Life Happens

Holy Cow...has it been forever since I've updated here. This last year has been nutso...summer flew by with grad school and being home with Lewis. This fall was crazy busy with getting back into the school year AND taking 2 grad classes. So now we're finally slowing down, but not for too long.

Lewis is now 2 and loving life. He's recently transitioned into a new daycare and so far, so good. There have been some tears at drop off, but he's typically chipper and ready to see momma when she arrives after school. He's chattering up a storm and looking more and more grown up by the day.

Kyle is still in sales at a local music store. He's been there a year and is still loving it. Plus...he's only days away from the big 3-0! Woot!

And I'm still teaching and working on grad school. This semester I'm only taking one class and that's ok, because... We're having another little peanut this spring!! Woo! I'm 25 weeks and it feels like a lifetime ago that we found out, but we are so thankful for a healthy baby and momma thus far.

It's been a full year of emotions, school, learning, and growth...but 2019 is already looking up.

So...tell me. What are YOU looking forward to this year?

Don't Go Changin...oh wait.

With Christmas and New Year's in our rear-view mirror, it's about time to give you another update on the big changes happening in our house...again.

No. This isn't a pregnancy announcement.

No. We aren't moving.

About a month ago, Kyle got a phone call from the owner of a local music store. They sell music, instruments, offer lessons, instrument repair, etc. During that phone call, Kyle was offered a job! If you've been reading for a few months (if you're new, here's what I'm referring to), you know that Kyle changed careers. He had been in the teaching profession for 5 years and as of this last July, he left for the world of car sales. He's been enjoying his time the last 6 months, but the timing and the opportunity couldn't be more perfect for this new change.

So it's exciting, scary, and busy to change careers again.

In my world, I recently was accepted into a Graduate Program. It's 100% online. It's for my Master's of Education with an emphasis in LIT (Library, Information, and Technology). My ultimate goal is to teach for a few more years and then stay home with kids until our children are all in school. Then, my plan would be to return to the schools as a librarian. It's not because it would be easier, the demand would just be different.

And Lewis is still loving life. Last night he woke up at midnight and when I went in to rock him back to sleep, he started patting my face and putting his hands in my mouth. To which, I chuckled and that got his belly laugh going.

We are thankful for the new changes coming our way and we are excited for what's in store.

What is new in your new year?

Happy Wednesday!

 

Life update. aka Photo Dump.

Happy Friday Wednesday! Today is our Friday for the week. Can you say Spring Break? Woo! So, we're going to spend our time with friends and family. Here's what we've been up to lately.

Have a great weekend!

Merry Christmas (card)!

One of our Snow Day activities included taking photos with our neighbors for our Christmas cards. Taking photos in a blizzard is a tough thing...but Lewis was a champ.

Here are a few outtakes.

I love the snow effect, but apparently being the subject of photos is not our strong suit. Oops!

So from our family to yours...have a Merry Christmas and a fabulous New Year!

Back on the bandwagon?

I want to get back to this blogging thing. I want to have an outlet. I want to do something for me. But right now, it just seems so difficult. It's been months since I've posted with any regularity. But how do I get back into it? There are days when I just feel like there are no words for this space.

This is my official notice for you that I want to jump on the bandwagon. I have a feeling that this space will become more of a mom space (even moreso than it already has been) and for those of you who don't want to stick around, I will not be offended. But if you choose to sick around, I hope you'll see and understand that as I change, this blog will too.

So for today, I'll leave you with a napping picture.

So much crazy... {By the Numbers}

Most of you know by now that we are having a baby in July. And those of you who missed that memo...now you know. It's hard for me to believe that it's coming so fast! So, here's a little run-down of what our lives look like in the next 12 1/2 weeks.

Twelve and a half weeks to go!

one hundred and fifty cupcakes to bake and frost 

twenty-one days of school

twenty frozen meals to prep

eight weekends at home

seven doctor's appointments

five birthing classes to attend

five thousand loads of laundry 

five birthdays

four graduation parties

three weekends of hosting guests

three babies to be born (not including ours)

two baby showers

two anniversaries

one graduation ceremony

one marathon to attend

one 5K to participate in 

one set of stairs to refinish

one bathroom to tile

one baby's room to finish

and

ONE family vacation to attend

I'm not entirely sure how everything will get done...but where there's a will there's a way, right?? I'm not so sure. But if you have a free day or two and want to help with some projects...you know how to get in contact with me! And if you don't, but want to see our progress--follow along on IG with our hashtags: #babyentzel and #k2entzel

And as always,

Happy Wednesday!

