He loves to talk about going to see animals, and see them in books, but the movement up close was not his thing.

We also had a VERY hot day in April. One Sunday, it was in the 80s. We busted out Rylan's wagon he got from Santa. We took a walk on the path by the river. I felt like I had walked 5 miles and we really only went about 2. And we were walking pretty slow. My hands were swollen, and I was moving like a turtle by the end. I told Ryan I didn't know what I was going to do mid-July. I think I was just so hot because it had just stopped snowing the week before.

We also did Easter with the family in April. We had a great day. Rylan loved picking up the eggs and then throwing them out of the basket. Due to all of the fun with egg hunting, he melted down at church, and they flashed his name up on the screen. We figured that may happen, that boy needs his sleep! Here are some pictures of him enjoying the eggs.Heather and Greg won the "big kid" egg hunt at Nana and Papa's. Ryan and I didn't do so bad though, it took me a long time to spend all of our change on Diet Cokes. :)

March

2011-07-05T22:10:00.006-04:00

March brought the wedding of my brother, Eric, and his new sweet wife, Cindy. The month flew by as we made the trip to California to spend the week sight seeing and doing wedding festivities. We started in San Francisco checking out Pier 39, the Anchor Steam Brewery, the aquarium, a random Target, and all of the transportation. Rylan was VERY into the many vehicles throughout the trip.

Rylan loved the airport! He slept the whole way there across Mom, Ryan, and I's lap. Thank goodness we were all in a row together! One of my favorite parts of the trip is that all of us siblings were together. Em and Gabo made the trip from Mexico too! The photographer was great, he got some great pictures of all of the family together.

Here is one of the best photos we got of the three of us (not great I know)...this was after Rylan's 2 1/2 hour nap during the reception...this was very late at night.

On a side note, I tried to force him to sleep before the wedding, instead he said EVERY word he knew during the ceremony. At one point he even said "I unt to slap boards." (Ryan taught him this while they were playing basketball and he does it on the doorways.) I decided I wasn't going to miss the wedding because he was talking, so I took him down to sit in the back. I was so frustrated by the end, I had my shoes hooked to my arm (from standing for an hour holding a 30 pounder), and cried in the bathroom. Gabo, the baby whisper, insisted on taking him to help (force) him to sleep, and of course it worked...thus leading to the long nap. Gabo is awesome at that!

I am so grateful that we are able to make these trips to celebrate with our loved ones! We had a great time! If you have a snapfish account, you can click here and view the photo album I created for Eric and Cindy of our time in California.

Rylan in January and February

2011-05-08T22:12:00.004-04:00

Rylan had his 18 month well check up in January and many many non-well appointments during the winter months. He was 36 1/2 inches and 28 lbs at his check-up. He was healthy other than his constant double ear infections. We were at the doctor every other Monday for six weeks and I missed at least one day of work each week beginning before Christmas break. After I finally talked the doctor into referring us to a specialist and Rylan actually getting tubes in his ears, he had had 10 ear infections and 5 different antibiotics. He had infections when he had his tubes put in on February 11th.

This is Rylan is his little gown before his tubes were put in. Much to our surprise he went with the nurses without crying. It was so quick. Rylan didn't really cry when until we got back to recovery and were getting ready to go. He fussed a little bit in the car until he saw all of the buses on the street and forgot why he was sad.
Since his tubes he has only missed 1 day of daycare for being sick. This was the best thing for him! He is even used to putting in his earplugs for baths and swimming lessons. He probably won't even remember how bad his ears hurt for all of those months.

Some milestones:
In December Rylan-
-loved to listen to books
-was really into his push/ride train
-loved his musical toys
-was just getting into watching shows other than his Baby Mozart DVD
-was singing the ABCs
-was recognizing some of the upper case letters (the R and K on the Christmas ornaments)
-was counting to 10 and recognizing the numbers
-loved to say "1,2,3 jump!" while just bending his knees and straightening himself out

In January Rylan-
-was really getting into cars and blocks (Christmas helped this)
-was really into bath time (and his new toys he got from Nana and Papa)
-still loved reading books
-had memorized Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin and helped us read it
-was LOVING Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
-was recognizing the upper case letters and counting objects
-was using tons of words
-was introduced to timeout

In February Rylan-
-started to get more into nursery rhymes and songs
-was still loving to read
-was talking more and more
-couldn't decide if he liked Mickey Mouse or Elmo more
-started his basketball career on a $5 garage sale Little Tykes rim in our living room
-began jumping on the couch and yelling "sit down"
-even told two waitresses at Applebee's to "sit down" while they were pulling the blinds down

Rylan continues to be very affectionate with almost everyone. He has gone through a couple of hitting/kicking/biting phases that thankfully don't last forever. He is hilarious to us, and the smartest kid around. We love it!

