Manfrotto

Manfrotto, thy name is love. Yes, it's true, I have a new love! I love our tripod! I know, I know, it seems silly, but here is something you don't know: It's NEW!!! While at the beach, Jamey's VERY OLD tripod finally bit the dust, so we had to invest in a new one and decided to get a nice one that might help me out with my job too.

I was a little hesitant to use it, but my hubby encouraged me to strap the camera on and let it roll to get better shots, so I gave it a whirl, and BOY!!!! It is a ball head tripod and it is soooo nice! I was able to keep the camera on it all night and not have to hang the camera from my neck and also get good pics! It was also really easy to use, which is not typical of things my husband encourages me to try when it come to technology.

I left the camera attached and picked up the whole thing to run around back and forth down the field all night, and I was really loving it. Up until the moment when it was almost crushed. I had it, the perfect shot, and I was clicking away, noticing that the runner was getting VERY close to me. But I saw his line and knew he was going to land just past me and I should get some good shots. However, I failed to notice the defender trailing behind him and saw him through my lens just milliseconds before he nailed me. I managed to lift the camera high in the air, tripod and all, and yes, I saved the camera!!! And the tripod!!! Good thing, because my husband would have killed me!

However, as I was celebrating the salvation of my coveted technology, I felt pain and looked down, realizing the defender's helmet was connecting with my right knee and my legs buckled. I didn't go down completely, but OUCH!!! The poor player felt so bad and apologized, but I told him I was fine (yeah, walk it off, girl--ha ha yeah right!) As the player walked off and I bent over in pain, I was aware of several players and even an assistant coach grinning at me. "Oh great," I thought to myself, "Here it comes" they are going to laugh at me almost getting knocked down. Then I realized it was a different kind of grin. One player said, "THAT was a nice save!" and nodded at my camera. I laughed and a coach on the left said, "No kidding! Great save!" I'm starting to think they think I'm cool now!! Then he looked down at my legs and nodded toward me before saying, "Bet your knee hurts, doesn't it??" Darn. He had me!

something new

I am just testing this out. I hope it works.

Dark Chocolate

You know how dark chocolate is so rich it is almost bitter? But it is SO good too, you just can't eat a lot? That is how my life feels right now. Bittersweet. The bitter part that makes me take it in small bites is adjusting to my baby going to school next week. He seems so little compared to his brother at that age. I know part of it is that he is actually smaller in size than Nason was, but part of it is just that my baby, my last little guy, is going to be gone every day all day from now on during the school year. It's over! That sweet time at home that seemed to drive me crazy, when he would ask me to read and spend time with him and it seemed like all I wanted to do was housework and I should have been spending time with him! That makes me feel bitter, because it's hard to realize I should have said yes to him more often.

But yet sweet, because it's so neat to see my oldest child developing a real personality, and having actual conversations with him of an adult nature, without whining and crying, that is just so new and so fun! For instance, he convinced me he needed a robe and he wanted to start sleeping with his door partially open at night. He had calm, rational discussions about each item, none of which involved yelling, crying or whining. (Nason didn't whine either! Ha!) I am enjoying the sweetness of seeing him mature and his reading skills are way out there.

And sweet, because it's also fun to see Jakin's total and complete enthusiasm for school. Bouncing and smiling at the eye doctor, in the dentist's chair, and even when he had to get shots at the doctor's office, all because he knew that got him one step closer to SCHOOL!!!! I get sad when I think of my little guy at school all day, learning and leaving me behind. I tell him I don't want him to go and leave me alone all day, and his favorite comeback is, "Mommy! You can come and eat lunch with me!" Yeah, like that's going to make up for the fact that he is away from me for 7 1/2 hours the rest of the day!!

And sweet, because I will finally have time for me. Ok, so I am selfish and often took time for me before, when I shouldn't have, but now I can do it guilt-free. I am getting another job hopefully, which will help the finances, but also having time during the day to scrapbook uninterrupted if I want, wow! Strange and glorious! =) Maybe I'll finally get started on Jakin's baby book! Oh wait, there is my cruise album and the Disney album to finish first!

