Okay... so I guess I have to continue this... People are actually reading! Where were we? Awe yes... the holidays...
Let me start by saying, there is a lot of garbage I'm not including... Things about my relationship with Kevin, that although might add to the story, make me kinda wanna gag... And this is supposed to be about Me and Michael. So I'm sticking with that!
So, it's Christmas. Kevin and I are totally falling apart - as in he's not even around. He did stop by (with his daughter) to exchange presents with me, but didn't stay for long... He was off to celebrate the day with his family, which apparently did NOT include me.
I was feeling real sorry for myself... alone on Christmas (although it wasn't the first time)... So I put in a call to one of my besties! Michael! He was with his family in St Ignace. His grandmother lived there and they had visited on Christmas for pretty much as long as he could remember. I sat and chatted with him for quite some time, listening to the chatter in the background, imagining being there surrounded by people that were joyful, kind, full of fun... and it made me feel so much better... I suddenly wasn't lonely... I almost felt like I was there.
And then he said, "Wow Stephanie, if I had known you were going to be alone... I would've invited you to come up here with me..." I blew him off, told him that I wouldn't have gone to his family Christmas celebration, reminded him that Kevin would've lost his mind, said I was fine. In my heart, I knew exactly where I wanted to be... with Michael... Even if we were just really great friends, and nothing more ever... I knew at that moment just how special he really was. I had, at the very least, found someone that I could depend on, someone that truly cared about me.
The next few days came and went... I was working. Kevin and I were totally over. I will tell you - working with him was not fun! And New Years Eve was on the horizon.
Michael was going to Detroit for New Years. After high school, he attended Wayne State University for a couple of years... and he was going back down to see his friends and find some fun to start the year. And, he invited me!!! I was ecstatic! So excited to spend some time with him, in his element, and meet all these people he had talked to me about, to see the places he had described.
So like a little school girl... I ran to the mall with a friend... and tried to find something cute to wear. I went into so many stores, just looking for a sweater, or a shirt, something that would be appropriate.. and I started to realize this was a WAY bigger deal to me than what I initially thought. This silly shirt had to be "just right!" because this night had to be "JUST RIGHT!" Eventually, I settled on a little black sweater...
I include all that about the shopping, only because, when I showed him what I had bought -- He said to me, "Um yea, we don't really dress up or wear things like that down there... We'll probably end up at a hole in the wall bar or something..." Only Michael!!! I did take the sweater, but didn't even end up wearing it!
And now it's time for our scheduled commercial break! Stay tuned for Part Three...
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Monday, November 4, 2013
Day # 61 - Part One
I've been given an assignment by my bff... Write my story. Well... write "our" story... The story of Michael and Stephanie falling in love. The beginning thru to the wedding.
I'm gonna attempt it, only because it's required writing. If you knew my bestie, you'd totally understand... sometimes there's just no saying no to her! ;-) Plus, it helps that she said something about it being good for "us" and that it could help me feel closer to him and blah blah blah. DISCLAIMER -- Nothing is wrong with "us"! We're doing great. He's working a whole lot right now because of harvest... We're just not spending a ton of time together. I promise! Stop it! We're good.
The beginning...
Wow, um, where do I start?
I've gotta start a little before the beginning to lay the ground work/back ground I think...
K, rip it off like a band aid, right??
In June of 2004, I moved out of my then-husband's house and into an apartment. I had been married just shy of two years... and had decided that it just wasn't working out. (there's a whole lot more to that story - maybe another time) At the time, I was working at Biewer Lumber, as was Michael.
Not long after I had gotten settled into my own place, I started dating a guy I worked with, Kevin. UGH! I can't believe I even was interested in this guy! He too was going through a divorce, although he had been married quite a bit longer than I had. He was on the receiving end of his divorce though and it had come as a complete surprise to him. Needless to say, we were obviously both very broken, which most definitely caused us to lean on one another.
Michael and I were decent friends at work... but hadn't ever hung out outside of work or anything. Him and Kevin didn't have a great relationship at all though... That's not true... That's giving them too much credit actually... They HATED each other! HATED!!! They were both supervisors and very rarely saw eye-to-eye at work. They would both tell you that the other one was arrogant. hahaha! Remembering conversations I had with them, separately, totally makes me laugh now!!
At one point, I had kinda made it my mission to make them get along! I mean, Kevin was my boyfriend... and I had spent enough time getting to know Michael that I just KNEW he was fun! They had to be friends because I wanted to hang out with Michael! I would tell Kevin that they could be friends if he'd just try, that Michael was a great guy, that they actually had so much in common -- on and on. Kevin actually replied once "Yea, we have a lot in common! He wants my job and my girlfriend!!! He practically wants to be me!" (Michael and I laugh about that to this day!)
