New bed!

So, Anna's bed was delivered today! She has done awesome with it so far! This afternoon for her nap, she went to sleep and she stayed in bed for almost 3 hours! She's asleep right now. I've given her two rules: 1. No jumping in the bed. 2. You may not leave the bed until Mommy or Daddy come and get you! so far. so good! so so so good. Here's some pictures for you!

Anna's first sight of the bed in her room.

Testing!

Let me see if I like it while pretending to sleep and holding my Lil' Bill.
So comfortable!


I love my bed!!!

Ordinary day?

Is there such a thing as an ordinary day? I'm starting to think the answer is no.

First, let me start off by telling you that tonight we bought Anna a twin bed. I'm hyperventilating as I type this. okay, no I'm not. Her bed will arrive between 9am-12pm tomorrow. Her new quilt and sham have been washed along with the bed skirt and the sheets. We also purchased the waterproof mattress pad and the side rails. But are we ready? I felt like just yesterday, I was waddling around Babies r Us trying to find the perfect bedroom set that included a crib. Perfect meant not spending too much money, but trying to fulfill my fantasy of having the perfect baby girl's bedroom. We did not buy a bed that converted into a twin bed, because we thought we would just have our subsequent children use the crib. (Little did we know, less than one year later we'd be buying another crib.) Anyway, tonight is the last night she'll be in her crib. I am saddened and scared. Sad because she really is growing up so fast. Scared because she is such a great sleeper. Is this bed going to ruin it?? I hope not.

Today I was given the gift of sleep. Lately, once Brian wakes up and showers, I have had trouble falling back to sleep. So, from 6:45am until 8:30am, when the kids wake up, I would lie in bed counting sheep or praying to the sleep God to please let me fall back to sleep. PLEASE! (I know 6:45am sounds like an okay time to wake up, but friends, please remember I'm up past midnight every damn night.) Well, today I slept. I woke up only briefly as Brian left late at 7:37am, I continued to sleep until 8:40am. It was wonderful! I woke up, brushed my teeth, took my pills, made my coffee and made my bed. While I was brushing my teeth, my phone rang, a number that looked familiar, but one that I did not recognize. I opted not to answer it, because I was brushing my teeth. Something I will regret. I checked my messages and heard a message from my friend Kacy, telling me that her nephew, Nick, had passed away this morning. I instantly called her back. She had little information, as she had really just found out herself. The only thing she knew, and the only thing I knew was that her world was emptier today.

In August of 2004, my friend Lynette and I started a Mommy's Group. It stemmed from the fact that after I had a baby, I felt like everytime I met another mommy, I had made another connection with someone. The first time I can recall feeling this was when Anna was 9 weeks old. We had to take her to the doctor on a Saturday because she had an eye infection. We were in the waiting room with another couple who had a 3 day old baby boy. I felt like an "old soul" who had been bearing children for years compared to this young mum. We started talking and this poor, emotional, sleep deprived new mom was crying to me in the waiting room. I kept saying "it will get better, I promise!!" But, I knew that meant little to her at that point. Most of her tears came from the fact that all she was doing was nursing and they had just given the baby formula and she was feeling tremondous guilt. (oh, so common!) Anyway, I felt so connected with this girl. I didn't want to leave her side. But, I did. We parted and we never met again. This happened over and over. Mainly in waiting rooms. I always talked to other moms and wanted to know about their experiences, I was very interested. So, with that I decided to try to create a Mommy's Group. With Lynette, we came up with some friends of hers and some friends of mine and it began in August.

In January of 2005, I was sharing the store of Allie Scott and my involvement with Friends of Allie with my Mommy's Group, which meets monthly. At that point, one of the mommies, Kacy, shared with us that her nephew was diagnosed with Pontine Glioma, in June of 2004. He was 10 at the point of diagnosis, he was told he would not see his 11th Birthday. We were so fortunate that Kacy had brought along a picture of Nick to share with us. This was coincidental, as Kacy had not planned on sharing Nick with us that night. Over the course of the year, I've said many prayers for Kacy, Nick and Nick's family. Kacy is one of those people that you want to help because she is so kind. She's so friendly, giving and most certainly not greedy. She's a real good person.

