VACATION!!!

Phil and I are going on vacation for the first time in a year and a half. This vacation is long overdue since we have moved 3 times, changed jobs twice and had a baby! Nana and Papa are going to watch the baby and I am excited to be able to sleep in! I can’t wait to sit poolside sipping margaritas and getting a tan while reading a book without interruption. But I am most excited to spend time alone with my best friend!

Good Morning Sunshine!

While it occasionally comes a little too early (typically Saturday or Sunday mornings), I adore hearing Emrie babbling on the baby monitor as she plays nicely in her crib waiting for me to come get her to start the day. Her sweet face is ALWAYS happy in the mornings and she greets me with a warm, toothless smile.











I am savoring the moments now because I know when she is about 14 I will never be greeted with a smile at 6:00 am again!

Friendly Competition?

I was at the pool today with Emrie and I heard two boys playing baseball together in the pool. The boys were about 8 or 9 and there was clearly a leader and follower. The leader was an American boy and the follower was British with an adorable accent. The American laid out all the ‘rules’; where the bases were, how many outs each boy got, how many pitches, etc.

The boys began playing and the American pitched to the British boy first. The British boy hit it and it was all downhill from there. The American said it wasn’t a good enough hit and didn’t count, but since the Brit ran to first and the American hit him with the ball it still counted as an out. While the Brit contested at first that the American didn’t even hit him with the ball (which he was right, I was watching and he didn’t hit him), the most beautiful conversation followed.

The Brit said to the American, “Okay, I trust you, if you say I’m out then I believe you, besides it’s just a game. You are my friend and I don’t want to argue with you, so am I still up to bat or do I pitch now.”

I about fell out of my chair right then and there! Grown adults aren’t even that mature, sometimes adults are even worse! I wanted desperately to jump up and start applauding, but I figured that would be a little ridiculous. Immediately I looked around to see if the boy’s parents were nearby, but realized that they were both there with the American’s dad.

This started me thinking, what do we teach our children about competition. I know it was just coincidental that one boy was American and one was British, but what does society teach our children and what do I specifically teach my kids?

I will be the first to admit that I am competitive and I also believe that competition is healthy (I won’t get on my soap box, but I am a huge proponent of Capitalism). Competition also helps to motivate people. But when is competition healthy and when should it be curbed? Aren’t relationships more important than winning? Why don’t we spend more time collaborating than competing?

Children need to be taught to do their very best, be proud of what they are capable of, and humble enough to be a good sport.

So, British boy’s parents, wherever you are, I applaud you and commend the wonderful job you have done raising your son! I truly pray that I can do as good a job with my own!

Childhood friend for life ~ Shelby

In kindergarten at Miller Elementary School, I joined girl scouts, Daisies, to be exact. My troop leader was an amazing woman named Beth Duty who was also a pre-school teacher (which meant she was WONDERFUL at crafts, that is a pre-requisite for preschool teachers). Little did I know at the time, but one of the girls in my troop would go on to be a friend through all of elementary, middle school, high school and beyond.

Shelby Roche and I were not just in girl scouts together, we played just about every sport imaginable together and went to school together all 12 years. In elementary school we were on the same all-star softball team and we played in Bakerstow, California (a horrible, desolate, sandy town that in the summers reaches about 100 degrees every day) and the announcer mispronounced everyone’s last names every at bat. In middle school, Shelby introduced me to field hockey since we already played soccer together she said field hockey was similar. In high school we played field hockey, soccer and one year of softball (I wasn’t very good so I switch over to track where you didn’t need to be very smart, just fast).

While playing sports was fun, my most memorable moments with Shelby were more about time spent outside school and sports. My parents had a huge, white, 12 passenger Econoline van and we had some fun trips to football games in that thing (like when we backed into the light pole at Carl’s Jr. and blasted ‘girls just wanna have fun’). Dances were always fun too, as we would get dressed up for whatever theme matched the dance.

One night we were at Shelby’s house watching Blair Witch Project and my mom knocked on the door to pick me up right at the end of the movie and we both jumped off the couch so fast I thought we were going to pee our pants.

