"We're All in This Together"

Who knew that a grown woman could be reminded of something so obvious by a movie....well, not just any movie! For those of you who have not had the High School Musical experience you might truly be missing out. Earl and I took McKenna this weekend to see her "love bug", Troy Bolton. In it's 3rd installment the HSM gang once again reminds us that we are in fact "ALL in this together". Whether it's high school, work, or raising our kids in this sometimes crazy world, we are all in it together. I never really got the concept of "it takes a village to raise a child" until I was the mother of two. Now I understand. If it was not for my family and my friends both near and far I'm not sure I could keep it together. So, do yourself a favor and sit down for a couple of High School Musical movies and enjoy their fun, yet agreeably cheesy message.

We are still on track to move this Friday (once again with the help of many friends and family). Consequently, we will not have internet access for 3 days. I'm hoping I can survive...but it might be close. I'll definitely have a lot of catching up to do on everyone's sites come Monday evening.
It's going to be so bittersweet to actually leave here. If I let myself stop and think long enough I get caught up in all the "firsts" that are tied to this house. It's our first house, our first big project, our first Christmas as a married couple, and then their are all the firsts with McKenna and Cooper. I guess it's just plain hard to imagine ourselves anywhere but Mountain View Road. We are crossing our fingers that our next neighbors are at least half as great as the ones we have now. But we feel so blessed to have the opportunity to have a new home and feel a sense of accomplishment in actually making it through the building process with some of our mental health intact. And I do stress SOME. I'm sure those near and dear to me will second that! I worry about how long it will take for our new house to feel like a home, but I guess that part is up to us. It will definitely be filled with love so I guess that's a start.

Hope everyone has a great week!

The Great Painted Pumpkins

Last night I promised some new pictures soon so I hope you enjoy the images I was able to catch this evening as we painted pumpkins. Usually we would carve them, but McKenna insisted we paint pumpkins this year. I wasn't going to argue since I would be the one scooping all that goo out of the pumpkins anyway. And honestly, who needs that mess on a Thursday night?

We also decided to try Cooper's costume on him to make sure it would fit. It definitely fit...and he definitely is not having anything to do with it. So, Megan, I guess we will be returning the giraffe costume sooner rather than later. Thanks for the offer though! Let's just say we're not really Halloween people and I guess we accidentally passed that on to our kids. McKenna is looking forward to trick or treat night. I'll have to wait to tell you what she's going to dress up as because she says "you're not supposed to tell anyone, they have to guess".

So for now, "Happy Fall" to everyone. We'll have to get back to you on the "Happy" Halloween part!

I really should probably be ironing or finishing laundry right now, but sitting down every night to post something on this blog has become a great way for me to wind down, look back on the day, and once again appreciate all of the blessings in my life. Of course some days those blessings are a little easier to find than others...but they are always there.
Today Cooper and I spent the day together. McKenna loves her new class at school and didn't want to miss out on anything that had to do with Ms. Lorraine's class. I can only hope that she maintains the same attitude about school for the next 12 years. Cooper and I ran all kinds of errands. We stopped to get his haircut, shopped for a new TV, and went out to the house for awhile, and braved the Farmer's market. Mimi was kind enough to pick McKenna up at daycare and bring her home so I could get some stuff squared away with the new house. (I would go into greater detail but it's too painful to recount at the moment. Let's just say I will be SOOO....glad when we are done with this project.) After a quick trip to Target for a wedding shower gift we were back home for supper, baths, and Sesame Street. Cooper has started to really enjoy Elmo so it's fun for us to watch him react to seeing Elmo on the TV. McKenna was the first one in bed tonight since she skipped out on a nap. A nap that I would have gladly taken for her if given the chance. Cooper followed quickly behind her, stopping first to make sure his music was turned on before heading to his crib. Sometimes I am amazed that he is my child. McKenna was always a challenge to get to sleep. Not Cooper. Thank goodness for small favors.
I tried to get some good pictures for tonight's post, but couldn't really catch anything new. I'll try harder for tomorrow. I know I haven't been very good about pictures lately.
Though it's only Wednesday, we're all looking forward to the weekend. Saturday is my cousin Nicole's wedding shower AND the Penn State vs. Ohio State football game. I'm sure most of you will be tuned in so let's hope for a good game and another win for State!

