Sammy

leggo weekend

The new leggo store in cinci saw us coming! We all had fun building all weekend. Tim probably had the most fun and took the task very seriously. Unfortunately no pic of him and his seriously fabulous house that I'm considering moving into.

Sam watched

Al informed her Grandpa of the new leggos and about everything else under the sun. This girl loves to chat!

We also steamed cleaned our carpet with our NEW steam cleaner vacuum. It was magnificent. Again, sorry no pics--i know, how will you go on, right? But I can't believe our carpet was as dirty as it was! Water doesn't lie! It was a very good weekend for all.

Twenty one years and counting....

1988 (or 89?)

(Probably the cutest picture I can remember from my childhood--thank you, mom, for taking it. I'm sure you had no idea twnety one years later she'd still be my best friend...thank you for caring so much and making it happen.)

I remember the day I met Kelly like it was yesterday. I dreaded every second. And when I first met her I knew it was doomed, our friendship would never work. She in her cute dress with cute leggings, with cute shoes, and cute hairstyle, I in my cut off jean shorts and Iowa PIG t-shirt with friendship bracelets up to my elbows, and tennis shoes!!! Little did I know, thanks to my Mom and a secretary at my 'future' school I would have a friend for life. Twenty one years later, she is STILL my best friend. She puts new meaning to the little girl term 'BFF' :) (I can only hope Alex is blessed with such a friendship as she grows up.)
I'm so grateful for our friendship and the many places it has gone and where it is now. I wouldn't trade if for anything. It keeps me sane...and I am so grateful, so blessed. Kelly, You and your beautiful family mean the world to me. I can't wait to meet the new baby Miller!!!!

somthing to ponder...

So I was just laying on my bed watching Sam sleep while Alex was sleeping and thinking about all the outfits Sam has gone through today for one reason or another. Then I got to thinking that it's a good thing at at some age or another we stop wearing things like: "Mommy's Prince" or "Team Grandpa" or " Daddy's Ice Princess"....even shirts like, "I love my Mommy" or "Daddy's Biggest Fan" all just seem very inappropriate when you imagine a 'grown' up wearing them. I hesitated with word inappropriate, thought about it, but yes, inappropriate is definately the word. I'm pretty sure if I met Tim and he was wearing a shirt that said, "Mommy's little guy" I would have kept walking.

morning snuggle time

A quickie...(an update, some alex-isms, and other little stories)

Thanks for your comments on my last post, they really all meant so much. I'm doing better, dealing better and able to talk about my Grandma a lot, which, those of you who know me well, I choke up at ANYTHING related to death so this is a big step. I like telling Alex memories of me and my Grandma. She thinks they are pretty hilarious.

On a lighter note, I've been trying to get my pre-baby body back so that I may have more than one outfit to wear. It's a great motivator to see a closet filled with awesome jeans that I can't even pour myself into yet. sigh. But one of the workouts I'm doing involves a lot of kicking type stuff and this a.m. I 'back-kicked' my little bean, Al, in the face. What a proud moment for me. Needless to say it knocked her to the ground, scared the crap out of her but no broken nose, no bruise (so far), just tears and me feeling really bad (even though I warned her A MILLION times to watch out and not get too close). Tim and I took some REALLY attractive 'before' pics strictly for our own motivation. You know the kind where people pose in THE most frumpy way and look constipated and like they haven't seen the sun in years, nor showered...yup we took that kind and hope to be able to compare them to a totally ripped, tan, sculpted, hair washed improved version of ourselves in the future. We'll see. Perhaps if I REALLY transform i'll post them on here one day....perhaps.

Yesterday at nap time (Al has been having a hard time falling asleep and reads and plays in bed for some time before actually falling asleep) she came downstairs holding a sign/picture that usually hangs above her bed. It is nailed up with two nails. "Somehow," she said, "it just fell off". When I asked her, "Alex tell me how this could just 'fall' off when it's up there with two nails, unless you were messing with it?" She was quiet for a second following me back up the stairs to her room to hang it up and she says, "Hmmmm...that's a very good question...." "And I don't have any guesses." I couldn't help be laugh so needless to say there was no real reprecussion for knocking it down.

the other day when we went to the dr for the babes' check ups, when the dr asked alex if she went to the dentist yet Alex proudly said, "oh, yes. 2 times. My mommy gives me fruit snacks when I'm all done there, if I sit still." I was sorta embarrassed but then said,"hey, whatever gets the job done." He agreed. There are no secrets with a four year old.