To say my relationship with Kevin was dysfunctional is putting it really lightly. We were a mess! And quite often, when things would go terribly awry, Michael would be the first person I would call. He'd be there to chat with me... or pick me up after a really rough night... Never with any blatant ulterior motives... Just being a friend, and a GREAT one at that!
And then the holiday season arrived -- (stay tuned for the next installment/part two)
I'm gonna attempt it, only because it's required writing. If you knew my bestie, you'd totally understand... sometimes there's just no saying no to her! ;-) Plus, it helps that she said something about it being good for "us" and that it could help me feel closer to him and blah blah blah. DISCLAIMER -- Nothing is wrong with "us"! We're doing great. He's working a whole lot right now because of harvest... We're just not spending a ton of time together. I promise! Stop it! We're good.
The beginning...
Wow, um, where do I start?
I've gotta start a little before the beginning to lay the ground work/back ground I think...
K, rip it off like a band aid, right??
In June of 2004, I moved out of my then-husband's house and into an apartment. I had been married just shy of two years... and had decided that it just wasn't working out. (there's a whole lot more to that story - maybe another time) At the time, I was working at Biewer Lumber, as was Michael.
Not long after I had gotten settled into my own place, I started dating a guy I worked with, Kevin. UGH! I can't believe I even was interested in this guy! He too was going through a divorce, although he had been married quite a bit longer than I had. He was on the receiving end of his divorce though and it had come as a complete surprise to him. Needless to say, we were obviously both very broken, which most definitely caused us to lean on one another.
Michael and I were decent friends at work... but hadn't ever hung out outside of work or anything. Him and Kevin didn't have a great relationship at all though... That's not true... That's giving them too much credit actually... They HATED each other! HATED!!! They were both supervisors and very rarely saw eye-to-eye at work. They would both tell you that the other one was arrogant. hahaha! Remembering conversations I had with them, separately, totally makes me laugh now!!
At one point, I had kinda made it my mission to make them get along! I mean, Kevin was my boyfriend... and I had spent enough time getting to know Michael that I just KNEW he was fun! They had to be friends because I wanted to hang out with Michael! I would tell Kevin that they could be friends if he'd just try, that Michael was a great guy, that they actually had so much in common -- on and on. Kevin actually replied once "Yea, we have a lot in common! He wants my job and my girlfriend!!! He practically wants to be me!" (Michael and I laugh about that to this day!)
To say my relationship with Kevin was dysfunctional is putting it really lightly. We were a mess! And quite often, when things would go terribly awry, Michael would be the first person I would call. He'd be there to chat with me... or pick me up after a really rough night... Never with any blatant ulterior motives... Just being a friend, and a GREAT one at that!
And then the holiday season arrived -- (stay tuned for the next installment/part two)
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Day #60 - No Fall?!?
Okay, so it's been since July!?! I think I've invented a new style of blogging... It involves writing really well for a few days and then falling off the face of the earth for months at a time.
Today is Halloween! Last time I blogged it was Summer!
Today is Halloween! Last time I blogged it was Summer!
I'm real proud of myself with these costumes... I made the skirts and I cut out and glued the logos on their shirts. They look ADORABLE! (in my humble opinion) I'm hoping the weather changes, at least a little, for trick-or-treating tonight. It's pouring rain now.
Michael has been hard at work at the farm. Harvest is upon us. Actually, harvest SHOULD be almost behind us... but we're not where we usually are this time of the year... The weather just has not been cooperating. This rain today will obviously not help.
We have company coming this weekend!! The girls are so excited to see some old friends... and I'm looking forward to some girl time. It's also Michigan/Michigan State football weekend. GO STATE!!!
I've got so much today, I'm gonna leave it at that. I'm hoping to post more regularly -- but I'm obviously terrible at it -- so no promises!!!
Monday, July 8, 2013
Day #59 - Weekend Recap
Well, we survived!
We attempted our first camping trip as a family, and we lived to tell the tale!!!!
It actually went very, very well. We have access to a pop-up camper, so we took that, and headed off to Harrison, Mi on Thursday (July 4th). We arrived at about 3pm or so at Wilson State Park on Budd Lake. We had a decent site, no problems getting unhitched/unpacked, and set off to explore.
The beach was a bit of a walk from our site, and a little small, but we enjoyed ourselves immensely!!! The girls had a ton of fun in the water, and playing in the sand.
We joined a few other couples, but those people had booked campsites fairly close together. We, due to some miscommunication, were on the other end of the park... That made things a bit tricky in the evenings, but it ended up working out fine.
The last full day we were there, we got to take a boat ride out to the sand bar and the girls had a ball! They loved jumping off the boat into the water.
They were troopers the whole weekend... Made me super proud!!!
