July 1 ~ Craig's parents came to visit us for Fourth of July weekend!
Luckily, they had found us a patio umbrella back in Illinois that is identical to the one that got demolished during
a recent storm. So they brought that with them as well as a few goodies for Natalie. Nat received these really
fun magnetic blocks and also a piggy bank of her very own!...it's a pretty pink porcelain pig that plays "It's a Small World"
when you drop your coins in. Of course, Grandpa Essington was ready with many coins for Natalie to put in her new bank
:) Natalie was a little shy this time when her grandparents arrived, but soon warmed up to them. She had a fun
night of play time, and was given a nice bath by her Grandma.
July 2 ~ I had some trouble sleeping, so woke up early to enjoy
some alone time. I hopped in the car and was able to get coffee, read, and even get my hair trimmed! It's amazing
how just simple things like that can be so wonderful!
Everyone spent most of
the day outside sitting on the porch, throwing the ball to the dogs, watching Nat play in the pool, or catching some zzz's.
Craig was able to mow the lawn...I love a freshly cut lawn! In the evening we grilled some steaks and made some
easy side dishes and dessert.
July 3 ~ We all headed out to church in the morning. Our
pastor, Jeff Gilmore, is such a good speaker...we enjoy the way his messages flow and how he ties the Bible in with present
day life. The main point I left with today was that it is important that we are worshipping in both spirit and truth...that
while sincerity matters, it is also vital to keep persuing an understanding of God and how He would want us to worship and
live our lives.
After service, Craig's
parents took us to The Sheraton for brunch. The Sheraton overlooks the Ped Mall in Iowa City, so Nat was eager to get
outside and play in the fountain! We also ended up going to the new Stone Cold Creamery in Coralville for ice-cream.
July 4 ~ We woke up to a dreary and wet Fourth of July!
We decided to skip going to the Coralville parade in the morning. Instead, we drove out to Amana Colonies and had
breakfast at The Brickhaus. Later in the day it was sunny and dry once again, so we went over to Morrison Park to check
out the festivities. The Caylors were there working a tent for Falbo's (their pizza business). So we talked to
them for a bit and had some snacks. Brought Natalie over to the petting zoo area...she got to meet some animals such
as a steer, goats, a llama, and plenty of chickens. She also got to ride her first pony! Daddy walked along side
of her and she had a wonderful time! We all strolled around the carnival for awhile and Natalie rode on a small train
there. Then we ended with some play time at the park playground.
We weren't
too sure if Natalie would stay awake long enough to watch the fireworks, but thought we'd give it a shot. This was Natalie's
first year of fireworks...last year she was just so tiny and fell asleep early. So we had some dinner at Red Lobster and then
searched for a spot to lay out our blankets and chairs. The fireworks got off to a real slow start, but turned out to
be pretty good by the end. Natalie took turns sitting in everyone's laps and exclaiming things like "whoa" and "boom".
Though I think she was more interested in the planes flying overhead...she says "airplane" and points to the sky! By
the time we drove home and got Natalie settled down, it was nearly midnight before she fell asleep...but you could tell she
had a great time!
July 5 ~ Daddy went back to work this morning as Natalie and I
attended our last session of Magical Musical Movement class. Grandma and Grandpa Essington also came to watch on their
way out of town! As always, Nat was energized and spinning in circles in the middle of everyone! But she did a
really good job waiting her turn during activities that required her to do so.
Ashley and I were going
to play with the kids in the park, but it was just so hot and sticky. So we went on over to the mall instead and treated
ourselves to a coffee, the children to a cookie, and then let them run around a bit in the indoor (and much cooler temperature!)
play area.
Craig, Nattie, and I met up with
the Pierce family for dinner at The Vine. Natalie was shy for quite awhile, but became more of her chatty self near
the end of the meal. She shared her snacks (cheerios & goldfish crackers) with Luke and also tried to share hugs
with him!
