The Kindle Family Est. May 3, 2003

I heart ULTA

2011-08-13T22:40:00.002-05:00

I have recently had a very rewarding shopping experience around town. My favorite place to go is ULTA. I could spend hours in that store, looking, thinking, picking things out, putting some back and of course purchasing. I haven't treated myself very much since my pregnancy with Brooke except this last month. It's like all the shopping urges have piled up and all of a sudden broken out! It could be dangerous if it keeps up at all! I think once school starts my mind will be on other things.

So a couple of my favorite things to spoil myself with are first and foremost Bath and Body Works lotions. Of course you can't buy these at Ulta, but it's one of my must haves.

Second is OPI nail polish. This is actually a new found love. I tried a cute light pink of my moms on my nails and it didn't chip for like a week! Almost as good as getting shellac treatment on your nails. I have personally never had a manicure with shellac but I have seen it and it looks great! Too bad OPI is so expensive or else I would be stocking up with more than the basic colors.

Third is the ped-egg. It's been around forever but I never had the opportunity to buy it. For anyone who hasn't seen my heels let me just tell you they are as dry as the ground here in San Antonio this summer. Awful and ugly. So I bought one and tried it skeptically and I loved how it took off all the nastiness! My heels look a lot better than they used to. It's pretty cool!

Anyway back to Ulta, they have absolutely everything you could think of having to do with beauty, face and hair. My dream day would be a shopping spree at Charming Charlie and Ulta. I think I would be set for awhile for sure :). Anyone else have any favorite little must haves they would like to share?

Already August?!

2011-08-06T17:38:00.002-05:00

I finally figured out how to title my blog posts again. Awhile back I guess I decided to disable the function because I always had a hard time coming up with titles! Not this time though. I am so shocked that summer vacation will be OVER for the year 2011 in 2 1/2 weeks :( . We had a great summer and I wish I had lots of pictures to show but I don't. I didn't even take any pictures...my SIL Tiffany did, my MIL Alana did, and my Mom took some too. So I have to gather them together and get them posted!

You know I think our summer was so great because we didn't over do anything. We were lazy when we wanted to be and not when we wanted to be entertained. We have been more lazy lately because of the extreme heat. Me and the kids though luckily got a TINY break from it by flying out to Virginia to spend some much needed time there! It's always great to be able to go visit VA, especially in the summer when everything is so beautiful and lush from all the rain they get. It seems as if the rain always falls everywhere but San Antonio :( So sad because my flowers and grass are dead and things just look brown and boring!

However things are about to go from boring to exciting for Tyler and Aubrey who get to start school in a couple of weeks! Tyler will be in 2nd grade and Aubrey will be in the Pre-K program at his school. Aubrey is very excited to be able to go to the same school as Tyler and to have a big girl back pack and make new friends! Tyler is excited because he is always looking for new things to learn about. I AM EXCITED to have some go-run-errands-time with Brooke! Lot's of fun will be had by all of us this school year and lots of new things will be learned and accomplished :)

So long for a little while. Hope to post pictures soon!

2011-05-30T19:55:00.003-05:00

I have been meaning to post new pictures of Brooke and the family and finally I got my hands on the pictures that were taken on her blessing weekend and also some more recent from Memorial Day.

Brooke's blessing went really well and she didn't even wimper like our other kids did on their blessing days. She's something special that's for sure! She has been a real blessing in my life and everyone else's.

Over the Memorial Day weekend me, Matt and the kids drove up to Tyler to stay with his parents. Me and the kids had fun during the day swimming in their pool while Matt went with his Dad over to his cousins' house to work on recording their latest project: a church music cd! I am glad Matt gets to work on his hobby as much as he does!

I think that is a good enough update for now. So long!

2011-04-26T12:23:00.002-05:00

Wow! I am such a lazy blogger! But of course a lot has gone on since I last posted. Most of you should know that I had baby Brooke at 37 wks along on March 15th. At some point after 20 weeks I developed gestational diabetes. I have never had to deal with that during a pregnancy and truthfully it made me think that Brooke would for sure be our last one. But one never knows so I can't say for sure. But, if I ever do decide there is another little one out there I would have to be in optimal physical health to ward off the chances of developing complications again. Anyway, back to my story...some of you may or may not know that when you have gest. diabetes you become prone to other complications including preeclampsia. I NEVER thought that would happen to me, but it did. Slowly over the last few weeks I was pregnant I was feeling worse and worse. Dizzy spells, very tired swelling and spots or stars in my vision. However these symptoms would always come and go. So nothing ever came of them until my last appointment on March 15th. I was driving to the doctor after I dropped off the kids at Nancy's house, I was feeling dizzy and out of breath and I thought for sure something was up. But I have never had high blood pressure, so I didn't know for sure what it felt like. I got there and they took my vitals and I had a blood pressure of 164/98 with +1 protein in the urine. I thought for sure my doctor would see me right away but I had to wait and wait. So long that I also had a low blood sugar episode where if I don't eat something sugary I feel like I am going to pass out and I get all sweaty. It's NOT fun. So I asked to lay down in the back until they called me back to see the doctor. When I finally did get taken to a room I had to point out to the nurse that my blood pressure was high (not happy about the lack of communication). It took a few minutes for the doctor to come in and see me, so while I was waiting I texted Matt to tell him I had high blood pressure and I don't think he realized that they would send me to the hospital. So when I called him to meet me at University because we were going to have the baby that night he was shocked. Luckily I didn't have to wait long for him because he was across the street at the VA. Needless to say it was a long long day. When I got there they hooked me up to a magnesium drip that gives people the most horrible hot flashes and tingly feeling. I was hooked up to that for 32 hours. Matt took a picture of me laying there miserable and fat and swollen, because that's just what Matt does and I told him to keep it to remind me of why I should lose weight and probably not get pregnant again until I lose 30 lbs. after I lose the baby weight so I am not at risk to develop type 2 diabetes. When you develop gest. diabetes you are more likely to develop type 2 within 10 years. Well since I had to eat something to raise the blood sugar the doctor couldn't do the c-section until at least 6 hours later. So it originally put me at about 5 or 6 pm. But low and behold since I am at University Hospital they get an emergency ob gyn surgery right before I am supposed to go in. It was a patient that had a burst eptopic pregnancy, so it's not like it wasn't urgent. But still annoying anyway because I am just laying in my bed bored and also just having too much time to think about the actual surgery ahead of me. Yes it's to have a sweet baby girl, but it is also people cutting into my abdomen and the spinal before that. What made it all worse is that none of my regular people (doctors and nurses) were there! It was probably 10 people, none of whom I knew from Jack and when you are having a baby it kind of freaks you out a little bit. But while having a quiet anxiety attack sitting on my catheter, on the hard table waiting for a huge needle or two to be stuck in my back, I remembered the blessing that Matt gave me that afternoon, and the words that he spoke came flooding in my mind and gave me peace at last. Peace to be able to lie flat, with my arms spread out to both sides and strapped down, to be able to enjoy bringing Brooke Marie into the world after a long nine months. She has been an absolute joy to have in our lives and a surprise blessing from our Heavenly Father. I am proud that we were able to add another little girl to our family, who will one day be a strong and faithful woman!

2011-04-21T23:00:00.003-05:00

Brooke

Aubrey

Tyler

It's not a great picture of Brooke and she looks slightly different now, but I just don't have a new picture of her with her eyes open! I wanted to just show you all how much our babies look alike! It's crazy! I will get more pics of Brooke on the blog soon. I just have to get them off our phones.

2011-02-07T23:27:00.002-06:00

Thanks to some good friends and family and my husband, I had a great birthday weekend. My b-day fell on Thursday, but not only did I get cards on that day but I got to go register at Baby's R Us and have lunch at Tyler's school and eat Panda Express for my own lunch. Then on Friday, it was our first and probably only official SNOW DAY! It was a miracle. I guess the Great Man upstairs knew it would take one to keep me in a good mood!

On Saturday Matt surprised me and the kids by coming home for my birthday and super bowl weekend. It's really amazing how much a spouse can make a difference in your life ;). That night he took me out to eat at Kona Grill, which was great, and then we strolled around the outdoor mall and took a trip to Target afterward. It was a wonderfully relaxing evening. Did I mention that afternoon I got some absolutely beautiful roses from a great person?!

