Nov 2 ~ I met Ruth Baumgartner at House of Aromas early again this morning.  We always seem to have a lot to talk about and never enough time :)  You name the topic - and we've most likely had a conversation about that topic.  One thing we've focused on lately has been the fact that I've been trying to reconcile a relationship with a once-close friend of mine. I haven't been in contact with this friend for about six months now and I am just in grief over the fact that we may never speak again face to face. I've finally come to the point where I feel I've done all I can on my end to make things right...so now it is just time to move on.

     In the evening I attended a Mary Kay foot spa party over at Derricca Krutsinger's house. It was such a relaxing, pampering time surrounded by other women.  I treated myself by purchasing a few items I had never used before.

 

Nov 3 ~ Choir sang in the main room during services this weekend.  We sang I Will Rise Up, Yesterday Today and Forever, My Jesus I Love Thee, Lord I Believe In You, and Surrender.  Janene Suddarth belted out the big solo during Lord I Believe In You...she and her husband may be moving to Des Moines shortly due to his work.  That was a really fun song!  Though my absolute fave of the set was Lincoln Brewster's Surrender with lyrics like "I'm giving you my life, and all that is within.  I lay it all down for the sake of you my King.  I'm giving you my dreams, I'm laying down my rights. I'm giving up my pride for the promise of new life."  Just really powerful, soulful stuff!  After church we attended Family Connection with our girls.  Hyo Arnold and her family were there, so we were able to meet her husband Mark and daughter Abigail.

 

Nov 5 ~ The girls and I met Shawn Pierce and her kids for a playdate at the mall today.  The mall has become a popular hangout for us once again...must be the time of the year, the convenience of it all, and the fact that Kate is now more mobile. Shawn is on her last week of maternity leave after giving birth to baby Alyssa, so we decided we should attempt to get together and do something.  We started at the play area where Natalie and Luke played together and Katie did her thing.  Then we spent a few minutes over at Barnes and Noble playing with the Thomas the Train set - it soon got a little crowded there, so we moved on to lunch. We were about to say our goodbyes at Target - then Natalie got real teary-eyed saying how she wanted to ride the carousel with Luke. So of course I couldn't resist. We all had a fabulous day!

 

Nov 7 ~ Today's topic at Hearts In Touch was titled Transitions in Motherhood.  Julie Truman and Lora Miller were the speakers.  Julie is a member of choir and just a super nice lady...I keep saying how I need to get together with her outside of choir, but there are always excuses - we both have two children that keep us on our toes. And while I stay home, she works outside of the home which makes it even harder to plan things around our schedules.  Julie is a mother to twins who are a few months younger than Katelyn and she works at the Veterans Hospital.  Lora Miller also has two young children and she and her husband own Naomi's Kitchen here in North Liberty. I have never met her before, but ladies from my group have and say she is just such a nice person. Both women spoke about balancing work and home life, but more importantly they talked about the things God has done in their lives. They both just really opened up and revealed their struggles through the years and shared what they've learned and/or are still learning.  I really identified with what they had to say about just being content in life and in your circumstances.  Also about how maybe we shouldn't always be begging God to take our hard times away from us, but rather ask Him to show us how the bad times are supposed to be teaching us something and helping us grow in the Lord.  That honestly speaks to me...because in many ways this past year or so has been very trying for me.  God has been working in me something fierce lately and I have wrestled with Him even despite the fact that I know He allows everything for a reason. And a large portion of it has been about being content and about trials in life and about seasons in life.  I haven't said this out loud to many people - but I will type it out here and now...there was a point a few months ago when I swear I heard the Holy Spirit in my ear in the form of a firm but gentle whisper saying to me "I am all strength, I am all power.  Am I not enough??  Am I not enough??" 

     Natalie and Katelyn made it all the way through nursery today during my mother's meeting.  But were falling apart by the time I picked them up. I think poor Katie had had enough of her share of other little kids and noise and was crying when I got her...plus I'm not sure why, but they had her stuffed into one of those awful bumbo seats or whatever you call them...she knows how to sit on her own so there really is not sense in it...and I'm sure she felt very confined and angry. Nat was also crying when I got to her room...another kid had raced a toy car hard and fast off a table and it flew off and hit Nat in the ear.  So her ear was nice and red with a beautiful scratch. It was a chaotic time.

