Fun Filled Memorial Day Weekend!

This weekend was packed with fun. I can't believe how quickly it went by.

We had an easy and uneventful trip to Iowa. We have truly been blessed by a baby who travels so well. We made one quick 15 minute stop to do a quick feeding, but then we were right back on the road!



Once we got there mom showed us the finished basement, which is awesome! We had our own little world down there! Plus we showed Jacob the rest of the house since this was his first time seeing it in person.

Friday evening we just hung out at the house and let Grandma and Grandpa enjoy some Daniel time.



Jacob and I left him with mom and dad and went to Orange Leaf. It's a newer frozen yogurt place in Cedar Rapids that everyone has been raving about on Facebook lately. Mom gave us some gift cards that she had, which was awesome! They have all these flavors you can pick from like birthday cake, cheesecake, strawberry, red velvet etc. and then you can add all the toppings that you want. It's all self serve and then it is priced by weight. It was a bowl full of deliciousness.

Daniel was wiped out from traveling and had no problem adjusting to sleeping in the pack n play. In fact, I laid him down awake like normal and went to brush my teeth. By the time I finished he was already asleep!



Mom and I went shopping at Kohl's on Saturday morning while Daniel stayed and napped at the house.

Came back for lunch and dad asked if it was okay to give him a taste of banana, so we smashed some up. He wasn't very sure about it.



Kendra came home around 1:00 and she couldn't get enough of the little guy!



Kendra, mom, Daniel and I went over to visit Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Smith. This time there were no tears! Woohoo!





Saturday night we went to Outback to celebrate Kendra's 21st birthday!







Then we went back to the house for dessert and presents!





That night after it got dark I happened to glance out the sliding doors and see fireworks! I called Jacob upstairs and we all stood out on the deck to watch. Of course, they ended about 2 seconds later. Jacob went in and a few minutes later Kendra and I saw fireworks in another direction! We ended up getting to watch an entire fireworks show! They were far enough away that they weren't too loud for Daniel, but we had an almost perfect view of the show.

Sunday morning Jacob, Daniel and I got up and got ready for church at Valley View!



A lot of people were gone, but there were still several friends that we got to see. I was SO happy to see all of them!

Sunday afternoon, mom, Kendra, Daniel and I went to a couple of Graduation parties. The first was for a girl that I used to babysit. (She was not even quite 1 when I started to babysit her!) and the second was someone I didn't really know. It was the son of one of my moms past coworkers. Daniel was a trooper, although we sure wore that poor boy out.

That evening we went to Pizza Ranch for supper. I had been craving it SO bad! Auntie Kendra stayed home and babysat Daniel.



The food was so good, although I was already full from eating at one of the parties and then I stuffed my face full of pizza, chicken, potatoes and ice cream. Holy moly! When we got back Daniel was passed out on Kendra's bed. She said she was listening to music on her laptop and though he was staring at the ceiling and then realized he was snoring. Too cute!

I ended up waking him up to feed him and then Jacob and I were off again. We went to see The Hunger Games! I was SO happy that it was still in the theatre! It was our first movie we had been to see in almost 7 months and it was awesome! I loved it and I cannot wait until Catching Fire comes out!

Monday was yet another day of fun filled action.

Monday morning Daniel and I went over to the Pitts' for a visit! It was fun getting to hang out with Emily and the kiddos! (Keith made a brief appearance too!) I miss those peeps.









Then in the afternoon we took Daniel to his very first baseball game! Tim Kayser joined us, which made me very happy!  We were also surprised when we discovered the people sitting directly in front of us were our former associate pastor and wife who moved away probably 12 or 13 years ago! They just happened to be in CR and decided to catch a game. Small world!





Daniel got tired so mom and dad took him on a walk and he passed out. They found a couple of chairs so just sat with him until he woke up.



Um...I know I brag on my kiddo a lot, but I can't help it. Every single time I look at him he melts my heart. I mean, how cute is this?!



We were all super exhausted that night, so we just chilled out.



Then yesterday we had to come back home. Daniel had to say his goodbyes to Grandma and Grandpa.





4 more weeks til Grandma comes to visit and 6 more weeks until we go back to Iowa!