 

Week 21

Time is flying by and we're officially past the halfway point. We had our ultrasound last week...and no we didn't find out the gender. But things are getting a little more real up in here. If you're following along on IG, you already saw the post about the cradle arriving... So here's week 21.

How far along: 21 weeks

Size of baby: the same size as a pomegranate

Gender: There's a new poll in the right sidebar for you to take a guess!

Nursery: No progress there...yet. But the cradle is in our room and we just need to order a mattress for it.

Movement: #babyentzel is still a wiggle worm. S/he has definitely gotten stronger throughout the last week. S/he was moving so much at our ultrasound, that the tech had a hard time getting clear pics!

Symptoms: Still dealing with heartburn. No matter the time of day or what I eat, it's bound to show up at some point. Also, I can feel my hips starting to move...and it does not feel nice.

Sleep: Sleep is not quite as restful as it has been in the past. I took a 1 1/2 hour nap on Monday night and it felt awesome. But then when I wake up in the morning, everything ends up hurting. We've got a long ways to go...

Cravings: Not many (or any) really. I still really like carbs and my headaches stay away as long as I have my coffee in the morning. And I'm not complaining about the coffee in my routine. At. All.

What I Miss: I feel like a broken record, but I really do miss sleeping on my back. And I also miss having multiple cups of coffee each day...especially after a long day at work.

Best Moment this Week: Seeing our baby for the first time (and only time til birth)!

Looking Forward to: Finally looking pregnant AND finding daycare for this fall. Yikes!

Happy Wednesday!

 

Week 20

It's hard to believe we're already at the halfway point! On one hand it feels like we had been keeping a secret for so long and we've known since November! Wowza. Our anatomy scan is this afternoon, so be on the lookout for an update on FB, IG, or Twitter.

How far along: Halfway!! 20 weeks. Yikes!

Size of baby: The size of a banana.

Gender: We will find out in July--but give me a week or two and we'll get a poll up here.

Nursery: We are starting to get everything cleared out. Kyle replaced the ceiling fan/light in there last week...so once everything is out, we can start painting!

Movement: S/he has been awfully active this last week! Whenever I'm sitting still I feel her/him moving around in there. Still no outward signs for Kyle...soon enough, though.

Symptoms: Tight pants...duh. And the heartburn has gotten pretty consistent since Friday. Other than that, I seem to get a headache about every other day. Silly hormones.

Sleep: Thanks to the headaches, I've not slept well. I tend to wake up at least once a night when I have a headache. And I seem to take the liberty to use the bathroom around 3:30-4:30. Oi.

Cravings: Still not much. I'm starting to return to my daily coffee every morning, though. Thank goodness!

What I miss: Still missing sleeping on my back. The other night my hips hurt, so I rolled onto my back. Kyle said I fell asleep in about 30 seconds and started to snore. Loudly. Hah! I'm missing my energy too. So if you know where I can find it, let me know!

Best Moment this Week: Being able to be outside and get some fresh air! And I'm sure our anatomy scan will fall under this category this afternoon. :)

Looking Forward to: Again, still looking forward to actually looking pregnant instead of just extra chubby. Hopefully that will happen soon-ish. :)

Have a great week and keep your eyes peeled for an update from this afternoon!

Happy Tuesday!

Week 19

This is a few days late, but hopefully this weekend/early next week I'll be on the ball enough to have a weekly update for you all.

How far along: 19 weeks--hard to believe our anatomy scan is next week!

Size of baby: The size of a mango!

Gender: Unknown--We'll start a poll here soon.

Nursery: It's currently a mess with a bunch of overflow from the rest of our house. The next few weeks will be filled with purging, painting, and set-up.