Nick walked with my Friends of Allie team this past September. We walked in honor of him. Truly what an honor it was. I was so proud to have him and his mother walk with us. I continued to follow Nick and his health over the past year through their care page and everything seemed to be going well. Nick saw his 11th birthday and I was certain he was going to see his 12th. Until that phone call this morning. I am still so stunned, as I know his family is. Pontine Glioma is an inoperable brain tumor, which means their is no cure. So, yes, we knew this day would come, but nobody knew it would be today. I'm so sorry that it was today. His death, although everyone knew it would happen, was just as tragic, sudden and heart wretching as a car accident. Except this boy endured so much. Chemo, steroids, dialysis and so much more than we'll ever know.

Please pray with me. Pray for strength and peace for his amazing family. Pray that Nick is consoling Kacy and his mother, his brothers and sisters, his father and all who knew him.
Pray for a cure.

Nick asked for our banner from our walk, his Mom said he wanted to put it on his bedroom wall. I am humbled by him.

Although there my be no ordinary days, I will say that every day is extraordinary in it's own way. We just have to open our eyes to see just how extraordinary each day really is.

I leave you with a picture of Nick, holding our banner.

Don't Bogart the toys.

Yesterday, we celebrated Anna and Noah's 2nd Annual Joint Birthday party! We had such a great time, we are so grateful for all the people who came and celebrated with us. My sister Sarah, her husband and her 10 month old son, Ethan, traveled from Louisville. Brian's sister, Michelle and her daugher Megan, who is 6 months old, traveled from Indianapolis and my sister, Amy and her two children, traveled from central Michigan. How incredible! We appreciate every mile that was driven, we really do. The party went by so quickly. You know, you plan and plan and plan. And clean and cook and decorate and before you know it, you're cleaning up after everyone leaves. And you're exhausted. Oh man, we were so tired! I couldn't even post last night. I tried, but I couldn't keep my eyes open. After everyone left, Anna had a meltdown. She was hysterical. We're still not sure why, but it lasted until 11pm. We think she was soooo tired and overwhelmed and it got the best of her. Noah fell right to sleep.

Before the party, my sisters Amy and Sarah came over to help! THANK GOODNESS! Otherwise, I'm not sure what we would have done! We ran and bought more decorations and then came back and got busy!

This morning we did not go to church or sunday school because of the late, dramatic evening. The kids slept until 9am, they really needed to sleep in!! We went to my Mom's for my neice's, birthday party, she turned five on Friday. We came home and put the kids to bed. At that point Brian and I took the toys out of the boxes and set them up! (then I took a 30 minute nap!)

So, why did I name this entry something about bogarting toys? Because the kids will not share and we are going CRAZY, it's particularly obvious with the new toys. Anna received lots of Dora toys and Noah received lots of trains and cars and trucks. So, here is the situation that would take place tonight: Anna would be playing with her new Dora's Talking House, Noah would be busy with something else and see what she was doing, he would join her playing with the talking house, then she would just leave and go play with his new GeoTrax Train set and he would go ballistic. BALLISTIC. It happened over and over. It was ridiculous. So, I felt they needed a much need break from each other. The poor kids are with eachother non stop.
So, we picked up pizza and then Anna and I went to Target together. This is rare. It usually all of us or none of us. It went really well. We had so much fun. She got a new pair of shoes and she picked out some Sweet Streets with her birthday money. It was so cute, she even wanted to get something for Noah. :-) Anyway, it seemed to work. We came back, bathed them and they only fought 2 or 3 times! Quite an update, but that's all I have for now! Enjoy the pictures!

Typical!

Hate Mail

I am shocked that one of my readers sent me hate mail, or shall I say "left a hate comment." Amy A. can you hear me?? I am posting out of fear now! just kidding.

So, I am really too tired to post. but just a few things:

First. My Breakfast with Oprah episode is due to aire next Wednesday, 2/1.

Second. Tonight I had my worst Pampered Chef show ever. Show #89 will go down in the record books.

Third. I have read A Million Little Pieces. I have shared with many people that I love the book and I urged many to read it. I still do. I think it's crappy that he altered his story, but it's still a fantastic book.

Fourth. Tomorrow is Anna and Noah's joint Birthday party. We have over 25 scheduled guests to come over. I have 4 days worth of stuff to do in a few hours. Lord help me.

Fifth. President Bush just signed a bill that acknowledges the problem of trafficking very young girls for prostitution. This bill has designated millions of dollars to stop the problem and raise awareness. I think this is great news. So, why don't we see this on the news?

Sixth. I am tired. The kids went to their Grandma Fletcher's house today. She picked them up at 10 and dropped them off at 2:30pm. Someday, I'll take that time by myself and lay on the couch.

