A Summer Flashback

 

Here are some pictures from our summer, I don't think I have posted any of these yet, if I have well I guess that means I really like them :) The above picture was taken at the Portland Zoo, I love that picture of my two boys!

In these ones we were a little whited out but it is my kiddos and I in front of the gift shop at the Zoo. It is a neat bear so we thought we would get a picture. Maybe we will have to do one each summer, I think it would be a neat way to measure all their growth and changes!

We went CAMPING! Matthew loved it this year, Emma was not quite as excited but she still did very well, I think she will like it next year when she is walking :) This picture was taken our first night and we were staying at the Beverly Beach campground on the Oregon coast.

 

After a couple of days making our way through Oregon and camping we made it to Grandpa Appel's house. We stayed there for a night and Matthew go to play on Grandpa's motorcycle!

 

I didn't get many pictures but after leaving Grandpa Appel's house we headed out camping again. We went to Lake Tahoe with all of Chris's siblings and his Mom. After the camping trip at Tahoe we went and stayed at Grandma Appel's. Matthew loved playing with her dogs! He was not so sure about the horses during this visit, maybe next time he will feel better about them. One of the days we were at Grandma's we took a trip to Viginina City to ride the train. Matthew is obsessed about trains and we have been trying to take advantage of any opportunity to ride a train because he LOVES it so much!

 

That is a little about our big California trip 2012. There is so much more that we did and so many more pictures, but these are just a few of the highlights!

Optometry School Widow

When we went to Chris's interview day for Optometry school I was able to talk to a few people about what it was like to be the spouse of someone in Optometry school. The general response was that I needed to be prepared to loose my husband for a few years (mainly the first 2 and the 4th year). Then I heard a few people use the term Optometry school widow, I kinda brushed it off and figured, yeah he'll be busy but we will still see him...

Boy oh boy am I finding out quickly that I was wrong. In order for him to do well he is going to be gone all the time. When I need him to do something I have to accept the fact that he will be neglecting something that he should be doing for school. It is hard. For example I had a dentist appointment today because I have some teeth that NEED attention, and that meant that he had to be home and take care of the kids for a couple hours, which meant he lost out on valuable study time for his quiz over 50 drugs. This was after we only saw him for 1.5hours for dinner last night and then he went back to school until after 9pm. It is hard for me to know that the few times I need him around it will still be negatively impacting school. Now I won't see him until after 8 sometime, he can't go back to my families this weekend.

Now I am kinda complaining but mostly reflecting. It is a lot of work for him, I am proud of him for working so hard. I also know how much it kills him to be gone so much. So for now I am just trying to adjust to being an optometry widow. Even my dentist asked how I liked being an optometry widow at my appointment this morning, so I know I am not the only one!

Fluff

It has been a long time since I updated about our cloth diapering progress, so I thought I would do that now.

Matthew is potty trained so he is no longer in cloth (although I may put him in them at night to encourage the night potty training)

EmmaLee is finally in them very regularly. It was hit and miss over the summer because we were ALL over the place. She goes through LOTS of covers! Which meant I got to order a few more covers, so I have some nice girly ones now too :)

It is a really great way to save money, it is still not very difficult. Definitely more work with an infant than a toddler, but not too bad still. The cloth diapers catch the runny infant poo way better than any disposables we've ever tried! 

My Bright Spots

These kiddos make life crazy!

Some days seem impossible because they are so crazy, stressful, and frustrating,

but you know what?

I would never ever wish for anything different.

I am so thankful for every hand print on the window, every crayon mark on the wall,

every dirty diaper, and every tear that I get to wipe away.

Sometimes I forget that being a mother is the biggest and best blessing in the world.

I pray that the times I forget become fewer and fewer.

I want my kids to know they are the best things in this world.

So off my soapbox and onto some details that we have missed since my lack of blogging over the summer:

- Emma is now 5 months old - 

* She is a smiley happy girl

* She is sleeping mostly through the night

* She loves to play with and watch her big brother

* Her favorite toy is the baby wipes package (I think it is the crinkling)

* Everything goes in her mouth

* She is smart as a whip

* She is practically crawling

* She can go from sitting to crawling and visa-versa

* These are just a few of her amazing qualities

- Matthew is 2 (technically about 26 months) -

* He is an amazing little boy

* Loves to play with other kids

* Totally in love with Choo Choo Trains! 

* Also loves bicycles, motorcycles, trucks, and pretty much anything with a motor.

* His favorite story is The Wide Mouthed Frog especially when his daddy reads it, he makes the best voices.

* He always wants to call people on the phone, but then doesn't talk.

* He has finally discovered that TV is pretty cool and asks to watch Thomas 10 times a day (is disappointed 9 times a day because I say no...)

* He is a great brother, son, and friend

 

Exceeded photo quota?

I guess I either pay or make a new blog with a different account? Any info or advice?

Been Awhile

So I have been so busy and distracted this summer that I have seriously neglected the blog, this is just to tell you some big posts are to come :)