Summer Fun

Well, we are working hard to survive and have a good time without David around. Adele has learned some new phrases - "I just been missing Daddy" and "Daddy is in Yicaraga (Nicaragua)". It's obvious she thinks about him a lot and is missing her daily interactions with him.

Usually she'll mention him a few times throughout the day, and then it hits hard when she's a little tired - and especially at bedtime. She always wants me to sing to her, but now I have to work hard to find the right songs, because she will stop me and say "No, Mommy, Daddy always sings that to me". The other night it was raining hard and Adele was so concerned that Daddy wasn't around and kept saying "Daddy just needs to come home! He's gonna get his head wet!" Pretty smart little girl - Daddy's not home, so he must be out somewhere in the storm getting his head wet.

However, despite missing David, it sure has been nice having such great weather since we got to Iowa! We have spent lots of time outside - playing London Bridges Falling Down, Duck Duck Goose, visiting the Farmer's Market, playing in a little wading pool, getting together with friends for picnic dates at the park, eating ice cream, and visiting the zoo.

Here are some pictures of our time thus far:

Before David left, we spent an afternoon swimming at Aunt Rachel's pool

 Henry's favorite activity - sitting on Grandpa's lap, cooing

A little Duck Duck Goose with James

Henry hanging out with Katie and Shawn

Adele enjoying her wading pool

My sweet beautiful baby boy

Aunt Rachel has taught Adele how to make a "funny face"

Henry chatting it up with Grandma on Orange Day

And a few from our trip to the Omaha Zoo:

Adele teaching Grandpa how to make funny faces

The girl always has to take the more interesting path

Stopping for an elephant ride

Hitchin' a ride with Grandpa

The zoo was a good place for a morning snooze

Adele roaring like a bear in front of the bear cage

Ending the day with a ride on the train!

Aunt Rachel and Robbie helped haul around the kids and gear

Adele and her pacifiers

When Adele was first born, I worked for a long time to get her to take a pacifier. 

I tried all different types of pacifiers. Nothing seemed to work. FINALLY at two months old, Adele latched on to her first paci. I was thrilled. We attached that thing to her outfits every day and never went anywhere without it. We had four great months. Fussy Adele? Stick the paci in her mouth. If I wanted to stretch her feedings? Insert paci in mouth. Cooing loudly in a group setting when we needed to be quiet? Paci --> mouth. Naptime or bedtime? Paci time.

At 6 months old, Adele chewed a hole in that paci. It was a sad day. No big deal, right? I had other pacifiers. Nothing exactly like her favorite one, but plenty to choose from. Nope, no deal. I tried for weeks to get Adele to take to another pacifier. Finally, one day I threw in the towel and gave up.

Many people told me that was a good thing - it would mean I wouldn't have to wean her off the paci when she was older and still attached. That sounded nice, but I quickly realized I would have easily chosen a few days worth of fuss when the day came to wean off the paci over many months of no paci to soothe Adele as a baby. Instead of using a pacifier, Adele wanted to nurse all the time. When she was fussy, when she was tired, to go back to sleep at night every time she woke up, etc.

Oh, how I mourned the loss of that pacifier.

One day in the last 6-8 months or so before Henry was born, Adele came across a pacifier. Probably one I tried to get her to take as a baby. She got a kick out of it, and enjoyed chewing on it. It was pretty obvious she didn't know how to properly use it, as she never really got the hang of sucking on it. I didn't teach her, since she was older than 2. Every now and then she asked for her paci before bed. Sometimes I gave it to her; sometimes I didn't. Naturally, when a child is older than 2, it's not the ideal time to get them hooked on a pacifier.

This summer, as we've been traveling, there has been a day here and there where Adele has asked for her paci. She doesn't depend on it, and hadn't asked for it very often, but seemed to enjoy chewing on it for a few minutes in her bed before setting it aside for the night. I ended up leaving it in Spokane.

Big mistake.

As is the case with many things in life, we all want what we can't have. Adele has decided she needs her paci. She is a very sensitive girl, very driven by her emotions. Change is hard on her. It appears that with lots of change and disruption going on in her life, she has decided that maybe having her paci will make her feel better.

With David leaving on Sunday, I knew that would be another big emotional change for her. So what did Adele and I do? First thing we did after he pulled away was get in our car and go buy a pack of two pacifiers for her. She picked them out - a pink and purple one.

