Sliiiiiiiiiiiiiide!!

Now this is what February should look like. Adelle and I had a great time at the park this afternoon. So much fun that I eventually had to carry her over my shoulders to the car as she was kicking and screaming, saying "slide" over and over again. We had already been there for a LONG time and she was literally out of breath.  And, needless to say, she fell asleep very quickly tonight and we haven't heard a peep since.  Hopefully we'll see some more pleasant weather so we can go back soon! I got some other fun pictures, but this one was just my absolute favorite.

I hope everyone else got to be outside and enjoy the beautiful weather today!

Snapshots

Most of yesterday was a pajama day for Adelle... got some cute pictures and wanted to share a couple.

ouch.

Well, yesterday I sprained my ankle pretty severely when I was carrying my daughter to the car in the snow.  There was a patch of ice under the snow and I fell.  I made sure Adelle was okay and she landed on her feet, but my ankle popped and now I have a high ankle sprain.  Oh, and I was wearing heels because I had just come from a job interview (which was a HUGE waste of my time).  I know, not very smart to carry a child in fresh snow... I'm learning my lesson.  I am grateful for my parents' next door neighbor who happened to be outside and heard me yell out when I fell.  He literally carried me on his back into my parents' house and I'm not a tiny girl.  So, for his kindness I truly am grateful.  I'll have to make his family some cookies or something with a card.

In the meantime, Luke is taking care of me as he has quite a bit of experience with every type of ankle injury you could imagine.  I am really HATING being so immobile.  I have crutches, but I'm already so exhausted from having to hobble around.  Can I have my leg back, pleeeeeaaaaase???

Thank you to Mom & Dad who are watching Adelle today so that I could manage on my own.

Progress

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.

 

Martin Luther King Jr.

“'Tis healthy to be sick sometimes.” - Henry David Thoreau

Not sure if I agree with that quote, but lately I think I must.  Adelle has been sick since Christmas, first with a cold, then with the flu.  We have to put Vaseline on her cheeks and nose a few times a day or they turn bright red from the moisture and wiping her face constantly.  Vaporizer, check.  Space heater, check.  Moisturizing tissues, check.  She's also coughing a bit more now, so we're giving her cough medicine for toddlers and making sure she gets lots of vitamins, good foods and liquids.  Today is the first time in quite a while that she finished her whole meal, though it took her over an hour to do it.  Right now she's on her tiny fold-out couch cuddled up with a pillow and blanket, watching Olivia, while the orange juice from her sippy cup provides a constant drip into her mouth.

Yesterday in the mail I got a large box from Northridge Publishing, who creates CARDS Magazine.  I've been featured in it a few times.  The most recent was the September 2010 and I haven't even submitted anything since then, but I had 3 cards in that one, which was very cool.  So, for being published I got a large box of goodies and am excited to try out my new stuff.  I've been keeping up with my creative blog and working on some things with my Etsy shop, which has kept me plenty busy along with my normal responsibilities.

Also, I have decided I'm going to run in my first 5K in March.  I want to at least be able to run most of it, but really want to be able to run the whole thing.  I haven't been a runner in quite a while, so I'm excited to train and prepare for it.

BEGINNING

I want to be happy today.  I want to live my life as if I did it on purpose rather than just letting things happen to me.  I'm learning more and more as I get older that there are some dormant fears and doubts that I haven't completely shaken yet.  But this year, I am going to fight back.  I am going to learn how to be happy and just let myself be for once.  I have set a few small goals for the year and I will probably fail at each of them at least once, but I'm not a quitter.  I'm not weak or sickly.  I'm not passive or embarrassed.  That's not me.  So in 2011, I'm going to figure out how I can just be me... Wife, Mother, Latter-Day Saint, Daughter, Sister, Singer, Artist, Designer, Intellectual (in my own way), Breadwinner (as much as I need to be), Athlete (once upon a time), and Homemaker.  Quite the juggling act, but I'm going to be happy with the efforts I make and the progress I achieve.  I don't have to be ALL of those EVERY MINUTE OF THE DAY.  I can choose not to be overwhelmed.

With this blog I've put this silly pressure on myself where I've felt the need to document every detail of my life.  Well, I'm not going to do that.  I might share an occasional picture, but most of the time I probably won't.  I just need to write again.  I need to reflect on moments that are important to me in my life that I don't want to forget (and that I haven't documented elsewhere).  It's so important for us to take time and reflect on our actions, choices, thoughts, reactions, etc.  I can't even count how many times I've gone back to read my old journal or blog entries to find myself learning something all over again... from myself.  I blog so I will remember.  I blog so that if I forget, I'll have something to help me remember.

