Finally....

Kevin and I made a big leap and decision within the past month or two. We decided to get a new computer, or rather a new laptop.

Our home computer was one that my parents bought me before my sophomore year in college, so it's safe to say that the computer was going on ten years old. That's kind of old for a computer. Every time we would pull our computer up, we would hope that it wouldn't give us the infamous error message of having no memory, therefore, not allowing us to perform any real actions on it. When we went on the Internet, we hoped it would let us do what we wanted. And, the real challenge was being able to have a large amount of patience as we waited for any program to upload. We were both used to our work computers, so when the computer would run a little (or actually a lot slower), we would try and do things too fast - oh wait, that was just me. I think our computer knew when I was going to use it and got real mad and didn't want any part of it, so it responded with error messages, or simply just freezing up. But, don't get me wrong here, this computer has seen me through all of my college term papers, hundreds of newspaper articles - basically all of my college work was on here. When Brooklyn was born, it became the home base for over 1,400 pictures from her life before she even turned one. So, it's really been faithful to us, but as happens with all old things, sometimes they slow down, and sometimes they die.

In our case, our computer had slowed down. That was until we brought the laptop home with us, and then, sniffing out the new laptop, our computer died. This happened, of course, when we were trying to download all of our 1,400 plus pictures off the computer and onto a flash drive. Our computer didn't like that we were trying to take things away from her, so her best defense was to die. We could only open her in Safe Mode, meaning there was no way to get the photos off. After we both made several attempts to revive her, finding it was useless, I called several computer repair shops and got a deal on bringing our computer in to get files off of it. But, when Kevin came home that night, he gave it one last stab to see he could get it to work. When the screen came up, there was the word "force" there, and he choose that option. So, slowly, we loaded the pictures onto our camera's memory card, and then on the laptop. After a couple nights of doing this, we were finally finished.

We were totally wrong to have the pictures all stored on the computer, and now that we realize that, we are going to be burning CDs with the photos. But, they really did have to go somewhere, and we don't like to get all of our photos printed right away. Let me tell you, it was wonderful to look at all the pictures from the past two years to see how much our princess has changed. She has really grown up. We really had no clue that she had such little hair toward her sixth and seventh months, and had such a chubby face, and chubby legs with rolls. I guess when you are in the midst of living life with your baby, you don't necessarily notice all the changes that you can see by the captured photo. Having got these pictures off our dying computer meant so much to us. I would be very, very sad if we couldn't have gotten them off.

Anyway, back to our laptop...

We also made the decision to go from dial-up service to high-speed internet. I know, as Kevin's brother would say, we were living in the dark ages. Even my parents have high-speed internet! So, today, we got our high-speed internet installed, and it's wonderful. So quick and smooth from one website to another, and we don't have to wait for a ten minutes for a page to load. Yea! To initiate the high-speed internet, I went on to YouTube with Brooklyn and found a song she likes from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I think we made a wise decision, and it seems like everyone will get something out of the decision that took us almost three years to make. That is everyone, but the dog.

An office memo

Dear Co-Workers:

Did you know that more people actually come to work sick than call in sick?

My request: If you are sick, and feel that you might infect the whole office with your contagious germs, than stay home. That is why sick leave was created. Don't come into work with a 104+ degree fever, terrible cough (didn't your mom teach you to cover your mouth when you cough?), severe sore throat to the point where you can't swallow, eyes burning to the point they are red bumpy looking and swollen, severe chills, sneezing to the point that you can't control where the sneeze lands, doubling over from your stomach pain and have the inability to wash your hands after you use the restroom or snot everywhere. We don't want you here. You aren't even being productive because of your ailments. Stay home, relax, put your feet up and watch "I Love Lucy" reruns all day, or sleep all day, or... I don't care really what you choose to do, just DON'T come in to work. It's rude! You're spreading your germs around the office, and possibly infecting others. We don't want your germs. Coming in to work sick isn't something you should be proud of, so don't boast about it in the hallways. If you feel the need to come into work when you are deathly ill, please bring a 19oz bottle of Lysol Disinfectant Spray with you. When you touch anything that isn't your desk or in your area, spray the Lysol, even on papers. Don't forget the toliet seat, toliet handle, doorknob, sink, fax machine, copier, printer...basically any common areas. We don't want your germs, sicko!

Makes a Mom proud

On Monday, I took Brooklyn to her pediatrician for a 2-year-old well baby check-up. We always thought she was a tall little girl, and our thoughts were confirmed. She is 35 1/2 inches...just a mere 1/2 inch away from being three feet tall. That puts her in the 95th percentile. Her weight, 27 pounds, 4 ounces, puts her in the 50th-75th percentile, which the doctor was pleased about. Her head measured in at 19 1/8 inches putting her in the 75th percentile.

So, what does this all mean?