Being pregnant in January and February

2011-05-08T21:33:00.006-04:00

At the time, Ryan and I hadn't announced that we were expecting, except to Em and Gabo. I fell down the stairs mid-January and had some worries a few days later so I called the doctor and they scheduled an ultrasound for that day. We were very nervous and very thankful to get an appointment so quickly. The ultrasound revealed a strong heartbeat (162 bpm) right away. What a relief! It also showed a small clot that had formed right next to the baby. We were told by the doctor that there was a good chance it would absolve back into the body but that I was to "take it easy" for the next 3 weeks and they would check again. I asked what to do about my 30 lb babe at home, and he said to limit the lifting as much as possible. So I tried, prayed a lot, read only one time about clots and pregnancy (that was plenty), and tried to take it easy. I had help in that department, Ryan was/is awesome. On February 10th, we had another appointment scheduled for an ultrasound and a regular appointment later that afternoon. I was 11 weeks at the time. The ultrasound revealed that the clot was gone and still a good strong heartbeat (164 bpm). We left the office and headed back later for the regular appointment. This was the appointment when the doctor uses the very old looking doppler machine to find the heartbeat. The doctor actually never found the heartbeat with that machine. I told him I was okay with that because I had just heard/seen it a couple of hours earlier. I laughed at myself because that would have made me crazy in any other situation. Below are the pictures of the ultrasounds from the two appointments.

This is baby at 7 weeks 6 days. The dark circle is where the baby and clot are located. The baby is on the bottom.

This is baby at 11 weeks. The clot is gone, and look home much growth has happened! Amazing!

Back to January

2011-05-08T20:40:00.013-04:00

I have been meaning to post for months now. (Of course, this is the story of my life.) I wanted to go back and include some pictures and fun times we have had during 2011 even though it is already May. I would really like for this blog to help us highlight family fun as well as milestones. So I'll back up...

January
Rylan played in the snow for the first (and really only time) January 6th. We bundled up and headed out. It took as long to bundle as we actually spent outside. He loved standing in it, but was very unsure when he would fall down mainly because he needed help getting up. We had a great time! Here are some pictures...

2 days later Rylan woke up at his usual very early hour and we spent a normal Saturday morning watching Mickey Mouse on the couch for the first little while we were awake. Well, he was awake, we were cuddling on the couch and I wasn't awake at all. :) So when we moved from the couch, I decided to peek outside and see if we got anymore snow because that's what they were predicting. You may know what the snow predictions are like, sometimes correct, sometimes not. This is what I saw...

I was honestly speechless, and as dumbfounded as I was, Rylan had no idea what I was so worked up about. I really wanted to wake Ryan up, but knew this was not a good enough reason. Needless to say our late family Christmas for the Hendrick's side was canceled. We were snowed in. It continued to snow all day. Below are more pictures from our big snow...

This is Ryan's truck. He happened to parked in the street because he was going to clear the driveway the night before. Good thing he didn't, it would've have been time wasted!

Ryan clearing the driveway. This snow blower is one of the best investments we have ever made.

This is Rylan's playset. It has a slide that you can't see. It continued to snow all day and we got about 6 more inches.

Read the Fine Print

2011-02-10T21:14:00.003-05:00

The pictures are not great, but the shirt is cute. That is about how long he will sit for a photo shoot. I'll get a better one and post it. :)

Rose Bowl 2001

2011-01-01T23:14:00.002-05:00

10 years ago, Ryan and I joined a few thousand fellow Boilermakers to cheer on our team at the Rose Bowl. Ryan and I made the trip out meeting up with a few friends, Dad, and Trish. It doesn't feel like it was so long ago. We thought we were so grown up then traveling and renting cars by ourselves. We drove our little "squatbox" rental car all over southern California. (Without GPS I might add.)
We visited Universal Studios for the pep rallies, attempted to go to the Price is Right, saw the parade from a distance, and had a great time with the game and festivities!
It was so great to be a part of the Drew Brees era at Purdue. Fun times!

PS-I don't have any pictures due to digital photography being futuristic at that time.

Rylan's Funny Face

2011-01-01T22:43:00.003-05:00

Ryan taught Rylan this face a while back. We were able to get it on video Christmas morning. Maybe this is only funny to us, but what a great memory! (He also answers all questions with "no" now.)

Christmastime

2010-12-28T17:11:00.010-05:00

It always seems that the month of December goes so quickly, this year has been no exception. We ended November with a visit to St. Louis to see Ryan's family. We celebrated the season with food, shopping, and hanging out. The whole family was together for the first time in years!

Rylan did pretty well with the car ride to and from Missouri. It takes a lot to keep him entertained for that long. These sunglasses helped.

Rylan also rode his first carousal at the mall while we were there. He had a great time.

December was then filled with many events. Angel Tree party at Monroe Circle, bridal shower for my baton buddy, musical at church, Christmas at the LeDonne's, Son City Kids Christmas, friends over, Christmas Eve, Christmas, 2 ear infections, and lots of running around. We missed Emily, Gabo, Eric, and Cindy as they stayed at their respective homes for Christmas. (We can't wait to see them in March!) Here are some images from our month. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Dear Ear Infections...

