Living the Life – Page 7

Faith In Action Weekend

Published by dee on May 9, 2010

I’ve been meaning to write about the experience we had last weekend, but with the crazy busy week we had I never really got a chance to. So, here it is…a week later.

Instead of heading to church for our normal services last Sunday, we headed out to put our “Faith In Action” along with nearly 70 other members of our new church. We met up at Platte Woods church, where they already had many people working hard to pack meal packets that would be shipped to Haiti to help those who are in dire need of a healthy meal.

Not only did the adults get in on the action, but we had kids as young as two years old by our sides as we worked. (Evie did go to child care, but Zach helped out as long as I could hold his interest). We scooped rice, beans, and protein powder into plastic bags, weighed, and sealed the packs. Then they were packed into boxes and prepared for shipment.

Our combined efforts packed 300,000 meal packets, containing six servings each for the people of Haiti. In the process, my son got to learn a nice lesson about the world and what it feels like to help people who may be a little less fortunate than ourselves.

After we were finished, we took the kids to the park for doing such a great job. I was so proud of them for helping and being a part of this great experience.

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I'm Only Blue When The Sox Aren't In Town

Published by dee on April 22, 2010

After all the posting I did last week, I’m not feeling too wordy but I am feeling the pressure to get something new up here. I was playing around with making collages a few days ago to enter in the iheartfaces challenge this week, but never was satisfied enough with any of them to actually use them. However, you all get to see one of my masterpieces now.

These are some of the pics I took at the Red Sox/Royals game we went to a couple weeks ago. After checking out the ticket prices, we opted to leave Evie with my sister (way beyond the freebie height cut-off now) and just take Zach to the game. I think he enjoyed the Mommy/Daddy time without his annoying little sister around to steal the show. Well, that and the peanuts, snow cone, and nachos! Now, if I could just get convince him to cheer for the right team…

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A Girl and Her Cat

Published by dee on April 16, 2010

During my last year of college I worked at a group home for developmentally disabled adults. While there were no pets allowed in the house, there were two cats that sort of adopted the porch. Eventually these two cats had a litter of kittens. They were the most beautiful kittens I had ever seen and the first I had ever seen only hours after they were born. There were only three in the litter and I had plans to keep two of them – one for me and one for my mom. A co-worker was going to keep the third one.

The momma cat eventually started weaning the kittens and we decided it was about time for them to be taken to their respective homes. I was heading home that weekend, so I had planned to take my two little furballs with me. Unfortunately, either the momma cat or the baby kittens had other plans. They disappeared the day before I was supposed to take them home. We have no idea where they went. They were just gone and I was devastated.

Not long after that, a co-worker and I were taking a group on an outing. We had the van loaded up and just as we started pulling out of the driveway, we saw this little puff of white moving around in the grass. We got out of the van to check it out and there stood the cutest little Siamese kitten. I’ve always had a thing for Siamese cats and this little guy was just too cute. He came right up to me and snuggled up in my arms. My co-worker convinced me that it was a sign and that I should take him home.

That night he was officially named Pedro (anyone want to guess where that came from?) and he’s been with me ever since. He was my “baby” before I ever had any human babies of my own and he has certainly seen me through some rough times in my life. He always just seems to know when I’m feeling down and I’ve cried into his fur more times than I can count.

I guess that’s why it is so touching to me to see Evie really connecting to our animals, and especially to Pedro. She absolutely loves Pedro. If she spots him you can bet that she’s petting or hugging him. She walks around asking “Where Pedro at?” She loves him, just as I have for all these years.

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Aaachooooo!

Published by dee on April 15, 2010

Our pear tree in full bloom

While I really, truly, with all my heart, LOVE Spring, my head does not. Allergies have gotten the best of me over the last couple of weeks. I’ve been a bit cranky and a lot tired and that combination just isn’t a good one. I take Zyrtec year-round for allergies which does help, but when Spring really hits it just doesn’t hold up. My throat gets scratchy, my eyes itch like crazy, and my nose is either running or sneezing 24/7. Plus, my entire body is just tired from trying to fight it. Sounds pleasant, doesn’t it?