Miko and I talked about what we'd do differently in the future, food/packing wise, and we're going to get another opportunity to plan a bit better on Labor Day weekend!! So excited to try it out all over again!
I think we may have found a great way to make some lasting memories!!
We attempted our first camping trip as a family, and we lived to tell the tale!!!!
It actually went very, very well. We have access to a pop-up camper, so we took that, and headed off to Harrison, Mi on Thursday (July 4th). We arrived at about 3pm or so at Wilson State Park on Budd Lake. We had a decent site, no problems getting unhitched/unpacked, and set off to explore.
The beach was a bit of a walk from our site, and a little small, but we enjoyed ourselves immensely!!! The girls had a ton of fun in the water, and playing in the sand.
We joined a few other couples, but those people had booked campsites fairly close together. We, due to some miscommunication, were on the other end of the park... That made things a bit tricky in the evenings, but it ended up working out fine.
The last full day we were there, we got to take a boat ride out to the sand bar and the girls had a ball! They loved jumping off the boat into the water.
They were troopers the whole weekend... Made me super proud!!!
Miko and I talked about what we'd do differently in the future, food/packing wise, and we're going to get another opportunity to plan a bit better on Labor Day weekend!! So excited to try it out all over again!
I think we may have found a great way to make some lasting memories!!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Day #58 - Rain
It started raining last night while Miko and I were at church (we missed church Sunday/he was out of town, so we went last night)... and it has rained on and off all day so far today. There have even been a couple of thunder booms.
I was folding clothes and thinking about it, and something is drastically different this year. Normally, I dislike rain. For obvious reasons - for the dampness, the coldness, the mud that comes with the rain, the havoc it causes on my hair, the locked in the house feeling the children seem to have...
But this year, this season, the weather is having such a huge impact in my life... and rain has become a lot more important.
Too much rain earlier in the season prevented the farmers from getting into the fields. We actually have fields that won't get planted at all this year. They were too wet for planting up until this point, and this blast of rain obviously wasn't helpful. (obviously negative)
But for the most part, the planting is done...the spraying is done... the gassing is done. We're home free. So this rain becomes a glorious, wonderful, thing! This moisture, and the heat that we've gotten with it, is ideal for the growing season in Michigan. This weather makes the farmers smile from ear to ear and makes the farmers wives want to dance in the fields (well, not literally... they'd probably hurt the crops).
Rain has become something we look forward to. It has become a blessing. A prayer answered.
And when you think about how awesome God is and that the rain is such a phenomenal feat in and of itself, it really brings on that sense of awe.
Amazing.
Thank you God for the rain!
I was folding clothes and thinking about it, and something is drastically different this year. Normally, I dislike rain. For obvious reasons - for the dampness, the coldness, the mud that comes with the rain, the havoc it causes on my hair, the locked in the house feeling the children seem to have...
But this year, this season, the weather is having such a huge impact in my life... and rain has become a lot more important.
Too much rain earlier in the season prevented the farmers from getting into the fields. We actually have fields that won't get planted at all this year. They were too wet for planting up until this point, and this blast of rain obviously wasn't helpful. (obviously negative)
But for the most part, the planting is done...the spraying is done... the gassing is done. We're home free. So this rain becomes a glorious, wonderful, thing! This moisture, and the heat that we've gotten with it, is ideal for the growing season in Michigan. This weather makes the farmers smile from ear to ear and makes the farmers wives want to dance in the fields (well, not literally... they'd probably hurt the crops).
Rain has become something we look forward to. It has become a blessing. A prayer answered.
And when you think about how awesome God is and that the rain is such a phenomenal feat in and of itself, it really brings on that sense of awe.
Amazing.
Thank you God for the rain!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Day #57 - It's Official
It's SUMMER!!!!
And boy, oh boy, the weather sure realizes it! Yesterday was a scorcher and today is more of the same.
I am really missing the air-conditioning of our house down in Osseo. I seem to do alright during the day, especially if there is a breeze, but the evenings get rough. The house has had the entire day to heat up and the wind dies down... It was pretty uncomfortable last night.
Michael is in Manistee for the annual fishing tournament, so it's just me and the littles. I let them sleep in my bed last night since their rooms were even worse, heat wise, upstairs. That put me on the couch for the night. In some ways, I didn't mind, because I had access to the tv... and since I was home alone, I figured it would help me keep my mind occupied.
Not so much.
Television stinks in the summer. Plus, my mind was all spun up on all kinds of things. Add in the heat and it took me FOREVER to fall asleep.
So here we are today. I'm pooped. It's hot. The girls are so excited to be in their bathing suits for the day (although we don't have a pool). I'm trying to get the house in order for when Michael gets home. Getting a bit exasperated, but hanging tough.
