Four names people call me other than my real name:
1. Mommy
2. Rach
3. RaeLynn (only my mom can call me that)
4. Bud (my dad is the one who calls me that)
Four places I've lived:
1. Cedar Rapids, Iowa --Eastview Ave
2. Cedar Rapids, Iowa-- 16th Ave
3. Cedar Rapids, Iowa-- 32nd St
4. Taylorville, IL
Four jobs I've had:
1. Cashier at HyVee
2. Cashier at True Value
3. Infant room caregiver/assistant director (in Iowa)
4. Stay at Home Mom
Four of my favorite foods:
1. Anything chocolate
2. fajitas
3. ice cream
4. pizza
Four things I prefer not to eat:
1. Broccoli (or really most any veggie)
2. Seafood (if it came out of the water, I don't want it in my belly)
3. Bananas (gag!)
4. Mushrooms (no fungus for me, thanks)
Four movies I've watched more than once:
1. Remember the Titans
2. Sweet Home Alabama
3. Bridesmaids
4. Steel Magnolias
Four books I'd recommend:
1. Literally any Karen Kingsbury book
2. The Help
3. Sophie's Heart
4. The Hunger Games trilogy.
Four places I've visited:
1. Cocoa Beach, FL
2. Los Angeles, CA
3. North Carolina
4. St. Louis, MO
Four TV shows I watch:
(Not a lot current so I'll go Netflix too)
1. Stranger Things (okay...I finished it, but it's SO good!)
2. Gilmore Girls (because there's can never be enough Stars Hollow in your life)
3. Any of the House Hunter shows (or lots of other HGTV shows for that matter)
4. Hoarders (because...well, I'm obsessed)
Four things I'm looking forward to this year:
1. FALL!!! (who didn't see that coming?)
2. Going to pumpkin patches with the boys.
3. Celebrating the boys' birthdays
4. Christmas!
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Favorite Pictures From Each Month (so far)
January
This picture makes me smile. Daniel was still sleeping in his toddler bed at the time and James had learned how to climb into it. I was doing bedtime alone that night because Jacob was at a Scholastic Bowl meet, so I had both boys. Instead of getting tucked in right away after stories, James climbed into the bed too. They started to giggle and play, so even though it was past bedtime, I let them be silly and grabbed the camera! Such goofballs!
February
While Daniel was at preschool, Mimi and Pa T. came and helped me transform Daniel's Winnie the Pooh room into he and James' Paw Patrol room! He was so happy to have a big boy bed!
March
You can just see the orneriness in James' face. He was so proud that he got the ball, and was so excited to play outside on an unseasonably warm evening. His little outfit with the socks and shoes cracks me up too!
April
Just another picture that melts my heart. What you can't see is the effort it takes to get any pictures of them together. I do have a great one of them both looking and smiling, but I love this one more because you can see the adoration in James' eyes. I loves his Bubby.
May
This was a rare evening that James and I got some one on one time outside together. I took him down the alley like I used to do with Daniel, and let him explore this mud puddle. At first he just touched the water. Then he walked through it. Next thing I knew he was jumping and splashing. I love that you can see that he sat in the puddle at one point too. A little dirt never hurt. I just stripped him on the front porch and took him in for a bath. More splashing!
June
Launching rockets with Pa! It's really just a simple picture, and nothing fancy. I just love that it captures not only the rocket going up, but my dad and Daniel watching it blast off together. It doesn't matter how old you are or how young you are...rocket launches are always fun!
July
The Thatcher clan together again! This was a fun year because I got to see Erica twice! This day was so much fun. When mom started planning a trip to a dairy farm I wasn't overly thrilled, because who goes on a trip to a dairy farm? Except it turned out to be this awesome day. We fed baby calves, milk a cow, pet and fed kangaroos (because that seems normal for a dairy farm!), and ate ice cream.
August
One of those rare moments when Daniel decides to pause long enough for a picture and it turns out perfect! I love this one of us.
4 more months left to fill up with memories. This was not an easy task because some months I have many favorite pictures, so I just had to pick one and roll with it!
This picture makes me smile. Daniel was still sleeping in his toddler bed at the time and James had learned how to climb into it. I was doing bedtime alone that night because Jacob was at a Scholastic Bowl meet, so I had both boys. Instead of getting tucked in right away after stories, James climbed into the bed too. They started to giggle and play, so even though it was past bedtime, I let them be silly and grabbed the camera! Such goofballs!