2010-12-13T23:25:00.003-05:00

Dear Ear Infections,
You have no mercy. You come and you go and come back again so quickly! I am about done with you as I can imagine Rylan is too. He would probably tell me if he spoke full sentences. I'm sure the new insurance company is excited because we have had 5 appointments since the relationship began on Oct. 1st. And I love how the doctor keeps saying "a couple more" of you and we will talk about tubes. How many is a couple really? I mean Rylan is only 17 months old. His usual upbeat personality has just been pummelled by your presence. I will be glad when you are gone forever!
Tomorrow, it is more antibiotics for you so we can try to move past this....again.
Until next time,
Amy

Purdue Basketball

2010-11-11T22:18:00.002-05:00

This year, Ryan decided to share Purdue Basketball season tickets with one of his buddies. The ticket purchasing took place before Robbie Hummel blew out his knee again. This puts a damper on the season, but it was still fun to go down and see the exhibition game this week. Ryan will be going to half of the games this season. I will join him for some. It's great to see our old stomping grounds every now and then!

October Fun

2010-11-11T20:11:00.010-05:00

Yes, I know October is over, but I thought I should still share some photos. October was one of my favorite months with Rylan. He began "talking" more this month. He says words like, Mama, Dada, football, eat, more, and our favorite "A bus!" He sometimes yells it all the way to and from daycare.

In October, we went to Chicago for Erin B's b-day and visited a pumpkin patch. Teri put some great pictures on her blog. You can see them here.

We also visited our local pumpkin patch with Grandma and Grandpa Kring. Rylan had a great time running around and looking at all of the pumpkins. I am so glad we went on a week night, because it wasn't that busy.

We also celebrated Halloween with Zoo Boo the weekend before, and actual Halloween with Urgent Care, two ear infections, and a cough with wheezing. We got a couple of pictures at Trunk or Treat as well. Rylan was so cute as Purdue Pete, he just didn't understand that he needed to wear the hat and carry the hammer to get the point across. Ryan loves Halloween. It is much more fun for me now that Rylan is around.

Zoo Boo -- There is a zebra behind us

Trunk or Treat at West Side Church

I can't believe it's November already!

Oh how I love a deal!

2010-10-18T22:07:00.005-04:00

This past weekend, I got together with some friends for a special visit from Texas and a birthday. Much to my excitement I heard about a website that gives discounts for fun things to do around town. We talked about it (well made fun of it) often though deep down we all wanted to check it out to see what deals we could get.
So tonight, I went to http://groupon.com/ to sign up for the daily email list stating what great deals I could get in South Bend. Bad news of the day...South Bend is NOT listed! WHAT!!?? This kind of stuff is right up my alley! I guess I'll just have to stick to http://moneysavingmom.com/ to find deals and great articles.

He's Walking!

2010-08-28T23:53:00.004-04:00

Rylan is on the move now. July 24th, Ryan and I were trying to get him to walk (before he did it for someone else), and he did. We didn't really think it was going to happen, but we were so excited! He went back and forth between the two of us many times. We got just a little on video, but it is so great. He got more and more confident as he did it. Notice how he pushes Ryan's hands away. Everyone keeps saying, "now you're really going to have to baby proof", I really think this is going to be true when he can get his leg up on the couch. It is fun watching him get stronger and stronger.

He also got his first bloody lip that day, but that's just because he tripped over his own feet (probably like his mom :) ).

The Lake

2010-08-28T23:40:00.002-04:00

We have spent so much time at the lake this summer. Here is one of the best pictures of Rylan thus far in his lake gear. Nana is looking great as well.

First Birthday

2010-08-28T23:01:00.005-04:00

July 9th came way faster than expected. Rylan celebrated his first birthday with the extended family on hand. We had a great time sharing the day with everyone. Rylan enjoyed spontaneously playing in the pool with his cousins and eating his cake. On his actual birthday we went to the fair and met Rylan's second birthday buddy (Kel is the first). This gentleman was turning 83. He and his wife were so cute making faces at Rylan in the stroller. On his birthday Rylan was getting very good at pulling up. He was also putting his hands in the air to say "So big", and showing everyone his tongue. This is such a fun time! The only downfall is that he's growing so fast!

Once upon a time in Mexico...

2010-07-28T22:17:00.006-04:00

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to post about our trip to Mexico. We had a great time celebrating with Emily and Gabo and their Mexican family. I'll give you the abbreviated version of the trip...