Movement: I felt the nugget's first obvious jab last Wednesday at lunch. Since then, s/he has been quite active. It's been so fun and so bizarre feeling someone moving around inside of me!

Symptoms: My pants continue to tighten and Monday night I had some wicked lower back pain--which I'm sure is from sitting on the floor assembling chairs, cleaning our room on my hands and knees, and moving furniture. Oops!

Sleep: Most nights are restful, but other times I'm tossing and turning like crazy. Before pregnancy, I was a back sleeper and it's been horrid to adjust to needing to sleep on my sides. I use a pillow between my knees to ease the pain in my hips when I wake up. But we're not even half way there and I'm already struggling. Here's to 21 more weeks!

Cravings: Not much. Definitely nothing out of the ordinary. Throughout this entire pregnancy I've been loving fruit (especially citrus). But the last week or so, I've continued to regain my appetite. Fortunately it doesn't take as long to be filled up, so I've ultimately been eating less than I did pre-pregnancy.

What I Miss: Not much. I do miss sleeping on my back, but otherwise I've been enjoying this time.

Best Moment this Week: Feeling Baby Entzel movin and groovin so much during our long weekend away.

Looking Forward to: Finally having Kyle feel the little nugget move. So far s/he has been just sharing the wiggles with me...when Kyle puts his hand on my stomach all of the wiggling stops. Little stinker! :) Oh--and also looking like I'm pregnant instead of just fat.

Our anatomy scan is this upcoming Tuesday, so say a few prayers that everything looks good and I'll try to have an update posted shortly after!

Happy Wednesday!

Five Things I Already Know and I'm a FTM (to-be)

This was written a few weeks ago when I was in the middle of my 14th week of pregnancy. We had already announced it to most of our family, some close friends, and most of our coworkers. And here's the thing, all of the "friendly advice" came from people who aren't very close to me. Surprise! 

Take a look.

I’m currently pregnant for the very first time and most days I feel like I’m completely in the dark about certain aspects of pregnancy, labor, and babies. Even though I’ve received some very useful advice, I have so many more questions that I could ask other mom friends or I could read about. But I just haven’t.

Insurance? I have no clue how this is going to work out.

When should I start showing? I feel like at 14+ weeks I should be already…

Why don’t I feel pregnant anymore? I just feel like my regular old self.

Diapers? When should I start stocking up?

Breastfeeding? Mastitis? Come again?

You said mesh underwear and adult diapers in the same sentence. For real?

Although my list could on and on and on...I really do know some things about pregnancy, labor, and babies, despite all of the “advice” I’ve already received.

I know that I won’t be able to sleep as much during my next pregnancy.

I take frequent naps after school and after supper. I do know that once I have one child and I’m pregnant with my second or third or fourth I won’t have the luxury of napping whenever I please.

What I really want to say to those moms giving advice is…

You mean I’m not going to be able to nap every day after school and eat cereal for every supper because my child(ren) will need to be supervised and will require a well rounded meal? Huh. Because I thought I’d have the leisure of napping and eating whatever I’d like for my next pregnancy.

I know that labor will be hard and exhaustive.

Labor is, by definition, meant to be a difficult task. If I were under the impression that labor was some simple task, I probably wouldn’t be mentally psyching myself up for the big event...even though it’s still 6 months away.

What I really want to say is…

Actually, I thought the definition of labor was something completely different. I’m so glad you cleared that up for me.

I know that babies are expensive and require a lot of work.
While we don’t have a ton of extra income right now, I know that our priorities for spending will change. Not only our priorities, but our budgeting will change too. And those priorities and budgeting aren’t the only things to worry about. I know that it’s going to be a lot of work and that we’ll be exhausted.

What I really want to say is…

You know, we decided to start a family because we thought we had too much excess income from both of our teaching salaries, so we needed to spend it somewhere. And we really only want to see our child(ren) for a few hours a day because daycare and school should be the ones raising them.

I do know that my alarm clock will not be going off at the same time it is now.
I know that my child(ren) will wake me up much earlier than I’m used to now. I don’t like mornings and I know I’m going to look like a hot mess (every day, if I’m being honest). I know that even though I’ll be waking up earlier, I still might have less time to get ready for my day.

