Days like these....

Went to snuggle my niece today, makes life seem so simple and peaceful knowing that just by patting her back I made her life easy. If only this was true for all things in life.

One Special K

Always happy, worried, and talking.
Complimenting my pretty dresses on Sunday.
Taking me to Wal-Mart to get my pictures taken, every time I was with her.
Humming that same "tune" while pushing me ever-so-slowly through Wal-Mart.
Promising me a dollar, for a home run in little league.
Standing proudly on the pew next to her during hymns.
Hearing her voice first at family gatherings.
Hearing her prayers at the reunions.
Her back tickles to put me asleep.
Singing in the van.
Taking an hour to drive across town.
Seeing her silloute at every event I ever was in.
Rounding that same familiar corner hill, at the Fair and seeing her in her chair outside the camper.
Seeing her snoozing on the grounds at a "show".
Seeing her snoozing, waiting up for me after the concerts at the fair.
Listening to her scoldings about the rules of the Fair.
Kissing her rough cheek goodbye every time I left her, & getting lipstick on mine.
Being the only Granddaughter, and K, and taking full advantage of it.
Getting a birthday card every year, with a reminder verse in it. Knowing she thoughtfully hand picked it.
Licking the tops of the pudding containers because it would be a shame to leave any left over.
Staying at her house, thinking she would stay awake all night to do dishes.
Watching her carefully open every gift and examine it, and thank you personally at Christmas.
Watching her proudly stand with her Grand kids every Christmas for that one picture.
Laughing thankfully at her "thoughtful" Christmas gifts.
Never getting that pair of Jellies from her.
Hearing her proudly tell everyone, about her 5 J's & her one special K.
Seeing her suffer but always keep a faith.
Saying goodbye several times, only for her to pull through again.
Feeling reliefe that she can be pain free and meet Jesus
Watching her make her goals each year.
Sitting on my Father's lap & completely losing myself as if I was 3 and had skinned my knee.
Watching my two brothers sob at her funeral.
Hearing my brother Jesse speak, only to have wished to tell her how much he loved her, at her funeral.
Singing "in the Garden" with my brother at her funeral.
Trying to hold in tears, to be "strong".
Watching Grandpa try to hide his tears for his LOVE of 61 years.
The smell of the rose from her casket.
Being 22 and just now losing a grandparent. 

This past week, I said goodbye to my Father's Mother, Grandma Joan.
These are things I will never forget about her.

I could go on and on, but describing the things a grandparent has done in your life is nearly impossible. Some of my earliest memories are of me going to church with Grandma. I give her allot of credit for my first interest in a faith and belief in God. I have almost been too busy to really sit down and think about her not being around, until I started writing this post. My Grandparents have been married 61 years, every year they camp at the Iowa State Fair. She passed the first day they got there, in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. She wouldn't have wanted it any other way. This weekend I will head to the fair as I do every year, I will walk impatiently down that ruggegedd dirt path to their camper and it will hit me like a ton of bricks that she won't be sitting there, watching people pass, waiting for us. We sang " In the Garden" at the funeral, sitting between my 2 sobbing brothers, we mumbled the words, and my mind wondered to her and Jesus, whom her life was built around, walking in the garden. God bless you Grandma, I will miss you more and more everyday, until we meet again. I will always be that one Special K.

Grandma Joan and I

Grandma's
5 Grandson's & 1 Granddaughter && (Jason, Jaroed, Jeff, Josh, Jesse, Kelsey...hence the special K)
5 Great Granddaughters & 1 Great Grandson. (Sydney, Jordyn, Peyton, Paige, Ellie, Mason) They kinda messed up the J and K thing! ;)

Ellie Jean

The morning of Friday July 29 started like any other, I got up, dressed, and headed to work. I had a few clients, and got a strange text from my brother.

The text? "Having baby today"

Holy cow. As they just barely finished remodeling their upstairs master bedroom and the nursery is freshly painted, and my brother just put the crib together the night before, I was panicking.

 They went in for a ultrasound to see if the baby had turned from the breech position, and well the doctor said lets just have a baby today so there won't be any more worry.
So at 2:48 pm via c-section Elizabeth Jean graced us with her prescence screaming her head off, just like we wanted :)

She weighed 6 lbs 11.6 oz and was 18 1/4 inches long. Dark hair and blue eyes. She is perfect and it was the best surprise, seeing my brother in his scrubs walking with the nurses and the baby down the hallway, when we asked Pink or Blue? He gave us the thumbs up and said "we got pink!"

 Tears were shed from everyone and we all were a ball of butter!
I think someone could have gotten away with murder and I would have said "awww how sweet"
I am in love and so is farmer! :) We are all so blessed with such a sweet, HEALTHY, baby girl.

Ellie Jean you have stolen my heart! <3

While we're still young....

