Libby Land

The Christmas Showdown

2011-12-14T09:06:00.005-06:00

For those of you who know me, it's probably not a shocker that I've never really been a big fan of "Santa". Yes, I realize Saint Nick was a great guy who helped others...yada, yada, yada. Lately I've been thinking more specifically about WHY it is "Santa" has always rubbed me the wrong way. Then the other day when a gentleman at the store said to my 5-yr.-old, "Have you been good this year? Santa's watching!", it became ridiculously clear to me.

The greatest part of Christmas is that baby Jesus was sent to earth as our Savior offering us the ultimate gift - salvation...regardless of "how good" or "how bad" we've been. His gift isn't dependent on how well-behaved you've been. It's a gift that is available to anyone who comes to the realization that we're sad, pathetic, soon-to-be-expiring beings without the light of Christ in our lives. We don't deserve a gift even remotely close to the one we celebrate at Christmas, but that's not the point. God sent his son as a gift to EVERYONE - good or bad. If the same logic was followed as with the "Santa" philosophy, well, let's just not go there because it'd be bad. REALLY bad, for all of us.

I guess my point is this, let's take a minute to analyze our culture instead of just lapping up the greedy consumerism our society has turned the Christmas celebration into. If you want to let your kids believe some overweight jolly man squeezes down a 10-12" chimney pipe to deliver presents, fine. But in all seriousness, the real question as a parent is how to treat the Santa myth with our kids. It is a very legitimate argument to say, "How can I tell my kids about a magical man at the North Pole they never see but who cares and brings gifts... then tell them that he doesn't exist... but that the other magical man in the sky they never see but who loves them and gives them gifts DOES exist". At our house we've never really played up the whole "Santa" thing...even though there's a certain Grandma {who-shall-remain-nameless-but-we-share-the-same-last-name} who frequently talks about Santa. There haven't been "From Santa" gifts under the tree, but we do have many of the Christmas books with stories about Santa that the kids enjoy hearing. Obviously, the last thing I want is for my kids to be "those kids" who ruin it for all the kids who DO think Christmas = Santa. But I do want to be very intentional about making sure my kids have learned about the origins of Christmas AND that they understand a way to show similar Christ-like love IS through thoughtful gift giving today.

So this Christmas, tell the story of Jesus. It's SO important and IS the real meaning of Christmas. Then try to find a tangible, practical way to be generous and help each other in Jesus' name. That's what Christmas is all about!

P.S. Santa, I don't hate you...really.

Easter Weekend

2011-05-20T11:29:00.009-05:00

A few weeks back Peyton and I had the opportunity to hitch a ride with my parents down to visit my Grandma Grace. For those of you who don't know much about her, Grandma is one of the most wonderful ladies I have ever met...and I'm not just saying that because she's my Grandma! For as long as I can remember, she's always been a shining example of what a loving, servant-hearted, godly woman should look like.

My memories of growing up a few miles away from her and Grandpa are so incredibly wonderful! Our days were filled with ice fishing, gardening, going for walks up the dirt road they lived on, swimming in the creek just down the road, spending hours upon hours playing out in the woods, making the world's BEST dill pickles with Grandma, drinking TANG and "kids coffee", gobbling up Grandma's AMAZING spaghetti, going to auctions, bird watching, splitting wood for the winter, visiting neighbors up the road and giggling as they spoke Swedish with Grandma, enjoying a tractor ride from Grandpa...the list could go on and on. I just remember always feeling so excited to hear, "We're heading over to Grandma & Grandpa's house"...even when I was a teenager! We usually spent Sundays with them, going to church together and then after lunch we'd go spend the afternoon/evening with them just hanging out playing games, watching football, listening to the Brewers on the radio, singing around the organ or listening to Grandma play the harmonica. I've probably mentioned this before, but some of my favorite memories of spending time with Grandma was when we'd get to sit with her in church! What a treat! As any good Grandma does, she always had Tic Tacs in her purse for us (my kids are now addicted to these - thanks, Grandma!), but the thing I always loved the most was singing next to her. She has a beautiful alto voice - between my Dad's fantastic tenor voice and my Grandma, I learned how to pick out harmony lines by ear and ever since I was young that's something that has always brought me great joy - singing.

Grandma celebrated her 91st birthday in January and recently her health has begun to deteriorate. But how refreshing it was to walk in the door on the morning of Good Friday and see, despite the fact her body isn't as strong as it once was, she's still got her spunky personality and hilarious wit! We enjoyed a wonderful weekend with Grandma talking about everything from what's going on back home in MN & WI, to Grandma's childhood/upbringing, to all the funny stories from us kids growing up. It was such a special time - and the best part was that Peyton was able to be a part of the weekend and have some time with Grandma, too. I remember back when I first found out I was pregnant with Peyton...we didn't know what we were having, but I knew that if we had a girl I wanted her middle name to be after Grandma (Grace). Peyton Grace...little did I know the day she was born the special connection her and Great Grandma Grace would have. :) And even though we haven't lived as close over the past several years, Peyton still talks about Grandma regularly and those two were like two peas in a pod when we were down to visit. Grandma called Peyton her "bedmate", and Peyton wanted nothing more than to simply lay in bed with Grandma and spend time with her. The first thing she said to Grandma when we got there (once she warmed up and realized it was still the same old Grandma Grace, even if she wasn't able to get out of bed like she could last time we visited) was, "You wanna snuggle with me?". What a special, special weekend, filled with lots of laughter, catching up, and of course, a few tears as reality set in that this could very well be our last visit with Grandma here on earth. But what a comforting thing to know that we'll be able to sing together forever with the Lord in heaven!! :)

Here are a few pictures of Peyton and Grandma from the weekend:

Grandma singing "I Have Decided To Follow Jesus" with Peyton (one of Peyton's favorites!)

Peyton & Grandma being silly laughing together

Grandma kept talking about how worthless her hands are now and Peyton's response was, "I can hold your hand!"...and she did, every time she crawled up in bed with Grandma

Peyton showing Grandma her beloved CARS

Weekend "bedmates"

Tasty Thursday - STROMBOLI!!!

2011-04-20T22:03:00.005-05:00

This is a special post JUST for Becky - you know who you are. :) Stromboli was a staple in our house growing up...it's simply FANTASTIC. Enjoy!

Click on the image to enlarge it, then print and file in your recipe box - it's that easy!

When I Grow Up

2011-03-08T10:14:00.007-06:00

This week is a special week...Peyton is "Star of the Week" at school and she's SOOOO excited about it. She gets to be the special helper in the classroom all week, got to bring home the classroom bear (Baby Bear) for a sleepover, and also gets to share a bit about herself through a poster we made. Mrs. Ward, Peyton's teacher, sent home a list of a few things she wanted us to share along with pictures, including what Peyton's favorite food was, what her favorite animal was, etc. As I sat with Peyton putting together her poster we had so much fun! We got to the final part of the poster we needed to fill in - I asked Peyton, "What do you want to be when you grow up?". With a huge grin on her face she smiled and excitedly exclaimed, "A GRANDMA!". I laughed at the time, but the more I thought about it, I thought how impressive. Most kids would've responded "a doctor" or "a fireman" or "a teacher", but not Peyton. To her, being a Grandma is an important job and it made me smile to think that she realizes that at such a young age. I think back to growing up and how special both of my Grandmas (and my great Grandma who I remember spending time with) were to me. Today would've been my Grandma Cromley's 80th birthday, and boy, do I wish she were still here so she could have met my kids! They would have loved her!! We have plenty of photos around of both Grandma & Grandpa Cromley so the kids know who they are (along with Grandpa Carl)...and that they'll get to meet them all in heaven. My Grandma Grace (who Peyton's middle name is after) celebrated her 91st birthday in January and my kids absolutely adore her. There isn't a day that goes by where Peyton doesn't talk about Grandma Grace (along with Grandma Becky, Grandma Julie and Grandma Janice - from our church)...we're so blessed with wonderful "Grandmas" in our kid's lives! The picture Peyton chose to share about what she wants to be when she grows up is one of my mom, Grandma Grace (my dad's mom), Peyton and myself last summer at a family gathering - what a sweet photo!! I'm proud of you, Peyton, for having such great heart and for already being able to see what's important in life - family!

Special Dinner Guests

2011-02-02T09:26:00.007-06:00

Over the past few months I've really enjoyed overhearing some of the conversations the kids have had now that Peyton is becoming more and more able to express herself verbally. Last night Chad had a study group he was a part of so for dinner it was just the kids and I. The kids had asked for mac 'n cheese for dinner (shocking, I know), so I got started on making that while unloading the dishwasher and picking up the kitchen a bit. The kids were in the other room playing cars together. Their conversation cracked me up...

(FYI – All the "Agent" talk is due to Carson's love of the show Phineas & Ferb where their pet platypus, Perry, is a secret agent - they call him "Agent P")

Carson: Peyton, let's pretend this car is Dad and we'll call him "Agent D". This car is Mom and we'll call her "Agent M". This car is Jesus so we'll call him "Agent J".

Peyton: Then this car be God - call him "Agent G"

Carson: Okay, let's pretend Jesus is going to Wisconsin to visit Grandma Becky. "Hi Grandma Becky, it's 'Agent J' and I came to visit you. Whatcha doin'?"

Peyton: Agent G going to Grandma Becky's, too!

Carson: Okay, now Agent J and Mom are going to visit Matea in Duluth. "Hey, what are you guys doing - this is Agent J and we want some ice cream!"

Peyton: Agent D have class tonight - he no have dinner. Maybe later. Carson, God wants ice cream, too.

Carson: Peyton, no, that's Agent G, not God. "Hey guys, is there enough ice cream for Agent G, too? He's hungry".

Peyton: How bout Agent G likes Boots (our dog)? Wanna have ice cream, too, Boots? Boots say yes.

Carson: Agent J said he's still hungry.

I had to interrupt the kids play time to call them to come and get ready for dinner. I asked the kids to be helpers and get silverware out for us. As I was dishing up mac 'n cheese I saw the kids getting the silverware and Peyton grabbed cups out of the cupboard and they both went over to the table. As I turned to put the plates on the table I noticed the kids had put silverware and a cup out for 4 of us. So I said to them, "Oh, guys, Dad's not going to be here for dinner". Carson says, "Mom, don't you know God is standing right next to you because he's always with us.". And Peyton pipes up, "This cup is for Agent J - he wants macaroni, too." Oh boy. So, we had dinner last night with "Agent J" sitting in Chad's spot. Throughout the meal Peyton kept saying "Keep eating, Agent J, no have a treat if you don't eat" and "Good job eating - you like it?". Their pretend play with "Agent J" and "Agent G" went on for about 45 minutes after dinner and I couldn't help but smile listening to them. I love the fact that even in seemingly silly situations like this, they've got an understanding that God is always with us no matter what ... even if it's as our dinner guest for a gourmet dinner of Kraft mac 'n cheese!

Splurging

2011-01-25T11:17:00.007-06:00

I often hear women talk about splurging on various things, whether it be buying a new purse, getting their nails done, getting a massage or just getting some new highlights put in their hair. Those seem like fairly typical things that a lot of women do to pamper themselves. Then there's me. Much to my husband's dismay, I don't often see the need for those luxuries (yes, I just called them luxuries)...instead, I love nothing more than getting a new funky t-shirt. Yep. Call me strange, but it's true - I'd rather have a fun new t-shirt than a new Coach purse or an hour massage. Let's face it people, I spend the majority of my days in my basement office...in a t-shirt and jeans. Today I'm sportin' the "Green Eggs and Ham" gem I scored at Target on clearance for $2.48. And last Friday I had the privilege of wearing my Kermit the Frog "Awesome Meter" t-shirt (which I splurged on...for a whopping $3.74). Back before Christmas I was thrift store shopping with my friend Stacey when we stumbled on a vintage "Chillin' with my Gnomies" shirt in the CLEARANCE section for $0.50 - I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!! One of my all-time favorites is my black Muppets "Animal" shirt...that embarrasses my husband. Sorry, dear. But from the first time we met, I've been this way. My first memory of meeting Chad was at a Halloween party where I was wearing my Mister Roger's "Welcome to my Hood" t-shirt (yes, the one Mr. Roger's sued over because the image had him holding a gun...c'mon, it was college!!!) That should've been his first clue. Chad, on the other hand, was the exact OPPOSITE of me - struttin' his stuff in Girbaud jeans and Tommy Hilfiger polo shirt. Wow, the memories. So here we are almost 12 years later and I still love me a funky t-shirt!! (Thankfully Chad's given up the Girbaud jeans and most of his Tommy clothes)

Seeing as how my birthday is just a few short months away, I'd like to throw out a few birthday present ideas for all of you who are DYING to get me a present that is EXACTLY what I've always wanted...another t-shirt. Check these bad boyz out...they're just a few I'd like to add to my repertoire:

Easy Street

2011-01-18T10:32:00.009-06:00

*Sigh*

That *sigh* pretty much sums up how I felt as I plopped down in my office chair this morning. So many things to catch up on after a crazy busy (but AMAZING) weekend. After 9 months of preparing and planning, our Women’s Ministry team, in conjunction with the Best Life Ministries team pulled off a wonderful women’s conference over the weekend. God did some incredible things during and through the conference! I was completely humbled watching all of our volunteers work so diligently on the tasks that had been assigned to them. What a privilege it is to serve with such a sincere group of people - I’m honored to call them my brothers and sisters in Christ! :)

This morning I was thinking back on this weekend and all the stories we heard from the various women of Best Life Ministries. Most of their stories were about situations God placed them in and how they were able to push through despite unbearable circumstances. Over the course of the weekend I heard various comments such as, “Wow, I don’t know how anyone could ever get over something like that”, and, “There’s no way I could handle something like that”. I started thinking more in-depth about the different situations God places us in, many of them ones we never would have imagined, both good and bad. Unfortunately, we often only remember the bad or difficult situations/circumstances.

As I was thinking back through a few difficulties I’ve faced in my own life, I was jumping around reading some different scripture passages and stumbled upon 1 Corinthians 7:17. Wow. What a powerful verse!

“Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you.”
1 Corinthians 7:17

This made me stop and really think about how our response in difficult circumstances is a reflection of our faith and our confidence in God’s ability to carry us through. Are we really that foolish to think that God doesn’t know what we’re going through or that He isn’t aware of how much our hearts are aching as we endure situations that weren’t in our “plan”? HE is the one who laid out HIS plan for us long before we were ever created. I especially loved the last part of the passage above, where it says we are to remain as we were when God first called us. What an incredible reminder that we need to stay strong, holding to the promise that our God, our Creator, knows EXACTLY what He’s doing...and our job is to remain faithful to Him no matter what!

Over the weekend I was talking to a couple of girlfriends and we were discussing how some of us have been so blessed with a life free from difficult childhoods, troubled marriages, tragedy, etc. A comment was made, “Sometimes I wonder why God has been so good to me and yet I see so many others struggling”. I’ve often felt that way about my own life - like I’ve been living on “easy street” for the majority of my life. God has been SO incredibly good to me. I had a fabulous upbringing in a wonderful Christian home with my 3 brothers, and our parents gave us a tremendous example of what a respectful, godly marriage should look like. I’ve never struggled with self-esteem issues and have always been a fairly confident person, even though I witnessed friends/peers who really struggled in this area. My college years were full of great memories and I didn’t get caught up in the partying scene that many of my friends did. I married a wonderful Christian man and we were blessed with 2 sweet kids spaced almost two years apart just as we’d hoped...I’ve been successfully running my own business for over 4 years now. So why haven’t I experienced life-altering struggles in my life like so many around me have?

