Going Going Going...

Since it is the last month of summer we are taking advantage of every day!! I know that we will soon be stuck inside the house with a crazy toddler so we're enjoying the great outdoors while it lasts.

We had a fun weekend up North with Chris, Anne & Audrey. It was fun to catch up with them since our lives always seem to be on the same track as theirs!! It feels good to air out the reality of marriage and parenthood with family who understands, encourages, and laughs along!! We boated, beached, the boys fished and the girls talked talked talked. Jeff & Char watched the girls so we could get away for a dinner one night, which is always a blessing! We had a great breakfast on Monday at a local buffet before heading home. Pete didn't have to work so we enjoyed the long weekend and wonderful weather. It did rain but it waited until we were done boating and the girls were napping! Makenzie enjoyed Audrey and it was fun to have a baby around again!!

My mom & I headed back up North only a few days later to enjoy a LOOONG weekend doing things we always talk about doing! Makenzie LOVED the deer park and enjoyed Story Book Gardens too! She has no fear of animals and loves to feed them. My dad flew in on Friday and Makeznie was in heaven crawling all over the plane and pretending to fly. Pete came up after work on Friday and was able to stay until early this morning. We spent alot of time with his family and really got to relax. My favorite part was s'mores on the beach at night when all the other boaters were on the road heading home. We are truly blessed to have the condo. It is a place to go to focus on family and forget all the little things that seem so stressful in the moment.

Mak & I are going to pack up again this week and head over to IN to visit our good friends Adam & Annette... and I can't forget Makenzie's boyfriend, Austin. I am really looking forward to some girl time and it's always great to watch the kids play! Thank the Lord for good friends. I only wished they lived closer and that Pete could come to... but someone has to bring home the bacon!

Pete has been doing good. He is loving every chance he gets to drive an 18-wheeler and he's doing a great job. I never thought that I would marry a truck driver (since I grew up knowing what that life brings) but it has worked out great so far. It's nice that he has a job he enjoys. This week has been slow but hopefully it will pick up again after the rain dries up. At least it gives us more time to work on projects!!

A verse that has been on my mind..

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

It is important to remember the bad times to appreciate the good times ... but not dwell on what cannot be changed but rather focus our energy on appreciating the blessings God provides and appreciate the comfort that being a believer brings. It is also so easy for me to worry about how life can change in just one day or even one hour. That is why that verse puts me in my place. God is in control and I am so ready to surrender my fears to Him. I cannot control the future, as much as I try with my lists and all my plans, but I can choose to trust the One who is in control and take comfort in knowing that He does all things for good (even when it is impossible to understand sometimes.)

Not Much Going On...

Our Side Yard
My Little Flower Garden (Veggie garden coming next Spring!!)

Rachie looked so beautiful and happy!!

My crazy hair!

Yes, we've been like this for more than 10 years now.

I say that and laugh. I haven't blogged in a while because I am trying very hard to enjoy the warm weather and get outside as much as possible. I know that the cold weather will be here soon but I'm praying for a warm August/September. We got a fence last week and I LOVE it. Makenzie and I spend alot of time outside in the flower garden now. She loves to run around and have no limitations and no one chasing her! Praise the Lord that we stayed here because it is just perfect for right now.

We are hacking away at our project list which has included: the amazing fence, a kids pool (I'm picking up on my way to WI tonight thanks to criagslist!!) getting a hutch and TV for our living room (we only had TV in the finished basement and I admit that a little baby Einstein goes a long way when I'm trying to cook dinner or empty groceries from the car!), fix up my old toy box for Makenzie's room, get a little play kitchen for Kenzie in our kitchen, clean out our master closet, update the version of accounting software I use for all the companies, etc. This next week I'm going to work on child locks in the upstairs bathrooms (so I can actually keep stuff under the sinks), transplant a tree that was on our lot line and is now getting a beating from the fence, we really want to clean out our storage in the basement to move our treadmill from my mom & dad's down there, and maybe work on some more closets. The more we do the more I feel a peace about staying here!!