 

Nov 8 ~ Natalie was so excited to ride on a bus for the first time tonight!!  Tonight was one of Craig's nights to drive bus for 24-7 (Parkview's college group). We thought Nattie would love to ride with Daddy to do the campus pick ups.  So after dinner we all drove down to the church. Natalie sat in one of the front seats of the big old school bus while Daddy made his rounds - it was roughly a twenty minute ride. Katelyn and I stayed behind so that Nat could have her special time.  Craig said that a couple college girls sat next to Natalie and thought she was a cute, but Nat was too shy to talk to them. Natalie LOVED it...she said the bus was bumpy and fast and that "college people are loud, Mom!" 

 

Nov 9 ~ Natalie's friend, Madelyn Schafbuch, takes a dance class over at Kate Carol & Company at Sycamore Mall.  The dance studio was having a bring-a-friend night, so Laura asked if Nat would like to come dance with Maddy.  Of course!  So I put Nat's dance gear on and we went out there so the two little girlfriends could have fun dancing together.  It was nice for Nattie to experience something different...a different dance instructor and a different setting.  Kate Carol is an actual studio where they have the nice wood floors, mirrors, and dance barres - where Nat's course is held in the Rec Center where it is just a no frills small room and a regular cement type floor.  This place also has a really nice lobby area where the parents and siblings can hang out while class is in session. Bob and Craig met us at the studio at the end of class so that we could all go out to eat.  We ended up over at Carlos O'Kelly's waiting quite awhile for a table (we forgot it was a Friday night).  It was an interesting meal - four adults, two four year olds, and the two babies at one table!  We did manage to hold adult conversation fairly well, though. We did feel bad for the staff as there was plenty of food squished and smashed into the seats and carpet...but miraculously only one spill - Kate grabbing a half full glass of beer when no one was looking and dumping some on herself, the table, her seat, and the floor :)  There was one small terrifying incident for me (and Kate I'm sure). Katelyn gets ahead of herself when it comes to eating.  What I mean by that is that she loves to eat, but isn't mature enough yet to handle large chunks of food...plus she likes to stuff many pieces in her mouth at one time.  Well, she was eating some pizza that one of the dads (?) had put in front of her - the crust was too tough for her and she had too much in her mouth.  All of a sudden she is choking on the pizza - this distressed look in her eyes and not breathing. So here she is strapped in her traveling seat that clamps to the table...and here I am slamming her on the back and pulling soggy pizza pieces from the back of her throat.  But thank God she was okay!  I unbuckled her from her seat and held her close for awhile while she cried - I'm surprised I wasn't bawling myself!  Craig and Natalie were in the restroom during the whole ordeal.

 

Nov 11 ~ Choir sang in the chapel today.  We did mostly hymns and then a sort of classical choral piece called To Love Our God.  Lovely, lovely song...I only wish we could have had more time to rehearse it.  I think it would have been even better if choir felt more confident in what we were singing. You know, singing for God and about God isn't really about how well of a singer you are.  But when you lack confidence it makes it harder to actually pull away from the sheet music and your own worries and focus on what you are there for - to worship the Lord. 

 

Nov 14 ~ Time to gear up for Christmas!  The stores are in full swing and ready with all their decorations, festive music, and sales. I must admit, the older I get the more overwhelming it is.  I am very tempted to do the majority of my Christmas shopping online this year due to the stress and crowds.  I love all the outward signs of Christmas as well as anyone - but I guess I'm just recognizing the "commercialness" of it more than ever before. 

     Speaking of Christmas...we started rehearsing for our Christmas program during choir tonight.  Scott opens the choir up for anyone to join during the holidays, so we had a full room this evening. 

 

Nov 15 ~ Natalie had a "Thanksgiving Feast" during preschool today. They got to eat many yummy snacks and she came home with all of her Thanksgiving artwork.  I'm sure you know the artwork I'm referring to...the ones we all did as children...the handprint turkey, the turkey made from a brown paper lunchsack, and the Indian headpiece made with brightly colored construction paper feathers.  Brings back good memories!  Natalie continues to love preschool at Parkview and is learning a lot while having fun. She loves her teachers. This month they made butter and popcorn. They have been talking about the Ten Commandments.  The verse of the month is Ephesians 6:1 Childen obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Next month's verse is Luke 2:11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.  He is Christ the Lord.

