The whole fam at work for the surprise

This past weekend my mother celebrated her 60th birthday.

In order to make her special day memorable my 2 older sisters and I kidnapped her from work Friday morning and took her to Chicago. We had been dreaming of doing something like this with just the girls for a long time, and this was the first time since Hannah was born that I have had to get away like this, so it was quite a treat!!!

Excitement beyond words

I thought my mom would fall to the floor when we all showed up at her job with a cake. She was especially shocked to see me, and when we told her what the plan was she just kept saying, “I can’t believe this!!!” “I have been dreaming of this for SO long!” “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?” She was flabbergasted beyond words.

We took her home to get her things packed and made it in record time to Michigan City where we took the train into the city.

We had a BLAST!

The weather was gorgeous (warm and sunny), we snagged a lovely hotel right downtown near all the great shops… we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect weekend.

A few highlights:

Lovely walks around the windy city

A gorgeous day in Millenium Park

Pure AWESOMENESS... The Cheesecake Factory

Happy Birthday MOM!!!

Grabbing tickets for the show

The Corner Bakery for breakfast... and a few laughs

Shoooooping: the Lego store, American Girl Doll store, just to name a few

Thanks Kent and Grammy and Poppy for all your help with the kids to make this work. I can’t tell you what this meant for me! To the girls: let’s not wait 5 years to do something like this again!

Since our stint in Scotland, Kent and I often comment on how over-the-top Americans can be about certain things (the hype over college and pro sports just for starters).  Halloween is now another added to that list, because let me tell you, Hoosiers LOVE Halloween!

Princess Cinderella

This was our first official, proper Halloween our family has celebrated.  When in Colorado, Hannah was just too young to know any better, and while in Scotland, thankfully the holiday wasn’t such a huge deal as it is here.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not a Scrooge about celebrating.  I have done my part to get Hannah all costumed-up for little Halloween playgroups and just for the fun of it, but this was the first time we experienced what Trick ‘r Treating is all about….

Pretty Pumpkins

And we just couldn’t seem to avoid it this year even if we tried!  I began to get a bit nervous when I started to see the Halloween decorations that were going up all over in September already.  One neighbor had a whole graveyard in their front yard including a 12 foot spider, creepy monsters who were triggered to come out of trash cans when you walk by, and spooky music.  They even cleared out their entire garage and had it filled with caskets, ghosts and goblins and were dressed in horrific costumes to scare the innocent children who were walking by.

It also become apparent what we were really in when neighbors warned us that families come from a 30 mile radius to our neighborhood to appease their candy cravings.  They said you need hundreds of dollars of candy in stock for the 2 (yes, I said 2) days of Trick ‘r Treating that was to occur.  *sigh* We decided to set a much steeper budget (can you say $20.00?!?) and to keep our lights off and doors locked for the Friday night crowd.  Thankfully it was a cold and rainy night so not many were venturing out and hopefully we weren’t frowned upon too much by the other neighbors .

Minnie and Cinderella

On Halloween day, a few of Hannah’s neighbor friends stopped by in their princess costumes in the afternoon to say “hi” before hitting the streets.  That is when Hannah’s excitement began to build. She got all dressed up and when she was ready to go out, she asked for the candy to stuff into her bag so she could walk around and give candy out to the neighbors.  She didn’t want to get candy, but instead just wanted to give it out! I thought it was precious beyond words that I had to explain what Trick ’r Treating was to Hannah.  She always has had such a giver’s heart!!!

A bit timid...

When it was time, we all went around to a few houses right around ours (mostly just of people we knew) and then Kent and Hannah did indeed venture out to a few more houses, including the “scary house”.  Oh the questions that came back with them…. “What was that guy doing in that costume with all that blood and that big knife?”  “Why was that person all in black with that white scary mask???”

Half of Indiana was in our neighborhood that night it seemed, so Abby and I went back to warm up and to do our part in appeasing greedy kid’s needs for more sweets.  It was fun, I must admit, to see the hundreds of kids all donned in every sort of costume known to man.  Some were timid and only wanted 1 piece of candy, others came barreling in with both fists ready to take as much loot as possible.  Honestly parents, don’t you teach your kids about selfishness and gratitude, AND don’t you think that 17 year-olds are a bit old for walking around with pillowcases begging for candy???

covered in chocolate...and begging for MORE!