Well, Brooklyn is a tall, slim girl with a big brain! The doctor determined that developmentally, she's where a 2 1/2 or 3 year old should be. Brooklyn was chatting with the doctor too, and the doctor said with how well she communicates verbally that she's up to the 3-year-old mark there. We understand quite a lot of what Brooklyn says, and she's been combining words to form 5-6 word sentences. Some of the things she says, we're surprised she knows and can say them as clearly as she does. The doctor gave us a few things to work on in the next year to help her become even more advanced such as problem solving tasks, learning her ABCs, colors (she knows green and pink), numbers (she can already count to 10) and her shapes.

We're so blessed to have such a beautiful, healthy, intelligent little girl. She makes our lives so full, and gives us purpose in the world. After her doctor's appointment, we stopped by Daddy's office for hugs and kisses and because after her shot, Brooklyn called out for Daddy. He gave us a gift.

He had gotten 2 gift certificates to Mimi's Cafe. He handed one to us and told us to go out to lunch. So, Brooklyn and I did, just the two of us! It was such a wonderful experience and something we are going to have to do far more often. There's something about it just being us. We talked throughout lunch. Brooklyn stopped eating several times, folded her arms, put them on the table, lowered her head, and say "So, Mommy, day?" meaning how is your day? I'd say great and ask her the same. She ate an incredible meal. I just left the restaurant feeling so full of love for my little girl. She is just the best person to be around and I am so glad that Daddy gave us this opportunity. Afterward, we went home with the intention of napping and then giving her tricycle a whirl outside since it was a beautiful day. But, by the time she started her nap, sleeping for almost three hours, it was time to get going and get dinner started.

Oh well, Monday was just a perfect day all the way around!

Grabbed My Attention

I'm sitting at my desk flipping through the pages of a Colorado Parent Magazine from 2004 and I stumble across an ad. It reads: "I lost 225 lbs. of Ugly Fat in Just 90 days!!!! Call and ask me how!" in huge, bold letters. I think to myself, wow, how much does this person weigh now? I turn a few more pages, and then go back because I am curious to see if it says.

I look at the ad a bit closer and realize it's not for a weight loss program or diet pills, it's an ad for a divorce attorney. Huh?! What a message! And, how sad. In the finer print of the ad, you read results may vary based on the weight of your spouse and court scheduling, but results are guaranteed. Again, what?!

Obviously by now this ad has been very effective in attracting readers, as it got my attention. But, I feel guilty and sad that I gave this ad this much amount of time, especially considering the content. However, it does make for a good ad because it does grab attention pulling the reader in wanting more. Then, I got to wondering and questioning the amount of time that I spend with each of my clients putting together slogans or catch phrases for their ads. Are the messages I am helping to put out there as effective? While the content of the ad is something I don't agree with, I must say it's a catchy way to display it. Advertising is really about relaying a message to an audience in a creative and effective way to get attention to that specific client in their specific line of work.

No matter how effective this ad is, I still feel uneasy, even a little bothered by it. I can probably chalk that up to the content though, and the fact that my expectations of the content was no where close. Makes you think about the messages you see every day though, doesn't it?

Side note: I was looking at the magazine to get leads for a Summer Camp Guide I am in charge of at work.

Goodbye Beautiful...Welcome Fatty

We've had a good run. We've shared almost 9 months together. Those past 9 months have been beautiful. We've had our own space, and we've made a lot of great deals together. I've been spoiled a little too much. But, the time has come, and with tear-filled eyes, I bid farewell to you beautiful, slim, sleek, widescreen and bright computer...you will be missed.

And, I welcome with wide, very, very wide arms, my new computer , and I have already named her Fatty. Having been here only an hour, she's taken up more room than one computer monitor should, and she's working on tipping over my desk! And, the best part, she's dying! Yes, that's right, she's dying. Her bright picture has turned to a very dark, dim blue color. A co-worker (with power) stopped by my office to take a look at my new friend, and said oh, we'll get you a new flat screen monitor sometime soon, they're cheap! So, Fatty, it may be a short run (please!?!), but welcome to my desk. Just try to give me some space, okay?
P.S. Why did I get a new computer? So I can have the correct program that I have been missing for over a year now. So, yea! That's exciting!! =)

A Christian Life

Growing up in a Christian household where prayers were said at meals, before bedtime, the Word of God was taught by my parents and shown through by their living examples, I wanted to provide this to my children as well. I desire for each of my children to know their Lord and to have a personal relationship with Him. If I could only teach my children one lesson, this would be it. This is the most important thing in life.

My family went to a non-denominational church for some time and I was raised Presbyterian. Our church met at a middle school, being that we didn't have our own building. The worship service took place in the auditorium while Sunday school took place in classrooms. When I close my eyes, I can still imagine walking through the halls. My family became quite involved with church activities. My parents were part of a couple's Bible study, my mom played Mary in a Christmas play, I was in several plays and participated in junior high and high school youth group. I honestly can't remember what my sister participated in, but maybe that's because she was still pretty young then. We were an involved family though. We, my mom in particular, would help out if someone needed anything. That's why it came as such a shock and heartbreak to us that when my mom broke her back, and was unable to do much of anything, that no one from the church called or offered help. The details are a little fuzzy to me about everything that happened, but let's just say we didn't go back to that church. And, because of our experience, our family was a bit burned from finding a new church. We did go to another church, the one where my grandma went to and still does, but we didn't call it our home. We didn't get involved like we did at the last church. My parents always have believed that faith is a very personal thing. They have always said that you don't have to belong to a church in order to believe in the Lord, to walk with Him daily or to be a Christian. So, slowly we stopped going to church each Sunday.

