Coughing & Motrin & Earaches...OH MY!!

My sweet little Marina is miserably sick! Her nasty cold started on Saturday morning, and it culminated into an earache Saturday night. She was up literally the entire night, in my bed with me, squirming and fussing and telling me her ear hurts. Tylenol hardly seemed to help. So, at about 2am, I woke up Ryan and told him that we need to do something else for this poor girl! Bless his heart...he put on his coat and shoes and went out into the blistery cold to Wal-Mart to pick up some of those eardrops that numb earaches. As soon as we got those into her ears, she was finally able to rest and sleep! I slept with her till 11am the next morning! And, to my sweet surprise, when I came downstairs, I found Ryan and Mark both cleaning and scrubbing the kitchen and the basement. They were cleaning up the rest of the mess from the birthday party. I couldn't believe they were so thoughtful! Ryan told me he just didn't want me to come down to a mess. So he was trying to get everything cleaned up before I came down. How I LOVE my husband! Of course, after about an hour of playing and eating lunch and stuff....the kitchen needed to be cleaned all over again. Welcome to my world!

Mark's 9th B-Day

Wow! My oldest son has just turned 9 years old! We celebrated on Saturday. Ryan and I put on a 'Fear Factor' party. It was such a blast!

A bunch of 9 and 10 yr old boys, real earth worms, live crickets, raw fish, strobe lights, and team competitions...that's all it took to make for an awesome night! I'm turning the camcorder footage into an 'official' episode, and will post that on this blog when it is complete.

The best part definitely was messing with their minds. LOL! They saw the crickets and earthworms in jars on the table, and were totally spooked! Then, when I pulled the blender out, they really went crazy! They had no idea that the cricket bits were really chopped up raisins, or that the fish guts were really crushed graham crackers. We saw them cry, dry heave, and completely chicken out. Then, when we explained what it really was, they busted out laughing. It was so cool. We had booked a professional fire-breather to put on a show too. (He is a good friend of ours), but just our luck, the temperature outside was -25 degrees....with windchill....so we had to postpone that part. Even so, everyone had a blast. I can't believe we actually pulled this one off! So fun! Now, Mark has $100 of cash and gift cards burning a hole in his pocket. He can't wait to get over to Game Stop and buy some new games.

My day has finally come!

Ok, so my church puts on a weekly women's bible study, that I've heard is just amazing! It has really exploded over the past few years, and that is so exciting! I've longed to be involved in all the fun. I've also craved that kind of depth in relationship with other christian women.

But, that's kinda hard to come by when you're a stay-at-home mom.
My days have become so monotonous. Wake up, change diapers. Feed the kids, change diapers. Drive to school, change diapers. You get the picture. So GLAMOROUS right??

Well, I've been struggling BIG TIME in my prayer life, lately. Meaning...I have none. And it has become pretty depressing. I long for that relationship I once had with my Creator. But, it's pretty hard to see the importance of your ministry...when your ministry is changing diapers!

So...finally my kids are old enough to be left in the childcare that the Women's Ministry provides. So...finally I decided it's my turn to join the bible study! After all these years of saying, "My day will come..." Guess what! Today was MY DAY!! I went and was blessed and was inspired.

I know...I don't get out much. So something like this is really exciting for me. I'm excited to do the reading and start the homework tonight. The topic for the next 6 weeks is prayer. Wow! God knew!

So, not only am I excited to learn and be encouraged by other women of God......I'm also happy for a reason to put my make-up on! Ha! I need some glamour in there somewhere!

Sad Sad Day!!

We actually made the trek out to Indy this November to support out favorite football team...the COLTS!! What a surreal experience! It was larger than life to sit in the RCA dome among fellow blue and white clad fans, and cheer our hearts out for our favorite boys. They dominated the entire time, but unfortunately they let it slip in the final minutes of the game, and the they were beat by their arch rivals, the New England Patriots.

And we thought THAT day was depressing.

