Unfortunately, it can happen ANYWHERE

I don't have too many words to say about the Westroads mall tragedy. My parents live about 4 blocks from there, I grew up right in that neighborhood, the church Aaron and I got married in is also about 4 blocks away, I worked at the JCPenney store in the same mall, my best friend in 5th grade, Jackie, and I would walk to the mall every Wednesday after school, and I had regular running routes around that area. It is a terrible tragedy. I am shocked. I am saddened. I feel for all of the families and friends of the victims. Why did it have to end that way for those people? God Bless them and their families in this difficult time. It really can happen anywhere!

If you don't think it's worth waking up...

For all those critics of the early morning shoppers the day after thanksgiving, I just want to tell you the great deals that i found so maybe you'll consider getting up at 4:45 or earlier next "Black Friday"! So, I woke up bright and early, although there was nothing bright about the sky, it was pitch black, hence the "Black" Friday! As I was driving, the temperature in my car kept reading lower and lower and lower. I thought, when i first looked at it, it had said 43...not too bad, but that was b/c it was parked in the garage all night. While driving, at first I thought to myself, what am i doing up? Then, I thought, no, this is exciting and I couldn't wait to get to the stores! By the time I rolled into the Old Navy parking lot, the temp. now read 23...aah, a little colder! I decided to park in the Dick's Sporting goods parking lot instead, as that would be my 2nd stop and then I'd be closer to my car to get to the 3rd destination. So, I ran across to Old Navy, grabbed fleeces, jeans, snow pants for Aja and headed to the check out...which was pretty much half way back in the store. No problem, I knew it would be like this, so i still have patience! Finally, checking out, i felt good about my purchases for family members for this christmas. As I walked out, still in zombie mode, i hear my name and it's my neighbor. She tells me that they found out they are having a little boy, their second! How exciting! And to find out at 5:15A.M. in Old Navy. Next, I was on my way to capture my running shoes that were advertised at $35 off the original price!! They still had them when I got there! Yippee! While at the check out, my total came to $85...and the manager told the cashier, "close enough" and he handed me a $20 gift card!! I found out later that you needed to spend $100 to get it, so i felt pretty lucky! Now to Kohl's. People galore! When I finally got in line around 7:30A.M., i waited in a line that wrapped around the entire store on the inside! So, by 8:15, I was on my way home! Aja had just woken up and was eating breakfast with Aaron. Then, later that afternoon, we quickly had my friend Kim take our picture for our Christmas greeting card. If you got the order in by that day, it was a pack of 20 for $5...normally a pack of 20 is $15...so we saved $30 bucks!! Hurray! Ok, so it was a good day! Definitely worth it in my opinion!

"What time of day person are you?" Theory

Hey there! I've always thought about this since college, but for some reason I was re-thinking it today. See, I am not a middle of the afternoon person. My roommates in college thought it was crazy how i could be a morning person and a night person. However, I told them that around 3-5, that is not my best time...at least to be inside trying to concentrate on something...whether that be school work in college or teaching/trying to plan lessons, etc. So, that is why it worked out perfect for me to have soccer everyday in the afternoon, playing or coaching! I just had to be outside doing something to feel better physically. Ok, so...where does the theory come in? I was born at 4:09 in the afternoon...hence, coming into this crazy world from a peaceful state in my mom's belly. That calmness was interrupted by childbirth...which to this day, that time is not my best time! Why was i thinking about this again? Aja's bad time, coincidentally, is around 5ish, unfortunately right when "dada" gets home. She was born at 5:40P.M.!! Do you think i have something here? She's fine all day and then aaron asks why she's so crabby when he gets home. Makes perfect sense to me! So, with all of this that i was thinking this morning, i figured aja would turn out about like me. It brought a smile to my face that maybe she too, would need a sport, say soccer perhaps, to get her through that rough 4-6ish time of day for her! Let me know when you were born and if it goes along w/ what i am saying! Example? If you were born in the morning, are you a morning person or not? Same for born in the evening? I am curious!

