Time to Tidy Up!!

So, in less than 3 weeks, I will have a house full of company. Both my parents and my in-laws will be coming to help us celebrate Finnegan's 1st birthday. I can hardly believe that my baby will be a year old! Oh, how time flies! But unfortunately, that is not the reason for my post. As of late, I've been obsessed with my family coming. Both my parents and my mother-in-law have been to our house. But when they were here, I was greatly pregnant or had just had a baby and just recovering from a HUGE infection. So, I sort of think that there was this unwritten rule that the house didn't need to be in the perfect shape, or that if something didn't get clean properly, there was an excuse. Well, now I feel that there is no excuse. Everything should be perfect for when they arrive. Now, I know that I don't run a bed and breakfast, but feel that things should be just as inviting, although they'll be sleeping on the floor.

So, the transformations have begun. I've been working on our spare room. This is where Ken's mom and dad will stay. It is just large enough for the bed that we have that needs to go into it, but not with all the extra furniture that is in there too! So, I've been working to get Ken to get ride of some books, so that we can make room for more things in the garage. He's been able to get rid of some books, but we still have way too many for our book shelves. I've also been busy condensing boxes that are in the garage and getting rid of needless things. Tonight, I was able to get the spare bedroom condensed enough so that we can move the needless furniture out and make more room for our guests. And although we are preparing for these current guests, we are forever preparing for that 4th guest that will enter our family and need his or her own room! :) But hopefully once we reach that point, we'll be ready to get a larger house (or shortly there after) so I won't have to worry too much about the extra stuff!! :)

So, I will work for the next week or so on the house and then I will move onto the other tasks before our guests come... menus, party details etc. I want to have everything done so I don't have to do any running once they arrive.

Picture Post...

Here's a picture post... cause those are always fun... Here is a photo from Christmas. Sort of old, but I just got it from a friend. We had a small Christmas party at our house and she took it then. This was before our trip to MI.

This is a photo of the kids about 2 weeks ago during a playdate with the Mulligans. We had such a fun time!!

This month, Finnegan started wearing shoes every time we go out... because he likes to try to walk when he's not being strolled along. Super Cute!!
This was taken today while shopping at the U-Village. We had such a great time!! Me and my stinker at the Land of Nod. Very fun!! ( I think you can tell too from this picture in comparison to the first one the weight I've lost... I'm down about 20lbs from the first photo).
What Mommy?? I like Toilet Paper!! And I pulled it off myself!
He and Tootsie are friends for life!! He loves her SO much! It is so super cute. He just sits and laughs at her as she plays with toys and he loves to pet her. He is learning to be gentle and she is just the perfect "Guinea pig" for it. She doesn't mind if he's a little rough with her. She's used to it. I love them together!!

And look, I know how to push the buttons on the dishwasher too!!


And these are my stinkers little teeth on top. He is getting #5 on the bottom. Not too fun! But he's a trooper!

Daddy and Finnegan reading some books. Finnegan loves to turn the pages!


This is the last one... Our little dude is walking like a pro (with the truck of course) and He's been taking Bearbear for a ride now and again!

I can name that voice in 3 words...

So, when you grow up in a major city (or near a major city) like Detroit, and you watch a lot of TV, you hear the same news anchor voices over and over again. Especially while I was growing up, when the people didn't move around a lot (like they have in recent years). Tonight, we were following our plan to watch all 80 movies that won the "Best Picture" Award for the Oscars. We're up through the 70's and watching Rocky. There is a scene that Rocky is being interviewed by a news anchor and all I heard was 3 words, and I said "That's Diana Lewis?" They showed her face, and I didn't think it was. I thought I'd been wrong. Then, after the interview she signed off for the piece saying "and this is Diana Lewis..." I couldn't believe it. I was right. I knew that was her voice. She has an unmistakable voice. But seeing her 30 years ago, with a huge afro, I would have never thought it was her!! Crazy!!

Preacher Cookies, Any one?

Some might get the suspicion that I'm pregnant, so let me just quash that rumor right now, and continue on with the blog... Today, while visiting the blogs of several of my friends, I (all of the sudden) had a 'hankerin' for preacher cookies, or as we used to call them back in the day, "no-bake cookies". You know the ones that mom used to make on sunday night after church while you and your friends were running around the house and enjoying an "after glow"? Those cookies... all oohy and gooey chocolatey with oats and sometime coconut :) YUMMY. So, in the midst of reading a blog, I searched for a recipe on-line, and then remembered I had a great recipe from a cook-book that I got in VA. Sure enough, it was there and in 10 minutes, I had myself a full (half) batch of preacher (no-bake) cookies. Oh, they taste so good!! Hopefully I won't eat the whole batch... cause I have some other good news!

