Flashback Friday! and HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADELINE!!!

3 years ago today I was blessed with this sweet little bundle of joy.

Where does the time go???

Happy Happy Birthday Madeline!

I usually go on and on about you for Birthday posts....

But today I decided to interview you Miss Mcgee!

20 questions just for you!

(I hope I can remember to keep up this tradition!)

She was very excited when answering these questions.  Lots of enthusiasm.  She was yelling for most of the interview.....

1. What is your favorite color? PINK! AND PURPLE!
2. What is your favorite toy? BARBIES!
3. What is your favorite fruit? VEGETABLES!
4. What is your favorite tv show? Tangled (very matter of fact-starting to calm down)
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Bean Burritos
6. What is your favorite outfit? Dresses and Tom's
7. What is your favorite game? Biiiideo Games! But...those are for boooooyys....

8. What is your favorite snack? BAGELS! (back to excited)
9. What is your favorite animal? Ummmm......  Bunnies!
10. What is your favorite song? Tinkle Tinkle Wittle Stawr
11. What is your favorite book? PRINCESS BOOK! 
12. Who is your best friend? TENLEY!
13. What is your favorite cereal? CHERRIOS!
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Run in the sprinkwers!
15. What is your favorite drink? milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? Easter
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? my nie-nie
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? PANTAKES
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? PANTAKES....ummm (starting to lose her...) MAC AND CHEEEEESE!
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? a mommy(awwwww)

Let me just say....it's not that easy to interview a 3 year old.....they're antsy, and indecisive and impressionable...so getting their true feelings on the questions is not the easiest task.... 

But she stayed seated for most of the interview....

Here is what I know about my 3 year old.  She is a girlie girl.  Always has been.  She LOVES her babies...and is happy as can be to entertain herself for hours playing with them.  She loves long showers, and the color pink, and any food you could possibly imagine, including pickles and sauerkraut. She is a Daddy's girl through and through.  Sometimes I'm merely here to feed her.  The sun rises and sets with Daddy.  She loves her Brother, and Henry is currently her Best Friend, and usually her only playmate.  She still adores Lynne next door, and needs her alone time with her daily.  She can hold complete conversations and has the memory of a 25 year old.  Sometimes I can't believe the mature things that come out of her mouth.  She is my Sunshine.  And I couldn't imagine my life without her.

Happy Birthday Madeline, Maddie, Mads, Miss Mcgee, Maddie-Girl, Boo....

We love you so much!!!

3 for 1!

I have been meaning to blog for quite some time...

I'm a bit behind...

Just ask my Mother...

She calls me daily and tells me she's tired of re-reading about Tenley....

So..

Let's catch up:

Wednesday night we had a spur of the moment trip to one of our favorite destinations

How is it that we are just 26 miles from one of the greatest cities in the world, and we NEVER seem to go....

Ever...

Madeline saw the Sea Lions for a second time...this time she might be able to remember. (more on that later)

She loved them.  

Jack called them Lyon Otters.

Not as many as there used to be.

My very good Friends Jen and Nick came to visit with their kids.

We had so much fun.

I'm hoping to get to spend some more time with them this Summer.

I just love this Lady!

We enjoyed the local cuisine.

And the view.

I feel like we should make this a regular event!

In breaking news....

Somebody got a new Barbie!

Why you ask??

Because we have Poop!

In the Potty!

It's an Easter Miracle!

We'll see how long it lasts....

Right now I'll just be thankful for small blessings. And I'm not ashamed I bribed my daughter.  I'd do it again.  And again.  And then Again.

( How is a Barbie any different than Fruit Snacks?  Except that it lasts longer and doesn't have the calorie count...I'm just sayin)

Don't Juuuudge me.

And for those of you who have missed it these last couple weeks...and to show just how long it's been since our last trip to San Fran with the kids...

Flashback Friday!

Madeline's first trip to the Pier!
(6 months old)

Awww...

And Jack too!
(4 years old)

I'll try to keep up...
I know I've been neglecting my blog...

Maybe I'll have a guest blogger....

very, very soon...

And for those who are counting....

This post is my 200th post.

Wow!

How time flies!

Flashback Friday!

With St. Patrick's Day last weekend....I wanted to post this.... But was a little busy.....

Happy Irish Day!

We LOVE Green!

And St. Patrick!

Above is Madeline's First St. Patrick's Day and Jack's 4th.

Where does the time go??

Flashback Friday!

This weekend, this lovely couple will be celebrating 57 years of Marriage.

(Let's take a moment and truly appreciate the awesomeness of this photo)

Alice and Fred

Circa 1980

This photo shoot was from their 25th year of Wedded Bliss.

