Here's to 100

I am sitting in a hotel room in Lancaster, and while I should be doing my final or perhaps processing work orders, instead, I am writing a blog. Last night as I lay in bed trying to get my brain to shut up long enough for my body to relax and fall into Wonderland, I had this aspiration of reaching 100 posts on this blog by the end of the year. A relatively lofty goal, seeing as I only have 21 now. However, after some calculations, I have realized that if I post something, even if it's just a picture or video, or little blurb saying that “today was just like every other day,” it's still something and it will get me there. So, here's to 100. Wish me luck!

There were so many other things rolling through my brain last night and I really wish that I could remember at least some of them... but alas, having children kills brain cells (it's true, my best friend told me so), and I have completely forgotten everything that I wanted to write about. Perhaps the added benefit of having the ability to blog on my phone will stint this phenomenon. But until that happens, or it's a night that ScottE is out of town, this will probably be a common note in my blog. =)

Life is going well. It's been a bit of a challenge all around to have ScottE gone a lot right now, but it is a sacrifice we knew we would be making when we moved to Springville. It is nice to be able to come and see him every once in a while though; even if it means living without some of our everyday amenities (won't be happening in the snow!).

Ender is doing phenomenally well with everything these days. He's eating so many new things but it's still a little difficult to find things that he can feed himself without making too much of a mess. He eats a LOT of macaroni and cheese! Hands down his favorite thing right now, next to bananas of course. One other thing that I forgot to mention earlier is that he says “dada” for please. It's so cute! I know that it's not actually “please,” but it's a heck of a lot better than him screaming or fussing for food!

Until tomorrow... we'll see how long I can keep this up =)

Nearly 14 months

For some time now, I've been wanting to write an update on just the antics of Ender. Yet, I find myself even procrastinating something so simple! I will (yet again) be making a better effort to record his life and that of those who will be joining our family in the future! (NOTE: this is NOT an announcement of any kind, just an acknowledgment that more children will be had in the future.)

So, what has Ender been up to?

1. He is FINALLY crawling and very much in the conventional sense of the word. I wish all of you could see him. He gets so excited when we put him on the floor and he gets to move on his own.
2. He is discovering his independence. He likes to crawl into the kitchen and see what he can get into. When I have to go to the bathroom, I usually let him know that I'm leaving, go ahead and do so, calling to him the whole time. Generally, by the time I'm done, he has found me and gets all proud of himself when he does so. It's pretty cute.
3. He loves to talk to Daddy on the phone. Unfortunately moving up here to Springville keeps ScottE away from home more so than before. We knew this would happen and is a sacrifice we are making for the time being. However, Ender gets so excited when I'm on the phone. Since it's usually Daddy, I will put it on speaker so Ender can not only hear Daddy, but can talk to him as well. I posted a video on Facebook, but you can see it here: 
    
4. He is eating all kinds of foods these days! I guess you could say that he's eating true “big boy foods!” He loves bananas (is he really mine? lol), scrambled eggs, hot dogs, grapes, stroganoff, spaghetti, peas and carrots, creamed corn, lunch meat... etc. He makes a pretty big mess partly because of what he eats and the fact that he refuses to let anyone feed him anymore (as shown below), but we are loving the learning experience! =)
   

   

   
   

   
5. He has FINALLY mastered a sippie-cup. He absolutely LOVES orange juice. We try to get him to drink at least some water, but it doesn't always work out that way. At least he is finally hydrating himself. We usually water the OJ down a little so that it's not totally concentrated, but that is pretty much the only thing he will drink!
6. He has so many teeth! I know for sure that he has 4, but I also know that more are coming in because it is growing increasingly difficult to brush his teeth at night.
7. He is saying a bunch of things:

• na-nana (banana)
• na night (to go to bed)
• momma
• dada (of course)

and making all kinds of other noises! His jabbering is so cute and I can't wait until some true words come through. He also can point at things to let us know what he wants. He will crawl across the room and point, usually at his juice, and scream or try some other way to get my attention. It's so cute, but I wish the screaming would stop. He really tries to mimic the sounds we make when we talk to him. Hopefully he'll find another way to communicate soon! =)

I think that's really all of his recent antics. I am so grateful to have the family near that we do, but I wish everyone was out here! The foliage is so beautiful right now... with so many colors it's unreal. The beauty created by our Heavenly Father is unmatched!

