I think I should be blogging daily. So many new and exciting things happen every day with a baby and I know I'll forget it all too quickly. I"m not visiting my journal near like I did with Tyler so this will have to do. This past weekend was so much fun. Thursday we went out to dinner at Applebees with Gary's parents to celebrate Father's Day. I had a very yummy salad and I think Grace didn't like it b/c she was a bit fussy all night. :) Friday Jenn came over with her kids and they played with Tyler while Jen and I visited. We also went through all those clothes I had gotten from my mom so that her daughter Aubrey could use them. I see no point in hoarding them for 3-4 years waiting for Grace to grow up while there is a girl I know who can use them now. I also know Jen will take care of them and appreciates them. We had "Donalds" for lunch as her daughter calls it. Tyler just calls it "I want a cheeseburger please" ;) Then we actually managed to take all four kids for a walk. Nothing major for Jen who runs her kids all over town but for me- it was a major accomplishment. (my mom is rolling her eyes as she reads this i'm sure) That night we probably did something but it's not written on Grace's calendar so it's forever lost... Saturday was the big "meet Baby Grace" party at BA and Lou's house which was SO much more than I imagined! We had Tyler napped and wrote in our HOT car getting there plenty early for me to change, mom to change Grace and to get to visit a little iwth my grandma before more people arrived. Tyler had a blast playing with Alceo and Daniel- two of his favorite people- and visiting with all this "aunts" and "grandma's"!! *Side note- the new neighbor kid just came over and he must be about 3 years old and I could not understand a thing he said. I feel so bad! I think maybe he wnated Tyler to come over and swim with him inthe little blow up pool. I'm kind of surprised his mom let him come over alone- is this common? I've never even met them- i need to get some cookies or something over to them. Gary was out golfing yesterday and I guess the little boy came and wanted to play with him too he said. So the party was wonderful and it was So nice to get to see everyone all together. I wish I would have made everyone get together as a group for a picture. I hav elots of pictures but most of them are "action" shots meaning people are either talking or eating. I need to do better warning people i'm taking pictures I guess!!! After the party we went to my mom's house to get the kids put to bed and Tyler, thankfully, went down with no fuss! It was way past his bedtime and he had been in th ehot car or running around outsdide since he got up from his short afternoon nap so i was worried! Grace ate adn went to sleep too allowing mom, Gary and I to visit for quite awhile! Grace idd well allnight in the basement with us in the crib my mom has and Tyler must have done well upstairs b/c my mom never said anything and I never heard him! We got dressed and off to church only a few minutes late. After church we went to Berardi's in Huron to eat lunch and they have the BEST hamburgers and fries. Not the best in the world, but they are really good. Tyler was overtired and fussy and Grace must have had gas or was just tired from being held the night before or something b/c she was fussy too. Thankfully my mom and Grandma didn't care and only a few people in the restaurant gave us dirty looks. Most gave us "awww! Your family is so cute compassionate smiles". After lunch we went over to my dad's new place which is really nice. Tyler, again, practically begged to go to bed so we blew up his Thomas bed (that thing was SO worth the money!!!) and he napped. Several family members stopped over which was nice, including my aunt Vickie who i missed on her last trip home from California because we were IN California! Later on my dad, Tyler and I walked down to the lake and on the beach which Tyler loved. I think once he got uesd to the water he would have wanted to play in it which encouraged me since we are going to the ocean in a few weeks. Won't it be fun to teach him to not go in alone! He's got a lot less fear than a year ago when we went... We had dinner with my dad and then went back home. It was fun to get to spend Father's day with him like that just relaxing and sharing Grace and Tyler. I"m so blessed at how much my parents/family love my family!! The 2 hour trip home was rough with no air for Tyler but thankfully Grace slept the whole time. Tyler went straight to bed while I fed Grace and then Gary and I went to bed too b/c we were both so tired. It was all worth it to get to see family and friends!