It's funny though how birthdays can be fun if you make them that way. I feel like I have had birthdays where I have been in a bad mood or somebody is doing something to really tick me off, but that didn't really happen this time. Hanging out with my kids was actually kind of fun and it made me stop and realize how great they are and how I need to try to make their lives more fun. Not just when Dad is gone ;) Thanks kids and everyone who made my 29th b-day a good day!

2011-02-03T08:46:00.002-06:00

SO I had a very big buildup to my birthday yesterday! Our power was out from 2:45 pm until 10:00pm. I guess the excitement was just too much ;)! But really my thermostat was at 53 degrees when it finally came back on so I am incredibly grateful for the heat! Before it came on however I was trying to make light of the situation (hah hah) by imagining what it must have been like for people way back before electricity. Although I will say a woodstove would have come in VERY handy! I think I will have one installed in our next home since we will be living more north of here! I remember how cozy it was at my parents house with their woodstove on Catesby Lane, and the times that the power went off during the winter. That stove was a life saver.

Today however the power is still on and hopefully will stay on for the whole day because it is not supposed to be above freezing. Come on electric company...it's my birthday and I deserve to stay warm...no rolling brownouts PLEASE! I guess Austin had two power plants that burst their pipes yesterday so we had to all share...that's what you get for staying weird Austin and being the armpit capital of Texas.

Well I am off to have a good day with my Aubrey, and Tyler after he gets out of school this afternoon!

2011-01-31T19:31:00.002-06:00

I've got a problem. It's a big problem. I have a HUGE GUT! And it's just gonna get bigger. They say you gain a pound a week until delivery and so that makes 8 more pounds to go somewhere. I really have no idea where though because I swear I am as big as I was full term with both the other kids!! I have so many aches and pains where you never thought you could have aches and pains. Please...let these last weeks go by quickly!

PLEASE!

2011-01-17T23:23:00.002-06:00

Just figured I might as well change the background of my blog to the next major holiday since, well, we all know I stink at blogging :) But there are those of you that give me inspiration. Like always my Aunt Lydia and also the amazing Tiffany! I am always captivated by the consistency of their blogging efforts ;)
Me and consistency however, have not been on friendly terms lately. I am just stinking at EVERY aspect of life right now, except being lazy. Oh I can blame it on the pregnancy and Matt being gone, but you know what? I am just tired of being lazy?! Do any of you know how that feels? Being tired of being lazy? Well I'll tell you it's an extraordinary feeling to have, yet I do not recommend it, like others would recommend a nice book or a relaxing bath! I will NEVER EVER recommend being lazy to the point of swearing never to be like that ever again! I love a word that I believe is the best word to describe this feeling. Slothful or sloth-like whichever you prefer.
So...I know a bit late in the month for discussing goals and things, but I think if I don't type it or make it public this goal of overcoming my slothfulness will never see the light of day...ha ha ha...get it?!
Just to let you all know too...I have been counting down the weeks till baby Brooke is born! 10 more weeks give or take a few days. And on a happy note, when Matt was mercifully home this weekend we, or he really, rearranged the bedrooms and set up the beautiful new white crib and white dresser! I am more than thrilled to have have the go ahead to start decorating with pink, pink and more pink!
Tyler and Aubrey share a room now, in an effort to get Aubrey, my cute 3 1/2 year old snuggle bug, to sleep in her own bed, all night. She always wakes up crying in the middle of the night because she hates sleeping in a room by herself. So we will see how that goes. Hope to blog again soon.

2010-12-13T23:11:00.002-06:00

These last few nights I have not been able to sleep at all. I am talking tossing and turning constantly until 3 or 4 in the morning :(. I just can't get my mind to stop racing about everything under the sun! Right now it's mainly about Christmas and traveling and Matt leaving town for 2 months in January and February, and whether or not MY MOM will come visit me (oh yes I did just put that out there;). Oh and there is the 3RD CHILD arriving at the end of March! So nothing too dramatic, just daily life. Oh and the HUGE amounts of laundry I have to wash and fold and PUT AWAY before we leave Friday night (thanks to my procrastinating nature). Where are we going you ask? To Tyler, TX for a week of Christmas celebrating and fun for the kids, at Matt's parents' house. Oh and before that I have my 24 wk check-up, volunteer work in the schools' Christmas store, activity days, Aubrey's ENT ear tube visit (follow-up) and just one VT assignment.

Now, about Aubrey's ENT visit... last month we went for the standard ear tube check (every 4 months). Well it has been 2 years now since she has had them in and that is longer than usual. Good news is the one in her left ear has worked it's way out of the ear drum, or wherever they place it, and it's sitting in the canal waiting to fall out or be picked out. The right ear tube however was still partly lodged in place looking as if it was trying to work itself out. It has looked like this at previous pediatrician visits too. So this new ENT wanted to see for himself what the tube and ear were doing. If on Thursday it's still in the same spot then she has to go back under anesthesia for them to remove it. Then they will check back every so often to see if the hole is healing on it's own. If not they will do another surgery to close the hole down the road. I know the surgery itself isn't the least bit invasive, it's just the idea of her having to be under anesthesia that gets me. Both times she has been she has come out crying and pretty much inconsolable. Not fun. Oh and yeah more money:(. The doc who originally did the procedure told me there was a chance they would have to surgically remove the tubes and close the hole, but he said it didn't happen very often, but I did have a feeling then that Aubrey would be one of those kids;). Oh well what do you do right?! We'll deal with that on Thursday.

In the meantime Tyler is really enjoying his last week of school before Christmas break and excited for our trip to east Texas and of course for Santa to come! Actually ME AND the KIDS are excited for Santa to come this year. I really enjoy anonymously putting smiles on my kids' faces! I don't need or want them to know that me and Dad actually picked out and wrapped the presents. That to me is the joy of Christmastime :) and that people are in better moods... generally.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-11-05T15:40:00.002-05:00

The long awaited news is here! If you don't keep op on FB then you haven't heard that we are expecting a GIRL!! We are all very excited to be welcoming in Brooke Marie Kindle around end of March or beginning of April 2011.

I knew I wanted another girl but honestly didn't think it was in the cards for us. We aren't a predominately girl family but it seems there are more of us being born. Matt was born the first of 4 boys and I was the 3rd of 7 kids, including 4 girls and 3 boys. My moms family only had 3 girls out of ten kids! That means 7 BROTHERS!! I couldn't imagine ever raising that many kids no less that many boys. I have an Aunt that had 7 boys and then finally 2 girls. But anyway that doesn't really matter who had what does it? I didn't think so. It's just nice to know I won't be a mom of mostly boys, I am not cut out for the rough and tough that they like!

Aubrey was always saying she wanted a little sister up until the ultrasound and I really didn't think it was gonna happen, but it did, and I was so excited! It's much more fun to shop for GIRLS! There is so much more to choose from and all that pink cuteness! This time around I am going to have to make more of an effort to have cute bows and stuff. I tried with Aubrey but it didn't stick long at all. And now she just takes her bow out if I ever put one in. I guess she doesn't like "feeling" it in there. I don't know how some moms get their girls to wear these huge massive corsage-like creations. They are cute but it's like okay where's the babies face now? You do have a baby there right and not just advertising the fact that you can make a pretty bow all by yourself, right? Enough of the ranting... for now at least. Oh for any of you who watched 30 Rock last night, Alec Baldwin's girlfriend on the show reminded me of my meltdowns the last few days... yeah yeah have a laugh at my expense, please!

2010-10-18T21:43:00.002-05:00

Here we go again with another post...

Nothing VERY exciting has been going on lately or since I posted last. Tyler and Aubrey were sick with a stomach bug last week, and I am glad it is over! I hate when the kids are sick! I felt sick later that weekend and spent it at home and in and out of bed... needless to say it was boring. As of today I am 16 weeks and 3 days pregnant and we find out November 3rd whether we are having a Brooke or a Jackson. We will have to see! Tyler wants it to be a boy and Aubrey wants a girl! Tyler says we should have a boy since we haven't "had a boy lately". Aubrey says a girl, because she is a girly girl. But it's cute how she talks about helping out and holding the baby and burping and tickling it! We are so excited, it's been over 3 years!