Happy Birthday, Anna Helen!

We had a great day! Anna was VERY grateful to everyone that said "Happy Birthday!" to her. Each time she would would exclaim "thank you!!!" Brian and I took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate both of their days. Anna had only seen Chuck E. Cheese on TV commercials so as we approached the building she yelled "MY CHUCKY CHEESES!!" (she didn't know we were going there) And that is what she continues to call it. They played and ate pizza. Anna loved putting tickets into her pocket and Noah loved playing with tokens. It was fun. As we put our coats on Anna exclaimed "it's my best birthday ever!!" It was hilarious. Tonight, we celebrated with cake and ice cream and presents with both sets of Grandparents, Brian's Grandma and my niece Amber. (Amber is 17 and has walked on my FOA team for two years straight...just wanted to give her a proper shout out! LOL! HOLLA! She's a reader of mine) I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do! This girl is something wonderful. So funny, so smart and very creative. I'm amazed at how suddenly she's a little girl now, not a baby or a toddler, but a little girl. I love it. I love her!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANNA HELEN PLETCHER! (what she calls herself!)

Here is Anna testing out her new quilt for her big girl bed that we are hoping to get next week!

I could stare at this picture for hours!

Life was good at this point. We were barely through the doors at Chuck E. Cheese and they already at balloons. We could have left and they would have been thrilled!

I love it!

A Good Day; A Sad Day

I take this moment to reflect on Daegen Feyh. On January 25th, 2001, this beautiful boy was born. On July 17th, 2005 he died. Daegen was a beautiful boy who I followed towards the end of his illness. Because I walk with Friends of Allie, we had a team in Kansas that walked in his honor, that is how I was introduced to this sweet, beautiful boy. I remember when he died. I remember the post that read "another angel....Daegen aka: dman." I remember reading and feeling so sad knowing the world had truly lost something special.

In November, at a meeting in Las Vegas with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society I sat across Janelle and Lance Feyh. I wasn't completely sure who they were, although I had a hunch. We went around the table and we all introduced ourselves and explained our roles with the LLS and our teams. There were approximately 17 people in the room, 8 of those being FOA team leaders. After we were done, the introduction went to Janelle and her husband Lance. I remember listening to Janelle say "my son Daegen passed away in July." My body grew numb. I remember looking at Lance, he had a long necklace on with Daegen's picture on it. I remember Lance looking down. I remember suddenly fighting the urge to cry, I felt ridiculous. I thought "I can't cry. I have no right to cry." I then noticed that almost every single person from my team was crying. Crying hard. It completely broke me. I know why we cried. For over a year, we had faced childhood cancer by reading stories, signing guestbooks, sending cards and raising money to help find a cure. But we NEVER truly faced the loss. And here we were, face to face. The reason why we volunteer was right in front of us. It was overwhelming and heartbreaking. It was real. I remember thinking "they are so strong. What is giving them strength?" I knew it was Daegen.

Tonight I went to my Friends of Allie board and saw a post that tomorrow was Daegen's birthday. January 25th. A day I celebrate. It's Anna's birthday, too. My beautiful daughter will be three. I have always believed that children choose their parents. I have no doubt that Daegen chose Lance and Janelle. They have something on their website called "A Grieving Parent's Wishlist." PLEASE read this. I could barely get through it, but it's worth it and it's eye opening, and so honest. Daegen's parents have started a National Friends & Family team with a first year goal of $500,000. I have no doubt this goal will be reached and that the Daegen Feyh Research Grant will no longer be a goal, but a reality.

So, on January 25th, Janelle, Lance and Daegen, I will be celebrating Daegen's life and reflecting on the impact he has left, not only in life, but also in death. I remember telling Janelle, in Vegas that "every dollar we raise and every minute we spend fundraising is in Daegen's honor." This will always be true.

After we sing Happy Birthday to Anna, it is my hope that Anna and Daegen will blow out the candles together.

All my best and all my love.

Hug your child extra tight, everyday.

Not much

I'm too tired to blog tonight! So, I'll just share some pictures!

Here's a picture of my two two year olds. I can only say that for 4 days and I love it! Today a woman asked how old our kids were and I said "they're two." She said "oh you have twins!" And we said no. She was so confused and literally said "how does that happen?"

My little man brushing his teeth! He LOVES it!

