Connected

I am connected to my family.
To my friends.

To my job.

To strangers.

24 hours a day.

7 days a week.

I’m connected.

I'm connected by this amazing thing called technology.

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Text Messages
Blogs

They all beep and blink at me from my phone and computer begging for attention.

But they always want more.

More of my time.

More of my energy.

More.

It is starting to feel like the more connected I am the less connected I am.

The less connected I feel to family.

To friends.

To my job.

I’ve decided it is time to get connected again.

Getting connected by the words I speak and actions people can see.

Time to reconnect over dinner with a friend and give my son the undivided attention he deserves.

Time to turn off the phone and let my Google reader fill up with unread blogs.

Time to connect with the ones I love the most by disconnecting from the very thing that I thought was keeping me more connected.

He Asked Me To Dance

As the music started playing his little hand grabbed for mine.

He threw both of his arms up in the air indicating he wanted me to pick him up.

I picked him up and he wrapped his arms around my neck and placed his head on my shoulder.

And we danced.

As we swayed back and forth I knew this was a moment I would never forget.

Because this was the first time my son asked me dance.

Wordless Wednesday-Who Says Girls Get to Have All the Fun?

It is no secret that I have a slight obsession with 'little man' clothes. I was looking back through old pictures this weekend and found some of my favorite outfits. 

From sweaters to polos to red tennis shoes I think Drake is one well dressed dude!

I buy most of Drake's clothes at BabyGap (on sale) and Target. It is amazing the stuff you can come up with when you are willing to do a little digging!

This post is part of Wordless Wednesday: 5 Minutes For Mom, Live and Love...Out Loud, Go Graham Go, A Beautiful Mess, Goober Grape and Monkey Man, Dagmar's Momsense, Better in Bulk

It's OK

Drake is fine.

That is all I heard Ben say before the phone went dead.

I felt my heart rate increase as I wondered what possibly could have happened in the short half mile trip from our house to daycare.

I frantically threw a sweatshirt on over my pajamas; slipped on my UGG Boots and jumped in my car as I prepared to retrace the route Ben takes to daycare.

Soon I came up on the accident.

I raced over to Ben giving him a hug while I covered Drake in kisses.

What happened? I asked as I took the scene in. Ben’s car sat with metal dangling off of it and fluid leaking into big puddles, while an SUV sat hugging the front bumper of Ben’s car.

I knew before he said anything what had happened. It was obvious by just taking a moment to look at the cars.

She didn’t stop at the stop sign. Ben said motioning over to a sobbing teenage girl. It was like she just did not see me coming.

While Ben filled out all the necessary paperwork, I could not stop thinking about the girl that hit him. She was standing beside her father shivering in the cold with tears rolling down her cheeks. What if Drake is involved in something like this someday? How awful and guilty he would feel. At that moment I knew what I had to do.

I took Drake’s hand and walked over to the girl. I looked her in the eye and said Accidents happen. Cars can be replaced. The most important thing is nobody was hurt.

Thank you she said as she smiled through her tears.

Before I walked away, I wrapped my arms around her and whispered it’s OK.

I felt her breathe a sigh of relief.

I'm participating in the Red Dress Club RemembeRED memoir event.  This week's prompt is about forgiveness. Forgiving others, forgiving yourself.

Miscellany Monday

{Easter Egg Tree}

I made a Easter Egg Tree using a branch from a tree in our backyard and egg ornaments that my Mom passed down to me. I love the simple look. 

{Better Than Any Toy}

Drake's new favorite game is pretending to sleep. Strange, right?!? He grabs a paci and three blankets and makes himself a little bed on the steps. He moves his 'bed' from step to step but can play this game for a good 30 minutes.

{Sassy Silly Spunky Designs}

I have had such a great time creating and selling my felt ruffle wreathes I thought it was time to make it Facebook Official by creating a Facebook Page. I would love for you to 'like' my page!

{Spring is In the Air}

Trips to the zoo, playing outside until bedtime, eating supper later, walks around the neighborhood, windows open, and the sound of thunderstorms while you sleep all mean one thing-Spring has finally sprung in Iowa!