What's even worse is not having a chance to settle the score in the playoffs. We were so sure that our boys would meet up with the Pats again, fighting for the AFC title, and have a chance for a repeat Superbowl victory.

But no such luck. To our utter dismay, Marvin Harrison looked like an old man, fumbling the ball during a crucial play, then warming the bench for the rest of the game...Payton Manning threw some awful, awful throws, which were intercepted quite often, and the rest of the receivers were on and off throughout the game...looking like butter-fingers more than anything. I love the Colts. But they do not deserve to advance to the next round if they are going to play so sloppy. Especially against the Chargers. That team is notorious for reading the Colts and stopping them dead in their tracks. So sad. Now they will advance to face the Patriots, instead of us.

Although, they also have a score to settle with them Pats.
After all, the Patriots crushed the Chargers last year, ripping them off the chance to advance to the AFC championship. So...I guess this could get interesting, huh?? Maybe next year for the Colts. That's all I hear from people. Yeah, we will see. But, it is never the same exact team from year to year. With players being traded and fear of Tony Dungy retiring...Will they ever have that magic again?? The magic we witnessed when they earned the Superbowl last year??

::cry::

My Rye Guy

When I think of my husband, so many thoughts come rushing through my mind. Like the punk rock concerts we used to attend while we were dating in high school, and the youth group retreats, and summer camp...to name a few. Ryan would come to watch all my soccer games, even on rainy days, and even the away games. Our favorite place to grab dinner was Taco Bell. Ryan would pick me up in his little red Geo Tracker, and we'd listen to loud music blaring from his subwoofer while we made a run to Taco Bell. Good times. Good times.


When we first got married, we were like sponges, trying to learn all that we could from other married couples. We realized early on that there is so much to learn! Like how to argue in a way that actually produces positive results. How to honor each other through daily interaction. What each other's needs are. The biggest thing we learned is that we are SO DIFFERENT...but our differences can truly compliment each other.


Then came the birth of our little Marky. When he was born, those first few moments were such a bonding time for Ryan and me. I remember us both crying and holding each other and saying, "We did it! We did it!" That was so amazing!


For our 5 year wedding anniversary, we took our very first cruise! A 5 day cruise to the Bahamas. What an experience for us both! Ryan was working full time plus working his way through college. Phew! My, how we celebrated when he walked across that stage and received his degree! He's the very first in his family lineage to have a college degree. The rest of his family has been built on entrepreneurship and small business. So, we were all so incredibly proud of Ryan! And Ryan knew it was a family effort, to get him to that point.


Now we have 3 kids. Two rambunctious boys, and a little daddy's girl! The dynamics that are at work in our home are unbelievable. I've realized that the intensity of our walk before God has had to increase. Before...our mission field was outside our front door. But...now that we are parents...our mission field is inside our home, living and breathing under our nose at every turn! Soaking in every move and every choice we make.


Ryan turned 30 last summer, and was super excited about that. LOL! He has completed some coursework for his Master's degree, but is being affected by some of the government budget changes regarding nuclear energy research (he has worked for a government nuclear research facility for 9 years). With the proposed budget cuts, things are getting pretty stressful at work. He survived a wave of lay-offs this month, but I am anxious about what may be in store this coming year.


We will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary this year (holy moly!), and as I look back, I can say without wavering, that God has had His hand upon our family from the get-go! We were such a young couple, with so much to learn, and so many odds against us, but look how far the Lord has brought us! He has always supplied, always protected, and always sustained. So, what will the next step be?? Well, only God knows. And we will make ourselves available for what He brings next.


Meantime, Ryan is feeling like he's ready for a change of pace. He's tired of the rat race in the business world. Working for the gov't, there is very little movement among the different tiers of administration. He is frustrated that there is little to no room for growth. So, he plans to test for the Wheaton Police Dep't in February. Totally different field, but totally exciting! There are so many different avenues he could pursue in time. It's a long shot. The waiting list is about 2 years. So, there's no guarantee that he will even get hired on. But if it's God's plan, it will happen. And if not, we will be satisfied, and know that God has something else for us. And we are continually grateful for the job He has given Ryan these past 9 years.