It's going to get to the
point soon when I'll no longer be able to keep such good track over Natalie's language growth! She is saying new words
and phrases every day! Here are a few of the latest: She sings "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" almost constantly...but
it's usually just the one line over and over that goes "Up above the world so high". The girl loooves peanut butter
and jelly and when I start singing "Peanut, peanut butter" she follows it up with saying "jelly". She has a passion
for bugs (or "buggas" as she would call them). She'll point to spiders and call them by name...we aren't sure how she
figured out what a spider looks like...but she knows! She says words like beads (necklace), rice, noodle, chicken, balloon,
color (coloring), bread, water, egg, toys, boat, and crab. She'll say "please" if you prompt her. Also
working on the word "potty" as a pre-potty training word. She says "o" for Cheerio. The other day she
also started saying "Cwaig" for Craig...she had heard me call Craig by name. Craig taught her to say "set, go!" which means
"ready, set, go" before a ball is thrown. Natalie says "shush doggies" when the dogs are being loud!
Also during the time Craig and I went on vacation, she started turning door knobs and opening doors at her grandparents'
house. She hasn't done it much lately around here, but we have put safety knobs on a couple of the doors just in case!
July 8 ~ Ashley brought Jake over in the morning and we let the
kids run around in the backyard. I had the baby pool and sprinkler set up, but they didn't seem too interested in playing
in the water. The kids also had fun playing inside with cars and other toys. After a lunch of peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches and bananas, it was time for everyone to say goodbye.
July 9 ~ Craig watched Natalie this morning while I did some shopping
on my own! Stuff Etc. (local consignment store) had one of their periodic half price sales, so I wanted to check it
out. I could not believe how crowded that place was...I had to wait in line in the parking lot just to find a parking
space! I did happen to find a few nice items, but wasn't able to enjoy trying on any clothes. There was hardly
room to move around the clothes racks and a long wait for the dressing room. It was crazy! I really love consignment
shopping though...as long as I have ample time to browse. It's like a fun treasure hunt to find good deals. My
favorite items to look through are children's books for Natalie or clothes. I really can't stand paying high prices
for clothing! I can usually run across some really decent pieces at the Goodwill in Coralville. Our Goodwill is
pretty clean and organized. I do enjoy Stuff Etc, but sometimes they tend to be overpriced. I probably get my
love of consignment shopping from my mother...she loved it as well.
July 10 ~ Choir sang in the church services this morning.
We performed a wonderful set of songs...the most moving one I think was "Blessed Be Your Name". In between the second
and third service, Scott (our director), came and told us the good news that there were a couple individuals in the congregation
that surrendered their lives to The Lord that morning. We were all so ecstatic to hear that! So it made us even
more eager to get out there for the final service and put our whole hearts into the music!
July 11 ~ Craig met me and Natalie at Vito's in downtown Iowa
City for lunch! Their pizza was excellent! After lunch I let Nat run around in the fountain and then we walked
around Old Capitol Mall for awhile.
July 15 ~ Ok, the long story goes like this...Natalie and I had
planned to drive out to Lexington, IL today to spend the day and stay overnight at the Embertons' house...then Craig, Nat,
and I had made plans to go back to Illinois again for the following weekend to welcome my brother back home from Afghanistan...so
instead, Craig's parents offered for me and Nat to stay at their house for the entire week and Craig would drive in separately
for the weekend of my brother's homecoming...did that make sense? Anyway...
Natalie and I accepted
the offer to stay for the week. Craig and I came to the conclusion that it would be a great change of scenery for
me and Nattie...we could use the afternoons to do some different activities together and it would give me a week free of worry
about keeping the house clean! It would also allow Craig some time to accomplish more work finishing the basement.
Plus, Craig's parents love any opportunity to see the grandbaby!