Last evening I had the rare treat of taking McKenna to her gymnastics class minus one mischievous little boy. Cooper usually keeps me preoccupied as he runs around the gym during McKenna's class. I try to keep my eye on what she's doing but it's not always easy. So last night I finally escaped without Cooper and could fully concentrate on McKenna. She did well on the floor exercises and was a little hesitant on beam but she seems to be progressing along. I was most amazed when I sat and watched her on bars. Anyone who knows McKenna will tell you that all her life she's been scared...of just about anything. I guess that's why I'm so surprised by her lack of fear when it comes to gymnastics. Last night she jumped right up to the bars, grabbed on and did a "skin the cat". I couldn't believe my eyes! She did it! It was one of those little moments when you're so totally proud of your kids. I know it was just practice, but I couldn't help but smile inside. And I couldn't help but remember when I was just a little older than McKenna. I spent my summers at the playground (along with some of you who I know will be reading this) swinging from the bars and "skinning the cat". Watching McKenna last night so small and so innocent was almost enough to take me right back to those playground days. What I wouldn't do for one of those warm afternoons when all you really had to worry about was who you were going to ride bikes with that evening. As we look forward to moving to our new house I'm really looking forward to the friends McKenna and Cooper will surely make there. Our goal when we set out on our house hunt was to find a neighborhood that would give our kids the kind of childhood we had growing up. The kind where you could walk out your front (or back) door and be surrounded by friends. I hope their memories will be as fond as mine and their friendships as lasting.

Could We PLEASE Rewind the Weekend?

I can't believe that it's Sunday night already! This weekend was a productive and fun one, but it went by way to fast. Friday evening Earl had to work late so the kids and I ran errands and went for groceries. Saturday was a marathon day beginning with a trip to pick paint for the front door, ordering furniture, TV shopping and how could I forget...PACKING, PACKING, PACKING. I actually can't take much credit for the packing part because Earl did most of it. I had a good head start on him though so I don't feel too guilty.
Saturday afternoon we headed over to Mom and Dad's to "watch" the Penn State game. I think Pappy and Daddy got to watch the game, but Mimi and I were busy keeping track of McKenna, Cooper and Tighe.
Today the kids and I went to church while Earl stayed home to disassemble the beds and do some more packing. The praise band was awesome and so was Pastor Larry's sermon. He talked about not worrying about where God is taking us. If we're unsure we only have to look back to see how far He's brought us and what he's brought us through. Definitely words to take to heart.
Cooper kept us laughing this afternoon with his own silly little giggles. He has a new found love of playing ball with Tucker. Please excuse my messy house as you enjoy the video. Hopefully Cooper will bring a smile to you also.

So, with the lunches packed, the clothes picked out for the week, the nap mats washed and two little ones sleeping soundly I think I too will head to bed. And, since we can't rewind the weekend, I guess we'll look forward to the new week ahead and welcome whatever it might bring.

Could It Really Be True

It doesn't seem possible but two weeks from today we will be the proud owners of our newly built house. At the outset of our house hunt I didn't want to build a house. I was actually pretty set against it. But, when we couldn't find anything that met our needs and our wallet we sent up a little prayer. And the rest is history. We found a great builder who's become a great friend. I'm not sure how Ed stuck it out with us (well mainly me), but he promised that building wouldn't be a bad experience and he pretty much made good on his promise. I'm not sure who I'm going to talk to on a daily basis when Ed's not calling to discuss trim or cabinets or wall color...but I'm glad to be done with all of that. And I'm sure Ed is glad to be finished too! We've been so lucky to have so many of our friends involved in helping us through this process. Everyone from our realtor friend, Ann to Megan our insurance agent and Wendy our lawyer. We are so grateful to have friends in these positions who are willing to help us.

It's sad for us to pack up and leave our first home. It's the house that we worked hard to fix up to fit our style; it's where we returned to after our honeymoon; the home we brought our newborn babies. We have so many great memories of this house. Our neighbors have been a blessing to us and are like another set of great grandparents to our kids. We will certainly miss them more than words can describe.

We have a lot hopes and dreams for our new place though and we're excited to get moved in and spread out a little. McKenna is anticipating many play dates with all the little girls that live around us (and there are lots). I'm not sure what Cooper or Tucker will think...but something tells me that they won't skip a beat.

So for now I better go get packing!

Are they really brother and sister???

There is one thing that will never cease to amaze me about my children....just how completely different they are. Hard to believe that they share the same DNA and the same parents. Most of my friends and family say Cooper looked just like McKenna when he was born. That is definitely where the similarities end. McKenna was a mild mannered, fairly good natured toddler (except for the ugly cry). She would sit and play by herself or watch Baby Einstein while I cleaned up a little. I never covered a single outlet or put a latch on a cabinet door. I never had to worry that she was getting into something she shouldn't or wandering too far from me. Cooper on the other hand has managed to turn our world a little upside down. Let me recount the things he did just in the last 2 hours. Since I've been home from work he has escaped out the garage door while I was getting the trash together; fed the dog most of his supper while I wasn't looking; colored on the dining room wall with a crayon McKenna dropped on the floor; put the Swiffer duster in the dog water; unloaded all the books from his toy chest; repeatedly banged on the cabinet door because it had a child proof lock on it; took McKenna's pajamas out of her drawer.....I think that's it, but I'm sure there's more. Oh yeah....he laughed right at me when I put him in time out for pulling McKenna's hair---how could I forget that one. And now finally, he sleeps peacefully. Which I guess reminds me of all the great qualities that he has that his sister didn't have at his age....he goes to sleep without a fight at 7pm every night (and he sleeps all night!) Aunt Carol was right when she said my second baby would sleep better than my first. He eats like a pro - something we still are working on with McKenna. And above all, he keeps us active!! No sitting down to read or watch TV with him around.
I guess it's good that my kids are so different. That's what makes them unique and balances our family out so nicely. They both have their challenges, but as long as they are happy then so am I. (Tired....but happy).
Have a good night!