What I really want to say is…

As a matter of fact, it’s a bummer my kid won’t wake up to my alarm clock because I have a ton of time in the morning the way it is. All of that extra time will now be spent caring for a child instead of showering for 4 minutes.

Most importantly, I do already know that this little child will change my life forever.
I know that my nights will be filled with feedings and diaper changes. I know that my days at work will be filled with counting down the minutes until I get to pick our little baby up from daycare. I know that my life will change drastically. 

What I really want to say is…

I know and I can't wait. 

A little announcement...

If you follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter you'll already know what our announcement is.

Last night Kyle and I celebrated our fifth Valentine's Day together. Our first date was on Valentine's Day 2012 and with every year that goes by, I enjoy our time together more and more.

For our first Valentine's Day, Kyle made me dinner at my apartment. It was a nice way to spend our first "date"...quietly in and together.

This year, our weekend was spent the same way. Saturday night we ordered in pizza and last night, I made dinner for the two of us.

Quiet weekends are some of my favorites. I love being able to spend time at home with Kyle. And this year we are cherishing the quiet moments even more. That's because we will be adding a third member to our family this July!

Stick around and join us in this journey!

Happy Monday!

Tuesday Traditions: Tacos

I'm not sure about you, but our family loves tacos. I'm not just talking Kyle & myself. I mean, our family.

My mom's family has tacos for Christmas Eve. Every. Year. They've even discussed getting together every July 4th for tacos.

We. Love. Them.

Confession: I like tacos.

Notice I said "like". I'm not the aficionado that my husband and the rest of my family tend to be. I used to dread having tacos on Christmas Eve.

Can't we just have ham or turkey like everyone else? Gah.

But then I grew up. I love the tradition. I love the jovial nature that reverberates around the room as we're dishing up our tacos and getting ready to try Grandma's hot sauce and homemade tortilla shells.

I love sitting at a new table every year talking with my cousins or holding the newest baby while mom and dad eat.

I love seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter as we take bets on when Grandma will ask, "Is the hot sauce hot enough?" (It happens every year, folks.)

Mostly, I love the tradition and the sense of unity we have as we enjoy our tacos on Christmas Eve.

And the real reason I have tacos on the brain? It's Tuesday. Taco Tuesday. Every other Tuesday we go to the Krueger's house to eat tacos with them. Tonight is the night.

You may be thinking, "Why only every other week?" And that's because they're at our house on the opposite weeks. We make something and they make tacos. It's the best of both worlds, because Kyle would eat tacos every Tuesday if I made them. Granted, I probably could be convinced. But there's just something about sharing tacos with other people.

Just like Christmas Eve, it's the unity and friendship that you share over a meal that makes it special.

Enjoy your Taco Tuesday! I know I will.

 

Hunter or Hunted?

It's that time of year again. The time when the blaze orange and giant thermos bottles come back. If you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, I'm very sorry.

It's a tradition in our family to gather during one or both weekends of the deer hunting season holiday. This year we went home for deer opener and had a fabulous time. On Saturday we spent time with family, waited hunted some deer, ate potato klub, and were in bed and asleep by 10 pm. Then Sunday, we got up and did it all over again.

I don't know how you feel about family time, but weekends at my parents' house are some of my favorites. Even though I have my own home and it's nice to get back after a weekend away, I relax so much better out at the farm.

I'm so thankful for a husband who is willing to spend time with my family and even enjoys being there. I hope and pray that Hunting Holiday is a tradition our children will learn to love as much as I do.

I hope that my children will love visiting their grandparents as much as I love visiting mine. I pray that they will long to invest their time in their grandparents' lives as much as I do. I long for the day that my children will anxiously await the next season of Deer Hunting and potato klub. And above all else, I hope and pray that my children will find comfort in enjoying time with family.

What traditions do you hold every year? I'd love to hear about them.

Five on Friday: Looking forward to

Here's another edition of Five on Friday! It's been a while, so here. we. go.