I haven't blogged for a while. I apologize, really I do. Fall is coming, and we have weddings galore, I am in 3 and we have 4 to attend. Which means showers, bach parties also. I am looking forward to them! I love weddings. Also It's getting closer to the time when Farmer is busy busy busy and I am back to doing things on my own for a while. My brother's wife is due any day and we are just bubbling with anticipation to meet that little one, I can't wait to not have to have an excuse to cuddle a baby all day long :) We have State Fair coming up which is always my favorite place to be :) We also have a Young Farmer's Conference in Omaha we are attending to hopefully brighten our future as building farmers, we're also making a mini-vacation out of it. It will be nice to relax together before Farmer gets busy and we temporarily "forget" we live in the same house. I/ we have been contemplating some major life decisions lately, I have been seeking advice and praying about what decision to make. I found a song and a quote that I found some peace in.

I will write again soon! Hopefully with fun updates on all the things we have to cram into the next month or two! :)

Exciting weekend....

Many exciting things happened over the weekend,

I got to hold my newest baby girl cousin, (which doesn't help my fever) and her mother is looking fabulous!

We had our first official ER visit as a married couple. One of the first lessons Farmer taught me was always cut away from yourself, 10 stitches on his leg later, you would think he would have followed his own advice.

A dear friend got hitched, she was beautiful, and her husband flipped her on their first dance. I was so impressed Farmer and I are going to start practicing, (he is not aware of this yet, I am sure it will go over great!)

She was lovely. :)

There must me something in the water because my other dear dear friend Phyllis got engaged the very next morning and I am soooo very happy for her. She is so deserving of this and it's been a long time coming! I can't wait to dance and get silly at yet another wedding :)

Won't they make beautiful babies? :)

Also my poor little hometown was hit by a small tornado this week. Thankfully no one was hurt and only a few buildings were damaged. Many trees were down and some power was out do to limbs on lines and leaning power lines. From what I had heard the town, (as always), pulled together and had alot of it cleaned up by the afternoon! Ya for small town love! <3

Like My Mother Does, I Love You This Big!

I am completely addicted to listen to the American Idol winner and runner-ups new singles!

1. They are both country singin' people! ya!
2. Lauren and Scotty are adorable! I love them!!
3. Their songs have amazing meaning behind them and in my life, the words are exactly true!

" I Love You This Big" by Scotty is amazing, I think of my husband, I think of future children, I think of my mom.

When I was young that was "our thing" I love you this big, (then I would stretch my arms out as far as I could) then she would say, I love you thiiiisss big, (then she would do the same with her arms) then I would say, I love you (insert cute toddler voice and slurs) alllll the wayyyy arrrrounnnnddd the world a millllon timmmesss!!!! Ending with a huge hug! :D Which leads me to want to listen to Lauren's song, "Like My Mother Does" which of course reminds me of my mom, but also makes me think of my future children (God Willing) with all the hopes that they will always look to me as an example in their little lives, and will always be ok in following my footsteps of life! :) ENJOY!

I promise I will try to find better pictures of her pretty cute little self!

I love you mom :)

Back and Fourth

So if you are newly married, you may have heard the following question, 9685470156301189 times,

"SOOO When are you gonna have babies!?!?!"

 annoying right? HA! Well yes, technically I do think about babies alot, only because everyone and their dog is pregnant! I swear everywhere we go I see at least 10000000 people who are pregnant or have a kid with them. I know what you're thinking, "well duh, that's what people do, we reproduce." well is it so bad that maybe I want a baby, someday, but maybe I like waiting, and don't want one right now? Don't get me wrong, things welll happen, and if it happened we would obviously be ok and ready for one, but for right now my mind kinda goes like this.......

Aww, ya that looks fun!



o ya, nope, I'm out.

now that is what I want

o right, they cry, never mind.

Isn't that a beautiful thing?

then they do this,

and this

and this, in the middle of Wal-mart, ya, I don't think so

Ok so those may be extreme mind sets but I can't help it, I know some of you may be thinking well it's a wonderful thing, and I know it is and I really can't wait but for now I go back and fourth every other day and the little things change my mind, yes in the end I will want a kid, just not now,

until tomorrow,

then I will want one again, until I see one crying or a tired parent,

 I like sleep

 and sleeping babies

and clean hands, and things that can go to the bathroom by themselves and don't need changed,

but diapers are cute on their little bottoms,

they can't walk,

but when they do it's so cute,

but they smell,

sooo good :)

and they cry

but their pouty face is so cute,

and they cuddle,

when they're sick and then I get sick,

but then they want their mommy,

and I will want mine,

then Farmer will come home,

and they will jump in his arms,

and yell "daddy's home!"

ok so my heart just melted.... a little..

Future life? Ok. I am ok with moments like these

(now your heart melted)