Happy Friday!

Our new dinnerware arrived last night! You know you're old when you get excited about new plates.  We have been using the same dinnerware for 9 years.  Everything was chipped or MIA (remember when Sadie broke 3 plates within 48 hours?) I ordered 3, 4 piece settings (one will stay boxed until we need it).  I love the set! Sadie will be eating from a paper plate. :)

Keipersol

I know Greg forgot our anniversary (he says he did not). There was a serious look of fear on his face when I handed him an anniversary card that morning.  He more than made up for it with roses, 3 cards, a manicure, and dinner reservations.


We celebrated our anniversary with a trip to Keipersol Winery.  It was an hour trip, but well worth it!  Apparently, it is the go-to place for anniversaries. Every couple there (there were only 5) were celebrating.

I love the fire extinguisher in the background!

Want to know what we ordered? I thought so.

Greg: Duck Cigars (fried cigar-like pieces stuffed with duck with a side of plum sauce and corn/jalepeno relish)
Lamb with mint sauce and Lyonnaise potatoes
A glass of Merlot (he couldn't even drink the whole glass...what a lightweight!)

Sarah: House salad (greens, goat cheese, pecans, balsamic vinaigrette).  I could eat goat cheese every day.  Greg says we can buy a goat when we arrive in Nebraska :)
Seabass with vegetables and creamed spinach
A glass of Vit and Pinot Grigio and the rest of Greg's glass (not a lightweight)

We had a great time!

9th Anniversary

Some people would say, "I can't believe it's already been nine years, but not me".  We have had so many ups and downs these past nine years.  Greg went back to school, we moved back to Longview, our daughter was born with disabilities, and we are on the brink of a new journey. No matter any difficult situation, we always come through together.  I love my husband.  I love the man and father that he is.  There will always be stressful situations, but that is our life. We do it together.  I look back at these wedding photos and remember how terrified I was, yet so excited about our new life together.  I know with all of my heart that we will be together forever.  I knew it the moment I saw him :)


1 Corinthians 13:4-10 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ...

I must say, I am rarely patient and sometimes I'm not kind and sometimes I'm rude and sometimes I am irritable and resentful, but I will continue to try, try, try to be the best wife to Greg.

Another Pool Day

Today, we went to the pool again.  This time, Ben was able to come along.  He passed the swim test to be able to go into the adult section and jump off the diving board and was tall enough (just barely) to use the slide.  This has been such an issue for us in past years.  Every year, he has walked up to that measuring stick and turned around with his head hanging low.  When I saw the expression on his face, tears started to fall.  I knew he had finally reached the height level. I was so afraid that after three years he would be denied again.  However, we had a serious talk regarding the rules of the pool before we arrived.  He knew that if he wasn't tall enough, that was it - no questions.  He is so much more mature this year than last, so I knew he could handle it. Luckily, we didn't get to that point.

He always needs at least two snacks while we swim :)  Today, it was chips and a cherry limeade ice pop.  We stayed for two hours today, but will try to stay longer next time.

Sadie had two therapy appointments this morning, so she and I are a little worn out, but too bad. Tonight we have an end of season Cub Scout event at the park. Greg is working tonight, so he can't be there.  One thing I can guarantee?  We will all be in bed early tonight (and I am not cooking)!

Camp Pick-Up and Father's Day

I ran when I saw Ben at Pine Cove. I cried. We hugged. And hugged. And hugged. He slept with me last night (I put Greg on the couch). I endured his feet on my stomach as he slept horizontally. I missed him so much that I didn't care.

Someone else was just as happy to see him!

During the closing ceremonies, Ben's "key word" was resourceful.  His counselor told me this was because he only wore two of his ten outfits :)  This is Ben and Campbell. I am so grateful that he took care of him for a week.

Today is Father's Day. I am so very proud of the amazing husband I chose to be a father to our children.  They wait for him to come home every night and squeal with delight when he arrives.  He takes them to the park, the movies, on walks, and loves on them constantly.

We started off the day at church, had lunch, and then bought Daddy a new game system :)

A great weekend!

Pool Time

Yesterday, we enjoyed our first day at the pool! Sadie had a ball, splashing, kicking, and laughing.  It is so much easier to carry her in the water, rather than land :)  We will be going a lot this summer.