Chaos

Well, it's been far too long since I've written anything. I always forget how much I love writing, but with the move, things have been more than a little chaotic. Things are really starting to settle down now though. We are getting back into our routine and I'm really hoping this time around will include writing for me! =)

The house is really coming together a lot faster than any other place we have lived before. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we don't have everything here with us. We put a lot of things in storage so we have been able to just have the things that we need here at the house. It has made unpacking much easier... I think once I get the empty boxes out of here, things will really start moving along again. Unfortunately for Ender, things have been piling up in his room because it's the only room with any space...

Speaking of my little man =)... he is doing really well! He's been cutting all kinds of teeth lately but has be dealing with everything quite well. He sleeps a lot which has made Mommy's life much easier. He is becoming more and more mobile. He is almost crawling in the traditional sense of the word, but he also rolls around a lot. He is growing less content with just being on the floor, at least not when Mommy is in the room. He is becoming quite the Momma's boy! He eats so much these days and has started eating big boy food! =) He loves eggs, honey nut Cheerios, yogurt and pretty much anything else he can get his hands on! I've been trying to just give him things that will be easy for him to chew but he also doesn't always chew his food. A lot of the times he just swallows things whole, which is also kind of scary, but he does pretty well with not choking (at least not often enough for me to stop feeding him).

We don't have TV anymore, but we do have a home phone and Internet, which we haven't had in a very long time! =) It's been really nice to not have to worry about having to connect to someone else's network or using the air card from ScottE's work. It's been nice not having TV, but I've been watching a lot of movies. We really need to increase our library! I've already watched several and am getting tired of watching the same ones... hint hint =)

Our trip out to California was a lot of fun... it was really nice to go back and spend time with family and friends. I was really grateful to those who drove us around or housed us or fed us.

Not that I got to experience this when we were there this last time, but one of the things I miss most about California is fog. You know, the crisp, cool, refreshing fog of the fall? The first time I experienced fog in PA, I got so excited! I looked outside and saw the mist over the land and thought, “Oh, I'm sure it's gorgeous out there!” I walked out and was sorely disappointed... it was gross and heavy. I felt disgusting just walking around. Well, this morning, I looked outside and it was beautiful. There was a mist all over the fields around our place and it was cool and crisp outside!

I love it up here! =) The only real downside is that ScottE is gone a lot with work. He has applied for another job and we are very much hoping and praying he gets it. He'll be home a lot more and only working 40 hours a week. CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT!!

Life is good =)

Ender's birthday

A year ago today, I was holding the most precious thing in the whole wide world. Ender Kent was born and changed my life forever. He has been such an amazing little boy. I can't believe he's one already! We have all learned so much over the past year... so far, being a parent has been very easy. Ender makes things effortless. He is so content, happy and just a joy to be with all of the time.

Currently, he is sitting on the floor, playing with a book, squeaking and squealing. He looks over at me and smiles this big goofy grin. Yesterday, he spent the evening rolling all over the floor. He may not be actually crawling per se, but he is mobile! =) He can sit up on his own, but only does it sometimes. I often find him sitting up in his bed when I get him up from a nap or first thing in the morning. He doesn't really like to do it on the floor yet, but I'm sure that will start happening soon! He also pivots on his belly which is super cute. He claps his little hands and it is so adorable... we tell him, “Yay, little boy!” and he just claps away. It's darling, really. =) He talks all of the time... we've turned him around in the car. He looks around at everything. Surprisingly, he sleeps better in his “big boy” car-seat than he did in the other one. I can't believe how big he is now...

I'm looking forward to my trip out west. It is going to be difficult with Ender because he is getting to that point where he won't sit still for very long. It'll be interesting to see how he deals with the plane. ONLY 2 MORE DAYS!! =)

A new idea

While things are in a bit of a tumult right now for my family, I feel the most calm and collected that I have felt in a very long time. I feel relatively free, and though things are very uncertain at this juncture, I'm okay with that. I have begun to realize that a home is a necessary sanctuary, but in times of need, it is vital to have a grounded and gracious support system. I have been very grateful as of late to spend time with family and friends – people that I have not known very well until our recent decision to be house-less. I have also realized that even though we do not currently have a house, we are not homeless. We have been lucky to have a constant place to stay and I for one am very grateful for that, among many other things that have occurred lately.

