Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
We have much to be thankful for this Christmas. As many know I am out of a job as of January 1st and have spent much too much time dwelling on this. A good friend of mine sent me an email and reminded me that I am a "Kept person." My mouth has been "kept" shut, our bills have been "kept" paid, I have been "kept" sane (Eric too), we have been "kept" strong, etc. This email came at the time I needed it and the real reason for this season, the birth of Jesus, has meant that much more.
On to more superficial things...We had a wonderful time carrying on our own family traditions. We attended a gorgeous candlelight service at a church nearby, ordered a pizza from our favorite pizza place (we thank him every year for being open on Christmas Eve), and opened presents after reading the true Christmas story. Spent the rest of the night watching "The Christmas Story" and playing games together (which I won twice, Isaiah got too giggly from overload of sugar and lack of sleep, we had to call it a night). This morning Isaiah woke up to find his Christmas present from Santa under the tree and played with his new toys/gadgets. We spent the rest of the day with Eric's family and eagerly look forward to traveling to Ohio to be with my family. I am so thankful for Eric, Isaiah, the baby we are awaiting and our beautiful extended family and friends! To us a Child of Hope is born!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Why I married Eric...

So our family is in need of just general prayer right now. I will be out of a job as of January 1st (due to company contracts that eliminate my particular position) which has been difficult to deal with. That said, I am very thankful for a husband that is calm and reminds me routinely that everything will be okay and God will work it out. That also said, I struggle to feel that kind of faith when I feel I am facing obstacles I don't feel like I can overcome. I also tend to be slightly neurotic (yes, all of you can laugh at the "slightly" comment) and during these kinds of moments I realize how truly blessed I am to have someone in life that balances out that part of me. (He can be thankful when my neurotic side gets the bills paid! :) ) As G'ma Troyer would say, "You just can't seem to die, can ya?" All funniness aside, please pray that we trust in whatever plan God has in store for us.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Dads who fix things and keep their daughters from having complete melt-downs...

Thanks to all fathers who know how to fix things! Quick and short...pipe rusted completely through in our basement, rendering us unable to do laundry (or much else), caused some tearfulness on my part (I will blame this on pregnancy) and a frantic call to my father since neither E nor I have any plumbing knowledge or experience. Several hours after a visit on Saturday, our pipes look beautiful, the basement is somewhat dry, E is smarter and I realize once again how thankful I am for a dad who is the fix-it guru. Thanks dad! We love you!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Oh the Weather outside is...

BRUTAL! FRIGID! Absolutely intolerable. Oh, to live in a warm climate (without the hurricanes, monsoons, undesireable hot days and so on...). I just needed to get that out. Here's wishing we were with one of our friends who live in more temperate climates...I guess we won't be able to convince you to move back after that, huh?

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Crazy Black Friday-ness

So, I'm not a shopper by nature BUT I got on the Black Friday kick several years ago because of a friend. I talked my sister-in-law, Paula into it last year so this was our second year going and man, was it a trip!

We never buy much and every year we both ask ourselves (at 3:30 in the a.m.) what we are thinking and why we feel it necessary to go shopping instead of sleeping. We had a couple of missions this year: 1)to buy my niece, (her daughter) a small kitchen and 2) to purchase a very small,cheap MP3 player for Isaiah. We also stated that while we really wanted these two items, we were also not willing to fight for them nor get involved in the Black Friday craziness.

NOW, the real story. We went to Meijer, shop around lazily, see a lady with the very kitchen we are looking for. She reports she has been in the store since 10pm THAT NIGHT (who is THAT insane???) and was planning on buying 2 of them. Suddenly we felt the urgency that this was going to be an item of high desire. We found a handy spot to stand and wait. Within 20 minutes we were feeling crowded and a bit protective of our spot being the "second in line" waiting. Quiet whispers, mass movement to a side door, we split up to "divide and conquer" and I assumed the position of waiting. Then running is observed to a side door on the other end of the store. By this time of course, Leegan MUST have one and I must secure a kitchen set because she undoubtedly cannot live without it. I run down 2 aisles pushing the cart, hoping no one will knock the pregnant woman down. As I reach the end of the aisle a skid with one kitchen passes me by and as it falls off the skid I grab it. At that moment another hand reaches around the corner (but I HAD it). I HAD SECURED a kitchen! I then heard "Karen!" and saw that Paula had also secured one for her precious daughter and later learned she had also tackled an old lady to get it (Just kidding but there was an old lady involved). I gave my kitchen away to one of the many screaming women and we moved on, pleased and hearts pumping. What a thrill! We decided we must go for a high demand item next year too!

