30!

My mom brought me a celebratory balloon! The children played with it like monkeys. Worth every penny

I did it. I turned 30 and didn't shed a tear. We had a pretty good day. Had a lovely family breakfast at Burger King.  I chose this so that we wouldn't have to sit, order, and wait for food.  We were the only ones there, and we still had to order, sit, and wait and wait and wait for our food.  Weird right? Whatever, it was good and the kids got crowns which made it seem extra special and fancy shmancy.  From there we headed over to the 'great mall of the great plains' which lack anything great but maybe the Bath and Bodyworks Outlet store ( I like some yummy smelling soaps).  But the theater in the mall was showing Despicable Me 2 at 11:00 AM.  I have recently become obsessed with Despicable Me and was very excited to see it.  The theater was EMPTY and we were soooo excited.  Come to find out the movie didn't really start till 11:15, and a few other families showed up at 11:13.  Luckily they had kids too, so hopefully NonaJane wandering around the theater wasn't too annoying for them.  At one point she even walked out in front of the screen. I was too embarrassed to walk out there and get her, and since she was shorter than the screen and not really casting a shadow I instead chose to act like she wasn't mine. HAHA not sure I pulled it off.

NonaJane is just screaming because she can see the cake. and lacks any shred of patience :)

Adam headed to work at 2, and my mom came over to spend the afternoon with us.  She brought me a french silk pie, yummy.  And some new swimsuits for our upcoming vacation! bummer on the vacation part not working out but I think I look lovely in them at our neighborhood pool. (look at me looking on the bright side right?!)
Adam also got me some flowers and a really ridiculous card that said "hey, nice butt!" on the inside.  So if Jack goes about commenting on the niceness of ones butt.. it is Adam's fault.

Who takes a picture like this? Adam does

NonaJane attempting to eat the whole piece.. in one bite. Jack on the other hand ate one small bite and lost interest.

Our movie going experience

This is SO MUCH WORK

We used weathered boards from old palates to accent the TV wall

Adam continues to work away in the basement. His diligence, persistence, and hard work continues to amaze me.  I put in a few good days work painting everything, and found myself saying "ugg, this is exhausting! and Ugg... this is SO MUCH work!"  pretty laughable considering all I had to do was paint and stain.  I'm surprised Adam didn't dump the can of paint over my head considering he has been endlessly laboring down there for the past 5 months.  A few weekends ago we were down in Valley Center, and we brought home an old free-standing bar that was made of barrels (with matching chairs and bar stools in true 70's fashion).  Adam got them from an old family friend for a whopping cost of FREE.  He then worked, and yelled, and maybe even cussed... but eventually dismantled and re-assembled it into a new more modern wet bar.  I thought this might be the one thing that he was going to give up on (because he usually does not get frustrated enough to cuss. So I knew it was serious.) But he pulled thru and it looks REALLY cool.  Then we thought we were going to put stone along the TV wall... and found it would cost several hundred to several thousand dollars to do so. RIDICULOUS. So instead he used FREE palates from work. (not sure if that is considered free or stealing. But that is neither hear nor there) HAHA I worked that saying into another post! awesome.  BACK to the point. I do find myself having more empathy for Adam now, often telling him to take a break. But I think at this point it is like being in the final quarter of a marathon (not that I have ever run one) and he just doesn't want to stop for anything.  I can finally see/envision the end result, and am just...amazed.  Our basement has more character, more finishing touches, and loving details than the rest of our house combined. All these extra details also meant extra costs... but I have no doubt that the cost of materials will in no way over shadow the use of our new space!

You can see the built in bed, and the doorway under the stairs for the playhouse

We chose to do a mixture of dark stain, and white wood trim around the room

The bar area coming together. 

There better be some damn lemonade in here somewhere

Before I start, let me assure you that I am aware that my life is GOOD. I am aware that I am lucky in a million ways, and I have not forgotten this.  But that does not invalidate that sometimes things happen in life that leave you feeling disappointed, angry, or just plum sad.  This week has been one of those weeks for us. (and luckily, the last time we had a week like this was way back on July 11th of 2011. The day Adam cut his finger off and a lot of other bad things happened).  Obviously it could have been worse "at least you didn't lose your whole hand", but it still sucks when you cut your finger off. Right?  Plus, a year later he did get a settlement from work that resulted in him being able to purchase his manly but very fancy truck.  So lemons turned into lemonade or whatever.  But when bad things are happening, lemonade a year later doesn't sound that appealing.
So I'm leaving you hanging on what is going on around here (trying to build the tension so you will feel for us more :)

Random NonaJane sweetness that has nothing to do with this blog post

A few weeks ago Adam's Dad, Ron, had a bad dizzy spell and headed to the E.R.  They diagnosed him with some inner-ear illness, but also noted that he had an irregularity to the sound of his heart beat and encouraged him to go in for a physical.  Thankfully he listened and went in. They ran some tests and said he had mitral valve disease, passing him along to a cardiologist.  The cardiologist put him under for further testing and determined open heart surgery for a valve repair was needed.  But did they just do it then? NO instead they send him home so he can sit, wait, get nervous, and really think about the surgery.  The doctors took their lovely time and finally settled on a surgery date for a week and a half later. Surgery date : Monday August 26th.
Prayers, well wishes and good vibes appreciated for we love Adam's Dad far too much and are absolutely unwilling to tolerate anything bad happening to him next week. Not an option. Okay!?