Matt is doing great, he is on night rotation for the next two weeks and I look forward to having a stuffed grape leave feast this Friday night to celebrate (or make myself feel better about it). Let's just say I wouldn't be updating if Matt wasn't working tonight. There are ups and downs to all his different shifts but I try to do things especially fun when he works at night so the kids won't be effected by it as much, or me for that matter.

I am very excited to give my friend from the ward a baby shower along with a couple of our other friends. Poor girl had a huge baby supposedly 5 weeks early, it was big ordeal for their family so I am glad we are finally able to give her a shower even if it is post delivery!

Sorry there is nothing more exciting to relate but hey our lives aren't too exciting these days... just simply the same.

2010-08-20T10:36:00.002-05:00

It has been a long long time since I have typed anything up on this blog. Really though nobody has kept on theirs so I don't feel so bad.

First things first, Tyler starts 1st grade on Monday, we (me really) are so excited we can think of nothing else to do but sit and wait for it to come! We have done all our clothes and supplies shopping so really now we just have to WAIT! I am not good at waiting, thus the new ticker on the right side of my blog, hah hah, if you didn't notice it GET OFF MY BLOG NOW!

Next and thankfully, Matt mercifully ended his night rotation last week and now we seem to be getting back into the routine of things. Night shift for everyone involved is complete misery! I am so glad he has a regular schedule now.

Last month, a couple of weeks after me and the kids got back from our AWESOME trip to Richmond we talked Matt into letting us get a puppy. We got a maltipoo and he was so sweet and puppyish and I don't know what I would be doing right now with him if I hadn't gotten pregnant. Because he got so annoying and into doing all things puppy. So thank heavens we were able to find a good home for him, because I was about ready to make him an outside dog, along with our resident backyard feral cats and a wild bunny! He would have been in good company though :).

Okay since I can't think of anything else to say at the moment and I have to go to the store I will end here. Maybe if your lucky I will post pictures of the kids from our trip in Richmond.

2010-06-23T16:44:00.002-05:00

I hate when you think something is a big deal when it is NOT! That happened to me today. I have been frantically trying to get the house in order for our yearly inspection... even bought this $75 cleaner... shhh... don't tell Matt! Anyway she shows up today, when I thought it was tomorrow, my bad, it was today because I checked the email :) But anyway there was a ton of clean laundry in our room and on our couch downstairs, and the dishes were not done! So embarrassing! Not really but kind of. So all my weeks of worry for NOTHING! I need some chill pills from my doctor!! But it does feel so much better to have it over with! Now I can enjoy PREPARING FOR OUR TRIP TO RICHMOND!!!

This is really how it is!

2010-06-10T15:07:00.001-05:00

It is looking very much like my goals that I wrote about previously have taken a backseat for this week :( Which is ALWAYS how it happens! Like whenever you get a fire in your butt to do big things and pretend to have a life!! But then you get sick or have a nervous breakdown or something while your sick ;) and EVERYTHING just comes crashing down!

Well, yeah so that's been what up these last few days since I posted. My body was conjuring up SOME OTHER WAY to hold me down... aka Streptococcal pharyngitis . And later this month will be a simple outpatient surgery to remove an endometrial polyp :(. But hey, by July maybe I can trick my body into thinking that I have no big plans and then actually surprise it with a trip to Virginia and other fun things.

But while I have been down I have been conjuring up some little ideas for my super fun Scentsy (yes Scentsy) Fundraiser Party, and ways to show little Gracie how much we care! So I have been productive in other ways. When I start thinking about her and what her family is going through then I just realize that I need to buck up and get a move on things because life is really precious and not long in the scheme of things. So remember out there that you do not have to attend my fundraiser to donate to Gracie Bloxham's cause! Just click here to read more about her and other ways to donate, or click here buy from my party at Sara Mendenhall's Scentsy website!

So...

2010-06-07T15:20:00.000-05:00

I feel like it would be a good goal to have to blog about our family and personal happenings, especially since it is summer vacation and I won't be as busy with the daily grind. I have a goal to make this summer be enjoyable for me and the kids and Matt whenever he is able to spend time with us! I have to get myself out of my FB gaming habits and I figure that if I make goals and other people know about these goals they will be more likely to happen.
So of course the first is to blog and post more pictures. The second is to work with Aubrey and her ABC's and Colors. Along with Tyler and his reading. The third will be to get rid of all the pointless toys we have laying around the playroom and living room. The fourth will be to exercise a few times a week.
Now this seems like a lot, but I have a lot of time now it seems and I want Aubrey to be ready to go into some sort of preschool program. Whether I do it with friends or take her somewhere she is a little behind where Tyler was at this age. I guess a 5th goal is to completely potty train. Yeah, no I have not completed this and I remember blogging about it in January I think.
So let's hear it for a great and productive summer NOT HANGING OUT ON FB!!

2010-06-04T12:22:00.000-05:00

This invitation card made with Smilebox

Album 05\25\10, by Melanie Kindle

2010-05-25T09:44:00.001-05:00

I'd like to share my Walmart Digital Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

The one-handed fly catcher!

2010-05-20T23:23:00.000-05:00

Yes, you see right, literally to the right... Aubrey. This afternoon while I was catching a few winks, wink wink, I overhear her talking to the fly that came in along with the kids coming in and out of the backyard. Mind you I am taking my winks after the neighborhood friends go home. Anyway I hear her saying "Shoo fly, shoo fly, go away." It's so cute, right?! Well, here comes Miss sweet, dancing, singing, necklace wearing, nail polish sporting Aubrey with one of her fists closed tight. And she says, "Look mommy, look what I got! I got the fly!" She then proceeds to open that fist and there I see a crippled little nasty fly in my sweet little girl's palm! I gingerly take it away saying "Wow, that's neat, good job!" But secretly thinking, NO! She can't be into bugs! But hey it IS Aubrey, and just about everything interests her, from the prettiest lipstick and jewelry to just about everybody's naked BUMMY! And NO we DO NOT walk around naked with our bummies showing! But this is classic Aubrey behavior lately! Nothing really should surprise me at all. Especially the last couple of weeks since we have been caring for the stray kitties I found in our backyard. They are sweet, but she has become jealous that I am "taking care" of them and not JUST her!

Well anyway I thought I would surprise you all with a random post. I won't promise any new pictures, but then again I MAY surprise you :) I am all about surprises if you hadn't noticed ;)

To pee or not to pee...

2010-03-05T10:01:00.000-06:00

... that is the question. So I am disappointed to say that no, Aubrey is not potty trained because I am not a consistent parent. When I do try she is pretty good at it, but it does take me asking and helping and wiping and all those things that I really don't like doing. Since it has not been nearly as hard as it was to train Tyler, you would think that I would be giddy about the prospect of Aubrey being out of diapers, but alas I am not. I blame this on the fact that when Tyler got out of diapers I had Aubrey shortly after. Now, there is nothing, nothing waiting for me at the end of this miserable experience except the weight, yes weight, that is still hanging so fattily off of my once not fat body. Sad I know. So all of you out there that have extra motivation to spread to the world, please, please I beg you, send some my way :). I have no excuse, now that Aubrey's birthmark and post-op infection is gone, and we have no big travel plans for the near future, so it would really be prime time to do this, plus it would save us $40 a month on diapers and wipes.

On a more delicate note, a family that I have posted about previously on my blog, The Hess Family teamryanhess.blogspot.com, found out some sad news yesterday. Ryan is a podiatrist that went to school a year ahead of Matt in Chicago. We were in the same ward in Kenosha, WI. He was almost done with his first year of residency in Arizona when he was diagnosed (after being sick for months) with Lymphoma. He went through a lot of chemo and radiation and was gratefully given a bone marrow transplant from his brother late last year. He became ill in the last couple of weeks and has been in the hospital. They did lots of tests and got news back yesterday that the cancer is back and has spread. Please read more about their story at this link teamryanhess.blogspot.com, and feel free to donate your federal vacation days to their great cause. They are a wonderful family that has been dealt a terrible blow. Please help this family if you can by either donating leave or money. Help them help Ryan get better :).

First entry of the new year!