On to item number 2...the MP3 player at another store. We feel the urgency now and rush to the section it is located. There stand a group of women around one very tall, Russian man that has grabbed at least 5 MP3 players waiting for the associate to unlock the clips. He is blocking the entire wall. The assoc. unlocks the clip, he grabs the one he wants (which is the last one of that sort), a lady starts screaming at him, other ladies chime in and Paula and I are slightly freaked out. We start backing away (running for an item and getting into verbal fights are completely different), look at each other and I announce that I don't like this. At this point, the entire crowd moves, still yelling and we calmly pick out the cheap, unwanted MP3 player that we came for. Whew.

This is the end of the drama. The rest of the shopping trip went smoothly and after 4 1/2 hours we were home and I went to bed. Happy Thanksgiving to us! :) :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanskgiving to one and all! It is by far my favorite holiday and once again, completely enjoyed being with my family for an extended weekend. It is always a welcome get-away to go home and do nothing...

So, the kids always steal the show. It is SOOOO awesome to see the love that Isaiah has for Leegan and vice versa. Although he reaches his limit of tolerance, he spends quite a bit of time keeping her occupied. She is enthralled by him and is an amazingly happy, giggly, excited little (and quickly growing) girl.
I included a couple of pics of
them together. The first is just a pic of them
together and the second is after hours (or
what seemed like) of Isaiah running around
Leegan in circles and her spinning to watch
him. They finally collapsed. They are just too
much fun.

Just imagine...next year we will have doubled the numbers! :)




Things I am Thankful for...

Things I am thankful for this year...

- an unexpected baby to enlarge our family
- the ability to wrap my brain around the fact that there will be another child!
- God and my continually growing faith
- yoga (actually E should be thankful for this one but I suppose it works both ways :) )
- E's Christmas break is almost here and that means I have made it through another semester of full-time school
- iced lattes (except during pregnancy which have only served to make me sick...)
- watching Isaiah grow and learn at amazing rates
- an awesome family reunion this summer that brought back crazy childhood memories
- health for my husband and my child and myself
- my large, extended family
- trip to California
- a job I have loved (even though it will be ending soon)
- family movie nights
- Bones, Ugly Betty, The Office
- a warm house and cars that run
- my attempts at blogging
- friends, especially the unexepected ones!!!

Friday, November 21, 2008

random babblings I am entitled to

I know this means little to most people but after reading other blogs and knowing they just put down ramblings at times I figured I was allowed...

I had to mop my NEW (yes, new) kitchen floor for the first time today (because of that dreadful Midwest thing called dirty snow) and it was SO EASY!!! I almost wanted to do it twice! Almost. So much better than cleaning 35 year old vinyl floor covering...

That's all. Just wanted to let everyone know.

It's What???

Okay, so I added this after the fact after several friends told me I should... (and should feel no guilt about it). For all those that want to see the proof, here it is. If you don't, close your eyes and scroll to the next pic!


It's a BOY! Eric pumped his fists in the air during the ultrasound and then stated he was done, he didn't need to see any more. I knew he wanted a boy but had no idea it would cause that kind of relief. The ultrasound lady got quite a laugh! I, on the other hand, while thinking I would prefer a male, was so relieved to hear it was ONLY ONE that I no longer cared by the time we got to the sex.