The really bad part is that allergy season hits hard right around the same time that Hubby’s work picks up for the year. In his line of work winters are slow and there is little work to be done so he ends up with a lot more free time. Dinner is usually on the table when I get home with the kids and we have fairly relaxed evenings. Then, when we finally get a little bit of a heat wave in the Spring, things pick up and he’s suddenly working 11-hour days. Not only does it wear him out, but it changes our whole evening routine because he gets home later. I can barely get the kids fed and bathed before it is time for them to go to bed, much less fit in any extras.

The combination of allergy season (for me) and busy work season (for Hubby) can make for a not very pleasant household. Both of us get a little more snippy with each other and with the kids. The fun part is that I know it is coming every single year, yet it still seems to take me by surprise. And every year it takes me a while to figure out why everyone in my house is so darn cranky. Oh, yeah!

This too shall pass. I have to get myself back into the summer routine, which includes making sure we have supplies ready for our favorite quick-fix meals (which means I have to get to the grocery store on the weekends) and relaxing a little if the kids don’t quite get to bed on time. It also means I need to cut Hubby some slack and remind myself that I’m not always the easiest person to live with.

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Sunny Bliss

Published by dee on April 14, 2010

The weather in Kansas City has been just absolutely beautiful over the last few days. Even with my insane allergies, I can’t help but want to be outside. The temps have been hovering in the 70-80 range and the sun has been shining. Flowers are blooming, the grass is getting greener, and it is just beautiful all around. This is why Spring is my favorite season of the year. If I weren’t so dang tired from the allergy meds I have to take to survive, I would be so motivated right now. Weather definitely affects my moods and Spring has always been my time to shine.

This past weekend I got the opportunity to have my two youngest nephews over to spend the night. My sister, her husband, and my oldest nephew were headed to Joplin for a school competition Friday night so they dropped the younger boys off on the way. I got to pretend like I was the mommy for four kids and boy was it a lot of work! Actually it wasn’t so bad. The kids are all so close in age that they pair off and play really well together.

Saturday morning, after some Wii time and my run, I put them all to work cleaning up the sticks in the yard so Hubby could mow. They did pretty well until they started getting bored (we have a BIG yard!). After that, they played outside for a bit until I suddenly realized they were all getting really cranky and that it was well after lunch time. Oops!

After lunch, naps, and a little quiet time (where I escaped for a bit to sit on the front porch, paint my toe nails, and read my book) they were all ready to go again. We headed back outside for more play time and Hubby made some snow cones for everyone.

Then it was time for a little t-ball! I was actually pretty impressed with how well my nephews hit the ball. The only problem was that the four kids fought over the two balls and two bats that we have. Everyone wanted to have their own because apparently sharing just isn’t as much fun.

After dinner, baths, and tucking everyone in for the night, I was pretty wiped out. Unfortunately, there was still laundry to fold and it really couldn’t be put off since we had a full day coming at us Sunday too. My sister picked her sleeping boys up a little after 10:00 and soon after that I was passed out in my bed.

Even though it exhausted me, I had a lot of fun with the kids. I really had fun playing outside and enjoying the sunshine. We’re supposed to have sunshine all week and I’m soaking it up!

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Easter Snapshot

Published by dee on April 5, 2010

We had a really busy and really great Easter with my family. We colored Easter eggs with all the cousins on Saturday night, then spent Easter Sunday in Sedalia with my Dad and his wife. After the kids were all worn out from going to church and egg hunting, we took them to the park to wear them out some more. We finally headed home with some exhausted, sweaty, slightly sunburned kids around 6:00 last night. They both crashed in the car, and when they woke up in the driveway at home they immediately asked for more candy.

I took about 1,352,458 photos that I still have to sort through, but wanted to share this one. Even with my girl’s cranky face on, she looks adorable in her Easter dress. I keep hoping that someday it will get easier to actually get a picture of my kids together with them both smiling but I’m guessing that won’t ever happen.

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Category: Living the Life

Faith In Action Weekend

I'm Only Blue When The Sox Aren't In Town

A Girl and Her Cat

Aaachooooo!

Sunny Bliss

Easter Snapshot