Look Who's Two!

A very special little boy turned two recently and I thought I would post pictures of his important day!

Carson William Turns TWO!

 

He was gifted with a Cars Themed Party (as he is currently OBSESSED with "Queen" -Lightening McQueen).  I will never forget his face when he came home from daycare the day I had decorated the house.... I'm sure glad he had a diaper- fairly certain he DID pee his pants. 

Each year I try to give my boys the best birthday --better than the year before.  I do this as 1) Birthdays are a great way to celebrate the life you are living. 2) I want my boys to feel incredibly important and honored around their birthday-- as they are the greatest gifts I have ever received!  3) When I was a little girl, my mom took it upon herself to make sure I had a great party EVERY year and that my birthday was special for me.  I look back and realize how many wonderful memories I made at all of those parties.  Friends, games, food, cakes, laughs, music and happiness!  Gifts given in more ways than the physical sense. 



Carson had a lot of friends at his party and was blessed to play for about a good 45 minutes with each of them before the tots got a little restless.   Nathaniel was adamant about 'helping' Carson unwrap his gifts-- and during some of the gift opening we had to settle him down as he wanted it to be "My Pwez-ant."  Carson is a pretty laid back little man so thankfully he didn't mind the assistance.

 

We (mom and dad) both created a couple cardboard cars for the kids to play with and race with.  The original goal was to have his birthday party in the garage and race the cars in the yard with the kids--but a full day of steady rain prevented that from occurring on party day.  Regardless, kids are incredibly adaptable and they thought the props to be quite fun. 



I had a lot of satisfaction when the cake I made turned out as well as it did.   I always plan a few days in advance and bake the cake a couple days ahead.  Then when time permits and I get an hour of 'free' time (HA!  What's that?) I will make the frosting.  And THEN once I have all that prepped and I'm able to squeeze in a couple hours I get busy on frosting and decorating.  Cake making is one of the small pleasures in my life.  They aren't gorgeous cakes but I get relaxation from the concentration of focusing on one thing for more than 2 seconds at a time and I get enjoyment in seeing the reactions for the people I make them for and the yumminess inside the cake.    M & M's were bordering the edge of this "2" cake and some of the Cars from the movie, made it on-bringing extra smiles for My Boy.   This was a fun one to make!



Little Pumpkins

This past weekend the boys and I made our way to visit their cousins for E's Birthday! The boys were extremely excited to pick out the gift at the store and Nathaniel could not WAIT to give it to her!

I was so thankful to have some time with our family as it has been quite a few months since we have been able to all see each other together.  Nathaniel and Carson LOVE playing with their cousins and are always super tuckered out when we get home on Sunday afternoon.  The Packers were playing during the ride home and it was quite the WIN for them and came down to the last few minutes before the outcome was determined.   Glad the boys were sleeping through that.... there MAY have been a few choice words slipping out of Papa Bill's/my mouth near the end. 

Fall is here and it is MARVELOUS!    Call me crazy, but I am thinking that the colors of the leaves are much more bright and vibrant and beautiful this year!   I can't get enough of the beauty each day when traveling about. I am beginning to switch my favorite season from Summer to Fall.  However, I love every single season and in about 14 weeks I will be saying the same thing about Winter.  But in the meantime, I am going to cherish the last few weeks of NOT raking.  HA!



Papa and Nana have become SUPER HEROS to N and C!  Almost each night Nathaniel will ask questions about papa and when he can go fishing with him again and when we can go to the cabin.  Once Nathaniel gets a little older he will be totally in heaven when Papa asks him to go on bass tournaments with him all the time.  Carson's been rather rambunctious at daycare (and at home lately).   Over the past two weeks we have had a couple injury reports needing to be signed when we pick him up.  We both have had him in time-out many times at home because he was hitting or shoving his brother.   It is starting to become embarrassing getting talked to by the teacher each night for him being rough with his friends.   I hope this stage soon passes.   I don't like that he is behaving this way.  He has always been a HUGE snuggler his whole life; this is hard to accept.

Life is good.   I am anticipating a busy few weeks coming up as two classes are starting.  One course I have to do book work and clinicals for and then I am also enrolled in an online psychology course which is something new for me--online coursework.  We shall see.    Have to start it up.  

Less than a week and my baby boy Carson will be two years old.   Unbelievable!

