Ten on Tuesday

{1}

Don't forget about Daylight Savings this weekend!

{2}

I tried Zumba for the first time this week.
My 29 year old hips were complaining a bit afterwards but otherwise it was awesome, and fun!

{3}
Fifty points to you if you noticed that I totally just lied about my age.

I'm really 30.



{4}

Actual words out of the hubs' mouth while he made dinner on Sunday:

"Well, thats how Ree does it."

Oh really?

So you and Pioneer Woman are on a first name basis now?


(Bing)

{5}

Anyone remember my 2009 New Year's resolution to start cooking more?

Ha! Me neither!

Justin is still the chef in our household and I'm okay with that.

I've always been much better at supervising anyway.

I plan the menu.

He cooks.

I clean.

It works!

{6}

I received a summons for jury duty this week - a first for me.

For federal court.

In Spokane. 

Say what?!

Everyone keeps assuring me I won't get picked.

{7}

I bought Kendry a green hat to wear in the St. Patrick's Day run next weekend. Hey, if I've gotta push his 40 lbs while running a 10k, the least he can do is oblige my kooky costume ideas.

{8}
Kendry no longer wears pajamas.
Our two year old now looks like a teenage boy at bedtime, insisting that he wear his basketball shorts and a t-shirt to bed.

Basketball obsession, I tell ya.

{9}

We've been working on table manners with Kendry and recently explained that he needs to try to keep his burps in his mouth.

This week he informed us:
"I need to keep my burps in my bum too."

Please do.

{10}

This Week's Blessing:

The opportunity to attend the women's retreat.

God really touched my heart. I will be sharing some of my takeaways with you tomorrow.

Love and Basketball...and Baseball

Justin and I both grew up competing in various sports.

Even before Kendry was born we were fantasizing about attending his future sporting events.

No pressure, kiddo.

No pressure.

We've been advised by older and wiser parents to be prepared, just in case our kiddo doesn't grow up to be as sports-minded as we are.

I realize Kendry is only two and his likes/dislikes could flip flip tomorrow, but thus far he appears to have inherited our love of sports - basketball in particular.

Our temps neared 60 degrees yesterday so Kendy and I took a walk to the playground, him toting his basketball along.

That kiddo can spot a basketball hoop from a mile away,

and he knows the playground has lots of them.

We started out on the elementary school playground where the hoops are lower.

But that wasn't good enough.

Short rims are for amateurs.

Kendry didn't even glance at the playground equipment or the swings. Nooo, sir. It was basketball or nothing.

He promptly set off for the middle school hoops.

"Hmmm...this is a tad higher than I remember..."

"Enough with the camera, Mom. There are big kids watching."

Our future baller:



This photo makes my heart melt.

There was no chance of him making it in, but he sure tried his best.

After Kendry wore himself out at the middle school hoops, I told him it was time to walk home. He only agreed to start walking once I assured him we would set his own Little Tikes basketball rim higher when we got home.

And we did.

Last night I started to ponder whether a baseball themed 3rd birthday party is the right way to go, or if I should consider switching to a basketball party instead.

I needn't have worried.

This morning Kendry was running around the house with his baseball helmet on, his glove on one hand and his bat in the other, asking me to pitch the ball to him.

After throwing a few stellar pitches (if I do say so myself), I asked Kendry to please go put on his 'basketball' shoes so we could leave for daycare.

{NOTE: Since Kendry has outgrown his old 'running' shoes, we have taken to calling his new shoes his 'basketball' shoes to make them sound cooler. He didn't want to wear them until we gave them a new name. The things you do to appease a toddler.}

So I asked him to put his 'basketball' shoes on.

KENDRY: "Mooooom."

{Insert eye-roll here; he hasn't done it yet but I know its not far off.}

"I'm not a basketball player, I'm a baseball player!"

ME: "Oh, of course you are. Well, what shoes do baseball players wear then?"

KENDRY: "White shoes."

ME: "Great! Go put on your white shoes then, baseball player."

His 'basketball' shoes are white.

Mommy wins again!

525,600 Minutes

"525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear.

525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.

In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?"

A year ago today my blood test came back negative.

Our IVF cycle had failed.

I haven't discussed this much on the blog, but in the wake of this news we decided to pursue a frozen embryo transfer with the one embryo we had frozen from our 2008 IVF cycle. We didn't tell anyone about this cycle - not even our family.

The transfer took place on May 25, 2011.

Another blood test two weeks later.

Another blow of disappointment.

How do I measure 2011?

- Peace -

"My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."

~Psalm 73:26~

I do not know why God has us on this path,

but I want to glorify Him every step of the way.

This week I entered an infertility essay contest.

The title of my essay is "Wonderful Infertile Life."

Writing this essay brought so many emotions to the surface for me. Only today did I stop to consider the ironic timing - submitting an essay about our family's success with IVF exactly one year after our failed IVF cycle.

One year.

I don't know if I will win.

It would be nice, of course, but that is not my ultimate goal.

My prayer is that God will bless each person who takes the time to read my essay, and that the peace He has given our family throughout this last year would be undeniably present in my writing.

"A peace that passes understanding is my song..."

Ten on Tuesday

{1}

Sorry we've been a little absent on the blog but I have been working on a writing project.

Details on that to come.

{2}

I got the sewing machine out this weekend and completed this banner.

I initially planned for it to be a 'happy birthday' banner we could use for Kendry each year, but then decided I want to keep my options open on the wording. Instead of gluing or painting letters on, I am going to cut out an array of felt letters and attach them with velcro for each occasion:

"Happy Birthday!"

"Congratulations!"

"Happy Columbus Day!"

You get the picture.

And yes, Columbus Day is worth celebrating; it's a paid holiday for yours truly.

{3}

This week's Kendry-ism:

Kendry: "Mom, remember Mo?"

Me: "Nope."

Kendry: "B-I-N-G-O and Bingo was his name, Mo!"

How does he come up with this stuff?

{4}

I am headed to a women's retreat this weekend.

It is sure to be a great time!

{5}

I watched "The Help" on Friday.

Octavia Spencer's Oscar was well-deserved.

{6}

Confession:

Seeing home pregnancy tests on a great sale still makes me a little bitter sometimes.

Its an infertility thing.

{7}

Kendry's handprint/footprint craft for February.

This is the cutest one yet.

{8}

He wanted to wear my 'hat':

{9}

I will not buy/wear colored jeans, I will not buy/wear colored jeans...

{10}

This Week's Blessing:

The resiliency of a toddler.

Kendry fell at open gym this weekend and tweaked something in his leg. He wanted to keep playing but with every few steps he would start limping or collapse and start crying. Not what a momma likes to see. I prayed and then gave him a dose of Children's Advil before naptime; when he woke up he was back to his usual bouncing-off-the-walls self.

Rescue Me

The kiddo has recently come into a small inheritance.

Rescue Heroes!

Ahhh, the advantages of having older male cousins who outgrow their action hero toys.

{For those of you not fluent in Dr. Seuss like we are these days, that "get get get" talk was a line from 'One

Fish, Two Fish'.} 

Thank you, Gho Family!