The Story of Us (Well, some of it, anyway!)

Eight years ago today Jacob and I were married.

I first met Jacob at college--I was waiting for a professor and he was sitting at the "work study" desk and he introduced himself. I will never forget that day--and I never thought I'd one day be married to him! I remember having classes with Jacob and thinking he was such a nice guy--and he was cute, too.  I went home one day and I told my mom about him and told her that if he ever asked me out I wouldn't have to think about it.  Well, he eventually did ask me out and we dated for about a year and a half.  Then, we started talking about marriage.  One night in December of 2001 we were at Corey and Amy Ralls' house--Corey and Jacob were talking and Amy asked if he had proposed yet--you know how girls are.  That night Jacob proposed to me.  I remember how excited my mom was when I showed her my ring and told her the news the next day.  I remember my dad smiling and saying, "When Jacob came to me and told me he wanted to marry you I told him I couldn't have picked a better guy myself!" 

I remember how stressful and crazy planning the wedding was. It didn't have to be that way, but somehow that is how it ended up . . .

I remember Jacob was sick the weekend of our wedding and showed up not feeling well and high on medication.
I remember getting ready in the back and Karen Henderson taking pictures of my mom and me--there is one picture where she told us to look at each other.  We looked at each other and both cracked up laughing.  My mom said, "Side view--it's our worst view!"  Karen said, "What?"  I said, "We look like we went for a jog and jogged into a wall."  Everyone laughed and we took the pictures. 

I remember walking down the aisle with my dad and we were both laughing because I was fighting with my wedding gown as we walked. When we first started down the aisle I was tugging on my dress and as we walked my dad said, "What are you doing?"  I said, "My dress isn't cooperating!"  We kept walking as I fought with it and I saw my dad's smile widen and he started to laugh--so I started laughing too.


I remember the ceremony started and Jacob and I stood up there and talked to each other instead of listening to the pastor--I mean, it HAD been at least 24 hours since we had seen each other.  I'm sure we had a lot to talk about!  Ha.

We said our vows and then "You're The One That I Want" from Grease played as we walked out. It was just a fun day. 

Now, 8 years later we're older and we have both changed some physically--but nothing else has changed.  I still love him just as much, if not more, than I did the day I married him. 

Here's to many, many more years together!

Thanksgiving Art Projects (Fun Homework!)

The boys both brought home art projects on Friday for homework.  The teachers each included a note that said the projects were for the children to do with their families--they also stated that they wanted the children to be creative.  I always love it when a teacher sends a note home that reads, "You're only limited by your imagination."  We had a lot of fun coming up with ideas and letting the boys help decide how to decorate them.

We started with Logan's art project--there is a large turkey hanging in the classroom and each student was given a feather to decorate for the turkey's tail.  Logan colored his feather in fall colors and then we went out and grabbed some fall leaves.  He glued the leaves on his feather and was very proud of the outcome. He only wanted four leaves because he is four years old.

Alex had an entire (although small) turkey to decorate.  We had even more fun with this because there was more space and more could be done with it.  We have several catalogs we have received and a lot of them have shoes in them.  We went through and found some Converse shoes and put them on the turkey. Every cool turkey running around needs a pair of Converse shoes--right?  Alex painted his turkey first and then he glued puzzle pieces (that have been mixed together and are no longer used) on the turkey.  We rolled up pieces of orange construction paper and he glued them on the tips of the feathers and even gave the turkey a little hat.  His final touch was to give the turkey shoes--one white shoe and one black shoe. 

These homework assignments were a lot of fun--I wish we could do art projects every week!

The Little Things

Today I was reminded of the importance of the little things in life.  When I went to pick up Logan at school a leaf had blown onto the windshield of my car.  Logan pointed to the leaf and loudly exclaimed, "Mom! Look!  That is a gold leaf on the windshield!"  He tried to grab it but couldn't reach it.  I grabbed the leaf, which was stuck under the wiper and seemed to wave at us each time the wind blew.  I placed it in Logan's little hand and his smile grew as he held it tightly.  "Isn't it pretty, mom?" We got in the car and I buckled his seat belt and we headed home.  As I drove Logan suddenly announced, "Look, Mom! There are more golden leaves in that tree!  And that tree, too!"

