Busy, busy, busy…

This week is kicking off one of the busiest times for my squads. With our strange football schedule giving us three home games in a row with the last one being on Halloween, I was looking forward to an actual break between football and basketball. I should have known that was too good to be true! They’ve added a few basketball events to our schedule so we are one busy group

We have two practices scheduled this week before an onslaught of appearances and games. Friday night we’ll decorate the lockers in a sea of silver, gold, and green to get the team fired up for Homecoming. Saturday morning, we’ll start bright and early with a team breakfast (which I’m cooking for…so my day will begin at dawn). Then comes the dedication ceremony for the new fitness center which will include lots of pictures with donors. After that we’re supposed to make an appearance at the alumni tailgate tent. And finally make our way up to the field for the 1pm game.

Next Tuesday, we get to take part in a first for our school. Since we are so close to Fort Leonard Wood, we do several military appreciation events throughout the year. But for the first time ever, we’ve been invited to play an exhibition basketball game ON the base. The Missouri S&T men will take on William Woods University. The cheerleaders and dancers love it when the soldiers come to the games becuase they just get so excited – way more excited than our student-body! Being on their turf is going to be incredible.

Thursday will kick off our basketball season with Miner Madness night. Still not exactly sure what is expected at this event since I just happened to find out about it while I was in the press booth at the game on Saturday. Apparently, my boss and the PR guy assumed the other one had contacted me so I was completely in the dark! But we’ll be there nonetheless

Ocotber wraps up with a very busy final home football game on Halloween. It’s Senior Day, Family Weekend, and Fort Leonard Wood Appreciation Day all at one game! Not to mention my dancers are doing an AWESOME Halloween dance – complete with costumes – EVERYONE needs to come out to see it!!

Long Family Update

So I thought I would post something today since I’ve been neglecting my blog lately. And for all our family and friends who wonder why you can never reach us, always get our voice mails, and haven’t seen us in months, I wanted to catch you up on what is happening at our house!

Ryan has been working alot, as usual. His hours seem to get longer and longer, he brings work home with him several nights a week. He is also probably feeling like a single dad these days. The kids are usually still in bed or just waking up when I leave for work so he’s in charge of the morning routine every day. And, as is normal during cheerleading season, he tackles bedtime most nights as well. We couldn’t do it all without him! Of course, he is also still a Captain on the Rolla Rural Fire Protection District – he’s probably looking forward to his overnight shifts this weekend for a little break from daddy-hood !

Austin is still as laid-back as can be. He talks non-stop these days. We are working on potty training. I have admittedly not been near as aggressive as I was with Isaac. He does great away from home – we made an entire trip to Wichita with no accidents, and he asked to go potty several times. But when he’s at the house, it’s like he just can’t take the time to use the bathroom. He loves watching bubby play sports and wants to be just like the big kids! He loves preschool and can’t wait to go back every Monday.

Isaac is in Kindergarten and loving every minute of it. He struggled the first few weeks with the hall rules. But, as he informed me the other day, he’s “got the hook of it now.” I asked him what that meant and he said, “It means I understand the rules now.” (Of course, he meant he has the “hang” of it now, but that was just too cute!) He loves math time and reading time. He read his library book by himself the other night. I knew he would pick up reading quickly but he’s really surprised me. There were only a few words I had to help with – altogether and their. We will have to start bedtime a little earlier if he’s doing the reading though – it took 20 minutes to read 12 pages . Isaac is also playing soccer – something I wasn’t sure I was excited about. Ryan and I just aren’t huge fans of soccer. But he really likes it. He’s not very aggressive though – when everyone gets in a cluster trying to kick the ball, he’ll stand on the outskirts and wait for the ball to come out.