Hi! I've been blogging on Myspace and neglecting to post them on here so below are several i've written recently. Enjoy! (Amy if you read this and don't check your email b/c school is out - we have a new phone number- you have an email with it.)

generosity, amazement, ignorance and frustration. Wed. June 13


Generosity- so my mom came yesterday to give me my old dresser for Grace. I'm excited to get her clothes organized the way I really want them and get some things put away away and not just in boxes and piles everywhere. :) She also took it upon herself to bring me the headboard and night stand that go with it plus a bike, a slide (YEA!), a kitchen and THREE huge garbage bags full of clothes, and one full of shoes. She got them from a lady she knows. I put everything out to organize it and ready it for bins or loaning out and took a picture.



...it's a lot. Clothes to last her till she's 4. It's mostly winter stuff so i'm guessing she sold her summer stuff in a garage sale (there were stickers on everythign which Tyler is having great fun with) I just can't get over the generosity of people sometimes! God uses even people we don't know!

Amazement- simply put i'm astonished and amazed at how stupid people can be. Just plain old selfish, stupid sinful people all over this freaking earth. It's a wonder God has not just thrown our little planet at the sun and let us all fry in there. It's clear to me that God's love is beyond the comprehension of my peanut brain.

Ignorance- People are also clueless. Gary is contracted as a teacher (but he does not teach) which means that like all other teachers he should have been able to go home last friday and not HAVE to think about school for several weeks. He's also contracted some extra days- this years days have yet to be determined and start 1 July. THEREFORE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE HARASSING HIM!! He's been in every day this week and probably will be in every day this month VOLUNTEERING HIS TIME (translated nto being home helping me!). So last night we, as loyal Cleveland-ers stayed up till today watching the Cav's full of hope and ready to see the team "rise up" and get a win. I mean it's a home game, the first ever NBA championship game in our humble city and do you think we could get a freaking bucket?? That's a whole other tangent... sufice to say that Thursday could mean heartbreak and Friday most of the city might just not show up for work. I am NOT ashamed though! For us to have gotten this far is nothing short of a miracle and to be the Eastern conference champs is good enough for me- for this year. I must admit it would be a bit frustrating to not win ANY games against the Suns though... any-who- since we stayed up so late and Grace wanted to eat AFTER the game Gary thought he might sleep in and go in at 9am instead of 5:30 like monday or 6:30 like the rest of the year. Report time is like 7 or 7:15 maybe? Not too much to ask since he's not even supposed to be there right? 9:05- THREE voice mails on his phone. Yup. three. Three people who cannot live without my husband and think that i shoud have to so he can run in and solve thier woes. Now to be honest I don't know who called or why but I do know he did not stop to eat breakfast or anything. After he saw the three messages (and most likely more missed calls) he threw on a hat, hugged the Tyler Monster, threw me a kiss and was out the door and sped down the road as he listened to his messages. he also told me in somewhat of an exasperated voice that he would NOT be home for lunch "apparently". SIGH I"m jealous of Jennifer who has her hubby around all the time and gets to go all over town doing fun things with her family... but I also like that Gary brings home a payckeck so if this is what it takes... i'll swallow it... but I get to vent too!!!!

PS- Grace is holding her head up more and more! She also coo's and grins at her brother when he comes over to talk to her!


June 18, Monday
One Month!


Grace is one month old today! We are doing well, tired, but well. I'm loving having a baby in the house again but am struggling with Tyler. I think my expectations of him are too high and the poor guy can't win. He's still a good boy, he just needs some more attention and I just simply don't have it to give sometimes. Grace does not nurse as well as Tyler did and seems to be much more sensitive. She also loves being held where he didn't so it's been neat how different they are. I've also loved getting to hold her a lot, although it leaves less one-on-one time for Tyler. Thankfully it's been nice weather and Gary can relieve his frustration out on the golf course. :) I'm enjoying my last 2 weeks of not being "allowed" to excersise. LOL!!!

Thanks to everyone who have posted messages and comments! If I'm not getting back to you soon enough, I apologize!!! I"m trying! It's amazing how little i"m online anymore!!!! I pray you are all having a good week! July is almost here!! Can you belive it?!?!?!?




