Bentley 2012

Mr. Bentley what can I say? You my child are AmAzInG in every way.  It's January which means in 3 months you will be 2!!!!  Currently you are wearing 18/24(2T) month shirts and 18 month pants (24 mnths and 2t's are just a little long on you).  You are healthy for the most part, aside from the colds, runny noses and occasional fevers that you seem to be attracted to.  You continue to eat well, there isn't a hole lot you don't like.  Most the time when you don't eat something it's because your not hungry rather than because you don't like it.  Or at least that is what it seems.  You still drink whole milk and love your juice.  I tried to give you new foods so you don't get in a rut with eating the same things, but this is something I still need work on.  You still eat in your highchair and prefer using your hands instead of utensils, no matter how many times we put them in your hands.  You make quite the mess, Mr. B!   
You still aren't talking much, but it's okay, it will come.  Occasionally we will catch what you are saying and we get excited.  During the Christmas holiday you started humming jingle bells, humming ho ho ho, I believe you say Santa (kind of sounds like Amanda but you point to pictures of Santa so I'm convinced you are saying Santa).  I'm still working with you on signing your needs because that screaming you do, well it just gets to be too much sometimes.  Just recently you've picked up on trying to sign for help.  It's still a work in progress but you will get it very soon.  I need to make a list of some other words you need to say so I can help find a sign that works for you.  I feel that this is the best way for you to communicate to me your wants without getting frustrated at me with not knowing what you want or need.  I pray for the day that you call me mommy spontaneously without being prompted, this too will come.  I just know it.  I pray at night for you, that things are all right.  I try not to worry that you will always struggle with pronouncing words, or struggle with not being able to tell us your needs.  I want to think that everyone is right when they tell me that it doesn't matter that you aren't saying much, one day you just "will".  I am getting a specialist to come out and evaluate you, this is just for ease of mind and to help mommy and daddy know what to do next.
You are going to tumbling classes now!  And for the most part I think you LOVE it.  When we first started going, you did NOT want to listen or follow along with what the other kids were doing.  You didn't quite understand what was going on but now you look forward to going and seem to have a lot of fun.  We work on lots of different skills like stretching, climbing, walking, jumping, running, etc.  You really enjoy "big steps" and rolling over.  We are working with you on bear crawling, log rolling, and climbing the sloped ladder.  Daddy really enjoys spending this quality family time with you as do I.
You LOVE LOVE LOVE music.  You can't seem to get enough of it, and in fact you can make anything some sort of musical instrument.  You have play guitars, drums, and microphones, pianos, harmonica, etc.  Grandma Cathi's musical talents definitely shine in you.  For Christmas Grandma Betty and Grandpa Regan along with Aunt Connie and Aunt Angie, got you so many musical things that you could have a one man band.  You also love playing sports with Daddy.  Golf I think is your sport of choice, you will hit anything like a golf ball with your golf clubs.  We have to keep reminding you not to hit people or the dog.  You are still learning.  You like to play with balls, throwing them, catching them, rolling them.  You got a basketball hoop for Christmas so maybe we can start getting you to throw them more appropriately rather than randomly and hitting things that might break.  Santa brought you a Powerwheels car for Christmas and dad thinks you love it, only we found out the hard way that letting you drive it in the house causes the tires to leave black marks on the carpets so we had to take it back outside, but its waiting for you when spring hits.  I can't wait to see you drive across the yard in it.
Things you got to do this year, had a birthday party with all your family and friends, went to Adventureland, took your second trip to Florida, your first trip to Colorado, which we drove and it was a long time in the car for you but you did great.  The first time you took a road trip was to Michigan but you were just a baby so you mostly slept the whole way there.  You got to go to your first Iowa State Fair, you loved the corn dogs and riding the ponies the most.  There are lots of other things but so many to list, I just picked out a few of the most significant things to talk about.  You never stop making us laugh and I love that about you.  NO matter how frustrated I seem to get with you I always change my mood within seconds because you are on to the next thing doing something silly.  I can't wait for what 2013 will bring!   

Goals

I feel a strong urge to set some goals for myself, my family, and our future.  New Years resolutions do not seem to stick with me, they are the same as going on a diet, to much effort that I don't have to put forth.  Which as I write that I'm sadden that I even use as and excuse.  There are a lot of you out there that are setting goals for the year 2013 and I like that idea.  I like the idea of setting small steps that are reachable so that when I reach them I can feel good about myself instead of continuing to be depressed because I'm not actively working toward anything other than keeping my family fed, clothed, and happy.  Which is amazing to do don't get me wrong, but most of me thinks that this is just what I HAVE to do.  I want to set somethings that I WANT to do for me, my family, and our health.