That being said, I wanted to share a little story from about a month or so ago.

Luke, Adelle and I went to a Mexican restaurant here in town for dinner and we were having a nice evening.  At the end of our meal, the waiter came over with a helium balloon that perfectly matched Adelle's pink and blue striped sweater (pink balloon with a blue string).  When she realized he was giving her that balloon, her whole face just lit up as if she was about to eat a whole cupcake (she LOVES cupcakes).  She grabbed the balloon quickly and while she was admiring it, Luke reached over to tie it onto her wrist (the ceilings were pretty high, so if she let go it would be too high for us to reach it for her).  Adelle of course thought her mean old daddy was trying to take the balloon from her and wouldn't let him get it, so he gave up and just let her hold it and play with it for a while.  I say a while, but really about 20 seconds later, there went the balloon straight up to the ceiling.  She was immediately devastated, watching it hang right above her head out of reach, and we were just trying to explain to her that it was too high and we were sorry but it was gone.  So, we finally decided to just get out of there so she would stop looking at it and being so upset.  As we were helping Adelle put her coat on, a little girl about 4 or 5 years old came over and approached Luke, saying "I noticed that she lost her balloon.  Can I give her mine?"  She handed Adelle the balloon and just smiled.  I said to her how thoughtful and kind it was for her to give up her own balloon and told her that we would remember this for a long time.  So we took our time leaving and as we walked out, we just kind of mouthed "thank you" to the little girl's parents.  Her mom told us, "she just wanted to do it..."  So, by the time we got to the parking lot, we had an extremely happy child with a balloon tied TIGHTLY to the belt loop of her jeans.  Luke and I were still just kind of taking in what had just happened, while Adelle kept saying "I got a balloon!".  We were on our way to another store when we hear a loud "POP!" in the backseat directly followed by "AH MAN!!!"  This time it wasn't nearly as devastating because she couldn't see the balloon anymore... she just said "it's gone!" a couple of times and was over it.  We had a few more errands to run and at the last stop of our night, we were waiting to check out, when the cashier says, "Does she want a balloon?"  After everything that happened that night, Adelle still made it home with a balloon.

I'm not sure what the moral of that story is.  It makes me think about a lot of different things... I just didn't want to forget it.

...it finally feels like summer!

So, we don't have a lot of money and I'm as busy as ever.  I've accomplished pretty much nothing that i've wanted to accomplish in the past few months, but...

I don't care!  It's been a long time since i've felt so happy, so physically well, so eager and looking forward to the future.  luke starts a new job on thursday with the local cable/internet/phone provider here as an account executive and my temporary job ends july 24th.  that's a week earlier than originally anticipated, but we get a big bonus for just staying until the 24th.  umm... yes please.  then, i'm going to CHA with Chelsea in Chicago!  CHA is basically what papercrafters live for.  It's this huge nerdy convention filled with vendors who are releasing brand new products... some even offer special edition products just for the convention, like my favorite papercrafting company, Papertrey Ink.

Anyway, Adelle is cute as ever, Luke's as cute as ever (too) and he's enrolled in school full-time for the fall (in addition to the new job) and after a few more weeks when my job ends, I'm looking forward to getting to spend more time with my little family... in my own family's space... that's right, we're finally going to be back into our own place.  It's a small cheap 2 BR apartment that'll be perfect with our free cable/internet (via Luke's new job) and will help us save up on the moneys.  The kitchen appliances are yellow (like, from the 70s), but we don't care!  Gimme a few boxes of magic erasers and some green works and we'll be in business in no time.

Also, I'm going to be singing in a doctor recital... a guy at KU asked me to sing in his ensemble and be a soloist for his choral conducting doctoral recital.  I've only been to 1 practice so far, but it's Old World music and I am really excited to be singing in a group again.

Maybe I should've just bullet-pointed this post because my mind's all over the place, but I also want to mention that I have been doing Weight Watchers for a few weeks-- not going to the meetings, but following the plan on my own.  I've lost about 6 pounds so far and I feel really motivated to be more active and make healthier choices.  Oh, and my sister Lori just had a baby and my sister-in-law Vanessa is pregnant with twin boys who are due in November!  Life is good!

just a few things...