The trip down wasn't the
best. I had to deal with a very fussy little girl...I think it's the early "terrible twos" :) I also had
to travel with the dogs since Craig was playing with the idea of riding his motorcycle out the next weekend. We finally
made it to Normal and dropped the dogs off at my in-laws' home. Then we made our way to Lexington to stay with
the Embertons. Sara and I were thinking of taking the kids to a pool or one of the new water parks, but we had to alter
our plans for the day. Her daughter, Corrin, was having a really hard time with her asthma and it was just too hot and
humid for her to be outside. But that was ok because we still had a fabulous time! We took the kids to the mall
to ride the carousel and eat lunch. Then Nat and I accompanied Sara & the kids to a doctor's appointment for Corrin.
Sara felt so bad that she had to "drag" us to a boring appointment, but I assured her that I didn't mind and it was still
fun hanging out. That night Sara and Shad cooked a nice dinner and we all got to eat together. Natalie must have
been pretty tired because she had no problem falling asleep! After the children were asleep, Sara whipped up a yummy
dessert and some sangria and we got to enjoy some mom time.
July 16 ~ We gave the kids breakfast in the morning and let them
play for quite awhile in their PJs. It is fun to watch Tyler and Natalie interact...they kind of have this relationship
where they pick on each other...like they steal each others' toys and sippy cups and poke each other and such. All too
soon it was time to end our little sleepover, but we knew we'd all be meeting up again throughout the week.
Natalie stayed
with Grandpa Essington while Craig's mom and I attended a babyshower in the afternoon. It was held for Rachele
Ackerman who was one of Craig's schoolmates from grades K-12. Craig's mom and I had put together a basket of books and
toys for baby Kaitlyn.
July 17 ~ Mom and Dad Essington graciously took Natalie with
them to Sunday school in the morning so I could sleep in a bit. I met up with them at the main service. Natalie
seemed very clingy and refused to stay in the nursery. It also didn't help that there were quite a few crying babies
in there that morning. So Nat sat with us for the service. She enjoyed and made it through the singing, but soon
became infatuated with a background of moving water that they kept up on the new screens. She kept pointing and saying
"ba-ba" (water) and asking "fish?" So Grandpa took her out to the foyer and let her run around for the remainder
of the service. Come to find out later that one reason Natalie may have been a little cranky was because she was experiencing
some tummy troubles...so that made for a somewhat trying week...I decided to keep her away from the pools, but figured the
fountains at the water parks would be fine.
There were
some sales at the mall, so I found some time to go over there by myself for awhile. The alone time was so relaxing!
Later in the evening the grandparents, Nat, and I took a short tour of the two new water parks in Bloomington/Normal.
What a super thing...Iowa City needs to build a few of these! We went to one over by Tipton Trails subdivision and to
one called McGraw Park. They both have play equipment like a regular park would, but also have an area of various fountains
and sprayers to cool off in. It's excellent because in some ways it is better than a pool and it's free. Plus
the adults don't have to wear a bathing suit, so that could be a plus. And Natalie loves fountains and sprinklers!
I found the Tipton Trails one to be better for the younger kids because the fountains seemed a little shorter and less overwhelming.
Though the McGraw Park one is neat to look at, and the park itself is done in an Asian theme and very beautiful. After
the water parks we enjoyed some frozen custard at Culvers.
July 18 ~ Called Sara in the morning to see what she wanted to
do for the day. Just so happened that earlier that morning she ended up spraining her ankle pretty badly...first
Corrin was sick, & then the ankle thing...how much bad luck can one person have?..haha! So Nat and I decided to
drive out to Lexington to let the kids entertain each other and to yet again be their partners at the doctor's office :)
Sara ended up wearing a soft cast for a week, but it surely didn't slow her down much! She was still up for anything...what
a trooper!
We all drove
over to Sara's parents' house since I hadn't seen her mom in awhile. Natalie loved being there...there were
some fun toys and Sara's mom spoiled the kids with treats. Let's just say that my daughter is now hooked on Fannie May
chocolates!..haha! Also, there are some rabbits that spend alot of time in the Crutcher's backyard...especially
when they are being fed cinnamon bread...so the kids spent a good amount of time watching them. Nat kept saying things
like "bunny nigh-nigh?" and "bye-bye bunny". She also counted to three all by herself while we were there!...she lined
up three teddy bears and pointed to each one and counted. I was so surprised!