2010-01-05T08:55:00.000-06:00

I have started out the year with a bang! We are potty training Aubrey. This time for real. Matt and I have "tried" before but I knew each time that it was not for real. She is 2.5 years old and she is ready. She loves the minnie mouse and princess undies and pull-ups (yes pull-ups work for me) and is really excited about going potty and flushing the toilet! We have not read her any fancy books or watched the Elmo Potty Time movie that Tyler watched, but she doesn't seem to need any more prodding than us asking if she needs to go. And she really is disappointed with herself when she starts to have an accident, she says "ohhh". It is darling. The only downside is that she is scheduled to get her birthmark removed at the end of next week and she is not far enough along that we will be able to just let her go without a diaper during surgery. So she may in fact lose a few days of progress next week. It's for a good cause though, I think. We will be sad to see her "Aubrey mark" go. That has been one of her distinguishing characteristics since birth that we have all adored. I think I will miss it when it is gone :(.

Tyler is excited to have Nana and maybe Papa come to visit next week. I asked Nana to help me out with getting Tyler to school while me and Aubrey head up to Austin for her surgery. She thankfully is able to help out and this will make the whole thing a little easier for me. Tyler also started school back up yesterday, thank goodness. I was getting tired of not having a set schedule and no homework to do with him during the week. He also started his new primary class on Sunday. He was supposed to be in CTR 6, but I guess they switched the names to the actual ages of the kids and not what they would be turning this year... I hope this is a church wide thing. He also gets to have the rest of his dental work done next week a few days before Aubrey's surgery. So I guess we'll need some extra thoughts next week, it will be super busy and maybe a little stressful.

Matt has been on the night shift at both the VA and University Hospitals for the last couple of days. Last night was particularly busy and he didn't get much sleep at all. So of course he came home and went right to sleep when I was just getting up to get Tyler ready for school. I am so glad it is not permanent. That would be horrible.

I myself have a few New Years resolutions that I just came up with. The first is potty training Aubrey, the second is keeping the house clean, and the third is losing weight. Wish me luck on these because I will definitely need it for the last one!

2009-12-22T21:25:00.000-06:00

I have been procrastinating the uploading of my most recent pictures of the kids for some reason. It seems as if I am just waiting to blog when I THINK I have something funny or brilliant to say... not so tonight. I hope you enjoy the most recent Kindle family pictures. These were taken the night we decorated our Christmas tree - Dec. 2nd. There are also pictures of Tyler and Aubrey at the dining room table. When Tyler is doing his homework without fail Aubrey climbs up on the chair next to him to start her "work". She colors pretty pictures for us each time. She actually has to do EVERYTHING Tyler does and she likes to do everything by herself too. Aubrey is quite the helper in the kitchen also... hah hah hah... she does not get that from me ;).

I do not know how to arrange my pictures :)

2009-11-30T10:04:00.000-06:00

I am excited that it is finally the Christmas holiday season this year! But first let me recap the great Thanksgiving our family had at Matt's parent's house this year. We arrived in Bullard, Texas Tuesday afternoon, where we stayed until Sunday. Tyler and Aubrey were so excited to see Nana, Papa, Richie, Lauren, Jonathan, and Rhiannon. It has been a few months since we have been able to visit with them. We had a wonderful dinner at home that night and the next day we spent hanging out at the house and then going into to Tyler (town) to do some window shopping to see what Santa wanted to get the kids for Christmas this year. We had a lot of success at Kohl's and were a little disappointed in Toys'r'us. I guess there are just so many toys that a kid can have you know! Maybe I just need to clean out the playroom and give some away. Anyway, on Thanksgiving day we went to Matt's aunt and uncle's house and had TG Lunch. After a few hours there we came back to Rick and Alana's house to prepare for TG Dinner. Yes, we had 2 TG meals... crazy huh?! But it was a lot of fun and each home had different types of good food to offer.

We spent Friday shopping, of course and then took the kids to Chuck "E" Cheese on Saturday afternoon. That place is crazy and all it is is kid gambling basically! But we did have fun. On Sunday we went to church and then got ready for our trip home! All went well and we are glad we have family close enough to be able to visit with on a regular basis. Hope you enjoy the pictures of the kids and other family members. Have a happy Christmas season everyone!

Hello, it's been a long time.

2009-11-02T16:50:00.000-06:00

So to say that it has been a long time would be an understatement. September 3rd was the day of my last post, and that post wasn't even very exciting. Actually I cannot say that any of my posts are great, but thanks for humoring me anyway:).

A whole 2 months has passed and not much has happened. Tyler continues to do well in kindergarten, and Aubrey stays home with me and is bored out of her mind everyday! (Any entertaining tips would be great!) Matt was recently called with me into the nursery... yay! It is really nice to have him in there with me. It definitely reminds us why we only have 2 kids, that's for sure! Sundays always go by quickly when you are wiping noses and holding fussy kids!

Halloween has actually been the only exciting thing that we have done and that was just 2 days ago. So I hope you enjoy the pictures of the kids. It is pretty obvious as to what they are supposed to be! We are having a pizza and cupcake pre trick or treating party at my friend Caren's house. She has two kids, Matthew and Ryan. Matthew and Tyler love to play with each other everyday and I am glad he has found such a great friend so close by!

A New Beginning

2009-09-03T09:44:00.000-05:00

I have not posted in a VERY long time. So I figured I would post the latest and great of what is going on in the Kindle world! Tyler started school (pictures to come), on August 24th, and he is doing pretty good adjusting. His teacher is named Mrs. Lerma, so he has had plenty of practice perfecting his "L's". He actually knows all of his letters and accompanying sounds and all of his numbers. Last night Matt got home on time, thank heavens, and he was teaching Tyler how to read on one of those magnetic eraser boards. It was SO CUTE! He was spelling and sounding out each letter, and as he would do that he would sound out the word and than say it! It is so exciting to hear your first child learn how to read!

Aubrey is still doing as great as ever. She is what Matt calls, my little duckling, and yes, she follows me EVERYWHERE and cries when I do not let her come with me (to the bathroom and such). Every time I run upstairs she is THERE. She wants to do what I do. I am in nursery with her as a worker, so there is never a break! But I love her and all the cute things she does and says. Even though she cannot quite let go of the binky, she is still saying plenty of words. She'll say, "Get off of me", if I am picking her nose or doing her hair; or "Okay Mom", when I tell her what to do; and a favorite of all parents "Why?".

So as I said before I am in the nursery and Matt has yet to be called to a something in the Braun Heights Ward. So he is still able to relax a little on Sundays. Speaking of Matt, he started a new arduous rotation on Tuesday and his average hours are 6 a.m. until 8 p.m., and no, it is not considered abusing his rights, because as a 1st year podiatry resident, he has none! Sadly it will only get busier and more stressful for him :(.

I am doing well continuing with the University of Phoenix online. I have decided to switch my studies from Undergraduate in Business to Healthcare, as I have always wanted. I will not begin core classes for that for another two years because I am just getting my general classes under my belt. I may need a new belt soon though, because it's feeling a little tight!

We are sad to say we will not be visiting for the holidays, but anyone is always welcome to visit our little family in San Antonio. We have a lot of entertainment and great food to offer any visitors, especially those from the East Coast! Mexican food is of course, our specialty, but shopping is San Antonio's profession! It is great here! May I say though that the best time to come is during fall, winter and spring! You would want to avoid the summer! That's when we will be making visits elsewhere.

The Kindle Family misses everyone in Kenosha, Utah, Tyler, Ajo, AZ (go border patrol!), Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and Kentucky, yes we miss you VanYperens, and all the other family and friends we have out there somewhere!

Note: Pictures are surely due to my loyal readers and will be coming soon!

I AM GOING PRIVATE

2009-08-03T13:54:00.000-05:00

Please email me if you would like to be added to my list!

About Nothing... again.