Today's Flashback Friday is dedicated to them.

And THEIR Awesomeness.

Happy Anniversary Gram and Pop.

I love you so much!

Flashback Friday!

Flashback Friday this week is compliments of my Mother.

Here I am on my way to my First Birthday Party.  

(I thought it was appropriate with my Birthday this weekend.)

I love me some Birthday Parties....

And I'm ready to get this Party Started.

Happy Birthday to me!

And

Happy Flashback Friday!

Flashback Friday!

10 years ago this weekend I went on my first "Girls Trip"

If you've read my blog at all, you know I have a big group of Friends. 

All of those girls were invited 10 years ago on the first annual "Let's Celebrate Heidi, Birthday Extravangaza Weekend" (YES, that is the trips official name)

Everyone had an excuse on why they couldn't make it.....

So.....of all my girls, only these two made it.

And we had the BEST time.

*note*

This photo was captured long before digital cameras.  There was no quickly looking at a photo and saying, "Delete that, I have a double chin".... (on another note...never take a photo while lying down....whose idea was that??)

Regardless.  I love this photo.  Me and my girls.

They were there for me.  Just as they always are....

They helped me ring in 25....

And this weekend, my whole group will help me bring on *gulp* 35.

Who cares...

35.....

Could be worse....

Besides, I only get better with age..

Bring. It. On. 3-5.
I'm READY!

Can't wait for my Girl time this weekend! 

Bring on the Pampering!

We've come a loooooong way since that night at Harveys in South Lake....

And We DESERVE it!

Flashback Friday! *Guest Blogger Edition*

With Jack's Birthday this week, and me being pressured several times to tell this story, I thought it should be told by someone who can truly give the story life.

Today my Guest Blogger is none other than the talented writer L. Shanna

So Sit Back and enjoy The Story of Jack's Birth from one of my best friends eyes:

Picture it:  January, 2006.  Beijing, China.  I am in my mid twenties and my boyfriend and I are lounging on the couch surfing the internet on a particularly cold and smoggy afternoon.  We are still adjusting to life in Asia and missing home terribly, when an email comes in from Heidi.  It is her birth story—Jack’s birth story—and one of the best emails I’ve ever received in my life. 

I read it the first time to myself, doing what I always do when I get an email from Heidi—I pictured her reading it to me, complete with her voice in my head.  (This is very important if you are a friend of Heidi’s since she, like the Chinese, puts great emphasis on tone.)  I was laughing so hard that L stopped to ask me several times what I was doing.  I shushed him quickly and told him I’d tell him in a second.  When I was finished, I told him to sit back, picture Heidi’s voice as I read, and listen:

I starting feeling funny on Wednesday.  Like Crampy.  I had had lunch at the Fish market with my Aunt Ann and told her I felt like I had bad gas….
 She looked at me and smiled and said that that was no gas….
 She was right.  I did not know it but by that night my contractions were 15 minutes apart…..
 I called labor and delivery at 11pm, they told me to watch the time and to take two Tylenol pm and call them when the contractions were closer together…
 By Three am I could not sleep through the cramps I was feeling.  Cramps that came about every 6 minutes….  So I got in the tub.
 Clay woke up when he heard the water running.  He came over to the tub to see if I was okay and he sat down and stared at me.  I told him to go back to bed, because labor takes forever and he would need his sleep since he was still going to work (he was scheduled for OT and we need the money)…
 He went back to bed and I sat in the tub for what seemed like forever.  I finally got out and decided to hop in the shower and shave my legs… - just in case today was the day-  When I got out of the shower my contractions were 4 minutes apart…..  I still figured I had a long way to go…
 I waited until 6 am and called Aunt Kathy to tell her that I thought today was the day.  She had plane tickets by 6:30 and was on a plane by 8 that morning.  I called my Mom and she was on her way from Dobbins in minutes.
 Then I called Gram.  We had both had scheduled hair appointments for that day, mine was at 3 hers was at 7, so I told her to come and pick me up…
 I was not sure how labor was going to go and I did not want to have roots for the next six weeks.  So off I went with Gram to get my hair done.
 My contractions as I sat in the chair stayed at 4 minutes apart until we left….  Then they hit about 3 minutes…. I figured, I still had time, so I told Gram to stop by the other salon I go to and I got my eyebrows done…..
Then I headed home.  I walked in the door, sat on the couch and waited.  My mom showed up, then Kathy then the contractions got closer and closer….
 I called the advice nurse and told her I wanted to wait to come in….when I could not talk to her and threw the phone at Clay during a contraction she informed Clay to get me in there asap.
 So after my mental “ I don’t want to do this “ breakdown in the kitchen off we headed to the hospital. 
 My water broke in the car….  It is the strangest feeling….  Like there is a water balloon in your crotch and somebody bursts it….
 Then the pain really started.  I could barely walk to the elevator. 
 We got into admitting, and I was at 6 cm.
 By the time we got to the room, I was requesting drugs.  Quite firmly.
 Finally I got my epidural.
 I got to the hospital at 12:30, I had my epidural by 1:45 and Jack came out at 3…
 I was pretty lucky.