And as for me, it’s the same ol’ story. Busy, busy, busy. Cheerleading and dance have been in full swing for about 6 weeks. I have very young squads so it’s been a fun, challenging start to the season! I’m still an officer in the Rolla Junior Club and have joined the Rolla Rural Ladies Auxiliary. As for my “real” job, I’m working on Ft. Leonard Wood building a dining hall. I’m on the QC team for the general contractor on the project. I enjoy the work but haven’t been too thrilled about my team. I miss the comraddery of the office. Once we hand over the keys in February, we will probably never see each other again so it seems no one bothers to form any sort of relationship with their co-workers. And speaking of February, I am feverishly searching for a job! I was very lucky to land this job just 2 weeks after I got laid off, but I knew it was temporary. I wouldn’t mind staying in construction, but that would mean keeping the commute – another part of this job that stinks – it takes almost 2 hours out of my day. On a personal note, I will turn 30 in about 5 months so I’ve made a couple of goals for myself. One is to lose 10 pounds before then. I also want to tumble and do a few stunts for my birthday just so I can say I could still do it when I was 30 and had 2 kids . I did a few back handsprings last week and I wasn’t even sore the next day, so I think I’ll be ok on that one! For the stunting, I’ve conned Phil into being the poor guy that has to throw me in the air. He cheered on the squad for 6 years, and now, in his last year of grad school, is helping me with the squad. We’ve stunted before so it’s nothing new for us. But I told him that was going to be my birthday present from him. I just wanted to hit toss-hands, but we did that last night with no problem, so maybe I’ll increase my goal a bit for my birthday .

We don’t have much free time, but we’re taking advantage of the fun ages of the kids. We went to Eckert’s Orchards to go apple picking a couple weeks ago. And, weather permitting, we are going to the zoo on Sunday then shopping for fall/winter clothes afterwards. We haven’t mentioned it to the kids because I don’t want them to get disappointed if it rains or something. And I’m hoping to squeeze in a trip to the Magic House this fall as well.

As sad as it may be, I’m already gearing up for a busy end to 2009 and an even busier 2010. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be a whirlwind as usual. Then to kick of 2010, we will have the arrival of our first nephew in January! The end of winter will be crazy with me hopefully starting a new job, wrapping up the cheerleading and dance seasons with tournament travel, and my 30th birthday. Somewhere in there will be wedding events – showers, fittings, etc – for Mandi and Clinton. Then Clinton’s graduation, quickly followed by their wedding in June! Wow, that’s half the next year already booked . Welcome to my life!

girlfriends and music

I have 2 totally unrelated topics I wanted to write about today with absolutely no way to tie them together so deal with it…

Topic 1: Girlfriends – Last night our friends’ boys (ages 7 and 5) stayed the night. I made the pallet in the bedroom floor and had them and my 5-yr-old, Isaac, lay down and listen to a CD around 9pm. I told them they could talk but they needed to try to go to sleep. After an hour of alot of playing – including drums and a guitar – I finally told them if they didn’t quiet down I was going to have put the 3 of them in different rooms. A few minutes later I caught a phrase from my son: “It’s not going to work out so we had to break up.” This definitely got my attention so I sneaked down the hallway and took a seat outside the door and listened to a very enlightening conversation. Apparently my son had a girlfriend, Molly, but since they aren’t in the same class anymore (they’re only like 8 weeks apart but his bday is in June and hers is in August so they won’t go to Kindergarten together) they had to break up because that just wouldn’t work. He did reason that next year they would both be in latchkey (the before/after school program at their preschool) so maybe they could try again when they could spend more time together.

At this point, I am having a hard time keeping my composure. Then Zac, the 7-yr-old, says, “I’m about the age where I need to start trying to find a girlfriend, but it’s hard.” Isaac agreed then proceeded to discuss how he was second guessing his desire to marry Molly since she’s not going to be in the same class as him.  I had to leave because I was going to burst out laughing I wish I could recall more of the exact phrases! And I wish I’d had a tape recorder!