July 19 ~ Sara, the kids, and I went to the new Children's Museum
in Normal. Nat had already been there once with her grandparents and loved it, but this was my first time. It
is so awesome! The old museum wasn't too spectacular to me, but now this new one even beats out the one we have here
in Iowa. There are so many things to do and see...and pleasantly alot for kids Natalie's age. Her favorites are
the water play area, puzzles, pretend truck, and ball vacuum. But her ultimate favorite is the psychedelic dance room!
I couldn't get her away from that room! We also spent time in the art room where Sara showed off her crafty skills and
made the kids crowns and bracelets out of paper and stickers.
For lunch
we all went to the Cracker Barrel. Natalie's tummy still wasn't feeling too good, so she didn't eat much. As for
me and Sara...we probably ate a little too much! The kids were pretty exhausted, so it was off on our separate ways
for naps.
My brother
is back from Afghanistan!! He came back into the states a few weeks ago - still living in Washington state. But
he traveled out to Illinois to see family and friends. This would be only the 2nd time that Natalie has seen her uncle
since the Army keeps him busy and he lives far away. Dad and I put together a last minute family dinner meeting at TGIFridays.
So it was me, Natalie, my dad, my dad's girlfriend Deanna, her daughter Caroline, and my brother Jason. Natalie was
so shy during dinner...not her usual chatty self. But she came out of her shell a little near the end of the night.
July 20 ~ Went back over to the water park near Tipton Trails.
Sara (sprained ankle and all) and her kids met us there. They had a good time running all over and getting wet.
It was very very hot though, so we didn't stay too long. Natalie and I also spent a really sweet mother/daughter moment
on the swings. We cuddled up swinging for the longest time while humming songs...it was the best.
Grandma and
Grandpa E stayed with Natalie in the evening so I could have a girls night out! Sara Emberton, Christi Rock and I had
dinner and margaritas at Chili's Restaurant. We had invited several other former classmates to join us, but they either
declined or didn't even respond to our emails and phone messages...too bad they missed out on such a good time!
July 21 ~ Natalie and I played around the house in the morning
and then headed off to McDonalds for lunch. We went to the one on Main Street where Mommy used to work :) Good
ole' Steve Petty was still there making french fries and greeted us with a big smile!
After
lunch we met the Embertons at Miller Park Zoo. Boy did we pick the wrong day to be outside...it was like the hottest
day of the year I believe! It wasn't long before Natalie and I were beet red in the face...a trait we both share when
we get overheated. The animals were hot and lazy as well, but we still managed to enjoy it. Natalie just went
nuts over the rainforest area...so many neat birds and frogs! Sadly, Sara and I (and our kids) had to say goodbye after
our fun-filled week. My weekend was pretty much booked, so we knew this was our last activity together. It was
a blast while it lasted!
Natalie and
I hurried back to the house...we needed to cool off and rest after that terrible heat! Once inside I stripped her
down to her diaper, cooled her off with a wet washcloth, and put her down for a long nap.
Before dinner
we had quite a scare when Natalie started choking on her snack! Nattie was eating some fruit snacks when I heard these
awful gasping noises. I look over and she had one stuck in her throat and was really struggling for breath. It
was so frightening to see the panicked look on her face. Good thing both my mother-in-law and I were in the room!
Craig's mom jumped out of her seat and was getting ready to perform the heimlich manuever. I actually surprised myself
staying relatively calm and told her to wait just a second...I wanted to give Nattie a fair shot at trying to swallow the
snack before doing anything else. Thank goodness, Natalie did swallow it on her own and began crying..so we knew she
was breathing. The rest of the night I couldn't stop thinking about how scary the situation was, about how in love I
am with my little girl, and how God is good!
