8 years together

Today I've been married to Chris for 8 years, which is somewhat surreal to me when I consider everything that has happened in 8 years. 

Wedding Day 9/27/03

Summer 2011 Family Photos

We have lived in 4 Homes

Coralville Duplex

Muscatine apartments

Muscatine house

Our house now (picture Aug 2010)

We have had two 2 children

Chris & Deane Sept 2008

Chris & Kate Oct 2010

and 1 Dog

Roxie our soon to be 8 year old dachshund

We have been on countless adventures like drinking Margaritas made from unmarked bottles on the street,

Rosarito Beach daytrip during our honeymoon

 ridiculously long bus rides,

NYC Bus Trip 2000 with Ecumenical Singers

 weeks of pure relaxation with ocean views,

our ocean "view" room at Hotel Del Coronado on our honeymoon

 luaus,

Maui with Grandpa & Grandma Frye 2000

 posing for goofy photos,

Jungle Island South Beach Miami on Orange Bowl Trip 2010

 kissing the Blarney Stone,

Blarney Castle 2007

 posing for more goofy photos,

NYC 2009

Savannah Trip 2007

and dinner on the beach with Rambo shot guy

The Office, Cabo San Lucas 2009

We have seen many heartbreaks, successes, joys, life lessons, and SO much love.

We've started a tradition of writing letters to each other and to our kids for their birthdays versus just cards because I think we've already given each other everything Hallmark had to say.  So, I'll keep the gushy stuff for Chris's personal letter, but it's important to me to tell the world what an amazing man I married. 

Wrestling photo from high school; I didn't actually meet him until after high school and the long hair was gone ;)

I thought he looked like trouble and I'm so glad I was wrong.  He couldn't be much more dependable and easy in his approach.  I love that there is a little part of him that occasionally shocks me with an opinion about something I thought he didn't care about.  He loves manly things like fires, beer, the great outdoors, wrestling, grilling, the Cardinals and the Hawkeyes, being a dad, and this stupid hat (below).

Chris & my brother, Andy, in Cabo

Deane's first Cardinals game

but he lets me temper that with button up shirts (he always rolls up the sleeves; it's his thing), dinner at fancy restaurants (much less frequently these days), laboriously planned outings, and hair product.  He does not hold purses (unless his mother-in-law would ask), doesn't understand little girls' outfits, and kills all the bugs and spiders in our house.  God made him to love me veraciously and intensely and be a father to his children naturally and adoringly.

Christmas 2009

I'm a lucky gal!  Happy Anniversary to my partner in this crazy life!

Fall Home Updates

I haven't been inspired to decorate for seasons other than Christmas for the last few years.  Maybe it's always having a little baby or being pregnant, but this year (even though the kids are still a handful), I wanted to make an effort.  I knew I didn't want to spend much to decorate so I shopped my old decorations and took my Google Reader full of creative blogs for inspiration.  Here are a few little Fall updates I did with decorations or materials I had in my possession.

Entry
Before:

 After: not substantial, but subtle with some bright colors that I enjoy each time I pull in the driveway.

Half Bath

I used these mini gourds to create another use for my olive tray. I am super proud of finding another purpose for the tray since I rarely get them out.

I ended up placing it in my half bath. 

TV Cabinet
Before:

After:

I used a wreath and candelabra from our wedding on the right side.  On the left (and shown up close) is a pumpkin I already had with some faux hypericum berries (also from our wedding) with a free printable from While I Was Napping that I just stuck in a frame I already had.

Mantle:

Before:

After:

I again used a pumpkin that I had on the left.  I switched out the plate for a taller metal vase that offset the painting after I moved it down.  The part I'm most excited about are the FALL bottles.  I found the inspiration for this here.  I don't have a Silhouette as she used and again wanted to stick with what was available for free to me.  My awesome cousin Zack made his own beer and shared some with Chris.  Chris has been storing the bottles to return to Zack so I borrowed them (thanks Zack!).  Here's how I made them:

1. I cleaned the bottles because apparently Chris doesn't do this after he drinks them...ewww.

2. I used my Cricut to cut the letters from this Fall shaded scrapbook paper.  I cut a letter from each area.  If you don't have a Cricut or Silhouette, you could find the letters in a Google image search and cut them out or make them in Word (or whatever similar program you use) even.

 3.  I didn't want to ruin the bottles so I affixed the letters with these foam square adhesives.

 It's not perfect as you can see the square when you are upclose, but the goal is accomplished.  If you weren't worried about saving the bottles, I would use Modge Podge to permanently adhere the letters.

4. I had the below decoration from Target from several years ago, but I think you could use any kind of filler flower, tall grasses, etc. I just cut it apart and sorted bundles to put into each bottle.

 5. There was some rafia in a natural shade tied around the wheat decoration, so I tied a couple pieces around each bottle and trimmed them somewhat short.

This was fun and very satisfying since I didn't have to spend a dollar to get this little Fall update.  What do you have lying around that could be re-purposed into decor?  Happy Autumn!