Senior year of high school we were taking recruiting trips to colleges for field hockey. We both went to Indiana together and then took our other trips separately. I ended up at Indiana and Shelby went to Iowa. We would still see each other occasionally through college if our teams crossed or we were home together over summer, but like many relationships, we didn’t do too well staying in touch.
UNTIL, I posted on Facebook that we were moving to Indy. Shelby contacted me and said SHE was moving to Indy the same weekend we were!

Shelby recently got married, bought a house not too far from where we just bought our house, and lives and works here in Indy where we also live.

It’s hard to imagine that my best friend from elementary school and I would end up half way across the country in a random city together years down the road. But here we are and I can’t wait to grow our friendship and make new memories together!

I didn't have a picture of us on my computer (we were friends back before digital haha) so I borrowed this one of her and her nephew off facebook!

Monthly Pictures

Thanks to my parents, I have a great Nikon D60 and I love it! I am by NO means a professional, but I enjoy taking Emrie's monthly pictures. The funniest thing is that now whenever I am driving around I see places that I think, "oooh, that could be a cool place for a photo shoot." Well, I thought I would show you how my very non-professional photo shoots with a baby go!

It is only 8:15 in the morning and it is almost 80 degrees with 100% humidity!

I drive past this very small park a few times a week, but had never been there

The pretty gazebo I saw from the road and excited me about this spot

Here is what most pictures end up looking like

Again, typical picture

Oh yeah, now eating leaves...again typical

But then I do it month after month to capture this one right here...So precious!

New Neighbors

In the past four years we have had several different neighbors, but none of whom we have ever really connected with. Our first house had some interesting neighbors; Greg and Jim sat in their garage and drank beer quite literally everyday (but they were handy and save me when the toilet started leaking the day of a showing). In Toledo our neighbors were WEIRD; Joyce and Larry were older and Joyce would get stressed out and paint the wall in her hallway and asked me to come fix it for her (it literally was cream colored and was fine, but she had painted it so often there were about 17 layers on it). Our neighbors in Fort Wayne the second time were OLD!!! I don’t mean like in their 50’s, I mean in their 80’s and the paramedics and fire trucks came one day and got stuck for about an hour in the snow in front of our house (he was okay, just old).

Needless to say, we are READY to have fun neighbors and we couldn’t be more excited about the people we have met so far. Everyone keeps telling us how nice the neighborhood is and how everybody looks out for everyone else and we even have block parties (I have always wanted a neighborhood with block parties).

The first day one neighbor brought over cucumbers from her garden.



Then we made cookies to take to everyone to introduce ourselves. (Phil asked if I made them from scratch and then was floored when I said I did. I don’t cook much, okay, ever. I did have to tell him that it took quite a while to make 8 dozen cookies with only one cookie sheet.)



Then the neighbors next to us brought over these beautiful flowers (In a Purdue glass of course, and so the rivalry begins). They also asked us to put their trash out since they will be on vacation. I guess that means we are officially part of the neighborhood!



We have our first block party August 6th and I couldn’t be more excited to meet everyone there!

Moving Day

I don't mind moving day; I am prepared for the headaches that come with moving day. What I hate are the following 2 weeks after moving day; things aren't in there place and you are expected to live with boxes everywhere. For someone who is boarderline OCD this is AWEFUL, especially since Phil and I are both this way...not to mention this is our FOURTH move in FOUR years!!!

There are some perks that come with moving (especially this move because Phil and I are so sick of moving and home projects we are hiring out all labor).

Pro's to moving:
1. Cleaning out closets
2. Find stuff that was lost
3. Clean carpets
4. Replaced Furniture
5. Fresh paint
6. New Neighbors
7. New Restaurants
8. Getting to redecorate
9. Having a craft room and a play room
8. Excitement about the adventure and new lease on life

Con's:
1. Caring boxes in 97 degree weather
2. Flies get in the house beccause doors are open
3. Trying to find a new space for everything in your kitchen
4. Trying to find a new space for EVERYTHING in the house
5. Walking around boxes
6. Painting (thanks Phil for hiring painters this time)
7. Three trips to Lowes and the washing machine STILL isn't hooked up right!
8. Losing screws to beds
9. Did I mention heat and disorganisation
10. Emrie learning to crawl literally the day before we moved so she could get into EVERYTHING!!!