Before Mom, Rylan and I got on the plan Sunday the 13th, I had broken my in-law's suitcase that we borrowed.
The flight down consisted of 1 hour sitting on the runway (Rylan slept for 45 min of that hour), no air condidtioning and Rylan fussing the entire 4 hours we were in the air but falling asleep the second we landed. We were grateful to be off of the plane. It was easily four of the hardest hours of his life thus far.
Emily was sick the first 24 hours were were there. She had a stomach bug. Thankfully she bounced back well.
Ryan Kring, Ryan Bastine, and Roger were to fly out of O'hare Wednesday morning at 8:30am. When they arrived at the airport, no one was at the check-in desk, and they learned over the phone with the airline that all morning flights on this airline were canceled for the last three weeks. After many stressful hours and phone calls to Mexico (thank goodness for Skype), Roger flew alone to Mexico at 2:55pm Wednesday and Ryan and Ryan flew first class on a different airline from 2:00-6:00am Thursday.
They arrived at 8:15am to the hotel and we left at 9:00am for the civil wedding. This began our tour of Mexico in a big white van with my entire family. (Ryan, Rylan, and I, Mom, Rog, Dad, Trish, Eric, Cindy, Ryan Bastine, and two of Emily's friends)
That same day, Ryan (and the boys) watched a Mexico World Cup soccer game with some real fans, I spent way too many hours at a nail salon, cried in a cab, and took Rylan to his first bachelorette party. The nail salon was not that bad, just a very long experience. Everything turned out good, and I spent some good time with my sister.
Saturday was the wedding...what a fun day! The hair dressers came to Em's apartment, so we bopped in and out all day. It was so fun being all together. The setting for the wedding was awesome. It started only an hour late, and the rain held most of the ceremony. The funny thing was, Em and Gabo didn't even know it was pouring until the pastor said something. They then turned around and saw all of the umbrellas. Some of us went up under their little tent to finish the ceremony. It was so personal. We then had a great party complete with Mariachi music.
The flight home on Sunday was great! We had an extra seat, three extra people, and a big white wedding dress thrown over our shoulders. (To think we barely breathed on it after it was steamed earlier in the week.)

We are so glad we went! It is hard to travel with an almost one year old. He is such a trooper though. He didn't even fuss when he had to go back in a carseat at O'Hare airport. Em and Gabo also had a celebration in South Bend July 2nd. They have been home for the month (part of the reason for my lack of posting) and watching Rylan while I work. They leave next Saturday (boo!). I am so thankful for our time in Mexico, and their time in South Bend!

Here we go...

2010-06-09T21:28:00.002-04:00

Just last week Rylan started pulling up. It happened quickly. I know he was doing this a little while he was still at daycare, but we didn't get to see that. Today he was beginning to "cruise". He usually makes an attempt at this when he wants something like the computer. This is fun for us. We know, we know...just wait until he really gets moving. So far we are faster than he is. Does chasing him count as exercise?

It's wedding season!

2010-06-02T22:38:00.007-04:00

In the last year, my brother Eric, and my sister Emily have both gotten engaged! Emily and future husband Gabo will be married in Mexico June 19th and will again celebrate in Indiana July 2nd. Eric and Cindy will be married in San Francisco March 18, 2011. They are meeting us in Mexico for Em and Gabo's wedding.

We are ready for the weddings! Rylan has his suit and passport (for Mexico). I am a little nervous about air travel but am sure we will work it out like usual. I'm sure Rylan is not the most high maintenance baby to ride a plane. Here are some pictures of our preparation

Spring Family Photos

2010-04-17T21:08:00.007-04:00

Last week my brother came over to take family pictures for us. He has an art degree and does well with photography even though it isn't his favorite. The plan was to wear our Cubs gear and wear regular clothes, and hopefully get some pictures outside. Well, Rylan was in an okay mood until right before the pictures when he got really, really tired. Here is the best picture. We will be scheduling another session.

Swimming Lessons

2010-03-24T14:35:00.001-04:00

Last month we signed up for Mom and Tot swimming lessons. This is a class at the Y that helps kids get comfortable with the water while their parent is holding them. We met Shannon and Lilly for our first class. The kids did great! We sang songs, kicked, splashed, and moved in a circle to the music. It is a great class. Unfortunately, Rylan got ear infections the following week, and has been sick off and on since. We were able to move our payment to the next session. That was a big bonus! We will be ready for the lake when the warm weather arrives.

Bath Time!

2010-02-13T21:47:00.003-05:00

Rylan is now 7 months old! We can't believe how fast this time is going. We are enjoying every minute of it. We got out Rylan's new seat for the bath tub today because he has grown out of the baby tub. He seemed to like it! Maybe next time we'll get out the bubbles.

The last two weeks have been something...Rylan has begun cutting his teeth, so that has brought sniffles, a fever, and minor fussiness. Fussy for Rylan is not really that bad. I am also getting my energy back from not feeling well. We are looking ahead to spring. I can't believe it is already mid-February. Our calendar is filling up fast as usual.

6 months old

2010-01-26T20:16:00.005-05:00

Rylan is 6 months old already! He is getting so big. At his 6 month apointment, he was 18.6lbs and 28.5 inches. We are geting ready to transition him to the bigger carseat because the infant seat only goes up to 29 inches.

We love making him laugh. (Which then makes us crack up!) He is beginning to sit up now and loves his musical toys. Our favorite thing is probably that he knows who we are and sometimes reaches for us.

We are adjusting well to the routines of work and daycare. I can't believe how fast my time home went. Rylan is doing well at daycare and I like it better each time I go in walk in both at the beginning and the end of the day. God has really worked this out for us.

Christmas

2009-12-28T21:51:00.002-05:00

People told me this summer that having Rylan at Christmas would be so much fun, and IT WAS! We had so much fun planning,preparing, and celebrating...now I am close to putting everything away. We were all over town visiting with family all week long. Rylan was a trouper as usual. Even his "fussy" isn't that bad.

Now I'm gearing up to go back to work Jan. 4th. It makes me tired just thinking about it!