So, I'll keep you all updated on the job situation as it unfolds.


Till then, I'm trying to come up with ideas for celebrating our 10th anniversary in August! Of course, I HAVE to make it glamorous!


Love you Rye!
xoxo

Warrior God

I know that I can't go through this life with my weaknesses without a Warrior God to come in and rescue me...mostly from myself.

This profound statement was made by a close friend of mine, who is also a fellow blogger.
She is a pastor's wife, which carries high expectations in itself, yet is still able to admit when she has fallen short of God's standard.

I just LOVED the way she worded her thoughts. And it's so true for me too. I am a woman with many weaknesses and shortcomings. But praise be to God that he rides in like a warrior to ransom me back.

I also know that I am a woman with many strengths. And if I allow God to cultivate and use those strengths, His incredible purpose will be fulfilled. So, thank you darlin, for making yourself vulnerable so that someone like me could read your deepest thoughts and be inspired!

xoxo

One more 'funny' from Mark...

Tonight, Mark was working on his homework...filling in a map of the United States. Out of the blue, he tells me, "Isn't it funny how God made all the states weird shapes? He could've just made them all squares." LOL!

Deodorant & Hair Gel

Mark, my almost-9yr-old, hit a new milestone yesterday. Not only was it the first day back to school after winter break...it was also the first morning that he spent in the bathroom styling his own hair for school! He came down to breakfast with gel in his hair and deodorant in his pits.

Wow! He is growing up sooo darn fast! I had to buy him his first stick of deodorant this year, when I started to catch whifs of B.O. whenever he passed by. I almost cried when I presented him with the 'grown-up' product. He was thrilled, and piled layers and layers on his skin. But I wanted to cry, because it's just another sign that he is growing up so quickly.

Now it's the hair gel.

I'm not ready for this chubby cheeked angel to grow up!

What's next?? Cologne?? Abercrombie?? Cell phones??

Oh my goodness! Lord, give me strength!

I just can't win!

I was just thinking about a recent trip to the grocery store, where I had all three kids in tow, and I was trying to hurry up and find the items I needed and get outta there before the kids totally lost their patience. Well, it didn't happen that way. Reese and Marina kept bugging each other and making each other cry. After repeated warnings, Reese took one more jab at Marina..."You're not my best friend, Rina," and she started to cry all over again. I didn't want to make a loud, embarassing scene even worse...so I calmly but firmly pulled Reese aside and bent down to speak to him face to face. But before I could even get 2 words out, he started crying and screaming, "No spank! No spank!" Now, for sure, all the nearby customers were staring at me, as if I'm some sort of abusive mother. I tried to calm Reese down and convince him that he wasn't going to get a spank, but he kept crying and fighting me. Ugh! What now?? All my dignity was already stripped, so I picked him up, dropped him into the cart, and quickly stormed to the checkout line. There's really no point to this story. Like no lesson learned. No ingenius solution that I later realized. I just was thinking about it today. And I guess I have a little more compassion for other mothers who struggle with their kids in public places. This is the glamorous life, right?? LOL!

Speaking of spanks......tonight it was raining and thundering outside, and Marina was especially spooked. I explained to her that the thunder will stay outside and will not come get us in our nice, warm house. When the next round of thunder struck, Marina stated, "Funder needs spank!" I guess spanks are supposed to be the answer to all 'bad' behavior, huh?? Does that mean I can spank my oven when it burns dinner?? ;)

Date Night with Mommy

Way too cute, and way too fun!! This was our last fun Christmas-break outing before we headed back to school. I realized that Mark likes to laugh at all the parts I laugh at. Who knew we have the same sense of humor?? Reese doesn't like to be bothered during a movie. He's very serious and likes to take it all in (hmmm....sounds like Daddy), and Marina is just there for the goodies. Oh yeah, she likes to talk a lot during movies. Kinda like Mommy. lol!