That question used to really bother me....I’d hear others talk about what a life-changing day it was when they first asked Jesus to be the Lord of their life. And here I sit, with my uneventful memory of accepting Christ one night when I was about 7 or 8 after a Sunday night church service...nothing real earth-shattering. But after wondering this for many years, it’s finally become clear to me. I firmly believe that God was preparing me. He was preparing me and building me up specifically to be a mom to Peyton and all that this entails with our daily struggles. He was also preparing me to be used for His purpose, whether that be providing support for others after receiving a diagnosis for their special needs child or being a listening ear for those who are hurting. And as the scripture passage stated, I need to “remain as I was when God first called me” so that He can use me in whatever way He has planned...even if I haven’t gone through the many hardships that some around me have. In my limited mind the plan for my life may not always make sense, but I rejoice in the fact that I’m not the one who laid out this plan - HE did. Now my job is to remain faithful to Him, open and ready to be used in whatever way He sees fit.

Christmas Break

2011-01-03T13:42:00.028-06:00

Well, it's the Monday after Christmas break has "officially" ended. What a whirlwind break it was. I'm not quite sure why I feel like that because we were here at home the entire time, but still, it just seems like it went by way too fast and it was a blur. Maybe because we did so much over break. Who knows. Here's how our Christmas/New Year's went...a 'lil something like this:

December 24th -
All of Chad's mom's family came in from out of town (Nebraska, Missouri, California...) and we all gathered with Chad's parents, his Grandpa and a few friends for a massive Christmas Eve meal and lots of laughs. We opened presents and then sat in a food-induced stupor after we topped off the evening with pie from Baker's Square.

December 25th -
Repeat of December 24th, with the day ending as Mommy & Daddy took Carson to see "Yogi Bear" while Peyton lounged in her PJs at Grandma & Papa's.

December 26th -
Headed to church for a fun family-friendly interactive church service with our NorthRidge family. Carson shared his picture of "God and Jesus walking on the water" with everyone (his interpretation of the scripture passage our table was discussing about Jesus being the Living Water) ...my little artist! :) Then we just enjoyed some downtime at home that afternoon, and went out for a yummy "kids-eat-free" dinner at probably my favorite restaurant of all times - Axel's Bonfire.

December 27th -
Hit up the waterpark in Otsego to use some passes we had - the kids had a blast! Mom and Dad endured the chili water for as long as we could before we finally had had enough. As long as we were running laps in the lazy river we were fine, otherwise I'm pretty sure it would've been warmer if the pool had been OUTside. Sheesh.

December 28th -
Had a lazy morning in our PJs, ate some cinnamon rolls, then took the kids to use some giftcards at Target, scored a Disney Cars parking ramp that's been a BIG hit! Then Mom and Dad headed out to dinner and a show - Triple Espresso, with some good friends (and Chad's extended family who were still in town).

December 29th -
We bundled up the kids and called our friends Kelly, Colin & Jake to go sledding with us. It was a blast!! Then after lunch we picked up Colin and headed to see "Tangled" - what a cute movie! Later that afternoon/evening Mom and Dad were off to use some Timberwolves tickets we'd gotten at the Silent Auction for Peyton's therapeutic riding organization. We had AWESOME seats - 7th row, midcourt. In typical Wolves style, they led most of the game and ended up losing by a few points in the last couple minutes. Lovely. Chad was like a giddy school girl after the game because we were sitting by the Vikings player EJ Henderson and he got to shake hands with him as we were walking out. Excitement...or not.

December 30th -
We got up bright and early to head down to Children's Minneapolis/Noran Clinic to get Peyton all set up for a 24-hour EEG. Her pediatric neurologist wanted to do this to make sure Peyton's not having any sort of mini-seizure activity that's causing her to wake up multiple times per night (thus, complicating a few things at school - staying focused/on-task due to not being fully rested). The tech hooked up 26 electrodes to Peyton's head (and a couple to her chest and side to monitor her heart). I was beyond nervous how this would all go down, but Peyton was AMAZING!! She sat so still and followed the tech's directions so well that he was done hooking everything up within 20 minutes. Mr. Tim, the tech, told Peyton she was his "perfect angel" and that he'd gotten done in record time! He then talked with Peyton about her friend "Star" the horse that she got to take home. Star was a little horse backpack that held the harddrive where all the electrodes hooked up to, recording Peyton's brain activity. The way we explained it to Peyton was that "Star" was "typing" on the computer so the doctor could see how smart she is! :) Oh, and I have to mention Carson, too - he ended up having to come with and did a fabulous job sitting quietly with Daddy, not distracting Peyton while she was supposed to sit still. Once we headed home our day consisted of laying low, watching a couple of movies, playing cars and ending the day with Mom having a sleepover in Peyton's room (to make sure she didn't wake up in the night and attempt to take off any of the electrodes/wires). Carson and Dad got to have their own sleepover, too!

December 31st -
We had to endure the worst part of Peyton's EEG - removing the putty/glue they used to attach the electrodes to Peyton's scalp. Not fun. :( It took us a good 40+ minutes in the tub to get it all off. Peyton was NOT a happy camper...and to be honest, Mom was near tears, too. But we survived!! Then the kids were off for a sleepover at Grandma & Papas. At the very beginning of Christmas break Grandma had told the kids they could spend the night the Friday before they had to go back to school...pretty sure she didn't realize it was New Year's, but hey, a free overnight babysitter = Mom and Dad on an overnight date night downtown. We splurged (with the help of some credit card points...knew those would come in handy some day!) and stayed at Graves Hotel in Block E downtown. We used a giftcard to get some appetizers, then wandered a bit downtown before heading to Kieran's for an evening of people watching and listening to the Sweet Colleens. :) We had a blast!

January 1st -
After sleeping uninterrupted past 6:30am for the first time in....oh, a REAAAAALY long time, we packed up our bags and headed to the Macy's clearance racks. Yep, can't pass up a good clearance rack!! :) We found the deals of the year (yes, I realize it was only 1st day of the year, but still...they were fantastic). We scored a winter coat for Carson (for next year), 2 fleece zip-up sweatshirts for Peyton and 2 ties for Chad (no, he still can't tie them) for a grand total of $29.38. Wowser. Our receipt said the total would've been just under $300 if we'd paid full-price for everything we got. Love me a good bargain!!

January 2nd -
Headed down to Children's to return the EEG equipment, then made it back in time for second service at church. Peyton was thrilled that the worship team sang not one but TWO of her favorite songs AND she got to sit/sing with Grandma Janice. Woohoo!! :) After church we ran to Target (like everyone from NRF does after church) and grabbed a few things, then headed home to make a big fatty brunch to eat while watching the Vikes lose and the Packers win - GO PACK GO!!! Then we packed up lunches, snow gear bags and headed to bed.

January 3rd -
The kids gave me a late Christmas present - they both slept ALL NIGHT. Incredible. And thus begins our routine we call "normal".

Hope you all had a great Christmas break!!

Reality Check

2010-12-16T08:27:00.008-06:00

Well it happened. I knew it would sooner or later (obviously, I'd hoped it'd be later), but Peyton had a run-in with some playground bullies yesterday at school. As I walked in to pick Peyton up after school there was the principal...she'd clearly been waiting for me. She pulled me in to the office and explained the situation. Apparently there were these two girls that Peyton has taken a liking to. The principal wasn't exactly sure if Peyton was playing with them or if she was wanting to play with them, but as Peyton's para watched from a short distance these two girls decided they didn't want to play with Peyton. Rather than simply saying to her, "We're all done playing with you" or, "We're playing with someone else", they decided a better option was to line up side-by-side and shove Peyton to the ground. The para witnessed it all and said it wasn't an accident and was obviously intentional. She went running over to see if Peyton was okay (which she was) and she heard Peyton saying to the girls, "You need to say sorry - that's not nice!" in a sad voice as she laid on the ground (Yay, Peyton, for sticking up for yourself verbally!). The girls were escorted inside to the principal's office and the incident was dealt with. They were also walked down to Peyton's classroom later on in the day where they pulled Peyton out in the hallway so the girls could apologize. Overall, the situation was dealt with extremely well. But it still made my heart ache hearing about it...and the "mama bear" in me initially wanted to go find those little twerps and set them straight (yes, I know they're only kindergarteners).

As I drove Peyton to therapy after school we talked a little bit and our conversation went something like this:

Me: So how was your day at school?
Peyton: Good.
Me: Did you learn anything fun?
Peyton: I don't know...maybe something.
Me: Did you get to play with friends today?
Peyton: Yes, some friends not nice to me.
Me: Uh oh, what happened?
Peyton: I wanna play tag with Lexi.
Me: Then what happened?
Peyton: She say she no wanna play with me...she pushed me down. I was sad.
Me: What did you do then?
Peyton: I be sad.
Me: Did anyone help you?
Peyton: Miss Jayne help me stand up and find more friends.
Me: What happened to Lexi?
Peyton: She go in time out - can't play outside.
Me: So what did you do at recess after that happened?
Peyton: I play in the snow...wanna play with more friends.
Me: Did anything else happen at school?
Peyton: Lexi say "Sorry" in the hallway. I was sad. She not being nice to me.
Me: Well, she just made a bad choice...I'm sure she's a nice girl.
Peyton: No wanna fall down again.
Me: I know. If that happens again you just make sure and tell a teacher, okay?
Peyton: I was mad, too.
Me: Well, that's okay to feel sad and mad if someone does something mean to you. But do you ever push them back?
Peyton: No. Wanna be a nice friend. I play with Lexi again?
Me: We'll see...

After our conversation I think I was even more upset than when the principal first told me about it. Hearing Peyton talk about it just made it a lot more "real". And I'm sure some of you who are reading this may be thinking, "Oh brother, every kid gets pushed down at one time or another...this really isn't that big of a deal". Most "typical" kids don't have to listen to the little comments day-in and day-out like, "she talks like a baby" or, "why can't she talk right?" or, "you can't go to school because you can't talk", and they don't have people gawking at them everywhere they go because of how they talk or how they react when they get excited about something (yes, I realize Peyton has no volume control...she's stuck on LOUD)...and I know I'm probably way more sensitive about the comments and the stares than Peyton is. I've come to realize that's just part of being different, unfortunately. So the ignorant comments and stares (from both kids and adults), I can handle...or I should say, I'm learning to handle, but when someone is downright mean, that's a little different. So I'm really trying to NOT make this a big deal and to make this more of a learning experience both for Peyton and myself.

As I said earlier, when I first heard about the situation I wanted to go find those little snot-faced brats and give them a good chewing out. But the more I've thought about it and have talked with Peyton about it (which we've tried to not make a big deal about - we just wanted her to know it's okay to talk about things like this if something happens at school), my mindset has turned from being angry at these kids to realizing being angry isn't going to solve anything...what I should really be doing is praying for these girls so that this type of situation doesn't happen again. Who knows, this could be God's way of teaching these girls that they need to think before they act...and if they were indeed being cruel to Peyton because they didn't want to play with her, maybe they need to take the time to get to know someone before automatically writing them off. Wow, deep for kindergarteners, I know, but still, I'll be praying for these girls and for Peyton that she'll be spared of potential situations like this in the future...and more importantly, that I'll give grace to the offenders the next time something happens. Funny how God uses such a wide variety of situations to teach us things. Love you, Peyton, and I'm proud of you for not getting upset and reacting inappropriately towards those girls! You're a very, very special girl!!

Merry Christmas . . . I need therapy

2010-12-06T16:19:00.008-06:00

For some reason I have this thing where I just CAN'T bring myself to pay money for Christmas cards...pre-designed Christmas cards, that is. Call me crazy, but I just can't. This year I even have a $100 gift certificate for Tiny Prints that I won off a blog and I just could NOT bring myself to pay for a design. Probably because I've had this idea in my head for our family Christmas card since like June. And even when I DO see a cute design on a website I still have this little voice in my head saying "You can't pay that much per card when you could design your OWN!!!". Ridiculous, I know. Anyway, I finally got my idea all polished up and put together this afternoon, so Merry Christmas from the Libbys...enjoy our custom-designed card. LOL!!

READING!!!

2010-11-17T08:12:00.004-06:00

Well, once again, I've been forced to eat my words. Several months ago as Chad and I were talking about Peyton entering a mainstream all-day kindergarten class we were talking about what reasonable expectations were for Peyton given her disability. I distinctly remember saying, "Well, I certainly don't think reading will come during kindergarten for her...it didn't for me!". *GULP!* Just ate those words...Peyton has been coming home with little books to read for homework a couple of times per week. At first she was excited about doing her homework, but then the novelty wore off. She fought doing homework unless it was on her terms, which was a bit frustrating. But then the past week or so she's really been wanting to work on her homework. Last night she did AWESOME reading her book!!! Watching her made me want to jump up and down screaming "WAY TO GO, PEYTON & YAY GOD!!!!" (and THANK YOU to all the teachers/paras/therapists/family/friends who have helped her get to this point!!). I realize this is just the beginning of what, realistically, will be a long road through school, but we're gonna take every chance we can to celebrate each step Peyton takes...even if it seems small and insignificant to some people. Keep up the GREAT work Peyton - we love you!!

(Sorry about Carson's added "bathroom noises")

Beautiful

2010-11-11T11:24:00.008-06:00

This morning I overheard Carson say to Peyton "You're so beautiful!" as she came walking downstairs in her mismatched outfit she'd put on. I smiled and was once again reminded just how thankful I am for my two little sweeties. Then a friend sent me a link to a video this morning, and of course, I bawled thinking back to Carson's comment this morning...crazy how God ties things together like this. Yesterday I was talking with my friend Amy about how the world often views having a child with special needs as a "burden", when in fact, it's such a blessing because God uses them to teach us SO many things that we otherwise would have overlooked or missed out on. Some food for thought - Enjoy!

A Day in the Life of Peyton

2010-10-28T16:15:00.003-05:00

Some of you have probably heard me talk about how Peyton's not always the most forthcoming about what she did at school...typically we find out what her day was like by her re-enacting the day as she's playing. Well last night I caught pretty much her WHOLE day on video - from Mrs. Ward (Kindergarten teacher), to Mr. Rothweiler (Adaptive Phy. Ed. Teacher), to Mrs. Hathaway (Music Teacher), to Mr. Fischer (Phy. Ed. Teacher), to Mrs. Welker (Special Ed Teacher), then back to Mrs. Ward during free choice time before getting on the bus, arriving home after dropping her friend Will off at home (she "drives him home" on the bus) and then being Grandma Julie making mac 'n cheese for dinner. Gotta love it! Anytime she's "in charge" she comes alive, so enjoy these clips...hopefully you can make out some of what she's saying (and hopefully my giggling isn't too distracting...oh, and her 'lil plumbers crack - guess those pants are a bit too big still).