I can't believe how fast 2010 is approaching! Happy New Year!

(I worked for days to make a picture collage...I'm still working on it.)

Me With the Bigs...

2009-11-20T12:58:00.004-05:00

A couple of months I met (and had my picture taken) with the superintendent for the state of Indiana, Mr. Tony Bennett. This meeting and working alongside Mr. Jim Kapsa, and the South Bend Schools is all due to some great kids living in South Bend.

Beginning in April 2007, God began lining up things that would truly change my life. Since October of that year, I have been involved with the Son City Kids After-School Program. I have a passion for inner-city kids and their education. We have been meeting weekly, showing these kindergarten through fourth graders that they and their education matter. Just this year we have teamed up with the school corporation to help the kids as much as we can. The kids are improving in their skills, and we are mentoring them along the way. Each week more than 20 volunteers meet with these kids. I am so proud of them. This is a good team!

Rylan's First Road Trip

2009-10-30T18:54:00.000-04:00

Since last spring, I have been anticipating a visit from my sister in the month of October. She needed to come back to the states to meet with some supporters and make some new contacts. As we discussed her visit, my leave from work, and the new baby, her road trip turned into a road trip for her, me, and Rylan. First I had to check with Ryan to see if he could live without us for 10 days. He said he would manage, and he knows how much I love to hang out with Emily. It was actually harder for us to be gone that long than I originally thought. For both Ryan and I. He got sick while we were gone, which was really sad because he was home alone. We survived though.

The trip went like this...

---Saturday to Indy-Stayed with "Auntie (cousin) Kim", great fun

---Sunday to Sidell, Il-Em and I tried to tell Girlfriend (GPS) the way to go...we were wrong, Em talked at a church, I made lunch, Rylan was an angel playing on his mat in the kitchen, Em stated he was her nephew several times to let everyone know that she didn't have a baby out of wedlock while she was away, drove on a dirt road

---Sunday night to St. Louis-stayed w/Aunt Sandy and the Kile gals, Rylan loved playing with his second cousins, he almost got his cheeks eaten right off, slept in Stacy's really comfortable bed

---Monday to Withita/Eureka, KS-new friends, another church, good chili, Rylan and I playing in the church nursery, stayed w/Angie's parents-her dad looks just like Dave Ramsey, met Angie's friend and two cute kids, ate some great dessert

---Tuesday to Harrah (Ok. City), OK-stayed two nights!, loved not having to pack up in the morning, stayed with friends who used to live in Michigan, relaxed in the country, saw the memorial, at chicken fried steak, Em talked to some kids at church, made new friends at church (oh Ernastine, get cuter!), got lost in the boonies, laughed, put a sleepwalker back to bed

---Thursday back to St. Louis-in our pjs, Rylan had a meltdown, so did I, stayed at a cozy hotel w/happy hour, nachos, free wifi, and hot breakfast

---Friday to Indy-back to Kim's, Em got together with old friends, freezing cold soccer games, football and BW3s, Bring It On 5!, dinner w/my pal Erin (so glad)

---Sunday back to South Bend!!!

2,230 miles. I'm glad we went along. It's so fun to hang out with my sister. She was such a good "husband", as she called herself, carrying things, loading the car, pumping the gas. I love her! We made memories.

Oh Technology...

2009-10-01T12:11:00.000-04:00

I was so excited last month when Ryan told me we had a web cam! To which I replied, "How did I not know that!?" So he showed me how to use it and I am now a new girl! I quickly logged onto Skype, created my account, and began chatting with Emily, Eric, and Cindy. On Mom's birthday we surprised her with Skype at the lake by calling Emily, meeting Gabo, and chatting with Eric and Cindy. Mom was so excited, she took a picture of Eric and Cindy!

It is actually easier to talk on Skype while I'm doing things around the house. We also hold Rylan up to the camera like the Lion King so they can see how much he's grown. One night Mom, Ryan, Emily, and I had dinner together. She couldn't see all of us but she sat at the end of the table where the extra chair is.

What a great invention...and it's free!

6 Weeks Already!

2009-08-21T20:49:00.000-04:00

Nearly 7 weeks ago I posted my due date on this blog. Time sure flies...

Rylan Lucas was born July 9, 2009 at 11:25am. He was 8 lbs 7 oz and 22 inches long! Labor was pretty much what I expected, minus the vomiting. That made it way worse. We were at the hospital 17 hours before he was born. It was a very long night for Ryan. He didn't complain one bit but said later that he thought it went on forever.

We are just enamored by Rylan. Everyday we feel like he does something new, or makes a new face. It is such a great change. I am blessed to be able to stay home until January and hang out with the little guy. We spend our days feeding, playing, and sleeping. We do go out and about frequently. Our schedule is working out very well. The three of us are a good team.

Today we go to the doctor for Rylan's check-up. We are so anxious to see how he's grown.

Due Today!