She takes them to bed with her, sometimes chews on them, sometimes puts both in her mouth at once, sometimes just puts them under her blanket. I like to think of them as a teddy bear - something to give her comfort in a difficult time in her life. I'm trying not to think about the ridiculousness of willingly buying a 2 1/2 year old two pacifiers, after she quit taking one at 6 months old.

I guess we'll still have to go through a sort of a process of getting rid of the pacifier...but not today.

Goodbyes suck

Goodbyes are the worst. I hate them. Always have, always will.

For our Middle School graduation, the song "Yesterday" was played (It's so hard...to say goodbye...to yesterday...). It made me sad. And yet, everyone was continuing on to high school. What a silly goodbye to be sad about, and yet I was.

I was incredibly sad about graduating high school and leaving my friends. I wasn't even that excited about college, because I was too consumed with being sad about the goodbyes I'd have to face.

I chose to be a Spanish major in college, knowing full well that I'd have a requirement of studying abroad for a semester. Although I was excited about that opportunity in the beginning, I ended up almost dreading it because it meant I'd have a semester away from my friends. I planned on going my junior year, and ended up putting it off until spring semester of my senior year just to put off having to say my goodbyes. Putting it off didn't make the goodbyes any easier.

Leaving Costa Rica after the semester wasn't easy either. I had met a boy I liked, who happened to live in the far away state of Washington, and we knew it wouldn't be easy to see each other frequently.

After David and I got married, we moved out to California to work. Though I was excited about a new life with my new husband, I was super sad to say goodbye to my family and move away. Those goodbyes sucked.

The goodbyes were hard when we moved from California to Costa Rica. The goodbyes were awful when we left Costa Rica to move back to the U.S. Seeing a pattern? I hate goodbyes. 

David isn't much better. I'd like to call him my rock, my strength, the person I depend on. He is all of those things, but not necessarily when it comes to goodbyes. At the end of each visit with our families, we sadly walk away, tears in both our eyes (and often rolling down our faces). We've been able to spend good quality with both of our families over the years, but the goodbyes don't get any easier.

Today was a tough day. A day that had been slowly creeping up on us. David left this morning to go back to Oklahoma for a few days to prepare before he leaves for Nicaragua for two months to do his research for his master's. We had considered having the kids and me join him for a month or so of his time there, but concluded that this year might not be the best year for that. We plan on going with him next year.

David's excited to go. I'm excited for him (and a bit jealous of being in Latin America without me!). And while we know that two months isn't that long in the big scheme of life, it didn't make saying goodbye any easier today for either of us. Goodbyes suck.

I'm not one to post facebook statuses about my husband, or publicly declare how much I love him, or prove to the world what a good dad or husband he is. Maybe it's because we began our relationship way back in the stone age, when there was no facebook, blogs weren't popular, and the world wasn't nearly as interconnected through the internet as it is now. Maybe not. We've just never been too public of a couple.

But let me say a few things about David. He is awesome. I could never have a better husband, a better father to my children, or a bester friend. He is my whole world. We've done everything together it seems. For almost our entire marriage, we've worked the same jobs with the same hours, travel together, and had the same friends. We talk about everything, make all decisions together, split up responsibilities evenly, become visionaries together, dream and talk hours about our future. We encourage each other to go out with friends, take time for ourselves, and yet we love being together. We laugh, we cry, and we usually can't shut each other up when we're with each other. David has made me a better person. I realize that's a cliché thing to say, but I truly am better just by having him in my life.

And as today is Father's Day, let me take a second to rave about David as a father. David and I parent together, and he is so involved in our kids' lives already. He changes diapers, holds Henry, patiently disciplines, helps teach and correct, ooohs and aaahs over Henry's latest developments, and is Adele's favorite playmate in the world.

Simply put, David is the best.

So while we are excited for David's time in Nicaragua, and thankful for email and Skype, it was hard to see him go today.

Goodbyes suck.

For the Fathers

I have a wonderful father.

There are two things I think of when I think of my dad: sports and Colorado. I'm not sure I've ever seen him more passionate about life than when it involves sports and Colorado.