I did have a great day yesterday... with my mother-in-law. I know, not everyone can have a great day with their mother-in-law, I am a lucky girl. We went garage saling! And I did good! Well, we both did great actually. We headed out at about 930am and got back to the farm around 430pm! We did squeeze lunch in there and a stop at Walmart. We pulled into the farm with the back of Michael's pickup totally full! HAHAHA!!!
I found 3 pairs of capris and 2 shirts at one place... for a grand total of $8! FOR ME! I was, well kind still am, thrilled. It's all Banana Republic/GAP/Ann Taylor stuff. I'm not one to buy clothes for myself at garage sales... mostly because I can never find anything worth anything... but I did yesterday. Woo Hoo!
So anyways... I should get busy. Laundry to do, dishes to wash, bathroom to scrub. Never ending it seems.
At least I already fed the monsters lunch...
And boy, oh boy, the weather sure realizes it! Yesterday was a scorcher and today is more of the same.
I am really missing the air-conditioning of our house down in Osseo. I seem to do alright during the day, especially if there is a breeze, but the evenings get rough. The house has had the entire day to heat up and the wind dies down... It was pretty uncomfortable last night.
Michael is in Manistee for the annual fishing tournament, so it's just me and the littles. I let them sleep in my bed last night since their rooms were even worse, heat wise, upstairs. That put me on the couch for the night. In some ways, I didn't mind, because I had access to the tv... and since I was home alone, I figured it would help me keep my mind occupied.
Not so much.
Television stinks in the summer. Plus, my mind was all spun up on all kinds of things. Add in the heat and it took me FOREVER to fall asleep.
So here we are today. I'm pooped. It's hot. The girls are so excited to be in their bathing suits for the day (although we don't have a pool). I'm trying to get the house in order for when Michael gets home. Getting a bit exasperated, but hanging tough.
I did have a great day yesterday... with my mother-in-law. I know, not everyone can have a great day with their mother-in-law, I am a lucky girl. We went garage saling! And I did good! Well, we both did great actually. We headed out at about 930am and got back to the farm around 430pm! We did squeeze lunch in there and a stop at Walmart. We pulled into the farm with the back of Michael's pickup totally full! HAHAHA!!!
I found 3 pairs of capris and 2 shirts at one place... for a grand total of $8! FOR ME! I was, well kind still am, thrilled. It's all Banana Republic/GAP/Ann Taylor stuff. I'm not one to buy clothes for myself at garage sales... mostly because I can never find anything worth anything... but I did yesterday. Woo Hoo!
So anyways... I should get busy. Laundry to do, dishes to wash, bathroom to scrub. Never ending it seems.
At least I already fed the monsters lunch...
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Day #56 - A Little Ditty
Or a little bitty... We'll see what comes to me...
Today is another laundry, cleaning, straightening, organizing day. Each day like this runs into the next, and the last.
We've had some rain today and yesterday. And we still don't have a single bean in the ground. Corn is done, but no beans. I seem to be more stressed out about that than anyone else in the family. Weird.
Kate has 11 days of school remaining, including today. I'm looking forward to doing some fun things with the girls this summer. Can't wait!!!
Aaron is in town with Mackenzie today. They actually arrived yesterday, so we saw them last night. She is ADORABLE!! And getting so big! She'll be a year old in just over a month! Crazy how fast time passes.
Still waiting for our new windows to be installed. The guy said it'll be a month from when we ordered them... so we're thinking right around the first of June he'll be here working. I can't wait! These windows are terrible. They're old, and filthy, and most don't have screens, and even the ones that do I can't get open. It's been a hot couple of days in this house with the limited air movement.
Memorial Day weekend is quickly approaching... We had plans. HAD. The farming isn't done, so the camping trip has been cancelled. I'm really okay with that. I don't think the weather is supposed to be wonderful for camping anyway.
I think that's it for now... still waiting for that "aha" moment!
Today is another laundry, cleaning, straightening, organizing day. Each day like this runs into the next, and the last.
We've had some rain today and yesterday. And we still don't have a single bean in the ground. Corn is done, but no beans. I seem to be more stressed out about that than anyone else in the family. Weird.
Kate has 11 days of school remaining, including today. I'm looking forward to doing some fun things with the girls this summer. Can't wait!!!
Aaron is in town with Mackenzie today. They actually arrived yesterday, so we saw them last night. She is ADORABLE!! And getting so big! She'll be a year old in just over a month! Crazy how fast time passes.
Still waiting for our new windows to be installed. The guy said it'll be a month from when we ordered them... so we're thinking right around the first of June he'll be here working. I can't wait! These windows are terrible. They're old, and filthy, and most don't have screens, and even the ones that do I can't get open. It's been a hot couple of days in this house with the limited air movement.
