We're Boring

Sorry for the lack of blogging recently. We haven't really done much that I deem "blog-worthy."

We are getting ready for Asher's birthday, which is Wednesday. His party is July 5th, though, since that was the most convenient time for the most people to be able to be there. I'll post a blog about that, I'm sure. We got him a slide for his birthday, since he tries to make a slide out of everything in the living room.

I'm trying to decide what kind of cake to get for the party. Hopefully Walmart or HyVee or County Market will have one we like. I'd like to get a jungle-themed one, since his invitations are jungle-themed.

We're kind of disappointed because a few of Asher's aunts and uncles won't be able to attend the party. Grace and Jamie will be leaving for church camp that day, and Caleb is working at the boy scout camp this summer. Hopefully everyone else will be able to attend. It should be super fun!

Other than planning the party, not much else is going on. Work, mostly. And LOTS of mandatory meetings! (Don't even get me started!) Nick has been helping his boss teach a College for Kids class at Monmouth College the past 2 weeks. Nick taught one on his own last year, but decided to just teach with Paul this time. They seemed to have a good time.

We spent the night at my mom's house on Wednesday night. She took Grace and Jamie to Chicago to see Fiddler on the Roof and Mary Poppins, and my dad was in Atlanta on a mission trip with the teenagers from Rozetta. So, Nick and I babysat the remaining children. They were all well-behaved for the most part, and mom and the kids had a great time in Chi-town.

Tonight, Asher is staying the night with Nick's parents for the first time. Originally, they were just going to babysit here while Nick and I went and saw "My Sister's Keeper" with Whitney and Matt. But, we all decided that tonight would be a good time to test out an overnight over there. Hopefully it will go well. He's a pretty good sleeper, so I don't think it should be an issue. (He surprised us all by napping like a champ at my dad's house on Sunday!) This will also allow Nick to get to sleep in tomorrow morning! That never happens, as every Saturday morning he has to have Asher since I've either just worked all night and need to recover or I will be working that evening and need to prepare. Poor baby. We haven't been out on a date sans child in forever, so we're looking forward to it. I do feel bad, though, that Asher will have spent so much time away from home this week. It makes me feel like a bad mommy. My mom says I'm just projecting and Asher doesn't care. She's probably right...she usually is.

Anyway, that's about it! I'll try to get better at updating!

Grillin'

So, I know we're WAY behind the times, but we just bought a grill! I told Nick, "Happy Father's Day" when we bought it!

After some minor issues with getting it in the vehicle, we FINALLY got it home! Nick (and Latte, the kitten) had a great time putting it together last night. So, tonight, we took her for her maiden voyage. We decided to grill chicken and sweet corn! Nick brought home the propane tank and we took the grill outside (it had been sitting in my laundry room after it got put together.) Once everything was ready to go on the grill, Asher and I joined Nick outside.

Asher enjoyed an apple to tide him over, since supper was later than usual. He LOVED sitting outside in his booster seat with the wind blowing in his hair. He was even nice enough to share his apple with Daddy.

I was in and out of the house, setting the table and getting the other things ready to go. (I felt uber wifey!) Pretty soon, it was smelling delicious outside (I'm surprised my grandparents next door didn't come wandering over!).

When everything was ready, we went inside to eat. We had bbq chicken sandwiches, sweet corn, and baked beans with apple crisp and vanilla ice cream for dessert. We're not sure if Asher had ever had corn on the cob, but after a few instructions, he picked right up on it.

He didn't really seem into the chicken, but he loved the beans and corn. When he said he was all done, I gave him some apple crisp and ice cream. He REALLY liked that! He really threw himself into his work. Nick said that at one point, I got up from the table and Asher looked to see if I was looking at him. When he saw I wasn't, he plunged his hand into the bowl and ate it with his hands!

By the time the meal was finished, it was obvious he'd be requiring a bath. Between his full belly and playing outside, he should sleep very well tonight!!!

What a Difference a Few Months Makes!

I'm sitting here on a Sunday morning, laptop in hand, "Penguins of Madagascar" on tv. Six months ago, my Sunday mornings looked drastically different. We would have had breakfast with Nick's parents, had some coffee and gone to church. What's the difference, you ask? The addition of a child! All parents know the change that comes to a home when a newborn is added to the mix. Imagine adding a toddler! On January 30, Asher got placed with us. He was 19 months old. He had previously been in care with his maternal great-grandparents and had to be moved because of health reasons. He has now been in our home for longer than he had been with his grandparents! It's hard to believe. It's even hard to imagine our lives without him.

I'll never forget the excitement that ran through our family when we learned he'd be placed with us. We spent time wondering what he'd look like, what he'd act like, how well he'd adjust. Finally, when the day arrived and Ryan brought him to us, we couldn't wait to get to know him.

Of course, there were speed bumps. How do we get him to go to sleep on his own? Why won't he talk? How do we acclimate him to our busy schedules? How do we get him to form attachments with us? Considering his background, he adjusted remarkably well. Within a couple of weeks, he was going to sleep on his own. Within a month, he was adjusted to our schedules. Within a couple of months, he was talking up a storm and even the speech therapist was impressed! Over those first couple of months, he gradually became more and more a part of our family. Now, we can't even imagine a time without hearing a little voice yell "Mama!" or "Daddy!" in his crib every morning. The idea of not having to say "Don't sit on the kitty!" is completely foreign. The notion of not tripping over toys on the floor would never cross our minds. We have become parents...maybe not in the conventional way...but parents, nonetheless.

Six months ago, we were a young married couple with no kids. Today, we're parents to a (nearly) two-year-old, and we couldn't be happier!