When I was a little girl I loved fall.  I loved Halloween and all the fun and sugar-induced comas the entire month of October brought. My mother always decorated the house for Halloween and as we got older we had a blast helping with the decorations. The candy and sugar lasted well into November as well, which was followed by Thanksgiving and then the fun and memories we made each year in December as we impatiently waited for Christmas to come. I remember my mother had old Christmas records--my parents had an old stereo that looked like a buffet and it played vinyls. I remember sitting on the couch, watching the Christmas lights shine and twinkle, and listening to the music--I loved it.  It seemed so magical.  I remember my brother and me laying under the Christmas tree and looking up and watching the lights.  As I got older I forgot about all these little things that I once loved this time of year.

The leaves changing colors and the temperatures getting cooler during fall were also things I loved as a child.  I remember sitting in the backseat as my parents drove us to whatever destination we were headed to and looking out the window at the red, yellow, and orange leaves.  I also thought they were so beautiful--they are beautiful for a while and then they are gone.  One of my favorite books to read to my boys this time of year is Fletcher and the Falling Leaves.  It is about a little fox named Fletcher who loves a tree outside of his family's den.  One day he notices the leaves are all coming off the tree and he tells his mother he thinks his tree is sick.  It is such a cute story as Fletcher tries to put the leaves back on the tree and talks to it, telling it everything will be okay.  He notices the trees beautiful leaves and is saddened when he watches the tree's last leaf float away in the breeze.

Logan reminds me a lot of Fletcher. Today he reminded me to take time and notice the pretty leaves that are changing colors all around us.  It's funny how as we get older we don't seem to notice the things we once loved.  Instead of sitting in the backseat, my head filled with dreams and stories, and noticing the beauty around me I am now an adult driving and trying to get to a destination on time. My schedule has become full and my priorities have taken over and I have forgotten to stop and notice the little things I once loved--and still love but have taken for granted.  In the wink of an eye fall is over and I would have missed it--I'm thankful for my sweet 4-year-old boy who made me stop and remember the wonderful little things--even something as simple as a gold leaf!

Our Journey to D-Town

This past weekend we had planned to go visit my parents and also visit my grandparents who live in the area.  Jacob was sick so the boys and I headed that way Friday afternoon after Alex's OT session and spent the night with my parents.  I shared my idea of taking the boys and leaving early to Jacob and he said it made sense to him--he'd be able to rest without having us in the house and we'd be able to spend more time with my parents.  I called my mother and asked what she and my dad had planned that night. She said they were going to go eat.  I asked her what time they were planning to do this and she laughed and said, "Why are you quizzing me?  Are you wanting to come over this evening?"  I laughed and said, "Yes, that is why I'm calling."  My mom said, "We'd love that!"

So, after Alex's OT session we hopped in the car and started our 2-hour drive.  We got caught in stop-and-go traffic on the interstate and ran into a lot of construction.  We stopped in a town on the way and bought dinner, ate, and had potty breaks before getting back into the car and finishing the journey.  We made it to my parents around 7PM just as it was getting dark. My mom had gone to the store after I called to get milk, yogurt, juice, cinnamon rolls, and snacks for the boys since we would be there for almost 24 hours.

My dad watched Aladdin with the boys while my mom and I went into her room and talked.  It was fun--she showed me all of the gifts she had bought for the boys for Christmas.

The next morning we got up and took our time having breakfast and drinking coffee.  We got around and headed to my grandparents' around 9:30.  We stayed there for an hour or so and I got to see my grandmother's new car and spend a little bit of time talking to and joking around with my Grandpa Jack. When we first got there Logan ran in and loudly said, "Great Grandpa Jack!" and hugged him.  My grandpa smiled so big . . . it was a sweet moment.  They hugged my grandma and she asked them about school.  The boys sang a couple of songs for her that they have learned at school and told her some of the things they have learned.  My grandma acted like she was so impressed with all they knew which just made their day.  It was a lot of fun.