     Our family spent the afternoon in Dr. Miller's office for Natalie's four year annual exam. Natalie is a very healthy little girl!  She weighs 36.5 pounds and is 3'5" in height. That puts her at 70% for weight and 75% for height...which Dr. Miller pointed out that it means that her weight is excellent in proportion to her length. They did a simple vision screening and Nat had a great time naming off the colors and shapes that she saw.  We talked about everything from her eating habits, to her sleeping habits, things that she has learned, school, behavior, etc. Then came the bad part - shots.  Nat hasn't had to have a shot since she was a tiny, tiny girl...so she has forgotten what they are like. Natalie is the type of kid who does better if she knows a day or so in advance when something is coming up (but don't tell her any sooner than that or she won't quit talking about it!).  So I had warned her the morning before that she was going to get four shots in her leg and that it was going to hurt but only for a minute. What I didn't know and couldn't prepare her for was that they were also going to draw blood from her fingertip for iron and lead testing. So, she did fine with the fingertip test. For the big shots they laid her on the table - I held the top half of her body down while another nurse held her legs and a second nurse administered the shots. Like Craig had said "That nurse down at her legs took a beating!".  Nattie kicked with all she had and cried and screamed out "No, stop!" each time they put the needle in her leg. You know - when they are babies it doesn't bother me too much when they get shots, but this was almost too much for me to take. It's hard to explain why...it's almost like because she's older she seems more aware of everything and it just hurt me as her mother to watch her try to get away and hear her scream in pain. The things we have to go through as parents!  After the shots her Daddy held her for awhile and then I held her for awhile.  Then we all went to Wendy's for late lunch and frosty treats.  Nat's legs are still a little tender, but she is fine.

 

Nov 16 ~ I had plans to start our day out early so I could get some things done.  Didn't happen nearly as early as I had planned...Katie has been feeling under the weather on and off for a few days, so she napped for awhile this morning. In the afternoon the girls and I went to the post office to mail Katelyn's birthday invitations. I feel I have to journal about the making of the invitations :)  For Natalie's first birthday I handmade her invitations...not that they were of great detail or anything, but I did make them.  And since we don't throw big parties for our girls every year (so far a huge family party for their first birthday and possibly a party with friends for their fifth birthday), I wanted to make the invitations for Katelyn's special day as well. I was having trouble finding the materials to make them the way I wanted.  I happened to run into a set of what I would call  "semi-homemade" cards that were close to what I was looking for, really cute, and the price was right.  So I thought "Cool, they will be less work but still nice." - I should have known better than to get too excited too quickly!  Basically all I had to do with this set was to print the info I wanted on the pre-cut paper and then tie it to the other pretty pre-cut paper using the pre-cut fancy ribbon.  Simple, huh?  Well, about halfway through printing our printer started acting up and ruining my final product.  Not to worry - the cartridge was just running out of ink, so Craig bought another and we were going to resume printing. But then, Craig read the ones I had already printed and realized that I had our phone number wrong for the RSVP!!  It was off by one stupid digit!  I was fuming! - I had looked over my work like at least five times and still hadn't caught it!  Now I was upset because no way was I going to mark through the beautiful print job with an ugly pen to edit the mistake. Luckily I had some extra cardstock lying around and my hero husband came to my rescue. He used the paper cutter at work to cut the cardstock down to size and punched all the holes in it so I could tie on the ribbons.  He also printed them all out for me.  The invitations? - they did turn out to be very, very cute.  So, that is my long, boring story :)

 