We went home, made Isaiah wait to know if he was having a brother or sister. We then showed him the disc of the ultrasound the nurse made him and he was ecstatic he was having a brother, thus setting off a dancing competition when Eric joined in. It was quite funny, but at least they are happy! :) Thought about attaching picture to prove to one and all the sex but thought better of it and just attached the typical profile....

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Sickness

So I have been fighting what I beleive is the worst cold/sickness anyone in the history of man has had to endure (yes, I know this isn't the case but let me wallow in my misery). I am now working on week 3. During week 1, I truly believed one night that I was knocking on death's door and he just wouldn't answer. During week 2, Eric threatened that if I didn't call the dr. he would not go home with me for Thanksgiving (which is my favorite holdiay so he knew which button to push). I believed him so I called the dr. I am now on week 3, am still slightly miserable and have already been through the anti-biotics the dr gave me. Eric has just now started kissing me good-bye again (he doesn't believe in getting anywhere near a sick individual), Isaiah is still asking me if he is allowed to take a sip from my cup ( I didn't want him to feel the near-death experience) and I have actually slept through the night without coughing so hard I find myself vomiting in the bathroom. Eric sleeps with me again since I don't keep him up all night with the coughing and apparently my "really loud, obnoxious snoring." Obviously he was not concerned about the fact that I couldn't breathe well, just that he couldn't sleep...

Saturday, November 15, 2008

My Hippie Dude


Halloween




Yes, I realize I am a bit behind the times but thought I would post a pic of the kid on Halloween. Funny that last year he was a robber and this year he moved up to a "jail bird" (which is exactly what he asked for). I guess it is a consolation that in his mind he is making the connection between robbing and going to jail...

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Forgotten Big Brother Update

I realized I had never updated on Isaiah going to the dr. with me. I can't begin to re-create the image of his face when he first heard the baby's heartbeat. It was precious. It was a heart-squeezing moment. For a split second. Then I had my 6 year old back. He could not wait for the dr to listen to HIS heartbeat with the machine! Anyway, the dr. gladly and laughingly obliged. I suppose that made more of an impression than anything. I guess it helps keep him involved if nothing else!!!

New floor, new life...

It is done! We have been talking, hem-hawing, discussing and estimating the obtainment (is that really a word?) of a new kitchen floor since this January. I can't stand the old one; the old, nasty, 40 year old spotted vinyl flooring. I DON'T LIKE IT. It has become a slight obsession in the most disliked things in my home.

Anyway, we finally made the decision, picked the new flooring (no small task) and decided when to have it done. After much hassle, mis-measurements, special orders (of course), it is now DONE! I LOVE IT! It is fabulous, it rocks, I feel like I have a new home (at least for a little while). While everything was moved out, I also painted the office because that floor was part of the deal and now I have 2 new rooms! Yeah for me! I suppose it is sad that something so insignificant makes me so happy, but isn't it the little things that keep us going?

Eric's version: "Yeah, it's cool. I'm just glad it makes you happy."

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Pumpkin-Shmumpkin


Each year I try to be creative with Izzy for the fall and we often make a scarecrow and he has colored (painted) pumpkins that sit out by the front door (usually until it rots, collapses and I have to clean it up but...). This year he has been extremely adamant that he wanted to "carve" a pumpkin, heedless of my warnings that it couldn't be as easy as it looks.

We bought a cheap, little pumpkin carving kit, complete with a book of designs to use on the pumpkin that were much more creative than we could ever hope to be on our own. Isaiah of course picked the most difficult in the book; we negotiated and settled on one of the easiest. We then began the carving of the pumpkin.

Firstly, how disgusting is it to actually get the pumpkin cleaned out? My goal was to save the seeds to roast (yum). This plan quickly met an end. Isaiah was not excited when he had to stick his hand into the pumpking to remove the nastiness. I reminded him he was the one who wanted to carve the pumpkin in the first place. After a zillion hours of cleaning, we moved onto the design. UNBELIEVABLE! We ended up drawing on our own SIMPLE face, carved it out and had a much better time. Three hours later, we have quite a cute pumpkin complete with Isaiah's original design. This is also accompanied by lots of grossness to dispose of and cramped hands.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Last Soccer Game


Last game of soccer today! Isaiah had lots of visitors over this season that came to watch him play! We had granny, Ti-Ti, Masahada, G'ma & G'pa Troyer and Aunt Joy and Uncle Seth. It was fun to watch him grow and learn and become more confident in himself and his abilities. What a fast runner!

