Brynn

4 years old

40 inches

37 pounds

size 10 shoe

Feisty, smart, talkative

Drama Queen/ future actress

Tells everyone her name is Brynnie, though they usually think her name is Brittany

Amazing artist- pictures, coloring

Loves Ariel

Is married to Prince Eric (usually played by her very generous and go-along-with-anything sister Kaitlyn)

Pretends all day long

Is fond of using the names Ella, Emma and Ariel for her baby dolls

Always calls me Cheryl when we are pretending and goes on and on about her (pretend) 'mudther' (mother)

Loves watching movies, videos, TV

Devours pickles (will even drink the juice!) and mustard

Her burritos consists of sour cream and chopped up tomatoes

Runs everywhere she goes

Is crazy fast when she runs

Giggler

Has the biggest, most expressive blue eyes

Looks a lot like a Nance

Has a loose tooth on the bottom- must have whacked it on something

Has the finest, wispy hair of the bunch

Red is her new favorite color, her previous favorite was yellow

Drags around her yellow blanket everywhere (she has two- hers and Kaitlyn's PBK crib blankets)

Still sucks her thumb

Will climb to get anything she needs

Bosses Kaitlyn around with authority

Loves driving with the windows open

Begs to listen to princess music or Mama Mia in the car

Can't wait to go to Disneyland and meet Ariel

Loves popsicles

Can count to 7 and knows all her colors

Loves seeing the letter 'B' around town

Sweet big sister to Zach

Always calls Trey 'Treyman'

Prays for 'Mom' and 'Cheryl', 'Rich' and 'Dad' every night

Loves wearing dress up clothes and applying make-up and lip gloss

Is dying to buy a new pair of sparkly red shoes like Dorothy's

Storyteller

Kaitlyn

4 years old

42 inches

40 pounds

size 11 1/2 shoe

Sweet, kind, sensitive

Logical

More reserved, until you get to know her

A tell-it-like-it-is girl

Mommy's helper

Not afraid of taking to adults or telling them something about their own child (runny nose, they need help, etc.)

Could spend all day reading books

Loves the colors purple and pink

Gets bored quickly when watching TV

Adores Barbies

Loves horses and unicorns

Has millions of Little People that she sits and plays with for hours

Is a fan of Snow White

Wonders why Disneyland has a Wishing Well, but Disney World does not

Has an amazing memory

Drags around her 'Bear' or 'flower' blankie (Rich's Aunt Nancy made them and they soon both became Kaitlyn's property)

Sucks her thumb

Will still fall asleep at night at reasonable hour if she takes a random nap

Will say she's tired at night and ask to go to sleep

Loves french fries, nuggets and ketchup, esp at Chick-fil-A or McDonald's

Consumes a lot of corn

Enjoys having a sippy cup of milk every morning

Puts up a lot with Brynn's demands

Throws a mean spiral football

Physical clone of Rich's mom

Has lush, silky, shiny dark hair

Lean and tall

Has a dark, chipped front tooth (hit it into a tub, later a toilet)

Loves her Daddy

Is the indoor tricycle queen

Emotional when tired

Truthful

Lucky 13

I kissed him goodbye yesterday. I gave him an extra long squeeze and told him how much I would miss him. How I love him. How he had better hurry back to me. To all of us.

He was headed east to a mock board review course in New Jersey.

The countdown to Friday has begun. We are all looking forward to when Rich returns to Lexington and his traveling days for this test will be behind him.

The rest of Sunday passed quickly and April 26 arrived early as I spent midnight- 3 AM sorting clothes, moving things here and there, trying not to stop until the finish line was visible in the distance. As I worked, I thought back to 1997. To the day that changed my life. The day my Prince Charming became mine.

After a few hours of sleep and an early morning getting the boys to school, I spent the day painting, vacuuming, lugging boxes, scrubbing floors, running to Goodwill and hauling out the trash. Met the Realtors at 1 PM. Chorus pick up at 3 PM. Piano lessons at 3:30 PM. Thank heavens for the rain, because 5 PM baseball was canceled.

Then the phone rang. A florist was on the end of the line. No one was home when they dropped by. There was something waiting for me on the porch.