February
While Daniel was at preschool, Mimi and Pa T. came and helped me transform Daniel's Winnie the Pooh room into he and James' Paw Patrol room! He was so happy to have a big boy bed!
March
You can just see the orneriness in James' face. He was so proud that he got the ball, and was so excited to play outside on an unseasonably warm evening. His little outfit with the socks and shoes cracks me up too!
April
Just another picture that melts my heart. What you can't see is the effort it takes to get any pictures of them together. I do have a great one of them both looking and smiling, but I love this one more because you can see the adoration in James' eyes. I loves his Bubby.
May
This was a rare evening that James and I got some one on one time outside together. I took him down the alley like I used to do with Daniel, and let him explore this mud puddle. At first he just touched the water. Then he walked through it. Next thing I knew he was jumping and splashing. I love that you can see that he sat in the puddle at one point too. A little dirt never hurt. I just stripped him on the front porch and took him in for a bath. More splashing!
June
Launching rockets with Pa! It's really just a simple picture, and nothing fancy. I just love that it captures not only the rocket going up, but my dad and Daniel watching it blast off together. It doesn't matter how old you are or how young you are...rocket launches are always fun!
July
The Thatcher clan together again! This was a fun year because I got to see Erica twice! This day was so much fun. When mom started planning a trip to a dairy farm I wasn't overly thrilled, because who goes on a trip to a dairy farm? Except it turned out to be this awesome day. We fed baby calves, milk a cow, pet and fed kangaroos (because that seems normal for a dairy farm!), and ate ice cream.
August
One of those rare moments when Daniel decides to pause long enough for a picture and it turns out perfect! I love this one of us.
4 more months left to fill up with memories. This was not an easy task because some months I have many favorite pictures, so I just had to pick one and roll with it!
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
I'm Baaaaack!
I've been missing my blog. I sit down to write and nothing comes to me. Or I just don't feel like writing. So, in order to try to get myself back into it, I looked up some blog challenges, so I have ideas for each day.
I figured I'd kick it off with more All About Me facts, just because I always think they're fun to do. Especially when I think of really random quirky things,
1. Laundry rules don't apply to me. I don't sort. I just dump a bunch of crap in and hope for the best. I've only had a couple of mishaps over the years. Worth it to not sort.
2. Dumping everything in, does have a downside if you don't notice a diaper has made its way into the basket. Those suckers can hold A LOT of water though, which leaves me to question why my kids still managed to pee through at night sometimes?
3. I am really bad at finishing projects that I start.
4. I just finished watching Stranger Things on Netflix last night and I'm going through withdrawals.
5. People always warn me about all of the fart and poop jokes that come with having boys...but I'm just as bad. I always giggle and joke right along. I grew up with 2 sisters and we always laughed about that stuff.
6. I have officially decided that I actually hate summer more than winter. Never thought that day would come.
7. I always prefer to be the passenger to being the driver when I'm with other people. And riding through big city traffic will always make my anxiety skyrocket. I pretend brake with my foot.
8. I've come to the conclusion that I have really tasty blood. I can be outside for 10 minutes and end up covered from head to toe in bites. Jacob can be outside with me and won't get one. I currently have about 20 mosquito bites from playing outside with the boys the other day.
9. I love bonfires in the fall, but immediately regret them because then I smell like smoke.
10. Speaking of bonfires. One year in October my mom, Kendra and I decided to have a fire outside and make s'mores. Dad was annoyed with us wanting him to get the fire pit out and start a fire, but did it anyway. Turned out even with the fire, it was still really cold, but we decided we couldn't go in until we were sure dad was asleep so he wouldn't know that we were not enjoying ourselves. Ha!
11. I detest cutting my fingernails and toenails. I really detest cutting the boys' nails.
12. One of my guilty pleasures is tossing out random crappy McDonalds or other junky "prize" toys that I know will never be missed.
13. My dream house would be a custom built brand new house made to look like an old house. Lots of woodwork and built-in. Claw foot tub.
14. I love hugs (from people I know). So, if you know me (and I know you) then hug me! If you're some random person, I'll be pretty weirded out if you give me a hug.
15. I am one of the most awkward people ever, but the older I get the easier it is to just embrace it and try not to get embarrassed by all of the stupid stuff I do.