Memorial Day weekend is quickly approaching... We had plans. HAD. The farming isn't done, so the camping trip has been cancelled. I'm really okay with that. I don't think the weather is supposed to be wonderful for camping anyway.
I think that's it for now... still waiting for that "aha" moment!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Day #55 - Getting Back To Basics
I haven't been posting... Obviously, right?!! A lot of the reasons lean on pure laziness, but I've also decided I've been putting unnecessary pressure on myself. I've been feeling like I need something "blog worthy" to post about or it's a waste of time. Feeling like if I'm lacking an "aha moment", I shouldn't take the time to post at all.
This morning, as I relaxed with my cup of coffee before starting my day... As the girls played upstairs (and were totally getting along for more than 5 straight minutes)... I was left with my own peaceful thoughts.
I decided that this blog can be whatever type of outlet I'd like it to be. I can write about whatever I'd like. Duh! I need to stop being over-the-top with ideas of grandeur. I mean, let's be real, I'm not going to get famous over all this.
So today, this is what you get...
My reflections over the last week.
Sunday - Education hour and church with my little family. Michael didn't farm in the morning (it had rained on Saturday) and it was Mothers Day. We went to the farm for lunch. Boog grilled pork chops! Later, Michael went to the field so the girls and I headed into Lansing to see Gee-Gee. We went to dinner, Red Robin - Yum, and visited with her. Good fun!
Monday - Got Kate off to school and took the other 2 littles to the allergist. They did awesome with their allergy testing. Found out they're allergic to everything - not really - a lot! Met Lu at the beauty shop while waiting for their prescriptions. Ended up going on an impromptu lunch date with her to Applebee's!
Tuesday - Homemade bean soup for the farmers and Gee-Gee came out to stay the night because...
Wednesday - Mommy and Kate went on her first field trip with her kindergarten class!! I got to take the bus and everything! We went to CMU, visiting the one room schoolhouse and the children's museum. We had a ton of fun!! Once home, we headed into town to get Kate registered for soccer! She's super excited to play, but glad that it doesn't start until fall. She said "I don't want it to interfere with my summer fun".
Thursday - Garage saling with Lu. The littles love it!!,
Friday - Sale at Nancy's - my favorite!!!! And after school, the Lugnuts game!!! Michael was farming, so we invited Gee-Gee to join us. The game was a ton of fun, kids eat free, and we won! The girls actually really enjoyed the baseball game and were entranced by the fireworks afterwards. Baby MJ didn't go, it was a late night, and she ended up staying the night at the farm with Grammy and Papa. She loved that!
Saturday - Up bright and early to head into Grand Rapids. Took the girls to see Uncle Justin. They LOVE him, probably because he's a big kid himself ;-) We all went to the children's museum there! That's 2 museums in one week for little Kate! The girls loved it! They enjoyed bubble making, arts and crafts, block building... The list goes on and on. After lunch and a visit to the giant tire swing, we headed to EGR to a baby shower. Kristin (michaels cousins wife) is due in August. MJ slept thru most of the party, but the big girls had a ton of fun. Kate even won the belly measurement game! Lol!
Sunday - today. I'm playing hooky from church. Michael is farming. Our house is destroyed because of the crazy busy week we had. And I'm just plain tired. The girls dressed themselves in their bathing suits. It's supposed to be in the 80's today. I need to get laundry and dishes and housework caught up, oh, and a grocery store run slid in there somewhere...
Man, I'm tired from just typing all that out!!! I sure glad every week isn't that chaotic!
Oh, and I'll be real glad when planting is behind us...
This morning, as I relaxed with my cup of coffee before starting my day... As the girls played upstairs (and were totally getting along for more than 5 straight minutes)... I was left with my own peaceful thoughts.
I decided that this blog can be whatever type of outlet I'd like it to be. I can write about whatever I'd like. Duh! I need to stop being over-the-top with ideas of grandeur. I mean, let's be real, I'm not going to get famous over all this.
So today, this is what you get...
My reflections over the last week.
Sunday - Education hour and church with my little family. Michael didn't farm in the morning (it had rained on Saturday) and it was Mothers Day. We went to the farm for lunch. Boog grilled pork chops! Later, Michael went to the field so the girls and I headed into Lansing to see Gee-Gee. We went to dinner, Red Robin - Yum, and visited with her. Good fun!
Monday - Got Kate off to school and took the other 2 littles to the allergist. They did awesome with their allergy testing. Found out they're allergic to everything - not really - a lot! Met Lu at the beauty shop while waiting for their prescriptions. Ended up going on an impromptu lunch date with her to Applebee's!
Tuesday - Homemade bean soup for the farmers and Gee-Gee came out to stay the night because...