Rachels & Neals wedding was last weekend. Beth & I had a great time getting ready for the day. It was a treat to get my hair & makeup done but it was a little much for me. Makenzie didn't even know who I was, lol! Oh well. I always thought I would never be the mom who took 20min to get ready but there is a freedom it not being wrapped up in how you look. Pete & I were able to dance alot at the reception because my amazing mom & dad took Makenzie home for us. They had her most of the weekend for us with all the wedding activities.

Pete has been buys at work. He loves it. Me.... not so much. I know a man loves to provide for his family so I get why having a lot of hours excites him. It gives us more financial freedom... but I miss him. I try not to complain about work since it comes and goes but I will admit that I have been spoiled with how much he's been home this year!! He worked 21 hours one day and other than sleeping in the same bed for 3 hours I didn't see him for two days!! At least we have all weekend together. He thought he would be off work by now but moves keep coming in. Praise the Lord for work and I'm working on my attitude, lol.

I have an AMAZING husband.

Everyone who knows Pete loves him... it's hard not to. HOWEVER, I live with the man and I of course tend to get frustrated over the little silly things that really should not matter. SO, I was reminded this weekend of how special of a guy he is.

We were driving on 90 heading North to Wisconsin through some rain. I was driving and complaining that my butt hurt and that the stop and go was making me feel sick... and Pete said, "I don't know what to do to make it better. I've offered to drive but you won't let me... so other then staying at Sundara tonight I don't think there's much more I can do to put you in a better mood." I thought he was joking... I was being crabby and I knew it. After not believing him for about 3 minutes I realized he really booked the night!! I was SHOCKED. Pete has never done anything like this before. We dropped Makenzie off at his mom & dad's house and went to the hotel at 4ish. After checking out the amazing room and view we went out to dinner... just the two of us. AMAZING. I love real conversation and remembering all the things that we've been through over the last three years of marriage and our five years of being together that has brought us to love each other more then I even understood when we said our vows. I don't pretend that life is perfect... we have plenty of bad days... but this was not one of them!!! We then went back to sit in the hot tub and relax. We woke up to eat a wonderful breakfast on our balcony and then suntanned in the morning, worked out, suntanned some more and even took a little nap in between dips in the pool. It was AMAZING. I don't even have words for how relaxed I was.

We have had a tough hand dealt to us over the past 1 1/2 but one positive of the whole experience is that our relationship dove to a new depth that I think would have taken 20+ years to have reached if it wasn't for me realizing how much I need Pete. I am an independent girl and I tend to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders without asking for help but I wasn't able to be that girl for a long time. I can see that we are starting a new chapter to life and I feel like it is going to be good. God is my rock and my strength but Pete has been everything that God knew I needed him to be.

The Simple Woman's Daybook...

FOR TODAY July 22nd

Outside my window...rain falling onto the pond and a flower I planted in memory of my sister.

I am thinking...I cannot wait for Pete to come home!!

I am thankful for... my sweet baby, coupons, and rainy days.
From the kitchen... Mexican casserole for dinner with rice and a salad.

I am wearing... tank top and sweat pants.

I am creating... thank you cards for some wonderful presents I got for my birthday!!

I am going... to Kohls or Bed Bath & Beyond (with coupons!!) to pick out shower curtains and rugs for our master and guest bathroom after Makenzie wakes up.

I am reading... I wish I had time to read today!!

I am hoping... that I can clean the main floor of the house tonight after Makenzie goes to bed.

I am hearing... the rain.

Around the house... paperwork that needs to be sorted, cleaning supplies left out from last night, and a sleepy cat.

One of my favorite things... having the windows open on a rainy day.

