Male Bonding

Parker looooves his Daddy. When Ryan is on shift, Parker always pretends that he has to go to work at Station 2 and fight some fires.  When Ryan is home, Parker always wants to help him with whatever he's doing.  What better activity for a Father and Son to do than hand-carve a bowl out of burl?

My dad called and asked if they wanted to go to a farm expo in DeKalb.  

That didn't take much convincing!  Parker got to sit in every single kind of vehicle/machinery.

He came home with magazines full of Rangers and Skid-loaders, and a pen with a flashlight in it.  He asked me to turn the lights off so he could read =)   

What a lucky kid to have multiple God-fearing men in his life! 

Winter Extreme

Wow - Is this a winter or what?!  If it's going to be cold, I prefer snow, so I was really enjoying this winter for a while.  So was Parker.  The boy LOVES to shovel.  He helps clear the driveway and sidewalks.

Usually when he's done with that, he clears the grass off, too ;)

Check out what he did with the neighbor kids.  I cannot believe he stayed in there! In fact, he cried when we told him it was time to come in for supper.

Ryan really encourages the daredevil in Parker when we go sledding.

Adley seems to like it outside, too.  She babbles a lot. 

We found a great sledding hill in Wheaton when my family came to visit.  

It was covered in ice =)  

 When I heard it was going to be -40 degrees for two days straight, I planned ahead.  The last thing I wanted to do was go stir crazy when there was no option of leaving the house.  We had a lot of fun learning about January in Parker Prep those days.    We even made indoor snow!

We played with 'stacking cups.'

And Ryan and the kids made a sweet fort with a "Fort in a Bag" we got from Aunt Meg for Christmas!

That's what we did through the first "Polar Vortex."  Now we are on round two.  We did have preschool this morning, but the kids were taking baths by 3:00, Parker watched a movie at 4, and I ended up ordering Jimmy Johns for us for supper.  Then we were all hyper from 7-8.  I don't mind winter, but when it's too cold to leave the house or play outside, I get a little anxious for Spring!

What to Expect in 2014

We were talking when we were out to dinner about what we are looking forward to in 2014.  One of my friends wants to have another baby, others have business goals, others want to buy a house, and I had no idea.  I was feeling a little down because I really have no idea what 2014 will bring.

Then, I had an epiphany.  Because I don't have any grand plans, the door is completely wide open for GOD to do what He wants.  I don't have an agenda, and I really want to capitalize on what He puts in front of me.  I feel like there are people He has placed in my life in the past that I really could have shared God's love with, and I totally got scared and ran the other direction.  (Thank goodness I didn't get swallowed by a whale).  I don't want to do that anymore.  I want to experience God and what He has for me.  I want to further His Kingdom and be His servant.  I want to glorify Him with my everyday life and be a light in our house and community.

Then January 1st came.  A fresh start, a new vision...Ryan was on shift so I was home by myself with the kids.  I woke up tired and cranky, I had a bad attitude and I ended up yelling at Parker before I put him to bed.  I was feeling like such a failure because the night before I was all about God, and here I am yelling at my three year old and getting frustrated with my 7 month old's lack of sleep.  I started to think that this whole year was going to be rough, just because of one bad day.  Guess what?  That's a lie straight from the enemy.  I don't want to get too crazy deep here, but I've been learning more about spiritual warfare and I don't think it's a coincidence that I had a bad day right after I just got done bawling to my friends about how much I want to serve the Lord.  These past couple days at home have still been hard, but I know things will improve when I get back in the word and draw near to God.

So...In 2014, I would like to...

- Serve God.  I want to be a wife of prayer and encourage Ryan as the leader of the household.  I desire to model what it's like to glorify God and have a personal relationship with Him for my kids.  If he shows me someone that needs to help, I want to help.  I'm excited!

- Encourage and support Ryan in his Ironman training - I know the training is going to take up a LOT of time.  I really value quality time, so it's probably going to be hard for me, but I don't want to grow apart during this time. I want to encourage him in this goal that he's always wanted to accomplish and be the first person to congratulate him when he finishes =)

-  Finish the Parker Prep Alphabet - We got off to a strong start and are jumping back in next week.  It's been a lot of fun, but it does take some preparation.  I want to continue to take the time to do it and do it well.