We will not be moving for a while...Even Phil is burnt out (for a couple of years anyway)

Closing Day Project

I just couldn't help myself. I had to do a little project for Emrie's new bedroom. I got a little excited about closing/moving day today!!! The idea came from AshleyAnnPhotography blog: http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2010/01/13/diy-paper-bird-painting/

She has super cute stuff and I try to copy it:)

Here is the start


Getting there


Ready for the new room!

Slumber Party

When you have a teething 6 month old you get to pull all nighters, kind of like going back to college but without the fun! Last night's slumber party included but was not limited to: screaming (on both our parts), crying (again, on both our parts), Emrie coughing, blowing snot bubbles in my face and arm (runny nose due to teething), and having limited space at my in-laws house to take a screaming child in the dead of night which resulted in both of us sleeping on VERY makeshift beds on the floor of her nursery.

This is the REAL WORLD that college just didn't quite prepare me for! And why do they call it a slumber party, I am pretty sure NO sleeping took place!



At least Emrie woke up as happy as a clam this morning...now this tired mama is off to try to catch a nap!

Smell the Roses

I have an incredible husband. He is extremely thoughtful and considerate. He does the laundry, the dishes, mows the lawn, takes me out for dates, surprises me with little things I mentioned I liked in passing and always has a kind word or encouragement on his lips. When I returned from California on Monday he gave me roses and a card, just because he missed me. I get to wake up every day and smell the roses and know that I am extremely loved!!!

Strengths and Weakness

Recently, I have been thinking about the woman God made me to be. Like everyone, I have my strengths and weaknesses, wonderful things about my personality and character flaws. Although God created me in His image, sin entered the world and left me flawed. That doesn't mean I am excused from trying to become Holy as Christ is Holy. Thankfully, through Grace I am saved, despite my flaws. Because of that Grace, I am free to strive to be Holy and become the woman God made me to be.

In the spirit of humility, I thought it important to list out some of my strengths and weaknesses so you can help keep me accountable. Some of my strengths and weaknesses can overlap, depending if I take them to an extreme. This is like a small confessional, but therapeutic...You might want to try it!

Weaknesses:
1. Judgemental
2. Insecure
3. Lacking Sense of Humor
4. Selfish
5. Holds a Grudge (depends what it is about)
6. Jealous
7. Short Tempered
8. People Pleaser (sometimes that is not good)
9. Vain
10. Competitive

Strengths:
1. Hard working
2. Loyal
3. Honest (almost to a fault)
4. Organized
5. Sincere
6. Confident
7. Loving
8. Thoughtful
9. Reasonable
10. Competitive

Flighing High

Flying with a baby has really brought back my faith in humanity! I don't know if it is because I was traveling alone with Emrie, or I looked like I was struggling, or if it is because she is just so darn cute (that's what I think:) but people are REALLY nice when you have a baby.

Lines open up for you at the security check, you get to board first the stewardesses always ask if you need extra help and there are always a million passangers willing and eager to help you get settled in.

The most surprising thing is that it isn't only other middle aged moms who are nice (although they are really nice and always remind you that "oh, I've been there), or middle aged dads (They usually say the equivalent to middle aged moms, which is, "we've all been there"). I sat next to the most WONDERFUL people on my flights!

First was a mother of a 12 year old girl who played with Emrie for a 3 1/2 hour flight and was just a doll. Next was a late 20's male hairdresser who was just delightful and kindly picked up Emrie's doll that she dropped over and over. On the way home we sat next to a man who had no kids but literally let me put Emrie's feet on his arm so she could sleep laying down. Then the most unlikely of all was the row of 3 boys all about 16 or 17 who just LOVED Emrie and she laughed and smiled at them the WHOLE 2 hours. They played peek-a-boo with her for way longer than I would have ever dreamed.

Of course then there were all the sweet people we dealt with in the airport and the stewards and stewarteses. Everyone made me feel like I was the most successful mother in the world, because my baby wasn't screaming. I think even if she were to have been screaming, they still would have made me feel as if I were doing a great job.

The kindness I recieved made traveling a little easier, my day just a little brighter and my heart a little happier and I can't wait to pay it forward when I see a mom out and about with her little travel/shopping/play buddy!

Friendship Trilogy~Part 3 Lesley Hyatt

To end my little frienship saga, I couldn't think of a better way to sum it up than to talk about my best friend. We all have that "Best Friend" in our lives. Mine just happens to be the sweetest, prettiest, most caring, fun loving girl in the world! Yes I am talking about my best friend Lesley!