Topic #2: Music – Most readers of my blog are aware that my twin brothers are musicians. They first sang the Star Spangled Banner at a H.S. basketball game when they were in Kindergarten, had their first major performance at the Palace Theater in Branson standing next to Johnny Cash (also singing the National Anthem) at the age of 7, and have been writing their own songs since their first praise song they wrote when they were 10. I am beyond proud of what they do and what they have accomplished, as well as the young men they are growing up to be. Clinton is about to start his final year of college at SEMO and is getting certified to teach both Math and English. He will also marry his H.S. sweetheart next June. Cody tried his hand at college, but being a student just isn’t his thing. They travel alot with their band, Sense the Fall, and he’s always felt he would end up with a career in music, whether on the stage or behind the scenes. His talent for production is amazing. So this past winter he got started on a big part of his dream by leasing a building in town and opening a not-for-profit Christian recording studio called Neverland Productions. Along with the recording studio, he will have an apartment there. His vision is to have a place where bands that are passing thru can stop to rest, have a jam session, and do Bible studies. Anyway, I’ve said all that to tell you that you need to check out his latest masterpiece of mixing abilities. At a New Year’s Eve concert this year, their band covered Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” I laughed through the whole thing because it was totally unexpected, but it was really good! They took a country song and made it metal, complete with screams and some head banging. My favorite part was the line in the song that says, “He got down on his knee…” The entire band stopped playing, they all knelt and ’screamed’ that line – it was great! While they appreciate all genres of music, I was surprised they would cover a country song so I asked them about it. Cody said they respect her as a fellow songwriter because of how she can tell stories with her lyrics – even though she’s country that’s something they have in common. So now, with all his synthesizing and editing equipment, Cody has covered “You Belong With Me.” When you hear it, keep in mind that Cody is the ONLY voice on the cut. You should have a listen by going to Neverland Production’s myspace page at www.myspace.com/neverlandpro then had on over to the band’s page to listen to some of their stuff from their second CD at www.myspace.com/sensethefall  ENJOY!!!

Info I want to share….

Many of you have heard me talk about a product called JuicePlus+ that my family and I began taking a little over a year ago. I have even posted about it before on this blog. At that time, all I had to tell you was the research I had seen that convinced me this product would benefit my family. Now, however, after a full year of dedicated use, I have my own testimonies and stories to tell.

First, I want to remind you that JuicePlus+ does not make any medical claims that it will ‘cure’ anything. The research shows it betters our immune systems and makes us generally healthier people by providing the nutrients from pure, whole fruits and vegetables so many of us lack in our diets. What our bodies do with that is unique to each one of us. Nor do they want you to use JP+ as a replacement for eating whole foods. The fact is, most of us don’t eat enough whole fruits and veggies. All of their material will tell you it is best eat fruits and veggies in their whole form, but JP+ is the next best thing. It is offered in capsules, chewables, and gummies. I encourage all of you to visit my site (www.elongjuiceplus.com) to read the research for yourselves. There is a very informative video on the site as well. If you have any questions about the product, I will be happy to answer them. Also, for parents with children 4 or over, including full-time undergraduate students, you can participate in the Children’s Health Study. (www.childrenshealthstudy.com) As an incentive to encourages families to participate, the Study will provide the child’s (or college student’s) Juice Plus+® products free for three years, as long as a parent, grandparent, or other adult begins to take the product along with the child or student participant. Lastly, if you are interested in becoming a family user or distributor and paying wholesale prices (like my family does), I can get you information on that as well. Please email me at relong26@yahoo.com or call 573-578-0483 for any questions you might have.