Chicago or Bust!

Yesterday I helped chaperon the choir and band trip with Jacob's middle school kids.

I had been feeling sad about leaving Daniel and yet excited to go on this trip at the same time. I got everything ready at home for Grandma and Grandpa the night before, got Daniel to sleep and then laid down at 10:00 knowing that 4:45 would come too soon. Of course, it took me 45 minutes to fall asleep and then I woke up at 2 and couldn't get back sleep until 3. I kept hearing noises and felt paranoid so I got up to check on Daniel. Just as I was drifting off I heard noises again. This time I felt like it sounded like someone was on the porch. I got up again and since it was hot in the house I turned the air on. (As is turns out one of our downspout extensions was moved the next day, so maybe I really was hearing someone or something!)

Anyway, I was back to sleep at 3 and then Daniel was awake at 4. I fed him a little and then brought him out to see Jacob. Normally I won't stimulate him because I want to get him back to sleep quickly, but I wanted us to have a few minutes with him. I nursed him back to sleep and then got ready. Kent and Brenda got here around 5:30 or a little before. Jacob and I left at 6. I had to go in and give Daniel as kiss before leaving, and thankfully he stayed asleep.

The trip to Chicago was fairly uneventful and went pretty quickly. We watched movies and I read some. We always stop at a rest area and from 2 past experiences I knew to jump off the bus first (we ride in front) and high tail it into the building because it's a small rest stop. I was in and out and everyone else had to wait in a very long line.

Now...the one and only downside to breast feeding is when you aren't with your kiddo. I had to take my pump along and try to find times and places to do it. I got back on the bus and used the tiny little bathroom. I think the girls all thought I was nuts using that bathroom...not to mention I was in there a long time! Ha ha! By the time I finished, it was time to get rolling again.

Our first stop in Chicago was the Hard Rock Cafe. We actually had a decent selection of menu items to pick from. Usually we only get 2 or 3. I'm not complaining because my trip is free, it was just nice to have so many options! I enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger. Mmm.

Then Jacob saved my cookies (the dessert) and scored me a couple extra while I was off hogging a bathroom stall and pumping again. Jeesh.  Time consuming.

We got back on the bus and headed to Millennium Park for about 45 minutes. I really enjoyed our group of girls that we were in charge of. They were total goofballs and cracked me up!







I love this picture of Jacob and I! Thankfully he let me borrow his sweatshirt because I forgot my jacket and it was chilly!

I called to check on Daniel on our way to see Blue Man Group. Grandma told me he was doing great! I was so happy to hear that!

We had an "adventure" for lack of better words, getting to the theatre. Our bus driver was a bit scary. I hate Chicago traffic as it is, but watching him make tight turns onto narrow streets makes me nervous.

Blue Man Group was awesome once again! This was my 2nd time seeing them and it was very cool. If you ever get the chance, you need to go see it. (I'm saying this to all 2 of my blog readers).

Our buses took for freaking ever getting back to pick us up afterward. We lost a lot of time because of it. Then we got stuck in rush hour traffic. Oh yeah...and I needed to pump. Since we were clearly not getting out of Chicago anytime too I decided to tackle my biggest pumping challenge yet. I pumped in the bathroom again. While the bus was moving...and slamming on the brakes....and moving...and slamming on the brakes. I used my foot to brace myself and praying I wouldn't go flying at any point. It was a bit funny. Just a bit though.

Because of the late start back and traffic we got to our supper stop late. We stop in an area with about 5 choices. By the time we arrived it was 6:30 and they wanted everyone back on the buses at 7. Truth be told, I'd rather skip supper on that trip. It's always when my patience is about shot. Some people didn't even get their food until 7. I just wanted to be home!

We got back to the school at 9:30 and of course not everyone was there yet to pick up their kids, but we finally got home a little after 10.

Daniel had been great. He wasn't so sure about the morning bottles, but by afternoon and evening he apparently was just about yanking them out of Grandma's hands and sucking them down! Woohoo!!! He was asleep but after we were ready for bed I got him up to nurse him. We just really wanted to see him too! He opened his eyes and smiled so big at us! We got some snuggle time and then it was back to bed. He fussed a bit and I planned to go back and check on him, but I must've fallen asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow because next thing I knew it was 4:15 and he was fussing!