2009-07-20T23:44:00.000-05:00

So I thought I would just post a thank you for all of the support and comments I received after my last post. Thank you! I think that is the most that have ever commented on my blog on one post! And as I have said "I don't hate comments!". Anyway, I am glad to get to keep up on everyone's blogs from Kenosha! Jamie Delavan you need to get those pics on!! I love all the awesome updates from our 2nd home Kenosha! I really have missed the familiarity I felt while we lived there. So many of you were always so kind while I just floated around in the clouds most of the time going through one calling after another! I have a new calling now. As of a couple of weeks ago I am in the nursery. I don't know if I am repeating this information, hopefully not. I am excited to be in Primary again. I love it and love teaching the kids because 1 they look up to their teachers and 2 they are not intimidating! You just have to deal with the stinkiness on occasion and the messes that they make and try to control their outbursts:). But really I love it. Our nursery is split into two classes. Junior and Senior, since we have the space for it. There are 13 kids in Junior and 16 in Senior, so I guess that is another reason why they split them up! Aubrey is loving nursery and she is one of the oldest having just turned 2 on the 17th of July! She is great! We had a fun family/friends party cookout, with birthday cake and opening of the presents. She loved everything she got. She is really into Minnie and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and animals i.e. puppies! She got a new bedspread, sheets and curtains from Nana, Papa and Richie, and a cute little littlest pet shop type toy from Lauren, and a darling tiny purse that comes with a puppy inside! Of course we got her some Minnie stuff and a puzzle. Nothing too extravagant! All in all it was a great birthday celebration! I made my first ice cream cake from a recipe of one of my mom's friends and that was a hit so I will have to email that out to anyone interested. Tyler is doing great and asks everyday if its August so school can start. We haven't been to the pool as much because me and the heat and food don't really mix. I feel bad for that though because I know they both like it. We mainly just run errands and do whatever is indoors. I think when Matt gets his first paycheck we will have more options!! Love you Matt, not that he will be reading this, but anyway. That was the VA's mistake stupid VA Hospital :|. I hope this post finds everyone well and I hope to be able to read everyone's updates soon... so no slacking people!!

A Step for Me!

2009-07-14T23:24:00.000-05:00

Ladies and Gentleman who read my blog, it's time to announce the next big step I am going to take in my life! Aunt Lydia, brace yourself, for you may fall over from the overwhelming excitement that this might cause...
I am going back to school! Not actually attending a community college, because everyone knows Matt is never home now, I will be taking classes from the University of Phoenix! Some may remember back a couple years ago in Kenosha Ward there was an Enrichment night all about continuing education and the different ways you can do it. Well the guy who spoke was excellent and just so happened to be somehow connected with the school. That was a very inspiring enrichment for me. Though I have been putting it off forever because I knew we were not staying in Utah or Wisconsin and now that we are in Texas I feel that I am somewhat a little more grounded... don't tell Matt I said that, he wouldn't agree:). Whether or not my house is clean or dirty is not the issue people. The issue is fulfilling the desire I have had for a long time but put off because of marriage, child bearing and our locations along the way. Even though residency is a stressfull time for all involved I feel like there is no better time to at least start on my asscociates in business, where this will lead me I do not know. I could decide after two years that I want to pursue something else but at least it is a start! So wish me luck on the beginning of MY journey of continuing education!

A Family from our old ward

2009-07-12T20:51:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

How you can help...

***FEDERAL EMPLOYEES- PLEASE DONATE LEAVE TO RYAN HESS***

My name is Margie Hess, my husband Ryan was diagnosed on June 12, 2009 with a rare and aggressive form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Since this is an aggressive form of T-Cell Lymphoma, his doctor has put him on an aggressive chemo regimen that will result in him being unable to work for the next 4-6 months and possibly longer. At the time of diagnosis he was finishing up his 1st year as a Podiatry Resident at the V.A. in Tucson, AZ. Ryan is a devoted husband and father of two children, Hallie (5) and Max (2). By the end of this month (June 2009), Ryan will use up the last of his vacation and sick leave and will have to go on unpaid leave. Ryan is the sole provider for our family; I stay at home with both the kids. Without him working we have no income. I need to stay home to help care for him, so I cannot get a job right now, either. As difficult as it is for our family to have to ask for help, we have realized that we must do so at this time.

We were told that any federal employee (ie: military, Border Patrol, DEA, FBI, Dept of Justice, EPA etc. EXCEPT Post Office employees) can donate vacation time to be used as sick leave for another Federal employee.

We would be so thankful for any number of extra paid days we can accumulate.

Thank you so much.

How can you help if you ARE a Federal Employee?

Go to your HR department and request to donate leave to Ryan Hess who works for the VA. (Your HR person will know the form that needs to be filled out- each Federal agency has their own form to donate leave)

Once filled out and signed, the HR person will then need to fax or e-mail the form to:

OLIVIA McCLURE - Benefits Specialist (TUCSON V.A.)
Phone #: (520) 792-1450 x 6076
Fax # : (520) 629-1849 attn: Olivia McClure
E-Mail : olivia.mcclure@va.gov

ALSO, for those who are federal employees, please print out this message and post it in break/lunch rooms to help get the word out as well as emailing it to co-workers!

How to help if you are NOT a Federal Employee:

PASS this along to ANYONE and EVERYONE that you know and then ask them to pass the message along. Post it on blogs, Facebook...whatever you can think of.
Thanks again everyone- this will help SO much!

GO TEAM RYAN HESS!
(E-mail teamryanhess@gmail.com to receive updates or to send a message!)

Fun Independence Day aka 4th of July!

2009-07-05T23:21:00.000-05:00

So thanks to Matt's cousins Chris and Tracy Tannery we were able to a great 4th of July afternoon and evening. They invited me and the kids to go to their pool at Lifetime Fitness which is an AWESOME and luxurious Fitness Center and Pool! It was really fun and the kids had a lot of fun with Chris and Tracy's kids! Thanks guys! Then we went to a barbeque at their house where Matt met us after his shift and had root beer floats and yummy cookies for desert! Then for the Grand Finale of the Day we parked in a mall parking lot right behind Six Flags and sat in the bed of their truck and watched an AMAZING fireworks show! Thanks Six Flags and La Canterra! Hopefully Chris will send us the video he captured and I can post it on the Blog! Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

So cliche...

2009-07-01T21:46:00.000-05:00

Is the new button that I added to my blog because it is from the Jon and Kate plus 8 show, but you know what, it's true. Going through the years I have been married to Matt I realize that we struggled financially and we were poor and still are poor. It never dawned on me that others may have an opinion about the way we live and the decisions we have made to have kids. Most of Matt's former classmates were single, some were married but most did not have kids... maybe dogs. But during all those years I was happy about all the things we did have. Yes we did have to swallow our pride and do things that weren't necessarily what we were most comfortable with but we made it through and had two beautiful children among the many other challenges we faced together. Maybe I am just realizing this now because we are no longer in that excuse of a student life. Real things are expected of us and real things we must strive to accomplish and become a part of. Real challenges lay ahead of us especially as my dear husband is putting himself very vulnerably out there in the intimidating work force that is that of a Podiatry Residency. I don't think I necessarily thought that his life was hard before, but I was wrong. I was always just so wrapped up in my problems and the kids that I thought he was having an easy time of it. I never really saw the stress that it gives him to go out there and again put himself in front of all these situations that he is going to have to really try hard and work hard to get through. I love him dearly and I love the major sacrifices he has made so that our family can be comfortable and that I can be comfortable one day. I have been WAY to selfish and now is the time for me to give back to him and put my issues on the back burner for now until things normalize here. I really am grateful for the many blessings we have been given in being faithful to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and our church. And how it is so much a part of our lives and that it gives us guidance to get through times that others may think, "wow what in the heck are they doing?", kinds of thoughts. I love our life and I love that Matt gives our family the strength to be who we are and to be proud of it and to be proud to be members of the Savior's church. I don't think I new how this post was going to end up but I guess this is what some people consider as journaling their lives. I guess that is what I am doing with this post!

Our New Place...Empty

2009-06-21T00:02:00.001-05:00

These are just pictures of our new place the day we got here.

Tylers Last Day of School

2009-06-20T23:46:00.000-05:00

Tylers last day of school was great. Pictured are his teacher Ms. Tracy Henry, and her assistant teacher Ms. Carol. Sorry Ms. Tracy you had to wait so long for the pictures. Tylers teacher is the one holding Aubrey in one of the pics also wearing yellow.
Another is of the classmates that were left in the room by the time I got around to taking out the camera and the others are of the class fish and the turtle one of the kids brought in to show.

Rambling on and on.