An Eye Opener

2010-10-06T09:00:00.003-05:00

Last night I caught the end of one of my new favorite shows, Parenthood. One of the reasons I love this show so much is because a couple of the main characters have an autistic son, and I feel like the writers do an amazing job showing "real-life" situations relating to challenges parents/families face. Well last night's episode showed Adam & Krista (parents to Max, who has Asperger's - a "high functioning" form of Autism) trying to fit in time for a date. Things kept coming up and they worked through one roadblock after another. At one point Krista said as they were discussing when they could get away just the two of them, "Oh my gosh, we're going to become a statistic!!". They finally scheduled a time to go out to dinner just the two of them, but then the "date" ended up in an awkward situation at the restaurant where they ended up sharing a table with people they ran in to and were seated right next to (turned out to be Adam's sister and a guy she was out with who works for Adam - awkward). Not exactly the "alone time" they were looking for and desperately needed. The next evening they had an extended family celebration for their daughter who had been elected to the Student Council and after they ate dinner realized, "SHOOT, we forgot the cake!". So Krista & Adam ran to the store to pick up the cake...the show ended with a shot of the two of them sitting parked alongside a neighborhood street laughing, eating the cake - just the two of them. I couldn't help but smile seeing that. It wasn't a romantic setting that most people would envision for a "date", but for them it was perfect - some time to reconnect and laugh together. Made me realize how fortunate Chad and I are to have so many wonderful friends and family who are willing to help out so the two of us are able to have some time to catch up and not feel like we're each living our own separate lives over the course of each busy week. And it was also a great reminder to not wait around for the perfect setting to enjoy some time together...even if it's sitting in the backyard around the campfire just the two of us or sitting on the couch in a stupor after the kids are in bed. Make the most of it!

Making the Connection

2010-10-04T12:38:00.004-05:00

Last night as I was reading bible stories with Carson at bedtime we were talking about Moses. Carson asked why Moses didn't talk. I was a little confused because it hadn't mentioned anything in the story we'd read about that, and then he said "Cause Mom, that story I heard at church said Aaron talked for Moses". I always knew he was a smart little thing, but I guess it surprised me that he remembered a detail like that from who knows how long ago. We talked a bit and I explained that God sent Aaron with Moses to help him because Moses sometimes had a hard time using his words and speaking so people could understand him. Carson piped up, "Kind of like Peyton...but I help her like Aaron helped Moses". I sat there trying to process the range of emotions I was feeling...and trying even harder to hold back my tears. Initially my heart sank that Carson finally had come to realize (or was at least verbalizing) that Peyton was "different" than most other kids. We've always talked to him about how everyone learns at different times and that Peyton is "still learning to talk". As much as my heart ached hearing Carson acknowledge Peyton's speech difficulties, I have to say I was so proud to see him make the connection between the bible story he'd heard and him helping Peyton. We had a wonderful conversation about how God doesn't care how well you can talk or how tall you are or whether or not you're good at sports, what He cares about is what's in your heart. And we also had a great talk about being a good friend to others because that's the best way for them to see that you have Jesus in your heart. As Carson drifted off to sleep he said to me, "Mom, I'm glad I have Jesus in my heart and I'm going to tell my friend Brady he can have Jesus in HIS heart, too". Just another "proud mama" moment...love you little buddy!

Tasty Thursdays – Easy Baked Mac 'n Cheese

2010-09-16T08:23:00.005-05:00

Well folks, I'm sure you're all SHOCKED, but I'm going to attempt to throw up a few more "Tasty Thursday" recipes. Can't promise it'll be every week, but in an effort to get myself better organized in the cooking department, I'm setting up my recipes (existing and new ones I come across) in this fun recipe card format that I (and you!!) can print out and throw in my handy dandy cookbook binder that has slots for recipe cards. Good stuff!

Here's an old family favorite - I grew up on this stuff!! Don't be afraid to experiment with different kinds of cheeses. Some of the best pans I've made of this recipe was when I frantically raided the fridge for whatever kind of cheese I could find. Enjoy!

(Click on the image and it'll blow it up into a larger file that you can then copy over to your desktop)

The First Week

2010-09-10T08:28:00.004-05:00

Well, Peyton is LOVING kindergarten and has been coming home full of things to share with us. Usually she's pretty tight lipped about her day, but after the first day of kindergarten she talked the ENTIRE 25 minute car ride to therapy. She told me about going in the gym with Mr. Fischer (The P.E. teacher) and "jumping". She told me about going in "the little gym" to eat lunch, and about some friends having "hot lunch". Then she told me she didn't need her snack because it was Holly's birthday and they sang Happy Birthday to her. She also told me about seeing some of her other friends from last year's preschool class in the hallway. I sat there wishing so desperately that I some sort of hidden camera feature in the car so that I could've been recording all of this. The funniest part was the way she was talking - like she was a old pro with this school thing. She kept using phrases like "Well, I think so" and "Um, yeah, then we did..." and "Let me think...".

Yesterday Peyton came home and instantly tore into her backpack to show me her stuff she'd brought home. I happened to have the camera close by so I recorded her showing off what she'd done at school. She "read" me two stories, like she was the teacher and I was a student. :) Then all last night she was "Mrs. Ward" and I kept hearing her saying things like "Okay, class time for gym" or "Now it's time for lunch - grab your lunch bags". We had to remind her this morning before we left for school that when she's at school she's PEYTON, not Mrs. Ward. Hopefully she remembers that and doesn't take over Mrs. Ward's class!!

Oh, and Peyton also told me, "I have a new Grandma on the bus. She has hearing aids. She's old. Her name is Linda." The bus Peyton rides is driven by an older lady and then there's a para that rides with the kids who is even older...Peyton's in heaven and wants to ride the bus "every day all day with my Grandma" she told me. Love it.

I think it's safe to say kindergarten is a big hit!!

Torn

2010-09-06T21:26:00.006-05:00

That's how I'm feeling tonight thinking about my sweet 'lil Peyton girl starting kindergarten. I thought I was all prepared for this, but obviously, I'm not completely. I thought I had "one up" on all the other moms of kindergartners because exactly 3 years ago I'd been almost physically ill thinking about dropping off my non-verbal special needs 3-year-old at the Early Childhood Special Ed Preschool for 4 half-days per week. How would she be able to communicate? How would anyone know if she needed something? How would she do getting around the classroom & playground since she had only been walking for a couple of months? How would anyone ever figure her out? How could I ship her off to a bunch of strangers who hadn't really even met her? Those were the thoughts I struggled with on the eve of Labor Day 2007. I very vividly remember crying myself to sleep that night after letting these thoughts get the best of me. The next morning I dropped her off and held it together until I got back out to the car...then I sat and bawled. You hear the stereotypical stories about moms who drop their babies off at school for their first day of kindergarten (or ECSE in my case) and how difficult it is, well, throw in a handful of special needs to the mix and boy howdy, you've got the makings of a MAJOR CryFest.

I've been thinking about how this is all going to play out for the past few days and finally today I started thinking back to that first day when I dropped Peyton off for ECSE preschool. She didn't cry. She wasn't clingy. She didn't even look back for me when I turned to leave the room. She sat there taking it all in. New people, new sounds, new smells, new schedules, new opportunities. Remembering back to that first day really started to change my view on the first day of kindergarten. Yes, I'm sure I'll shed a tear or two, but probably not for the same reasons all the other moms will be. My tears will be tears of joy and of pride seeing my baby, who we were told was developmentally equivalent to approximately a 10-12 month old on her first day of ESCE preschool, walking in to a mainstream all-day kindergarten classroom. Wow, she's come SO far. I can't even explain how incredible it is to see her personality, her sweet spirit, her witt, and her amazing mind all coming out after years of therapy and lots of work here at home. From day one I could always tell when I looked in to her eyes that she was a bright little sweetheart, and to see her finally able to express everything that's been bottled up inside for so long just makes me want to jump up and down with excitement!!

My prayer as Peyton starts kindergarten is that others will take the time to realize what a treasure she is and what amazing things she has to offer. I pray that her peers will be accepting of her little quirks. I pray that her teacher, Mrs. Ward, and the classroom para professional will be able to quickly relate to Peyton and understand her speech. I pray that she will also "get" Peyton just as the two ECSE teachers Peyton had were able to. I pray that Peyton will be able to stay focused and engaged in a classroom full of kids. I pray that Chad and I will have wisdom working with the staff to ensure we're doing everything we can to help Peyton be successful. And most importantly, I pray that others will see the light of Jesus shine through Peyton.

Have a great first day of school everyone!!

Did you REALLY just ask me that question???

2010-07-28T15:19:00.008-05:00

As the kids would say, "Three more sleeps" until vacation. Everyone's been asking, "Wow, what are you guys going to do for a whole week?". So I'd just like to address that question since inquiring minds want to know.

Hmmm, let me see...whatever shall I do with myself for a week in Mexico:

• NOT get up multiple times in the night with my restless children who have lost their stuffed animal, have a wet pull-up, or need to go potty

• NOT drive to and wait around for 4 therapy appointments

• NOT get up 5+ times during a meal to get someone something...only to finally sit down to cold food and an empty table

• NOT break up fights between my children numerous times a day

• NOT barricade myself in my office so I can make a phone call to a client

• NOT start my workday at 9:00pm

• NOT ask "Who has to go potty?"

• NOT frantically try to meet client's often unrealistic deadlines (But I DO love you, clients)

• NOT do laundry

• NOT rush out the door in a frenzy as we attempt to get to church on time

• NOT cook

• NOT clean (Disclaimer: Chad helps clean, so I can't completely complain about this one)

• NOT wipe little behinds...or mouths & noses for that matter

• NOT chase around a 4-year-old who somehow always seems to FORGET that he has to wear pajamas at bedtime, which usually ends in hysterics - you'd think I was torturing him

• NOT get up at 6:00am because someone's hungry after not wanting to eat their dinner

• NOT worry about what bills are due (Note to self: Make sure all bills are set up to be paid before we leave on Saturday)

• NOT feed the dog, let her out & pick up her presents she's left us in the yard

• NOT sort junk mail

• NOT get out of the shower with only one leg shaved because crisis-intervention is needed

• NOT feel disgusted & depressed about my horrendously messy office

• NOT look at the clock every 10 seconds wondering where I'm supposed to be

• NOT respond to email/facebook/text messages/voicemail

• NOT feel married to my computer

• NOT sing the same bedtime songs I have for the past 6 years

• NOT read bedtime stories, namely Brown Bear, Brown Bear and any and all Dora The Explorer books

• NOT grocery shop

• NOT watch any kids shows or listen to kids music (Farewell Wiggles...for a week anyway)

• NOT feel guilty that I don't have more time to keep up with friends & family (You all know I still love you, right??)

• NOT eat hot dogs, corn dogs, macaroni & cheese, and peanut butter & jelly (THANK GOD!!! BRING ON THE REAL ADULT FOOD!!!)

• NOT be on any sort of schedule

• NOT sit in traffic on 94

• NOT worry about wearing "kid friendly" clothes (I know what you're all thinking...that's not what I meant - we're talking sundresses, skirts, etc. that aren't usually real conducive to "kid outings")

• NOT have to take Chad clothes at work due to a "wardrobe malfunction" (okay, okay, this only happened a few times)

• NOT push kids on the swing at the park

• NOT listen to someone complaining about what I made for dinner

• NOT get interrupted every 2 seconds when I try to talk to Chad about something

• NOT fish goodies & toys out from under the fridge or the stove for the kids

• NOT run in a panic after Evel Knievel as he speeds away on his bike into an intersection

• NOT chase kids around Target

• NOT brush our wooly mammoth dog

• NOT set up my "mobile office" at the park, therapy waiting room, ball park, etc.

• NOT take phone calls from clients at all hours of the day & night (Again, I DO love you, clients)

• NOT help Mr. Libby with any homework/school projects (proofing papers)

• NOT skip meals because there simply isn't enough time in the day to make sure everyone else is taken care of

• NOT say "You're going to lose privileges if you do that! It's your choice."

• NOT try to find a babysitter

• NOT feel like my husband is a complete stranger

Hopefully that gives you a little insight as to what our week will be like! :)

More than likely, getting away will make us both realize even more than usual just how blessed we are with the life God has given us! VIVA MEXICO!!!!!

A Whole New Level of "Sweetness"

2010-07-08T18:49:00.004-05:00

After an action-packed 4th of July weekend, Carson came down with some sort of strange bug...probably from ingesting too much lake water, but who knows. We came back from Chad's sister & her husband's cabin Monday afternoon, then the kids spent most of Tuesday with Grandma & Papa Libby while I attempted to catch up on some work. That evening we had a highly nutritious meal of Dominoes pizza for dinner with Grandma & Papa. Carson didn't seem to be real hungry, but he was convinced to eat most of his pizza so he could have a popsicle for dessert. The rest of the evening he just lounged around and I didn't really think anything of it after our crazy weekend - I just figured he was tired. Well he zonked out on the bed at Grandma's house while watching TV, and as I scooped him up to take him home I noticed he felt really warm. We took him home and I brought him right up in to the bathroom to take his temperature. He was sitting on the counter and, of course, Peyton wanted to be right in the middle of all the action, so she chose the toilet in THAT bathroom to use as she got ready for bed. So imagine this - Carson on the counter top, myself digging in the cupboard looking for the thermometer, and Peyton sitting on the throne yelling "Daddy, I'm done!" - then in walked Chad. You can probably guess what happened next. Yep, Carson projectile vomited all over everyone...and all over the entire bathroom. Yum. Pizza, popsicle and who knows what all over the 4 of us...and Peyton saying "Ewwwwwww! That's YUCKY!! GROSS, GROSS, GROSS!!". Chad and I devised a plan of attack for dealing with the disaster area and within a half hour everything was cleaned up, the kids were bathed and we had the good 'ol air mattress set up in our bedroom for Carson to sleep on. By this time he was so tired he crawled up in to bed and wanted the lights turned out. Peyton on the other hand was all wound up. She kept talking about Carson being sick and how it was "Yucky" when she was going potty and he got sick - she was completely flipped out. Chad was doing everything he could to get her to calm down, but to no avail. Then all of the sudden Peyton goes in to her bedroom and comes back holding a picture of her friend Carter. This picture is one that Carter and his Mom sent to Peyton last winter when she was sick - it's a picture of Carter holding a sign that says "I hope you feel better soon Peyton! Love, Carter". She absolutely ADORES this picture and I've actually had to print out several copies of it because she's worn the others out from carrying it around with her. Peyton took the picture and laid it on top of Carson's tummy and said "This will make you feel better - Carter says 'hope you feel better now'". It was all I could do to not burst in to tears watching her sweet little self so worried about her brother and offering her beloved picture to him so that he'd feel better. Chad and I stood there smiling at each other, both with tears in our eyes after witnessing such a genuine and heartfelt gesture. Peyton finally did settle down and Carson settled in for a good nights rest, too...with his picture of Carter holding his sign right next to him on the air mattress.

Jockey Peyton

2010-06-01T12:10:00.006-05:00

Well, I know I've been bad about keeping all 4 of my readers up to date with what's going on, but there's just SO much going on these days!! Peyton is almost ready to head down to Canterbury Downs now after her 4th session of therapeutic riding - she's LOVING it!! It's amazing to watch her on her horse (who's named "Bay") - she looks like an old pro. They've started working with her using the reins and she's been doing very well. Each session as we're driving away, Peyton says "Wanna go back. Need to ride Bay more.". I'm excited to see how she continues to improve as the months progress!!