When Kevin and I got married, we had a couple fights over a Presbyterian or Lutheran (which is how Kevin was raised) church for our ceremony. The decision wasn't solely about your church or mine, it was what faith we would become as a married couple, and how we would raise our children. We each had our opinions of the opposing denominations including how the church service was conducted. With parental guidance and disagreements on both ends, Kevin and I chose the Lutheran church to be married in. After all it doesn't truly matter which denomination as long as the Lord is at the center of our marriage. Since we were married Lutheran, we went to Kevin's church for quite a while before deciding it was time to find our a church near our home.

Two years ago, Kevin and I wanted to explore our options and find a church that we could call our home church, one that we would become involved in and one that our children would become involved with too. We decided to go to to the Lutheran church near our house. That first Sunday we were instantly greeted by this nice, very loving, older woman that introduced us to so many people before we even sat down for the service. The service was a blessing to us. We really felt at home there, and we really felt this is a church were we could grow not only our faith, but a place for our children to learn the Word of God. We kept going week after week, and soon joined the church. We have since become involved members, taking on roles as scripture readers, greeters before church, junior youth group and participating in Bible studies. One of my favorite parts though is the fellowship and the friends that we have met at church. And, that is something that was something that I always overlooked. I feel blessed for the people I have met and continue to meet and get to know on a personal level. There are several woman who I feel so blessed to have in my life. And, it excites me at the number of young families with children because as a mother I want our children to have church friends and become involved in church activities just like Kevin and I did as kids.

But, the most important thing is helping our children find their way to the Lord and being a daily example to them through the way we live our life. After all, that's what our parents did for us.

Brooklyn's New Year's Resolutions

Being that Brooklyn is now 2, and it's the new year, we've decided it's time to help her set some New Year's Resolutions, or rather goals to strive for in 2008.

Losing Pappy
Pappy is Brooklyn's coined phrase for her pacifier. They have been together since Brooklyn was really little, like 2 weeks old. It is by far her most precious and treasured thing. She has gone through a lot of pacifiers, due to size, them getting old or losing them. This past Easter, she had an Easter egg hunt, and four of the eggs were filled with new pacifiers. She loved them all! She loves to carry them around with her, one in her mouth, and one in each hand. She swaps them out almost every other minute. She sleeps with it, rides in the car with it, plays with it, goes shopping with it, she has even showered with it...the only thing she doesn't do with Pappy is eat with it, and that's because Daddy and Mommy ask for it before she gets her food. She has become a bit addicted to Pappy, so much so that we really feel it's time to start breaking her of the habit. We started yesterday, only allowing her to have it during naptime and when we put her to bed. She asked for it a couple of times, had a couple meltdowns, but then with our fast redirection of her attention, all was forgotten. She even went to bed without it last night. She slept almost 9 hours before waking up to realize she needed it. Daddy gave it to her, but this morning Mommy asked for it back, explaining that she is indeed a big girl now! It went with a few tears, but she was and will be okay without it.

Potty Training
Brooklyn has become the all-too-predictable-go-to-the-potty kind of girl. Potty in the sense of her diaper. She is very private about this matter, and will most of the time go under her new Dora tent, under the dining room table or in a closet to take care of business. But, before she does, she says "I poopy." She has been doing this for some time now, and in fact, I know when she has to go before she says anything because I'll ask her and she'll run to a spot and take care of business. Now, I don't have a clue when she goes Number 1, and she doesn't make any kind of announcement, so we'll learn together how that will work. The question has come up if I am going to buy a potty chair, one where she can watch TV in the family room while drinking her "bucha" aka milk, and my answer has been "No." I want her to learn to use the real toilet. They have those little kid toilet seats that you put on the actual toilet seat, and I think that is what I plan to go with. I know my mom used the potty chairs, and there is really nothing wrong with them, I just feel like potty training has to be right for the family for it to work. Brooklyn knows that Mommy and Daddy go to the bathroom to take care of our business, and I want her to learn the same thing. I don't want her going poop in the kitchen while she's eating crackers. That just seems yucky to me. Maybe I'm wrong and will change my mind when we actually cross that bridge, who knows!

Getting Dressed & Undressed
Brooklyn is quite the fanatic of checking for toe jam, and has become all too interested in pulling up her pants after I change her diaper, or when they are falling down a bit. So, this last resolution/goal should be fun. She loves to pick out an outfit to wear, and loves to get all dressed up in it. And, as I have said before she loves the prospect of being independent and doing things all on her own, so I think she will love learning to undress herself before bed or a bath, and getting herself all dressed again. She knows how to work a zipper, can put her own shoes on - even on the right feet some of the time - and definitely knows how to take off her own socks, so learning this skill should involve some fun and laughter on all parts.

Here's to 2008!! Happy New Year everyone!!