2009-06-18T19:56:00.000-05:00

Well I thought I would finally post something after a VERY busy almost month! I haven't gone this long without blogging in forever. We love it here in San Antonio! Sure it's quite warm but we were so sick of cold weather that it is a welcome change. Our hot and steamy trip to Great Wolf Lodge seemed to prepare us for the warm weather. Speaking of GWL, we had a great time there with the Delavan family. We were very lucky that they were able to accompany us on our first and last trip to the Dells! If anyone has never been there it's a great place to go, very kid friendly.

Then after we got back we continued working on packing and loading the PODS storage thingy. Thanks to John Delavan and Brian Griffeth who helped Matt move the big stuff, and to Aimee and Katelin for babysitting the kids so we could get loaded and cleaned up! One day I actually borrowed Jackson to keep Tyler busy for a few hours then somehow they ended up at the Morton's... what a trooper Katelin is!

The Saturday following we moved all our suitcases and other junk to the Jones' for a few days, thanks again to them, for their hospitality. On June 4th Tyler had his last day of school which I took plenty of pictures with him in his class and with his teachers and classmates and the turtle that one of the kids brought in for the day. Tyler was pretty much king for the day in his class since he was leaving school early. He got to be line leader and we brought yummy cupcakes for their snack. I don't know if it was sad for Tyler but it was sad for me! We sadly left Kenosha for good soon after :(. We met Matt's parents at the Hampton Inn, in the Theater District of Chicago and saw wonderful Mary Poppins that evening. It was really fun for us and the kids. I had never been to a Broadway show before. I learned quite a bit of background on it too. Mary Poppins is based on an 8 book series, although the movie itself is only based on the first three and that Julie Andrews did that a year before the Sound of Music. The next day Matt had his graduation, unfortunately I had left my camera in my car which was valet parked at the hotel so I didn't have access to it. But it was lovely and Matt looked great especially walking down the aisle to "Pomp and Circumstance"! Which is the name of the graduation processional song! How fitting! Me and Matt spent Friday afternoon and evening and a lot of Saturday driving down to Tyler where Matt's parents live to spend a few days and then we came to San Antonio!

The house is wonderful and so are our neighbors, all very friendly. Us and the kids love being in a bigger house. And we love going to the two different pools our neighborhood has. There are tons of ward members in our neighborhood too and about 9, 5 year olds from church will be going to kindergarten at Tyler's school which is right behind our house! Tyler loves the extra space and will just go and play upstairs in the playroom and his room for hours and be completely happy. Aubrey has mastered the stairs and continues to be VERY CUTE! Her hair is growing a lot more lately and I have no idea what to do with it. She won't keep headbands in her hair and she won't keep clips in it either. And I don't want her to have bangs because she looks so much like Tyler I don't want people to think she's a boy! Well I am now just rambling. I am going to post this now and find the cord to hook the camera up to the computer to upload the pics. So hold tight people!!

Starting to get stressed...

2009-05-20T19:45:00.000-05:00

is how I would describe myself right now. Maybe it's because I am feeling the pressure of not blogging for awhile...jk :). Or maybe it's just the whole moving, yard sale, packing, cleaning and the undecorated home we are living in right now. I know... like Julie I would like to be Eeeyore in this post! Also it's just prime time for unpleasant disagreements with one's spouse when one has to move, not naming any names or anything. We will be moving from WI 2 weeks from Friday and it's all finally hitting me, not much time for anything extra. No time for guiltless get togethers with friends or naps. It just sucks. If anyone has any wicked- witch-of- the-west encounters with me anytime soon, or see me or hear me yelling just don't take it personally, it's also just that time of the month ( I am sure LeShel will appreciate my openness!).

Our New Home

2009-05-06T21:20:00.000-05:00

Well it's nice to finally say that we were approved for our new rental home! Now it seems more final, that YES WE ARE MOVING, and I can actually think seriously about packing. Yesterday Matt and I went through our toys in the basement and threw out cheapo McDonalds toys and broken ones too. We separated the ones we wanted to sell. Mostly baby stuff for right now. We have yet to go through our "storage". So there will be a lot more to add. We will also be getting rid of the blue couches that Valerie Price so kindly gave us when they moved.
Today Matt and I swept out the garage and decided in there on things we would like to sell at the garage sale. We will have it on the 22nd-23rd of May. Hopefully a lot of people will be hopping around the yard sales on Memorial Day weekend.
So I am sure people are curious about what our new house is like so I will tell you. It was built in 2006 and is a light brick two story home with 3 bedrooms, a loft, 2.5 baths, a nice backyard with two decks connected by a little bridge and that also backs up to Tyler's elementary school! Yea! The community has two pools and I think some other amenities but all I care about are the pools because it is going to be HOT HOT! Well back to the house it is 2,276 sq. ft. and has a two car garage. When we get pictures I will post them. I probably will take them myself when we move there NEXT MONTH!
Some other exciting news is that Matt's kind generous parents are treating us to see a Broadway production of Mary Poppins. That should be really fun to see. I really hope to make the most of our last literal last month here in Kenosha. One thing I will miss for sure, besides friends of course, is the snow we get. Not the amount, but snow period. We might have a wet Christmas, but it will be rain, not snow :(. I know my last posts have been picture free but I just took some at the park the other day and I will get those on soon.
Thanks for reading!

It's that time again.

2009-04-26T23:03:00.000-05:00

I feel I have neglected my blog for quite some time. Maybe I just don't have the wit I expect myself to have while blogging. I re-read Aunt Lydia's blog to inspire me, yet I have not had the energy to post anything that has conspired over the past few weeks. It is almost May and our 6th Anniversary is on the 3rd. We are excited! Six years!

Well just to update anyone who cares to know, we had a lovely trip down to Tyler and San Antonio Texas. We looked at tons of rental homes and have our top 5 picked out and hope that things fall into place and that we will love where we end up and that the school and the ward will also be good for us. I think at this point it's just time to put our faith into the Lord's hands and hopefully through prayers and honest living we will be pleased with what turns out in June. I was really impressed by the talks and lessons given today at church. A lot was spoken of about hope. It's a good thing. I think hope is what we must have in order to get through life as Matt and I are establishing ourselves and our family.

We will miss all the good friends we have made since we moved to Kenosha, WI in August 2005 when then we were hopeful to get through the next four years of podiatry school. Look at us now, we have and are about to move on. Through hope and faith we have endured what we never thought would be in the cards of our lives, but sometimes the most unexpected trials end up drawing families and friends even closer together.

There is also an update about the process of our move. It is very exciting for us to be able to save four to five hundred dollars on 4 nights at a hotel thanks to our generous wonderful friends Josh and Joran Jones. They are such a great family and show there friendship when it is needed most. Thanks to them we are under a little less stress and we will get to spend some time with them and their wonderful children. Which we know our kids will LOVE! Thanks guys!

2009-04-06T09:01:00.000-05:00

I really don't have time to be doing this so it won't be very long...and sorry no pictures this time either. After we get back from Texas I will have some pictures to share. I should have been able to enjoy conference but everytime I would try and watch it, it didn't work. I tried to record them, the blocks were red and set to record...nothing. Thanks but no thanks to Time Warner Cable for the lack of Customer Satisfaction when it comes to broadcasting Conference. You know Time Warner is also the company that produces BIG LOVE, the HBO series that makes us look bad. I can't wait to leave and switch to something else. I personally like Comcast because they have fun free on demand movies, but we will probably go with AT&T since they so far are pretty cheap. Anyway I am just ranting about nothing because I am supposed to be productive in the morning while Tyler is at school...but no, I have been in this habit of not being productive when it is best to be. Yes now I am really rambling. Well about our trip to Tyler and San Antonio Texas; we will be leaving after school on Thursday, between 11:30 and 12:00. Hopefully make it through Illinois then maybe stop in whatever state is after that :). To Tyler, Texas we will go on Friday and arrive mid afternoon and spend the night. Then bright but not to early, go with Matt, yes finally with Matt, down to San Antonio to look around and spend 3 or 4 days there. Hoping that the places we want to rent will still be available the 1st of June! So wish me and the kids luck for our drive and trying to find a place. I will be heading back with the kiddies on that Thursday or Friday! So I will post during our trip with anything fun, or just save it for when I get home when I will have to be productive in getting ready for a yard sale!! We will see! Shout out to the fam that's at the beach, much love to the people who sacrifice their dignity to find Gravedigger stuff for Tyler!!