Nov 17 ~ Natalie and I went over to The Spot in Iowa City today to help pack boxes for the Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child project!  People of all ages from our church gathered to try and put together at least five hundred boxes for Christmas for children in need who live in foreign places. Natalie and I stayed and helped for about two hours - by the time we left they announced that they had at least seven hundred boxes completed and on the truck!  In the past I have put together a few boxes on my own at home, but this was the first time I partcipated in the group project.  It was a ton of fun, and a great way to introduce Natalie to the act of serving.  Not long ago she had been telling me that at church she learned that "God wants me to serve."  So I thought this would be the year that she'd be just old enough to do something like the Samaritan's Purse project.  And doing it in the group setting was great because the boxes were already wrapped and an array of gift items were already spread out on tables. The group setting was also great because then she could see many other people who were also enthusiastic and willing to help. So all we had to do was pick a box, decide what gender and age of child we wanted to fill it for, and then go around and choose things from the tables to place in the box. They had small clothing items, toiletries, costume jewelry for the girls, art supplies, candy, books, and little toys.  It was a really nice set up. We probably packed about a dozen boxes before Natalie started to get a bit distracted and it was our cue to call it a day.  Though determined little Natalie did say she wanted to keep going and do more boxes!  She really enjoyed herself and we talked about what it means to serve God and to serve others. A few times during the week leading up to today she'd ask me again what we were going to do and why. I kept patiently explaining to her in the simplest ways that I could, that we were going to be helping to pack up some gifts for little kids her age who live far away and who don't have enough money to buy nice things like toothbrushes and toys.  We talked about how happy she was that she had nice things and wouldn't it feel good to make these kids happy, too?  I think after discussing it a few times she understood.  Today was a good day.

     Another reason that today is a good day - and a good upcoming week...Craig has this whole next week off of work!  Yay! That makes the whole family happy...especially Natalie who lately feels sad when her Daddy has to go back to work after the weekends.  The plan for the next few days is to work on a few household projects and cleaning duties and to just relax together during the off times.  Then in a few days we'll be getting ready to head to Illinois for Thanksgiving.

 

Nov 18 ~ Craig has been cleaning out the garage over the weekend and putting up shelving in the third stall to hold some of the "manly garage type of things"...haha!  I love organization!  I will be so happy when he can get some stuff cleared out of there. The whole reason we wanted a third stall was so he could use it to do woodworking. We want to eventually put a shed out in the backyard for the gardening materials and such so he'll have more room. 

     Natalie told us today that she has an imaginary friend (though of course she didn't use the term "imaginary"). This imaginary friend is a girl and named Paulie.  We'll see how long Paulie sticks around. 

     Scott Sterner had this quote on his blog the other day that I really liked - just a little tidbit that I wanted to remember. It is by Charles Spurgeon and says "But when you glorify God as God, and are thankful for everything—when you can take up a bit of bread and a cup of cold water, and say with the poor Puritan, ‘What, all this, and Christ too?’—then are you happy, and you make others happy. A godly preacher, finding that all that there was for dinner was a potato and a herring, thanked God that he had ransacked sea and land to find food for his children. Such a sweet spirit breeds love to everybody, and makes a man go through the world cheerfully.” 

    

 

What's new with the girls?? 

 

Katelyn: 

~ she has four teeth now!  All four are on the bottom...where are those top teeth?

~ she laughs a lot at herself in the mirror or when she is playing by herself.

~ she still loves those zwieback toasts - and she'll hold it out to you and smile when you say "toast".

~ we have to keep the dogs out of the kitchen because she'll reach down and give them her toast, but then cry like her heart is breaking.

~ she says "uh-oh" and "duh" for duck and "buh-buh" for baby...and I think I heard her say "caw" for car the other day.

~ she loves holding baby dolls!  If you tell her "love the baby" and "oh, nice baby" she'll hold the doll close and sometimes pat it with her hand.

~ if you say to her "dog says woof!" she'll try to say "woof" but it comes out like more of a spitting sound with her tongue

~ she now asks for a parent by name - like when Craig is at work she'll ask "Daddy?" or when I'm gone she'll ask "Mom?"

~ she squeals when she sees Natalie, but has yet to come up with a name for her yet.

~ she has noticed that she has hair

~ waves bye-bye a lot more frequently now

~ her favorite songs are If You're Happy and You Know It, the theme to Elmo's World, the theme to Thomas the Train, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and a song that mom made up when Natalie was a baby that simply goes "Kitty goes meow! Kitty goes meow, meow! Meow, meow kitty meow, meow!"

~ she is starting to take more interest in books - she turns the pages and holds her glance a little longer.