Beyonce, look out! Here's Anna with my knee high boots on. As if walking around on them isn't hard enough, she has them on the wrong feet!

These are the flowers I got from the Oprah show. Each plate had a beautiful gerber daisy (my favorite flower) on them! We got two plates, so we got two flowers! My thoughts on this: there are 300 people in the audience, which equals 600 flowers. I'm so impressed!

The Art of Cleanliness

How many hours a week do you spend cleaning? I don't know either, but I feel like it's alot. How many hours a week do you spend dreading cleaning? I don't know either, but I know it's alot more.

I have alot going on in my house. I have a three bedroom ranch, with a full, unfinished basement. I have two 2 year olds (for a couple of days), a husband and I "work from home." My office is in my bedroom. I find myself walking throughout my house, hating my house. Not because the layout is bad, but because everywhere I look, there is something for me to do. It's a constant "to do" list. When I open the refrigerator I have thoughts of "I need to clean the refrigerator." Going to the bathroom, "I should clean the toilet, and the tub AND the floor...for both bathrooms." Walking through the front door, "I really need to sort through that pile of mail." You get the idea. So, does it ever end? Am I a bad housekeeper? A bad organizer? Has anyone really mastered the art of cleanliness? I could sign up for services like Fly Lady, but I don't have time to read 20 e-mails per day. Or I could hire a cleaning service, but I can't afford it? So, what do I need to do to maintain the clean? Clean, I guess. clean clean clean clean clean. It just doesn't seem healthy, but neither does a messy home.

Of course, I would like to take a moment to thank my dishwasher. I can't imagine my life without him. He's hard working, reliable and we run him EVERY single night.

Approximately two times a week, I find myself dumping out Anna and Noah's toyboxes. I dump them out and reorgazine the toys. Of course, this is the time they discover they have all of these toys making it almost impossible for me to get the job done, but it's a great way to keep things together. I seperate the legos from the wooden blocks, I seperate the Little People from the Thomas the Tank Engines, I seperate everything. And I do it again in a few days. But for a couple of minutes, I feel great about the toys.

Why do we hate cleaning? It's not hard work. It's just putting things away. What's difficult about that? I would rather get in the car, drive 1 hour, find a parking space and shop for 3 hours looking for a pair of shoes AND wait in line then clean my bathroom. Does this mean I have a problem? Is it laziness? Could it be laziness when I feel like I clean all of the time? (well, not always, you know the name of this blog!)

I would pay alot of money to be able to walk into the creator of Fly Lady's living room in the middle of the day. Wouldn't you love to see if her house is really clean or organized? I would. Maybe Fly Lady is a woman living in a disaster area who doesn't even have time to shower because she telling everyone else what they should be doing...when she should be sorting her mail or cleaning her fridge or folding her laundry. Of course, if her house were immaculate and everything was organized, I'd find the time to read those e-mails.

I Got Tagged

Christy tagged me to do this

4 Jobs You Have Had in Your Life
1. Manager at a shoe store (famous footwear)
2. Coffee shop server
3. Book store clerk
4. Administrative assistant

4 Movies You Would Watch Over and Over
1. Good Will Hunting
2. City of Angels
3. Steel Magnolias
4. Pulp Fiction

4 Places You Have Lived
1. Michigan City, In
2. Chicago, Il
3. West Lafayette, In
4. Chesterton, In

4 TV Shows You Love to Watch
1. American Idol
2. Oprah
3. Sex and the City
4. I love house flipping shows

4 Places You Have Been on Vacation
1. Barbados
2. New Orleans
3. Las Vegas
4. Tampa

4 Websites You Visit Daily
1. Lots o' blogs
2. FOA main board
3. Pampered Chef consultant site
4. Daniel Gade caringbridge site

4 Favorite Foods
1. Pizza
2. Edy's Slow Churned Caramel Delight
3. Smores Pop Tarts
4. ummm...I like too many things to single them all out. It wouldn't be fair.

4 Places You Would Rather Be Right Now
1. Disneyland
2. In a hot tub
3. Vegas
4. I would LOVE to be holding one of the new FOA babies, Matthew or Madison, to be quite honest!

4 People You Tag to complete this
1. Brian

I spent the day with my Birthday Boy!