There's Always A Plan...

2010-05-03T19:57:00.004-05:00

Have you ever had a situation where you think you know what you're in for, but then *BAM*, out of no where God turns it in to something completely different than what you expected? That happened to me today.

This morning we headed over to Victory Riders for Peyton's first therapeutic riding session. We'd gone out over the weekend and purchased a helmet, I had filled out the necessary paperwork and also had our pediatrician fill out the form she needed to...we were all set. When we entered the horse arena Peyton got a little quiet and was taking everything in. Her riding partner arrived and we met her for the first time. What a perfect fit - Peyton's partner is a very sweet 23-year-old young lady with Downs Syndrome named Allison. As Allison walked in the door Peyton started jumping up and down yelling "Hope's here!!" and went running over to say hi. We have a niece who Peyton ADORES who also has Downs, so how perfect that Peyton has been paired up with Allison, who is the spitting image of her cousin she loves so much!

As they began the session I sat with Allison's mom on the viewing deck. We talked briefly about our kids and then sat quietly to watch the girls ride. Peyton was pretty hesitant to get on her horse, but the lead therapist and owner, Shelly, helped her get up on the horse and then they were off. Earlier in the morning I'd glanced at my planner and was going down the list of "places to be" today and had walked in to the therapy session with Peyton in sort of a fog...almost with the feeling of "okay, here we go...another therapy appointment". Sure, I knew this was a great opportunity for Peyton, but I had NO idea what this half hour would do for ME.

Peyton's therapists walked her around the arena for a couple of laps to get her used to the feeling of being up on the horse. Then they played a game of "follow the leader" with Allison as the leader - Peyton loved that! Then they stopped the horse in the middle of the arena and I saw Shelly say something...Peyton bowed her head and folded her hands. Shelly and the other 2 volunteers also bowed their heads and I could faintly hear a bit of their prayer. They prayed for God to bless Peyton in everything she did all the way from the top of her head (then they touched her helmet) to the bottom of her toes (then they touched her toes). As I sat there listening, I got tears in my eyes watching, and I was reminded once again just how incredibly blessed we are that God has placed so many tremendous people in our path who care so much for Peyton - even these strangers we'd just met seemed to have a sincere desire to see God bless her and work in her life. I can't even describe how humbling that was to watch. I'm sure Allison's mom thought I was a basketcase as I sat there wiping my eyes long after Peyton had closed the prayer with her signature overly enthusiastic "AMEN!", but boy, oh boy, did that ever touch my heart. So a situation I went into thinking I knew exactly what to expect turned out to be one that brought me to tears and helped me once again to see exactly what God knew I needed to see...that He has a plan and has very specifically laid out every detail in every situation we encounter. Thank you, Lord, for opening my eyes this morning when I was feeling tired, overwhelmed and, just plain weary of the life You chose for me.

Perspective

2010-03-12T21:20:00.007-06:00

This evening Peyton and I got to attend a super fun birthday party with a bunch of Peyton's friends. We all met up at Jo-Ann Fabrics and had a craft party in one of the classrooms - complete with pizza, cupcakes and lots of little girly giggles. While the party was a lot of fun, it was one of those times where the fact that Peyton is different pretty much slapped me right in the face. Tonight was definitely a reality check, especially as we're gearing up for Peyton to be placed in a mainstream classroom in the fall for kindergarten. I couldn't help but notice some of the looks Peyton got from girls who haven't spent much time with her. All of the girls were absolute sweethearts and they weren't doing anything wrong - they were just being curious kids, wondering why Peyton acts differently than all the other kids. I know I should just be able to ignore the looks after six years, but man, some days it just really eats away at me. Like I said, none of the girls did anything wrong or said anything, they just looked. Some stared. Others took quick glances up from their projects every time Peyton squealed with excitement. And as usual, I just kept right on helping Peyton, talking to her saying things like "Isn't this exciting, Peyton?!?" and "Wow, Peyton, are you having fun?!?" in an attempt to subtly let the girls know that this was a REALLY big thing for Peyton and she shows her excitement differently than most almost-six year old girls do.

We did some really fun crafts, the first of which was painting treasure boxes. Oh boy. Painting. So, of course, Peyton was more interested in finger painting on the table than painting a tiny little wooden box. All the other girls sat there working intently on decorating their boxes with specific patterns, some with stripes, others with polka dots. And then there was Peyton - happily attempting to mix all her paints together and making a hand print on the table, then shouting "Mom, look - my hand!". More stares...and rightfully so. The directions of keeping the paint on the paint trays and off the table that the Jo-Ann Fabrics employee who was leading our party had given were not being followed by Peyton. But thankfully, the party leader quickly recognized that Peyton needed a little more attention than the other girls did, and she was absolutely wonderful. She went out of her way to tell Peyton how beautiful her painting on the treasure box was. Peyton stopped what she was doing, looked up and said "Thank you. You the teacher?". I couldn't help but smile.

The next craft we did was making beaded bracelets - every little girl's DREAM project, right? They all oohed and aahed as the lady told them what we'd be doing next. Peyton didn't respond...until the lady came walking in from the other room with a ginormous container of beads. Peyton literally SCREECHED in excitement and yelled "BEANS!!!!!!!". Yep. Here we go. One of Peyton's absolute FAVORITE things to do is play in any kind of sensory bin/table. At school the first place she goes is the sensory bins. At Grandma's house she has a cake pan full of dried pinto beans that she loves to sift through for hours. At Target the highlight of our shopping experience for her is playing in the water at the drinking fountains. The girl just LOVES anything sensory. So the party leader was trying to explain to the girls that they needed to count out about 25 beads in order to make their bracelets. Well Peyton was so extremely excited about the "beans" being set down right in front of her that she was seriously YELLING, "I HAVE BEANS!!!!!!" and running her hands through all the beads, dumping them all over the table and on to the floor - right as the lady had specifically asked that the girls be extra careful to NOT spill beads on the floor. To me this was funny because Peyton was having SO much fun (and I was planning to clean the beads up that she had spilled). But to all of the other girls it was puzzling. Again, the party helper did a wonderful job complimenting Peyton on her bracelet that she made. Okay, really I made most of it - Peyton strung 2 beads then went back to playing with the "beans".

The last craft project we did was decorating our own cupcakes. Oh dear. Multiple tubes of ooey, gooey frosting in various staining colors just waiting for Peyton to squeeze all over everything. I asked Peyton if I could help her, but she insisted on doing it herself - so I let her. As she squeezed half the tube of purple on her cupcake I told her she did a good job and needed to make sure she saved some for the other girls. Then she saw the sprinkles. Before I could stop her, she stood up, grabbed them and began shaking them everywhere while she hollered out "It's a shaky egg!!", the lyrics from one of her music therapy songs in which they use shakers. And of course the lid to the sprinkles was not on tight so sprinkles flew everywhere around the room - on the floor, in my hair, across the table onto the counter...everywhere. Again, more stares. The party helper had specifically told the girls NOT to touch the sprinkles until everyone was done putting on their icing. I was a little flustered and tried to clean up some of the sprinkles, but once again, the party helper was great - she kept her cool and said, "Okay girls, it looks like Peyton started us off with the sprinkles - who else is ready for theirs?" as if it was no big deal. I secretly wanted to go over and give the lady a hug.

Once we'd finished our crafts and eaten our cupcakes it was time to open presents. Peyton was very excited for her friend to open her gift. The whole drive in to the party Peyton had been saying from the back seat, "I'm gonna give a clue for my present - it's green". She'd picked out a pretty green dress that she insisted her friend would like. Well Peyton's gift ended up being the last one that was opened, so the whole time Peyton's yelling "Where's my gift?", "You wanna open MY gift?". More stares. I kept reassuring her that her gift was coming up soon. Then it came - her friend was reaching for our gift and Peyton stood up out of her chair and yelled "OPEN IT!!!!!!!!!! IT'S GREEN!!!!", and began jumping up and down enthusiastically. Stares. Then the gifts were all opened and all the girls were gathered around the birthday girl, admiring her Littlest Pet Shop toy she'd gotten...all the girls except for Peyton, who was happily playing with the pile of tissue paper left over from all the gift bags.

*Sigh*

There's just no getting around it. Peyton is different. She'll probably never fit into a category people consider normal. I thought I was okay with that - and that I'd gone through my so-called grieving process in an attempt to come to grips with all of this. But like I've read on so many special needs blogs, here I was right in the middle of another stage of the grieving process. Not that I was having a pity party for myself, but instead my heart just ached and longed for everyone else in the world to see what a unique and special girl Peyton is. Sure, she doesn't always have the "right" response to situations, and, sure, she sometimes does things completely unexpected, but she's still a little girl just like all the other little girls that sat around the table with her tonight. She has SO much to offer people if they could just take a step back and give her the benefit of the doubt. Don't mind my the "mom" in me talking here...just needed to get that out there.

As the party wrapped up, the other girls' parents came to pick them up. They all beamed as they took their special crafts over to show their parents what they'd created. I stuck around and helped clean up a bit as the last of the girls left. Peyton was walking around the room talking loudly and randomly singing songs. As I was pulling down streamers and balloons, I turned and saw the party helper walk over to Peyton. She leaned down to Peyton's level and told her she had a surprise for Peyton. She told Peyton to hold out her hand. Peyton looked up at her, smiled, and held out her hand. The lady dropped several shiny beads in to Peyton's hand and told her they were something special she could take home with her to put in her treasure box. Peyton kept smiling and said, "Thank you for having us!". The lady smiled warmly and told her, "Thank YOU for coming - you made my night, Peyton". I kept cleaning up, but couldn't help feel more at peace with how the evening had gone after seeing, that, despite the fact I felt as though we stuck out like a sore thumb, God had used Peyton to touch the heart of this stranger.

Perspective. That was the word that God placed on my heart as I kept running through my head how the evening had played out. I held back tears laying next to Peyton as I tucked her in to bed after she whispered "I wuv you Mommy". I need to keep everything in perspective. I need to realize that God knew EXACTLY what He was doing when He made Peyton. He knew she'd have the ability to make an impact on complete strangers simply by her joyous spirit. He knew she'd love "beans". He knew she'd love music. He knew she'd have a genuine compassion for others. He knew she'd have a quirky, silly sense of humor. He knew she'd love macaroni and cheese. He knew she'd have an incredible ability to remember people's birthdays. He knew she'd be viewed by others as different. But that's how He intended Peyton to be. Different.

Psalm 139:13-16

"For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be"

Graduation

2010-02-16T15:16:00.000-06:00

Well, last Thursday was Peyton's graduation party from RiteCare Language Clinic. It's hard to believe we've been there for TWO years already. Wow, time sure does fly!! I cannot even believe the progress Peyton has made since we started there. The first time we went for a session, Andrea - the therapist we started with, could hardly get Peyton to produce ANY words at all. And the ones Peyton could say were VERY difficult to understand...even for us - her parents. Over time Peyton became more comfortable with being at RiteCare and came to really enjoy her visits. We were sad to see Andrea leave, but couldn't have asked for a better replacement - Kristy. It's been SO amazing to see how God has placed the PERFECT people in Peyton's life to work with her. Kristy has been wonderful for Peyton. She knows how to get Peyton to work and has a gentle firmness about her that is exactly what Peyton needs. So, without further ado, here are some pictures of Peyton's last day at RiteCare...with her buddy, Otis, too. Thank you so much Andrea & Kristy (and all the other therapists/teachers/paras who have helped Peyton)!!!

Homework

2010-01-14T09:21:00.007-06:00

This week at preschool Peyton's teacher started something new - sending home "homework backpacks" with little activities to do. Peyton thought the fact she had homework was SO COOL!! She came home, ripped in to her backpack and told me "Need to do my homework!". Each night this week she's come home wanting to "do her homework" and last night she was able to work with Daddy on her homework. They were learning about different types of patterns and she did really well with it! Both Chad and I were impressed with how long she sat there and worked. Carson sat in, of course, and loved it as well. As a reward for doing such a great job on her homework, we made chocolate chips cookies once all the homework was done...and Peyton even wanted to help use the mixer (which up to this point she's been a bit scared of). Fun times in Libbyland!!

Happy Birthday Matea!!!

2010-01-08T00:08:00.000-06:00

Today my sweet little niece, Matea, turns 2!! The kids absolutely ADORE her and we've been talking about how her birthday was coming up right after Christmas. Well Peyton was all worked up about wanting to "sing happy birthday song" to Matea, so here you have it, folks!

We hope you have a GREAT birthday, Matea!! We'll have to find a time to get together and celebrate!! We love you and can't wait to see you again soon!! XXOO

The Singing Queen

2010-01-07T08:48:00.006-06:00

Well, it's January. Christmas has come and gone, the holiday craziness has settled down a bit, and now it's time to share a couple of things from Christmas '09.

This was the first Christmas where Chad and I really had to think hard about what to get the kids. Up to this point it's been pretty easy to come up with a ton of things. We wanted to make sure we weren't buying things just to buy something, and after a lot of brainstorming we found the perfect gift - CD boomboxes for the kids rooms. If you haven't figured it out by now, music is a HUGE part of our every day life here in Libbyland. Probably the biggest thing that motivates Peyton with her speech is music, so really, it was a no-brainer. We did some searching around on-line and found one for Carson right away (can't go wrong with anything "Cars" these days). Finding one for Peyton was a bit more of a challenge, but after several days of searching, I found it - the motherload of all boomboxes...at least for Peyton. It didn't really matter what "theme" it was (Disney Princess), but it had a MICROPHONE with it. Lord Almighty, this product was MEANT for Peyton!!!

Another present we picked up for Peyton was a robe. The girl is OBSESSED with wearing my robe. So I found one in her favorite color and figured it might be a hit. Christmas morning we opened gifts with the kids. Peyton opened her robe first. She hadn't even fully opened it yet when she jumped up, started stripping her clothes off and was yelling "I wanna wear it!". So she opened the rest of her presents in her robe. Nothing else. Just her robe. Apparently the robe was a good choice. Once presents were opened we busted out the boomboxes and got them all set up in the kids rooms. Peyton spent most of Christmas break in her room, in her robe, singing with her new boombox/microphone.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! Hard to believe another holiday season has come and gone!

Here are a couple of videos of the kids singing and then a picture of Peyton in all her glory - wearing her robe and holding her microphone before her very first performance Christmas morning. :)

Oh Boy.