And that, dear readers, is how a birth story is told.  When I was finished reading it to L, we were both laughing so hard we could barely see.  Once we caught our breath, L’s first words were, ‘Read it again!’

Over the past six years I have referred to this email several times as evidence of why Heidi needs a blog.  Now, finally, she has one.  She also has two beautiful children and a wonderful support system that appreciates her ability to tell a story. 

What she doesn’t have are roots or messy eyebrows.   The girl’s got priorities.

Flashback Friday!

This week last year our annual Christmas Card went out.....

Here's Last years...

(before cropping)

Did anyone get the updated one yet......

I love Christmas Cards!

Who am I kidding?

I LOVE Christmas!

It really IS the most wonderful time of the year.

Flashback Friday!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner......

Jack would like to remind you to..

Eat lots of Pumpkin Pie!

(Every time I look at this photo I think of my friend Summer.  I sent this photo out to all my Girlfriends in an email and Summer replied with the comment, "You're a Strange Mommy."  Dude. Putting your child in a carved Pumpkin is completely acceptable....I'm just sayin...)

Our Thanksgiving festivities always start the weekend before Thanksgiving day.  So we are off to have some family fun in Cambria!

Hope your Thanksgiving week starts off with a Bang!

Flashback Friday!

This week marks the end of my Happy Birthday Posts.

I hope you enjoyed them!

:)

I started thinkin...

It's time for something new.

I haven't been blogging long....

Which means two things:

a) I don't have a lot documented that I wished I did,  ie-first steps, first words, family vacations, first Birthdays, etc.

and 

2) I should have listened to Tegan and Roseanne a LONG time ago.

So. 

To make up for lost time, I will start doing Flashback Fridays.

And today is the first Flashback.

Three years ago today I found out I was pregnant with Madeline.

It was a tad different than how I found out with Jack.  With Jack I was peeing on a stick, while talking to a girlfriend on the phone with another girlfriend in the bathroom with me. 

When I got pregnant with Madeline, I just knew.  I could feel it.

I ran out and secretly bought a pregnancy test at Target.

No one knew we were trying.

Well...

Besides Kim.  (I have my reasons)

I took the test at 4am in our guest Bathroom, with only the light from the outside window to see the line appear.  As it started to appear I remember blinking, and bringing the test as close to my face as possible, and then finally giving in and turning the light on, just for a minute to not wake up Clay.  (I wanted to tell Clay in a really special way, and didn't want to get his hopes up if the test was negative.)

It wasn't.

  I was ECSTATIC. 

If you know me....I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut.  I talk to my girlfriends, and Mother, and Grandmother about EVERYTHING.

Keeping something from them is pure torture for me. 

I immediately had to get my plan into action.

I went to a local Maternity and Baby store and purchased a T-shirt that said "I'm the Big Brother".

I was over the top excited.  I couldn't contain myself. 

I blurted out to the salesgirl 

"I just found out this Morning I'm pregnant!"

Sometimes I still can't believe that the first person I told was the girl behind the counter at Bellies and Babies.

(and the girl in the dressing room who over heard us talking and stuck her head out to say congratulations)

As soon as I got home that night, I broke out the camera and prepped Jack.

He could even say it.  

It took Clay what felt like an eternity to get home that night.

He walked through the door, Jack jumped on the couch and said:

"Ine gonna be a brover!"

I will never forget the look on Clay's face.  Shock, excitement, and a little bit of worry all in one.

He looked at me and said 

"Really???"

The next morning I sent out that exact picture to my Girlfriends with the subject title to the email: 

"First Come, First Serve." 

 (We are all kind of territorial when it comes to pregnancy.  I mean...Come on...Who doesn't want to be the first to know!)

I won't say who responded to the email first...

We told the rest of the family over the Holiday's in the same way.  It was fun to see them read the shirt and then watch the light bulb go off.  

(some took longer than others)

 9 months later my daughter was born. 

P.s. That shirt is in Jack's keepsake box...Maybe it will fit his son for a big announcement someday... No pressure  ;)