- Work out 2-3 times/week.  - My how things have changed.  It seems like decades ago that I was at track practice 2-3 hours/day.  (Yes, I still miss that sport).

- Save $$

- Continue to share Usana and teach others about health and nutrition.

- Be a great friend and maintain the great friendships I have.

Ready, Set - Here we go!

2013 In Review

Ahh yes, it's finally time for my favorite post of the year.  The recap!  Here's my 'resolutions' from last year and how they turned out.

In 2013, I would like to....

- deliver a healthy baby =) - It's fun to think that I didn't even know if we were having a boy or a girl when I wrote this last year.  We were so overjoyed when we first met our baby girl =)  The labor was a little scary, but Adley is beautiful, healthy, smiley, and growing so fast!  God is good! 

- transition into being a stay-at-home mom - Ho boy.  You caught me on a bad day.  haha.  Don't get me wrong.  I love that I get to be home with our kids.  It has been a pleasure and has brought me so much joy.  I've gotten to teach Parker some preschool and see all of Adley's firsts.  I've been able to join a Bible study and spend time with Ryan and friends.  Some days are awesome, some days are tough, but I'm home for the long haul =)

- remain content - I wonder why I wrote "remain."  I'm always looking forward to the next thing, but God is constantly showing me that the present is where my focus needs to be and He can use me wherever I am. 

- be a more submissive wife - I guess you'll have to ask Ryan how that went =)  I read through "Power of the Praying Wife," and have committed to praying for him everyday.  I've been convicted about what love really is, based on 1 Corinthians 13, and strive to show love through those characteristics instead of just saying the words.  

- grow in my relationship with the Lord - I joined BSF this year.  It took me a while to adjust to it's structure, but now I love it.  It has challenged me in so many ways and I really feel like God has opened my eyes to the world around me. I want to show His love by helping those who are hurting, encouraging people in their walk with the Lord, being generous, and serving whoever He shows me to serve - starting with my husband and children.

- be "fit" - Well, half the year I was pregnant and the other half I had a new baby...put it on next year's list!

- continue to share Usana with others - We've seen so many people benefit from Usana in a variety of ways.  It's really fun helping people improve their health.  It is also really fun to learn more and more about health and wellness.  I've always loved to learn, and I'm definitely developing a passion for nutrition these days.  

New Years Eve

I have the best group of friends, ever, and it all started four New Years Eve's ago.  We all attended the same party with intentions of starting a small group Bible study after that.  We really hit it off that night because we all pretty much decided to be best friends for life, haha.  We do lots of things with them throughout the year, and NYE is usually one of them.

Ready to go!

We were going to all go to Shinto, a sushi and hibachi restaurant, and then go to the Knapp's to play games.  There was a huge snowstorm, so one the couples wasn't able to make it, and no one was able to go to the Knapps.  We made the best of it though!  Dinner was awesome and I'm looking forward to another great year of friendship with each of them.

When we got back home, we make Root Beer snow slushies with our babysitter and played Ticket to Ride.  Welcome, 2014!

Christmas Day

On Christmas morning, Ryan and I gave Parker and Adley their gifts and then headed to his parent's house to join the entire Glendenning family.  

Adley had some great Poppo-time.

And Great-Grandma

The kids were very excited to open gifts, so once we said it was finally time to open them, they didn't stop!  In a few short minutes, everything was opened.  I didn't really know what the kids got until we came back and unpacked everything ;)

Sweet Emma-Kate

We had a delicious meal consisting of barbecued ribs, beef brisket, sweet potato souffle, broccoli salad, brussel sprouts, the famous lime jello salad and a whole lot of other yummy stuff.  The rest of the day was spent visiting, playing games, watching movies and eating popcorn.  