My dad was my coach forever. He taught me to dribble a basketball, bat left-handed, correctly field a softball, shoot a lay-up, and be the best athlete I could be. Though he wasn't my coach for track, he loved cheering me on at track meets and timing my races. And while he didn't used to be too knowledgeable about volleyball, he grew to love the sport and understand rules like double hits and back row attacks.

But I remember many, many, many weekends of softball tournaments in the hot summer with my dad as the coach on base, signing when to steal and bunt. And I remember even more weekend basketball tournaments, when we used to joke that I was going to have a second bellybutton because my dad get on his knees to be at my eye level and poke me, pushing me to play defense better or be more aggressive with my shot.

And my dad loves family vacations in Colorado. He loves to spend free time planning the next family vacation, dreaming of hikes to take, which days we'll drive around Rocky Mountain National Park, where we'll eat, and which animals he hopes to see. He loves Colorado.

Here are three words to describe my dad:

Motivating: I mentioned this in regards to sports above, but my dad pushed me to be the best I could be in everything I did. Whether that was school, band, or sports, I didn't have to be the best - I just had to do my best and my dad was proud.

Devoted: My dad is very devoted to his family. He gave up pursuing promotions at work in order to be a good family man. This meant he was very involved in our lives and supported us in all of our activities in and out of school. It's always been obvious that he wants the very best for his family.

Provider: My dad looks out for us. Financially, he has generously given and provided for me in more ways than I could ever thank him for. It has always somehow been understood that my dad will be there for us when we need him - both in large and small ways.


I am also incredibly thankful for having a wonderful father-in-law. I must take the opportunity and say a few things about him and the type of father figure he is in my life as well.

Committed: My father-in-law does everything 110% - whether it is working 12 hour days in his busy seasons and coming home exhausted, or spending 15 hours straight at Disneyland, he simply goes for it. He works hard, and he plays hard.

Spoiler: I couldn't come up with a better word for this, but my father-in-law loves to spoil his kids (including me) and grandkids. He loves to buy gifts, and even gets pure joy out of taking us to Costco to buy our favorite foods when we visit.

Jokester: He has a good sense of humor and enjoys lightening the mood. Some might call him corny, others would call him witty, but either way, he makes people laugh.

Once again, I couldn't be more thankful for the wonderful examples I have in a father and a father-in-law.

And, I'm thankful for the father of my children. More to come on him later.

A quilting masterpiece

Two of my favorite hobbies are scrapbooking and quilting. I was able to take advantage of both of these activities while we lived in Costa Rica, since we had numerous months each year when it rained all day every day. Once we moved back to the States, I decided to let my crafty inner self emerge. Naturally, Pinterest helped fuel that craftiness. Christmas this past year was so fun as I was determined to make as many gifts as I could. I plan on doing more of that in the future, and will hopefully blog some of my favorite projects if they turn out decently.

This summer as we are traveling I have brought along a quilting project with me to work on. So far as an amateur quilter, I've stuck mainly to quilts and a few easier centerpieces made from scraps. Last summer, while we were still in Spokane, I took part in a "quilting retreat" with a couple of David's aunts, his sister, his mom, his mom's sister, and a friend of his mom's. We took on a tough project and did some marathon quilting, and came up with a sweet centerpiece. They turned out pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

The way the project worked was that with the amount of fabric we purchased, it made two of these centerpieces. I paired up with Jordan (David's sister) and we each swapped a centerpiece, giving us two totally different centerpieces with different color combos and overall looks.

Last summer when we moved to Oklahoma, I used the car time to quilt my first centerpiece. I'm using this summer to quilt the second. I still have to finish quilting it an put the binding on. but it's fun seeing it finalize. If I was a more professional quilter, I would do a tutorial on some of my quilting projects. As it is, I still need help with most of my quilting endeavors. So, I'll leave you with my excitement and a picture over this particular project.

Spokane recap

I'm slacking from my post-every-other-day schedule I had been keeping! We have been busy, and here's recap of what each of us have been up to while in Spokane.

David: He has been busy preparing for his summer research, which will take place in Nicaragua as he will chase parrots all over the country for 2 months. He has spent some of his preparation time by stalking the website steepandcheap.com in order to find good deals on items that might be of use this summer. David has also spent his preparation time by chasing Adele around in anticipation of his parrot chase.