There is another minor detail.  We were scheduled to fly out with my parents on Sunday August 25th to the Riviera Maya in Mexico for a 6 night all inclusive no expense spared vacation.  Right.... see the problem here?  So we call the travel agent thinking hey, we bought insurance (which I RARELY do) we will just shift the trip back a few days or a week till Ron (Adam's Dad) is comfortably recovering, eating ice cream and having people rub his feet (cause that is what recovery from open-heart surgery will be like).  WRONG. Apparently moving your vacation means that the airlines want to charge you an extra grand. So we tried the next week, and the next, and every possible combination of dates between now and October to no avail.  I'm much too much of a tightwad to fork out an extra grand on our no expense spared trip. So we thought "we can go to Florida! That will be cheaper".  WRONG again.  Would you believe it is cheaper to go to the Carribean than it is to visit a fellow state right here in America. What the H E double hockey sticks.
But there is a 3rd minor detail I have forgotten to share.  Our lovely hunk of junk AC unit crapped out about 2 weeks ago.  No big deal in our unseasonably cool August.  But then, just to be funny mother nature has turned the thermostat up to 90 all week and is trying to roast me out like ... I don't know you can fill in the metaphor. I'm tired and it is too hot in here to think of one myself.  Seeing as they told us we needed a new unit several years ago, and last year, and I am pretty sure another time in between, I think we are finally going to have to buy  a new one.  Joys of home ownership.
So the dilemma, do we behave as responsible boring adults and use our refunded vacation money on a new air conditioner?  This does not sound like fun to me.  This does not create memories as my blog title so kindly reminds me... or does it?
Is this the stuff in life that makes everything else sweeter? Like when Ron gets out of his surgery, heals up with his new valve, and finds himself with more energy than before?  Will I look back in two years on  this week and see the purpose? Lets hope these lemons turn into lovely lemonade that our whole family can sip on. (preferably in a nicely air conditioned room).
Ronald Schwatken, we LOVE you. This surgeon better take good care of that heart.

Did I blog about the time Jack was diagnosed with random pneumonia? I'll have to get back to that one later.

Fighting time.. and losing gracefully

Jack pushing NonaJane at our neighborhood park on a lovely summer evening

It's birthday season around here.  I will be turning 30 in one week. Adam will be turning 35 on September 5th, and our baby Jack will be turning 4 on September 9th. (Loud depressing sigh)
Though I think that people misinterpret my gloomy approach to birthdays.  It isn't the number that bothers me.  I don't long to be 21 again... in fact I love where I am in my life. That is the problem. I'm so thankful, happy, and content, that I really don't want things to change.  I want to FREEZE time, and I can't.  Birthdays are just another reminder of that. You know how people are always trying to tell you "cherish them, they grow up so fast" like I don't know that?  Every night I put my babies to bed, and am overcome with a sinking feeling as I shut the door knowing another day is over.  That is the honest truth.  Why do I do this to myself? I know why, because I LOVE life.  I love the gifts that God has placed in my life.  I don't want Adam to turn 35, because I want him to stay just how he is now! Will him turning 35 change him... no. Obviously not. But then I will blink and he will be 40, 50 and so on.  I can already see myself sitting down and reading this blog post 10 years from now thinking "I remember sitting at our computer typing this. And look at me now, the kids are 11 and 14!"  If I could draw myself as a cartoon, it would be me clawing the ground as a giant clock is dragging me through life.

Our first family outing to the driving range

BUT, on the other hand, if time hadn't passed and I hadn't grown up... then I would never of had Jack and NonaJane.  This proves to me that, God willing, the future holds wonderful things that I should anticipate and hope for.  But the future also brings the unknown.. the fear of something bad happening. It is a fear that at times paralyzes me, and unfortunately seems to come with the role of being 'Mom'. But I do want my children to grow up and have wonderful experiences. I want them to live, to love, to laugh, to have babies and see the world.  So if that means that I have to grow old... then I will try to do so  with gratefulness in my heart. 
Thank you God for this day. I pray that you bless me with tomorrow.  I will do my best to live each day, to keep my eyes open to the world around me, and to see the beauty of each stage of life.

Adam giving Jack a little golf lesson

My beautiful parents. Who have taught me to be thankful, to love life, and appreciate everyday.

This does NOT mean that I will like birthdays. But I will be grateful for each birthday that God blesses me with.