A few plans for the rest of the week: finish cleaning, get bedding ready for Annette to come (YAY), pick out paint color for our upstairs hall/landing, drive to Beloit to buy a play kitchen for Makenzie that I found on craigslist.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ (to see the creator's blog of this blog concept)

Amish Day & A Lesson Learned

Not everyone will think this is as exciting as I did... but trust me... it was ALOT of fun. For my birthday celebration my mom, mother in law, and sister in law all went to a town in WI (close to the condo) where the Amish had a small community. We spent the day going to bakery after bakery, shopping at their country store, and investigating as much as we possibly could!! The food was amazing... Pete made french toast with a loaf of their bread.. YUMMY. Their cinnamon buns were so big and delicious and I had a blast shopping at a wood working store that also sold crafts and other items. Char is great at asking questions without seeming intrusive and we talked to several people about their lives and businesses. I am going to learn how to make soy candles in the glass ball jars that we also use for canning. I bought two of them and LOVE the smell and look. I also bought a perennial for our garden in the back yard. It was a great day of talking, exploring and enjoying a taste of a world so far from our own. (Amy, we thought of you often... next time you need to come with!!)

Also, I have been realizing something that I find very intriguing. The more I think about what I want and focus on myself, the crabbier I seem to be. When I'm worried about helping someone or thinking of what I can do for someone else... I am content. I know that the Bible talks about selfishness alot for a reason and that is something I'm working on. Whenever I start to think "I need a break" or "I just can't keep up with everything on my plate" I stress and make myself so irritable. The pastor of the church we go to in WI spent this week on how important it is to give (not just money but our time, energy & our gifts) to God and to others. I am going to focus on this all week.

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another more important than himself; Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

Going CRAZY.

We have had a FUN two weeks trying to fit everything fun into every moment we could. Between the condo in WI, Brookfield Zoo, Fontana Beach, Aunt Linda & Tim's house with Abbie, Alex, Katelyn, the pool at Grandma & Grandpa's, a fun BBQ with our friends & family, their new power wheel that they take all over the place... and probably other stuff I just can't remember... we all had a great time... but we are all starting to get tired. Today we just enjoyed a relaxing day at my mom's & dad's with a trip to McDonald's and to Cold Stone. Both kids are sleeping and we'll hopefully spend more time in the little pool and just playing before Timmy heads back to AL tomorrow afternoon.

While we are all sad that he is leaving tomorrow... we already started planning our next trip to see Timmy Lee and his family in AL!! My mom, dad, kenzie & I will spend a week down south in the end of September.

Also, to get me thinking about the next couple of days and not just tomorrow... we have a huge to-d0 list that we've been adding stuff to since we decided to keep the house. SO... Pete & I will keep busy with that soon!!! First, we are all heading up to WI for some time with Pete's family and to catch up on some sleep and hopefully relax on the beach. We couldn't have asked for a better time with the kids. They both did WONDERFUL!! I'm sure they will miss each other, but it won't be long until they can play again. I'm so thankful that we have the opportunity to travel to AL and that Timmy Ray is awesome and lets us take him back to IL!!!! (I'll post pictures soon but my camera is right next to a sleeping three year old and I'm not about to disturb him!!!)

Life Is Good

THIS NEEDS NO COMMENT...

EATING A DOUGHNUT!!! (Timmy Lee had one too!!)

SUCH A HAPPY BOY!!!

I DONT WANT TO KNOW WHAT SHE'S THINKING!!

Everyone has ups and downs in life, some bigger then others. I can hopefully say that I've been through one of the biggest downs that I could ever have imagined... which really really stunk... but now I can feel us getting back up. This does not mean I don't miss Tammy. I still want her back and I cannot wait to see her in Heaven. However, God taught us to have a new focus on this life to make every day count... to cherish the family we have, enjoy the friends who have been there through thick and thin, love each other more everyday (ok... we have our "crabby with each other" days too... but at least those are way less then the good days), appreciate the gift God gave us to raise and adore while she's growing and changing every day, and to just appreciate the small common things that we take for granted.

I don't want to be one of those people who make things seem perfect all the time because that is NOT life.. not anyones.. not mine. In my past blog I was honest when it hurt and I was real about how I was feeling. I'm hoping to do the same here, but I am confident that they will be more encoraging as time goes on!! Enjoy the pictures from the past couple days and if you're reading this, you are someone who loves me and who I love and I really appreciate you... especially if you are one of the people who prayed me out of a very hard time in my life.

God is good.