Stay tune to see if I stick with the whole blog thang. :)
I figured I'd kick it off with more All About Me facts, just because I always think they're fun to do. Especially when I think of really random quirky things,
1. Laundry rules don't apply to me. I don't sort. I just dump a bunch of crap in and hope for the best. I've only had a couple of mishaps over the years. Worth it to not sort.
2. Dumping everything in, does have a downside if you don't notice a diaper has made its way into the basket. Those suckers can hold A LOT of water though, which leaves me to question why my kids still managed to pee through at night sometimes?
3. I am really bad at finishing projects that I start.
4. I just finished watching Stranger Things on Netflix last night and I'm going through withdrawals.
5. People always warn me about all of the fart and poop jokes that come with having boys...but I'm just as bad. I always giggle and joke right along. I grew up with 2 sisters and we always laughed about that stuff.
6. I have officially decided that I actually hate summer more than winter. Never thought that day would come.
7. I always prefer to be the passenger to being the driver when I'm with other people. And riding through big city traffic will always make my anxiety skyrocket. I pretend brake with my foot.
8. I've come to the conclusion that I have really tasty blood. I can be outside for 10 minutes and end up covered from head to toe in bites. Jacob can be outside with me and won't get one. I currently have about 20 mosquito bites from playing outside with the boys the other day.
9. I love bonfires in the fall, but immediately regret them because then I smell like smoke.
10. Speaking of bonfires. One year in October my mom, Kendra and I decided to have a fire outside and make s'mores. Dad was annoyed with us wanting him to get the fire pit out and start a fire, but did it anyway. Turned out even with the fire, it was still really cold, but we decided we couldn't go in until we were sure dad was asleep so he wouldn't know that we were not enjoying ourselves. Ha!
11. I detest cutting my fingernails and toenails. I really detest cutting the boys' nails.
12. One of my guilty pleasures is tossing out random crappy McDonalds or other junky "prize" toys that I know will never be missed.
13. My dream house would be a custom built brand new house made to look like an old house. Lots of woodwork and built-in. Claw foot tub.
14. I love hugs (from people I know). So, if you know me (and I know you) then hug me! If you're some random person, I'll be pretty weirded out if you give me a hug.
15. I am one of the most awkward people ever, but the older I get the easier it is to just embrace it and try not to get embarrassed by all of the stupid stuff I do.
Stay tune to see if I stick with the whole blog thang. :)
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Hey! I Blogged! I Never Do This Anymore!
I've only blogged 3 times this year. Three! There was a time I'd post that many in a week, but alas, life gets filled with other things and I tend to stay caught up on things on Facebook.
Somehow we're already halfway through 2016.
The boys and I have already taken 3 trips to Iowa this year, with 2 more trips planned just within the next 5 weeks! One of those trips we brought along a surprise...Erica! We really pulled a good one over on mom. We had been planning it since December and kept everything a secret from her (and dad too!)
Daniel finished his 3 year old year of preschool just before Erica came so she got to come to graduation with us. He loves his preschool and his teachers, and I'm so excited that he'll get to go again this fall. We're already talking about it and he can't wait. He grew so much over this year. On his first day of preschool I remember him holding my hand and I could feel him near me starting to breath heavily. His anxiety was rising and I was trying to keep mine in check. There were tears, but I knew he'd be okay. Within a week he was jumping out of the van and forgetting to say goodbye some mornings! It was so good to see him gain self confidence and social skills.
It really hit me last night though. Next summer at this time we'll be preparing him for kindergarten! I don't know if I'm ready for this yet! Okay...most days I'm needing a break, but wow. Wasn't I just pregnant with him? I'm kind of glad he has a November birthday. It gives me an extra year with him. I'll have the same privilege with James at well.
The boys and I are still loving our church. Daniel gets excited to go each week. James always has fun, even though he likes to fuss when I pass him off. I never let it fool me. They always tell me later what a happy little guy he is. He goes around and gives kisses and acts silly. I love his little personality.
I finally got involved in a Life Group at church (which is a small group that meets during the week). Last year I was kind of interested in attending one, but I just didn't think it would work at the time because Daniel was very insistent that I be home to tuck him in each night and I wouldn't have been home one night each week. Not to mention...even though I wanted to get involved I always struggle because I get that nervous and uneasy feeling when I do new things, and I sometimes let that hold me back.