Barney...what lessons you'll learn!

Everyday at 11:45 or so, Aja and I sit down to eat lunch. It's best to start a little before noon, b/c that is when Barney comes on the TV. She sits patiently, eating her food and watching Curious George, until all of a sudden, the credits roll from C.G. and she stops everything. The food waits on her tray, she almost stops breathing, as she can hardly wait to see that big purple dinosaur start to walk across the screen. Then the moment comes and the song plays on as Aja dances excitedly in her highchair and then it ends "if you just make believe him." Now lunch can continue on and she can breathe again. So, as she watches and eats, that is my chance to finally sit for the first time all day and eat lunch and watch Barney as well. You know, I have to say, while listening to the messages that Barney and Friends (let's not forget Baby Bob, BJ and Riff) have to teach, I am proud to know that my daughter is paying such close attention to things like sharing, the importance of exercise, eating your fruits and vegetables, how to be a good friend to others, recycling, why naps are good, and why we shouldn't be afraid to go to the dentist. Sometimes I wonder if we all need to cover our basic lessons every so often to remind us about life. Just the other day, a man in the car ahead of us opened up his window to throw out his bag of chips wrapper. I mean come on, it's 2007 and we still have people littering? It's not like Aja probably even saw it, but I was so mad that the man was modeling such a bad behavior. Maybe he should go catch an episode of Barney or rent the DVD from blockbuster!?! Oh well, there will always be people that just think of themselves in this world, but I hope to teach Aja the importance of caring for your "neighbor" and for your world! Thanks for shows like Barney that can help me teach this!

Documenting Grambo's "premonition"???

This past Friday, Aja and I went to visit my grandma in Valley, NE at her nursing center. It always brightens her day to see the little one. We got there and, like most days that we come, she was not in her room. So...we head back to the physical therapy room to greet her. Priscilla, about 9 months pregnant I think, is one of the physical therapists. She's very nice and said she'll be using my kleenex box idea for Christmas this year! Anyways, when we walked in the back room, Priscilla greeted us. The next words out of her mouth sent my mind into a confused state. Here were her words: "Sooooo....I hear congratulations are in order." (with a huge smile on her face) For a second I was trying to think of anything that I may have done recently that deserved such a comment??? (hence, the confusion) Finally I had to ask, "for what?" Now the confused look jumped to HER face. We both looked at my grandma. Then Priscilla continued by saying, "Well, your grandma was telling us that you are pregnant with twins!" I didn't know whether to smile or be freaked out or what I was supposed to think? All I could say was, "Grandma, no I'm not!" Then everyone kind of laughed it off. Later when we got back to her room she told me that she had just "figured it out herself." Apparently from a dinner we had with a lot of bathroom breaks that didn't really happen?? So, maybe she dreamt it, but I wanted to document the story in case it was a premonition for the future???? TWINS???? Oh boy!

"I lo...." It's coming...it's almost here!!!

Yay! Just the other day Aja started to repeat the words "I love you", but still lacks the "ve you" part of the equation. Oh well, it's coming and we are so excited! How wonderful it will be to hear those words...it's amazing just with the "I lo"! She also mastered identifying Elmo in the newspaper, so that was pretty exciting too! We had storytime at the library this morning and next Wednesday all the tiny tots get to come in costume! Aja is very much looking forward to hosting her 2nd Halloween party this saturday morning. That's all of our news for now!

The Best Things in Life are Free

The weather today is a little gloomy, so if that puts you in a gloomy mood, maybe these things listed below will cheer you up:

• OUR LITTLE DANCING QUEEN (footage taken a couple of months ago!)
  