Continuing to Count My Blessings

I'm so glad to be back home tonight. After just one night away from my family it feels great to be back and going through our evening routine. Going away just for a short time always seems like a good idea, but when it comes right down to it, I really hate it. I wasn't even gone three hours until I felt that horrible pang of sadness sitting at lunch with my friends in Allentown and watching the little boy and girl across the room from me. At my conference I had the opportunity to meet some incredible parents of special needs kids who will make you appreciate your healthy kids in the first two seconds you meet them. They are amazing people. So you can imagine that last night I couldn't get home fast enough. Unfortunately, both kids were already in bed but at least I had the chance to kiss them before I turned in for the night.

Tonight I continue to count my blessings. As I was sitting down to write this post McKenna came over to me and wanted to tell me a secret. My first thought was that it was something silly like tonight was her doll's birthday or that she wanted a snack. But she brushed my hair back from my ear and said, "I love you, Mom". Those have to be the sweetest words that you can ever hear from your own flesh and blood. Those words fill me with such pride and love. And they remind me that all the trials and difficulties of the day, all the little duties we must get done are all worth it, just to hear those little words from that little heart. And it makes me grateful and thankful for the many, many blessings that have been brought into my life. And on that note I would like to ask those of you who haven't already heard of Stacy and Spencer (or have already been following their blog) to please continue to pray for them. They lost their baby boy last week and still continue on the path to healing. You can visit their blog and read their story at http://sgirl79.blogspot.com/

Thanks to all of you who are a blessing in my life. And Mom, since I know you'll read this...I have a secret - I love you!

Funny...It doesn't feel like fall

It might not feel like fall as the temperature soared into the 70's today. But there was no denying it this afternoon as we spent time with friends at Ard's Farm Market. Ard's is one of our favorite fall hangouts and fall is definitely our favorite time of year. Today was a special day at Ard's as we helped celebrate Connor's birthday party. Connor and McKenna have been friends since they were just a few weeks old. It's hard to believe that they are turning 5! It seems like just last year when my friends and I took the kids to the pumpkin patch for the first time. McKenna was only 9 months old. I have such great memories of taking the kids there each year. Cooper was able to enjoy himself a little more this year and I'm looking forward to taking them for years to come.

We spent a lot of time visiting the goats, the pig, and everyone's favorite...the bunnies. Cooper was amazed by the goats and even tried to climb the fence to join them in a game of soccer. The kids also had a great time playing in the corn bin and racing rubber ducks. We picked up a few pumpkins on our way out for carving sometime next week.

Tomorrow I'm heading to Philadelphia for a conference with a group of nurses from the hospital. I hate to leave, but it's only for one day so I guess I'll survive. I know that Earl and my mom will take good care of them. It's just that I like to be the one taking care of them!

I hope you enjoy the pictures. Happy Fall!

Make Your Mess Your Message

"Make your mess your message" were some of the first words I heard this morning as I was busy getting ready to face the day. Rarely do I turn the TV on in the morning and when I do it's usually tuned to the Disney Channel or PBS. But today for some reason I tuned into Good Morning America and I actually sat down to watch it. Those of you who have been unfortunate enough to be in my presence this week know that I've had better weeks. Between the new house, Cooper being sick, packing and working, I've been a little stressed...and a little high strung. I guess that's probably why God decided I needed a couple of doses of reality. Let me tell you they came through loud and clear. So, back to Good Morning America.... There was a short piece about the co-anchor, Robin Roberts, and her battle with breast cancer. Her message was the simple one that titles my post tonight - Make Your Mess Your Message. How perfect is that? Five short, simple words that remind us all to take the bumps in life, learn from them, and go out and tell others. And it reminds us that there is a lesson in all of life's difficulties should we care enough to look for it.

My other reality check came through my friend Megan's blog and a story she told about a friend of a friend. To make a long story short, a couple our age had a baby on Tuesday. A baby that they only had for 16 short minutes. To visit their website dedicated to their baby boy absolutely makes you understand all the blessings we have in life. And I'm sure they will never know just how much their loss has influenced others. I know that it made me stop and remember what's important and to thank God again for the blessings He has given our family.