Wednesday - Mommy and Kate went on her first field trip with her kindergarten class!! I got to take the bus and everything! We went to CMU, visiting the one room schoolhouse and the children's museum. We had a ton of fun!! Once home, we headed into town to get Kate registered for soccer! She's super excited to play, but glad that it doesn't start until fall. She said "I don't want it to interfere with my summer fun".
Thursday - Garage saling with Lu. The littles love it!!,
Friday - Sale at Nancy's - my favorite!!!! And after school, the Lugnuts game!!! Michael was farming, so we invited Gee-Gee to join us. The game was a ton of fun, kids eat free, and we won! The girls actually really enjoyed the baseball game and were entranced by the fireworks afterwards. Baby MJ didn't go, it was a late night, and she ended up staying the night at the farm with Grammy and Papa. She loved that!
Saturday - Up bright and early to head into Grand Rapids. Took the girls to see Uncle Justin. They LOVE him, probably because he's a big kid himself ;-) We all went to the children's museum there! That's 2 museums in one week for little Kate! The girls loved it! They enjoyed bubble making, arts and crafts, block building... The list goes on and on. After lunch and a visit to the giant tire swing, we headed to EGR to a baby shower. Kristin (michaels cousins wife) is due in August. MJ slept thru most of the party, but the big girls had a ton of fun. Kate even won the belly measurement game! Lol!
Sunday - today. I'm playing hooky from church. Michael is farming. Our house is destroyed because of the crazy busy week we had. And I'm just plain tired. The girls dressed themselves in their bathing suits. It's supposed to be in the 80's today. I need to get laundry and dishes and housework caught up, oh, and a grocery store run slid in there somewhere...
Man, I'm tired from just typing all that out!!! I sure glad every week isn't that chaotic!
Oh, and I'll be real glad when planting is behind us...
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Post #54 - A Weekend Away
Tomorrow is the day!
Miko and I haven't been away together for more than one night away from the girls, EVER. Yep, and Madeline is 2. So, for at least that long...
To say I'm excited is an understatement!!
We'll put Kate on the bus in the morning, head over to the farm to drop off Lauren and MJ and then hop on the road. We're headed to Dearborn, to The Henry in Dearborn specifically. There is a Farm Bureau Convention there this weekend.
All expenses paid.
2 overnights in a hotel.
3 meals a day prepared and cleaned up afterwards.
Adult interaction. (farmers... but adults nonetheless-haha)
I'm looking forward to an uninterrupted meal (or 2). I will not miss saying "please keep your feet out of your sister's mouth" or "do not color on your face with that marker!". The laundry will still pile up this weekend, but the dishes will be washed. The beds at home will stay made and my bed at the hotel will be made and I won't be the one to do it.
I'm hoping for a few glasses of wine in the evenings, quiet alone time with my husband and adult conversation.
And then... we'll get back Sunday and Miko will immediately leave to head to Iowa. He'll be gone until Wednesday.
I'll be overwhelmed with dealing with the 3 littles alone, but at least I'll have memories of a wonderful weekend away.
Miko and I haven't been away together for more than one night away from the girls, EVER. Yep, and Madeline is 2. So, for at least that long...
To say I'm excited is an understatement!!
We'll put Kate on the bus in the morning, head over to the farm to drop off Lauren and MJ and then hop on the road. We're headed to Dearborn, to The Henry in Dearborn specifically. There is a Farm Bureau Convention there this weekend.
All expenses paid.
2 overnights in a hotel.
3 meals a day prepared and cleaned up afterwards.
Adult interaction. (farmers... but adults nonetheless-haha)
I'm looking forward to an uninterrupted meal (or 2). I will not miss saying "please keep your feet out of your sister's mouth" or "do not color on your face with that marker!". The laundry will still pile up this weekend, but the dishes will be washed. The beds at home will stay made and my bed at the hotel will be made and I won't be the one to do it.
I'm hoping for a few glasses of wine in the evenings, quiet alone time with my husband and adult conversation.
And then... we'll get back Sunday and Miko will immediately leave to head to Iowa. He'll be gone until Wednesday.
I'll be overwhelmed with dealing with the 3 littles alone, but at least I'll have memories of a wonderful weekend away.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Day #53 - Winter
I'm trying real hard to come up with something inspirational, or thought provoking today... Struggling... My mind just keeps going right back out the window, to the snow, and the wind, and the cold, and the overcast cloudy crud.
Winter does this to me.
Christmas time winter is wonderful. The build up with hopes of a snowy Christmas day I can totally get with.
It's the February 19th, no end in sight, frigid, stuck inside, yuck that I could totally do without.
Every year this happens.
And every year, mid-August, when it's been miserably hot for weeks, I wish for the cold. I long for sweater wearing, scarf toting days... knowing that once they get here I'll wish them away again.
It's like I'm running on a hamster wheel.
I posted on facebook today that I'm ready for summer. I got a lot of "likes" and a few comments. People agree with me.