I’ll start with my oldest son, Isaac, who will be 5 next week. As many of you know, the first 2.5 years of his life we spent many hours in and out of doctors’ offices and hospitals. He has a condition called Trachea Malaysia (softening of his trachea) that is a result from severe silent acid reflux as an infant. This has caused him many additional health problems. A simple runny nose often landed us in the ER with 105 degree fevers. The key was to keep him from catching a cold or any other virus that might cause mucus build-up – he goes to preschool full-time so this is next to impossible. And because of this, his immune system was VERY weak. If someone in his class had a cold, you could almost guarantee he would miss a few days the next week, home with high fevers. When he turned 2, we were doing breathing treatments 5 times daily with both albuterol and pulmocort (every day for about 18 months…preschool teachers aren’t very happy when your child brings a nebulizer to school with him every day). He took Singulair and Flonase daily for his allergies as well. The Singulair was year-round. If we missed a day or two, he was miserable. By the time we started taking JP+ early last spring, the breathing treatments were only being used when he got sick, but the allergy meds were still necessary. When fall allergy season rolled around, we had been using JP+ for about 6 months. I decided to stop the allergy meds to see how he handled it. I just quit giving them to him cold-turkey. For the first time in 4 years, we did not have to make an ER visit in the fall or winter! Now, this spring he fell and cut his nose, so we had to go for stitches :) But I am happy to say we now only have an emergency inhaler which we have used twice this entire year. Both times he had a little cough so he used his inhaler before he went to bed. He has not missed a single day of school for being sick since before last fall…it’s been so long I can’t tell you exactly when the last time was. His JP+ costs $24/month, compared to $30/mo for his Singulair and $20/mo for his Flonase. Plus, I just refilled his inhaler last month because the old ones expired – even though we barely touched them.

Since Austin was so much younger when he started (10 mo.), his results aren’t nearly has dramatic but still very convincing. He too was on Singulair daily when we started. I stopped giving it to him the same time I stopped Isaac’s. He has been an incredibly healthy child. The only exception has been a couple of stomach bugs he contracted from daycare.

Another thing that I was very skeptical of that is mentioned in some of the research is that it could increase our desire to eat healthier foods. But now I’m a believer! Isaac was never a picky eater, but he wasn’t very adventurous. Both of our boys have improved a great deal both in what they want as well as how much they consume. I’ve always been picky about what they are allowed to have, but sometimes it was a struggle when they wanted cheetos for a snack instead of yogurt or fruit. Now they request the healthier choices.

Among other things, my husband, Ryan, is allergic to grass and oak. Grass, people, he is allergic to grass! When he would mow the yard, he looked like someone beat him to death…he eyes would swell and water and his nose dripped like a faucet. He was taking Advair, Xyzal, Nasonex, and Patanol at the time we began using JP+. With our co-pays, this is a total of $100/month. Even though the doctors recommend he use these year-round, he tended to only use them during the allergy season, so about 6-8 months out of the year. His JP+ costs about $40/month. Just last week, I filled his Advair for the first time since last June and he uses his Nasonex on occasion. He, too, discontinued use of his allergy meds during the fall. Just this spring, during the worst pollen season in 20 years in MO, he had a few symptoms, but these were very subdued compared to years past.

Now, for me, I have always been a very healthy person. The one thing I had problems with was colds/sinus infections in the winter. Generally, once each winter, I would catch a cold that would take 6-8 weeks to get over. I suffered from severe chest and head congestion that just never went away. There was really nothing I could do except treat the symptoms with cold medicine and wait for it to run its course. In February of this year, a co-worker who had shared an office with me and saw how I went thru Kleenexes in the winter commented I hadn’t had my annual sinus infection. That’s when it dawned on me that I hadn’t even had a cold! I did have a runny nose at one time, but it lasted a day or two instead of weeks.

Please check out the research for yourselves. I have several resources I would be happy to share with you if you would like to see the benefits this product can have for you, personally. Many cancer patients have seen incredible results. Diabetics love the product because they often can’t eat the whole fruits because of the sugar content. This provides all the nutrients without the sugar. Many doctors have begun to recommend it to their patients as a natural way to improve immunity and protect their DNA.

There will be a day….

So my week started off with some unexpected changes to my plans and ended with the same. Let’s start about 9 days ago when the girls’ basketball game made it to the postseason. I was thrilled, but it was bittersweet since the tournament would be played on my birthday weekend. I had plans to visit my friend, Megan in KC and just get away after a long season. So I moved my plans from Fri-Sun to Sat-Mon…all this banking on the fact that the team might not win their first round…they did. Again, I was very proud but disappointed that my trip was cancelled and I spent my 29th birthday in a gymnasium/on a bus.