I find I am actually looking forward to the challenge of packing new and interesting lunches each day for them, and I can't wait for Monday, when I can surprise Nason with a note in his lunchbox!

So, dark chocolate is my favorite type of chocolate. I can only nibble it, I can't bite off big chunks, but I think that is what God intended for our lives. You take each day as a little nibble, do the best you can, and enjoy the time you have with your children, whatever stage they are in, and don't guilt yourself for the should-have-beens or the what-if-I-hads. I certainly intend to enjoy this phase of my life, spending time each afternoon and evening with my kids, soaking up their love and thirst for knowledge, listening to Nason read, watching Jakin learn to read, and watching the Lord shape their lives.

I think I'll go have a nibble of that dark chocolate right now and help Jakin check off another day on his calendar he is keeping until that tragic/exciting first day of school on Tuesday! With tears in my eyes and a smile on my face, I will hand him that marker and then accept his joyous hug when he sees how close he is to asserting some independence from me!

Stupid Commercials

So, do you ever watch tv and see those ads for medicine and they list side effects that make you want to laugh?? For instance, tonight we were watching tv and saw an AmbienCR commercial that made us giggle. One of the things they said was "This medicine may cause drowsiness, so you should not operate machinery or drive a car." SERIOUSLY??????

We laughed so hard, because really, isn't that WHY you are taking the medicine?? I mean really, if you take Ambien, are you seriously going to get in a car?????? To drive it?? How ridiculous!!

Lunches!

School lunches are becoming increasingly more expensive every year, and unless you qualify for free or reduced lunches, it is becoming harder and harder to afford them, especially as the number of children you have in school increases.

I have found that I will need to pack a lunch for my boys for most days, and I need to make sure it costs enough less than $1.75/day in order to make it worthwhile. That means about 25 cents per drink, main meal item, side item and snack/dessert item. That would total $1 and would save us about $30 per month! I will let them eat about five days a month at the school for their favorite items, so I guess it will only save us about $22.50 a month to pack lunches, and that is only if I can pack a lunch that is still nutritious without costing more than a dollar! This is going to be a challenge!

If anyone out there has good solutions, let me know! I have the lunchboxes already and am preparing to make a trip to Sam's Club to get bulk items to help us out! I have to make a list! Yikes! Although this will be a big challenge, I find I am also looking forward to the challenge of packing a lunch every day for my boys, trying to find things to surprise them with and yet remain nutritious! Nason likes salads, so that will help, and Jakin will eat many fruits. I hope I can figure something out! I think I need a schedule of what to pack each day!

Well, I better get going and make my list! Agh!

something new

today i am trying something new: blogging from my phone. so this is just a test.

The Haze

My life right now seems like a big haze. It's like I vaguely remember that I have a life back in Illinois, but I have been gone so long it doesn't seem real right now. At this point, it seems like I have permanently moved in with my sister, her husband, and her new little girl. By myself. Oh yeah, I have to keep reminding myself I have two little kids, a husband, a job and a life that is waiting for me to step back into it and remember how to do everything!

Right now, it seems like I only remember how to change diapers on a tiny little baby. I talk to a four-year-old and a seven-year-old on the phone, thinking "Oh yeah, those are MY kids!" I haven't been out of the house in days, but I am so thankful for this time with my sister and my niece. I love her to pieces, she is so tiny, but already changing so quickly! Just in this first short week, her face has already started to fill out a bit, and we have learned that she has a difference in cries...yeah, she definitely has an I'M MAD cry! Boy oh boy! She is already growing out of outfits and eating all the time! My poor sister feels like a milk cow, but it is exciting to know that she is providing everything her daughter needs, and that the baby is growing so well and doing so great with nursing and stuff!

When I get home, I can't wait to post a couple of pictures from our trip to South Dakota, but since my family has become very disjointed this week, I am at a loss as to how to proceed. My four-year-old has been living it up at his grandparents' house, getting all the attention from my parents, and my seven-year-old has been back in IL with Daddy and then being shuffled from house to house while my husband does what he would normally do when I was there to be with the boys.

I have loved my time here, because I got to spend time with my new little nephew (more about THAT later) and then now with my sweet little niece, but I will be ready to head home on Saturday with my four-year-old!