~ no walking yet, but she holds on to things with one hand now

~ loves baby dolls, cars, a little inflatable beach ball we have, taking toys out of the baskets just for the enjoyment of it, and toys that make noise when you shake them.

~ she figured out her sippy cup the other day and was having a blast just taking it in and out of her mouth and slurping water from it.

~ washing her hair has become a big struggle now

~ there is this part during her video Elmo's World: Babies, Dogs & More! that has a bunch of red chickens clucking and acting silly...she just cracks up laughing during that part every time!

 

 

~ she is making up lots and lots of songs and stories lately

~ she spends a lot of time playing teacher (mom used to do the same thing!)

~ she is really starting to figure out how to, I guess, "lie more effectively"...oh the joy!

~ she always wants to know "What are we doing tomorrow?"

~ she is kind of scared of her big girl bike now and has reverted back to her tricycle...I'm sure that she'll be more ready when Spring rolls around again.

~ her newest thing she likes to draw pictures of is rollercoasters

~ she can now recognize almost every letter of the alphabet and the numbers from one to ten!

~ she is very shy when strangers approach her

~ she wants to do most things she sees older kids doing (like cartwheels or whistling) and then gets really upset when she can't do them.

~ she likes to help Mom by making her bed, picking up toys, or opening the door so the dogs can go potty.

~ she loves to give her little sister hugs and kisses

~ she loves to just be held or sit and "rest" on the couch together

~ she has asked me a few times lately to sing songs to her at bedtime...like I did when she was smaller.

~ she likes dialing numbers on the telephone

~ she is definitely into how comfortable her clothes are now...she has no problem letting me know if something just doesn't feel right.

 

 

 

"Wake up to the sunlight
With your windows open
Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress
Use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
Have what you want
But want what you have
And don't spend your life lookin' back

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

So go to the ballgames
And go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children
Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don't run from the truth
'Cause you can't get away
Just face it and you'll be okay

 

Oh wherever you are and wherever you've been
Now is the time to begin

So give to the needy
And pray for the grieving
Even when you don't think that you can
'Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
Make peace with God and make peace with yourself
'Cause in the end there's nobody else

'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live"

 

 

 

Nov 19 ~ Today we took our yearly family pictures over at JCPenney in Cedar Rapids. We thought it would be fun to all wear Iowa Hawkeye shirts!  Let me tell you...it was not an easy task to find somewhat-matching Hawekeye shirts for all of us!  But we pulled it off.  Katelyn and I wore mainly black shirts while Craig and Nat wore the gold colored ones.  We followed up our photo session with lunch at CiCi's pizza.

 

Nov 20 ~ Craig and I (and Katelyn) attended our first parent/teacher conference for Natalie this morning.  Mrs. Fink had tons of positive and wonderful things to say about Miss Nat :)  Yes, it is only preschool but it is always pleasing for a parent to hear great things about their child. We were told that Natalie is a pleasure to have in class and that she is one of the most outgoing students in her room. She gladly and willingly participates in all the class activities. She is doing an outstanding job when it comes to her self-help skills, socialization skills, and in regards to her physical development.  We were informed that she "easily becomes engaged" when it comes to the dramatic play center.  Two areas that could use some slight improvement would be sharing toys more readily with others and more practice using scissors. Mrs. Fink kept a folder of some of Nat's artwork to show us...she is very good at drawing shapes and faces and has no problem explaining what her drawings are about.  Mrs. Fink also said that her behavior seems to be right on target for a child her age, that Natalie loves music and dancing, and that it is obvious that we read with her on a regular basis.  I was glad to hear about her behavior...we know that Natalie can get a little wound up and can be a worrier sometimes (unfortunately she may get some of that from me), so it was good to know that she is behaving well during class time.  Way to go Natalie!!

     After the conference we finished packing and were eventually on the road to Illinois for Thanksgiving!  We were all very excited to see Craig's parents. Grandma had a surprise waiting for Natalie...she had gotten a new bedset and wall decorations for one of the spare rooms. One of the main colors of the bedset was purple (one of Nat's favorite colors) and butterflies was also part of the theme (another one of Nat's faves). Natalie thoroughly enjoyed sleeping in "Grandma's big girl bed" every night we were visiting!  Katelyn very much enjoyed that first night at Grandma & Grandpa's house. She spent a fair amount of time taking all of the newspapers off the end table in the living room and scattering them around.  Why do we even bother buying toys??