So on to Monday. I went ahead and took the day off since I had already asked for it. Went back on Tuesday to a PILE of work I was behind on, only to lose my job a couple hours later. My company laid off 13% of it’s employees and cut salaries across the board. Since my husband still works there, we are feeling both of these. So I spent the rest of my week working on our budget, revamping my resume, and searching for job openings. It’s going to be a long, hard road, but with the support of our friends and family, we will be fine. (However, if anyone reading this wants to say an extra prayer for us, we could use all the help we can get )

So now it’s the weekend. Ryan let me sleep in til 9am on Saturday. He left about that time to help get the fire trucks ready for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Around 9:30, he called to tell us he had room for me and boys if we wanted to come ride in the parade with him. So we’re getting dressed…all that is left are shoes and socks…I’m in the back of the house, and I hear a commotion in the kitchen. About 5 seconds pass before the crying commences. I run to the kitchen to see Isaac laying in the floor holding his face, saying “I’m bleeding.” He said he hit his nose, so I’m thinking it’s just a nose bleed and he’s going to be in pain for a while. Then I made him move his hands. He had managed to cut his nostril and cartilage…badly.

before the stitches, taken while we were in the ER

I handed him a towel, called Ryan and told him to meet us at the ER. I check into the ER at 10:15am. We finally left the waiting room at 2pm! Luckily our friend, Adrienne was able to come get Austin around noon so we didn’t have to deal with a 1-year-old, too!

The next 2 hours were some of the most heart-wrenching of my life. For those that know us, you know that Isaac was very sick until he was about 2 years old. Hospitals and ERs were routine for us. But this was the first time we were there for an accident. The RN introduced himself and the pre-med student that would be watching. They numbed his nose a little with a topical ointment. Then an hour later started the Novocaine shots. After 4 or 5 shots and 3 adults holding Isaac down while he screamed, we got him settled and ready to clean the wound and start stitches. Just as the nurse was about to start the first stitch, he looks over at the student and asks if he’s ok. Ryan let go of Isaac just in time to catch him as he fainted! I’m thinking the kids needs to find a new major! So once we got another nurse to come take care of him, he tried the stitches again…but Isaac started screaming again. So he had to have more shots. They finally got his nostril stitched – 3 on the outside 2 on the inside then realized that the cartilage was cut all the way through. They had to do more shots there, then 2 more stitches. Around 4:30 (6 hours after we checked in) we were finally discharged. Isaac was such a big boy through all of this. Sure he got upset about the shots, but he wasn’t so much crying as angry and cranky. He sat perfectly still for all the stitches.

After the stitches

We came home to eat dinner, ran to Wal-Mart to fill Isaac’s script only to find out the pharmacy was closed, then took Isaac for a Star Kiss at Dairy Queen (he doesn’t like ice cream). Now the kids are in bed and we’re all exhausted.

All of this has me walking around the house singing the chorus to one of my favorite songs right now – “There Will be a Day” by Jeremy Camp: There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears. There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we’ll see Jesus face to face. But until that day, we’ll hold on to you always.

25 Random Things

So I finally decided to jump on the bandwagon and do this. Here you go:

Rules:
Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

1. I have a degree in Civil Engineering, but I am employed as a Chemical Engineer.
2. I got my first shotgun for my 10th birthday.
3. I did competitive gymnastics for 8 years. My highest award was 3rd place in All-Around at the state meet. I also won 2nd place on beam and floor and 3rd on vault that same meet.
4. The first real concert I ever went to was Brooks and Dunn.
5. I’m OCD about drawers and closets (even color-coordinate them), but extremely messy otherwise.
6. I love Asian food.
7. I can still do back handsprings at the age of 28. I’d like to make it until I’m 30, but I’ve got a bum knee that I’m not sure will hold up.
8. I’m addicted to coffee.
9. I use and distribute an incredible product called JuicePlus+.
10. Deep down, I never want Austin to grow up…that means no more babies in the house.
11. My 4-yr-old is most of the way thru a 1st and 2nd grade math workbook we got him for Christmas. He thinks math is FUN…let’s just hope he still thinks that when he’s actually in school!
12. I bought my husband a gun for our wedding….and I’ve bought him several since. On my own, no help from him.
13. I’m a terrible artist, but I can draw a straight line without an edge.
14. I miss AutoCAD…chemical engineers don’t exactly use that often.
15. I love to cook and try new recipes.
16. If I could support my family doing so, I would coach cheerleading full time.
17. I love playing board games and card games.
18. My husband and I used to be in the BSU college praise band together…he played bass and I sang.
19. I have a letter from one of my cheerleaders’ moms hanging on my bulletin board and read it almost everyday to remind myself why I coach.
20. I don’t have any close friends besides my husband.
21. I balance our checkbook to the penny at least twice a month and keep a spread sheet that predicts our finances out for a year.
22. I love to read but I’m not a good reader.
23. I’ve owned 3 cars…all of which were model year 1999.
24. I like all genres of music.
25. I played the flute and piccolo for seven years in the school band and was a majorette for 4 years of high school marching band.

Ramblings…

So it’s been a month since I posted…sorry. I have lots of things to say, but not sure I’m mentally aware enough to make coherent phrases. A bulleted list seems appropriate.

• My favorite Christmas gift: my coffee grinder. Who knew such a little thing could make me so happy. My brothers and soon-to-be sister-in-law got me a good variety of awesome coffees. I haven’t had to drink break room coffee in weeks, nor have I felt the need to spend ridiculous amounts of money at the coffee shop!
• Isaac (our 4-yr-old) has been obsessed with math every since he came home a few months ago and very excitedly told us “2+2 is 4!” He’s constantly asking us to do math. So I sat with him for about 10 minutes one night and to my surprise he totally got the concept of how to add and subtract. I got tired of writing math problems on paper for him to do. So for Christmas I bought him a 1st and 2nd grade math workbook. You’d think I bought the kid the best video game in the world! He might not be able to read when he starts school, but at this rate, we’ll be doing long division before Kindergarten…haha
• Cake Truffles. The concept is easy – 1) Bake any cake. 2) Crumble into a bowl and mix with any icing. 3) Form mixture into small balls, freeze until set,  and dunk in whatever you like. The first time I had these they were red velvet cake, cream cheese icing, dipped in vanilla almond bark and sprinkled with peppermint. Delicious. I tried my own version this weekend  – strawberry cake, strawberry icing, dipped in dark chocolate. Delectable. (I think they are very fitting for Valentine’s Day.)
• I order live crickets off the internet. I know, crazy. This past spring our son decided he wanted a kitten. My husband and I aren’t cat fans at all. Before I knew what was happening my husband had compromised this desire for a new pet by agreeing to get a lizard. So on our next trip to St. Louis we went to the pet store to pick out a lizard. We decided on a Desert Leopard Gecko. Then my husband decided she couldn’t be alone…so we bought 2. They only eat live crickets and they have to be small – not the adult kind you get at the bait shops. So I buy them off the internet and have them shipped to our door. Our son picked out their names: Gary the Gecko and Lucy the Lizard…even though they are both females
• My prayer for today – to help my husband and I be the witnesses and the examples God needs us to be right now. I feel god trying to use us in some ways we might not be expecting. I think we’re up for the challenge.

Packing Pandemonium

As I tried to think of a not-so-boring title for this blog, I wanted to be sure pandemonium was appropriate. I decided it was perfect when I found this definition: “any scene of wild confusion or disorder.” You see, I begin packing very early. If it’s just a weekend trip, I might wait until 2 days before, but for the pending 10-day journey we are about to embark upon, I began packing Friday night…we are leaving Thursday afternoon.