Just a quick post--today I celebrated the birth of my son, Noah! He turned 2 today! We had a great day! We started the day with waffles and munchkins from Dunkin Donuts! We celebrated with Noah's grandparents (both sets) by having a "mini" birthday party! (Anna and Noah are having their joint party next Saturday.) Noah brings so much joy, laughter and love into our lives. He has a spirit that is so good and bright. I laid in bed with him this morning, the exact moment of his birth, and thought about the first time I held him in my arms. That first time was so brief and special, so meaningful and emotional. I am so thankful for this gift that has been granted to us. HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY, NOAH!
Enjoy these pictures! I will have more pictures on our website soon!
Thanks for checking in everybody!
P.S. Brian is doing very well! He had a follow up appointment and they say he is already 50% healed. Thanks for your postive thoughts.

Grateful for this special day.

Breakfast with Oprah and some eye surgery to follow

I'm not sure I should be posting right now because I am really tired. But, I didn't want to let my fans down. (Yes, I'm talking to you!)

I found out I was going to Oprah last Friday when my very good friend Lynette called me offering a ticket to the Oprah show! This girl has TALENT when it comes to getting on Oprah. She's been to the show THREE times in one year. (I have been fortunate enough to tag along twice!) They did not tell us the topic which is common. Well, yesterday at 3pm, Oprah's staff calls Lynette saying they have a last minute change in the show schedule and the new topic is going to be "ask Oprah your burning questions." The staff member asked Lynette to gather questions from herself and her party. They needed all questions to be e-mailed to them by 5pm. So, Lynette called me and I got to work on this task! I called my sisters, I called my Mom and I enlisted the help of my VERY smart FOA co-team leaders. The funny thing was that I hadn't told them that I was going to the show. I was hoping to surprise them with a good "I went to Oprah today story" but that kinda flew out the window. Anyway, thanks to so many people, we e-mailed a ton of questions.

So, we arrive at Harpo Studios at 6:45am. Long line. Wait. wait. wait. But that's okay. It's warm and we're about to see Oprah. They gave us cards to fill out to ask a question and they pull people out of the holding area (where we sit before going to the studio) to videotape their questions to be aired during the show. So, finally we get into the studio at 8:45am and they tell us we are actually get TWO shows, rather than one. Well, one of the shows they already taped had 2 huge "breakings news" segments since the original taping that they wanted to add, so we got to be part of the audience for that show. (which means Oprah puts the same outfit on she wore for that day) By the way, did you know she doesn't wear the tall tall heels when she walks out to the front of the stage? She changes once she gets there! At least she did today. So, long story short, our show was not about asking questions at all. We had Breakfast with Oprah! Right away they treated us to croissants flown in special, just yesterday, from France, and we had a cup of her favorite coffee. Later she treated us to cupcakes that Barbara Streisand had shipped to her from LA for Christmas. So, why did they PRETEND like we were asking questions? All for one person. We had a surprise celebrity. The person in the audience was a huge fan of Mary J. Blige. So, we got to see Mary J. Blige perform two songs and Oprah interviewed her. It was a great show. The best part, though, is the way Oprah TOTALLY interacts with us during breaks, or stage changes. Like she's with friends. It's crazy. She's awesome. There are other pieces of information that I'll share later, but for now I'll talk about eye surgery.

We get in the car after the show and my friends drop me off about 8 blocks east to where Brian is to have surgery. He picks me up about 5 minutes later and we park and stop at Starbucks and head up for some PRK. The first thing they do is collect payment. ow. :-) They run a test on Brian, give him some valium and take him into the "operating room." Guess what? It's all windows. I sat in a comfy chair watching Brian get operated on. Not only that, but his EYEBALLS were on flat screen tvs, therefore I saw everything! Pokes, prods, scrapes, lazers, suctions, rinsing. It was terrible!! At first I thought I was going to lose my LA cupcake, but I got used to it and was fine. It was a little difficult for me seeing Brian's eye on the screen because there was no doubt it was HIS eye. An eye I love, an eye I have always loved. It just felt wrong seeing someone do that to someone's eyes, especially Brian's! But the procedure took about...hmmmm.......7 minutes per eye, so I didn't have too much time to think about! 7 MINUTES! I was shocked. We got there at 12:30pm and left at 1:40pm. The best part? He could see. Without contacts, without glasses. That will change over the weekend, his vision will get worse over the weekend before getting better, but by Monday he can start driving without any contacts or glasses. It's just crazy.