 

Nov 21 ~ Today was kind of a relaxing day at Mom and Dad Essington's house. The girls kept busy playing and also got baths. Mom E, Nattie, and I ventured out to Eastland Mall for a bit to look for new snowboots for Nat, dress shoes for Kate, and tights for both little girls. Natalie got to ride the Christmas train there at the mall before we left. 

     Craig and I were able to go on a date later that evening.  It was just what we needed. We had a leisurely dinner over at Alexander's Steakhouse and then we stopped at Biaggi's for dessert. It was nice to connect again as husband and wife and not just as parents - those with kids know what I'm talking about I'm sure. Craig's brother, Michael, was due to arrive in town from Chicago late that night.  So Mom E, Craig, and Natalie all went to pick him up at the train station. 

 

Nov 22 ~ Happy Thanksgiving!!  We were happy and blessed to be able to partake in a quiet Thanksgiving Day at Craig's parents' home this year. We were also thrilled to have Craig's Grandma Essington join us - Craig's dad picked her up in Monticello.  Mom Essington cooked a very large (I think I counted about nine side dishes!) meal for us all to enjoy. I feel bad that I don't help cook more - my excuses being that I just don't feel very confident as a cook and I feel out of place and in the way when I'm in another woman's kitchen...even if that woman happens to be my mother-in-law. I feel much more comfortable helping with clean up duties. Though I've decided that I may need to push all of that aside next year and make myself more useful in the preparation of the Turkey Day meal. Anyway... this was Katelyn's very first Thanksgiving! She loved the stuffing and the sweet potato casserole. Big girl Natalie helped set the table this year!

 

Nov 23 ~ Grandma Essington wanted to get a professional picture done of the girls in their new Christmas dresses!  So we took them over to Walmart for a quick photo session. We ended up with some really cute poses. It has become a tradition that Grandma picks out holiday dresses for Natalie and Katelyn.  She always chooses adorable ones, and this year was no exception. Their dresses are a black velvet on top with a slightly shimmery deep red on the bottom. They are matching, which Natalie was thrilled to see!  The girls also wore black shiny shoes, black tights, and black hair clips. They looked so pretty!

     Today we had Thanksgiving meal part two over at my Uncle Jerry's house, which he now shares with his girlfriend Michelle. The holiday was a little different this year with my mom's side of the family. It ended up being just us, Jerry, Michelle, and my grandparents sharing a meal together. We missed seeing my Aunt Diana, Uncle Mark, and cousins Tara and Amber around the table. There were some family issues that came up sort of last minute, so they were not able to make it over - it's probably not appropriate that I go into detail, but if you could be praying for my seventeen year old cousin, Amber, that would be helpful...she is going through a tough time right now. It was nice seeing that side of the family, though.  My grandparents have had some health problems over the past year or so, but they were looking really good so that made me happy.  My Grandpa Fleming was even picking up Katelyn and interacting with her quite a bit, which he hadn't really been doing before because of his health.  It can be hard to watch your grandparents (and even your parents) age.  We were very thankful this year to spend time with our grandparents - Elsie Essington, Gerald & Evelyn Fleming, and Loretta LaMasters (Grandma Bair).  And it seems to mean even more to us when our own children get to spend time with them as well.

 

Nov 24 ~ Today was Thanksgiving meal part three!  We went down the street to my Aunt Cheri and Uncle Mike's house to see the Bair side of the family...yep, my aunt and uncle live just down the road from Craig's parents. I hadn't seen that many family members in one spot in a long time!  A little overwhelming, but a terrific thing! Uncle Mike made two turkeys and there was plenty of other food to feast on, too. Natalie was beyond happy to have playmates around her age - cousins Abby and Adam Engle. I wasn't able to stay long - I had a babyshower I had to go to that started just a couple hours later. Katelyn was very tired and having some major teething troubles, so I dropped her off at her grandparents' house before heading out to the shower.  Craig and Nat stuck around to mingle with the Bairs. 