I hate the feeling of being rushed or feeling like we forgot something. In my effort to avoid pandemonium, I probably create it. I have a permanent packing list saved on the computer so I start by amending it to fit the current trip. For example, the last time I used it was in August, so I deleted the flip flops and bathing suits and replaced them with boots and sweaters. So on Friday evening I dug out the suitcases and began doing the week’s laundry. As I fold the clothes, those that will go with us get put in the suitcases. This seems harmless until I realize I’ve packed all the socks and underwear so now everyone has to get them OUT of the suitcase each morning The last bits of laundry will be done tonight. Everyone knows if you want it packed, you’d better not wear it tomorrow because Mom will NOT do laundry the night before a trip!

Since this is a Christmas trip, we will be taking gifts along with us. I have carefully boxed up all the gifts – one box for Kansas, one for the Bootheel. Since we are traveling with toddlers, lots of extra things are necessary. First there’s the playpen for Austin to sleep in, then the stroller in case we end up at a mall or somewhere without carts (and we always do…especially if we decide NOT to pack the stroller), and the booster seat. Then the kids get a small suitcase just for their toys and books. Since they are the only grandchildren and we live so far away, there aren’t alot of toys at the grandparents’ houses. There is an entire bag devoted just to shoes – the kids have to have church shoes, “good” tennis shoes, “play” tennis shoes, and of course the cowboy boots. Ryan takes his “good” boots, his “church” boots, and his “work” boots, and of course a pair of tennis shoes that will probably not get worn at all. I’ll pack my good tennis shoes, my rainy/snow day tennis shoes, and at least 2 pair of boots (brown and black, of course). Did I mention that boots take up ALOT of space?!? Since it’s winter, the suitcases will be full of sweaters and sweatshirts, leaving little room for much else. While we (or I should say, Ryan) is packing the truck, we also have to bear in mind that we have to bring gifts home as well – Remember, we have the ONLY grandkids and nephews

The cab of the truck will be as full as the bed. We’ll pack pillows and blankets for me and the boys. Ryan and I will each take our laptops and the kids will have their case of DVDs – we have managed to limit this to 1 small case that holds about 15 DVDs. To add to the chaos this year, we will be opening presents at home just a few hours before we leave for Wichita, so I’m sure some of the new toys, books, and clothes will have to come along. Isaac’s new coat will have to be packed for sure – poor kid came home telling me his pre-school teacher told him his coat was too little – it is, but there has been one under the tree for a month! I’ll have a stack of books. The diaper bag will be brimming with snacks and sippy cups to avoid as many stops as possible. As much as getting a toddler potty-trained is exciting, it actually makes traveling a bit more difficult. When they’re in diapers, you can time the stops on your schedule – when a kid has to pee, there’s no waiting for the next gas station!

Even as early as I start to pack, I will be throwing things in as Ryan is taking them out to the truck. It never fails, just as he gets a suitcase buried deep under something else, I decide I need to add something to it! In about 48 hours, we will begin the journey that will include approximately 20 hours and 1100 miles in the truck. We will be at each family’s house for about 96 hours. I will survive – or at least that’s what I keep telling myself!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Time is on our side…

Time. Seems like we never have enough. I remember when I was a teenager, time couldn’t move fast enough. I couldn’t wait until the next big game, dance, or break from school. Once I hit college, things seemed to move a little faster. The weeks went by in a blur for me – 18+ hours of classes, working 30 hours at FedEx, cheerleading practice, sporting events, a serious boyfriend, fiance, and my last 2 years, husband. The weekends were spent trying to study and catch up on homework, while still enjoying my college experience and being a newlywed. Of course, for us that meant shooting pool at the BSU or playing Mario Kart till the wee hours of the morning

After college, I got a “real” job as a design engineer for a small civil firm nearby. I had graduated in May and was pregnant by September. Those might have been the longest 9 months ever. I was working at a job I hated, saving every paycheck in anticipation of my unpaid maternity leave I would need, and trying to focus on my difficult pregnancy. The days drug on and on and the sleepless nights seemed they would never cease.