All in all, it was a great time. I learned that I can leave my baby and be okay. And today he and I have gotten lots of play time in! I know he had fun with Grandma and Grandpa though and we're so thankful that they came to watch him!

One more month until our next trip away! (Thankfully this one won't be quite as long!)

What Day Is Today? Today Is Mother's Day!

We always sing that song on Mother's Day. If you don't know what I'm talking about, maybe THIS will help. Oh the good ol' days of Full House.

Today was my very first Mother's Day. Well, last year kind of was since I was pregnant, but this is the first official one. It has been wonderful.

My day started out at about 6:30. I heard Daniel awake in his crib and Jacob was already up getting ready. He got Daniel up and changed his diaper and then entertained him for awhile as I showered and got dressed. But before I even got out of bed, they gave me a Mother's Day gift that my friend Ashely helped make. It's a necklace with Daniel's picture in it.



We went to the early service at church today. We were just getting to communion when I heard Daniel filling his diaper. Thank goodness I took him out when I did, because fill it he did! Holy moly! Gave me a chance to discover the nursery though. Although asking a man to show you where you can change your kid's diaper will send you on an interesting journey.

Afterward we stopped at Kroger and then headed home. I wanted some pictures of my baby boy and I on Mother's Day so we took a few pictures outside.







We came in and were hanging out. Daniel was playing in the Jumperoo and I was in on the computer when I realized I hadn't heard him jumping in a bit. When I looked in this is what I found:

I transferred him to his crib and then Jacob started grilling the burgers. It was a tasty lunch!

After lunch I headed out for my Mommy time! Jacob's gift to me was giving me the day off. I planned to stay in town, but pretty much everything was closed except WalMart and I spend half my life there, so I decided to press my luck and go to Springfield. I'm glad that I did, because I had a great time!

I went to JCPenny, then I went and I got a pedicure. I had birthday money to spend and I very rarely splurge on a pedicure. It was heavenly.



Then I went to TJMax and got a couple of things. Went and got my hair cut...and LOVE it! Then shopped at Kohls where I bought more stuff. I'm a little bit bummed though. I had a gift card from Christmas to use there and when I got to the counter I couldn't find it! So, I had to pay with the debit card. Now if I can't find it, I'll either return some stuff or just used more of my birthday money. I've had to buy some new tops because, well, with nursing Daniel my shirts are too tight. Ugh. I get so frustrated.  Now to search for that gift card. If I find it, I'm hoping they'll put the money back on my card and then take it off the gift card.

From there I headed to McDonalds because I had a coupon for a dollar off a frappe (and I am quite the addict), and ended up just buying supper.

Then headed home to my 2 favorite guys! Daniel was happy to see me and he told me he and Daddy had a great time together!

Now I'm going to spend the rest of Mother's Day on the couch watching the finale of Survivor. Woohoo!

Oh and here's my new hair cut.

Church Search

Well, not so much a search right now since we have been visiting the same church for about a month now.

Back in August our good friends from church moved away. Jacob and I had been unhappy about many things at our church and when they announced that they were moving, I basically lost all hope of the changes that we were wanting to see. Jacob had been there since he moved to Assumption and I of course started going after we met. In all honesty, I never really felt settled there. Of course, coming from a church in Iowa that felt like "home" I realized and was reminded over and over again that I needed to give it time. I never did get that feeling though...and who knows? I may not ever get that feeling again anyway.

We discussed looking for a new church, because with each passing Sunday our frustration levels grew. I came home from church more Sundays than not upset or mad about something. It's not that there aren't some great people there. In fact...if you're reading this and we went to church together, you weren't a part of the problem. Anyway...you just shouldn't come home from church upset every week. It really puts a damper on your day.

After the Bates left, we only went a few more Sundays. In the end, something happened and it just kind of felt like the final straw. We quit going. We talked about visiting churches and if we should go out of town again or stay here in Taylorville. Sunday would come. Sunday would go. We would just stay home. It turned into, "We'll go to church after Daniel is born." Then it was, "We'll go to church once Daniel isn't so tiny."