I konw I am not Lesley's only best friend, and that is because she has this wonderful ability to make everyone feel super comfortable around her and connect with people on a deep level and switch it to a fun depth as well. But I don't mind sharing my best friend among her other best friends, because when we talk or get to hang out together she is my kinderd spirit. She knows me, like really knows who I am, what I'm about, my annoying habits (other than Phil, she has lived with me longer than any person outside my imidiate family)my sense of humor, or lack there of, my quirks...and yet she still talks to me:)

Lesley and I met when we were in high school. She actually knew my sister before we really met. Lesley and Torrie would screw around at Futures (field hockey training camp) and I would get so mad at them (that would be my lack of humor). Then when we were seniors Lesley played with my high school team at a tournament in Florida. I had already committed to Indiana University and Lesley wasn't even sure she wanted to play field hockey in college. I convinced her to give her last recreiting video to my coach and long story short, Lesley committed to IU (I had no idea at the time that both her dad and sister had gone to IU). While we really didn't know each other, we committed to living together our freshman year. As we were a little nervous leaving California to move to the mid-west where we knew no one but each other (kind of) Lesley's older and very wise sister said, "JUST BE NORMAL". That became our catch phrase for the year! In order to make other friends we had to just be normal.


We would have never servived our freshman year without each other. The people we met, the events we experienced are too many to list and selfishly I want to keep some of them between Lesley and I because they are special to us. (Dirty Dave, Evansville weekend, Goodbye my Love, Watch your mouth boys, the broken shot glass, the Gresh, the boiler I mean weight room...etc.)

We lived together our junior and senior years in 'The Barn' and matured as Lesley met Matt (her wonderful boyfriend, now husband) and she and her dad, the super fan, Joe Wiler, convinced me to date Phil (my wondeful boyfriend, now husband).


After college, Lesley moved to Chicago and went on to get her master's in occupational therapy. I got married and moved to Fort Wayne. Then Lesley got married and stayed in Chicago. While we were still in the Mid-West, we didn't see each other much, but we talked regularly.




One of the things I love about Lesley is that she is the type of person you might not talk to for months or maybe even years (although I could never go that long without talking to her) and she just picks right back up where you left off as if no time has lapsed.

We both have become busy in life; Matt and Lesley moved back to California near her family and bought their first house and started a family of their own. Beautiful baby girl, Payton Grace was born in May and she is just PRECIOUS!!!

I only get to see Lesley a few times a year, we only talk a few times a month, but she is my best friend and I love her. She is spunky and silly, but serious and mature. She is a wonderful mommy and a super wife and I feel very blessed to have her in my life!

This is going to be my first 'Featured Friend' blog. I might have to highlight other friends on a regular basis, but it just seemed natural to start with my best friend, Lesley!!!

Happy Birthday Lesley...Can't wait to see you this week!!!!

Frienship Trilogy ~ Part 2

When does an acquaintance cross over to friend status? I don't know the answer to that question, but I do know that like all good things you must invest time, energy and effort into the relationship. A true friendship is a give and take and all friendships look different.

You can't possibly be best friends with everyone, but each friend fulfills a certain part of your personality. Some enhance parts of my personality, some develop other parts I didn't know existed, some share a special place in time and some are timeless.

Right now as I reflect on my friends I feel like listing a whole bunch of wonderful ones. The list is not all inclusive of all my amazing friends, but each description is attached to a specific friend or set of friends. See if you can pick out which one you are and reflect to see who in your life might fit this description for you!