Baby Update

So we are about 4 months along now. Had our first Dr. appt and listened to the heartbeat. Quick little story about our first time around with Isaiah. The first time we heard the heart beat when expecting Isaiah, Eric whispered to me as we walked out of the office "I think we need a 2nd opinion...it sounded like the baby was having a heart attack (becasue the heart beat was so much faster than ours). Anyway, this one went much smoother and I didn't have to convince him the baby was fine! Isaiah will get to go the next appointment so that will be fun.

At this point, I am feeling better, less tired and can't complain since I'm not vomiting every day like I did with Izzy. I would attach a pic of my belly so far but I really just look like I have eaten too many doughnuts. Not big enough to be cute but not small enough to fit comfortably in my pants anymore. Errghhh....

Friday, September 26, 2008

Musings & Wet Willies

So I always think..."what can I write about next?" and then I realize I have millions of thoughts that I could probably put some down in writing so...

While I was sitting on the couch tonight with a GIANT headache I was watching Eric and Isaiah wrestle in the chair, randomly giving each other "wet willies." I would assume everyone knows what these are but in case you don't, it is the nasty practice of wetting your own finger with your own slimy slobber and then sticking it in someone else's ear. After all that, you also laugh because you think it is funny. I for one think it is absolutely disgusting and Isaiah knows not to come near me or even pretend that he may think about spreading slobber in my ear. I will place him in time-out for the rest of his 6th year and possibly part of his 7th. This often leaves me out of the "great fun." Along with this is also quite the wrestling match and I start thinking about my dad and brothers who randomly still try to see who may win. There are a ZILLION pics while we were growing up with dad basically whooping everyone (yes, even me at times) but as boys grow up it is a little more even now (don't knid yourself, dad can still hold his own). Dad does avoid these things most of the time but alas, he is a boy at heart and still can get sucked in. It is amazing how different male brains work! Where is the cuddling? Where is the lovey-dovey-let's show affection? And really, why must we spread slobber?

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Shocking NEWS!


I believe this will be a test to see who actually reads our blog (that I have worked so diligently at trying to master). We are expecting a fourth member to the Chandler family!! What you ask? You're expecting what? Yes, we know and yes, you read correctly. Imagine how shocked you just felt at that news, double it, add a few tears (not really happy ones initially on my end) and that's how we felt...so you are not alone. It is an amazing thing, just a little unexpected and not quite what I had planned. Yes, I did say "I." Apparently God did not think my plan was a good one and decided to show us what His perfect plan really was. We are now dealing (happily) and Isaiah is over the moon. The story of how he reacted to the news is quite a brilliant one (but lengthy). A short synopsis would be that he ran screaming down the sidewalk outside (a good scream), came back in, bear hugged both Eric and I and then clasping his hands as though he was praying stated, "Thank you mom, thank you Dad, thank you God, I thought this would never happen!" I have included a pic of the "happy I'm a big brother" face....Stay tuned for updates...

The Dog


So I thought maybe I should actually spend some time talking about "the dog." We have been the proud owners of a dog, named Jeb, for a couple of months now and let me say, it has been a slight trial for me. As many of you know, I am not really a "dog person" and I made some things very clear before jumping into the forays of being a "dog owner." Basically I will do nothing but make sure he has food and water. I will also agree to walk him occasionally if I happen to be going in that direction. I will not clean up poop, give baths or do any kind of training with him. What I FORGOT to add (or was blissfully ignorant of) was that this short-haired dog would shed more than I could ever imagine, would follow all of us around the house incessantly and would randomly vomit what appear to be furballs although I thought only cats did this.