It's quite easy to make excuses.

Yes, in some ways I felt guilty for not going and in other ways it sure was nice to have 2 full days at home on the weekend. (I felt this way more when I was still working). I thought about all of the people who don't go to church and who seemed happier than myself. That in itself was enough for me to keep up the excuses. Yet, I felt embarrassed that we weren't going anywhere. Know why? Because I didn't want my friends who do go to church to judge us or look down on us. Funny, that those were my thoughts since Christian's should be more supportive. Our families knew, but that's about it.

I mean, clearly we disappeared from our church and yet very few people said anything about it. Some let me know that they missed us, but not many. We never heard one word from the minister after we left. Nothing. That hurt. Then a month or so ago, we were at an event where I saw some people that we went to church with. The husband came up again talked to Daniel and I. The wife looked directly at me, I waved and she quite clearly snubbed me. That made me know without a doubt that we had made the right choice to leave.

So, what made us decide to start going to church again? Encouragement from a very good friend. Oh, and a virtual butt-kicking of sorts. Sandy, from 631 miles away (yes...I totally just Googled that.) called us out and encouraged us to get back in the swing of it. She "listened" through Facebook messages to us vent our frustration and fears about going. Our parents were also encouragements, but they kind of stepped back and let us figure it out. No one wants their parents telling them what to do. Ha ha!

We finally picked Palm Sunday to visit a church here in town and other than Easter have gone each week. I don't quite feel at "home", but I feel like I could grow comfortable with it. It's a growing church. In fact, they announced yesterday that they will be adding a 3rd service this summer as a trial run. The services they do now are "blended", meaning they combine contemporary and traditional. Although...it leans far more traditional than contemporary to me. (I guess it's semi-contemporary. It's just that all the worship songs are from the mid-90's). The 3rd service will be contemporary. Pretty awesome.

We've yet to really start to get involved. We're just kind of laying low and learning the layout. Hopefully this is a place that we can maybe grow into though.

New Look

I've been working on improving the look of my blog. I've always wanted a fun header. It took me forever and a lot of trial and error, but I figured it out. I had actually been toying with the notion of starting a second blog devoted to one subject...Mommyhood. I was in hopes of attracting new readers and gaining new followers. I read several blogs of women who are making money from writing their own blogs. I think it will take a little more thought on my part. I began creating it, but I can't decide if I like it or not. I do like my blog title though. "Frogs, Snails and Puppy Dog Tales." (Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom) :) Maybe one of these days I'll attempt it.

The idea of making some money on the side is appealing to me, but there's just no "easy" way to do it. I guess if there were, we'd all be rich, huh? It's not that we're in dire need of money. We live on a tight budget, but we do get to do fun things from time to time because I do budget for those things as well. I can't even express how grateful I am that I married someone who fully supported the idea of me staying at home with our kids. It would be nice though to have a little more money to play with from time to time. We would have a little to add into savings and some to do fun things with as well. I guess that's just me missing bringing home some money too.

I don't want anything that would take away time with Daniel. I've entertained the thought of baby-sitting. I just don't think it's for me. I would only want to take in 1 child, and wouldn't make that much money doing it. Sure, I could probably charge around $115-120 a week, but when you take into consideration that most kids need care for 40-50 hours per week, I'd be making roughly $2.65/hr. Plus, some of that money would be used to pay for food for that child to eat while here. I'd just end up frustrated in the end. I mean, that's just crazy. Less than $3 an hour. I used to babysit kids in my spare time in the evenings and on weekends and get paid $10 an hour. Maybe I need to find people willing to pay me that! Ha ha!

In the end, I'll probably just learn to be content with what I have. God has provided for us and will continue to provide for us. In fact, I learned last night that a family that Jacob teaches for wants to buy us tickets to go see "The Music Man" this summer. Their kids are in it and tickets are like $40 a piece. I couldn't believe it. That's well over our monthly entertainment budget, so I just thought that was awesome. There are some great people in this world.

Anyway, like I've said before, I truly do have the best job in the world. It doesn't pay a dime, but I sure do love it.