To look at a few of my other favorite Fall decoration ideas, you can visit my Autumn Pinterest board.

Making Memories

Some kiddo updates from the last few days...

Around 11AM earlier this week, Deane said "Eat Pizza".  (Side note: Deane doesn't eat pizza.  He has eaten some crust in the last year, but no pizza.).  I asked "You want to eat pizza?"  He said, "Yes".  I asked if he wanted to make pizza as I had bought some whole wheat mini crusts this week.  I sat him on the counter, he spread out his sauce and added his cheese.  We talked about how the cheese would melt in the oven and when it came out, he actually ate it! 

Kate thinks it is hilarious to climb the stairs, but she is so interested in my reaction that she looks back and would of course fall if I weren't immediately behind her.  Unfortunately our stairs are awkwardly shaped at the bottom and until we come up with a more permanent solution, I have created a "fence" using chairs...super sophisticated. 

I love, love, love crisp Fall mornings.  Here, it's so pretty to see the fog rolling off the lake.  I couldn't capture it well, but I really love it.

I'm claiming "Ba Ba" as Kate's official first word.  Although she says "Ma Ma" and "Da Da", I know she is acutely aware of what a ba ba is.  She immediately starts saying it repeatedly when she sees one or I ask if she wants one.

When Deane gets into something, he really get into it.  Right now, there a couple new shows he is always asking to watch.  On an episode of Word World, they spell Rocket and apparently this really stuck with him so it's his new favorite word to spell.  We don't think Deane can read (although there have been some weird instances like when he called a band-aid "Johnson" as in Johnson & Johnson), but he does well as memorizing spelling.  At the Autism Center, he wanted to spell Rocket on the white board...over and over and over.  It was pretty cute.

And this one is wild and crazy and delightful and sweet.  She loves to make us laugh and to laugh loudly herself.

Deane fell asleep on the couch today...a very rare nap unless we are in the car for a long period of time.  I had to snap a shot.

Anniversary Date

Sorry bad lighting, shameless posing

Chris and I went out on our anniversary date last night.  We went to Lavender Crest Winery for their Friday Night Wine Down.  We had a good time (enhanced by a $25 gift certificate we acquired), but were home by 9:30.  We watched some shows we had DVR'd (it's a word!) this week and Chris was struggling to stay awake so we went to bed by 11:15.  We're so fun these days!  :) 

Our anniversary is actually the 27th, but we had a babysitter (thanks Mom & Dad), so we jumped on it.  I usually get a little sentimental and want to look at our photos so I thought I would summarize the day.

There was posing...

A ceremony that I don't really have photos of...I have a video, but I will spare you :)  Apparently the wedding Mass was followed by crying and hugging.

Then at the reception there was wine and roses

 cake (no cake smashing action here folks) and those yummy cream cheese mints

There was dancing...

My parents getting down :)

Looks like a line dance

Friends having fun...

There were "moments"

and even time for appreciation

It would be so much fun to live it again and have all those we love in one place, but we will have to savor the memories and see you all at our 50th anniversary party. ;)

Update: I forgot on the way to our dinner we passed a group of hot air balloons confirming to me that it was going to be a good night!

School Part 3

The 3rd part of the school consideration process was for Deane to be evaluated and observed.  In our district and in accordance with our schedule and the staff schedules, this meant two visits.
The first visit was in the preschool classroom.  In the domain meeting, we discussed that I wanted to be present for all of Deane's evaluations.  I felt it was important to see how they were evaluating him.  When I arrived, the speech team met us and planned to have me meet with the social worker and school nurse in a separate room while the speech team evaluated him in the special education preschool room.  I just reminded them that we had discussed being in the same room and they accommodated me.  I just completed most of the forms/questionnaires myself (to avoid interrupting the class) versus being asked all of the questions.

After speech team felt they had enough information, it appeared we were going to be done.  I asked whether both teachers (both special education and general education) would observing Deane or if this was not part of the process.  The team didn't seem to know so after asking, we moved over to the general education preschool room for a little bit more observation. 

For me the lesson of that visit was that the staff was not trying to provide me any less of an experience than I wanted, but that I needed to ask questions and gently remind them of what I wanted in order to get it. 

On our return visit, Deane was evaluated one on one (versus in a classroom observation setting) by the occupational therapy provider and the school psychologist.  In this instance, this looked like Deane performing tasks like stringing beads, drawing lines and circles, doing a puzzle, etc. (for OT) and identifying objects in a book and attempting block formations (for psych; intention was to evaluate cognition).  This visit gave me the opportunity to speak to Deane's skills when he wasn't interested or compliant since (as so many providers acknowledge), you will never see a young child's true abilities in one 2 hour visit with him in a strange environment.

I have found all of the staff very easy to work with.  I think it's important for parents to be informed as to what they are looking for, be prepared to ask questions, and understand the process in order to be comfortable.  In districts where staff cuts and budget restrictions have left staff doing double duty in steering this process, there may be times when they don't know how to handle the situation because they have not seen it before.  I wanted to write this from a factual stand point, but would be happy to discuss more details and opinions with other parents.