And so I've hugged my kids a million times tonight and let go of the little things that would usually be driving me crazy right now. It's been great to be reminded that God is Good.

Feeling Much Better

I don't have much time to write tonight since tomorrow begins the great race to start packing for our move. Well, actually I have packed some stuff, but not nearly enough.

I just wanted to report that Cooper is feeling much better today. He's still coughing but a trip to the doctor confirmed that his lungs are fine and it's just an upper airway thing. He still had to get immunizations today so I'm sure he'll be back to being miserable tomorrow. But, what are you going to do.

I wanted to post this picture of McKenna tonight since I think it's absolutely adorable. She filled her chart at school and got to pick a prize from Ms. Lorraine's prize box. And so I present the sun glasses....

And just to prove that Cooper is on the mend, here's one of him and Daddy horsing around on the floor....

Looking forward to sweet dreams

I can't promise that this post will make any sense at all since I've had minimal sleep the last two nights. Cooper is fighting a cold and cough. We spent the last two nights camped out in the living room, trying not to keep the rest of the house up. Let me just tell you how long a night can seem when you're in a recliner and measuring the time in 20 minute increments. That was our night last night from 10pm until about 6am when Cooper finally slept for about 2 hours. But enough whining.
We did manage to make it through the day successfully even though Cooper only took a 1/2 hour nap. My mom graciously watched the kids so that I could go do a little shopping for the new house. It was the best 2 hours ever! We spent the rest of the day at home where I actually was able to make some lasagna and a casserole for this week. And some really yummy pumpkin bars. Earl made it home around 7:30 and was greeted by Cooper with Baby Einstein cards in hand. He must have made Earl go through those cards 6 times before he finally gave up and moved on to something else. His favorite tonight is the fish. He makes his little mouth move like a little fish...so cute! McKenna and I watched a little TV and then it was off to bed. McKenna was out in minutes. Cooper on the other hand only slept long enough for me to iron 2 pairs of pants. And now he's sleeping soundly in my arms...for the next 14 minutes. Someone get some sleep for me tonight!

Today we spent a fun day visiting with our family in Lewistown. It had been a long time since I had seen Pappy Richard so we stopped at Elmcroft first for a very long overdue visit. He was excited to see the kids and to show them off to the other residents.

"Hey, Pap - wait for me."

Chillin out with Great Pappy

After our visit with Pap we went to have lunch and play awhile at Amy's. McKenna was super excited to be able to spend time playing with Zach and Jase. They even surprised us with a "boys fashion show" of sorts when they dressed up in their camouflage hunting gear.

By this time Cooper was so tired he needed toothpicks to keep his eyes open so we headed for our last stop to see Mom-Mom and Pappy Landis. I wanted to pick up a few things for McKenna at the Bon-Ton so Pappy braved it alone with Cooper for an hour. We returned home to find Cooper crying hysterically and Pappy trying his best to comfort him. Apparently all went well for the first 45 minutes, but went down hill fast from there. I knew Cooper was tired so we quickly packed up the car and headed for home.

All in all, it was a relaxing and fun day. I'm glad that we took the time to go see everyone. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

A good babysitter is hard to find...but not impossible

They say good help is hard to find, and I guess that's true....to a point. But we are lucky to have MANY great people who help us out on a regular basis. One of our favorites is our babysitter, Amanda. Our family has known Amanda for many years since she has been friends with Uncle Shane for a long time. But it wasn't until this summer that we seized the opportunity to have Amanda do some babysitting for us. You might wonder why I'm posting about our babysitter tonight and including pictures of our sleeping children so I'll get to my point. Tonight Earl and I had to run some errands which consisted of going to Lowe's for some more lights for the house (And checking out the new Kohl's in Selinsgrove). Instead of dragging the kids out I decided to call and see if Amanda could come and play. She's great with the kids. We came home to art projects made of fall leaves and squiggly eyes, lots of books and toys out and one sleeping baby! Amanda said she put him to bed at 7:15 because she couldn't keep him up any longer. Apparently he kept going to the fridge and then to Amanda and then back to the fridge until she finally figured out that he wanted his bedtime milk. After that he was out for the count. I'm so glad that he's a better sleeper than McKenna. Soon after we were home it was off to bed for McKenna also. They seem just as tired this week as I do. Luckily tomorrow is the last day of school and work for the week. Friday we are looking forward to going to Lewistown to see Great Pappy Richard and our other family. I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures after that. Here is a great picture of McKenna and Earl playing opossum though! Can you believe we still have the pink bear??? Check out her favorite Penn State blanket, too. She stole that from Earl! It is probably the most comfortable blanket we have and she loves it.

Well, still lots to do in preparation for tomorrow. Is it Friday yet???????