Well, once again they started talking about the next session of groups starting up for the summer and encouraging everyone to get involved in one. I kept thinking I should but still couldn't figure out the logistics of it, so I put it off. I even kind of glanced at all of the groups again one day after church and saw I group I was interested in and figured it wouldn't work out. That week I got a Facebook message from the leader of the group that I had been interested in asking me if I was signed up for a Life Group and if not she really wanted me to join her group! "Okay, God I hear you loud and clear on that one!" So, I talked with Jacob and with Daniel because Daniel has such a hard time with changes in routine. I explained that once every couple of weeks Daddy will be doing bedtime. He seemed fine, so we gave it a whirl.
We just have 4 of us in our group right now, but let me tell you...these are "my people". I literally have no doubt in my mind that God orchestrated things just so, so that we would all be together in this group. I feel like I can really be open. I feel like its making me a better person and that I'm growing more in my relationship with Christ. We have "homework" to do and I always feel a bit unsure of myself when it comes to sharing because I feel like what I say might not make sense, and yet I'm finding that maybe I'm just not always confident in myself because it ends up seeming to make sense. I'm just not always good with words. At least not out loud...I'm better at typing my thoughts. I love hearing what everyone else has to say as well.
And are you ready for this? I don't pray out loud in front of people...basically ever. I pray with my kids and sometimes at supper, but other than that I do not pray out loud. It's not something I have ever felt comfortable doing, and I expressed that the first week of our group. But, last week I prayed before our meal. I know that seems like such a small thing, but it was really big for me. I can't say I'll always be comfortable doing it, but God has given me the strength and courage to step out of my comfort zone and do new things. So, not only am I growing as a person, I've gained 3 new friends that are already becoming very dear to me! I look forward to our get togethers!
Tomorrow after church I have to get crackin' on packin'. Ha! Sorry...sometimes I think things are funnier than they are. We're Iowa and Minnesota bound! Then home for a few weeks and then back to Iowa again because Erica and Jim will be there for a few days. Yay! More sister time! And then I'll leave Daniel in Iowa for a week with Mimi and Pa!
Whew! I did it. I finished a post...so hopefully Sheila will be happy! :)
Somehow we're already halfway through 2016.
The boys and I have already taken 3 trips to Iowa this year, with 2 more trips planned just within the next 5 weeks! One of those trips we brought along a surprise...Erica! We really pulled a good one over on mom. We had been planning it since December and kept everything a secret from her (and dad too!)
Daniel finished his 3 year old year of preschool just before Erica came so she got to come to graduation with us. He loves his preschool and his teachers, and I'm so excited that he'll get to go again this fall. We're already talking about it and he can't wait. He grew so much over this year. On his first day of preschool I remember him holding my hand and I could feel him near me starting to breath heavily. His anxiety was rising and I was trying to keep mine in check. There were tears, but I knew he'd be okay. Within a week he was jumping out of the van and forgetting to say goodbye some mornings! It was so good to see him gain self confidence and social skills.
It really hit me last night though. Next summer at this time we'll be preparing him for kindergarten! I don't know if I'm ready for this yet! Okay...most days I'm needing a break, but wow. Wasn't I just pregnant with him? I'm kind of glad he has a November birthday. It gives me an extra year with him. I'll have the same privilege with James at well.
The boys and I are still loving our church. Daniel gets excited to go each week. James always has fun, even though he likes to fuss when I pass him off. I never let it fool me. They always tell me later what a happy little guy he is. He goes around and gives kisses and acts silly. I love his little personality.
I finally got involved in a Life Group at church (which is a small group that meets during the week). Last year I was kind of interested in attending one, but I just didn't think it would work at the time because Daniel was very insistent that I be home to tuck him in each night and I wouldn't have been home one night each week. Not to mention...even though I wanted to get involved I always struggle because I get that nervous and uneasy feeling when I do new things, and I sometimes let that hold me back.
Well, once again they started talking about the next session of groups starting up for the summer and encouraging everyone to get involved in one. I kept thinking I should but still couldn't figure out the logistics of it, so I put it off. I even kind of glanced at all of the groups again one day after church and saw I group I was interested in and figured it wouldn't work out. That week I got a Facebook message from the leader of the group that I had been interested in asking me if I was signed up for a Life Group and if not she really wanted me to join her group! "Okay, God I hear you loud and clear on that one!" So, I talked with Jacob and with Daniel because Daniel has such a hard time with changes in routine. I explained that once every couple of weeks Daddy will be doing bedtime. He seemed fine, so we gave it a whirl.