Brian has been resting all night, which I love. He doesn't rest alot, so this relaxation is much needed. He can't read or look at the computer (what!!?!?!!??!) and if he wants to watch TV he has to wear special glasses, but he's VERY light sensitive. Luckily, his amazing wife bought him Narnia on CD, so he's been listening to that since 3pm! I have four different eye drops and one pain killer to keep track of, but it's well worth it. By the way, this eye institute is great. They do all of the Chicago Bears and Cubs players. A very good reputation. The surgeon operated in his socks. I didn't like that, but what can you do!

I'm so sorry this post is so jumpy! I'm tired!

oh, and Sara, I couldn't be happier that my comment meant so much to you. That means the world to me. I meant every word.

Random pieces of information

1. Brian's surgery is tomorrow. I'll be with him, it's in Chicago at 1pm, we have to be there at 12:30pm. He's having eye surgery, he's having PRK done which is similiar to Lasik.

2. There is really one TV show that I can honestly say I am addicted to. American Idol. It's back and I'm excited. (okay, I'm also a little addicted to OPRAH, but she's my girl. Oh and I'm addicted to Will and Grace, but the new stuff isn't so funny, but that's okay. ooooh ooh and I LOVE me some Sex in the City. That's all, I swear."

3. I learned a helpful tip regarding housecleaning. Every Wednesday, (or once a week) complete a task you dread. Could be cleaning out your closets, or cleaning your fridge, washing windows, vacuuming stairs, you get the idea. Today I opted to complete a lot of tasks that I dread, so I cleaned the ceiling fans, cleaned my microwave, washed the kids booster seat covers, and I met a man. His name is Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Man is he magical! I used him all day. I wiped down all of the kitchen cabinets, cleaned the front of the dishwasher and refrigerator, and wiped down all of my doors. (which are six panel white doors that desperately needed attention.) I also dusted my living room and cleaned off Brian's desk. It was great, very productive day. (Anna and Noah's birthday party is next Saturday, so I have lots to do!) Brian worked late today, so it was a long long day. I changed FIVE dirty diapers. I also wound up reorganizing three of my kitchen cabinets and bathing Anna and Noah, which is typically what Brian does.

4. Brian and I read "A Million Little Pieces" and we both loved it. Even with the latest news about the author "embellishing," it's still a great book. I started reading Night, Oprah's latest recommendation, I've only read the preface, and that was hard to read.
After that I'm going to read "My Friend Leonard" (James Frey) and after that I'm going to read "Three Weeks with my Brother" by Nicholas Sparks. Anyone ever read a book by Sparks? I haven't.

5. I received my thyroid test results back and they came back fine. So I bought some B-Complex. My dear friend Megan started taking it and she said she feels better all around. It's worth a shot!

6. Thank you for all of your prayers for my laptop, my laptop, AKA Julia, is doing VERY well! She is as good as new! oh please...I know your computer has a name, too! RIGHT??

Alright, I actually have to go to bed early! I have to get up at 4:30am, I'm going to see Oprah. Thanks everyone for your help with the Oprah questions! You guys are the best!
:-)

Where is that girl?

I sometimes find myself thinking about the girl I used to be. I just asked Brian to describe me when we first started dating at the age of 18 and he quickly said "crazy, sexy, cool." He's right, I was. I was cute, spunky, stylish, upbeat, confident and skinny. I LOVED to sing. I would listen to the music so loud in my car that my ears would ring for the first few minutes after exiting the vehicle. If I were riding in the car with someone and they wanted to talk, I would ask them if we could talk once we got to the desitination because I can't sing when I get there, but I can sing now. I loved good shoes, Gap jeans and Clinique. I never thought about food. I was not a party girl. A good night for me was going to a coffee shop and hearing good music, and talking for hours. Once Brian and I got married, I still loved my shoes and jeans, but that's when I fell in love with my laptop and I learned about the impact a person could have on me in my life. (I worked in Chicago and met some amazing people, and some bad ones!) Once we moved back to Indiana, Brian and I started to play Unreal Tournament with a friend, or I'd play Yahoo! Graffiti or JT's Blocks for hours. One day in August of 2001, at a Cub's game, Brian said "yeah, I think it's time we had a baby." I trusted him. So we tried and got pregnant in June of 2002. We started looking for houses, we both had good jobs and we were very independent. I loved to wake up in the morning on weekends and drink coffee, eat Pop Tarts and watch hours upon hours of Trading Spaces. I would then clean the apartment, take a shower and play Unreal or something else. We had a very relaxed life. Very enjoyable. Very comfortable. Very clean.