July 22 ~ Natalie and I picked up some lunch and went to visit
Grandma at her work! Nat got to wear her very own visitor's badge and got to sit in a big chair in the break room.
She also got to see Grandma's cubicle and all the pictures of herself displayed on Grandma's wall :) Near the end of
the visit I noticed that I didn't have my keys with me...yep, they were locked in the car. I don't think I've done that
since highschool! Fortunately, Craig was driving into town that night. We were able to get him on the phone before
he left, and he brought out some extra keys...whew!...saved me $50 not having to call a locksmith! Craig wouldn't be
in town till evening, so Nat and I drove back to the house in Mom Essington's car and picked her back up after work.
We picked
up Craig's mom from work and all decided to go to Eastland Mall to look for new shoes for Natalie. Of course my stroller
was still locked up in my van, so Natalie got to ride in one of the cute character strollers through the mall! She rode
the carousel with her Grandma and was treated to two new pairs of shoes...she now wears a size 6 1/2!
Craig
did end up riding his motorcycle into Illinois for the weekend. I was really kind of concerned about him riding it because
of the long distance and because of his back bothering him, but he seemed to do alright. Natalie spent the remainder
of her evening with her grandparents while Craig and I met up with my dad, brother and some other family members. We
started at Jim's Steakhouse at the piano bar and ended the night at Shooters with the guys playing some pool. I was
glad that Craig was back after my week without him! While I did enjoy myself (and a bed all to my own!) I honestly missed
being with him so much.
July 23 ~ Natalie and I decided to drag Daddy over to the Children's
Museum since he'd never been there before. Nat was quick to remember all her favorite activities!
Mom Essington
and I browsed a sale they were having at The Gingerbread House. I had always wanted to check out that store...what a
great place! They have every toy imaginable crammed in there! Before we knew it, both Mom E and I had picked up
many awesome toys for Natalie...but we are going to try to hold out till her birthday and Christmas to give them to her.
Somebody backed into my parked van while we were wandering around the sidewalk sale at the toy store. We heard an employee
trying to warn the man, but as we looked up from the sale tables...crunch! - it was too late. I was expecting alot more
damage, but it seems as if maybe only the top coat of paint was cracked just above the bumper along with some scratches.
But we're going to have it looked at as well as contact our insurance. The man handed me his information and I realized
it was the father-in-law of one of my cousins...what a small, funny world we live in!
In the evening
we all had a nice meal together at the house. Craig's mom also showed us an outfit that she ran across that was worn
by Craig's dad when he was a child. She had taken a picture of Craig in the same outfit when he was young. So
now it was Nattie's turn to get a photo taken of herself in the outfit! I thought that was so neat!
July 24 ~ Craig, Natalie, and I spent the afternoon at a gathering
at my Aunt Diana's house. My mom's side of the family came together to have lunch and celebrate Jason's arrival back
home from Afghanistan. We took plenty of pictures and just enjoyed each other's company.
Now it was
time to get on back to North Liberty, Iowa...what a busy but exciting week! Nat, the dogs, and I rode in the van
and followed Craig on his bike. We took a few backroads to avoid heavy traffic which made the trip longer, but it was
sort of relaxing just taking our time on some different roads.
July 26 ~ Craig, Nat, and I had dinner at The Vine...chicken wings
are the special on Tuesday nights so it's a good time to eat there. Craig had heard that the Johnson County Fair was
going on during the week. So we went to the fair grounds to see all the animals. Natalie was wide-eyed and in
heaven - sheep, cows, goats, pigs, birds, ducks, and rabbits were abundant! She was able to hear all the sounds
they make up close and personal. And she came home saying the names and sounds of the animals clearer than I've ever
heard her say them! She also got nice and sticky sharing cotton candy with Daddy.