I have been reading eat pray love in anticipation of the release of the movie. It has been a very inspirational book. I may not be experiencing everything that this poor woman is going through, but on several levels I can relate. Her story has helped me to realize many things about myself and has prompted, while not as in-depth as hers, a self-exploration of sorts.

Ever since I saw the movie, Julie & Julia, I have been wanting to develop some kind of blog that I would have to write or do something everyday. This has been a challenge for me because I don't like to get stuck in any kind of rut and I was afraid that something like that would cause too much monotony in my life. As I began searching (and reading eat pray love), I began to formulate what it was I wanted to write about. I have decided to develop a play on a prayer journal. I plan to write, everyday, three things that I am grateful for and three things that I need to work on. I plan to elaborate on each thing, so it won't just be 6 statements, leaving the reader wondering what it is exactly that I am talking about. I'm not sure if I will post it everyday or not, but I will at the very least take the time to write down my 6 statements everyday and then post them as I manage my time. I am hoping that I will be able to do it everyday, but we shall see. I guess I'm also looking for some feedback on this idea... let me know what you think! =)

Other than being house-less, things are going really well for us. We've been able to get a few things taken care of and are currently house hunting, which is stressful, but I think I've reached a place where I can be a little zen about it. Ender has been adjusting relatively swimmingly to the waves of change in our lives right now... still not crawling, but I'm not too worried about it. I can't believe he's almost a year old! Where did the time go??

Also, I don't think I mentioned this before, but our car was hit recently. Additionally, it was having some mechanical issues, but we just got it out of the shop this past weekend. It has been so nice to be able to drive the car rather than our pick-up everywhere. I did not realize how much I missed my car! Driving the truck was a little laborious. I am very grateful to have my car back... it truly is the little things that make life grand. =) I really should have taken some pictures to share, but alas, I forgot.

So, I guess I'm looking for a little encouragement on my new idea, but I think I will start the real work on it this weekend. Please, let me know what you think! =) For now, ciao!

Birthday fun and Moving woes

I had a feeling that after updating my few readers about the minutia that has been going on that I would receive a deluge of inspiration to write. While I haven't really written anything since that time, I have had the urge to do so. Just today I had this vision of myself sitting down in some hotel room and finding the strength and motivation to write each and every day over the course of the next month or so. I'm not sure why. I think part of it is because I won't really have much else to do, but the other part is that I really want to be writing everyday. I just don't have the motivation or energy to do so. I need to just buck up and do it! I know I have at the very least a series of short stories in me... perhaps even a short novel – a novella, or something similar. I'm not getting my hopes up about anything though. And I'm certainly not deluded enough to think that I will ever become a published author, but still I can dream right?

Things have been going very well with the move. We are very quickly learning what we can live with and what we can easily live without. It will be nice to be down to a very few simple things, but it is also very scary to not have everything we are used to having on a regular basis. It's going to be rather interesting to see how Ender reacts to the constant changes that will occur over the next month or so.

On a different note, my birthday has come and gone... it was a good day though! ScottE and I went out to dinner and a movie – Red Robin (YUM!!) and Knight and Day. We had a great time and are very grateful to our neighbor who came over to stay with Ender. She has watched him for us a couple of times now, but he's always been in bed the entire time! Not much of job, but he's such an easy baby anyway! What really topped my night off was when we got home, Sarah (our neighbor) had cleaned my kitchen! I had left a few dishes in the sink from the past few days – I was going to get around to it the next morning, but I was ecstatic that I didn't have to worry about it. Probably my favorite gift! =)