Personal Goals

• Get ACTIVE!  Doing SOMETHING during the week other than occasionally chasing my son around the house and occasionally walking around Wal-Mart.  I do get the house work done and feel pretty pleased that I can keep up with that most of the time, but the other times I find myself sitting in the chair.  Sitting and observing my son, sitting, tired, lifeless.  I will start by at least 15 - 20 mins of dancing, chasing, PLAYING actively with my son a day.  I'm sure this will increase over time.  *DISCLAIMER I do interact and play with my son, I feed my son, I meet his need,  please do not read this and think that I ignore my son.  I am just not as active, physically active, with my son as I would like to be. 
• Be HEALTHY AWARE!  I would like to say here, get on a diet, loose weight, stop eating junk food, but honestly I just can't say that.  I want these goals to be obtainable so why set myself up for failure right?  I want to be aware of what I'm eating and be cautious of my calorie intake.  I can TRY to stop drinking unnecessary calories such as lattes and pop.  I can try to fight off my urges to snack on candy while working late nights.  I need to drink more water, period.  I would like to start twice a week actually cooking a decent meal for my family.  Rather than cooking something from a box or package.  Keep junk food out of the house and replace it with healthier snacks.  That way I don't have to choose what to eat, I have no other option than to eat the healthy snack.
• Get more ORGANIZED - just in life in general.  Now I don't want to be crazy crazy organized like making list for every single thing, but just being organized with my time.  This would play a role in the getting active from my previous goals.  Right now I feel that I waste a lot of time sitting around, sleeping, and surfing around on Facebook/games.  I get the bare min done but still feel that my life would benefit from just staying more active in life.  I am constantly tired due to my schedule changes every week so I don't have a lot of energy.  I feel if I begin to organize my time I can try to train my body to act differently.  

Family Goals        

• Start date night once a month.  I have ALWAYS said, since before I even met the man of my dreams, that when I had a family I would make sure to take time away to celebrate my relationship.  This is, however, the foundation of a family.  Like I have done many times before I've had to eat my words because like many of us know, LIFE IS BUSY!  Curt and I tried doing this when Bentley was born but we let if fissile out, mostly because I started working weekend nights and our time was even more limited, but no more excuses.  ONCE A MONTH is not a lot to ask.  
• Take more pictures of things we do as a family.  Share more of our lives with others around us.  Share stories of the milestones the Bentley has met. 
• Talk more about our days.  Share with each other more of our wants and needs in the relationship/family.  
• Spend more intimate time together! (not just what your thinking, but yes that too!!!)  
• Remind each other why we love them, we can't just assume we each already know! Let's face it, it's always nice to hear why your loved!  It never gets old!
• DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF - this is more of a personal goal but I think the family could benefit in remembering this as well. 
• Invite friends over!  Life needs to be shared with friends!  

Future Goals

• Get financially set where we can continually save money instead of feeling like was have $0 in our bank account all the time.  This is something that is being worked on and will continue to be worked on.  We have a good idea in place we just need to get to a comfortable place where we can start seeing the benefits.
• Begin thinking of Bentley's future, wow!  Someday he's going to need a car, he'll be in activities, he will go to college.  I can't imagine trying to pay for things like that right now on top of money for food, gas, bills, etc.  
• Begin looking toward getting a new home or getting financed to get a new home.  We EVENTUALLY would like to add to our family and right now I couldn't imagine having more than one child at all times in that home.  I guess a brand new baby wouldn't be bad, but a crawler and a toddler, holy cow!  ( See even thinking about having children at this age freaks me out so I know I'm not ready for anymore, yet)  

Well this is a good start I feel.  My blog got a little long and I am sorry if your still with me.  I feel pretty confident with this list for now.  I feel that these are reachable.  They will work for our family and get me on a start to getting organized with my life.  Who knows maybe I'll start loosing weight just by getting active, there's hope!    