2010-01-05T21:35:00.005-06:00

I had a bit of an awkward moment with Carson this evening. Into the bathroom he walked holding something up and he says to me with all of his 3-year-old insight, "Mom, I know this goes in your butt". Ummm, okay, you've got my attention...I turned to look at him and he's holding a tampon (don't worry...still in the wrapper). Yep, awkward. It was all I could go to keep a straight face because he thought he was SO stinkin' SMART! I just asked him if I could see it and told him they were "only for girls", to which he replied, "Yeah, only girls put those in their butts". Aye, aye, aye...and just think, he's only 3!!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-18T09:26:00.003-06:00

Wow, can ya tell it's getting close to Christmas???? Sheesh, nothing like posting once every 45 days or so - sorry for the big gap in updates. There's just WAY too much stuff going on around here. Time to slow down and take a few minutes to brag on my sweet munchkins. This past week we had their Christmas programs (and yes, I did just say CHRISTMAS, not "holiday" programs). I was a little nervous how Peyton would do. We'd been talking her through all that was going to happen for several days and how we were so excited to hear her songs (even though she'd been singing them night and day "practicing" here at home). Well the big day came and she did AWESOME...better than many of the "typical" kids, so yay God for that!! I know this'll come as a shocker to many of you, but I took video (and a thousand pictures) of each of the kids' programs and they're absolutely LOVING being able to watch them over and over. Thankfully I've got a new computer set-up so I can plop them in the chair at the extra work station and they can push the space bar to their little hearts desire, playing the videos over and over.

Carson managed to score the part of Joseph (could it possibly have had something to do with his overly-animated-eat-up-the-spotlight personality??) and he did a great job. He led Mary into Bethlehem on her donkey and in to the stable. Unfortunately, after baby Jesus arrived Mary was showing signs of postpartum depression and sat in the corner of the stable wanting nothing to do with the baby. So Joseph stepped in and laid baby Jesus in the manger and watched over him while the angels and wise men arrived. What a sweet story to be able to tell him as he gets old! :) After the Christmas play came the Christmas music. Of course, Carson decided he needed to be front and center with his buddies Isaac and Colin. Those three did a great job carrying the group as they sang their whole slew of songs.

Here are a few videos of the kids at their programs -

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!

I am not alone!

2009-11-04T09:40:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago I was feeling really overwhelmed and very discouraged about things - mostly things to do with Peyton. Don't get me wrong, I'm SO incredibly proud of what great things she's accomplished in the past few years, but there are days I can't help but sit and wonder what the future holds. Right now we're really struggling with potty training. She "gets" the idea, but she's deathly afraid of going on the potty...she'll sit there for a total of about 2 seconds, then she gets tears in her eyes and says "all done". We have managed to get her to go in the bathroom on her own when she has to go #2, so that's a big step, but I still just want so badly for her to be fully potty trained!! I think it'll be a big confidence booster for her, plus selfishly, I sure could do without the judgmental glances from people when we walk into a public restroom with a pull-up in hand. Well, as I was trying to do my best to focus on the positive things we've got going on in our life and with Peyton, I stumbled across a great blog that a few moms of special needs kids have created. It's a devotional site designed specifically for these moms to talk about the struggles they're facing in relation to different bible studies they're going through. Right now they're doing the Joyce Meyers study "Never Give Up!", and as I read through some of the posts I just broke down and cried. FINALLY! Someplace to find some spiritual encouragement from someone who is walking down the same road as me!!! The tears were complete tears of JOY, because the past three and a half years since we received Peyton's diagnosis have been very tough spiritually. As hard as all my friends may try to understand some of the struggles I'm facing, there's really no way for them to fully understand. I do have to say, though, that I have so many amazing friends who have surrounded me and are always there to celebrate the accomplishments and work through the set-backs with Peyton - and for that I am incredibly grateful!!

As I read through the devotional blog post this morning on the "Spectrum Spirit" site, there was one part that hit me like a ton of bricks that I want to share:

Waiting on the Lord...
"When success does not come easily, when we find ourselves frustrated and weary in our efforts, we need to wait for the Lord." -Joyce Meyer page 118
That's where I feel like I'm at right now, waiting on the Lord. I'll be honest with you, my son just turned 7 last month and this is not where I thought we'd be. Even when they gave us his diagnosis four years ago, I always thought by the time he was 5 he'd catch up to his twin brother. Then when he turned 5 my thoughts turned to he'd catch up by the time he was 7. He's now 7. Don't get me wrong. I am so thankful and feel so incredibly blessed by him and all of the progress he's made. However, my dream of my son being completely healed from autism is not working out to my timing. I believe God is trying to pull me closer to Him during this time and something is keeping me from getting closer. I'm not sure what. But, after reading this chapter, I'm going to spend more time waiting on Him. I am thankful that Joyce included in this chapter what exactly it means to "wait on the Lord" because I really needed some help with this. On page 118 Joyce says "it simply means spending time with Him, being in His presence, meditating on His Word, worshiping Him, keeping Him at the center of our lives." She then writes "While we wait, we need to aggressively expect God to do great things in us and in our lives." I believe that God still wants me to research all of the different therapies, supplements and biomedical treatments out there for my son. I also believe he wants me to spend as much time as I possibly can playing and being there with him. I don't think that by "waiting" for Him, He just wants me to do nothing. He wants me to continue doing what I'm doing for my son but take the time to be with my Father as well so that I know what He needs for me to do. I also know that for me, the more time I spend with God, the better my attitude, my outlook and my emotions are. Remember what Joyce says on page 121..."Waiting on the Lord does not have to be complicated. Just put Him at the top of your priority list. He wants you to have and enjoy a quality of life you may be missing because you are not spending time with Him."

Wow. I feel like if you just replaced the references to this woman's son with "daughter" and replaced the references to autism with "global apraxia" this paragraph pretty much explains my spiritual struggles I've been wrestling with. I can't even tell you how excited I am to continue reading this blog and receiving encouragement and spiritual food from it! Thank you God for reminding me that I am not alone!!

Peyton the Chatterbox!!

2009-09-30T12:54:00.003-05:00

Some of you have already seen these, but for those of who aren't on Facebook, check out Peyton's latest and greatest!!!

Here she is singing "Baby Bumblebee":

And here she's showing us what she learned at school:

Brilliant

2009-09-21T21:43:00.003-05:00

Wow, I love this.

Peyton's First Day

2009-09-15T12:54:00.009-05:00

Well, this morning Peyton had her open house at the mainstream preschool she'll be attending. She's in her third year of ECSE preschool now, but those class sizes are very small and so we thought it'd be good for her to get used to being in a larger, regular size class just like she will be for Kindergarten next year. We've heard great things about Children's Country Preschool here in Hanover (specifically how well they work with special needs kids!), so we're excited to start the year there.

As we walked in to the classroom, Peyton went right over to one of the teacher's and asked "What's your name?" - and here I was worried she'd be shy and wouldn't want to talk/interact with anyone! She wasn't afraid at all to approach other kids and ask them their names (and of course point out that the shirt or shorts they were wearing MATCHED Peyton's dress...leave it to the fashion diva). The teacher started out by reading "The Kissing Hand" to the class and she had a little raccoon puppet she introduced to the class as a "new friend". Next we did a little craft with our handprints and hearts in the middle - Peyton loved pressing her hand in to the giant ink pad. She kept saying "Oh no! Got messy!" and laughing. After we finished our craft time we did some singing, learned about the classroom rules and had a snack. Once snack time was finished up we had some free-choice time. Peyton popped up out of her chair and quickly made her way back over to where we'd had opening group time. She grabbed the raccoon puppet, turned around and told me "You sit down. I'm the teacher." So obviously I obeyed the "teacher" and sat down while she took a seat in the rocking chair that Miss Trisha had been sitting in. With the puppet on her hand, Peyton says to me, "Say hi to our friend!" and smiles. I love seeing how she's getting more and more in to pretend play, etc.! Peyton got to be the teacher's helper for music time, which she thought was SO great. We sang a fun song, did some dancing and then wrapped up with our closing group time. The teacher talked about how excited she was to have each of the kids in her class, then she said, "Does anyone have any questions?". Peyton yells out, "I do!". The teacher says, "Okay Peyton, what's your question?". Peyton sat there for a minute, looked around at all the kids, then looked back at the teacher and asked "Where's Carter?". I thought I was going to pee my pants laughing!! Anyone who knows Peyton knows that her favorite person in the world is her best bud, Carter. Unfortunately they're in different ECSE classes this year which has been kind of tough, but it sure was sweet to see that she still has a VERY special place for him in her heart!!

Peyton I'm SO proud of you for what a special girl you are and all the wonderful new things you're learning. Daddy and I are so thankful that God chose us to be your parents!! Thank you for being such a sweetie with such a big heart! We love you!!

Trying something new

2009-09-10T08:54:00.003-05:00

Take a minute and check out the latest addition to the Libby blog family - Phat Photos by Libby Design. This one will be devoted to photography - fun stuff!

Whose Kids Are You Talking About???

2009-09-02T09:13:00.005-05:00

So last night I co-hosted a Tupperware party with my friend/neighbor, Kelly, and I found out a few days earlier that Chad had Fantasy Football draft party #3 the same night. Perfect. We lucked out and were able to score one of the sitters we've used in the past from church. The kids were excited when we told them Jo was coming to play. They really enjoy having sitters come, but last night was the first time we thought we'd try having the sitter put the kids to bed. This might sound like no big deal, but keep in mind that Peyton is very much a "schedule/routine" girl...and then there's Carson who we nicknamed the "sleepless child" for the first few years of his life. Then of course there was the fact the kids had just had their first day back to daycare, so they were both super clingy when I picked them up. I'm just going to be honest here - I was fairly certain there'd be mass chaos when Jo attempted to put the kids down. But I figured worse case scenario, I'm right across the street, so the kids are comatose on the couch when I run back across the street after my party.

Before we went to get the sitter I'd talked with the kids about how Jo was going to put them to bed. Carson had a few questions like, "Who's going to brush my back teeth?" and "What if I can't get my jammies zipped?". We talked through all the "what ifs" both of the kids had and they seemed a little confused. Peyton kept asking "Jo sleeping downstairs?" because usually if they go to bed and someone's still here (Grandma & Grandpa Peterson especially) then they sleep in the guest room downstairs. Well the time came for me to head over to help set up for the party and I reminded the kids about bedtime and left a big long note for the sitter explaining our bedtime routine, etc. Then I left. At the party I kept checking the clock thinking, oh boy, wonder how things are going. Well by the time we got everyone out the door and things cleaned up it was about 9:45pm. I quickly ran across the street and entered the house to find it....quiet. I could faintly hear the white noise of the kids sound machines upstairs. But other than that, it was quiet. Jo came walking up the stairs from downstairs and said, "Hey!". Of course the first thing out of my mouth was "How'd bedtime go?". What came out of her mouth completely and utterly shocked me. She replied, "Wow, you're kids are so great! They've been the easiest kids BY FAR to put to bed! I gave them a warning that it was 'almost' bedtime and they both ran upstairs to the bathroom to brush teeth, then got jammies on, went potty and we read some books. Then they both got in their beds and said 'good night, Jo!' and I haven't heard a peep out of them since! I LOVE babysitting for you guys!!". I just stood there. Seriously, I was speechless. All I could say was, "Wow....wow....wow...", then I finally managed to say something else like "Well I'm glad it went well...wow.".

As I was driving Jo home, I just kept thinking about everything she'd said about the kids and how they'd behaved for her. Then I felt bad that I'd automatically assumed they'd melt in to useless heaps of nothingness without me there to console them. I guess after the long summer of having everyone home without any real schedule and all of us getting on each others nerves as a result, I'd just had it in my head that the kids wouldn't know how to deal with the fact that neither of us were home for bedtime like we usually are. I smiled driving home and said "Thanks God!" - this couldn't have come at a better time. Right as I'm staring at an insanely crazy schedule for the upcoming school year and feeling like somewhat of a failure as a parent with the last few weeks of summer break having not gone so well. So this morning I woke up feeling renewed and ready to take on this crazy life that God has given me, with all the running around to three different preschools, various therapy appointments, client appointments, church meetings, etc. It's funny how God takes little things like a babysitter telling you how wonderfully well-behaved your children were to reassure you that despite all your feelings of inadequacy, He's right there beside you, helping you and guiding you through all the trials you're facing.

Wordless Wednesday - "Roughing It"

2009-08-26T12:57:00.004-05:00

As I'm sure you can tell, our camping trip this past weekend was VERY rustic. :)

Where have you been my whole life?!?!?!?

2009-08-26T07:32:00.005-05:00

Okay, how many of you pour a cup of coffee in the morning, then find it around dinner time sitting on top of your bookshelf where you set it down to go break up a squabble between your kids? Or how many of you end up with a sink full of travel mugs (that can't go in the dishwasher - DOH!) that your husband drops off in the sink each day after work? Well boy, have I found the motherload of travel/insulated coffee mugs!!! Check this bad boy out!

This company, ActiveGear, has developed a dishwasher-safe, soft sided travel mug that will not only keep your coffee warm, but it's also 100% recyclable. And the coolest thing is that right now, they've got a limited-time offer going on where you can donate $10 to one of three charities and you get the mug for FREE!!! So all the proceeds go to charity - you sure can't beat that!

But if times are tough right now for your pocketbook, you could always check out the giveaway over at Busy Mom where they're giving away TWO of these mugs. Be sure to stop over and check out their site - they've got TONS of great product reviews and blog posts that are sure to make you smile!

Greater Things

2009-07-28T11:26:00.003-05:00

The month of July has been a bit of a whirlwind. We celebrated July 4th with family up in Duluth, MN, then Chad and I celebrated our 9th anniversary with a quick trip to Stillwater, MN. A few days later I flew to Chicago, IL with a girlfriend for a long "girls weekend". Then it was back home for a few days before heading to Cross Lake, MN for the weekend and from there we drove to our family reunion and spent a week in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

When we got home last Saturday evening it hit me that I hadn't been to church the entire month due to our crazy schedule of vacations. Sunday morning we headed to church and what a breath of fresh air it was to spend the morning worshiping with our church family. God has sure been good to us and we're so blessed to have such an incredible church that we're a part of. As we sat in the service Sunday I started thinking about our crazy busy month and all the places we'd been. Then at the end of the service our youth pastor and his daughter got up and talked about the missions trip they'd just returned from in Honduras. Needless to say there wasn't a dry eye in the place after Dan and Jo got done telling of all the great ways God had provided for them and their team. Dan talked a lot about the people they'd been able to minister to and my heart just ached to be a part of something like that someday. I've always wanted to go on a missions trip outside the U.S. but it just hasn't happened...yet.

The past couple of days I've been thinking of just how amazing our God is and how undeserving I am of everything He's provided for me specifically and also for our family. I started thinking back to some of the people I'd seen on the streets late at night while in Chicago who had small children with them but were out sitting with signs asking for help and money, or the homeless man who came over to dig through the trash can next to us while we were sitting on a bench outside a shop in Wisconsin Dells. Wow. Obviously I've seen people in rough shape before, but seeing the old man in Wisconsin Dells really left a pit in a my stomach - because Carson sat there watching the man dig through the trash can and asked "Mom, why's that guy taking garbage out of there?". The man just turned and looked at us and when our eyes met I smiled at him hoping he'd see that my smile was filled with God's love unlike many of the "smiles" I'm sure he's seen in his day. I talked later with Carson about this homeless man and he seemed very confused. His little mind had a hard time grasping the idea that not everyone has a home, or a playset in the backyard, or lots of toys, or even a bed to sleep in at night, but he did seem to understand how I ended our conversation when I told him that there are lots and lots of people in the world who need help - from us, but most importantly from Jesus. Since then he's been asking if he can "help" people.