After it was all said and done, we thankfully only ended up leaving 6-7 pieces of candy in the house and gave the rest away.  Mamma doesn’t need any more tempting sweets in the house as it is! (:

I just can’t help but think that if Hoosiers go this crazy for Halloween, I shudder to think how lit-up our neighborhood will be for Christmas!  Thoughts of the Grizwolds come to mind….

…from a stay-at-home Mom of 2 with sick kids:

• When both children are being medicated with Tylenol and Motrin around the clock, it is best to keep a chart handy to remember when each child got what, OR just play “Sherlock” and investigate the color of the medicine that spilled on the sheets in the middle of the night and go from there!
• Enjoy the days when your family members are feeling well, because once 1 gets sick it is like a slow-moving plague which will stick around in one form or another for WEEKS at an end, and will seriously make you think twice about your secret desire to get back into nursing part-time.
• Laundry will never do itself.  Even if you have a dryer (which I am VERY thankful for every day) it still is a never-ending curse.  I DO enjoy once again being able to see my laundry room floor again…it has been a while!  
• When your “imaginative play tank” has run dry from the countless rounds of Polly Pockets and “Mommy/Daughter”, it is OK to put on a video to occupy some time.  Best not too long though, because your computer may over-heat.
• When you start to feel the walls closing in on you from being house-bound for almost 14 days, even a little walk around the neighborhood after the kids are in bed will do a world of good.
•  Sweat pants (or joggy bottoms as they call them in Scotland) may be comfy, but it is probably a good idea to wear proper trousers once in a while to adequately gauge what those “comfort foods” are really doing to your waist line.
• Washable diapers + diarrhea = not good!  I am all for saving the landfills, and money BUT honestly, you can only take so much!
• The internet should be turned off at my home.  I have just become a member of Ebay and instead of doing things I should (like the laundry) those bidding wars over Hannah’s birthday present are taking up WAY too much time.
• The Huntington newspaper doesn’t let one write up personal ads which reads: “Married white female in search of friends”.  WHY can’t I move my dear friends here to Indiana instead of looking for new ones?!?  It would be SO much easier!

Hannah.

From babbling, to first words, and then on to full sentences it seems like kids just grow up way too fast.  Hannah has always been a bright girl, and since she was young has had quite an impressive vocabulary.  Over the last week I have jotted a few things down which Hannah says which may not be articulated quite right, but I think are too cute to correct…  She will learn soon enough I figure! 

May I never forget the way she:

• Wants to go to ”Old Mc Donald’s” for lunch to get a happy meal (with a cheese BOOGER)
• Asks to go on the “puter” to write her friends a letter
• Comments on the white “frosting” that has been on the grass each morning as of late
• Pleads with us at bedtime to stay upstairs in the “lilling room”
• Asks to play “Bominos” with me (Dominos)
• Wants me to teach her how to play the “play-no”
• says words like “atcent” (accident), “dinger” (dinner), “Chimpampeeze”  (Chinese), “someping” (something), “trow” (throw), “fab-le-us” (fabulous), “serusly” (seriously), and “pilla” (pillow).  

I just can’t help but chuckle.  Even in the last few days more and more words are sounding more grown up.  Can’t anyone out there come up with a potion to keep kids cute, adorable, and innocent for just a little bit longer?

“Hoosiers”…  We thought when we moved here that the term “Hoosier” was just a nick name for those who graduated from Indiana University.  We have now realized however that it can be used as a name for anyone who lives in, or is from Indiana.

Therefore, we are now Hoosiers, and it is official.  Our licenses prove it.  Our car plates show it.  My nursing license testifies to it.  Our loyalty has switched from the Bronco’s (Colorado’s football team) to the Colts (sorry guys!).  AND, most importantly, we have experienced our very first “Pioneer Days”.  We have therefore, as of this past Saturday, completed the list of “Must-Do’s to become a Hoosier”!  (:

WHAT?!?  You say you have never heard of “Pioneer Days”?  Neither had we until moving here but boy was it quite the festival!  What could be better… adults dressed up in full costume, stalls of crafts and ‘coon-skin caps, and all the BBQ and corn-on-a-stick you can handle?!?

Our new friends Andy and Destany were kind enough to invite us along (being native Hoosiers and all), and we really did have a fun time.   We are always all about new experiences, especially when they involve being outdoors, seeing new sights, and enjoying good food.

Have you ever had those days (or if me, weeks where it feel as if your kids are intentionally causing  you to turn grey?  Where it seems as if you have to repeat yourself 7 times to get something done, your toddler is starting to throw tantrums at 13 months of age, and your 4 year old is attempting to get the “Drama Queen of the Year” award? 