Sam has been growing 'like a weed' as Alex likes to tell everyone. I really can't believe it. His dr said Tim and i just make "freakishly" tall kids....hmmmm...I didn't know quite what to say to that but I suppose its a good thing. Sam is already wearing some twelve month clothes. He's 13 weeks.

Tim and I had a recent flood in the basement. Tim being the awesome guy he is, did all the work himself instead of hiring it out and we were able to then keep that insurance money, since we didn't have to hire the jobs out. It's so wonderful having a hubby who can literally do anything! and seems to know everything. I find myself almost annoyed when I ask him a random question and he doesn't know the answer. Who needs and IPHone when I have a real live walking talking 'google' man to answer my every random question and any moments notice via text or in person.

Okay, well that's it for now. Off to meet T for lunch with the kids then to grocery fun times (not).
I'll post some new pics of sam hopefully today. Maybe i'll take some at our really exciting lunch out today.

My Grandma, Mary Kenney

Mary Kenney
January 3, 1920-January 6, 2010

Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

My Grandma passed away on January sixth, three days after her ninetieth birthday. We knew it was coming, nothing unexpected but still losing someone so important in your life is never easy...even when you know it is going to happen soon. I was not able to go to her funeral which is actually going on as I type this. At the time I would have been planning for the trip the weather was awful and roads not so good. And it would be too much to just pack and go with a four year old and a new baby...I need more planning than that--so after much thought and talking to my parents I made the decision not to go. I hate missing it. Funerals were very important to her but life was even more important and making that drive in that weather would not have been safe.

I can't say enough about my Grandma and what an AMAZING person she was in my life and the lives of so many others. The picture with my Grandpa is of he and I and I'm wearing one of my Grandma's old dresses.
My sister is reading a little something I wrote at the funeral since I could not be there in person.

Here is what I wrote:

I wish I could be there with you all as you say Good-bye. But I’m sure that my Grandma understands my absence and I know that she would want there to be lots of smiles and laughter of the memories she’s left behind for all of us, just as she was always laughing her amazing, contagious laugh and enthusiastic, one-of-a-kind snort.

I’m not exactly sure where to start, and truth be told I could write a book about my Grandma, the memories I have with her and the many ways she changed the world in which I live. She is a part of nearly all my most treasured memories. My Grandma taught me so much about life just by the way she lived hers. Friends she was not short of, and it’s no wonder—she lit up any room she entered and was such a vibrant, social, and loving person. We were always having fun playing endless hands of old maid, or Hi-ho cherry-O, playing ball in her backyard, or ‘cutting up’ (as she called it) with our late night giggling and burping contests [much to the chagrin of my Grandpa who would yell from the other room to “settle down and go to bed!”]. She always made time to make these memories with me and didn’t let the little, meaningless tasks in life take priority, as we often do so much of these days—losing sight, sometimes, of the what really matters in life. She taught me it’s the time with your faith, your family, and your friends that last forever in your heart and mind.

When I was little she taught me how to pray and that Jesus is always listening and always there for us, when things are hard, but especially when things are good. My Grandma taught me to be thankful that we have been blessed with this beautiful gift of life. When my family moved to Indiana, even as a nine year old, I understood I was moving away from one of the most amazing people in my life. But she reassured me she would be just a prayer away...as I would be for her. I think my easily frightened, four year old daughter, Alex, put it so perfectly when she said, “Mom, I don’t have to be scared anymore because Jesus and Great Grandma are up in Heaven watch’n on me…keeping me safe”. “That’s right” I said...And she IS exactly right. My Grandma is now, more than ever, just a prayer away.

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My memories with her will never ever be far in my mind. This earth has lost an amazing soul. She is no longer suffering as she has not been 'herself' for quite some time now. She was always so full of life and knew everyone and everything going on. She was never too tired to do anything. Life made her happy, her family made her happy, and most importantly her Faith made her happy. She will be missed very much...very very much. When you have kids everyone tells you to enjoy it because they grow so fast. But the truth is it's life that goes so fast. Perhaps there is something to take away from the death of someone so loved, it's that life is precious, it is short, and it is such an amazing gift and there is really and truly no time to waste.