Christmas time is over

A lot of you may still have some Christmas's to celebrate, we even have one left in January with my side of the family.  But for the most part, Christmas time is over and I have to admit I'm a little sad.  I think about having to put away my decorations and part of me frowns because I have to mess with getting the bins down and putting it all away and the other part of me frowns because I won't be able to light my Christmas tree or the outside of my house anymore.  Bentley has even grown accustom to the ritual of turning the lights on at dusk.  Christmas tree lights make me....happy.  They are very relaxing to me and I love nothing more than to turn off my lights and sit by the light of the tree!  But that time has come that I must take them down and wait for next year.
We had the opportunity to host two Christmases this year, both for Curt's sides of the family.  While I'm not as good of a host as my mother, I'd have to say both went very smooth and went off with a bang!  I've decided that I may not mind having load of people in my house.  Curt and I seemed to work very well as a team and cleaned up after everyone as soon as the last one hit the door.  Out home is back to 'normal' (or as normal as one can get with a two year old in the house).  I even was sweeping and mopping after everyone left, I AM my mother's child.  It was so nice to have everyone together in one room so everyone could enjoy and converse with each other.  So I'd like to share with you some things that I learned from hosting a large group of people:

     I learned that I should not set expectations before people get here as far as where people would sit/play, where the food would go, etc. because no matter what it won't go as you planned it, and that's okay.

     I learned that I might want to invest in a larger garbage can, or get more trash bags before hosting such a large group, we ran out of trash space and it just kept piling up and we had quite the mess.

     Such a small space can get VERY loud with 30 people in it.

     No matter how much time, how many days, you spend cleaning before a large party, you will STILL find dust/cobwebs/dirt.  I was in shock that I still found this considering how much time Curt and I spent cleaning and reorganizing the house the whole month of December.

All in all I was very please with Curt and my hosting abilities and was surprised how well things went.  We also had Christmas over at my mothers on Christmas day and as always that went very well too.  My mom and Aunt Connie provided all the food, which was a little odd to me come time to pack up my house and leave because I didn't have a side dish to worry about.  Mom thought it would be helpful for Angie and I not to have to worry about cooking anything so we could spend the morning enjoying Christmas with our little ones.  It was indeed a nice load off, but still felt strange not contributing like we always have since we had been out on our own.  We have one more Christmas left and that's when all my VanHoosen side of the family get together.  We have begun getting together at AmericInn and swimming with eating snack type foods.  We have a rather large family so we have out grown anyone's house really, so having it at the hotel that my cousin works at works for us.

I hope everyone had a wonderful time with Christmas this year, and made many memories for Christmases to come.  

SWW

So What that I have only remembered to write SWW because my wonderful friend Sabrina kindly reminded me!  I only have 2 and a half hours left of SWW so I better have gotten started!

So what that I made a big to do about us not getting snow and it's currently falling faster than I'd expected.  I always get a kick out of how the news stations make a huge thing about ALL THIS SNOW/RAIN we are going to get and to PREPARE yourself for the BIG STORM!!!! and then 90% of the time they are dead WRONG!!!

So what that I just now realized Christmas is 6 days away.  I have 92% of my shopping done, all I have been focused on is cleaning for our Christmas guest both Monday and Wednesday nights, I'm trying not to think about it because I don't find it's necessary to stress around the holidays, it's such a downer.

So what that I now get excited for the advertiser to come so I can check out the coupon deals and to see what I can buy just to get more cents off my next fill on gas!

So what that yesterday I put my son in his crib in the afternoon just because I couldn't take his whining anymore.  He's been sick and far to clingy for the things I need to do around the house!  I know, I know I sound and feel like a horrible mother, but apparently he needed a break to because he didn't make a peep and I thought he was asleep but when I went to go check on him about 15 minutes later, he was playing with his feet seeming to be happy!

So what that I haven't planned on what I'm making for Christmas dinner with my family or with Curt's family. There's still PLENTY of time....lol.

Well that's all I've got for tonight, until next time friends!!  Night Night

SWW

So here I sit while watching my carpets get clean and what better time to invoke on my So What Wednesday!

So what that my whole house is tore up because my husband thought that EVERY SINGLE INCH of carpet needed to be clean.  Therefore the living room is in the kitchen and the bedrooms are in the bathroom.

So what that I don't have a single gift wrapped, they are all bought.

So what that I went to give blood this morning and I didn't have anything to drink or eat before going, I just barely passed the iron level of being allowed to give blood, and I lifted heavy items merely 4 hours after, which is not recommended.   

So what that I have invited my entire in law side of the family over for Christmas, and we barely have room for our own family.  I do have "stupid" written across my forehead.  But on the side note, it will be nice to have everyone so nice a cozy in one place on one of the best holidays of the year, after all Christmas is a time for family and togetherness.