One | Tattoos

My pal, carrie, and I are going to Fargo to get new tattoos next Saturday(!). How is it that we've already arrived at November 7th (next Saturday)?! It's been a long time in coming and Aubrey and I were supposed to get our next tatts together. My goal was to lose 20lbs before getting my next tattoo and we were supposed to go this last June when Aubrey was in town. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I hadn't lost 20lbs and she was busy finishing her Master's and I was busy working. Hmmph. So. No tatt.

BUT! Then carrie mentioned that we should go get tattoos this fall. (I felt like a traitor to Aubrey...sorry!) And I've officially lost those pesky 20lbs. So tatts next Saturday it is!

Here it is!

Two | Deer Hunting

In my family, deer season is a holiday. For as long as I can remember, as many of us gather at Grandpa and Grandma's farm and we eat potato klub, drink coffee, tell stories, and laugh. Opening weekend of the deer season is November 7. Yep. The same day as the tattoo shindig. It's going to be a fun weekend!

As we've gotten older, it's been harder and harder for all of us cousins to get together at the farm. This year, Aaron and his family will not be able to make it (as far as I know), since they now live in Alabama. For many years, Josh, Aaron, and Aanders would tell stories about their adventures tracking, dragging, cleaning, loading, hauling deer. One year Aaron shot two deer with one bullet (!). This information has still not been corroborated, so don't shoot the messenger (ba dum tss). Sorry, bad pun. Another year, Josh was driving the jeep with Aaron and Aanders inside and apparently it was so rough, Aaron thought he was going to fall out. To that Josh replied, "Hold on and look savage."

It's even a great opportunity to take 
photos for your Christmas cards!

 
Three | Veterans Day

This year we have Veterans Day off! I think this is the first year since I've been teaching (I know...not many years, but still) that we've had Nov. 11 off. Not only that, but Kyle and I have the day off together. How awesome! Maybe we'll go have breakfast at our favorite diner and find a 11/11 service somewhere.


Four | Friends-giving

Friends-giving is a concept that I've been familiar with for a while now, but I've never participated in one. Kyle's sister invited us to a shindig that they're hosting with another couple friend of ours. When the six of us get together, we genuinely have a great time and I'm so thankful to have been invited. We asked what we could bring and she told us dessert. So now the question becomes cupcakes or pie? Who am I kidding, or both?

Five | Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving with my family is always a big deal. One year we are with my mom's family and the other we're with my dad's family. It just so happens that we only see my mom's family with the rotation we've been on for holidays. This year Thanksgiving is at my uncle and aunt's house and I've been asked to bring dessert. What do you think? Cheesecake? Mini cheesecake? Cupcakes? Pie? The options are limitless. Well...except that one aunt doesn't eat chocolate and two of my cousins can't have protein, so there's that.

What are you really looking forward to? Happy Halloween tomorrow!

What's Happening: Sick Edition

Yikes. Where to start? What do you all do when you're under the weather?

Kyle has been sick for much of the start of school (probably at least half of the first 8 weeks). I just got sick last week and I don't see the end of it until at least this weekend.

So to help us sleep at night and to hopefully help us feel better, I've been diffusing like crazy. It started with Young Living's Purification to help with the sore throats and to help keep the air in our house fresh.

I recently received my newest Young Living order and so now I've been diffusing Thieves right before we go to sleep and right as we wake up in the morning to help kill some of these cold germs floating through our house.

 

 I'm not entirely sure if it's working or not...but only time will tell. These have been my two go-to oils for the sickies in our house (both of us). 

But, what do you do when your house is sick? Help a sister out!

It's time for a party!

I know, I know. I've been slacking on the whole, "I'm going to blog twice a week" thing. It's already Thursday and this is the first you've heard from me. I am ashamed.

So, here we go.

Growing up, I remember many things vividly. Three such things are coloring Easter eggs at Grandpa & Grandma's house, carving pumpkins at Grandpa & Grandma's house, and Deer Hunting at...you guessed it...Grandpa and Grandma's house.

I have many, many fond memories from that house and with those people. Once grandchildren started growing up and moving away, some of these events started being just memories. The two that turned into memories were Easter egg coloring and pumpkin carving.

Eventually, my parents started hosting a pumpkin carving party. It was a blast! My brother even put a pumpkin on his head. Here's photographic evidence to prove it.