So, apparently I did a horrible job of taking pictures.  Hoping to grab some from the rest of the fam and add them soon!  Guess I was having too much fun =)

Christmas Eve

I totally love Christmas Eve.  My brother and sister and their families all gather at my parent's house for a day of fun.  We were hoping to do some sledding this year, but it was -1 degrees, so we opted for indoor activities.  We had the kids do a few rounds of Christmas Carol charades, and then we took turns reading The Night Before Christmas.  We also did a Christmas madlib to go along with it.  The kids kept themselves entertained pretty well while the adults played ping-pong and made supper.  We ate ham, turkey, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, green beans, asparagus, fruit, and rolls.  Yum!  Then we all got ready for church.  Adley wore a dress that my mom made for me when I was a baby, 

and Alaina fit in the matching outfit that was once my sister's!  How cool is that?

The church service was really great!  We sang a lot of Christmas carols with a modern accompaniment (which I loved), the readings were meaningful and convicting, and Parker got to hold his own candle during Silent Night.  There were so many old friends to catch up with.  I'm pretty sure we were the last ones to leave =)

Then, the night got a little hairy.  Let me preface - Back when my sister and her husband were just dating, Nate started this tradition that he would try to drive down the dirt road by our house with his truck after church to see if he could make it without getting stuck.  One year, he did get stuck and had to walk to the neighbors (no cell phones yet), drink a "horrible cup of coffee," and call my dad to come get him out.  It's been a few years now since he's driven down the dirt road, but Ryan caught wind of it and decided he wanted in.  There was already a decent amount of snow on the ground, and it was snowing a majority of the day.  Nate, Ryan, Parker and Hunter went on their little adventure while the rest of us went home to get ready to open presents.  After we had been home about 15 minutes, I realized that the boys should've been home by now.  We tried calling Nate's phone and heard it buzz.  Guess he didn't bring it.  Then we tried Ryan's...we also heard his in the house.  Awesome!  They didn't bring their phones!  Dad got on his warm clothes and set out to rescue them.  He found them quickly, but one of them was missing...Ryan. Somehow I knew he wouldn't be in the truck when they got there.  He was hoofin' it through the field to my uncle's house to get help.  You can ask him how that went ;)  Nate called Nat to tell her that Ryan went for help, so she assumed he went to the nearest road.  In her words, she was "driving down the road, yelling his name, wondering if he was buried in the snow."  Somehow we figured out Ryan was at my Uncle's house, so she went and picked him up there.  They headed back to my parent's after his feet thawed, and we FINALLY got to open presents.  Unfortunately our 1 year old nephew, Mark, had to go to bed before they got back.  I think they might try to continue this tradition a little earlier in the day next year ;)    

The present-opening got off to an unusual start.  Parker walked right upstairs and took the big bag off his present and said, "Well - I guess this is my tractor."  It's like the kid knew all along what he was getting.

Adley enjoyed the presents and the paper that covered them ;)

Parker filled his wagon with the rest of his presents.

Hunter got a sweet Lego Bible.

And Alaina, who has a  killer voice for an 8 year old, got a karaoke machine!

When we were finished, Ryan and Nate had to go get the loader and dig Nate's truck out while the rest of us finished off the cookies.

The next morning, the boys did this for a while. 

Markie got a sweet police car and lawn mower.  

Adley loved that thing. 

She also got a little pink tractor.

We only have video of Parker's present because we really wanted to see his reaction when he opened his truck with a trailer with a skid loader on it!  He started unwrapping, got a glimpse of it, looked up and smiled at us, and then ripped the rest of the wrapping paper off.  He played with it SO much the next couple of days.  He would use the skid loader to fill the trailer up with Lincoln Logs and then haul them from one end of the room to the other and build a house.  It has fit in well with the rest of his toys at home now, too. 

Nutrcracker Day!

I've been wanting to go downtown Chicago for the Nutcracker ever since we moved to the suburbs, and this year was the year!  We dropped the kids off at the sitter's around noon and headed to the city.  

We at lunch and walked around Christkindlemarket while we enjoying some candied nuts.

Then we went to Mayci's to check out the windows and the "Great Tree" in the Walnut Room.

After that, we walked until we found a Starbucks.  (It didn't take long).

We sat and talked while sipping on Peppermint Mochas.  

Next, we went to Ryan's friends' apartment for an amazing, healthy supper.  It was a great time with new friends and delicious food!  Finally, it was time for....

I cannot get over how athletic the dancers are and how difficult the music is to play.  I totally loved it!  Thanks for an amazing Christmastime date, Ryan!!  I love you!