Me: I have been enlightened by the Anne of Green Gables series and have now watched all 13+ hours of the movies. I have also tried to keep up on our laundry (I didn't pack so great for all of us - apparently not everywhere in the country has 90-95 degree weather in May/June like Oklahoma). Mostly I have been absorbing all information I can about essential oils, which have already changed my life and will continue to do so as I learn more ways to utilize them in our daily routines.

Adele: She spends her days getting full attention from her Nanny and Popa, as she plays with toys, drinks "coffee", and watches and sings along to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. On a regular basis she visits her cousins down the street, where she jumps on their trampoline, has sleepovers, joins in the ruckus and quarrels over toys, and gives/gets lots of hugs.

Henry: He sleeps a lot, eats a lot, and poops a lot. Although, more exciting activities have been added to his daily routine - he now smiles a ton, lets out little giggles, and is doing the most adorable cooing.

We have all truly enjoyed our time here as we have been soaking up the time with family, loving being able to sit around, share meals together, play games, and share in each others' lives. We also have been able to have great visits with extended family and friends in the area, and we are thankful for the love and support we have here.

 Adele, enjoying a snack and a show with cousins Hannah and Benjamin

Adele helping Daddy and Popa outside

Henry and Nanny got the memo of wearing all navy blue one day

All smiles for Henry!

Adele and Benjamin painting together

Another long road trip? Bring it on. Next stop: Iowa.

60 Things About My Dad

My dad turned 60 on June 3rd. That's a big milestone! I planned on having this blog posted on his birthday, but it took a few different sit-downs to come up with my list of 60 things. (Not saying you're old, Dad...but 60 is a lot of things...)

So, in no particular order, here are 60 things you may or may not know about my dad:

1. He's 100% Dutch (if you ain't Dutch, you ain't much!) 
2. He was a good athlete
3. He is an excellent coach
4. He's a hard-worker
5. He likes having a dog as a pet (but doesn't always admit it)
6. He is afraid of heights
7. He is happy with all girls - never regrets not having a boy
8. He played basketball in college
9. He likes Italian sausage and pepperoni Godfather's pizza
10. He's tall
11. He likes his orange juice best after it's first made, when it's not too cold from the refrigerator
12. He once made up his own rules for scoring in soccer because there weren't enough goals being scored
13. He likes hiking
14. He likes palm trees
15. He loves bananas
16. He enjoys working in the yard landscaping
17. He snores really loud
18. His response to me the first time I cussed was NOT "don't cuss", but instead was "you better not let your mother hear you say that!"
19. He wears one contact lens
20. He's had a job and worked every summer since he was 15
21. He has extensively hiked the trails of Rocky Mountain National Park
22. He likes looking at the pictures of National Geographic but often doesn't read the articles
23. He kicks Sudoku's butt
24. He likes Northern Lights pizza
25. He is a Hawkeye fan
26. He paid for my college education
27. He spends his Sundays visiting his dad in Pella and has done so ever since his mom passed away 9 years ago
28. He doesn't like hot, humid summers
29. He has a wide range of knowledge of almost all sports
30. He doesn't like it when you walk on the lawn - snow or not. :)
31. He loves to spoil his children
32. He likes taking scenic drives in the Iowa countryside
33. He always won at the game Clue
34. He is good with money
35. He used to coach volleyball with cheat sheets on rotation rules
36. He paid for my wedding
37. He doesn't like shopping
38. He worked at the same job for 34 years
39. He likes exploring the natural areas of Iowa
40. He enjoys riding a bike
41. He doesn't like being the center of attention
42. He doesn't make good pancakes (ok once he burned the outside and the inside was gooey)
44. He loves visiting new places, dreaming of places to live after retirement
45. He loves Colorado
46. He likes seafood
47. He can drive for many, many consecutive hours in the car
48. He enjoys college sports more than pro sports
49. Shawshank Redemption is among his favorite movies.
50. He always said "if you have girls, eventually the boys will come around"
51. He doesn't like large crowds
52. He likes going on long walks
53. He grills a mean hamburger
54. He doesn't like cold, snowy winters
55. He would like to learn Spanish
56. He loves simply sitting by the ocean
57. He gets nervous to speak in front of people
58. He enjoys going to watch high school sports events
59. He loves dreaming of and planning family vacations
60. He has a big heart and loves his family

Love you Dad!