Mother's Day

Although this was in the spring, I feel the need to share the pictures from this day.

The kids were amazing to me, I got to sleep in, and when I did wake, I had donuts and flowers waiting for me!  Byron also helped make a cake and cupcakes for me!  They turned out GREAT!!!

We got together with the whole Denning clan and climbed the stairs to Mother Cabrini Shrine.  It is an amazing view at the top and couldn't be more proud of my Grandma Denning (Grams or GG as she is more commonly refered as!)

Blake's Baptism

Kim and I have known each other and been friends longer in our lives than we haven't been.  (If that makes sense!)  We have stood next to each other as we said our marriage vows to our best friends.  We have been there for each other through the tough times in our lives.  We have drifted on life's paths but have always reconnected as if time hadn't passed.  We have been there for each other as we have found out that we are going to be mothers.  Kim is a true and genuine person and to her core is amazing, and I'm so happy to have her in my life.

When I found out Kim was pregnant with her first child, I was thrilled for her!  There is no greater a challenge nor reward than being pregnant and becoming a mother and I was so happy that my friend would get to experience this.

When Blake was born, it tested Kim and Raleigh to their core.  Blake decided to test his parent's strength from the beginning and as I knew they would, they made it through that difficult time with flying colors.  They never wavered  never broke, and they stayed strong.

I have never seen myself as a role model, and don't think that I have a clue as to what I am doing in any aspect of my life.  Apparently Kim thinks that I have my act together and thinks that I am doing a pretty decent job in raising my children (I must have fooled her!) that shortly after Blake was born, she asked me to be Blake's Godmother.  Couldn't have been more shocked or honored.  Blake did a great job and was absolutely adorable.  Thank you to Kim and Raleigh for thinking enough of me to have this role in Blake's life!

Here are some pictures from his baptism!

Life's Adventures....

It's funny.  When people ask me what I have been up to, or what's new, usually the response is, Oh, not much, just life.  And in that split moment, I truly try to think, what have we been up to?   And usually the most recent event pops into my head, but I figure that person already knows about it, so I respond with, just life.

Then I am emailed by my wonderful loving Aunt who tells me that my blog is so horrifically out of date as to what actually IS going on in my life (since she knows everything that we have been doing) and I sit down at the computer and organize my pictures into their folders (I know, OCD....) and looking back over the last 6-7 months of pictures, I realize, wow, my life has been insanely busy and full of adventure.

So, here is my update on life's adventures that have come our way in the last 7 months!

Enjoy the ride....

Decorating

Since we stopped looking for a new house and decided to stay here, B and I ramped up on decorating the house again.  We have done a lot to our house over the last few years, but I decided that I wanted to start decorating our house like grownups and really adding color and nice pieces of furniture.  Right after we stopped looking for a house, I found a new dining room table that I LOVED.  Somehow, I convinced B to buy it and that started the decorating of the dining room.  I love how the room has turned out.  We painted the walls a very soft gray and the ceiling two shades darker flat gray. I love the dark gray and how it complements and makes the table and chairs pop. The curtains were B's choice (my mom and I had different fabric in mind, but when B and I went back to the store, he saw this and liked it more - who am I to argue when he likes something with a floral design!?)

The accent color that I want to pull into the room is a burnt orange color.  I would really love for B and his brother to do an original canvas painting like they did in the family room that has the background color burnt orange with white poppies, similar looking to this.  On the wall opposite of the canvas I want to do a collection of black and white family photos put onto canvas and on the other wall, the black and white flower pictures we originally had up.  We shall see how that goes.  I want to have some really good pictures taken of us to put on canvas, and I have yet to find a photographer that takes good pictures.

Here's some shots of the dining room!

Once I get the artwork figured out, I will post new pictures....I'm ready for some fancy dinner parties now!

Fishies

I attended an awards banquet at work and the center piece that was given away were goldfish.  I bribed my boss to give me the fish from her table so I could take them home to the kids.  They love the fish!

Say hello to "Goldie" and "Truck" the newest members of the Pletcher family.

This is the food bags that I made (yep, using my Cricut!) to go under the chairs at the banquet

Potty Training

Haylee was 2 years old and it was like a light switch for her.  One day she said that she wanted to go potty in the potty and there we were, she was in big girl panties and we didn't have any accidents....Carter is another story.  He is two and a half and has had no interest in big boy underwear and the potty.  He has been waking up from overnight sleep dry for a few months, and everyone that I have talked to would say, "oh, he's ready then".  Great, but how do you get a two and a half year old who doesn't want to tell you when he has to pee, to be potty trained?

I came across this blog post, that talked about potty training in one day.  After talking to Haylee's preschool teachers, I decided last weekend was going to be the weekend that I was going to potty train my son.  The day before we started, we went to the store and I let him pick out two different kinds of candy that he wanted, and 5 Matchbox cars.  The general thought is to take your child to the potty every 15 minutes.  We started on Saturday morning (a week ago) and I took him out of the diapers never to return (hopefully!).  I put out a timer and we were faithful.  Every 15 minutes we would go potty.  If he couldn't go, he got one piece of candy for trying.  If he went #1, he got to put up a sticker, and got two pieces of candy.  If he went #2, he got everything from #1 PLUS a matchbox car.

Here's the sticker, candy and car set up.

His little butt looks so cute in his underwear!

I am happy to report a week later that we are still in big boy underwear, and only having one accident a day.  That accident is usually #2, and the poor boy hasn't gone in a few days.  It's funny to see his "pee dance", and know that he is learning to hold it.  He still isn't at the point where he will tell us he needs to go, but I'll catch him doing the pee dance, ask him if he needs to go and then us going....here's to hoping that the next few weeks he will get it down!

Anyone looking for size 4 diapers?!  We have a surplus now that we are into big boy underwear...

Happy 30th Birthday

My wonderful and loving husband and family threw me a great party for my 30th.  I can't believe that I am 30!  I don't feel 30, but I don't not feel like I am 30!  Byron and I have accomplished a lot and I am so happy and content in my life right now.  Thanks to all for helping me celebrate! I wouldn't let anyone take too many pictures, but I'm sure there are some incriminating photos floating around somewhere....

A few days before my actual birthday, I got a package in the mail from Aunt Diane and Uncle Tom.  They are amazing people and they know how special they are to me and my family.  I was so shocked when I opened the box and saw a Tiffany & Co. box.  They got me an amazing and simple bracelet.  I love it and have gotten a lot of complements on it.

Byron, the wonderful husband that he is, took me to the jewelry store a few weeks before my birthday because I broke a prong on my wedding band and lost one of the diamonds.  We decided at that point (because it was the second diamond I have lost) to see what it would take to upgrade my wedding set.  Thankfully I found an entirely new band that I love, and we put my original diamond into the new setting.  It is an amazing ring, and I can't thank him enough for this gift....

What a great start to this new decade of life!