• hugs
• popcorn
• warm blankets
• swinging at the park
• talking to a friend
• going on a walk
• a new pair of shoes
• jeans and a sweatshirt
• good hair day
• hot chocolate
• chocolate
• a nice run
• laughing
• movie night
• new episode of HEROES
• cuddling up with a puppy dog
• 20 minute power nap
• family
• raking leaves
• an e-mail from a friend
• drawing on the driveway with chalk
• blowing bubbles
• bubble bath
• smiles
• baked potato
• walking on the sand
• scoring a goal in soccer
• finishing a race or task
• smell of chocolate chip cookies
• fresh laundry
• a child at Christmas
• Halloween candy
• the knocking down of the shed by the Meyers Family
  

Have a great week everyone!

Race for the cure from a stroller

Today marked Aja's first Race for the Cure charity 5K walk. What a trooper she was, let me tell you! Not only did she go to bed late because we were at a Husker Watch Party, but she then woke up at 6:15 a.m. to walk with her mama! She finally crashed at about 1:10 today. So, how was the walk from the eyes of a little girl in a stroller you ask? Well, Aja was surrounded by 13, 500 other participants while sporting her pink nike jogging outfit, with a lovely pink bracelet that Tracy gave her after Aja had motioned to see it. Then, we ventured through the pink crowd into the arena of booths, where Aja received a ribbon-shaped bagel, a skeleton that lit up, an ear piece that is used for reading in the dark, fruit loops and a pink fan with a wooden stick. With all of these new items for her to explore, I thought for sure this 3 mile walk would be a piece of cake with a "not-so-much-a-baby-anymore" little girl. Boy, was I wrong. She did fine for awhile with her new toys, but then it happened...she got antsy!!! Here comes the fun, huh? Fruit loops now dumped in her lap and the fan, along with her water, binky, milk, brown bear book, and dog were thrown from her stroller to the ground at random moments. Luckily I am pretty quick on my toes as I took one swipe towards the ground and didn't really miss a beat to continue the walk. Now what? Well, I guess she needs to stretch a little and get out of the stroller. Tracy to the rescue! She helped push the stroller while I carried Punky Pie. Next? Aja didn't want to walk her first "Race" without actually walking. So, there she was, in the middle of the street, walking amongst the crowd in her little pink outfit!! She got about 20 or so steps, but at that pace, I knew we wouldn't make it to the finish line before dinner time! So, back in the stroller, now content with her 100% juice Capri Sun, she found her next fun in squeezing the juice to see it squirt out! Who invented bibs? Thank you! Soon the finish line approached and we were both pretty happy to be done. All in all, with her lack of sleep, she did a fantastic job for her first race!! Thanks to Tracy and her friend Courtney, who I just met, for their help in pushing the stroller! Definitely an unforgettable 3 miles of walking!

4 years today!

Wow, can you believe that Aaron and I have been married now for 4 years?!!! Remember our rice krispie wedding cake? We are officially out of the "newly wed" stage, or so the teachers I worked with used to tell me: 'you have 3 years to be a newly wed'. So, now that we are at the next stage (let's call it post-newly wed, but not quite oldly wed), let's see what we've learned these past four years. First, no matter how much we argued about which kind of orange juice to buy, we've come to realize that it doesn't really matter which kind, as long as we are taking turns on which to buy! Relationships need to be equal! Or rather, whoever volunteers to go grocery shopping usually wins out! So, that's basically what we've learned, I guess there's not a "second"! To all of you still in the newly wed stage, just remember to love each other and that the HY-VEE Brand O.J. is waaay cheaper than the Simply Orange! Happy Anniversary to us!! Thanks Kim for babysitting tonight!!

Folks, we've got pigtails!

Well, the day is officially here...Aja's hair fits in pigtails!! It's been a long time coming, but it's finally here!! Yay! She actually sits still to let me put them in, so that is a definite plus! Just wanted everyone to share in the happy day! Haha!!

First Time in 4 years or ever for that matter!

Well, I thought this would be interesting for some of you....Aaron wearing a Nebraska shirt. It's the first time in our 4 years of marriage that this has happened! I think he maybe wore some Nebraska stuff growing up b/c his grandparents got it for him, but this picture is truly unique for me!! And if you are wondering how i got him to wear it??? Well, come Oct. 21, I have to wear an Oklahoma shirt to the Iowa St. vs. OU game...so there you go! It's worth it for me to have and post this picture!