In August, when I say I'm ready for hats and mittens, chili and homemade bread, will the same people agree? Possibly. Probably.
I'm becoming more and more content in so many areas of my life. Praying for God's help to be happy with the "now".
Don't know if that applies to the weather though... ;o/
Winter does this to me.
Christmas time winter is wonderful. The build up with hopes of a snowy Christmas day I can totally get with.
It's the February 19th, no end in sight, frigid, stuck inside, yuck that I could totally do without.
Every year this happens.
And every year, mid-August, when it's been miserably hot for weeks, I wish for the cold. I long for sweater wearing, scarf toting days... knowing that once they get here I'll wish them away again.
It's like I'm running on a hamster wheel.
I posted on facebook today that I'm ready for summer. I got a lot of "likes" and a few comments. People agree with me.
In August, when I say I'm ready for hats and mittens, chili and homemade bread, will the same people agree? Possibly. Probably.
I'm becoming more and more content in so many areas of my life. Praying for God's help to be happy with the "now".
Don't know if that applies to the weather though... ;o/
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Day #52 - Holding Pattern
The past couple of days, more than once, I have lifted Madeline up... right under her armpits... about 3 inches off the ground and told her to run. She goes bananas, moving her legs as fast as she can. I yell, FASTER! FASTER! And she just continues running, running as quickly as possible, laughing the entire time. It's a funny game - and usually Lauren wants to be next. She's a little more difficult, because she's bigger. And when her little legs get going, she's harder to hold onto. But we manage.
Running in place.
Spinning their wheels.
Going no where fast.
There was a time, not too long ago, that I was on fire. On fire for new friendships. On fire for the future. On fire for the Lord.
Lately.
I'm running in place.
I'm trying to get plugged in. And I know it's not instantaneous. Heck, it took me quite awhile when we moved away. But I guess I assumed it'd be quite a bit easier when we came "home". At this point, I'm feeling like I'm in another holding pattern.
But I'm not sure who is holding me under my armpits.
Or why.
Cuz I'm not laughing. This isn't funny or fun.
And I know there's a lesson in this somewhere. I'm just real anxious to find out/figure out what it is.
Contentedness? Patience? Dependence?
I hear ya God. I hear ya.
I mighta just worked that all out in one little blog post...
But I'm not sure who is holding me under my armpits.
Or why.
Cuz I'm not laughing. This isn't funny or fun.
And I know there's a lesson in this somewhere. I'm just real anxious to find out/figure out what it is.
Contentedness? Patience? Dependence?
I hear ya God. I hear ya.
I mighta just worked that all out in one little blog post...
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Day #51 - Guess Who's Back?!?
Back again! Steph is back! Tell a friend... Guess Who's Back. Guess Who's Back. (that's my pathetic attempt at humor since it's been sooooo long!!! - Slim Shady I am not... heck, I'm not even slim!)
Ridiculous right?!? September?? It's February! Wowsa! I can't believe I haven't posted in 4 months. We actually just got internet last week. We moved back at the end of August and I've only stayed connected with my phone since. And it's a littlepathetic difficult to type an entire blog on my little phone.
I do have some things on my mind to blog about... about I feel like I should get people caught up with what's been going on in our little house... That is if there is still anyone out there reading/checking up on us... I'm sure hoping there is... Because the future might hold some interesting things...
Where do I start???
We're in St Johns.
Michael has now switched jobs. He's soooo much happier where he's working now. I'm so proud of him and his dedication. It's almost like he's an entirely different person. I mean, who can say they LOVE their job? He does. He's actually out of town now, left this morning. There is a big farm show in Louisville, Kentucky this week. He's there thru Friday. I'm hoping he has a nice time, makes some good contacts, and really enjoys himself. It's work related, but let's be honest, he's there to have some fun.
Kate is really loving kindergarten. She's doing a great job. We had a few rough patches to start, but I think it's safe to say that is all behind us. She's 5, close to 6, going on 13.
Lauren just turned 4, and is growing like a weed. She is nearly as tall as her older sister. She's still adjusting to being the big sister while Kate is at school every day, but she's making strides. Being the middle child has it's challenges.
Madeline, aka MJ or Bob, is full of it. She's learning so much from her sisters... really coming into her own. Still a toe-head... Blonde hair, blue eyes.... She's gonna be trouble.
I am still working on making our house a home. I've not really been attending the women's bible study at church. I finished out the Daniel study before Christmas and haven't attended since. The new book really isn't up my alley and the time/day doesn't work very well for me (long story). I did go to a different study on a Monday at church - but I only went once. Between sick kids, and sick me, and the Pastor having to cancel it, I haven't been able to attend since. But I do plan on going back for that one.
What else?
