Thank You Angie!!!!

 

 Hard to believe Roslyn's last official day of daycare at Angie's is today.

A bitter/sweet ending to an incredible journey with Angie the past 4+ years.

She has been and will always be a part of our family.

The words "Thank You" don't even come close to the appreciation we feel for Angie.

Tears were shed among all 3 of us girls this morning (me, Roz and Angie) when I dropped Roz off.

Can't imagine how tough it's going to be when I pick Rozzy up this afternoon.

 

 

 Without question Angie is THE BEST!

Roslyn is going to miss Angie and her friends this year and we're going to miss Angie too.

Thank goodness she lives close and we can come over for play dates!

 

We love you to pieces Angie...you are a blessing to our family!

The Pros & Cons of Being a Vikings Fan...

Well, I'm not going to lie...since the '98 season when Gary Anderson missed the fieldgoal, it's been pretty painful being a Vikings fan. However, the "pro" of being a Vikings fan is that little kids sure do look cute in Purple & Gold!

Our pretty lil' Vikings cheerleaders!

 

 

 Hope the Vikings can get at least 1 win in Carrine's inaugural season :)

 

Here goes nothing' - week 2 of being a stay-at-home-mom - Have a great week everyone!

A "Super" Congrats to Husky Volleyball!

 

I worked my first SCSU Husky vball match last night - "Super" job to the Huskies!

They whooped up on Bemidji State!

All 3 of our kids got to wear this SCSU Hockey shirt.

Excited to bring Carrine to a vball match this fall!

 

 

Happy Friday everyone! Can you tell what our kids are going to be for Halloween this year?

It's tough explaining to them that Halloween is still a month away!

My first week as a stay-at-home mom is almost complete. It's definitely been a harder adjustment that I had thought - but it's definitely for the best. We are busier than ever.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Dancin' Days Return...

 

 

 Despite feeling under the weather  -Roslyn officially started her 2nd year of dance class last night.

 

 All ready to go in her tights and leotard!

 

This year she gets to wear white tap shoes!

 

Roz took this picture of one of her #1 fans...Carrine.

I'd have to say Roz is getting pretty good at taking photos!

 

Both big kids on the dance floor - I have a feeling in the future that these two are going to have a "dance off" to FOOTLOOSE!

 

 

Roslyn's new teacher is Miss Danielle - she seems nice.

 

Roz was a little scared at first...

 but within minutes she jumped to the front of the line for tap work.

 

 Love to watch her dance.

 

Afterwards she was one happy 4-year-old with a snack in hand.

 She was pretty happy running out of class!

Hoping Roz loves dance this year!

6 Months Old & Lovin' Life...

 

Hard to believe Carrine Faith is 6 months old already!

So glad she got to wear the same dress that Roslyn wore for her 6 month photos back in 2009.

Also glad I was able to use the blanket that Gram crocheted for both girls to use for baptism.

Looking back...Roslyn at 6 months old in 2009 - they do have similarities as sisters.

But most say Carrine looks like Andray.

 

 I would have to agree that CC looks like her big brother - Andray's 6 months photos back in 2008.

 

She's already got that "twinkle in her eye!"

Thanks to Carrine's Godparents, Rachel and John, for her beautiful bracelet as well!

 

6 months old and lovin' life!

A New Journey Begins...

Today was my first official day as a stay-at-home mom...doesn't seem real yet.

Just me and Carrine at home during the days until October.

Looks like Carrine's favorite number is going to be #11 too!

A Mix of Emotions...

Well, today marks my last day of full-time work outside of the home for the next year.

Quite a mix of emotions - last night I realized that for the last 14 years I've spent nearly every single day on the campus of SCSU, either as a student, graduate student or employee.

That's nearly half of my life spent at SCSU.

I know in my heart this is the best decision for our family to change my career path for the next year and be a stay-at-home mom.

Life is full of change and adjustments - this one is for the best!

Out of the blue after a school meeting at church Tuesday night a dear friend from church emailed me these words to me ... and man was it perfect timing - I needed to read these words - words to live by this year.

GOD KNOWS WHAT YOUR SILENT HEART WANTS

Even if you don't include it in your prayers.

He hears what your heart whispers.

He may not give it to you now but someday, when you least expect it, things will happen in the best possible way.

Remembering Those Who Fell on 9-11

Remembering and honoring all those who fell on 9-11...already 12 years ago.

 Thank you to all service men and women who sacrifice to protect our country.

A special THANK YOU to my Dad who served in Vietnam and my Gpa Shorty who served in WWII. We are forever grateful.

God Bless the USA...we are Proud to be Americans!

What an Incredible 24 Hours!