2009-07-03T14:54:00.000-04:00

Today is the official due date for this baby! We are still awaiting his arrival. I am anxious now. Not uncomfortable, or complaining, but excited and ready. I was trying to think of what this can be related to, this waiting, but I can't think of anything exactly like this. It's like vacation, a wedding, and Christmas all rolled into one, however, those events have specific dates and times. I'm so thankful that I am not miserable or scared and just excited. Everything is ready and so are we! My how things are so different than last year at this time! God's timing is perfect, and I have really experienced that in my life. I am thankful for that.

So as I continue to wait, I am getting a few small tasks done, while playing a lot of solitare. This afternoon I am going to go walk in the mall to see if I can get something going. I really don't want to ruin Uncle Dave's party tomorrow, but it's not all about me anymore. :) There have been some signs of labor, but there is never a set time. This process is a great experience!

America's Favorite Pastime

2009-06-30T20:46:00.000-04:00

This year, Ryan took a giant leap and started a little league team with the boys we work with through Son City Kids. Our good friend Andy came along side of him and was fully committed each week. The two of them taught, coached, disciplined, refereed, mentored, and loved on 15 boys from inner city South Bend. I couldn't be more proud of them. We had our ups and downs but the boys began to understand the game and became a team. We were an exception to the Matthys/Little League rules while making an impact on not only the boys but the Little League community. We are thankful for the support of the organization. People are inspired by what Coach Ryan and Coach Andy took on this spring, the families were excited, we got parents involved in their kids lives. Our only hope and prayer is that we can continue to pour into these boys' (and others) lives as we take more steps. It was so great to watch these kids feel proud of their accomplishments and improvements. It was blissful watching them go crazy as one of their teammates would run toward home plate. Safe or not, they sure did hoot and hollar!

We had great support and prayer throughout the season. What a blessing! It is fun to see Jesus on the ball field.

The Lake

2009-06-22T20:06:00.000-04:00

Last fall, Mom and Roger bought a lake house on Eagle Lake near Uncle Dave and Aunt Susie's house. It is a ranch home that needed some major TLC. Mom and Roger will retire there someday. We (the family) have been renovating the house...top to bottom, every room. In the last couple of weeks it is really coming together though it is getting harder to work with the nice weather and the lovely deck outside.

Being at the lake is really relaxing just listening to the water and watching the ducks float by. The boys are really into fishing with Lunkers being our new favorite store. Good thing it's on the way to the lake. I have not done any boating or swimming due to being 9 months pregnant but am looking forward to those things at the end of the summer. I'm pretty sure the neighbors don't need to see this belly sticking out of a bikini. They may send Mom and Rog packing.

We're having a great time! Painting, cleaning, eating, sitting...never a dull moment. We have the bathing suit, sun hat, sun sheild, and sunscreen ready for Baby Kring when he arrives! I love summer!

6 Months

2009-03-14T15:04:00.000-04:00

I am six months along now. It seems like the time has gone so fast and there are still so many things to do. I have gotten some perspective on life in the last couple of weeks and am working on prioritizing things. We are entering the last nine weeks of school and then floating in the lake until the baby arrives. The budget has been in the forefront of our minds lately. We are thankful to be so blessed, and working on where to cut back.

Today we finished registering at babiesrus. It is really a crazy thing to do. Pretty overwhelming, very exciting, and time consuming. It really took us about 5 hours in the store, plus what I've done online. Babies need a LOT of stuff! I think my favorite thing we registered for was the golf polo and overalls for 12 months. That was right up Ryan's alley of course. It's crazy to think that we are already planning for the time when he will be 12 months. I really don't want to rush it!

This is an exciting time in our lives. We are so thankful and blessed.

It's A Boy!

2009-02-03T19:07:00.001-05:00

Today was an exciting day. We went for an ultrasound to see if our baby is healthy. While we were there, we also found out the baby is a HE! I am overwhelmed. It seems more real now that we saw his little face and body. He should arrive sometime around July 3rd. Now it's time to prepare. How do you even decide what things to buy, I have no idea. There are so many choices. We are so blessed by this miracle.

January in Northern Indiana

2009-01-18T10:22:00.000-05:00

January in northern Indiana is a funny thing. December ranks right up there, however, people seem to let the weather slide due to the need for a "white Christmas". January however brings out a different side of people. For the past week, the most intelligent conversation I have had a work has been about planning for this week. All depending on the number of snow days we had last week. The good news is, we did have a snow/cold day on Friday. It was very necessary due to the temperature being -19. Now the big question is...when do we celebrate 100 day!? It should have been Tuesday, but now it's Wednesday. Oh the drama...
The other comical piece of last week is the way people complain about snow and cold temperatures. On Thursday, the majority of corporations in our area canceled school. South Bend did not. Oh man, people were in an uproar. Teachers, parents, and the media. I had 7 (out of 22) kids absent on Thursday, my mom had 13 (out of 24) absent. I was able to complete my plans at a much faster rate with less students, thus leaving a little extra indoor recess time. This was a great opportunity for me to check the WNDU website and see how big of a deal they were making about South Bend not canceling. I love WNDU, but it worked. There were pages and pages of comments from community members stating their opinions about us having school. I truly laughed out loud as I read on after school. I then encouraged others who were feeling down to do the same.
Personally, it wasn't any worse on Thursday then it was on Tuesday and Wednesday. I had to allow extra time and bundle up. Thank goodness Ryan lets me park in the garage, what a blessing! Truth being told, I would have loved to sleep in and watch Days all of those days last week, but work was in session. Friday I did those things plus some other tasks I had been putting off. I'm still unsure of the 100 day schedule, but that is the least of my worries.
Next January, I'm sure it will be the same deal. People "can't believe how bad the weather is", and "you should stay home if you don't have to go anywhere", and "more snow", and "falling temperatures". Here are fun facts I like to focus on: Friday, it was 55 degrees warmer in Alaska then in South Bend. Saturday, South Bend's temperature raised 48 degrees by late afternoon. That is almost balmy. And I saw on the news that Friday a guy flew from San Diego to see his family in shorts and a t-shirt knowing the temperature. From take off to landing, the temperature had dropped 80 degrees. The crazy thing is his luggage got lost and was somewhere down south and wouldn't be in until evening. He wasn't even complaining.
I am thankful for shelter in these days, and heat in my house...there are a lot of people in South Bend not so lucky.