{A New Saturday Tradition}

Saturday mornings spent at our favorite local coffee house lingering over coffee, pancakes, bacon and eggs are the perfect way to start off the weekend. I'm a big lover of traditions and I'm so happy to be starting my own with my family!

{Bubble Beards}

Does anything say childhood baths like bubble beards? I think not.

{Because Momma Needs Hobbies Too}

With Drake approaching 20 months old (ummmm....still can't believe he is almost 2!!!) and becoming more independent by the second, I'm finally getting time to explore my hobbies. Crafting, reading, baking and photography are all things I have had more time to pursue in the last couple of months. Tonight I'm going to my first official photography class and could not be more excited to learn some new skills.

 

{A Few Questions}

• What free program do you like to use for photo editing?
• We are dealing with thunderstorm fear at our house. How do you help your kids cope with that? 
• Calling all bakers. What is your go to muffin recipe? I'm having a little bake-off with my Mom and sisters (love you guys) and want an award winning recipe to impress!

I'm participating in:

Birthday Party Feature

Drake's1st Birthday Puppy Party is being featured over at Party Like A Kid today so head over there and check it out!

I am a party planner at heart and love to look for inspiration from all the awesome parties Party Like A Kid features.  I know Drake's 2nd birthday is still almost 5 months away, but my wheels are already turning! Let's just say 'touchdown' and 'interception' are two clues as to what theme I have in mind!

Blogging Spring Break

We are taking this week as a blog spring break.

See ya next week!

Friday Favorites-Drake Dancing

 Drake has some mad dance skills!

You just can't help but smile watching this.

Hope that brightened your Friday!

Wordless Wednesday- You Want to See My Face?

Backs of heads are cute, right?

Because that is about all I've got these days...

He Was Wrapped Around My Finger...

I originally published this piece exactly one year ago today. To this day it is my favorite blog post I have written and I'm proud to share it with you again. Enjoy!

It was about one year ago that we found out we were having a boy. The weeks leading up to our ultrasound were spent guessing what we were having and talking about names. I wanted a girl...really bad. If somebody was to ask what I wanted I gave the standard "As long as it is healthy, we don't care" response, but deep down I knew that I wanted a girl.

You see, I grew up in a family of mostly women. I have 2 younger sisters who I have a great relationship with and my mom is my best friend. To me it seemed that a baby girl would just complete our little clan.

The big ultrasound day came and we were not in the ultrasound room 5 minutes before the tech asked "Do you want to know the sex, I can see it right here and I have no doubt what it is." Ben and I excitedly told her to tell us. "It's a boy" she said.  The second she said "It's a boy" the future I saw of dresses, and shopping, and heart to heart talks died and was replaced with cars, and football, and mud...and you know what? I was OK with that because I just saw MY baby boy moving, and sucking HIS thumb and saw HIS little heart beat. At that exact moment I fell in love!!

Our first picture of our little boy

As the months went by, we picked out a name, painted his room and bought clothes. With each of these steps, I fell more and more in love with my little boy. On August 1st, I found myself holding the most beautiful baby boy. The second I laid eyes on his crazy mop of black hair and looked into his huge eyes, my heart melted and I knew this was the baby  I was always meant to have!

2 days before Drake was born

Since that day I have never looked back and I LOVE being a mom to boy. He is wild and crazy and loud and sweet and cuddly and loves his Momma something fierce. I am in love with his little man clothes, his crazy hair, his sloppy wet kisses, his belly laugh, the way he touches my face when I talk. I am in love in a way I have never been before. I am forever changed for the better because I have the honor and privilege of being his Momma.

My sweet newborn Drakie

I can't wait to have more kids and would be happy to have a little girl at some point. But you know what?  I would be insanely happy with a bunch of boys running around the house chasing the dog and climbing on the furniture with their sticky fingers.

I have learned a very important lesson from all of this....God gives you the family you are suppose to have and He knows so much better what we need than we ever will.

Thank God for knowing I needed a little boy!

7 Months of pure bliss!