From there we went to lunch.  My mom asked where I wanted to go and I looked at my dad and said, "I'd kind of like Mexican food."  My mom said, "Do you want to go to Ed's?  It's your dad's favorite so that is what he would pick but I want YOU to pick."  I looked at my dad who smiled at me because my mom just basically told him she didn't care where he wanted to eat.  It was all about me and the boys.  We were discussing who has the better queso and based on my parents' opinions of cheese dip we decided to go to El Palacio for lunch.  We walked in and the hostess said, "Five?"  I said, "Yes," and before she could seat us Alex said, "No, wait!"  He counted each of us, looked up at the woman, and said, "Yes, it IS five!"  She started laughing and said, "He wanted to double check, didn't he?"  We followed a younger woman to the other room--I was talking to Logan and I heard my mom say, "Shawna. Shawna!"  I looked up at her and said, "what?"  She pointed to a table in the corner and I saw two familiar faces smiling at me.  It was my best friend and her mom.  We chatted for a bit and she got hugs from the boys and then we all went back to the business of eating. I would be lying if I said it wasn't a pleasant surprise, though!  :0p

After lunch my dad took the boys back to their house so they could play and my mom and I went to the craft show/fair where I enjoyed free coffee, my mom gave me some earrings and let me pick out a scarf/hat set as part of my Christmas gift from her.  My Aunt Vickie had a booth there and we sat for about an hour talking with her and drinking coffee--safe in the corner behind her booth where the crowds of crazy woman couldn't run over me.  LOL  After a while a voice came over the speakers announcing that the drawing for the door prize would be in 5 minutes.  My mom handed me her ticket and said, "Now you have two chances of winning."  Her ticket number was called and I won a $10 gift certificate for one of the booths there.  It was a fun time!

We left the craft show and headed to see my dad's mother who is now in a nursing home. This is probably my least favorite part of my trip.  On the way there my mother was telling me to avoid eye contact with people in the lobby and going over everything she thought I should know.  None of her instructions were very encouraging!  We walked in and a horrible smell hit us--the place wasn't nice at all--it was all rather depressing.  We walked down the hallway and eventually into a small, tacky room that was shared by my grandmother and another woman.  We walked past the first woman to the back of the room where my grandmother was. When she saw me her face lit up and she held her arms out so wide.  I hurried over and hugged her and told her it was good to see her and for a few seconds I really thought she was never going to let me go. I told her I had brought some artwork the boys did for her and she said, "Oh, great!  Thank you!" We found a place to hang them so she could see them and I gave her new pictures of the boys, which she also wanted hung on the wall with the many other pictures of her family she had.  A few minutes after we got there I heard a voice say "hi" to my mom and turned around to see one of my cousins.  We all talked for a while and then it was time to go.  My grandma hugged me again and told me she loved me and as we all turned to leave she cried.  I remember as I walked out of her room and down the hall I thought about how hard it must be to stay in a place like that and have people come and go but you're just stuck there.

I went back to my parents' and packed up all of our suitcases and headed to the next town where I was meeting my best friend for a bit before heading back home to Jacob. By the time we met her the boys and I were all tired--but it was good to see her.  She brought the boys glow sticks and the boys sat in the backseat playing video games while she and I chatted for a bit.  We eventually said goodbye and the boys and I hit the road for the nearly 2-hour drive home.

We got home and it was really nice to see Jacob.  The boys were happy to see him and glad to be home.  We ate dinner and then we pulled out the glow sticks my best friend had given the boys.  They spent the next hour or two in the playroom, in the dark, with the door shut playing with them.  They had a blast with them!

It was a fun trip and it was so nice to see so many people we haven't seen in so long.

Here are some pictures of the boys playing with their glow sticks!

Logan stuck a bunch of glow sticks together and then put them in his jacket and said, "Look!  I'm a spider!"