My sweet fella had called early that morning and and wished me well on our special day, but this was more than I had expected. It was simply perfect.
Thirteen years ago I married my best friend. For thirteen years we have walked side by side, hand in hand through life. There has been ups. There has been downs. There has been joy. There has been pain. There has been victories. There has been defeats. And through it all, there has been love, trust, encouragement, friendship, loyalty and unselfishness. Thirteen is a lucky number, because it is as long as I've been blessed to have Rich as my husband. I love you Babe. I really, really, really do.

Lofty Peaks

After months, and weeks, and days, and many, many hours preparing, planning and working, I reached the summit of my own personal Mount Everest. I crossed the finish line of that long grueling marathon to the top of the world. Well, at least that is what it felt like to me.

I seriously should be really tired tonight after my long trek, and yet I can't sleep. Rich is far away in New Jersey and I think I'm still running on a bit of adrenaline and a tiny bit of caffeine. I guess that is what happens when you go and go and go. Sometimes it can be hard to just stop and remember that it really is over. At least for now.

Today, I finally put my home up for sale.

It was a long time coming, and yet we were so indecisive about the move and change, that it kind of snuck up on me too.

Rich's life is currently consumed with preparing for his oral board exam on May 26. This is his 8,000 meter peak he must climb.

My path to the top of the mountain was taken mainly alone, in small, relatively painless steps over the course of a few months. I started by slowly decluttering closets, weeding through old clothes, cleaning carpets and organizing shelves.

But my two main hurdles were: our closet and the storage room. Both were, well, unspeakably horrible. These were my two reasons for dreading selling the house. Both required me to acclimatize for a few days, creating a mess that lasted longer than I care to admit, so I could finally tackle all the loose ends and see it through to the end.

It wasn't like I physically couldn't get it done. It was finding the time to get it done. Every day was filled with appointments, school lunch dates, baseball and soccer games or scouts. My free time is really never my own. And then there was a baby. Who now crawls and can pull himself up to things and hardly sleeps during the day. I thought I was doomed.

Then Kristi called last week and reminded me of the soon ending buyer tax credit. My mom gave me words of encouragement. A friend told me about her great Realtors (husband/wife team). Rich gave me EIGHT HOURS on Saturday night (7 PM- 3 AM) lugging boxes and decorations and toys from the storage room, boxing them up and stacking them up neatly in the garage.

Early Sunday morning, I knew I was finally going to see the view from the top. I just had to make that final push to realize my dream- getting the house listed.

I know this all sounds a bit dramatic. But it's been a LONG few weeks. Intense. Tiring. Stressful. There were moments when I would turn to Rich and tell him there was no way I could get it all done.

But together, we did it. Only with his help could I complete this journey of getting the house together.

Thanks Rich. I should have realized along time ago I needed a climbing partner. You were exactly what I needed.
Family roomMaster bedroomMaster bedroom closet (I always thought this would make a perfect little playhouse for the girls)Boys room Girls room (yes, my four year old girls are still in the cribs. I never bought twin beds, since they will be sleeping in the queen bed that is currently downstairs when me move to Cincinnati).Laundry roomBasement family roomBasement storage roomStorage unit, oh wait, I mean our garage.
Whew!

I hope I don't have to make too many more box runs to Liquor N' Party Superstore in the coming weeks. They know me there, and yet, I'm not an actual purchasing customer!

I hope we can find a buyer soon so I don't have to keep it perfectly spotless for an extended period of time and hang out often driving around in the car during a showing.

But my main motivation to sell is so we can move forward in finding a rental house in Cincy.

And we will be one step closer to DONE!

Crazy how fast our FOUR YEARS here went.

I have no words to adequately express how much I love and will miss beautiful Lexington and the gorgeous, lovely state of Kentucky (even though I'll still be next to it, just over the Ohio River). It makes me sad even now.

I'll be saying goodbye to My Old Kentucky Home, but part of me will never really leave.