Harvest Happenings

It's harvest time here in Wisconsin. I've never been a country girl, but when this season rolls through I love nothing more than to be quiet at the cabin listening to the birch tree leaves shake free of their branches. I love the sound of the grasses blowing long in the fields and the first bite of air that catches your breath when opening the door to go outside in the mornings. Autumn has arrived and another year on the old ticker gone by. I have fallen into a new routine as of recent. Let me quickly update you on the bullet points of life for the past month. --My home now has eavestroughs. (YAY!) --My kitchen is in the process of being painted burgundy red. --Boomer has a few more white hairs on his face. --I started a new job in Dermatology (Wait, WHAT?!) --Carson learned the word "No!" He uses it at every juncture possible. --Nursing Assistant Coursework is underway for me and the first skills lab is 10/8. --The cabin's north wall has been completely remodelled and I plan to see it soon. --The basement in my home is ALMOST organized....almost. --I've made a LOT of cookies. My new position and my course work has been the primary focus for me. I am officially focused on becoming a Registered Nurse within in the next 4 years. I hope to graduate in either the Spring of 2016 or Fall 2016 Semester!! ! Here's Hoping! ! ! ! ! ! !

Curb Appeal: Before & After

My Before and After

Within the last few weeks my goal has been to make my house have a little more curb appeal than when I moved in.   When I moved in there was a HUGE (and beautiful) Oak Tree overshadowing my front yard and house. (it made me very nervous from the second I stepped out of the car at the showing of the house).   The shutters and storm door green, the steps UN-kept with chipped paint and no handrails.   Needless to say, the pruning had not been done on any of the bushes in years and I didn't have a working doorbell!    Well MOVE over "Yard Crashers,"  Jacki is in the 'Hood!'

                          

                  

 

What a GREAT feeling to get my hands working towards a goal!   I had a few days of working in the hot sun, a LOT of late evenings watering the new sod (in place of the worrisome Oak), painting, unscrewing hardware and painting it, applying new shutters and figuring out what I want to do as the next step.  There has been a lot of time to process my thoughts about the divorce and how amazing and a blessing my babies are!   What a gift to have them in my life!   I would say a total of about  80 hours or so has been spent in my front yard within the last 2 months.  With the help from a couple friends and my "Mighty Mouse" this place is bringing me super-pride when I pull into the driveway.   I love making my house a home!

                     

Accomplishments:


--Green shutters gone.
--Maroon Shutters on living AND Kitchen window now.
--Bilateral Railing on front steps leading to door
--Tan steps
--Oak Tree GONE
--Black mailbox
--Black light fixtures
--New storm door- Maroon with larger viewing screen
--Trimmed the 'yew' shrubs and put flowers in pots between them
--Put plants/flower in front of living room window
--Updated/painted address signage
--Lilac pushes on north end of the house brought down to trimmed lilac bush size.


I will most likely be starting a project in the fall months to beautify the transition area to the back yard. It involves not only demolition but true handiwork.  I will tell ya what else I am thinking about!!!  I want to hack the stinking apple tree down in the backyard-however, I know I LOVE the blooms that it brings in the spring time.   So tired of raking up the 8,000 apples that fall each week from the tree!  I don't like to grind them up in the mower as it can dull the blades and also I don't want to attract wasps with the sweet smell of fresh apple juice.  The Ex  (Who I will sparingly refer to as Mr. J) has a severe allergy to honey bees---I don't want to find out if the boys have an allergy yet so I am avoiding any unnecessary encounters.

What's nice is getting my social life back after the crazy year I have had.  My friends and family have been SO amazing through this whole thing and it's great to have them over for grill outs and play dates more regularly.  I have ventured out quite a bit with the boys into the neighborhood with the double stroller.  We visit the parks and they get to pick the directions we go when we come to a corner . They love it.   I'm able to get my exercise in, teach them how to take care of their bodies, spend time with them and jam out to my favorite tunes with my ear buds in.  Lately I have been really fired up about starting up jogging again.  I used to be able to run 4 miles (amazing for an activity-induced asthmatic) with no problem . I want to get back to that and shoot for a 5K (3.1 miles) next Spring.  It will take some training through the slow Wisconsin Winter, but Hey!   What the heck else am I going to do?!  I can't WAIT to go downhill skiing this winter as well.   I am falling in love with the idea of being healthy and taking care of ME for a change.  I'm motivated and ready to go!