Girls' Nite Out!!!

Every mommy needs some girl time once in awhile. So this was a special night for me! Meeting up with some of my favorite gal pals! Chrissy...who is so much like me (wife, mother, down-to-earth gal), Erica...who is such a blast (fun to shop with, loves fitness, and sends me fun text messages), and Betsy...who is a downright RIOT!! (She is very fashion-forward, finds humor in everything, and has such a contagious laugh). All three of these girls are friends of mine from high school, but it has been so fun to get to know each other all over again after all these years. We've experienced so much and changed in many ways. So, it's always an interesting mix when we hang out. I love these girls to death!!! Another round of nachos please! That's about as 'glamorous' as it gets! LOL! xoxo

"Mommy, I eating my boogers!!"

My little Reese...5 yrs old...has struggled his entire life with physical and verbal delays. He has been in some sort of physical, speech, or occupational therapy since he was 17 months old. He is such a fighter. And even through all those really hard days, trying to teach him how to communicate without progressing into a meltdown, I have developed a special bond with that little guy.

Those of you who know Reese know how unpredictable he can be. He will embarass me in just about every situation, by calling a stranger a 'butt' or by eating his boogers in public or by declaring to everyone within earshot that he has to go 'poopies'...

Often, his way of thinking is very unconventional. Consequently, he gives our family many laughs with the crazy phrases he comes up with. I tend to hang onto every word he speaks (both out of anticipation for what he may come up with now...and out of fear for what he may come up with now!)

His latest phrase...which is something most kids come up with at around 3yrs of age (remember...he's 5) is that everything happened yesterday.....or more accurately 'Lesterday.'

His birthday was back in October. But he tells me, "Mommy, I'm five! My birthday was lesterday!" and "Grandma, Santa came lesterday."

Such a cute little phrase for a little guy who is trying so hard to catch up verbally.
I'm so proud of him. Most people don't know how to respond to Reese. He looks like a normal, cute-as-a-button-kid. So, they don't realize, when he's frustrated and starts hitting his ears real hard, or when he's FIVE and still potty training, that he's actually a 'special needs' kid. Yup. He rides the little yellow bus and everything.

But that's my Reese. My Reesey. The sweetest, most affectionate, and most headstrong of all my kids. My sweet sweet boy. xoxo

Goodbye 2007

***What 2007 has meant to us:

Firsts:

Family...Camping trip, Labor Day family reunion, annual Brody Turkey Bowl!

Ryan...volunteering as Mark's camp counselor, attending NFL football game, receiving Playstation 3, dancing like crazy at a wedding...lol, watched his Colts win the Superbowl.

Karis...new smokin' abs (never mind!), 10yr high school reunion, finding lots of long lost pals, riding the coasters @ Universal Studios, Fla.

Mark...snow-mobiling, Cubby game, Bulls game, summer camp, club wrestling, supporting role in school play, found out about food allergies, got addicted to role-playing video games, Medieval Times.

Reese...put on his own shoes, big boy underwear, first school holiday concert, rode a bike w/ training wheels, found out about food allergies.

Marina...met Mickey Mouse, said goodbye to crib and hello to big girl bed, discovered Cinderella movie, horseback riding at the Dells, too many more firsts to count for this little girl!


Repeats:

Family...vacation to Orlando to visit Disney World and Universal Studios, weeknights out on Mark's football field, participating in a family member's wedding...

Ryan...competitive volleyball team, XM radio, could out-quote anyone when it comes to movies, made his wife very happy!

Karis...watched Emma full-time, started work-out routine, purchased season passes to waterpark, beat the neighborhood kids in 4-square, cheered my heart out at Mark's games, hosted family holidays.

Mark...played as a starter on football team, straight A's in school, video game nut, horseback riding at the Dells, 1st place ribbon @ speech meet, etc.

Reese...continued to excel in Early Education program, rode the bus home like a big boy, came home from school with new hilarious songs, loved swimming like a fish at the pool, favorite video games=nfl street and atv offroad fury.