Back to School

2009-01-11T21:42:00.000-05:00

Last week I went back to school after winter break. I was feeling pretty laid back about the kids acting a little different after being home doing their own thing for two weeks. I mean they are just kindergarteners, they have never done this before. Here are my favorite stories from this week. These stories involve the same boy who I will call Fred. (I use that name often in class as an example.)
Fred is a fun kid. He has learned so many things this year. He is my only student who did not go to a "formal preschool" before kindergarten. Not going to preschool at my school is rare, not so much at other schools. Fred has 3 brothers and sisters so he has a great personality. At back-to-school night he was making farting noises on his arm. He got on an owl tangent early in the year and taught the whole class. He should probably be a comedian some day.
This week:
On Monday we went to the computer lab like usual. It was in the middle of the day and some of the kids were getting very tired. At one point I look over at Fred and he was sitting in his chair completing his assignment with his feet crossed up on the desk. I asked him what he was doing and he said, "just relaxing". I did laugh out loud (how can you not) and told him to please put his feet down. I then proceeded to have him tell other adults about the incident so they could laugh too.
On Wednesday we were having indoor recess (again, it's cold). The class has a variety of things to play with or do during indoor recess. They have begun pretending to be dogs, crawling around the room, barking, using math manipulatives as leaches, the whole nine yards. They have names. Some are "good dogs", some are "naughty". On this particular day Fred was playing a dog. When I looked over in the direction of a loud dog, Fred was up on the table on all fours barking at the "dogs" below. I called his name and told him dogs were not allowed on the table. I think he said something about being a bad dog. Again, I laughed out loud.
These are the joys of kindergarten. There are so many more. I love it, even though I'm praying for a "cold" day this week.

Purdue Football

2008-11-23T21:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a big football day in West Lafayette. The original plan was to go the game and tailgate, but due me being sick all week and the crazy cold weather, we stayed home. It turned out to be a good day for the team and outgoing coach Joe Tiller. Who knew they could play football that well after the season we've had? It has been a roller coaster watching until the last minute of the game or losing in overtime or dropping a last minute hail mary. No matter what, I still love Purdue football. I'm so glad Joe came to coach when he did, leading the team to so many bowl games during our years on campus. It's funny how times change, and your priority is health and warmth instead of crazy traditions and early morning outings. What great memories! Even though this year wasn't so great, it sure ended on a positive note. So positive I even took a nap with no fear of the lead being blown while I was sleeping.

You will be missed Joe! BOILER UP!

Back on...

2008-10-18T08:23:00.000-04:00

So I've been blogging for my master's class at Ball State and am again reminded how I am neglecting this blog here...
Last week I had a realization that I need to start putting a little more effort into some places in my life. Lots of places actually, I'm just not comfortable doing everything half way. One of those things was getting to the gym. The main reason is for my health of course, but the very close second is the money I pay each month to not go. Ryan and I went Thursday together and I ended up doing pretty well. Yesterday I signed up for another spinning class. This would be my second try.
The first one I did not feel successful! I even wondered aloud, "If this is the beginning class, I have no idea what I would do in the advanced." Well yesterday I accidently went to advanced. And I survived! I told the instructor that I was new to this, she was nice but very intense. She could probably turn into Biggest Loser's Jillian if given any chance. It was a very good workout! I made it up each "hill" and didn't sit down early. I was so glad to have the workout done before going out and eating one huge dinner!

Baton twirling

2008-08-02T18:56:00.000-04:00

Last week I spent many hours with a dear friend remembering old times of our days twirling the baton with the Royal Majestics. We watched, laughed, judged (unofficially), and admired the national baton twirling competition for 4 days in a row. The event takes place each year over a total of 5 days from 8 am to past midnight most days. There is so much to take in, you really need a schedule. We watched some great routines. One of which Kara said, "was probably the best solo she has ever seen." And it was great! Those were big words considering the two of us have been watching since the 90s. We love to catch up with old friends and watch our old favorites. We are grateful this takes place at Notre Dame though the venue may move to Las Vegas for a couple of years while the Joyce is getting a face lift. If I am ever blessed to have girls some day, I hope they find a tenth of the joy. It is so much fun!!!
And a special thanks to Ryan for understanding me well enough to let me watch baton instead of doing house work or even making dinner. He loves me so well! Even though I'm a junky.