You see where I am going with this? Then we had a child. I remember our second morning home with Anna. It's probably one of my greatest memories. I was downstairs holding this sweet girl, Brian had made coffee and I was in my pajamas, sitting with my favorite things: Anna, Brian, coffee and my laptop. It was picture perfect. Even though the house was covered in free stuff from the hospital, diapers, wipes, bags, luggage, pillows and blankets, it was home and it was wonderful. Of course, since then Noah came into our lives.

I look back on the past (BC) before children and realize my life was so good. So, how is it possible that I can reflect back to 2005 and declare that year the most amazing year of my life? Because I have all I need. I am fulfilled. I am confident. I am loved and I love. My house is messy, windows dirty, Christmas mat still on the porch, I'm overweight, but it doesn't matter. What a year! I do work that I enjoy, I stay home with my children, I love my husband and he usually loves me, I enjoy my church and I volunteer with Friends of Allie. I'm involved because I couldn't take "just standing around anymore." I had a friend ask me "how do you have time to volunteer." I answer "I have made a choice to help cure childhood cancer, instead of watching TV." It's that simple. I don't want anything back. (although, I admit, I've got all I need.") The one thing missing in my life? A cure for cancer. Do you know where I can find it?

So, I ask Brian, how would you describe me now? His response "strong, impressive and wonderful." I like that better.

Men vs. Women

Alright, here I go!
Last week, Brian was lovingly preparing us a night time snack. Lately, we have been indulging in a nachos and cheese after the kids go to bed. A terrible habit, I know! I'll stop soon, I say, in between bites. (literally!) So, Brian was microwaving the queso in these very cute glass containers I have and when he pulled it out of the microwave the glass was so hot that he dropped it directly on the floor. The glass did not break, but there was cheese EVERYWHERE! The countertops, the microwave, the refrigerator, the floor, the rug, the cabinets, Brian's socks, Brian's shirt, Brian's glasses, Brian's face and Brian's hair. and it was everywhere THICK. It looked like it had rained cheese in our kitchen! It took me awhile to figure out what had happened as I was asking questions while helping Brian clean up.

After sitting back down and chomping on what was remaining of the cheese, I had to ask myself if I would have just dropped the glass. I don't think I would have. Now, I'm not saying I'm smarter, because I would have BURNED my fingers off. But in an effort to not have a huge cheesestorm on my ceramic floors I would have endured the pain and just dropped it harshly on the countertop. I'm not saying I'm better. I'm saying I'm stupid! I would have risked burning myself to avoid a mess. I would have complained the entire next day about my fingertips being burned, (Brian are you nodding??), but if I would have just not worried about a mess, I would have been fine. The day after Brian dropped the cheese there was not a single speck of cheese anywhere, it was just a memory. So, in this case, is a male instinct smarter than a females??
No one knows for sure.

In reality, however, had it been me, I would not have dropped the glass or burned myself, as I would have used an oven mitt.

Questions

What is it about The Teletubbies that is so hypnotizing? Wouldn't it be great if women had the same quality as The Teletubbies?

Our husband's would never tune us out!

Want to know how I came up with the name of my blog? This is why. I can wash and dry clothes all day, but folding and putting away is for the birds!

Is Noah manly for mowing or feminine for talking on a barbie cell phone?

If toys were originally in these bins, where are they now and who will have to clean them up?

P.S. Brian took a picture of the laundry just before he folded them and put them away. I am so lucky!

(Shortly after my post, I spilled water on my laptop. :-( I AM freaking out! All seems to be okay so far, but Brian is backing things up! Luckily we bought spill insurance! My screen looks funny....waaaahhhhhh.)

Addicted

That's right. I am an addict. My name is Beth and I am addicted to coffee. Yesterday I went to see my GP for a general checkup. I have to see him many times a year because I have Hashimoto's Disease, which means my immune system is attacking my thyroid gland causing me to have many symptoms. The main symptom is FATIGUE. Not tired, but body dragging fatigue. My doctor described it as "you feel you can't live without an afternoon nap because you are so incredibly tired." Except, I always live without my afternoon nap, okay, sometimes I succomb, but the rest of the time, I drink coffee and I drink alot of it to fight the napping urge. Every morning I have about 3/4 of a pot of coffee and every afternoon at 2pm I make another pot and drink about a 1/2 of a pot more.