The attendees usually changed from year to year. Some years we would have family friends, other years we would invite young families from church, still other years we would just have our friends and their parents over. We always had a good time and it was frequently pretty chilly in the garage.

As I've gotten older, I've longed to have a house where I could carve pumpkins and set them on our stoop. I've wanted to invite people to our house to carve pumpkins, eat snacks, and enjoy being together. Well folks, this is the year!

We are hosting the First Annual Entzel Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza! Okay...it's not that exciting, but it's the first pumpkin carving party we'll ever host. Hopefully it won't be the last...

I'm trying to figure out some sort of menu, but I'm not sure what I'll have time to make. What about chex mix and/or puppy chow, veggies (?), possibly some pumpkin bread, maybe some soup to warm everyone up, and beverages?

Help a friend out! What kinds of snacks would you like to see at a pumpkin carving party?

Happy Friday!

9 | Dear Sixteen Year Old Me

This letter to my sixteen year old self is coming at an appropriate time since my birthday is mere weeks away. Enjoy.

Hello little girl,

You just turned sixteen and you're pumped. Trust me, I remember. Whatever you do, don't forget to enjoy the time you have with your friends, love fiercely, and don't care what anyone else thinks or says about you. Life is short and you have so much left to live. Also, your future husband isn't who you're dreaming about right now. Get over him.

This year you will play lots of volleyball, get a job, get your drivers' license, and lose a close friend. You will laugh and enjoy your time on and off the court with your friends. You and your best friends will fight over stupid things. You will finally have your license and drive into the ditch on your way to church. It was slippery! Have fun with all of this. Laugh. Love. Make sure to cherish the time you have. Go snowboarding. Don't wait until "next year." You won't have the same people around next year.

Show the people around you that you care about them. Don't assume your siblings know that you love them. They really might not. There will be a day when you wish you'd have listened to me. Honest. Don't waste the time you have now to build your friendships (yes, you can be friends with your brother and sister). There will be a day in the not too distant future when you won't talk to any high school friends. It's coming. Prepare.

Finally, don't care what everyone else thinks of you. No, you won't know about the parties when you're in High School. You're going to be so busy with sports, work, and youth group that you'll hear about the parties after the fact. You won't even be invited to your Senior Class Party. You'll be sad and hurt for a while, but you'll survive. You'll even laugh about it one day. Choose the things and the people that you invest in carefully. You've got one life to live. Make sure you live it well.

You have no idea how much time and energy you're wasting on people who don't matter. Enjoy your time in YLI. Invest in those people. Don't worry about boys. You'll end up with the perfect man for you. He will be your first true boyfriend and he will woo you. He'll ask your dad if he can date you. He will make you food (don't worry, he'll let you make the food once you're married). He will pursue Jesus and long to grow old with you. Don't be anxious. But enjoy the time you have. Enjoy the people you're with. Your life won't look like you've always imagined, but it will be wonderful.

Enjoy your now, love fiercely, and be you.

xo,
Your 25 year old self

This is me (at 17? I couldn't find a 16 one...) and one of

my best Aussie friends, Alannah. Miss you! xx

Head over to Brave Love Blog to link up!

 

It's SUMMER.

Sorry, folks. I've been oddly absent lately. This is going to be a short post, but I wanted you to know that I'm alive and well.

Summer has started off with a bang. Today is my last day of work for my second week back to my old job. Wowza! Confused yet?

I used to work at The Coffee Company while I was in college. I had to take some time off while I worked for housing and then I worked during my last summer of college and during student teaching. Crazy enough, I'm back at it, after an almost 2 1/2 year hiatus!

It's so nice to be back. I love coming home from work and being physically exhausted instead of mentally exhausted. It's a change of pace and scenery...and I like it that way.

So--if you want some coffee or beans, stop in or order online/via phone (only beans can be shipped, it'd be weird to ship a latte)!

I also have finished planting my entire garden! Kyle might want me to plant a few more onions, which I'd be happy to do. I just counted 4-6 rows of onions, 4 rows of carrots, 3 rows of radishes, 15 tomato plants, 5 pepper plants, 9 potato plants, approx 15 feet of beans, 4 feet of peas, 7 cucumber plants, mesclun, swiss chard, and 4 hopeful watermelon plants.