We've had an incredible 24 hours in our house!

Andray rode the bus home all by himself yesterday (since his Big Brother Helper - aka Will - wasn't in school) and Andray wasn't scared at all!

 Carrine had her first bowl of cereal last night and she didn't do too bad!
She just looks so big in the high chair!

Roz was a good helper of course.

Pretty sure CC just liked banging the spoons on the tray instead of eating her cereal though.

Then this morning we sent Rozzy Roz off to pre-school by herself!

She was a little scared and sad at breakfast.

But once we got to school she ran into her classroom to hug Mrs. Swanson!

It's going to be a great year for Roslyn in school - we are excited for her.

The "Hard" Is What Makes It Great...

 

Parenting…one of the most difficult responsibilities you’ll tackle in your lifetime…yet the most rewarding.

Is parenting hard? Absolutely – without question the most difficult task I’ve endured in the past 30 + years.

For the past 6 months since Carrine has joined our family I’ve struggled with the thought of continuing this frantic weekly routine of waking the kids in the morning, rushing them to daycare/pre-school, rushing to work, rushing back to pre-school to drop back off at daycare on my lunch break, rushing back to work, rushing back to daycare before closing time, rushing home to make supper, rushing to any extra-curricular activities at night, rushing through baths and bedtime stories only to spend maybe a total of one waking hour with my kids during the day to get them into bed before 8 pm. Repeat, repeat, repeat – life is too crazy - yet this seems to be the "new normal." Or what do we do when the kids are sick or who is going to leave work early when there is a snow day at school or school gets out early? And that doesn’t even include that every single weekend there are plans.

Is it hard being a parent and working full-time outside of the home? Absolutely.
Is it hard being a stay-at-home parent? Absolutely.
There is no easy way of parenting and providing for your children.
There is no "one way" or "right" way of parenting - it's whatever works best for your family.

Last weekend I turned on the TV and one of my most favorite movies of all time was playing, “A League of Their Own.” When I saw this movie clip (above) I couldn’t help but realize that what Jake and I are about to encounter for our own family this year is the best decision we could’ve made…I’m taking a one-year leave of absence from my professional career to be a stay-at-home mom.

Is it going to be hard? Absolutely – without question Jake and I will sacrifice a lot. I’m afraid to give up my full-time pay check and benefits. I’m afraid to give up my “identity” in the professional world and to have a hole in my resume. I take a lot of pride in my full-time work. But I am also beyond thankful and excited for this opportunity to be home with the kids this school year…they need me at home and I need them.

Life is full of changes. Change is scary – it's the "fear of the unknown." But that's where FAITH comes into play. And one thing I’ve learned, especially in this past year, is that God is here for us if we just invite Him into our lives. God never gives us more than we can handle and He does provide for us – whether we realize it or not.

In regards to Tom Hanks – Parenting (and now being a stay-at-home mom) is supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard everyone would do it. The “hard” is what makes it GREAT.

Here’s praying and staying optimistic for a GREAT year at home with Jake and the kids. I have the next 30 + years to work outside of the home – but I’ll never get this next year back with the kids.

Absolutely no regrets - we're taking a Leap of Faith - I love this quote below.

It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard everyone would do it. The “hard” is what makes it great.

CC's 6 Month Photo Shoot...

Carrine had her 6-month check this morning and weighed in at 18 lb. 4 oz and 26 inches long!

Our baby girl is growing up way too fast!

 

 

 Such a happy baby!

 

Smiling at Daddy - a daily ritual!

 

This CRACKED me up so much - but of course Roz and Andray wanted their photos taken too! Can't make it up - so funny!

 

Have a great weekend everyone - St. Martin Family Softball tourney...here we come!

A Much-Needed Mother/Daughter Morning...

I had a great morning bringing Roslyn to pre-school for the first time.

I miss my one-on-one time with Roz - so glad I could be with her this morning!

(p.s. - Roz got herself dressed this morning and I didn't have the heart to tell her that her shoes were on the wrong feet. I will definitely miss the day when she puts her shoes on the correct feet!

Too dang cute - and she wore her shoes this way all morning at school)

Roz had absolutely no fear this morning heading to pre-school and she loved it!
On the way to school she said, "It sure is nice that Andray is 'sharing' his pre-school with me now that he's in Kindergarten."
Kids have such a great way of looking at the world.

Roz did so great at school that we were able to have lunch at her favorite restaurant together...McDonald's!

Thanks for all the added prayers, my Grandma's hip surgery went great yesterday.

Was nice having my mom at the house this morning with me and the girls.

Now she's back at the hospital with Gram - truly a mother/daughter's job never ends!

Life is Good!