Zachy

8 1/2 months old

23 pounds

size 18-24 months or 2T clothes

two teeth (bottom)

will eat ANYTHING I feed him

loves drinking water and stealing his sisters sippy cups

could spend all day playing in the tub

can crawl with lightning speed

pulls himself up to furniture, walls or even your leg

quiet child, doesn't fuss a lot, not a babbler

deep laugh

big, bright blue eyes

wide grin

golden red hair

amazing nighttime sleeper

random napper

will let anyone hold him

recognizes his name

adores clanging pots and pans and pulling out drawers or emptying bookshelves

loves ripping paper

speed crawls over to any ball

hates getting put in his car seat

enjoys being outside at baseball or soccer games

does not suck his thumb, take a pacifier or need a blanket

sweetest baby ever!

Game ball

He had been in a long drought. For over 12 months, he had not gotten that added little pat on the back, signaling a personal victory on the field from an appreciative coach. That small thank you from the sidelines.

After the team started their slow slide downhill towards the middle of the standings last spring, his old coach simply stopped handing out game balls.

These beat up, used balls mean a lot to the players that receive them. They are a marker of their personal success. A sign of a game well played. They are presented after the game as the team huddles together to chat about their performance as a whole and individually. Parents stand close by, listening, waiting.

Josh had played well. He had a double and triple. He had a few RBI's. He even had a double play at first base.

Even if it was the team across the way, standing behind their own dugout, smiling and beaming and discussing their victory, Josh was celebrating a victory all his own. The beloved game ball was finally going home with him.

Family Fun Night

Two weeks ago, on a Friday night, Southeastern Baseball kicked off their spring season with Family Fun Night. It is an annual event that raises money for the league by selling $5 hamburger meals and $3 hot dog meals, invites each t-ball and rookie league teams participate in a skills challenge and had the first major league (9-12 year old draft teams- sort of like all-stars) game of the season. The weather was gorgeous and we all had a great time being together at the ballpark.The Rookie (coach pitch) fieldEach team had a group of players run the bases while being timed.Then they had the infield throw the ball to each base while being timed. Josh plays first base, so he threw the ball to home plate. Josh's team, the Indians, didn't win, but it was fun to watch. Plus all you got was bragging rights if you were the winner.Zach loved being in the pack and watching all the action.The girls watched Josh from the bleacher seats by first base (where we always sit).The girls sat still for a while, but then they got moving, and didn't stop until we went home.

Trey and Matt played 'Hot Box' with a group of other kids. There is ALWAYS a game going on at the ball park.The boys watched an inning of the Red Socks Vs the White Socks Major league game. Zach face says it all- we had a wonderful night together.

The Best

Rich is amazing. Everyday I realize this. I appreciate it. I thank my Heavenly Father for him and bringing him into my life. I really did find the best person for me. Rich is incredible. He's hard working. He's honest. He's sweet. He's handsome. He's kind. He's smart. He's humble. He's an amazing father. He's my best friend.

It's been my pleasure for knowing him for nearly 14 years and I love that our 13th wedding anniversary is next week, because every day with him makes me a better person.

Just today he:

Mopped the kitchen floor on his hands and knees while I was up getting the girls and Zach ready for bed.

Took Josh down the the batting cages for a hour to work on his swing for his game tomorrow.

Thanked me for dinner (fancy spaghetti!).

Prayed for me and asked Heavenly Father to give me patience (which I totally need right now trying to get this house ready to sell!).

Let me drag him around the house when he got home from work so I could show him all the things I did today (packed eight boxes and cleaned out two closets).

Read the scriptures out loud to the boys after he tucked them in bed.

Cuddles and snuggles and plays with Zach.

Went to each child individually and asked them how they day was.

Tells the girls how beautiful and sweet they are, over and over again.

Came down to check on me while I was down feeding Zach and then took the sleeping baby and put him to bed so I could get backpacks ready.

Called me twice from the hospital just to see how my day was going.

He drove the boys to school so I could feed the baby.

Studies and studies and studies for this extremely hard exam and never complains.

Always reads his scriptures before going to bed.

Reminds the boys to say their morning prayers and asks them to help me more.

He is simply the BEST!!

I love you Rich.

Thanks for being the very best example for me and the kids. It makes all the difference to us and helps us bring out our best selves too.

Thunder Over Louisville

Louisville skylineReady for our 40 minute brisk walk.Zach's first Thunder!The airshow flew overhead as we walked.Kaitlyn thought those jets were LOUD!The moon, Venus, the bridge and the Ohio River.

Six airplanes flying in formation.

9:45 PM THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE We loved all of it!