We just have 4 of us in our group right now, but let me tell you...these are "my people". I literally have no doubt in my mind that God orchestrated things just so, so that we would all be together in this group. I feel like I can really be open. I feel like its making me a better person and that I'm growing more in my relationship with Christ. We have "homework" to do and I always feel a bit unsure of myself when it comes to sharing because I feel like what I say might not make sense, and yet I'm finding that maybe I'm just not always confident in myself because it ends up seeming to make sense. I'm just not always good with words. At least not out loud...I'm better at typing my thoughts. I love hearing what everyone else has to say as well.
And are you ready for this? I don't pray out loud in front of people...basically ever. I pray with my kids and sometimes at supper, but other than that I do not pray out loud. It's not something I have ever felt comfortable doing, and I expressed that the first week of our group. But, last week I prayed before our meal. I know that seems like such a small thing, but it was really big for me. I can't say I'll always be comfortable doing it, but God has given me the strength and courage to step out of my comfort zone and do new things. So, not only am I growing as a person, I've gained 3 new friends that are already becoming very dear to me! I look forward to our get togethers!
Tomorrow after church I have to get crackin' on packin'. Ha! Sorry...sometimes I think things are funnier than they are. We're Iowa and Minnesota bound! Then home for a few weeks and then back to Iowa again because Erica and Jim will be there for a few days. Yay! More sister time! And then I'll leave Daniel in Iowa for a week with Mimi and Pa!
Whew! I did it. I finished a post...so hopefully Sheila will be happy! :)
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
20 More Random Things About Me!
I do a couple of these a year, just because I always think they're fun and it shows just how random and weird I really am! I love when other people write some of their own too.
1. I can't stand still when I'm singing. When I'm at church I'm always moving...but I can't dance to save my life. I have no rhythm.
2. Just thinking about nails on a chalkboard will give me chills sometimes. No joke. My right arm is covered in goosebumps just from typing that.
3. My top 5 favorite shows are: Friends, Gilmore Girls, Parenthood, Breaking Bad and The Office.
4. I wrote a story in 3rd grade titled: The Twins Who Didn't Know How to Ride Their Bicycles, but Then They Learned How.
5. I can't move any object with another person without yelling "PIVOT!" at least once.
6. I think Yankee Candle needs scents such as: Old Library Books, and Menards Lumberyard
7. Peeps are disgusting. I love marshmallows, but Peeps are just nasty.
8. On one of my hospitals stays when I was pregnant with James I ordered a chicken teriyaki meal that came on a bed of rice. For some reason they also brought me 2 glasses of tea that I did not order as well as the drink I did order. The meal was gross so I didn't finish it. Then I proceeded to move my rolling table, which got caught on the bed and my entire meal crashed to the floor. I was so embarrassed and apologized to my nurse about a hundred time. It was a disaster!
9. One time when I was maybe 12, I won a contest on the country radio station. My mom sent me in alone to pick it up and about died when I walked out with an Aaron Tippin CD AND a brand new set of steak knives. Hahaha!
10. If Daniel (or James) had been a girl their name would have been Madison Lynn.
11. I skipped gym a ton one year in middle school and to this day I have no idea how I didn't get caught or why the school never told my parents I wasn't in gym class. I'd probably still sit in a bathroom stall reading a book over participating in middle school gym class.
12. During my first month of attending Calvary, I walked full force into a window at the back of the auditorium at the end of the service. Full on made a thudding sound and bounced off. The following week there was a white stripe painted across the windows...although I was told I wasn't the first person to do that.
13. I've never gotten a speeding ticket or even been pulled over for speeding.
14. I'm going to be 32 in one month and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
15. I electrocuted my hand once making homemade ice cream. Note to self...make sure your foot isn't in a puddle and then touch the cord.
16. I was one pint of blood away from needing a blood transfusion after I had to have my c-section with James.
17. After I had Daniel I ordered myself a nice juicy cheeseburger and fries. After I had James I had to wait for HOURS and then I finally got my chicken strips with ranch!
18. I really want to para-sail.
19. If I could compete in any reality show, I'd go on The Amazing Race!
20. I've never watched Star Wars....and I have no desire too, but if my boys want me to watch it with them one day I suppose I will.
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