Pneumonia Part II

2009-03-28T21:01:00.001-05:00

So our little Aubrey caught Pneumonia a couple weeks ago. She had a fever and cough and was miserable :(. So I took her to her pediatrician and he took a chest x-ray and sure enough there were "infiltrates" in both of her lungs. He gave her and Tyler the same short term long acting antibiotic. It did the job for Tyler, but a week later Aubrey started running a low fever and coughing again. So to the walk-in clinic we go. Another chest x-ray, less pneumonia in the lungs but it was still there and since she started running a second fever while we were there they gave her another antibiotic and some albuteral for her nebulizer, yeah. Anyone that has had to deal with the nebulizer, which is pretty much everyone, knows what a joke it is. The whole wrestling, screaming and loud buzzing noise just doesn't do anything for me or Aubrey. And since Matt is now gone I am not going to fight it alone. Let's just hope the antibiotic will do it's job this time or it's trouble. My lovely kids always know the best ways to get sick. And since we have lived here in WI, both of our kids have had surgery. Maybe we won't have such bad luck in Texas. I mean what else can they take out under six years of age you know;)!

Too bad :( ... maybe next time!

2009-03-24T19:20:00.000-05:00

Yes, well the decision has been made... and sadly for me I will not be attending my parents Outer Banks beach vacation this year :(((. That's okay, maybe next time when I don't have to be anywhere else the week after. I guess mainly my family will be the only ones that give a hoot about this post, so sorry friends for the let down post, you can still read it if you want to though. I would just like to say though that my parents are always so generous in including our family in any beach vacations. It's so fun! I last went when I was pregnant with Aubrey and Emily VanYperen drove me to the airport on the morning of that freak snowstorm in April I think! So thanks for that Emily! It was VERY treacherous, but worth it for me at least. Since the beach is only 2 1/2 hours from San Antonio I have made Matt PROMISE to take me to the beach when we get there! I have never been to the Gulf of Mexico, it will be a new adventure! So, sorry to any family who I told I was thinking about going, now my hopes have been dashed and I have to look forward to the beaches on the Gulf! But hey, this means I have more time to get a hot bod! JK.

2009-03-23T18:21:00.000-05:00

My Sister-in-law Tiffany has this on her blog and I think it is hilarious!

So another about nothing post :)

2009-03-21T10:15:00.000-05:00

Um, so I guess I'll just go over this week. Tyler did well at school this week with few behavioral incidents, JK. Anyway I guess the big news this week is that Aubrey's cold quickly developed into Pneumonia in both lungs :(. Tyler never had Pneumonia but they are on the same antibiotic because Tyler has had this weird nasty cough for a couple weeks. And he didn't cough at all for the doctor so he had nothing to go on. But I think since this was a double whammie for our family he just decided to give him some too. He didn't think he heard any fluid in her lungs but the x-ray showed otherwise. I guess you can have it in just one lung or both and of course she has it in both. Needless to say I think I had been taking Aubrey around too many places. This back and forth weather doesn't help either. So we are going to get her checked out again by her pediatrician on Tuesday and hope that the 4 days of strong antibiotic have done anything. So since my kids are both coughing up their lungs me and the kids won't be at church tomorrow. This is also the reason I sadly missed being at Joran's for her FABULOUS playgroup and that we'll have to push her birthday celebration even later in the month. She's great! I heard she provided food for the kids and had two different great pastas for the ladies! How exciting. Hope we can do it again.

On a different more positive yet stressful note, we have been searching for the right place to rent down in San Antonio. Oh by the way aunt Lydia, Matt is leaving for Tyler, TX in a week, for a month, so we'll have to somehow join forces! Anyway we are going to join Matt down in Tyler during spring break so we can all travel down together to San Antonio so we can check out the city we will be living in and maybe pin down an area that we like and hope it will have a place that is right for us and available to rent in June!

So Aunt Lydia I will be checking your blog daily for some kind of reinforcement that my mothering skills are not dwindling along with my sanity!

Finally some nice weather!

2009-03-16T10:24:00.000-05:00

I am excited to say that we in Kenosha are finally experiencing some spring like weather. Tomorrow is supposed to get up to 70 degrees! Yes! Today is supposed to be around 60 and that is great. Time to get out Tyler's bike again and go for a walk/ride at the park. I took Tyler and Aubrey last week to Petrifying Springs but there are a lot of hills and and so Tyler is now scared of riding on them because of the 1 time he literally bit the dirt. That was his last ride down a hill before we were going to get in the car to go home. So I have got to find another park or neighborhood to ride in without a lot of traffic because our neighborhood, if you can call it one, has too many hills with intersections at the bottom :(. Not good if your also pushing a stroller. On another note we spent an hour or two at PETS, it's what the locals call it, on Saturday having a very nice family walk all along the golf course which is still closed because the ground is too soppy. It was great to get out of the house and finally get some fresh air. The kids love it. Matt "let me" push the stroller when we got onto the golf course parts of our walk because there were a lot of hills. Thanks Matt, he said it was "good for me", I said "your obnoxious" and we had some laughs. I really want to leave this Wisconsin weight behind me when we move to San Antonio because it is super hot and weight extra weight doesn't help, and I'd like to properly close the Wisconsin Chapter of our lives. Oh we have a Utah chapter, a Texas chapter, a Wisconsin chapter and about to have a very long Texas chapter again which may have to be split up into parts. Well I have no pictures of our weekend escapades but maybe I'll take some this week while we are able to be out and about and enjoying the nice weather!

We are...

2009-03-09T10:29:00.000-05:00

...going to San Antonio:) ! Congratulations to Matt!

Where in the US will we go?

2009-03-08T19:12:00.000-05:00

The countdown has begun... I hesitated to blog about Match Day but I can't help it :). I am excited and Matt is nervous. I am excited because finding out whether Matt has been matched or has to "scramble" is at least a means to an end. Matt will find out tomorrow at 9 am with his classmates at school all sitting there with there lap tops open. They are having this "Match Day Party". So I'll either get an exciting call from him tomorrow morning or it will be a sad call. Lets all hope for the best outcome for EVERYONE. Good Luck Matt, love you!

Poor Sick Tyler

2009-03-02T09:58:00.000-06:00

Of all the luck Tyler starts running a fever the evening of his birthday party:(. He was cranky all afternoon after his friends left and around five o'clock he asked me to tuck him in. He had goosebumps and everything. He went to sleep right away and about an hour later I checked on him and took his temperature and he had a low fever. Poor thing. Tyler is the king of high fevers, but luckily his last couple haven't gotten to the 103/104 range like they used to. In fact he hasn't been sick in a while. Well we stayed home from church on Sunday, which happened to be his actual 5Th birthday, and he laid around all day and during his Motrin highs he played with his birthday toys. His head still hurts this morning and actually Aubrey started running a fever around 2 am. So I think it might be a forty-eight hour deal. Nothing like my sister-in-law has been experiencing like vomiting and stuff. So I'll count my blessings with this virus. And to all Virginians, I want to see pictures of all the snow you guys got yesterday! And a picture of the Avalon, Tiffany!! I am just dying of curiosity!

Tyler's 5th Birthday!

2009-02-28T21:17:00.000-06:00

So...

2009-02-24T09:29:00.000-06:00

I really don't have much to say. I don't know why I am "blogging" about nothing. Hmmm, this weekend was fun. Matt and I went to a friends' wedding down in Chicago with a 1920's theme. It was pretty fun and different and refreshing after all the other receptions we had been to. We didn't dress in the theme but plenty of other people did. It was fun to be a part of a themed wedding and reception. The preacher had some fine words for the couple and the couple themselves were very attentive to their guests to say the least! All in all it was a fun day, and then sad to say the weekend had to end off with being really stressed out with our classes at church. Matt gave a great talk in which afterward someone had the nerve to say that whenever he gets up to speak he is always too preachy, well what I have to say to that person is why don't you grow up and act like an adult and treat people with respect at a place where no one should feel the least bit disrespected at all... at church. Church is a place where people should feel loved by everyone, like a family not just like acquaintances that you feel obligated to speak to. Church is a place that should be filled with love not inferiority, not uncomfortable feelings and definitely not to be made to feel small or unimportant.