Just weeks before our first son was born, I was offered the coaching position at the University then a few months later landed a job at the same company my husband was with and I’ve been doing both ever since. Now time is very different. I no longer plan things a few days out – it’s months, sometimes years. To say something is a week away is equivalent to my tomorrow when I was young. The months fly by with little recollection of the events. I work 2 jobs and take care of 2 kids. My husband’s schedule is as crazy as mine. And yet we’re trying to find time to play board games, baseball, and football.

But this week, I have been able to remember what it was like for time to pass slowly. So slowly, that all day Wednesday, I kept thinking it was Friday! Our weekend was crazy, the house was a mess, and I thought I’d never get caught up. We had an unexpected house guest Monday night – bad weather so a friend of ours that commutes stayed the night. We cleaned the house at lightening speed. I did most of the laundry that night. I have NO meetings, practices, or games this week. We’ve been home around 5 each night. Dinner and dishes done shortly after 6. I have put the kids to bed and been able to curl up with a book every night without the worry of something going undone! Last night, we stopped at a friends’ house to drop off a birthday gift for their son since we had missed his party this weekend. We ended up staying for dinner while the 4 kids played. It was really nice. We normally could have never accepted a spontaneous dinner invitation.

I love what I do. My coaching is an intricate part of our family’s lives. My kids have grown up on the football field and in the gym. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But I realized this week how nice it is to slow down and breath occasionally. To do something for myself, Ryan, or my kids….just because. We have our traditional 10-day trip coming for Christmas. We have to manage to get the only 2 grand kids (yes, on both sides) to both grandparents’ houses over the holidays. It will be chaotic and those 10 days will feel like 3. By the time we get back, my crazy work/cheerleading/kids schedule will be a breeze. And oddly enough, I’m excited about all of it. Merry Christmas everyone!

Holiday Fun

So I stole this blog from my friend, Jennifer, who apparently got it from Beth Moore’s site….it’s the best I can do today!

1. Fresh Tree or Fake Tree
I prefer fresh, but since we are gone for the better part of the Christmas season and I’m married to a firefighter, we stick with a fake one.

2. Favorite Ornament
We buy each other ornaments every year so this is a hard one. I’m going to say my Hallmark ornament with Pepe Le Pew and Penelope kissing. It’s just really cute and one that Ryan picked out by himself

3. Favorite Christmas Song
Traditional – definitely “Away in a Manger,” but I love “It Must Have Been the Mistletoe” by Barbara Mandrell and “I Need a Silent Night” by Amy Grant

4. Favorite Tradition
Our ornaments. It’s a tradition Ryan’s family started. I love picking out ornaments for Ryan and the Kids and it’s been a great way to quickly build a unique collection for our tree. Each and every ornament has a reason and often a story.

5. Favorite Gift Ever Received
Oh goodness…I would probably have to go with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

6. Favorite Christmas Meal
My mom’s dressing and homemade dumplings are the only ‘musts’ during the Holidays.

7. Favorite Christmas Cookie
Not a big cookie fan. I stick to the traditional chocolate chip…and it has to be chewy, not crunchy.

8. Favorite Place To Be
Around family I guess….I’m really excited about being home for Christmas morning this year for the first time in 10 years! The kids get to open their presents on Christmas instead of a week early. We’ll leave as soon as the gifts are open, but something about being at our own house is special.

9. Favorite Memory
The 12+ hour drive from KC to my parents’ house in the bootheel in a terrible snow storm…in a ‘75 Chevy with no speedometer! We might not have ever gotten out of St. Louis if we hadn’t found a path behind a snow plow I got to spend many hours curled up next to my husband (just my boyfriend of 4 months at the time) timing the mile markers. The trip ended with a very expensive speeding ticket (I fell asleep and once we reached Hwy 60 the roads were clear) but it’s one I’ll always remember.

10. Favorite Christmas Movie
Not sure I really have a favorite…I really enjoy The Santa Clause though. Not big on the classics.