Well, yesterday we had a wonderful chance to "help" people. Our church was hosting a community outreach event that the kids could be a part of. Carson and I spent an hour and a half at The Wellstead in Rogers, which is a memory care facility for seniors. The best part was that we got to bring along our pets to share with the residents. It was so fun to watch Carson show off our sweet little dog, Boots, to all the people there. Carson was pretty shy, but the people sure enjoyed seeing all the kids and their pets. We finished up our time there by singing some old hymns and saying goodbye to the new friends we'd made. What a perfect opportunity to show the kids just how easy it is to show God's love to people - especially those in our own community! This really got me thinking of all the people in and around the Hanover/Rogers/St. Michael area who are hurting and need so desperately to have people show them that God DOES love them regardless of whatever challenges they're facing. I've really been praying that God will reveal other ways we can reach out to those in need in the months and years to come. Some of the lyrics to one of my favorite songs says "greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city". I can't wait to see what God has in store for our community and our nation - what a privilege to be a part of "greater things"!

A Place of Our Own

2009-07-27T16:02:00.002-05:00

For the first time in the 10+ years Chad and I have been together, we will finally be part of a church who has a building of their own!! Our church just purchased a building and will begin renovations soon. We're SO excited to be a part of what God is doing at NorthRidge Fellowship! Here's a news article that tells a little more about NorthRidge's journey:

Finally A Place To Call Home

Wordless Wednesday - It's A Keeper!

2009-07-14T21:33:00.002-05:00

This is one of my favorite shots out of the 500+ pics I took while on my girls weekend in Chicago. Absolutely LOVE it!!

Don't worry...

2009-07-08T22:19:00.002-05:00

I'm still alive. Summer is always a bit crazy, especially trying to work from home with all the troops around. Yikes! We've also had the privilege of traveling around the state a bit this summer, so blogging has taken a back seat for a while. Tomorrow I'm headed to Chicago for a long weekend with my friend Emily - can't wait!!! Stay tuned for pics and some stories of our wild and crazy adventures from ChiTown!!

Off to pack...

Tasty Thursdays - Stove Top Chicken Bake & Parmesan Bow-Tie Skillet

2009-06-17T21:42:00.007-05:00

Since I've been slacking the past 2 weeks, I'm throwing in a bonus recipe this week. Hope you're all enjoying summer!

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - Just Another Day At The Park

2009-06-16T22:38:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday - Boots

2009-06-10T08:10:00.002-05:00

Don't ask me how, but it looks like we may have a new family member. Meet "Boots" everyone!

Wordless Wednesday - First Kite

2009-06-03T08:01:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend we figured we'd take advantage of our annoyingly windy conditions and let the kids fly kites for the first time. Carson was ECSTATIC and was quite the kite flying machine!!

I Did It

2009-05-29T10:01:00.014-05:00

I went to see the Yanni concert here in Minneapolis last night. Go ahead, let the Yanni jokes fly...I can handle it. Seriously, though, I won a pair of tickets to Yanni Voices off of my friend Amber's blog. Chad thought I was teasing him when I told him, but he eventually agreed to go. So last night we headed downtown, grabbed some grub at Hard Rock Cafe across the street from the Target Center, and then headed to the concert. There was definitely a lot of GREAT people watching to be had! I was pleasantly surprised to see that about 40% of the audience was under 65, so we didn't feel TOTALLY out of place. As soon as we got in and took our seats along comes a guy who may have had a few too many cocktails...probably in his late 20s, dressed as Yanni. I'm talking like the old school Yanni we all remember from when we were kids, long hair, mustache, black suit, the WHOLE get up. He was a few seats down from us and was quite the riot to watch/listen to. He kept yelling, "YANNI GAVE ME THESE TICKETS!!! I'M SO NERVOUS ABOUT PERFORMING TONIGHT!!!". Well thankfully he got up and wandered to another section shortly after the show started...we saw him a while later with a security officer. Go figure.

As the show started Chad and I were totally unsure what to expect. But once we got past the fact that we were AT a Yanni concert, I have to say, I rather enjoyed it, especially the other musicians who are touring with Yanni on his "new and improved" tour. The vocalists were outstanding and the musicians - wow, definitely some of the best I've EVER seen/heard. Maybe I'm just a complete music dork, but having played the violin for 7+ years when I was younger, watching the violinists play was SO incredibly cool. At one part during the show they did like a "dueling violins" gig - it was AWESOME!!! Then there was another musician who played this special kind of harp...they said it was some sort of ancient kind that is really difficult to play. Well this guy was absolutely PHENOMENAL to watch and went totally nuts on the harp!! They also featured a cellist who blew everyone away, and the drummer did about a 5 minute drum solo that was pretty sweet. There were a couple of outstanding duets some of the vocalists did - they were BEAUTIFUL. I especially loved the harmony parts!! So it was actually pretty cool to see all these fantastic musicians...and probably more so to see that the concert wasn't all about YANNI!!! Sure there were a few of your stereotypical "Yanni" songs that were played, but overall the show was totally not what I expected. There were all types of music played/sung, ranging from opera to latin to pop, and then there was also a lot of dancing. I told Chad during the show that I'm guessing there were a LOT of Dancing with the Stars fans there who were IN HEAVEN!!! :) There were quite a few ladies screaming "I LOVE YOU YANNI!!!!!" in between all the songs, and one lady in particular was up dancing around in the aisle waving her hands all over the place. Very interesting to watch. The audience went nuts at the end when Yanni & his crew came back out for a couple of encore songs, then the show finally ended.

But wait, that's not all folks, as part of my winnings on Amber's blog, we had two "Meet & Greet Passes". Can you even believe it?? So there was a bunch of people who had these backstage passes - we were all led back through security and to this big lounge room where they had all kinds of goodies. Then we hear this lady yelling "Are there any bloggers here??? From the One2one giveaway???". So Chad and I made our way over to her...we were the ONLY ones. She led us back by the dressing rooms and then there was a big whisper fest that went on between her and a couple of other people. We heard them saying, "Yeah, Yanni's not feeling well at all, so he's not going to be able to come out..." I was CRUSHED!!! Okay, maybe I wasn't...just trying to be dramatic. :) But we did get to meet 3 of the other performers: Chloe, Leslie Mills & Ender Thomas. They were all very nice! The girls were pretty quiet - they gave us a quick handshake, then there was Ender...he came bolting over and grabbed a hold of both Chad and I and gave us HUGE bear hugs when we first met him and then again as we were saying goodbye. He seemed like a genuine nice guy! Gotta love those Latin American men, huh?? :) We had a chance to chat with them for a bit about the concert, how long they'd been performing together, whether they preferred Facebook or Twitter, ya know, the important stuff!! I was kinda hoping we would've had the chance to meet the 4th performer, Nathan Pacheco - he had an incredible voice! And that ended our magical evening at Yanni. *Sigh*

Tasty Thursdays - Chicken Tortilla Bake

2009-05-28T10:04:00.004-05:00

Here's this weeks recipe!

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - Big Helper

2009-05-27T08:07:00.004-05:00

Over the weekend we did a landscape project (tearing up the nappy sod along side our driveway that gets snow heaped on it and replacing it with landscape rock - you can see it a little in the photo on the left side). As we were shoveling the rock yesterday Peyton decided to "help". She was SO proud of herself. She kept saying "I help you, okay? Yeah!". I bet she made at least 15 trips from the rock pile to where we were dumping the rock. Thanks for being such a good helper, Peyton!

Baby Mia

2009-05-21T11:03:00.004-05:00

Our friends Joe & Gina had baby #3 on May 9th and last night Gina brought baby Mia to bible study at our house. The kids were ecstatic!! Peyton was pretty amazed by the whole process of Gina's tummy getting bigger and bigger during her pregnancy. She seemed to "get it" finally when we looked back at pictures of me when I was pregnant with both of our kids. Carson wasn't nearly as interested - he did ask me "Mom, did Gina eat her?" when we talked about how she had a baby in her tummy. Yikes...didn't want to have THAT conversation quite yet, so I went with the 'ol "Nope, God put the baby in her tummy" answer. Well now that baby Mia is here both of our kids are SO excited. Peyton got to hold her when she was just a few days old, but last night was Carson's first time holding her. He was a riot to watch. He kept leaning down saying things to her like, "Hi baby Mia! My name is Carson. I like you!" and "Do you wanna play cars with me?". Peyton was in her glory when it was her turn to hold the baby. Every noise Mia made Peyton would say, "She laughing" or "She talking to me". My hope is that they'll get their "baby fix" through Mia and drop the line they've been saying a lot lately..."Mom, we either need a baby or a puppy"...

Tasty Thursdays - Cheesy Stuffed Shells

2009-05-21T10:35:00.004-05:00

These are my absolute FAV!!! And they're actually not too difficult to make. YUM!! Be sure and serve them with some Cole's bread...or my garlic herb bread that I'll share with you sometime soon.

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - God's Promise

2009-05-20T10:11:00.002-05:00

Love this!

Tasty Thursdays - Cheesy Quesadillas

2009-05-14T08:42:00.006-05:00

These are super easy (and quick!) to make for those evenings when you just don't have time to whip up a big masterpiece of a meal...and the kids love these!!

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - A True Friend

2009-05-13T09:33:00.005-05:00

Sorry, I know "Wordless Wednesday" technically means post a picture WITHOUT words, but I just have a tough time NOT writing something!! Anyway...some of you have heard me talk about Peyton's friend Carter from ECSE. From day 1 of school she came home talking about "Carter". I had no idea at the time that Carter would end up pretty much becoming family!! It's been fun to see their "friendship" grow, and even though Carter doesn't always have a lot to say, they've become the best of friends!! Here are a few pictures of Peyton & Carter - some of them walking down the hall together after school (they recently took their friendship to a new level - holding hands as they walk down the hall - so cute!!) and then there's a picture of them at Peyton's birthday party. Thank you Carter for being such a good friend to Peyton...even though she can be a little bossy sometimes!

Legacy

2009-05-11T10:23:00.003-05:00

Yesterday as I spent my Mother's Day morning listening to my favorite pastor preach, I was so excited to hear what God had laid on Pastor Ben's heart. His sermon was on the impact we as mother's have on our children, whether you're a biological mother, an adoptive mother, or a surrogate mother. What a powerful concept to ponder! And what a wonderful reminder of the amazing gift we've been given as mothers. Pastor Ben talked about how as mothers/parents we often want to "turn our children in to Christians", but the reality of it is that our responsibility is to lay the foundation for our children, and the rest is between them and God. We can support them in prayer, but ultimately it's up to our children whether or not they choose to build on the foundation we've laid for them.

After we left church I kept thinking about what Pastor Ben had said and was thinking to myself "Great, my kids are going to remember me telling them 'No, we don't hit' or 'If I have to tell you again you're going to your room' - not exactly the legacy I'd like to leave". So I prayed about it and asked that God would give me more "teachable moments" with my kids - or more importantly that I would be on the look-out for situations or circumstances in which I could use to instill Christ-like qualities in my children. Sounds a bit daunting, but it's what we're called to do as moms!

Later on after we'd had a crazy adventure down to the Twins game and an afternoon spent outdoors running around with the munchkins in the yard, I was trying to round up the kids for bedtime while Chad was out finishing up some yard work. I have to admit I was slightly annoyed because selfishly I was "keeping score" in my head that this week I'll have to do bedtime FOUR nights in a row by myself because Chad's got a lot of stuff going on this week. As I was thinking about this I could sense myself getting even more annoyed and I knew this would cause me to be short with the kids, so I quickly prayed that I'd just be at peace with the fact that this week was going to be a "mini-single-parent" excursion and that I'd be able to make the most of it. The kids brushed their teeth, we read a few bible stories together and then Peyton said she wanted to go to bed. So I tucked her in and Carson and I headed to his room. He wanted to read a couple more books (prolonging bedtime as usual), so we did. As I turned out the light and began to sing him some songs he asked if we could sit and rock in the rocking chair. Normally I'd be against doing that because my mommy-radar would have wanted to put an end to the never-ending-bedtime-routine. But I decided what the heck, why not. As we sat there rocking he interrupted my singing and started asking me questions about one of the stories we'd read - David & Goliath. Our conversation went something like this:

Carson: "Mom, why'd that guy throw rocks at him?"
Me: "Because Goliath wasn't a nice man and he didn't love Jesus"
Carson: "But I love Jesus!"
Me: "I'm so happy you love Jesus! He sure does take good care of us, doesn't He?"
Carson: "Yep. I love God, too."
Me: "So do I!"
Carson: "Mom, whose big like that rock guy?"
Me: "You mean Goliath?"
Carson: "Yeah, the one that falled down"
Me: "Well Goliath was a HUGE giant...he was soooo tall that he was bigger than everyone else."
Carson: "Taller than Jesus?"
Me: "Yes, taller than Jesus. But God is bigger and stronger than everyone!"
Carson: "Bigger than Daddy?"
Me: "Yep, bigger than Daddy."
Carson: "Mom, do my friends love Jesus?"
Me: "Well you'll have to ask them. Each one of us have to decide if we love Jesus for ourselves."
Carson: "Peyton loves Jesus - she told me and we sing 'Jesus Loves Me' a lot!"
Me: "Well that's good."
Carson: "I will ask my friends "You love Jesus?" when I see them. I'll ask Brice, and Izzy, and Colin, and Ari."
Me: "That's a good idea! Isn't it sad that some people don't know about Jesus?"
Carson: "Who doesn't know about Jesus?"
Me: "Well some people don't know about Jesus and how he takes such good care of us."
Carson: "Yeah, like he gives us fruit snacks and gum."
Me: (Trying not to laugh) "Yep, he gives us so many things we don't deserve or need."
Carson: "I can tell them 'Jesus loves you!'."
Me: "Yes you can, but do you know the best way to show them about Jesus?"
Carson: "No."
Me: "You can show them about how much Jesus loves them by being a good friend and helping them."
Carson: "Okay Mom, I will help my friends and I will say 'You can have a turn with my bike when I'm done, okay?' - that's being a nice friend, right?"
Me: "Yes, that's being a very nice friend."
Carson: "Mommy, I love you! Can we snuggle in my bed now?"
Me: "Sounds good..."

When I finally left Carson's room I just had a big smile on my face. What an awesome way to end Mother's Day! I thought back to a couple years ago when I was talking to a dear lady from our church, Jan. She had stopped me as I was making my way down the hall to drop the kids off at their classes and she said, "You look like you could use a hug!". She gave me a huge hug and then asked how I was doing and if there was anything she could be praying about for me. Well for those of you who know Carson, I'm sure you remember that the kid didn't sleep for like the first 2.5 years of his life. That day Jan stopped me I had been up almost the entire night with him and it was all I could do to keep myself from breaking down in her arms crying I was so exhausted!! She walked down with me to the nursery where I dropped the kids off and then we had a chance to talk. I told her how Carson's sleep issues (on top of caring for Peyton with all of her extra needs and appointments) were killing me and I felt like bedtime especially was absolute TORTURE!! She said to me, "Oh Aimee, some of my most precious memories with my boys were laying with them at bedtime talking, praying and singing songs with them...even up until they were in middle school! It'll get easier, and you just watch - some day soon you'll find yourself wishing you could spend a few quiet moments with them talking before they drift off to sleep." At the time I was thinking to myself "Yeah right!", but Jan was right. Those moments at bedtime are now (slowly) becoming very precious times. And how fitting that I have a wonderful quiet time with Carson at bedtime on Mother's Day - the first Mother's Day Jan's boys are spending without their mom here on earth. Thank you Jan for the wonderful words of encouragement and for all the prayer support you gave me!!! You left quite a legacy both with your own children and the many surrogate children you had!