Marina...cute as a button! Totally daddy's girl, favorite is Lambie and Kitty, loved to play at the park, colored on the walls, screamed bloody murder when I would brush her hair.


Other Random Memories:

Over the summer, Mark realized that Santa is not real. He came to us one night, and said "Mom and Dad, tell me the truth! Is Santa real??" and we squirmed a bit till I said, "What makes you ask that?" He responded, "Because the kids at school laugh at me for believing in Santa. Tell me the truth!"
So, after some thought, I asked him, "Mark, if you really think about the facts...a man travels around the whole entire world in one night and brings toys down chimneys, etc...do you think it's real??" After he pondered that a bit, he said no. Ryan and I nodded our heads. Then, the light went on in his head. "What!?!" He looked at us like he's been had all these years! Then he said, "You mean all this time, it was YOU giving me those presents??" Ah, yes! The words EVERY parent longs to hear someday. Appreciation for all the sacrifice you make for your blissfully ignorant kids. We talked some more about how HE can help us now, to make it special for his little brother and sister. And he was pretty excited about that. Then he got up and literally said, "Okay, I'm going to go put my tooth under my pillow for the tooth fairy...HEY! Wait a minute!"


Reese tickled us to death one night when he prayed in his own precious way. He said, "Jesus...thank you for this day...and we don't eat our boogers, and we don't say 'butt'...and we wake up and eat cereal....and then, and then...and then we play playstation games. AMEN!" Ahh!! Too funny!!


Other favorite sayings from Reese are from his interpretation of many songs, such as;

"Come...they told me, a rump-butt-butt-butt"

"...then one froggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to share..."


And then there's the embarrassing ones, like when we would meet someone for the first time, and he would say "Hi, butt!" (He loves that word for some reason...because he knows it's off-limits). Or, when we are hanging out with a group of people, and he'll march in and announce real loud, "I have to go PEE-PEE!"


Marina has had her share of funny phrases as well...

If we say "Hi, Princess" or "Good morning, honey" she'll always answer with "NO, my name is Rina!"

And she likes to tell everyone she meets that Reese is 5 and she is 2! She's suddenly aware of age and birthdays or something.


So, that's the year 2007 in a nutshell.
xoxo

Brody Christmas '07

***Christmas Eve=dinner with Brody fam @ same restaurant for the past 30+ yrs...Villa Nova in Villa Park....(btw...the candy cane martini is disgusting!) It was going great till Ryan's dad spilled the beans to the family that Ryan is considering testing for the Wheaton police dep't in February. "What!?! Ryan, you told your dad?!? I thought we weren't telling anyone yet!" Apparently we are. Too funny. (At least he'll never know that I had already told all my sisters. hee hee.)
Then we headed back to the in-laws' house to open gifts from Grandma & Papa. It's always a blast...with all the cousins around to fight over each other's gifts. j/k. It's very fun. Ryan scored a PS3, and I received my very first toaster oven, and a gorgeous maple jewelry box. (For all my expensive jewelry...NOT!)