And here are some more pics from camp they just posted. We pick him up this morning!

And he is actually wearing a different shirt and appears to be clean :)

Camp

Ben is having a great time at camp!  I'm sure he will not want to come home with us tomorrow.

I do find it a little disturbing that he is wearing the same shirt on days Wednesday and Thursday and that he still has camo paint on his forehead (Tuesday was camo night). Did he change clothes or shower at all?

Today

Today I...

watched Sadie try and sound out words with her developmental specialist.

made sure she would have a spot in school if we can't sell our house.

thought about how much I would miss Greg if he goes to Nebraska without us.

went to the grocery store and planned five yummy dinners...those people on that extreme coupon show aren't looking so ridiculous anymore.

bought Sadie some vanilla soy milk in hopes she will drink it...she is refusing regular milk and she needs calcium!  I also bought her more cottage cheese/fruit combos.  She will always eat those.  The only thing she will drink lately is water and flavored water.

missed my son and my dogs. The camp didn't post any pictures of yesterday as I had hoped.

watched Sadie wear her glasses for over two hours without her immobilizers, and watched her stand in her standing frame for over an hour and a half.

made King Ranch chicken and sliced some strawberries for dinner.

did two loads of laundry.

walked 3 miles with Sadie this evening.

Sleepover

Emily came to visit us last night! We had a picnic in the living room, read books, played with toys, and had a fun bath.

Emily really wanted to help brush Sadie's hair after bath :)

Ben is having a great time at camp! Only 2 more days until I can hug him :)

Birthday Boy!

Greg turned 37 yesterday!  That doesn't seem possible, considering he looks like he's 25.  He is graying a bit and losing some hair, though :) I was just hoping he didn't purchase a camaro and search for a "trophy wife".

I wanted to let him sleep in, but we had a brace appointment for Sadie and the doctor requested he be there.  The appointment was short, but he and Greg like to chat a lot, so we ended up staying almost an hour.

I bought Greg a chocolate cake and some balloons, but Sadie was the one who enjoyed the balloons the most.

His gift was a gift card to Racquet and Jog for some new shoes.  He needs new ones every six months, as he is on his feet for 12 hours at a time.  My mom gave him an Amazon gift card and my sister gave him a Nascar gift certificate.

And we went out on a date! We watched "The Hangover II" and ate at Fritz's (an italian restaurant where children aren't allowed).  It was so quiet!  Greg ordered a ribeye and I had Mediterranean salmon. So good!

A big THANK YOU to Sarah for taking care of my baby while we were out!

He's Alive!

The camp finally uploaded some photos to their webpage so I can see my baby :)

This was "Buckaroo" night. They were told to wear overalls or cutoffs and anything country. I have no idea why he is not wearing his cowboy boots. I gave him strict instructions for every theme night :)  I do see that he made it to the camp store for a snack, though.  He has his own priorities. I'm just glad he is alive!



Busy Sunday

This morning, I woke around 5:30 and starting prepping our house for show and finishing up the little details for Ben's camp trunk.  We left around 11:30 for Pine Cove Camp and arrived in Tyler shortly after 12:30.  There is a new Chuy's in Tyler, so we chose to eat there for his farewell meal. He LOVES Chuy's!  I told myself "YOU WILL NOT CRY", but guess what? I cried.  He didn't see me, of course.  It was just those hundreds of kids lined up at the entrance that threw me off.  Greg made his bed (he chose the top bunk). I watched his swim test. He had no problem.  And that was it. We were not allowed to go into the swimming area to see him, but could talk to him through the iron gate.  He pretty much never looked back. We had to scream his name multiple times to get him to tell us goodbye :(  I miss him so much already.  I loved on him in the backseat on the ride up there, but the house is so quiet. I miss his jokes and his laugh and the cartoons playing in the background. I should have pictures in this post, but I was in shock that I was actually leaving my child at a camp for 7 days.  When will I ever be able to "cut the cord"?

After that, we went to a new grocery store in Tyler called "Fresh".  We purchased sushi, goat cheese, and fruit. That made me happy!  I hope I can find some good sushi in Nebraska :)

After arriving home, I spoke with the realtor and she reported that the open house went well.  There was good traffic, including the actual builder of the home. He wanted to see the current condition and his wife is a realtor.  I hope we receive a call soon!