The reason I have to continue seeing my doctor is because my thyroid levels are continually dropping. So, I get a blood test done, he calls me and increases my synthetic thyroid dosage, this will continue until my thyroid bottoms out completely. Believe it or not, I can ALWAYS tell when my levels have dropped and I'm always excited to hear my blood tests came back with lowered thyroid levels. Why? Because they can give me something to help me be not so tired, at least for awhile. (I have many other symptoms, but this one is by far one of the most noticeable.)

Anyway, I went to the doctor yesterday and he changed alot of things and also sent me in for more comprehensive bloodwork because he feels "something else is going on." Great. The problem?? I have to fast. Lord help me...I can handle skipping breakfast...but can I still drink coffee? NOPE. So, I decide to go into the lab today to get this torture over with. I had ice cream at 10pm last night, so I was at the lab at 10:10am. (I had to fast for 12 hours) I sat in the waiting room wishing this could go fast. PLEASE. I need my coffee. I could smell it. I felt like my face was swollen, like my eyes were going to close and I wouldn't be able to open them if I let them close. I felt terrible. It was ridiculous.

No, I'm not going to cut down on my coffee intake, but the next time I have to fast or live without coffee, I'll be thankful that I can DRIVE home on my own, ENJOY a wonderful, warm cup of coffee while HUGGING my children and TALKING to my husband.

During my episode today of coffee deprived misery, I realized how lucky I am. I sat in the waiting room watching a family deal with the news that someone in their family had to be airlifted to Chicago after an accident. They walked out the doors, dazed, hospital kleenex in hand with the victim's wife saying "I just want to beat the helicopter there, I just want to be there when he lands." They never thought about the morning cup of coffee they weren't getting.

And I prayed as I listened to the helicopter depart.

What have I done?

Have you ever asked yourself that question? Perhaps the morning after a one night stand? Or maybe after signing a Pampered Chef contract? or perhaps after finding out you're pregnant...again...when your first child is 3 months old. What about after creating a blog? Yep, that's me. What have I done? Not that I'm sad that I created a blog, but I have to ask myself why. When I told two of my sisters (I have three) that I created a blog, they both said "about what?" I had no answer. I wasn't sure. You'll just have to see it, was my reply. Obviously they're in the dark about blogs just as I was when Tracey introduced hers into my life. But I asked myself, what is it about? I still have no answer, but in my own defense, for myself, I created my blog on a BEAUTIFUL sunny day in January. It was the most glorious day I have seen in 2 months, I'm serious! I woke up OVERJOYED by the plentiful sunshine that was spilling into my room and all over my home. I sang while I cleaned and ran after the kids and did hand claps. I replied to e-mails that I've neglected for weeks and skipped to the mail box to get the mail and the paper and...I started a blog. So, I can blame it on the sun. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I'm not a quitter, so I'm here to stay...at least until spring.

P.S. I've never had a one night stand, I'm SO glad I signed that Pampered Chef contract and that second child is one of the two greatest gifts I've ever received. And I'm still pretty excited about this blog.

It's My Turn

I had never considered creating a blog. However, sometimes, while cleaning toilets or changing diapers, I would have random thoughts about things that I would either like to journal about or share with others. But I wasn't sure about doing it publicly until my husband, Brian, said he created a blog. He never told me he was thinking about it, just last night we were putting away clothes in our room and he said "I created a blog." I was surprised, but very glad, because then I felt like I could, too! SO, less than 24 hours later, here I am!

The first blog I have ever read was by my dear friend, Tracey Robinson who resides in Rhode Island. (I'm assuming not for long--just my prediction, Tracey!) I first read it in fall of 2005. I had never really even heard of blogging. I think that makes me "old" or "unhip." I'm not sure which. Almost all of my Friends of Allie girls have a blog. I was explaining to my husband last night that blogging is really super cool, because rather than reading a newspaper article or flipping through a magazine, I can read the thoughts of my close friends and family. I would want nothing more! (Tracy, Lois and Sara--you're next!)

Anyway, I just want to give a brief summary about me, for my new fans. You know who you are. My name is Beth, I am 28! (proudly for about 3 more weeks.) I am married to Brian and we have two children name Anna (will be 3 on 1/25) and Noah (will be 2 on 1/20). I am a stay at home Mom. I am very active with Friends of Allie and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and I also sell Pampered Chef in my free time. I think that's about it!

If you'd like to see pictures, feel free to visit www.fletchertown.com

I look forward to blogging with you.

All my best.