Gilmore Girls

2008-07-21T22:16:00.000-04:00

I have been watching reruns lately. This is/was really a great show. I can't believe I actually forgot what happened during the seasons. I like how the writers have made Lorelai and Rory so much a like in their mannerisms. Could Luke be more perfect for Lorelai? Seriously why did we have to go back and forth with the whole Christopher thing?
On a side note...nothing makes me love reruns in the daytime like DVR!

Fun for All Ages

2008-07-17T16:21:00.000-04:00

The Oscar Mayer Weiner mobile is still fun even when you're 28! It came to the summer program as a surprise for the kids and the adults had a great time too. They had the music, the whistles, the whole nine yards. We had a great time, eating hot dogs and chips. I have attached a picture of some of the "big kids" enjoying themselves that day.

Spring Break

2008-04-09T22:59:00.000-04:00

On Saturday I left for Mexico to see my sister. When I got there I saw her house, and went out for my second lunch of the day (this one on Mexico's schedule). That evening we went salsa dancing.

On Sunday we went to church, rode the Metro, and took the Turibus around the city. The sad thing was my camera "old faithful" decided it was done while on the Turibus. That evening we boarded a bus to Puerto Escondido to sit by the ocean. Meanwhile back at home, our grandma was not well and admitted to the hospital.

On Monday we arrived in Puerto Escondido safely after a near miss with our bus and a horse. We got to our room, had some lunch, put our toes in the ocean, and layed around by the pool. After we had a dinner much too early for Mexico's standards (8:00 pm) we layed around in our room and watched a movie on the computer.

Tuesday morning began the communication about grandma having pnemonia and the doctor saying that this is the beginning of the end. We left the beach, and Emily and I spent a very long day yesterday and arrived in South Bend today at 6:30 am. While I went back and forth a thousand times yesterday if this the right thing, Jesus continued to nudge yes. We knew Mom needed our support and Emily really needed this time with Grandma to have closure.

As of right now, Grandma has taken a round of antibiotics for pnemonia and will be returning to the nursing home tomorrow morning. Her very sleepy, sometimes not responding condition that was extreme on Sunday is not uncommon for the end of alzheimer's. The doctor said this can continue until the end. There will probably be no more antibiotics, food drip, or trips to the ER. Her body is saying this is the time. She has had alzheimer's for about 10 years. She will be free from this disease in Heaven.

While this was a crazy couple of days, I saw so much of Mexico and really got a taste of the life Emily is blessed to live. Like I said before, I would have gone to Nebraska. This was our time to spend together whether it be on the beach or on 2 planes and in a rental car-God had a plan for our time.

I will post pictures after I get them from Emily (broken camera).

Spring Break

2008-04-03T22:18:00.003-04:00

One more day of work until Spring Break. I know all of the none teachers out there think it's a little unfair that we have a vacation right now, but believe me I need it! I think the kids are as ready to be away from me as I am to head out of town.

In less the 48 hours I will be in sunny Mexico City alongside my favorite biological sister. I told people this week I would be as excited if she lived in Nebraska just to be visiting her, but the midweek beach trip is really a plus! I am excited to do nothing and chat and veg and read some books. Emily has also been working pretty hard the last couple of weeks with students coming down for their spring break. This is a much needed break for both of us. On a good note, I am pretty much prepared for the week following spring break and have very little to do before leaving tomorrow. My bags are pretty well packed too. With Emily's stuff from everybody all over town and my shoes....they are pretty heavy!

Felizes la vacacion de la primavera!

2008-04-03T22:18:00.001-04:00

The weekend...

2008-03-09T19:48:00.000-04:00

March 9, 2008
Now that I've figured out the technological legistics of blogging, I've only just begun.

The weekend began with a meaningful dinner with a couple of gals which consisted of chatting, laughing, and taking up a poor server's table for 4 1/2 hours (last time it was more then 5). We don't get to just hang out and chat very much so this was a great time!

Yesterday I began the organizing, filing, budgeting, and planning that goes along with being a part of a household not run by your mom. You'd think I would have this worked out by now, but it is always a process. We have been blessed with a VERY talented financial planner who keeps us accountable and on the right track. God has really taken our finances lately and put them where he wants them to go. So far, we are doing pretty well with not spending more then we make. I love Dave Ramsey's latest, "Act your wage." We are working to be faithful for His planning even when one member of the family backs into her husband's new truck and does $1000 worth of damage.

Well, I'm off to start the next phase of the weekend...school work. I always save it for Sunday nights as if it doesn't have to be done. We are entering the last week of the quarter with conferences following the next week. It should get interesting!

The good news is...we should see high 40 temps this week!

Day One

2008-03-05T19:53:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm new at this blogging thing, but think it's kinda fun. I am more hung up on the technology part then what to write. I can't wait to share funny work stories and exciting things happening in my life. More to follow...