FIVE!!!

2009-05-08T13:08:00.006-05:00

Wow. Today Peyton turns 5 and I have NO idea where the time has gone. As I was looking back through all of our pictures to find a few to post of Peyton, there were quite a few tears. Mostly tears thinking back to all the challenges that Peyton has faced over the past five years. Then there were also some tears of joy - it really is amazing to see how she's progressed, and we're so incredibly thankful for the delightful little girl she is! God's blessed us in so many ways, but I consider Peyton's progress one of the biggest blessings of all. As a mom it just melts my heart to see Peyton's compassion for others and her ability to instantly change your mood by flashing a simple smile at you. Oh how I love that little peanut!!

Peyton, I hope you have a wonderful birthday and I hope you know how proud Daddy and I are of you!! We love you!!!

Tasty Thursdays - Homemade Orange Julius

2009-05-07T10:58:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I'm a complete sucker for Orange Julius whenever I'm walking through a mall. So in honor of the weather staying about 50 degrees for more than 2 days this week, here's my mom's Homemade Orange Julius recipe. YUM!

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - First Trip To The Dentist

2009-05-06T08:20:00.006-05:00

Last Friday I took the little man in for his first dentist appointment. He did GREAT!! The hygienist and dentist were laughing because he was so relaxed with this legs all crossed in the chair...it was hilarious! Great job little buddy!!

Tuesdays In The Park

2009-05-05T08:40:00.007-05:00

Over the winter months several of us have gotten our families together each Tuesday night at Burger King for 99¢ Kids Meals. Well now that it's getting nice outside we were trying to figure out a way for us to meet up each week just to catch up and let the kids play. Some of us work outside the home, so we wanted to make sure we found a time that worked for everyone. So we came up with a fun idea - Tuesdays In The Park. The idea is this: Each family packs a picnic dinner for themselves and then brings something simple to share (chips, veggies, fruit, etc.). We'll be at Linwood Park in Albertville (the park in Towne Lakes, right behind the Outlet Mall) from 5:30-7:30pm, so people can drop by whenever works best for them. There are tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer fields and of course a great park for the kiddos. And our back-up plan if the weather doesn't cooperate is that we'll head over to Burger King which is about a block away for the Kids Meal deal!! Can't beat that! So I made up a little logo and plopped it on an insert that was put in our church bulletin this past Sunday because we thought it'd be a great way for newer families to get out and meet people from NorthRidge. So tonight will be the test...our first "official" Tuesday In The Park. I'm excited to see what kind of response we get!! If nothing else, it'll be a good way to kill those couple of hours between dinner and bedtime!! This event is open to anyone, so if you live in the area, come join us!!

Tasty Thursdays - One Dish Chicken & Stuffing

2009-04-30T08:35:00.005-05:00

This is one of Chad's all-time favorite things we make. We ate this growing up and it's always a big hit - especially if you've got a stuffing-lover in your house!

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - Petting a Seahorse

2009-04-29T09:08:00.002-05:00

I shot this while we were at Underwater Adventures at the Mall of America a few weeks ago. Carson thought it was the COOLEST thing that he got to "pet a seahorse" through the glass!

Who woulda thunk?!?!?!

2009-04-27T22:02:00.006-05:00

So, my (Chad's) cousin Elise is a pretty cool chick. She's accomplished a lot in her 31 years, including getting her doctorate degree and traveling to various countries pursuing her dreams. Little did she know that her flight home from New Zealand a couple years ago would ultimately end up fulfilling the biggest dream of all - meeting the man of her dreams?!?! It's pretty amazing how God pieces things together when you're least expecting it!

Well, to find out the whole story, check out this link and vote for Elise & Matt as they attempt to win a dream wedding in the Bahamas!!! They're a great couple who certainly deserve this!

P.S. Matt's a rock star graphic designer and I'm super PUMPED to have him as a "cousin-in-law"!!!

Inspiration

2009-04-27T13:44:00.006-05:00

A while back I found a website that I'm absolutely IN LOVE with. The site is called Project Nursery. I love the fun design ideas they showcase!! They're definitely not afraid of using color and it's fun to see how they use many things I would never think of using to decorate kids rooms. If you're bored sometime check out their site!

Tasty Thursday - Baked Mac 'n Cheese

2009-04-23T09:00:00.005-05:00

Today's recipe is a family one that my Aunt Beth makes and my Mom also made for us growing up. Our kids LOVE it!! It's a great one to prepare ahead of time and store in the fridge - then yohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifu can pop it in the oven when you (or your hubby) get home.

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - Just Another Day At The Zoo

2009-04-22T07:03:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture of the kids I snapped quick over Easter weekend while we were about to enter the Grizzly Bear exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo. What a fun place!!

The Big 3-0

2009-04-20T07:19:00.004-05:00

Well it's here. Not sure what all the hype is about, but it's official. I'm 30. Carson told me this morning he got me a chocolate cake and some bubbles for my birthday, so we'll see if that magically appears or not. Happy birthday to my twin bro, Aaron, too!!!

This is a special tribute to my college roomie, Amy. I'll never forget waking up to this BLASTING on my birthday!! :D

Tasty Thursdays - Bruschetta Chicken Bake

2009-04-16T10:30:00.005-05:00

This is probably one of the easiest things I've EVER made...and it tastes AMAZING!!!

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - Little Miss Empathetic

2009-04-15T11:44:00.003-05:00

While we were in Florida on spring break we visited The Shell Factory which is basically a big warehouse full of bins piled high of every shell you could imagine. Right by the check out counter there were a couple of life-size pirate statues...one was a skeleton dressed in pirate clothing and then there was this guy sitting down who had a creepy eye and apparently was another pirate. Well Peyton saw the guy who was sitting down and instantly ran over to him. She stood there staring at him trying to figure out what to think, then she started talking to him and said, "You sad? I hug you." She was SO worried about him - she kept asking me "He crying? Have owie on eye?"

She's such an empathetic little thing!!

Easter

2009-04-13T14:20:00.007-05:00

We had a fun weekend celebrating Easter! Saturday we took the kids to the MN Zoo and saw the Farm Babies exhibit...Peyton made it very clear she'd rather go to the playground that we passed on our way to the Farm Babies, but she cheered up a bit once she saw the Easter bunny come walking down the path towards us. She ran over to him, grabbed his hand and said "Come over here...one minute". We laughed our butts off!! Then we wandered through the different barns to see all the animals. The kids were super excited to see one cow in particular in the cow barn...she had her head sticking out so they were able to pet her - and guess what her name was: LIBBY!! :)

Sunday morning we headed to church dressed in our Easter best! Peyton & Carson went to their classes for the first service, then they got to stay and watch Mommy sing on the worship team during the second service. We had a wonderful Easter celebration and then headed to Grandma Julie & Papa Jim's house for lunch. Great Papa Harold joined us, too, and we had a yummy "non-traditional" Easter lunch from The Olive Garden - YUM!! After that we had a lazy afternoon of watching some sports, playing outside and eating leftovers for dinner. It was sure a fun weekend!! Hope you all had a great Easter like we did!!

My Favorite Time of Year

2009-04-10T11:52:00.007-05:00

For as long as I can remember Easter has always been my favorite time of year. I've been sitting here thinking about this past week and all the things I've heard people say referencing Easter, "Have you gotten your kids Easter baskets ready yet?", "Did you do Easter bunny pictures this year?", "Have a happy Easter - enjoy the candy!". Now I get there's nothing wrong with having "Easter candy", but as I thought more about all the different people who I've come across in the past week, it made me wonder - How many of them really "get" what Easter is? The REAL Easter.

To me Easter has always been a time of celebration where we praise our awesome God for sending his Son to die on the cross to pay for our sins, then rose Him from the grave 3 days later. From the time I was a small child that's what I've always remembered Easter being about. Granted we did get a few pieces of candy each year, but the most meaningful times I remember about Easter as a kid were getting dressed in my beautiful sundress my Mom would make me for Easter Sunday, heading to church for a sunrise service where we celebrated together and ate a big breakfast of various egg bakes the church ladies had made, listening to the pastor recount the Easter story and what it meant for us as believers, and then my favorite part of all - singing "The Old Rugged Cross" at the close of the service, surrounded by my Grandma Grace, Grandpa Carl and the rest of my family and hearing the song sung in amazing 4-part harmony by our family. That's something I will never forget. Ever. Sweet, sweet memories that are priceless. And what a privilege it was to grow up in a family who understood and treasured the true meaning of Easter.

In closing, here are the lyrics for The Old Rugged Cross - they're powerful! I hope you all have a blessed Easter as we celebrate the wonderful gift we've all been given!

The Old Rugged Cross
by George Bennard

On a hill far away, stood an old rugged Cross
The emblem of suff'ring and shame
And I love that old Cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

Oh, that old rugged Cross so despised by the world
Has a wondrous attraction for me
For the dear Lamb of God, left his Glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

In the old rugged Cross, stain'd with blood so divine
A wondrous beauty I see
For the dear Lamb of God, left his Glory above
To pardon and sanctify me

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

To the old rugged Cross, I will ever be true
Its shame and reproach gladly bear
Then He'll call me some day to my home far away
Where his glory forever I'll share

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

Tasty Thursdays - Napa Valley Chicken Wraps

2009-04-09T08:59:00.007-05:00

I almost drooled on my keyboard as I typed the title of this post - these are SO YUMMY!! And talk about EASY!! Mmmmm...

Enjoy!!

Wordless Wednesday - Waiting for Grandma

2009-04-08T08:53:00.002-05:00

Love It!

2009-04-07T10:51:00.004-05:00

Yet another random post, but I was just sitting here working, rockin' out and thinking to myself, "Man, I LOVE good music!". Can you even imagine life without music? Maybe I'm a freak, but what's new, right? Hope you're all having a good day!

Headed Home

2009-04-06T14:59:00.003-05:00

These pics pretty much sum up how our plane ride home went...both kids napped for a bit and overall the flight was pretty uneventful besides a bit of turbulence and Carson having to make an emergency trip to the bathroom during the roughest part of our flight shortly before we landed. We had an awesome time in Florida and are so proud of the kids - they did GREAT the whole trip!! Thanks so much Jim & Julie for having us!!

That's all folks!

Florida: Day 7

2009-04-06T14:29:00.004-05:00

Well we spent our last full day (3.31.09) in Florida the best way we could...at the beach. We had a little bit of a lazy morning but eventually got to the beach. The kids were lovin' it and so were we. Peyton was much more adventurous than she'd been the last time we were at the beach and actually let us take her out in the water. The other day she'd just let the water wash up over her feet and wasn't real thrilled about going much further in than that. I took her out after we ate lunch (great timing, I know...with a tummy full of hot dog & chips) and we did some "wave surfing"...basically that amounted to her yelling "JUMP!!!" every time a wave came, so we'd jump and she'd laugh like it was the funniest thing EVER. We spent a good 30-40 minutes out in the water and it sure was fun to have some time just her and I!

Meanwhile Carson and Daddy were busy playing in the sand. We came back to find Carson buried up to his waist in the sand. He thought he was pretty hot stuff! We spent a while walking up and down the beach finding shells both for ourselves and some for a few friends. Carson was my shell-hunting buddy. As we left the beach Carson said, "Bye beach, thanks for playing with us!".

After a full day at the beach Chad's mom insisted that we hit up Build-A-Bear on our way home. It was a bit of challenge because the kids were wiped, but we managed to get in and out of there pretty quickly. Carson picked a T-Rex and named his "Rex" - very original. And Peyton picked a pink teddy bear that had heart-shaped polka dots. She chose the name "Pink" for her bear. It was fun for the kids to be able to pick out a special stuffed animal to take home with them.

Once we got home from the beach and Build-A-Bear we grabbed some dinner at Bob Evans (Chad's very first time there - what a milestone!!) and then we headed back to pack up everything. We spent the rest of the evening packing and gathering up all our junk.

Florida: Day 6

2009-04-06T13:45:00.006-05:00

Today (3.30.09) was an action-packed day!! We started out the day by going for a walk over the bridge to feed the ducks bread chunks that they love so much. Then we hopped in the car and headed to the Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs. What a COOL place!! We weren't sure what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised. They had so many cool animals to look at and fun things to do! The kids got to pet a baby gator, feed deer, watch an alligator feeding (where they just threw big chunks of raw meat into the water and the gators would fight over who got to gobble it up), and the best part according to Peyton was the little show that Molly the otter put on for us. She was a riot to watch!

Once we finished up at the Wonder Gardens we went to The Silver Spoon for lunch - they have YUMMY food!! This was when we celebrated Chad & Carson's birthdays, too, so they got a big fatty dessert to share. It was enormous and cleanup involved MANY wipes...and not just for Carson! :)

After lunch we headed to a really nice playground at one of the malls nearby, then it was back to Grandpa & Grandma's condo where we spent the afternoon in the pool. Seriously, I think our kids are part fish - they enjoy the water SO much. It was fun to see them getting more and more "daring" in the water as they became more comfortable with being there. We swam our little hearts out until it was dinner time, then headed inside for a quick bath. Everyone slept GREAT after our busy day!!

Florida: Day 5

2009-04-06T13:10:00.003-05:00

Well, today (3.29.09) was our one and only day where there was some rain. It started out overnight continued on and off throughout the day up until about 1:15pm. Of course this happened to be the day Chad and I had tickets for the Twins game, but oh well. We spent the morning hanging around Chad's parents place playing with the kids, then headed down to the stadium with our umbrellas in hand. With it raining there were LOTS of people outside the stadium trying to get rid of tickets. Chad worked his bargaining magic and scored us seats in the 7th row right behind home plate - pretty sweet!! We sat in the rain for about two hours waiting for the game to start. Thankfully the people sitting around us were great to talk to, so at least we were in good company while we sat waiting. And it was actually pretty warm out, so the rain was just more annoying than anything. The first pitch was finally thrown out at 3pm. They played the Cardinals, so that was fun to watch! Obviously the Twins won because they're rock stars!!! We ended up getting home just in time to go to dinner with the rest of the fam and then headed back to the condo to put the kids down a little early.

Today's The Day!!

2009-04-06T12:52:00.003-05:00

The Twins are back home from Spring Training and the season opener is today - WOOHOO!! My sister-in-law Katie posted a picture on her blog of our niece Matea wearing an adorable Twins shirt...used to be Peyton's, so I thought it'd be fun to post a picture of Peyton wearing it, too. What cuties!!

Tasty Thursday - Baked Ziti

2009-04-02T08:15:00.004-06:00

Here's this week's Tasty Thursday recipe. Sorry there wasn't one last week...I was all prepared to post one while we were on vacation in Florida, but then we had issues with the wireless connection where we were staying. Hope you enjoy this one!