We joined Farm Bureau. We're hoping to make some contacts there. We actually have a conference next weekend. It's Friday thru Sunday in Dearborn. I'm excited to get away with Michael (even if it is farm related). It's all paid for, hotel, food, entertainment. Should be fun!!!
Oh, jeez!!! DUH!!!! We sold our house in Osseo!!! I can't believe I left that out! We listed the house on February 15, 2012 and closed on it February 1, 2013. It was an emotional roller coaster, especially in the end, but it's behind us now. Thank goodness. So now that we've eliminated that payment from our lives, we can hopefully get some things going on this house. I look around at times and just wish I could snap my fingers and get things done! We've decided roof and windows are first, and then we'll decide if the kitchen or the bathroom is more of a desperate situation. The list is kinda endless.
Oh, and another big thing! Vacation in March. At Christmas time, we decided that instead of buying a bunch of toys that our children really don't need/won't play with, we'd head to Florida. So March 1st we'll leave our house headed to Georgia first. We'll visit Michael's sister Nicole (her husband and kids), then over to Florida to see his other sister Heather (her boyfriend) and Mickey Mouse!!! Awe yea!!! We're going to Disney World!!! After a couple of days in Orlando, we'll head down to Grandma Boettger's. She's close to the beach and we plan on taking advantage of that. It'll be a whirlwind of a week, but we're definitely looking forward to it!!!
I think that's it for now... I don't want to bore you... But I may be back. Michael's gone, remember? 8pm until around midnight tends to be a bit lonely...
Ridiculous right?!? September?? It's February! Wowsa! I can't believe I haven't posted in 4 months. We actually just got internet last week. We moved back at the end of August and I've only stayed connected with my phone since. And it's a little
I do have some things on my mind to blog about... about I feel like I should get people caught up with what's been going on in our little house... That is if there is still anyone out there reading/checking up on us... I'm sure hoping there is... Because the future might hold some interesting things...
Where do I start???
We're in St Johns.
Michael has now switched jobs. He's soooo much happier where he's working now. I'm so proud of him and his dedication. It's almost like he's an entirely different person. I mean, who can say they LOVE their job? He does. He's actually out of town now, left this morning. There is a big farm show in Louisville, Kentucky this week. He's there thru Friday. I'm hoping he has a nice time, makes some good contacts, and really enjoys himself. It's work related, but let's be honest, he's there to have some fun.
Kate is really loving kindergarten. She's doing a great job. We had a few rough patches to start, but I think it's safe to say that is all behind us. She's 5, close to 6, going on 13.
Lauren just turned 4, and is growing like a weed. She is nearly as tall as her older sister. She's still adjusting to being the big sister while Kate is at school every day, but she's making strides. Being the middle child has it's challenges.
Madeline, aka MJ or Bob, is full of it. She's learning so much from her sisters... really coming into her own. Still a toe-head... Blonde hair, blue eyes.... She's gonna be trouble.
I am still working on making our house a home. I've not really been attending the women's bible study at church. I finished out the Daniel study before Christmas and haven't attended since. The new book really isn't up my alley and the time/day doesn't work very well for me (long story). I did go to a different study on a Monday at church - but I only went once. Between sick kids, and sick me, and the Pastor having to cancel it, I haven't been able to attend since. But I do plan on going back for that one.
What else?
We joined Farm Bureau. We're hoping to make some contacts there. We actually have a conference next weekend. It's Friday thru Sunday in Dearborn. I'm excited to get away with Michael (even if it is farm related). It's all paid for, hotel, food, entertainment. Should be fun!!!
Oh, jeez!!! DUH!!!! We sold our house in Osseo!!! I can't believe I left that out! We listed the house on February 15, 2012 and closed on it February 1, 2013. It was an emotional roller coaster, especially in the end, but it's behind us now. Thank goodness. So now that we've eliminated that payment from our lives, we can hopefully get some things going on this house. I look around at times and just wish I could snap my fingers and get things done! We've decided roof and windows are first, and then we'll decide if the kitchen or the bathroom is more of a desperate situation. The list is kinda endless.
Oh, and another big thing! Vacation in March. At Christmas time, we decided that instead of buying a bunch of toys that our children really don't need/won't play with, we'd head to Florida. So March 1st we'll leave our house headed to Georgia first. We'll visit Michael's sister Nicole (her husband and kids), then over to Florida to see his other sister Heather (her boyfriend) and Mickey Mouse!!! Awe yea!!! We're going to Disney World!!! After a couple of days in Orlando, we'll head down to Grandma Boettger's. She's close to the beach and we plan on taking advantage of that. It'll be a whirlwind of a week, but we're definitely looking forward to it!!!
I think that's it for now... I don't want to bore you... But I may be back. Michael's gone, remember? 8pm until around midnight tends to be a bit lonely...
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