So what that our bank account should be in the red but thanks to over protection accounts, it saved me.  Oh and so what that I'm still going out with the girls tonight for supper to La Cabana, I may just drink my supper instead!

So what that I spent 20 dollars on a bottle of wine last night at the restaurant   It was the best darn wine I've ever tasted!!!

So what that I have had to come back to this post because my son woke up with a fever of 101 and I've been playing doctor all afternoon long.  He seems to be doing okay energy wise but can't see to keep the fever down.  Oh the joys of winter sickness.

So what that the last entry in my blog was from two weeks ago So What Wednesday, I'm a busy lady folks.

So what that my husband bought all his own Christmas gifts this year and I get to get surprised by all mine, He is our families Santa this year (also he has a little bit of a shopping problem).

SO WHAT WEDNESDAY???

A friend of mine started this after seeing a fellow blogger start this, so I've decided I'll try to do it too!  So here it goes.....

So what that it's 3:30 and I'm just eating lunch because I'd rather get rest when my son is sleeping than eat something.  

So what the only thing I have to wear lately is T-Shirts and Sweat Shirts, there's only a few nice shirts in my closet that fit me and I refused to yet again buy clothes because ONE of these days I'm going to start a diet! 

So what that we do not have a lot of groceries to make 'meals' with, but most of our Christmas Shopping is DONE!!! 

So what that having my nephew, Drayton over makes me really stressed and not want to have another baby, I love him anyway and he is no troubles at all.  

So what I ate five pieces of Breakfast pizza this morning, I was hungry.  Plus I'll be starting a diet SOME day remember?!?! 

So what if I keep saying that "one of these days I'm going to go on a diet", maybe one of these days I actually will! lol 


Well there ya have it that's it for today, hope you enjoy!

Thankful

So, here I sit realizing that November is pretty much gone, like in three days done, over.  I can not believe how fast that month flew by.  I feel like I haven't been that busy to not notice a whole month has gone by, but it has.  I have been reading and trying to keep up with everyone that has participated in the 30 days of Thankfulness post on face book and my fellow bloggers.  While reading these there were moments that I felt different emotions.  Guilty - that I wasn't participating to let others know that I too have many things to be thankful for.  Jealous - that others seem to be so organized to post everyday for 30 days or try to at least.  Happy - to see so many of my friends be so thankful for what they have and not dwell on the things they don't.  Sad - that truly while some of us have so much to be thankful for there are many out there that are much less fortunate than us.
With that said, here is a little of what I have to be thankful for - First and for most, I'm thankful that I have found a husband that accepts me for who I am.  He takes my crap when I'm crabby, shares in my joy when I'm giddy, understands me enough and cares enough to go the extra step because he knows I care about certain things the way I do.  I'm thankful for my son Bentley.  Man  I look back and can't even think of what life would be without him.  I remember when I first got pregnant I was TERRIFIED beyond belief.  I cried so hard that I shocked Curt and made him even scared.  I worried that I wasn't ready, questioned if I even was ready, I sometimes felt selfish and didn't want to have a little human to look after.  But now Today I'm so thankful that he was brought into my life for he has brought so much into it.  He has taught me what true patience is, he tests me EVERYDAY to limits I didn't know I had, and has brought so my joy to Curt and my lives.  I am thankful for my mom and my DAD, Betty and REGAN!  Though my family is special I wouldn't want it any other way.  Both of these people are as selfless as they come.  They go out of their way to take care of me and my family and I am so grateful for them both.  I am also thankful for my Mother-in-law, I couldn't have it better in cases of "in-laws".  She has truly taken me in as one of her own and I am so thankful for her for that.  I am also thankful for the rest of my family, sisters, brother, sister-in-law, brother in-law!  We are a close family and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I feel like I could go on and on.
Recently I lost a cousin who died at a rather young age, 46.  He passed away due to a blood clot in his chest.  This was such devastating news to me and our whole family.  All I could think about is the wonderful family, wife and three kids, and EVERYONE else, that he had left behind so suddenly.  No warning, no good-bye, absolutely no closer.  It really got me think about how precious life is and that we all need to live each day like it's our last.  We need to TELL our loved ones we love them and not just assume they already know, we need to make sure that each day we have lived our day so that at the end of it we can look back and smile, instead of being grumpy, angry, jealous, or desperate for need of something else.  Because you just never know when it will be your last.  So ask yourselves this, have I lived my day like its my last?  
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and was able to enjoy it to the fullest.  I sure hope I can someone slow time down so December doesn't go by so quickly for me!