Public Apology

I just want to publicly apologize to Tracy for my comment about Notre Dame. It just came to my mind, so I wrote it and didn't think about the fact that even when your team is not doing well, which, let's face it, the Huskers aren't doing too hot either, a true fan will still stick with their team. So, Tracy, I am sorry! I personally like the Fighting Irish too! So does my mom!

What a 15 month old CAN DO!!

So, if you are trying to remember the things you did when you were only 15 months old, maybe this can refresh your memory! Let's see, Aja can say the following words: mama (mainly when she's whining), dada, boon (balloon), awpwane (airplane), ball, ooooh, ebow (elbow), bu-bi (bye, bye), fowa (flower), wa-wa, bebut (belly button), babal (basketball hoop), mo (more. She can point to her head, teeth, mouth, belly button, hair, nose, foot, ears, eyes. She calls Sophie by patting her leg. She knows where the key to the mailbox is at, where Sophie's soap is to give her a bath, where Sophie's treats and food are and where the trash can is at. She also likes to dry her hands after washing them and likes to brush her own hair and teeth (but she still doesn't spit yet!). She enjoys going to the park and today she gained the confidence to go down the slide 4 times all by herself. She loves reading books and playing outside. Her hair now fits in a tiny ponytail or two small pig tails! The other day at the store, she was trying on women's size 7 pink high heels, such a girl! We decorated the house on Tuesday for Halloween and she is excited as we are getting her costume ready! Her favorite foods are cheese, chicken, grapes, ranch dressing w/ celery, black beans, bananas, rice krispies, oatmeal cream pies, yogurt, baby fun fruits, milk, water, juice and jello pudding pops. She understands "hola" and "dame cinco" in Spanish. When asked how old she is, she can put one finger up and say "un". She loves taking baths while reading her ducky book. Her favorite books are: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, The Bernstain Bears, Find the Puppy and photo albums. Her favorite shows to watch are Barney and The Big Comfy Couch. She has a baby that she sleeps with and a Cabbage Patch doll named Bianca. Her favorite toys are her Barbie tent, doll stroller, car, and shooting balls toy. What else? She now weighs 20 lbs. 3 oz and is 30 1/2 inches long. She has 4 teeth up top, 4 below w/ her one year molars now coming in! A brief day in the life of a 15 month old. She wakes up at 8:30, eats breakfast, helps clean up (so she thinks), gets dressed, goes to the park or on a walk, plays with her toys, eats lunch at 11:45, takes a nap from 1:15- 3:45, walks to get the mail, eats a snack, waits for daddy to get home, hugs him, plays til dinner, eats dinner at about 6, plays more, pajamas on at 8:15, then story time, then brushes her teeth, then heads to bed right before 9. The day in the life of a 15 month old!! And i guess that pretty much means the day in the life of a 27 year old!!

OUR First Blog Entry

Hi to all of our family and friends! We thought we would start a blog site for those that are interested and want to keep up-to-date with our little family. Aja is now 15 months old today. She, unfortunately, has a pretty bad cold. Aaron came home from work today early b/c he feels sick too. I don't know why I am not the one to feel sick, since all day yesterday I wiped snot from Aja's nose. Plus, any opportunity to hug me, she'd wipe her nose all over my clothes. I probably changed 3 times yesterday. So, while they are both sleeping, I just got back from a 35 minute and 23 second run and now I am starting a blog. Kind of random, but kind of fun too. Aaron and I will celebrate our 4 year anniversary next Wednesday, the 3rd. Aja will be staying w/ the grandparents for 2 whole days! Wow! What else is new? Let's see, Aaron is enjoying his Sooners' win-streak, while Aja and I are trying to keep our spirits up about the HUSKERS. At least we aren't Notre Dame fans. Well, that is all for now. I am not sure how much I'll keep this site up, but I'll do my best!