SO?   What do ya think???

Boomer is much happier, I think.

I MADE IT!! !  

Happy Birthday to ME!  

Consumed by Life

Hello Friends

The past eight weeks or so have been consuming.  Day to day 'normal' activities still continue (laundry, dishes, getting sand out of the kid's hair after daycare, send birthday cards to friends, attend church, walks and visits to the park) as does getting comfortable in our new home and neighborhood !    We are SO blessed.  I'm happy with my decision to purchase the home.  The boys are starting to relax more and more each day and I see the multiple benefits of the move that are indescribable unless you have been in my shoes within the last year.

I am happy.

Motivation is starting to bubble up and I am more focused on my health now than I have been in about... 10 years.   I'm eating WELL. Moving more.   Drinking less caffeine (only one cup of coffee in the AM --instead of 6).  I am feeling well!    I feel like I'm falling back into my social self rather than the introverted hermit who consumed my winter. (I don't like winter in Wisconsin--Yep, I am one of 'those' people.)  Maybe if someone could show me how to enjoy a winter in Wisco I may feel different.  I like to send correspondence to friends/family through snail mail and email and I am very random about 'Thinking of you' emails and I catch myself wanting to do that more and more; so I'm listening to the true Jacki once again.  The boys and I are getting out more and it feels great.  And.  The scary thing I will confess in bold honesty; I am noticing MEN again.  For about 9 months I could have cared less if ANY existed.  Now the smell of a cologne, the sound of a man clearing his throat, a truck going down the street...... Make my head snap.  As much as I do not need this right now-- I am proud of myself for not giving up on the male species because of one guy of the  6,894,594,844 people didn't make my idea of lifelong happiness, respect and trust come true.   I even smiled at 'one' the other day for Christ's sake !!  (Progress, people!)  :-)  

Back to what's going on.   So here's the last few weeks in pix. 

Falling into the new routine.

Checking out the pontoon up nort'.

June 8, 2012

ALL of us were together for one afternoon, evening and  morning   it was the greatest 18 hours of my life in a while.  The coolest part about it was that it was the day I 'closed' on my home.   I got back from the bank and we all converged on my new address.  We all hopped out of the cars and I gave a tour and we went to the backyard and cracked open a bottle of champagne to christen the property-the whole time both my boys were whaling and sobbing because it was passed their nap time and they were starving.    Overall, I will NEVER forget that memory of my family blessing my home on its first day under my ownership.  I love them all so much and it was a wonderful coincidence we were all there.

Fun times at the cabin.

"Motor Boatin' on the PONTOON!"

Hanging out front.

Dirty as a little boy should be after playing in his new backyard.

Paradise:  For me. 

"Look Mama!  We're in a boat!"

We went to three parades so far this summer. 

I attended my first wedding after the divorce.  Surprisingly, I did awesome!

The 45 year-old tree in the front yard was removed.

We had a full week of temperatures in the high 90's early 100's. 

Play time. 

The Loves of My Life.

Time rolls on and new experiences happen for me and the boys each day.  Not sure how active I will be on Hopes, Wishes & Dreams throughout the rest of the summer-- I can't believe I haven't posted significantly in two months!   So, if I don't talk to you until fall.... Have a safe and great rest of the warm days!! !

Two Months Later....?

Can. Not. BELIEVE it has been almost two months since I posted.  Life has certainly been in fast-forward the past few weeks.  I have a LOT on my mind but the most consuming right now is the fact that:

As a Certified Medical Assistant I see a lot of the emotions that are being released once the doctor leaves the room and I return back in to close out the office visit.  It breaks my heart when I know I have to go back in there after I know something awful was just said to my friends.  MY FRIENDS.... MY FAMILY! These people become SO close to us because they are so closely monitored.  We talk to them and see them almost every week because of lab work-- we KNOW these people and they know us!

I don't know. Lately, I feel like "Our Practice" is so sad.  Maybe it's just my emotions catching up with me after this chaotic year and I am more sensitive and empathetic than I normally am,... but I truly just want to create a miracle for each and every family.  I don't have the education to help these people more than I currently am.  I know I am giving them all, but I want to give them SO much more! I feel like the patients are getting younger and younger-- or maybe I am just getting older and older???!