1. Spunky, red head with a huge personality and strong will
2. Athletic, competitive, challenged me in all sorts of sports
3. Intelligent, 80's music loving, full of confidence and quirky dressing habits
4. Creative, amazing singer, teaching partner
5. Thrifty, passionate, loyal and has any and every random thing you need in her room
6. Accident prone, genious twins who are always up for a good time
7. Fun loving girls, put up with my husband daily and welcomed me in Toledo
8. Parents to three teenage boys, made us feel like part of their family, LOVE baseball
9. Baseball loving, fiery, fashionable, Indiana girl whose family adopted me through college
10. Hilarious, family oriented, loyal, college brother and was my college serrogate family
11. IUFH...'nuff said
12. Stylish, book loving, bubbly, caring, thoughtful, Jesus loving, wonderful wife and mother of two who helped me survive my first few months of marriage and motherhood
13. Jesus loving, teen group leading, 'snow-blowing', great listener, wise barely older than me:) woman
14. Theatrical, multitasking is her middle name, upbeat, hard worker
15. Running partner, amazing teacher, bundle of fun, compassionate, kick your butt on a spin workout
16. Teacher of the year, hard working, loyal, moral, ethical, no-nonsence, creative, lovely fiance, sweetheart
17. World traveler, compassionate, mohawk, spunky, hippy meets the robot, lovely, sees everyone as equal
18. Fashionable, trendy, beautiful, creative, thoughtful, giving, always up for a good time, never know what random thing will happen when you're with her
19. Helped me survive our first year teaching, loyal, funny, soon-to-be-mommy:)
20. New mommy,compassionate, loves Jesus and her husband, non-judgemental, optomistic, possitive and encouraging

Each of these friends, plus the many more I didn't list or am still getting to know, have developed and grown me into a better person. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people in my life!

The Friendship Trilogy

I have been thinking a lot about friendships lately. I don't know if it is because I have moved recently and have been developing new friendships or reconnecting with old, but friendships have been on my mind. I had several different trains of thought so I figured I would cover my thoughts in three different blogs. I can't promise they will be coherent, or valuable to you, but hey, that is what a blog is for right!

Growing up I lived in the same house from birth until College. As a matter of fact, my parents still live in the same house. I was use to being settled. All five of us kids went to the same elementary, middle and high school. While I played a lot of sports and stayed busy, I would say I was naturally more of a homebody. Sitting in my room and reading on a Friday night was not that uncommon. I liked having my small group of friends and typically had one best friend at a time (Jennae in first-third, Devin in third-fifth, Aimee all of middle school, Teela and Shelby in high school among a handful of others). None of these friendships required much initiation on my part, because they were made out of convenience and common interests, typically at school. It wasn't that I didn't like being around people, I just liked to be around people I knew really well and had some history with.

Then I went to college. When you go to a college of 35,000 undergrads you are bound to make new friends. You meet friends on your dorm floor, you make friends in all your different classes each semester, there are the other athletes in my case, people you met at church or intramural sports, you make friends with friend's friends...etc. While some of these people turn into true friends, you are mostly perfecting the ability to make acquaintances. Again, just like earlier in life, these friends or acquaintances weren't hard to make because most of the time I didn't have to initiate any interaction. I was either approached or structures around me shoved the opportunities in my face.

But college isn't real life! Once you graduate, people aren't knocking down your door to become your friend. It isn't because people become meaner after leaving college and don't want to make friends, it is that life becomes busy after college and we become comfortable in our routine and our cliques and we get married and have kids and become BUSY!!!

While I never really liked initiating friendships, friends were REALLY important to me. I love having that best friend that I can call and meet up with for coffee. So after I graduated and got married, I realized if I want to have friends, I am going to have to make a concerted effort to PUT MYSELF OUT THERE!!! God must have known (imagine that) that I needed to grow in this area, because just when I would feel like I was starting to make some ground (and friends) He would move us again.

All the moves have developed my friend making skill and my confidence. Right after we moved to Indy I reconnected with my old friend Shelby who had also just moved here. She e-mailed me one day and said, 'hey I know this is strange, but some people from my office have a volleyball team and are looking for a girl to sub for them would you be interested'. Three years ago I would have said no for fear of meeting a whole bunch of people I didn't know, but this time I said yes. Not only did I have a blast playing, but I met a girl on the team who is also a stay at home mom, she invited me to be a sub for Bunco, I said yes (again out of character for me) had a wonderful time and now I am going on a girls weekend with her and some of the girls from Bunco.

Moving (and a lot of nudging and pushing from my WONDERFUL husband)has grown me so much as a person. I have become SO much better at stepping out of my comfort zone and reaching out to people. I take more risks when talking to strangers. Not only am I proud of who I am becoming, but I have made some REALLY amazing friends along the way. My next goal is to seek out the 'new girl' in town and make her feel as welcomed as so many people have made me feel in all my new cities as the 'new girl'. It is time to pay it forward!