Also, a few months ago, ScottE got me an iPhone from a friend of a friend. But it was just a 2G (so first generation) and only 4GB. It was sufficient for me and I was thrilled to have an iPhone. But being the klutz that I am, I dropped it and the screen quit working. I was very sad, but there is this awesome place in Lancaster that fixes all kinds of electronic devices (we had taken my iPhone there to get unlocked because we have T-Mobile). Anyway, I took it down there to get the screen repaired and they decided it probably wasn't worth it, but offered us a 3G for the same price! So, we thought, repair the 4GB or double my storage space for the same price? NO BRAINER!! We decided to get the newer phone. There were a few issues with it at first, and I still don't get great Wi-Fi connectivity, but it's mine and I love it. Kind of a birthday present to myself... =)

Moving sucks

I've been wanting to post an update for some time now... just haven't found the motivation or even the energy. Things have been a little hectic for us lately – as you continue to read, you will better understand. I know there are some things that I have not written about (i.e. - Mother's Day, Memorial Day, and Father's Day), so I will update you on those things first and then get to the mayhem...

Mother's Day came and went for me this year. Nothing spectacular happened. The only real highlight was that Ender was saying “Momma” at that point in time. He has since ceased doing so. The only joy that brings me is the fact that I know he will say it enough over the course of his lifetime to make up for that lack of it now.

Memorial Day was wonderful. ScottE, Carter and I were able to go to Hershey Park. We had a blast. It was difficult leaving Ender alone for the first time, especially for the full day. But we all survived. We rode all of the roller-coasters in about 2 hours. It wasn't nearly as crowded as we expected it to be which was nice. But we did not go prepared to get wet – which we did because it was really hot that day.

Father's Day we spent in Springville with ScottE's sister and her family. We had a lot of fun, but it was a difficult weekend for me. ScottE had been gone all week and was needed to help with the chicken coop. Add to that the fact that Ender was refusing to take his naps and would not sit down without me, I was a little more than spent. But again, we all survived.

Okay. Recently my computer decided to no longer charge. Apparently the charge port has been damaged somehow. Which really sucks because most of our music is on my laptop, along with nearly all of our pictures from the past year (i.e. - Ender's whole life!). We are hoping to get it fixed soon, but with everything else going on, it's not likely for at least a little while.

The process of moving has begun. It is starting to get very bare in our home. We have already moved our dressers, couches, a desk, most of Ender's baby clothes, clothes we don't plan on wearing any time soon and a majority of ScottE's tools. We have a storage unit in Reading, which is nice, but here is where things get a little tricky. We aren't moving to Reading any more!! After our initial plan fell through, ScottE and I were at a loss for what to do. We were being really picky about where we moved to because we have moved way to much over the course of our 5 year marriage and we are both tired of it. Our plan was to get a very specific unit in Reading, live there for a few years, buy some property up near Jana and her family, then borrow against the equity and put a house on it, then move up there. Well, I guess you could say we're skipping a step.

After much prayer and conversation, ScottE and I have decided the best thing for us to do is to be near family. We are going to be moving up to the Springville/Tunkhannock area which is in northern PA. As of now, we are not entirely sure where we are going to be staying until we find a place of our own, but we are planning to buy a house within the next year (hopefully not that long). It's a little scary not really knowing where we are going, but we are trusting that our Heavenly Father will point us in the right direction when the time comes.

So, aside from the moving debacle, things are going pretty well. I've finally started some of my core classes, meaning my education courses. I'm stoked about that, but dreading the fact that it's been all math. However, there is a silver lining in that I'm getting them done now in the beginning so I don't have to worry about them later, which is really nice.

Ender is now 11 months old!! I can't believe it!! Where does the time go... Everyone told me how quickly it goes (I believed them, but still!). It seems unreal to me that he will be 1 year old here very soon. He is still not crawling, which right now is very much okay with me. Trying to pack everything and keep track of him would be way too much for me to handle everyday. But I'm not all that concerned about him not crawling. I read an article in which the author quoted a doctor who basically said as long as baby is babbling, he/she is developing fine. I can testify that Ender babbles constantly. I love listening to him and talking back to him. His smile and laughter light up a room...

Another big thing going on this summer is I'm going back to CA for a couple of weeks. Initially, ScottE and I were planning to stay in a hotel for a bit until our unit became available in Reading. Now plans have changed, but I'm still coming home. I will be there from August 12th through the 26th. I'm really excited! Ender has grown so much and I've missed my family.

Well... there has been some craziness and some exciting changes in our lives. I hope to not go so long between posts next time! =)