Mornings

My dream morning (besides sleeping without being awaken by two little girls) is a morning without drama.  It would be a morning where everything goes as planned.  A morning where Maya wakes up in a good mood and does what is asked.  It would be a morning where Maya gets dressed, brushes her teeth, and allows me to comb/style her hair with ease.  It would be morning of not rushing out of the door and racing to school in order to avoid being late for work.  It would be a morning with no crying, back talking, or debating.  Instead it would be morning of harmony and love.

I dream of these kind of mornings...

Disbelief (Updated)

I am a very sentimental person.  I am a sensitive person and tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve.  This is can be either a good thing or a really bad thing but it is who I am.  First day of school began today.  Although it doesn't effect me (minus my longer commute thanks to all the extra cars on the road), it does make me reflect back on the past 3 years.

At the end of this month, we will be celebrating Maya's 3rd forever family anniversary.  It amazes me how quickly these past 3 years have gone by and how I no longer can remember things.  Last night Makenna was being cute and I thought how I must remember this moment.  I even mentioned this to Dave and reference getting our video recorder out.  Did we?  No.  We just watched, smiled, and hung out with our girls.  Yes, I enjoyed every minute of it but do I remember the cute thing Makenna did last night?  Unfortunately no.  My memory is terrible and it makes me sad that I can't remember cute little things my girls did.

It seems time rapidly goes by and all of a sudden your nephew started his senior year in high school, your daughter is ready to start Sunday school, and you are now seeing those fine lines around your eyes.  It does make me sad and I wish I could freeze time or even turn back time.  Since I can't do either, I will instead try to enjoy each and every day.  I will try to remember to grab my video camera or blog about a funny/cute moment.   And just maybe, I will remember a few moments to share at my girls' graduation or wedding reception.

How about a video from tonight :)

How Cute Am I?

Fun times outside today! Makenna is having a blast and trying to walk in her new shoes. Yep, she is walking!!!! Love that smile of hers.

Who Am I?

I am many things.  I am a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker, and most importantly a mother.  I play many different roles such as yourself.  All of these various roles can be extremely challenging but very rewarding at the same time.  Nothing is better than getting a big bear hug from my Maya and being told she loves me or when Makenna reaches for me because she feels loved and comforted in my arms.  You can't put a price tag on these things and I wouldn't trade them for the world.  

Although I play all these various roles, I am also a person.  Sometimes I forget that I am an individual with my own interests, passions, and needs.  I really feel it is important to remember who you are as a person and make time for yourself.  

This past summer I have renewed one passion of mine, music.  I love music specifically Indie Rock.  Prior to kids and while living in Minneapolis, Dave and I enjoyed attending various concerts and scouting out new music.  When we moved to Fargo, we still held onto our passion but the local music scene wasn't very impressive for non-country lovers.  In addition, we didn't know anyone besides us who shared the same music taste.  

Over the past 6 years, more and more non-country bands have found their way to Fargo such as Bon Jovi, Green Day, Jewel, Ben Folds, and the latest Old 97's.  We have also met others who also share our love of Indie Rock.  A huge relief as it is much more fun to share your passion with someone else. 

About a month ago, Dave and I saw the Old 97's (again).  We actually got a night out on the town with our friends Evan and Teri-Lee.  Words can't express how much we (I) needed this night.  It felt good to get out of the house kid free and enjoy something we love, music.  Meeting the lead singer, Rhett Miller, certainly helped make the night even better!
 
 
Here is Mr. Cutie - I mean Rhett Miller :)

Remember it is okay to take time for yourself and do something you love.  You will feel so good and refreshed afterwards.  Trust me!

Too busy to think about adoption today

There are so many times where I feel like this. It is amazing how many hours a week I think about adoption each day/week; stop and think about it and I bet you will be surprised.

Once again, Adopted - The Comic captures it perfectly in a single image.

Makenna's 1 Year Picture Outfit

Makenna's pictures are right around the corner and I am so excited.  We have decided to do a mini session with Tera at Blessings Photography with just Makenna as we are taking outdoor family pictures in September. 

In preparation of Makenna's 1 year pictures, I asked Jenn to make this fabulous one of a kind first birthday outfit.  Isn't it adorable?!

 

Dave thinks it is kind of silly and likes to tease me by saying the bottoms look like clown pants.  I realize they are busy and baggy but I find them absolutely adorable. 

 

The outfit was made not only for Makenna's pictures but also for her first birthday party which unfortunately didn't go as planned.

Jen is simply amazing and very creative.  She will take customize orders and is unbelievably quick.  She made this outfit in just a few days!  You really have to check out her Etsy shop here.  I really couldn't be happier with the outfit.

I know Makenna will look good for her pictures so please pray that she is in a good mood and smiles for the camera!

Activities

It is the middle of August already.  Wow!  I can not believe how fast this summer has gown by.  The sun is setting around 8pm, back to school shopping is in full swing, and fall activities are approaching.  Crazy!

As we receive one activity booklet and registration form after another, we sit and debate over which activity we should enroll Maya in and for which session.  This is of course if we decide to enroll Maya in any of the activities. 

Apparently all the fall and winter registrations begin this coming week.  I guess that means each family is required to make these decisions months in advance or risk the chance the session and time slot you desire being full.  Making these decisions should be easy, right?  Wrong!  How am I able to say "yep, winter session 2 swimming lessons will work on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30".  Did I mention that winter session 2 starts in February???  As two full-time working parents, we must plan carefully as each activity must be after work and early in the evening so we can ensure to squeeze in meal-time and of course bed-time. 

Call me a crazy mother, but I want Maya to experience lots of different things which include various activities.  Maya is only 3 which limits what we can pick from but that doesn't help in narrowing down our choices for which session and time slot.  We have decided to enroll Maya in the following:

• Gymnastics
• Ice Skating Lessons
• Swimming Lessons
• Sunday School

Now we must plan them out to not over lap each other (minus Sunday School) as we only want one activity per week. 

I guess I better grab the calendar, a pen, and of course the checkbook.  Let the registration begin!  Wish me luck!