Please understand friends, that Cancer is not always 'sad.'   There are WONDERFUL and therapeutic days when I am working and for those, I am thankful.  I want to take the energy I get on those days and carry it through the hard days. I LOVE my career and just pray for myself, and my PATIENTS/FAMILIES can get through these battles faced with each day.  I hope that you pray for them as well.  Please take a moment; stop reading this and pray.  NOW.  Please pray that the physicians use their knowledge and expertise the best way they know how and are capable of.  Pray for all of my co-workers in the department;  for the stressful and plentiful phone calls coming through the gals at the front desk, to the nurses giving the medications and radiation to our sweet, sweet patients. For the co-worker sitting in her office fighting for the rights of the patient to get their CT scan covered by their insurance company because the insurance company doesn't think it's necessary.  For the pharmacy tech mixing and measuring the precise amounts of chemotherapy to get it at the correct formula for the patient's diagnosis.  For the phlebotomist drawing the lab-- that they do it with accuracy and have no contamination to the site.  To the radiologist reading the scans and making sure they identify all the necessary organs and answer all questions with accuracy.   

The amount of patients and their families I have met are uncountable in my measely nine years of employment at The Clinic, but the impact THEY have made on my heart and mind forever, overwhelms me. 

The patients trust US to care for them.  What a privilege.  What a gift we are being given! I shouldn't whine about my place in the world. I know there are many out there right now who are not in the workforce and are very frustrated.  Please understand; I pray for you too!  

Praying for peace. In whatever format it can come in to our practice at work.   

Thank you for the venting session. 

"Chh-Chh-Chh-Changes!"

Oh!  So much to update you with, but let me give you the low-down as quickly as I can so the next post you are able to keep up.

• Carson's ears are ROCKING!  His speech is improving amazingly well. We saw a speech pathologist for him; he is 18 months and was at a 12 month verbal recognition stage 3 weeks ago.
• Boomer had a ginormous histiocytoma removed from his left back elbow.   He got 5 stitches, refused to wear the cone and is currently snuggling under my right arm.
• I went to a Brewer's Game.   Weird because I have never been there without.....   But I had a LOT of fun and the game even went into extra innings.   The tailgate prior to the game was FANTASTIC.
• I bought a house.
• Oh wait, WHAT?!  Yep.  Closing is scheduled for next month.  Can't WAIT.
• I have moved every item up from the basement and it's currently in the garage preventing me from keeping my vehicle in there-- hoping for no major thunderstorms.
• Nathaniel's vocabulary is amazing and he is REALLY a funny kid.  I am loving his inquiries into "Why" for everything. 
• I bought a hammock, can't WAIT to set it up at the new place.
• There is a new friend in my life who is helping me through all the chaos and He (yes, HE) has his own chaos and we are great company for each other right now.... each of us is currently trying to figure out which way is up after the craziness we have endured.   I feel like I have renewed hope after he has taught me a few things about resilience and strength. 
• I have started digital scrapbooking again-- it's been over THREE years! (Hmmm... Nathaniel is 3 now... Coincidence?  I think not.)  I am smiling when I do this and can't wait to share my life through Creative Memories.
• Personalized license plates.   Love them.
• Really enjoying being in the kitchen recently.  I get on kicks where I will try a couple new dishes and then I putter out for a couple weeks and then I go at it again.  Nathaniel LOVES to help me in the kitchen-- even if it is just to put a sprinkle of cheese into the pan.  I have to get another stool soon; Carson tries to stand on the bottom step and they just compete for top step.  
• I am determined to fit into the pre-pregnancy snowpants I wore by winter this year....  I know.  It's May.   But Winter could be here in 5 months! !   Not long at all! 
• I have a "Best Mom in the World" Sweatshirt that I wear on the weekends at home, and it is BY FAR the GREATEST article of clothing I own.... along with the PJ pants I made last year.  
• My best buddy, Summer graduated from Nursing School! SO PROUD of her!  She has been a HUGE support through everything and even though her last few months have been wild, I am so thankful she is my friend! 
• Work is crazy.  Patients get sick. Patients recover.  Patients die. Hours are watched closely now and I am working less than my scheduled hours to help the department maintain its budget.   
• Donald Driver won Dancing With the Stars.   Need I say more?