     My friend since kindergarten, Melissa Weinzierl, had a babyshower over in Lexington that same day.  It honestly stresses me out to have to be at too many places in one day, but I really didn't want to miss my friend's special day. Melissa and her fiance, Tony Mays, are due to have a baby boy in January. All babies are a big deal, but this one especially since it has been like ten years since Melissa gave birth to her last baby - she has one daughter named Elizabeth!  Melissa was looking fantastic - with her big beautiful belly and a smile on her face the entire time. She has been a faithful friend to me over many years now, so it was very important to me to be there for the shower.

 

Nov 25 ~ This was our last morning/afternoon in Illinois.  We all kind of went our separate ways during the morning. Natalie wanted to go to church with Grandma and Grandpa, Craig drove Mike over to the train station, and I stayed at the house with Katie. We all (minus Mike) met back up at the house for a big lunch together. We also witnessed the first snow of the season there in Normal, IL.  Even though it was mostly just rain and ice with a few big flakes, Natalie screamed with joy! She went outside on the deck hoping to catch a snowflake or two on her tongue. We had also heard it snowed a little in Iowa while we were away, but nothing that really stuck.  We arrived back in Iowa and I think we were all pretty happy to be back in our own home.  As wonderful as our Thanksgiving trip had been...there is nothing like home...

 

Nov 26 ~ Abe Lashmit visited our house for about an hour today while his mommy helped over at HCS. He's going through an attachment phase right now, so he was a little sad and missing his mom. But we found some toys that he liked and kept him busy and happy. Katelyn was very angry with me today.  She kept taking toys away from Abraham and did not like it when I told her no - she stomped her tiny foot and stuck out her bottom lip as far as it would go! 

 

Nov 27 ~ Natalie woke up this morning with her first case of pink eye. She was very sad that she had to miss the first day back at preschool after holiday break. I called the pediatrician's office and the nurse just sent in a prescription for eye drops over the phone.  Nat will have three drops four times per day for about a week. 

 

Nov 28 ~ Nattie's pink eye spread to both eyes now, though one is worse than the other.  So she'll now have drops in both eyes for awhile.  Oh my...getting a child to stay still for eyedrops is just torture!  I feel so bad for her, but it has to be done. Craig and I are both exhausted from the struggle.

 

Nov 29 ~ Natalie was able to go back to school today since she had completed a full twenty four hours of treatment for her pink eye.  She was so excited to go back and see her teacher and friends!  Katelyn, on the other hand, is just having a heck of a time with teething.  She is in a lot of pain and not much seems to help...the poor girl is in so much pain sometimes that she resorts to smacking herself on the head with her own hand in frustration.  We (both her and I) have shared lots of tears and popsicles. She already has her four bottom teeth. Now her top teeth are starting to come in and they are kind of a mystery...their timing and placement is not as text book as it was when Natalie developed teeth. We'll see what becomes of everything soon.

     Our Christmas tree is up and decorated!  Craig lifted Natalie up so she could place the angel on the top...that has become a tradition now. Natalie helped me put the ornaments on and she was an awesome helper!  We got to talk about where each ornament came from and any special meaning that they may have. 

     Craig had his last night of basketball league tonight.  Poor Team Rusty did not win a single game this season...Craig will probably be less than happy when he reads this part of the journal, but I cannot tell a lie!  He did get some good exercise and some quality man-time in the process - so that is a plus.

 

Nov 30 ~ I finished up decorating the house for Christmas tonight. Although it can be tedious, I always love the finished product! There is something so peaceful about relaxing at home in the evening during the winter.  Just turning on the fireplace, lighting a few candles, and stepping back to look at the decorations after a long day.  I think it puts us all in a good mood.  I have to admit that putting everything out for the holidays was a little difficult for me this year. I have quite a few Christmas items that once belonged to my parents...various ornaments, trinkets, and treasures that used to be displayed in our house when I was a child.  While I'm glad to have them in my possession, I never know what emotion they may bring about within me during any given year. I also ran across an ornament that a once-cherished friend gave me that I had forgotten all about. This year I feel a little sadness, but I know it will be okay. I have so much to be thankful for in my life - which includes a loving husband and two beautiful daughters.  And my God is always with me - He never leaves.