A Little Change

Beth and I went out shopping the other night, we had a lot planned and I was so excited because I could take a lot of pictures and post them on the blog! Woohoo!! I couldn't wait!

We went to the Family Christian Book Store, stopped at Michael's for a few things and came away with a few more things, we stopped for dinner... and as we were driving home I remembered. Ahhgg! I didn't take one photo. Not one.

Well I guess that's good because that means I was in the moment, experiencing it with Beth as they happened and not seeing it through a camera lens. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Allie came over to play today! When she was a toddler Sharaya worked every Saturday so I got to watch her all day. But Sharaya has changed jobs and sometimes we can go a couple weeks without seeing them so I was so glad when Sharaya asked if I could watch her today! 

We played a Disney Memory Game, watched a little TV, played with stickers, but her favorite thing today was my coin jar! We must have spent an hour playing with these.

We counted them and sorted them and then we spun them and she'd yell "Heads!" and I'd yell "Tails" and we'd see how many we'd get right.

Then I accidentally rolled one across the table and so we started doing that back and forth. First with one then two at a time, then she started rolling 6 and 7 quarters at a time and they'd roll all over the table. We laughed so hard we had to take a couple breaks to catch our breath again!

 

We were playing the Memory Game at the kitchen table when it was time for Beth to leave for work. They hugged each other and wouldn't let go! 

I hope your weekend is filled with rich blessings!

We Didn't Expect To Find THIS in Her Couch!

Things have been so busy for me the last few weeks. I'm usually really good at guarding my time and making sure I don't overdo it but that hasn't been the case lately.

We have an odd shaped closet with a very long rod. There is only one bracket holding the rod and it tends to bend between the one bracket and the walls. So we bought two more brackets and Chuck and I pulled all the clothes out of the closet and finally hung them. I know it's a small thing, but what a difference it makes!

Over the weekend Beth and I helped a friend set up for an event she was having. Centerpieces, place settings, wall hangings. There was a lot to do and Beth really hustled! I was surprised at how much she enjoyed doing it and how well she did it! There were a couple tables already set up so we were able to just copy the placement of everything. It was really fun!

 

 

 

Beth, Allie and I went shopping last night. What an adventure taking the two of them out together! They wrestled and played in the car, (even though Beth was in the front seat and Allie in the middle seat!) they played in the store, SO much energy from those two!

 

 

 

 

The biggest thing we did in the last week, in my opinion anyway, was move Beth's couch. She's had a small couch in her room that she didn't want anymore and I wanted to move it to our classroom. It was a matter of getting it around the corner, up the stairs, through the living room, out the door and into the van. THEN we had to get it into the church, down the elevator... you can see why we kept putting it off. :) But it's finally done. And it looks amazing in the room!! I forgot to take a picture but I'll get one next week. The most surprising thing about it all was when we tilted the couch up to get it up the stairs, SO MUCH STUFF rattled around and slid from one end to the other, INSIDE the couch!! Chuck and I got it upstairs and began pulling stuff out. He would push down hard on the seat and I'd squeeze my arm in. We pulled out a very large book, her MP3 that she 'lost' a few months ago, plenty of headbands, dog nail clippers, a stapler! Yep, a stapler! How on earth?! That book?!? Seriously?! Anyway, it took us a few minutes but we finally got everything out and called Beth up to put everything away. You should have seen her face! Every few seconds, "I was looking for this!" :)

 

Soon to be... Auntie Elizabeth!

Beth's sister Sharaya and her husband Ryan, are due to have their baby any day now! They are having a girl, Allison Lucy. We are so anxious to meet her and to see who she looks like! The hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving is over and now we are just waiting for baby Allison. She is actually 11 days late... and counting! Sharaya will see her doctor tomorrow and there is a good possibility they will induce her then.

Allison is our first grandchild and we can hardly breathe!! The thought of holding our daughter's baby, is just beyond words. My mom passed away a few years ago and I so wish I could talk to her about all this! Did she feel this much excitement when I was pregnant? Did she create a space at home to care for the kids when they came over? Did she want to yell it from the rooftops, "I'm gonna be a Grandma!!" Or in my case, Nana!

I was recently asked, "Aren't you Sharaya's mom?" For a split second, Sharaya was back in 3rd grade and I was standing on the elementry school playground. And now, forever more, people will be asking her, "Aren't you Allison's mom?" It causes me to look at my daughter with new eyes. To see her not as my little girl, but as 'Allison's mom'.

And Beth wants to be called Auntie Elizabeth. I know she is up to the task and will shine with pride as Allison's Aunt.