Would you believe me if i told you not much has happened since February?  Well, it is and it isn't true.  Let me start by saying that Luke, Adelle and I have been staying with my parents since the beginning of May and it has been... challenging.  I really am truly grateful to my parents for letting us stay here until we figure out exactly what happens next, but holy teenage angst-y Heidi resurfacing!  I can't remember the last time I was so happy, angry, upset, silly, moody, claustrophobic (no, I'm not pregnant) well, since I was pregnant.  I never imagined how challenging it would be to live within someone else's household after heading my own for a few years.  I can't think of anything more motivating to get our own junk worked out.  We just have some things up in the air (Luke is either going to be in a police academy in the KC area or in school full time in the fall and I currently have a temporary job that ends at the end of July), so we don't know where to rent an apartment or how much money we need to save up, etc.  To be more specific, Luke is currently in the 2nd round of testing to be a police officer in the KC area.  If he passes everything, then he will attend their police academy and be employed as a police officer (while attending school ideally).

Well, that's all for now...... to supplement the lack of details, let me remind you all that Adelle is almost 19 months old!  That's almost a full month in nursery!  Here are some pics until next time :)

This first photo was taken in March at my sister Lori's house.

This one is May 22nd at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Check out Adelle's super cute pink aviators :)  June 11th.  I haven't figured out the color of her hair... it's not quite red, not quite blonde, not quite brown.  Somewhere in between...

we're alive!

dear blog,

i'm sorry i have neglected you so long.  i probably don't miss our frequent visits as much as you do, but i do apologize just the same.  things have been busy with working at 7 a.m. (25 minutes away) and Luke being out of town every other week.  i'm not going to promise that i'll do better or try to catch up on what has been missed... that just seems a little too daunting.  however, i'm checking in now, so hello and take care.

cordially,
heidi



dear everyone else,

i don't know if anyone even checks my blog anymore seeing as i haven't updated it in over a month!  just the same, we are well.  i start my higher paying job on monday, which is going to be such a help.  luke is still enjoying his work and may have an opportunity for advancement (and possible relocation, but more on that at a later date) this summer.  it's hard for me to be too excited yet, since it's still a way's away and we don't know anything concrete yet.  adelle is as cute as ever.  she's starting to put more and more syllables together and has a handful of words she says regularly (the most frequent is "hi," which she says to everyone, including strangers at the grocery store, etc).  i'm looking forward to having a card published in the March 2010 issue of Cards magazine, which comes out on the 1st.  I didn't realize it was a $20 (each month) magazine, so I'm glad they'll be sending me a couple of copies.  someday i'll be on the computer with the pictures when i think to update my blog.  i have some cute pics/videos of adelle being cute and growing up way too fast!  she looooooves mandarin oranges and peanut butter (not together) and is more interested in people than any toy we could  ever get her.  she dances whenever music comes on the tv/radio/etc and has started turning in circles as part of her dance moves.  she loves to tickle my feet and watch my reaction.  she thinks it's funny to sit on things, including me when i'm playing with her on the ground.  she still calls me "heidi" most of the time, but "mama" is showing up in her vocabulary more frequently.  she loves to drink out of a straw.  she loves trying to put clothes on herself.  today i gave her a cut up peanut butter sandwich on a plate and she successfully carried the plate from the table to the couch without spilling any of it (any parent will understand how exciting that is).  some mornings, we don't even know what time she woke up because she's playing so quietly in her crib.  she has started crossing her arms when she stands still (so cute).  the way she talks and babbles, she must think she's already grown.  she observes and seems to really understand so much.  she's wearing 18 month clothes and her 12 month PJs don't fit anymore :(  i can't believe how big she is!  i was looking through some of her newborn pictures yesterday and just can't believe how quickly the time has passed.  i feel like every day is slipping through my fingers before i even think to grasp it.  she is the happiest, most pleasant baby i've ever known and she truly is a blessing to our lives.  i may miss holding her in my arms as a newborn, but i am so excited to see who she will become.

i better stop before i get carried away (hah.. too late).  i hope everyone reading is doing well!!!  comment and let me know how you are!!

stuff and stuff

Last night Luke and I went to see Avatar.  I have heard a lot of different reviews about the movie, but I honestly loved it!  Yes, it is slightly Pocahontas-esque, but it didn't bother me!  I thought the story was extremely interesting, the graphics were BEAUTIFUL and the acting was good.  Some people have even said it is anti-American, but I do not agree.  I just think it is more about how it's easy to just take what you want when you have the bigger guns, so to speak... but everyone has a story and no one should be dismissed.  Maybe that's a stretch, but that's what I got from it.  Anyway, I can't imagine seeing it for the first time at home.  Definitely worth seeing it in the theater...

That's all for now!