Florida: Day 4

2009-03-28T19:12:00.004-06:00

Today we decided to check out a new water park that just opened a few miles away in Cape Coral. It was SO much fun!!! There were a lot of things for younger kids to do, and then Mr. No Fear Carson decided the kiddie areas were too boring for him and wanted to go on some of the biggest slides there - The Electric Slide & Power Surge. So I made the trek up to the top of this humongous platform carrying a double tube and helping Carson up all the stairs. As we left the top platform Carson giggle his little head off the WHOLE way down. The second our tube came shooting out at the bottom he was yelling "LET'S GO AGAIN!!!". So not only will I have a tan when I get home, I'll have calves of STEEL from climbing up 5,000 stairs about 10 times today.

We ended up not staying super long at the water park because Peyton broke out in a weird rash - not sure if it was from the heat or if her skin didn't respond well to the sunscreen, but we figured we better get her home and into the bath to soak before she got worse. But we got in a little over 3 hours of waterpark fun!! Both kids zonked out in the car on the way home - perfect! Then we spent the rest of the afternoon playing at Grandma & Papa's place. We went to a fun 50s Diner for dinner and headed home to get the kids in bed at a decent hour.

Tomorrow there's a chance of rain in the morning, then Chad and I are headed to the Twins game - hopefully the rain is done by then!!

Florida: Day 3

2009-03-28T18:55:00.004-06:00

So much to do, so little time!! Today (3.27.09) we started out the day by going out to feed the ducks by the pond outside of Grandpa & Grandma's Florida house. Carson kept chasing all the various birds, yelling "STOP! I've got food for you!!!". He didn't quite understand that they were scared of him. Next we headed down to Hammond Stadium to watch the Twins warm up before the game. They've got an amazing play area there out in the middle of the practice fields - it's covered with a canopy and everything! While we were playing, Carson saw some firetrucks pull up into the parking lot. He kept asking if we could go look at them, so I finally gave in. As he and I walked over to the trucks, one of the firemen yelled "Wanna sit in the truck little buddy?". So we walked right up to the trucks and one of the firemen hopped out of the passenger side and stuck Carson up in the truck. He had the BIGGEST grin on his face!! Then the driver told me to hop up in there with him and they'd give us a ride. So we got a ride in a REAL firetruck around the stadium at Spring Training - talk about a dream come true for Carson!! I didn't mind it myself, either. :)

While Carson and I were riding around in our firetruck, Peyton and Grandma Julie were still busy playing at the playground while Daddy and Papa Jim were off getting autographs. Once we finished up at the stadium we grabbed a bite to eat and headed home for naps. The kids both took much needed naps and then we had a scrumptious ham dinner that Grandma Julie made us. After dinner we headed to the Shell Factory where the kids got to pick out a few special shells to take home with them. Then we headed outside to feed the ducks and once it got dark we got to see the Waltzing Waters light show. We weren't sure what to expect, but it was actually really cool! I'm not sure what the kids enjoyed more - the light show or putting on a show dancing to the music down in front of the bleachers for everyone. Another action-packed day!!

Florida: Day 2

2009-03-28T15:00:00.006-06:00

Today (3.26.09) we headed to the beach. The kids loved it - big surprise, I know. Carson thought "surfing the waves" (i.e. Chad holding him while the big waves crashed into them out in the "deep" water) was great, and Peyton was happy just getting her feet wet and digging in the sand. We had two tired babies after spending a good chunk of the day there. Then on our way home we hit the best ice cream place on earth - The Royal Scoop. Yummy!!

Wordless Wednesday - Florida at Last!!

2009-03-25T18:05:00.003-06:00

Well, this is a "late-in-the-day" Wordless Wednesday post, but we made it to Florida and started our week of fun!! Here's a picture I took of Carson this afternoon jumping in the pool to Papa Jim. That kid has NO fear!! Tomorrow we're off to spend the day at the beach!!

It was all I could do...

2009-03-23T19:11:00.003-06:00

to keep from laughing my butt off at the dinner table tonight. Carson volunteered to pray before we ate and this is how his prayer went:

"Dear God,
Thank you for this day.
Thank you for words to songs and for the Lord.
Pray for us to go on a walk with him.
Thank you for my fork. And my glass.
Help us to eat.
Amen"

We usually pray something along the lines of thanks God for our food, for our day and help us to "walk with You"...or go ON a walk with Him - whatever works I guess. :)

Sweetness

2009-03-22T11:51:00.004-06:00

People give me a hard time about always having my camera out, but boy do I love capturing candid shots of the kids just being kids. I snapped these yesterday as we were out back playing on the play set. She's just so stinkin' sweet I can barely stand it!

Progress!!!

2009-03-19T15:49:00.007-06:00

Back in the fall I posted an update on how Peyton was doing with everything, but I thought it was about time for another quick update. For those of you who don't know, the biggest challenge right now for Peyton is her speech. She gets speech therapy at school and then we take her to two private speech appointments each week also. It's often hard to describe how her speech is improving to people, so I figured the best way is to show a couple of video clips - it makes it easier to see the progress!!

So here's a short clip of Peyton trying to sing the ABCs back in September:

And here's one I took this afternoon of her singing - check out the progress!! (She's also drugged up on cold meds and we'd just gotten home from a long day of daycare, school & then speech therapy - so that's why she seems a little out of it!!)

Then here's a bonus clip of her singing "Zaccheus":

Way to go, Peyton!!!

Tasty Thursdays - Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings

2009-03-19T07:23:00.004-06:00

Hope you're all ready to drool over another SUPER easy recipe. This one is great for working moms especially!! And this is ones that even my kids gobbled up. Gotta love that!

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - A Girl's Best Friend

2009-03-17T20:58:00.003-06:00

I know I've said this before, but Peyton absolutely LOVES animals, especially dogs. This is how she spent a lazy afternoon while we were visiting my family up in Duluth for Christmas...lounging with her buddy Page.

What IS St. Patrick's Day???

2009-03-17T14:19:00.001-06:00

Okay, so clearly I don't "get" what the big thrill is about St. Patrick's Day, but THIS cracked me up.

Big Shooter

2009-03-17T07:59:00.003-06:00

For those of you who know Peyton, you all know that one of her FAVORITE things in the world is a ball. Doesn't really matter what kind, as long as it's a ball! Well lately she's really into playing basketball on our little hoop we have in the playroom. She'll tell us "I go shoot" and she'll go downstairs and play by herself. It's kinda funny because we'll hear her yelling "I WIN!!!" when she makes baskets.

Anyway, the other night Chad and I were down playing with the kids and all she wanted to do was shoot baskets. As I watched her I was pretty impressed. Considering all of her motor planning issues, she's really starting to get quite good at making baskets! That's my girl!!!

Practicing for the Plane Ride

2009-03-16T08:46:00.003-06:00

This morning the kids and I have been gathering up some things for Florida. As I was rounding up some stuff I remembered that a while back when we bought one of our larger purchases (maybe a TV or something??) we'd gotten a "free" personal DVD player. So I started digging around in the office closet and voila - there it was, still in the box. I broke it out, charged it up, and the kids thought it was pretty fancy!! I showed Carson how to work the buttons and told him he should "practice for the plane ride" - I'm all about attempting to prep him for sitting in one spot for 3 hours! He thinks he's pretty hot stuff now. This'll hopefully work out pretty well - Peyton can watch The Wiggles and Elmo on our laptop and Carson can watch Cars on his "OWN PUTER" as he calls it. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that everything goes as planned. :)

The Ultimate Fish-sitter

2009-03-13T13:13:00.007-06:00

For the past week we've been fish-sitting for our neighbors across the street while they're gone on vacation. (Colin has two fish who have some incredibly original names - Elmo and Dorothy) Carson has taken this job of fish-sitting VERY seriously. Every day he helps feed them, but more importantly, he's decided that they need to be sang to daily. He has me help pull a stool up to the counter next to the fish, then he makes sure he has everything he needs (a drink, a snack, his cars...sometimes his chapstick - depends on the day!) to hang out and sing for the long haul. I finally got some of his singing on video and thought I'd share. I'm thinking once people see how good pets have it when they stay at the Libby's we'll be able to start charging pet "spa" rates. I'll have to work up some "package deals" for people to choose from...the "Zaccheus Package and the "ABC Package" for sure. :)

Tasty Thursdays - Chicken/Beef Enchiladas

2009-03-12T10:49:00.008-06:00

Okay folks, we're trying something new here in Libbyland. In an effort to try and organize my recipes and be able to quickly locate my favorites, I've been trying to get them all typed up on 3 x 5 cards. Not only will this help ME, but it'll be a HUGE benefit to YOU as well...assuming you cook. I'm all about recipe sharing!!

So, without further ado, here's the very first edition of TASTY THURSDAYS!!! Here's my recipe that I modified from allrecipes.com that I wrote about last week. You should be able to click on the image (it should open up in another window and appear larger) and then save it to your computer - it's in 3 x 5 format, so print it up and file it away in your recipe box.

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - Florida Here We Come!!!

2009-03-11T07:39:00.003-06:00

Let the countdown begin!!! Two weeks from today we'll be on our way to Florida!!!! Enjoy this pic of Carson from last March livin' the high life on the beach with his ice cream sandwich (with a little extra emphasis on the "SAND" part).

Happy Birthday!!

2009-03-10T08:19:00.002-06:00

Today's Mr. Libby's birthday, so I thought it'd be fitting to show how he partied in 1979...as opposed to 1999. Hee, hee...

Happy birthday Chad!!

I'm Married To A SUPER DAD!!!

2009-03-09T06:43:00.008-06:00

Okay, so y'all know I love contests, especially from the various mom blogs I follow. Well recently there was a contest on a local mom blog here in the Twin Cities. To enter you had to write about why your husband/father was a "Super Dad". There were 5 winners chosen and each winner won a 1-year Family Pass to Underwater Adventures at Mall of America. So I sat and typed up why Chad deserves the title "Super Dad", and guess what - Underwater Adventures agreed with me and named him a SUPER DAD!!!

Here's my winning entry:

"Wow, where do I begin? My husband is the ultimate "super dad". We have an almost-five-year-old daughter with special needs and a little boy who just turned three last week. Our journey through parenthood has been anything but "normal" with our daughter being born with special needs after a difficult delivery, but my husband has taken everything in stride. From day one he’s been so pro-active about making sure our daughter gets all the extra help she needs. And he's a teacher, so during the summer he's off with the kids and runs our daughter around to the 4 therapy appointments she has each week, and then to all of her appointments with various other specialists. They also fit in trips to the park, the zoo, and to the lake swimming, of course!

During the school year he picks up additional contracts/responsibilities at his school above and beyond his teaching duties to earn extra money for our family so we can afford to still do some of the fun stuff "normal" families do, as all the therapy sessions are extremely expensive and put a big strain on our finances. He's gone above and beyond in every way imaginable to make sure he's involved and a part of the kids' lives, whether it's taking time off from work to be at our daughter's appointments (which isn't always easy as a teacher!), to making sure our son gets special one-on-one "daddy time" since our attention is often focused on our daughter.

He's just such an amazing person and it melts my heart when he walks in the door each evening and I see his face light up as the kids run screaming "Daddy's home!!!" towards him. I know the years ahead will most-likely continue to be challenging, but I’m confident that at the end of this journey our kids will look back and agree that they’ve got the best daddy in the WHOLE world!! I love you honey, and I’m so thankful for the wonderful husband and father you are. We’d be lost without you! And the kids and I are so blessed to have you! Thank you for being the best Dad EVER!!!"

Congrats to my friend Amber whose husband was also named a Super Dad!!

Wordless Wednesday - Matching Beauties

2009-03-04T09:27:00.002-06:00

Peyton & my mom had matching outfits last Saturday while we were up visiting. Peyton thought it was pretty cool to look like Grandma!! And Carson just had to be in the picture with the girls...he was pretty proud of his "matching" brown pants. :)

A Little Bit Random, But...

2009-03-02T10:39:00.004-06:00

I am totally IN LOVE with the new allrecipes.com website. I'd used this site in the past, but now with all the new features - it's awesome!! I love how it'll convert each recipe based on the number of servings you'll be making. But my favorite new feature is the ingredients search. Basically you can go to your pathetic almost-empty cupboards (like mine), type in what you've got left and viola - there's something yummy to make for dinner! Okay, maybe it's not quite equipped to tell you amazing recipes that incorporate a can of chicken noodle soup, a can of tomato sauce and a box of stuffing, but you get the idea.

This morning I found a recipe for enchiladas that I just threw together and popped in the fridge for dinner tonight. I'm excited to see how they turn out!! I modified the recipe a bit, substituting hamburger for the chicken and using a little store-bough enchilada sauce that I had, so we'll see how it tastes in a few hours!!

Another Hot Date

2009-02-27T11:41:00.005-06:00

Well, Peyton had another hot date with her boyfriend, Carter, this morning - and we did Play-doh. Talk about a dream date! :)

Thanks for coming over to play Carter!! Peyton's already asking when we can play again!

Bargain of the Day

2009-02-26T08:10:00.007-06:00

Wow. So yesterday I got a call from my friend Abby who said one of her friends had called and said that a few of the stores at the Outlets at Albertville were having big sales. I figured I'd venture up there because I needed to get Peyton some sandals for our trip to Florida. Whoa nelly, did I score BIG TIME at the Crocs store.

I got these for Peyton for $9.99 (normally $29.99):

And then my blowout bargain of the day were these for Carson - for $2.99!!! (They're listed as $24.99 on the Crocs website):

Can you even believe it? So two pairs of Crocs for $12.99. Not too shabby.

Hmmm...

2009-02-25T21:30:00.004-06:00

So bedtime this evening was quite the 3-ring circus. Things have been going really well lately at bedtime, but for some reason tonight Carson was super needy - probably because he didn't get enough "mommy time" today since he was at daycare all day and then I didn't get home until dinner time because Peyton had therapy. Anyway, one of the things Carson has always loved to do is rock in the rocking chair for a bit before bedtime. As irritating as it can get some nights, I still try to rock with him for at least a couple of minutes and I always sing to him. From the time he was an itty bitty little guy I've sang "I Have Decided To Follow Jesus" when I rock with him because I remember my Grandma Grace always singing that to me as a kid. Carson always requests it if I sing something else, so it's obviously become our "rocking song".

Well tonight as we sat rocking I sang to him and after a few minutes I tucked him into bed. He kept calling me after I'd leave the room and I was really starting to loose my patience with him. The last time I went in his room I told him he needed to go to bed and that I wasn't coming in anymore no matter how many times he called. (By this time he'd already had to "go potty" (dribble 3 drops in the toilet) 3 times and was just stalling big time) He proceeded to tell me, "But Mom, I need you to sing I Follow Jesus to me". I told him I had already sang it to him and that I didn't care what he did in his room as long as he was quiet and stayed in his bed. Then I went and sat outside his door. After a few minutes this is what I heard: (keep in mind he sleeps with a bazillion stuffed animals)

"What puppy? You want me to sing to you? Okay, that's a good idea.

I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.

The bird behind me, the crust before me,
The bird behind me, the crust before me,
The bird behind me, the crust before me, no turning back, no turning back."

The moral of this story is either I totally mumble when I sing that second verse to him or else he decided to pursue a career in re-writing lyrics at age 3. What a character.