Happy Birthday Sarah Eloise!

Today, we went to a morning party for Miss Sarah's 2nd birthday party.  She is the sweetest girl and her parents are wonderful.  I had the pleasure of teaching her at VBS this past week.  Her mom dressed up as Elmo and then handed off the task to me.  I have to say, that costume was HOT and most of the children (with the exception of Sadie) were terrified of Elmo.  Sarah's mom was such a great host. She had tons of toys, a bounce house, and lots of yummy treats and drinks for the kids.  Ben was my photographer :)

I love celebrating the life of a child!

Scoot!

I requested a scoot seat for Sadie and luckily the therapist had one in her car! She loves it and spends at least an hour on it every afternoon.

Happy Friday!

VBS just came to an end.  Ben and his friends had a great time, as did the children in the nursery. I love those children with all my heart.  They were all so well-behaved and followed the curriculum to the best of their ability :)  Speaking of well behaved, one of the teachers came out to my car today to tell me that Ben was such a great child -"mannerly, patient, giving" were the words she used.  I let him know how much I appreciated his behavior.

Last night we had a sleepover at our house.  This is one of Ben's good friends, Logan, and they have spent most of the week together.  See Sadie in the background? She was turning circles to the music :)

This weekend is a BIG one for us.  We are taking Ben to camp at Pine Cove.  I tell myself he will be fine, but cry every time a have to purchase an item. I'm wondering if I'm crying for all of the money we have to pay for camp or because I've never left him for that long...

The realtor is doing an open house on the same day. I hope it goes well!

Here is Sadie with her Daddy last night on the patio.  She loves him so much!



VBS and Stuff

This morning I was scheduled in the nursery for Vacation Bible School.  I can definitely tell I'm getting old!  Thank goodness Ben had a playdate this afternoon so I was able to take a power nap. Everything went well, but I had to be up at 5 am to get myself and the children ready and fed.  We read the book of Genesis from the picture Bible, talked about God's creation, colored, and made animals from Playdough (ok, well I really made the animals, but you have to improvise sometimes :) Sadie ate the dough, then proceeded to spit it out all over the floor.  It is salty and she was hungry, so I understood why she tried it out :)

In other news, Greg received his Nebraska PA license today and Ben requested Dorothy Lynch dressing on his fish taco tonight in lieu of the sauce I had made. If you don't know, the first Dorothy Lynch factory was in Columbus, NE.  I guess we are really going to Columbus! Still seems so surreal to me, but I'm excited :)

Sprinklers and Mud

Yesterday, Greg turned on all of the sprinklers for the kids. Ben played a little football and Sadie rolled around in the mud.  She was a mess when she came into the house with Greg!

Today, we are going to a waterpark for some CLEAN water fun :)

Summer Has Begun

We have had a busy week thus far.  I scheduled 4 play dates for Ben! I am so lucky that he has friends with wonderful parents! We switch off from day to day, and he is able to go swimming and play at their houses, while I try to keep the house in order for the sell.  I took Ben and a friend to Chuck E. Cheese on one of our scheduled days.  They had a wonderful time!  Sadie did, too :)  I didn't have her stroller with me (panic), but realized she just loved riding the rides and sitting on the floor (doing her circle scoots) and watching the boys play.  The boys decided to divide their tickets evenly at the prize desk.  I thought that was so sweet!

This is Sadie's "if you don't put another token in this machine, I will throw a fit" face.

 

Greg was off yesterday and took Ben golfing. Ben needed some father/son time.

Today is a BIG day.  The realtor team will come to the house for a walk-through. I hope they all like it and try to sell it to their buyers!  Sadie is riding today, so that will get us out of the house for a while when they are here.  A BIG THANKS to Grandma Deb for taking the dogs. She drove 6 hours to meet Greg so we wouldn't have to kennel them or pack them up in the car every time we have a showing.  She has such a giving heart.

I can't believe today is June 1st! Time flies when you are moving to another state :) 
It is becoming VERY warm in Texas -100 degrees forecasted today. Nebraska is looking more and more inviting :)