Friday, while shopping with my sleeping son, Old Navy was having a sale on khakis. I love Khakis, especially in the fall!! Anyway, they had a particular green color that I LOVE. I chose my size from the rack and then got to looking at them. I was curious to know if the size smaller was much smaller or just slightly smaller. I'd been on a roll with the weight loss and didn't really want to buy the old size if I was gonna be in the new size soon. So I took the new size off the rack and realized that they were only about 1 inch shorter (around in the waist) then the old size. So I thought I'd try them on. And SURE ENOUGH... THE NEW SIZE FITS!! Yippee!! And then to top it all off, this morning, while weighing in, I realized that the middle number of my weight has gone down a digit! Even more exciting!! I am at a total of 15lbs now. And for those of you who haven't heard, I WON the Family Biggest Loser Competition between my family members. It was a tight race between my dad and I the whole time. And he actually has lost 40lbs this year. Congrats, Dad!!

Have a great week guys, and make yourself some preacher cookies... they bring back some memories!

Birthday Season

Greetings! We have begun "Birthday Season" here and we are beginning to enjoy and dread it all at the same time. For those of you who don't know, Birthday Season, occurs when you have a child in a program that is based upon their age. For us, it is Gymboree. The class that Finnegan is in now is for children 11-16 months. Many of us started the program together in level 1 and now we are in level 3 together. And because the classes are based on age, all of Finnegan's friends were born within a month of each other. The first of our parties was today. We don't have a party next weekend because of the holiday, but have two the following weekend, one during the second week in Sept and one during the 3rd week in Sept. Oh man!! And too top it all off, Ken's birthday is in there too, and my parents and in-laws are coming to visit as well!

So birthday season has begun. And even though we haven't celebrated Finn's birthday yet, I'm already thinking about next year and perhaps joining together to have one big party for all of the kiddos... to help free up the last of our summer weekends!

The Weight of Waiting by J.Heap

A friend of mine from college, Justin, posted this today on facebook, and I thought it was worth repeating and sharing.

"I am reminded of the weight of waiting; the heaviness of anticipation. And how much harder the waiting is when you can close your eyes and see so clearly the outcome of which you dream and wait for.

It is so often the waiting that is difficult; not the struggle. Struggle & triumph always win the headlines. But to be in true waiting means you are also acknowledging that some part of some thing is out of your control. Beyond your power. Not a waiting by choice - that would simply be delaying. But if you are the one waiting...then really, you are, by very nature, not in control.

I mean.
If you could simply reach out and change the course of history, then waiting it would not be.

So to those of us living life in waiting, no matter that which you are waiting for, may you continue to dream. And to hope - for hope is the very canvas on which reality is created. And all this, with great expectation.

And may you not give up too soon. May you not give in too early. Sometimes five minutes may feel like an eternity, but I assure you, even five years will go faster than you or I can comprehend.

They always say, if it is worth having, it is worth waiting for. I wonder if too many of us settle for something immediate instead of waiting for something incredible.

So. Here's to waiting. Drink deep. Cheers."

Silly Husband, you can't fool me!!!

When I was in college, my roommate was an avid camp counselor for "abstinence camp". When she returned from a weekend at the camp, she brought me and our other roommates fun souvenirs. The one thing I got was a t-shirt that lists the top ten reason why "i'm worth waiting for." I was thinking the other day that I've had this particular t-shirt for over 7 years... almost 8. Anyway, Ken hates this shirt... It has a little "sperm" on the front, that says "I'm worth waiting for". He despises this shirt, especially now that we're married. So, from time to time, I wear the shirt, just to get his goat! :) He hates the shirt so much that he's threatened to burn it or to get rid of it without me knowing. Well, this time he almost had me. Except for the fact that he forgot that I clean our house, so if he hides it, I'm bound to find it sooner or later.

Two weekends ago when I was preparing to paint our bedroom, I was moving the chair (the orange one in the photos) to the center of the room. It is an older chair and has arm covers and a headrest cover. I took these off the chair and thought the that they would be best placed under the cushion of the chair, to keep them from getting in the way or lost. As I lifted up the cushion of the chair, there lies my t-shirt. Nicely folded under the cushion. Just waiting for me to find it. And I did! :)

When I mentioned it to Ken, he first acted like he didn't know what I was talking about and then burst into laughter and was so proud of himself for the hiding job... that it lasted a couple of weeks :)

He's so funny... But I have my shirt back and will continue to wear it with pride!