***Christmas Day=wake up to 3 rotten kids jumping on our bed saying "Did Santa come? Did Santa come?" So we head down and experience the 3.5 seconds it takes to rip open the hours-worth of gift wrapping...No, actually it was a bit more civil than that. And they actually appreciated what they got. We got Mark his first ever air-soft gun. After that, the rest was a blur for him. He was in heaven loading and reloading that thing. "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!" Reese was thrilled with his Thomas the Train set, and his Nerf dart gun (so he could feel cool like his big brother). But he was blown away by the big huge box that couldn't even fit under the tree...a basketball hoop! "Nice one, Mom and Dad!" Marina didn't notice any of that commotion, though. She was way too busy playing with her new My Little Ponys (or, as she calls them....tony's). And her first ever Barbie Doll...the fairytopia one that my sister had to explain to me because I have no clue about girl toys yet...after having 2 crazy rambunctious boys who wouldn't be caught dead with anything pink in their hands! Oh! And best of all...my romantic husband pulled a 'every kiss begins with Kay' moment...when the sneaky guy presented me with a brand new diamond ring! "OMG! OMG! You didn't!" After my blood pressure settled, we enjoyed a waffle breakfast topped off with a candle for Jesus, to celebrate His birthday.
Then we were off to Grandma Brody's again, for the huge Christmas party...yes, including all 80 or so relatives...half of which I STILL don't know names. j/k. Marina wanted to bring her new "tony's", Mark wanted to wear all 10 pieces of Colt's apparel he had just opened ("um...it's a little much, Mark"), and Reese wanted to bring his 8ft basketball hoop..."hmm...let's just leave everything at home, guys." My green watergate salad didn't turn out...in fact, it was completely soupy. "You mean I wasn't sposed make the pudding first?? Just pour the powder into the pineapples?? Ooops!" And every person that came to that bowl on the buffet table said, "Eew, what's that??" How embarrassing. Plus, I forgot to bring the pumpkin pie. Ugh! 0-2 Mom!


***New Year's Eve Eve (No, that's not a typo...it was 2 days before New Year's)=Christmas celebration with the Morales family. They ALL came to my house...which isn't really that big. But it's so darn fun! We actually had some REAL holiday food, since my family is actually good at cooking. Yummy Yummy! My brother made his holiday invention...Christmas Cheer...which is an awesome punch-like drink. And we set up tables in the basement, restaurant style, and it worked out perfectly. Family photo on the sectional down there...now that we figured out how to work the timed delay on my camera...Then we watched the dvd of Marky's school play, since no one could attend the real deal. We were so proud of him! He had a main part. Like 20 lines and all. What a cutie pie! Then, upstairs for more gifts to open. My family is way more about 'thoughtful' rather than 'expensive' so it's super fun to see what you'll open next. After gifts...a fun 'white elephant' game. Thanks Marilee! It was really really a blast!


***New Year's Eve (the real one this time)=Lindsey and Bryan were still visiting here. We went to climb the wall at Galyan's, but it was closed (Doh!) Still fun to kill time looking at stuff there. And trying out all the weight equipment. Can Ryan pass the weights test for the Wheaton Police testing?? Hmm...let's try...Yes! Ryan can lift more than the required weight for the test. We're so proud! Now it's uncle Bryan's turn. Holy Smokes! He just benched 215 lbs!!!! We all walk away blushing. lol. Then, party at the Dahms' house...with their cool stage in the basem't and uncle Mic jamming on the drums. Connor on base. etc etc...Apple martini this time. Phew! Way better than the candy cane one. Comedy video. Ryan scaring the daylights out of the kids playing 'tarantula' in the basem't. Haha! Good times! "Oh no! 30 seconds till midnight! Hurry! Pour the champaign! 3-2-1 Happy New Year!" Hugs and Kisses.


***New Year's Day=My adorable sister Lindsey & her new hubby Bryan offered to make us breakfast. So they whipped up some stuffed french toast! STUFFED FRENCH TOAST!!!! Amazing!!!! Can't wait to make it again. Hopefully it will turn out better than my soupy green watergate salad. Yuck! Then, we spent an hour bundling everyone up (even little Marina, in her pink snowpants) and headed out to the sledding hills on McCoy...the good ones where there's an easy, medium, and difficult slope. Yikes! One time down those suckers, and my cheeks were on fire, and Reese and Marina were crying their eyes out, because the wind was so cold, it cut like a knife! So, we immediately headed back to the warm car, while the boys and daddy toughed it out for some more sledding. The Dahms' were there too...lending us some of their sleds. It's fun to sled with cousins. Mark accidently plowed into some kid sitting on the hill, and broke the kid's sled in half. Oops.


***New Year's Night=hot chocolate and popcorn, warm socks, blankets, and a good movie...."Meet the Robinson's" on blue-ray...played on Ryan's PS3. Wow! Check out them graphics! lol. And that concludes our crazy holidays....2007-style.
xoxo