I will be the first to admit that my patience fuse has been a bit short lately… quick to snap, always saying “no” to the smallest things that really aren’t worth saying no to, over-stressing about messes, and finding myself forgetting that kids will be kids!  You know it is bad, when Hannah’s new saying is: “Mommy, are you frustrated?!?” 

SO, in recognition of my shortcomings as a mother lately, I have issued today as a “No Frustration Day”.  I chose not to get bothered when half a box of Cheerios got thrown on the floor, when I had to repeat myself 5 times for Hannah to get her shoes, or when I caught Abby eating dirt at the park this morning.  I also realized that we haven’t had many play days lately, so I gave Hannah the option of something that she would like to do for fun today.  Even though the zoo was on her list of possibilities, she instead wanted to go play at the park. 

We had a lot of fun, and shared lots of laughs.  Frustration has been at a minimum today which has been a blessing.  We will see how the remainder of the day goes, and as much as I would love to have every day a play day, I think I can learn to incorporate more “No Frustration Days” into my schedule! (:  

p.s.  the TRULY frustrating thing for me today:  not capturing ONE perfect picture of both girls TOGETHER out of 1oo taken this morning…. arghhh!

So far behind… So much to write….So many great memories….

Instead of being able to describe our summer as restful or relaxing, it instead felt as our own personal version of “The Amazing Race”.

We are finally feeling a bit more settled, which is allowing me to sit down and get time to recap what exactly made it so exciting.

One of our favorite things we took part in was our very first Joni and Friends Camp. Joni and Friends is a camp founded by Joni Erickson Tada (who was paralized as a teenager) which ministers to individuals with special needs and their families. We first heard about this retreat camp in Colorado and had prayed for years that we would one day be able to serve these families.
God heard our prayer, because it ended up that for the first time ever Joni and Friends just so happened to come to Maranatha (which was located right across the street from where we were living!).

There are SO many things I could say about the things that we saw and experienced. BUT… it would take me an eternity to write it all down.
The collage of our time will have to do for now, and if you are interested in learning more about what we did, please let me know and I would love to share!!!

(If you want to to take a look at the pictures up close, just click on the collage.)

August 31st and September 2nd were big days on our calendar. Those were the first days of school for both Kent and Hannah.

I couldn’t resist taking a few pictures of them as they both began the start of a new year!

Her lovely new teacher, Mrs. Meyers

The anticipation builds as she waits in line at school!

Looking smart and dapper

Kent's office (with 2 FULL walls of books behind me!)

I am starting to worry that Abigail thinks her real name is “No-NO Abby” these days.

This is what a typical day might sound like here in the Eilers’ home:

don't even think of taking my tooth brush away from me!

“No-NO Abby, please don’t throw your food!” (To which she responds by giving a coy look and carefully placing the food so it rests precariously close to the edge of her highchair and then falls off!)

“No-NO Abby, don’t stick my earrings down into the central air vents!” (To which she responds by putting both hands up as if to say, “where did they go?!?)

“No-NO Abby, no digging out of the trash!” (in her cute little voice she grunts)

“No-NO Abby, don’t rip up Hannah’s book!” (“uh-uh!”- her own personal version of “Uh-Oh!”)

for some reason I LOVE to stand like this!

“No-NO Abby, don’t take all the food out of the pantry!” (An angry, both-hands slap her legs in frustration occurs…)

“No-NO Abby, no eating crayons!!!” (another coy look as she brings it close to her lips just to taunt me)

“No-NO Abby, don’t take those slobbery crayons and write on the walls!” (“Dis???”)

I MUST keep the whole bag!!!

“No-NO Abby, don’t pour your milk out of your sippie cup.” (Another “Uh-uh!”)

“No-NO Abby, don’t throw all those things down the stairs!” (“uh-uh!” again)

No-NO Abby, don’t pull every single one of my shirts off their hangers in my closet!” (A small temper tantrum this time as I take her out of the closet)

“No-NO Abby, DON”T throw that in the toilet!”

ummm, OREOS!

Even after saying over half of these today alone, I still catch myself having to conceal a smile and the chuckle that is so quick to come when I look at her adorable face, and see that little mischievous look in her eyes. I know that even though I sound like a broken record and am completely exhausted after trying to keep up with her after a long day, that this phase will quickly end. And then I will have to change my mantra to: “No more ATTITUDE Abby!”

Even though this phase might be a bit more costly (items destroyed in the toilet, earrings lost etc…) I would prefer this hands down to the other!