July 28 ~ Was going to go to the swimming pool today, but believe
it or not it was a bit cool out. I called Steffany and she told me about a free program they hold at the mall once
a month called Club Noggin. Noggin is a tv channel that is basically Nickelodeon without commercials...we don't have
that channel, but I've seen it at Craig's parents' house. So at Club Noggin children and parents participate in activites,
songs, games, and crafts. It is geared toward 3-6 year olds, but Steff said a few parents bring their 2 year olds.
It sounded like fun so we thought we'd try it...we also invited Ashley and her son to join us. Some of the activities
were a little advanced for Natalie, but there were some parts she enjoyed. I figure it's only once a month so maybe
we'll keep attending and she'll pick up on a few things. And maybe I'll meet some more new moms in the process.
Today's topic was shapes and the numbers 1-20. The event is also neat because at the end of the session you get
to take home the crafts you've made and a goody bag including things such as small toys, crayons, and coupons to local restaurants!
Our family
returned to the fair once again tonight to see a fireworks display. It was probably one of the best we've ever seen!
I guess the same group does it every year. It's set to music and they have it timed really well. It is definately
worth seeing again next year!
By the
way...have you ever been walloped on the head by a child's shoe?? While driving in the van today, Natalie decided
it would be fun to remove her shoe and launch it toward her mommy's head! I think both Nat and I were a tad shocked
at how far she could throw it! Um...so yeah...we had a little discussion about how it's not acceptable to throw our
shoes. Depending on what type of shoe it is, Natalie can now get both her socks and shoes off in the blink of an eye.
July 29 ~ I was feeling a little down today and having a difficult
time with Natalie when we got a call from Craig. He wanted to know if Nat and I wanted to go out to dinner with him
and some work buddies...of course! So we all met up at a new restaurant in Coralville called Boston's. It was
us Essingtons along with Patrick, Daniela, and Jenny D. The atmosphere was nice (we sat outside), but our waiter was
awful and I really wasn't too impressed with the pizza we ordered.
After dinner we were
all invited over to the Davenport's house to hang out for a bit. Aaron and I looked on as the other four adults
played a few hands of cards. Nattie and Olivia kept busy playing together. It was so cute to watch them interact!
They both climbed into this wagon in the living room and were having a little conversation...in their own babytalk of course!
They were both very well behaved and I was so ready to just snatch Olivia up and take her home with us so Nattie could have
a sister...haha!
July 30 ~ Craig spent the day working on the basement. It
is really coming along nicely and I'm so excited and in awe of Craig's abilities! So far he has done everything himself...the
electrical wiring, framing, drywall, primer paint...now onto the decorative painting, wood staining, door and trim placement,
and ceiling installment...he's decided to make it easier on himself and have the carpet put in professionally :) It
will be so great to finally be able to set up the office downstairs and out of the way of Nat's curious little hands!
Craig is hoping to have the basement finished sometime this fall. The next item on our endless to-do list is to possibly
put a shed up in the backyard...then all our lawn supplies, etc. can be housed there...that would then free up the third stall
in the garage so Craig can do some more woodworking this winter!
After Craig's
hard work, our family went out to another new restaurant in Coralville (they are popping up all over lately) called HuHot.
It is similar to the Genghis Grill in Cedar Rapids. The food was excellent and the cooks very efficient.
July 31 ~ Choir sang this morning at Parkview Church. We
had a somewhat smaller group of singers due to summer. Plus, we only had one rehearsal this time...so most of us were
a bit nervous about how things were gonna turn out! But you know what?...a little prayer and positive attitude goes
a long way! Everything turned out great! We sang "It's All About Jesus", which has become a regular thing lately...I
think both the choir and congregation love that song. It's a song that has a lot of natural emotion and swells to it,
and the lyrics are easy to remember. So because of that I think it really allows you to just free your head and heart
and just praise The Lord as He is truly meant to be praised! I am so glad I joined choir again...it's a way for me to
worship God, use my "spiritual gift" to hopefully lift up others, and to enjoy my passion for singing in the process!