Who knows what will actually be fruitful when we're all said and done. But if we get something, I'll be happy.

I know this is super short, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive. And that I will be back to this space a little more often now that summer's routine is a little more predictable.

We have a few adventures to keep you posted on: Kyle is keeping bees & I'm going to be writing a sponsored post (my first!) for Wild Moon Salsa, see the deets over on their page.


Stay tuned and Happy Friday Eve!

Let it snow, Let it snow...Wait! It's May 18! {By the Numbers}

Yeah, you read that right. It's snowing.

On May 18.

But that's okay. Because with the forecast for the rest of the week, we're looking at mostly sunny with highs in the 70s!

Wahoo!

So I figured that today was as good as any, to do a By the Numbers. It's been a while since I've hosted one...so, why not?

As teachers, we look forward to summer. Not necessarily because we get a break (because I'm hoping to teach summer school this year & Kyle is hoping to help a beekeeper--another story for another day), but because we have a new routine. Sure--some of us do get a legit vacation, but most of us have additional jobs, we work on our curriculum, or we even take grad classes. And some of us have family obligations (por ejemplo--weddings coming out of our ears!!) that can't be attended to during the school year.

And if you've survived that crazy train, here's the rest of my school year By the Numbers.

626 miles

7 meetings

5 dinner dates

4 graduation gifts to buy

3 graduation ceremonies

2 birthday presents to make/send

2 graduation parties to attend

1 wedding
 
1 Federal Holiday

And only
17 days to do it all in

As always, grab the button and join in!

Mother's Day 2015 .:. Dear Mom

Dear Mom,

Your day is here. Well, one of them anyway. Today is the day we celebrate all moms and today I especially want to celebrate you.

Throughout the years, we've experienced different types of relationships. I remember getting off of the bus after school and being so excited that I didn't have to go to daycare anymore. You were home and you were consistent.

As I grew into a teenager, I realized how mean you were. I couldn't go online whenever I wanted. When I tried, you grounded me. I couldn't have a MySpace account and then you made me delete my Facebook account. You made me clean my room! *UGH*

But then, at the same time, I'd be invited out with friends (to activities I didn't want to go to) and you had my back. Playing the game of, "Mom, can I go?" while shaking my head. Always followed by you saying, "Sorry, we've got plans that night." You saved me from many nights of small talk and activities that I desperately tried to avoid.

After my first year of college, I moved home for the summer. Lo and behold! I had a curfew. I couldn't believe it! WHY WOULD I HAVE A CURFEW? As an "adult", I was appalled.

Did you have any idea that the summer between my freshman and sophomore years would be my last summer at home? I didn't.

I'm not sure what happened, but after that summer we became closer. I remember coming home almost every weekend that first fall semester I was at UND. Part of that was because I didn't have any friends at school yet. But the other part of it is that I wanted to spend time with my family.

And even since then, our relationship has continued to grow. Yes, I do know you're my mother. I am reminded of that every time I leave your house to come back to mine. Especially when you remind me to "text when [I] get home safe!" But you're not just my mom, anymore. You've become a friend.

But here's the thing. You've shown me so many things throughout the years.

You've shown me how to cook. It may have started out with scrambled eggs and Kraft Mac'n'Cheese, but it's evolved into one of my favorite hobbies.

You showed me how to love other people. I watched you love your kids. When you disciplined us growing up, I just thought it was you being mean. Now I see that it was you training us to become the successful, independent adults we've become.

You've shown me how to love a spouse. I've watched you love Dad. Through jobs, many Craigslist purchases, & some tough times--you've shown me how to be a loving, supportive wife. I pray that I can learn to be as good of a wife to my husband, that you've been to yours.

Most importantly, you've shown me how to be a Godly woman. You lead by example and I admire you for that.

Mom, thank you for being the woman and mother you are and have been. I look up to you every day and I pray that God would bless me with your qualities, your consistency, and your love. And one day, I pray that I can practice everything you've modeled for me, to my children.

I love you, Mom.