Tuesday June 19
Tyler's first movie


So Jennifer (do you ever go by Jen?) wrote me last week and included a nice list of all the theatres in the area that do kid movies in the summer including dates, shows, times, and price. She makes it so easy for me to continue to be lazy. Anyways, today was the Clifford movie so yesterday when I found out she was going I decided to pitch it to gary and just see what happened. He actually decided not to go into work today and to go with us!! Summer has officially begun! This is totally how I pictured summer- going out as a family doing stuff like this at least twice a week!!! yea!! We got there a half hour early b.c we were SURE it would be packed and we'd be struggling to find seats. I think also Gary had little faith that we'd get out of the house in time to make it for even the beginning of the movie. I shocked us all by being ready on time for once! Of course this was only because he completely got Tyler and himself ready which included breakfast for both of them. My boys are no good until they've eaten. We got Tyler the little booster seat adn sat down and he was really good the entire time! Before the movie I went to the bathroom and took him with me just so he could have a little less sitting time. That helped I think. I also had some grahm cracker things in the diaper bag for when he got fussy. That helped too. He was good through the entire thing and I have to be honest and say i was really surprised. Gary took care of Grace who barely made a peep that I noticed so i actually sat back and enjoyed the movie... holding Tyler's hand for some of it. (all together now: aawwwww!!!!) Then we decided that since we were in Canton we ought to head over to the Target b/c we had a HUGE gift card from friends back in Mansfield to spend. We got 2 packs of diapers for each of the kids, wipes, razor refils for me and some odds and ends and still had $$ left over! I love those target brand diapers. Then in the process of finding said gift card Gary found that we had a Chili's gift card from Christmas (yea, we've not gotten out much this calendar year..) so we drove around trying to find it. We did- pretty much back where we started and we ate all three of us and still have a little under $2 left on the card. Now why, i ask you, do they leave that little bit on that card? Why can we not have the change? Rediculous. Grace sat in her little seat, drank her bottle, and then went to sleep! (Daddy held her some too and of course Tyler wanted held...) So it was a great family day. Now both kids are napping, Gary went into work (the whole building could spontaniously combust if he's not there at least a little bit you know) and instead of resting, I'm writing you crazy people! :) It was a really fun day! Thanks Jen!

Too Fast!! It's going too fast! I just got a packet from Huggies in the mail. It's full of "information" and coupons... coupons that allow me to get thier products at more than generic prices but less than outrageous price. It says in big bold letters "your baby is one month old!" SAY WHAT?!?! So I look at the calendar and sure enough, the 18th is 10 days away! Funny how when you are pregnant 10 days seems like an eternity. Especialy when you feel about to implode and you still have 10 days until you are full term... or due. When you are a senior and you have 10 days of school left, it feels like an eternity. When there are 10 days until your big birthday bash- eternity. 10 days until your baby is one month- goes by in a flash. Today she is 3 weeks old. THREE WEEKS! Seems like we brought her home yesterday. She's growing for sure. She's so much bigger than she was before... but she's still like an eighth the size of Tyler. Tomorrow Tyler will be 31 months old. How did that happen? Where was I? That's roughly 930 days or 22320 hours. how many of them did I spend on the computer or cleaning? How many of them were spent reading and running and cuddling? I'd have to say too many and not enough respectively. I've been thinking alot about life these past few weeks as you can imagine. How precious it is. How important it is that we make each moment count. How valuable time really is. God has us here but for a moment. We are a mist the Bible says. A mist! I think about that every time I spray perfume on myself. That spray or mist is like life- only here but a moment, but the lasting affects can either be beautiful or horrible. Sometimes I feel like I"m not making a bit of difference in the world as I sit on my couch nursing my daughter, or race cars with my son but some time with the Lord reminds me that I am. In fact, the job I'm doing might be one of the most important in the world. That's a lot of pressure! How I spend the days, hours and minutes with my children will help shape the people they become and they will shape and mold the lives of others they come into contact with. There is nothing I'd rather be doing with my time. I mean God's time. Life is a challenge for sure. Someone wise once told me that the people we are in contact can either cause us to grow or to wilt. Am I helping my children grow? My friends? My family? Sometimes I seriously doubt it- but I"m trying. I'm trying to surround myself with wise and wonderful people who will love me for me- unconditionally. People who will challenge me out of love. People whose mist of life will make my mist stronger and more beautiful- and hopefully the lives of Grace and Tyler too.