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!