This said, I have also found that I like him more than I would like to admit and he is wonderfully protective so I feel safe and secure. I do know that if someone tries to steal us, he will at least eat their arm first. I appreciate that fact. I can also admit that Isaiah adores Jeb and has been very good with his chores on taking care of him.


All in all, I guess maybe I will be a "Jeb-dog-person." The jury is still out on the complete committal but I'm getting there....

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Our Soccer Pro!




Soccer season has begun. Isaiah is trying his hand (or feet) at several sports this year and will eventually have to make a decision on what he enjoys the most. I don't know how people do it...we are only at the first grade level with one practice a week and one game but I still feel crazy with schedule overload! He is enjoying the soccer thing so far since he loves to run fast and likes to believe he is pro...sliding on his side as he throws out a leg to kick the ball. For the record, it's actually against the rules in 6 yr old league (we found this out quickly...)

Friday, September 5, 2008

I Have Failed

So, getting increasingly frustrated with this whole blogging adventure. I find I have more to say (and show) the world than I can seem to get on the page for everyone to enjoy. I cannot seem to figure out ANYTHING and when I finally think I have gotten smarter, the computer shows me I haven't. God bless Chris (cousin) and I really do mean God bless; for her unconditional help and for not laughing at my helplessness (well, at least I don't think she is laughing but I guess I can't hear her since we are only communicating via email). I do think I would be able to tell in her writing intonation though and she only sounds as though she feels incredibly sorry for me... I just want someone to tell the computer programs that I only desire to share my stories with the world and those who love me (or at least want to know about the lives of the Chandler's). I have so much to say about soccer, toothlessness, a new dog, etc. I guess the world will have to wait until Chris can help me figure out yet another problem.....

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Back to School!


Sadness again...my babe's back in school and in FIRST GRADE! We planned out the outfit, got the new bookbag ready and got clean. Woke up in the morning, drove to school, he held my hand (yes, he held my hand!! of course only until we got to the doors) and he stated "Mom, I'm soooo nervous." I had a little tear that wanted to come out but last year for kindergarten he asked me not to cry so I figured the same rule applied for this current year. We walked to his class line, he saw old teachers that remembered him, several friends and promptly announced that I "could leave now." His mother! The woman who bore him! Needless to say I made him endure the torture another 3 or 4 minutes (until 9am on the dot) just to prove that I was needed (to myself of course). Oh well...I suppose the day will come that he won't even want me to drop him off so I should be thankful for small things.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Our Life This Summer






So to start, I will write a little to catch everyone up on life:




It has been a CRAZY summer. So many activities to cram into such a short time... School is about to start, for both Isaiah and Eric. Alas, this also means my sanity is also reaching its end. We have made a trip to California to visit wonderful friends, Jatin and Amy. While there we were able to go to Disneyland, Sea World and the beach (Isaiah's first experience in the ocean and salt water). We have went camping, went to Ohio numerous times, saw my middle beautiful sister graduate and give her Senior recital and recently attended the Troyer reunion (which was absolutely fantastic!!) Our biggest news is probably that we are now proud dog owners of a Bull MAstiff-Doberman mix breed named Jeb. Those of that you know me well realize I am far from a "dog person" and he has truly been a test of patience and understanding. Our first 12 hours with him were filled with drama (too much to recount here and you would be missing out if you were not privy to my sound effects and gestures).




Isaiah is now 6 ("and 1/2") and has been involved in swimming, T-ball (bball in the winter), playing outside, riding his bike. He will be starting 1st grade in just a couple of weeks and has already told me he doesn't want to go back to school Does it really start this early? Eric has also been enjoying his break from school and loving all the projects I am finding for him. I continue to be involved in yoga and our church worship team. I am also bound and determined to love blogging (and to be as dedicated as I am able...)

The Computer Illiterate


Well, this is the beginning for a completely computer illiterate individual. I know how to work the essentials needed for my job and basic email! I have several cousins who have blogs and I find them extremely interesting and have now been motivated. I will say that our family blog will not reach the witty climax that others reach but it may help keep others in touch with what is going on in the Chandler household...