I guess I did blog about "something" after all :).

Aubrey and Tyler Sing!

2009-02-17T19:50:00.000-06:00

Here is a cute video of Tyler and Aubrey putting on a performance...

Tyler's Camp out under the table...

2009-02-16T14:28:00.000-06:00

was one of those things that were too cute to say no to. I think it was Friday Night and we were letting the kids stay up late and he asked to sleep under our dining/kitchen table. So I said okay. That was short lived. I was laying in Tyler's bed with Aubrey because she was having a hard time going to sleep thanks to late naps, and Tyler first goes in my room looking for me and then I called out his name to let him know I was in his room. I think it spooked him :). Well he wanted to sleep in his bed now instead of under the table. Well silly me I thought well we can all three fit in a twin bed... no way. Immediately they started poking each other and I gave up. Got up with Aubrey put her in her crib and told her to go to sleep and same with Tyler in his bed. I go into my room lay in bed next to Matt who's half covering his head because Aubrey is crying. Well I I feel asleep to Aubrey's lullaby and woke up to Tyler yelling "Mommy .... and I don't remember what he said but I told him to go to sleep and not to wake up Aubrey. Then I thought to myself how funny it is that I can actually fall asleep when my kid is crying not wanting to go to bed in her crib. I guess that's what happens to moms over time.

What Matt and I did on Valentines Day among other things.

2009-02-16T13:53:00.000-06:00

I am not a Valentines person. That is why I immediately removed the background and the Valentiney stuff. In that excitement I accidentally removed the picture of Matt and me and some people got thinking too hard and so I will tell you about what a WONDERFUL DATE we had on Saturday night :).

Well we had these gift cards for dinner and also a movie gift card thanks to Joran Jones! We didn't use either of them. The wait at Red Lobster and Olive Garden were 2 hours and even Joe's Crab Shack was 50 minutes, but we were both starving and wanted to have a productive date and be able to go see a movie too. So we went to the best fast food chinese there is... Panda Express. It was SOO good and we also had chicken pot stickers and those were great. It was a nice relaxing atmosphere with families who didn't care to celebrate Valentines just as a couple, but with their kids too. That was sweet, too sweet for me though. I enjoyed being out with Matt and Matt alone. Then we went to see the movie "He's Just Not That Into You", and I liked about 50% percent of it. My friend Aimee took a couple young women and some other women went along and it was uncomfortable for them but I say it was still only half okay for only married couples. Because that would be an extremely awkward first date movie!

Well all and all it was a great evening. I took our babysitter, Jennie, home and I had to run out to the store afterwards so I didn't end up getting home until 11:30 pm and then I stayed up for the bulletin. I didn't get into bed until 1:11 am. Too late for 8:30 am church. Nevertheless we still got up and went to church late and faced the masses in Primary. Let's just say you need to be able to get a full good nights rest and an after church nap if you happen to be a Primary teacher. There's just no way to keep your sanity otherwise:)!

2009-02-15T18:49:00.000-06:00

-There is no right way to do something wrong.

-Author Unknown

Sometimes what life has to offer is lemons. And some say that you can make lemonade. But what if the lemons are just rotten? No amount of sugar or spice or anything nice will make this lemonade refreshing. So do you just keep searching for ripe lemons in a rotten patch, or do you give up entirely on the thought treating yourself? Maybe it's just not possible. Maybe you just need to start fresh in a new lemon orchard and forget about the old ones.

-Myself

-Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.

-Henry David Thoreau

Run Tyler Run!

2009-02-06T18:31:00.000-06:00

So we have the Wii Fit right and I love it to say the least. I am more sore from doing 20-30 mins a day on that than 1 hour at the local YMCA! Anyway the point of my post is to inform everyone that I think we might have a Forrest Gump on our hands.... where the running is concerned that is. Yes our Tyler did a free run on the Wii and did 2.66 miles in 10 minutes!!! Is this amazing our what?! Our am I getting ahead of myself? I'd like to think not. I could hardly do the short distance run :(. Well Auntie Lydia maybe you should invest just for the sake of tiring your kids out at the end of the day and getting the appetites up. I think this may work for Tyler to get all of his energy out since I am bad enough to let him play Mario Kart and watch T.V. after school!

Bizarro Part II

2009-02-02T22:16:00.000-06:00

Okay so the diagnosis for the Saturn was a broken shift cable to the transmission clip. They said that ice somehow built up on it and it had been damaged and Saturday it finally snapped. I wonder if I could find it in my driveway. It also turned out that the lever for the hood broke and they fixed that and we were informed that our front tires have 2/32 tread so they made us feel bad for not wanting to spend $350 at the dealership when we can take it to Firestone and get two new ones for $100 less. The whole thing was a pain in the butt and to top it off me and Tyler did not get to ride in a rental car :( so sad. Hopefully this diagram will help :)!

Let me get the facts straight.

2009-02-02T21:49:00.000-06:00

Actually Matt said that it was more like an hour and he came to check on me but the door was locked so he didn't worry about it. And just to be funny my need for sleep was just like Bella's need for Edward ;) Hahahahaha.

I fell asleep...

2009-02-02T20:07:00.000-06:00

in the bathtub today. Yeah I was soaking in an oatmeal bath and I was soo drowsy and I laid my head on my arm that was propped on the side of the tub. I think I was sleeping for like 40 minutes. Matt said he didn't hear me and was gonna check on me but I think by then I had woken up. BTW I am notorious for spending at least 20 minutes just in the bathroom at a time so I don't think he thought twice about it. Let's just say I don't like the feeling of falling asleep in the bathtub and I don't think I will do it again. It was like sleep was calling my name. After I got out I took a 2 hour nap in the bed. FYI I was tired and overwhelmingly exhausted for a severe womanly reason :).

Bizarro

2009-02-01T16:22:00.000-06:00

So this is a picture of the 2008 Black Saturn Vue that Matt purchased in February 2008. Last night as I was going to the outlet mall to return a red cardigan I put the car in reverse in my driveway, and realized I forgot my huge woman's center water cup with straw that you get when you have a baby. Anyway, I go to put it into park, I let go of the brake and then the car surprisingly rolls back. This has happened before but there was fresh powder on the ground so there you go. Well with no fresh snow I was quite baffled. I applied the brake and double checked that it was in park and it was and so I again let go of the brake. Down the driveway I went and it actually jammed itself into park. I am completely stunned. I try to put it in drive and pull back up the driveway and did with success and the same thing happened again as I repeated the previous actions. Then all of a sudden the gear shift just locked and I couldn't do anything but roll back, I tried turning the car of and it still stayed in reverse mode. Then I tried turning the car back on and it just didn't start... wow... I was truly baffled. The feeling was similar to someone playing a cruel April Fool's joke on you. Just bizarre. Well long story not getting any shorter we had a friend come over and maybe jump-start the car. That wasn't the problem and we knew it but we were desperate. So just as Matt and JJ were giving up the tow truck pulled up to haul away our crossover 2008 vehicle that only has 30,000 + miles on it. And left sitting in the garage is what we call my car, 1999 Ford Explorer with yes 201,300 + miles on it, more intact than our brand new car. I do not know what else to say on the subject...

Why do toddlers...

2009-01-26T20:57:00.000-06:00

find everything they are not supposed to find. Like the shard of glass that escaped the vacuum and landed in her heal only to be found a week later surrounded by pus, or a clump of hair that came out of nowhere that is stuck to her binky that just so happens to be in her mouth. Or the pixo that Tyler accidently drops on the floor that gets left there only for his sister to stick it up her nose a la emma and the allspice berry! I am betting that if we took an xray of her nasal cavity we would eventually find a whole goldfish up there. You know she sticks literally anything and everything up her nose. It's like her own personal treasure chest. She thinks oh I sure would like to eat that piece of hamburger that I saved from lunch. I know what to look for now that she's been doing this for a month. Often times she will sneeze it out. Other times if I suspect a foreign object up there I get the nasal aspirator and hold her down while she screams.
So back to the glass in the heal, Matt happens to have iodine to sterilize the area of the heal infected with pus and he proceeds to open the wound and found that missing piece of glass from the bowl that I dropped a week ago. Lesson from this experience is that you will never have everything picked up or 100% clean when you have little babies running around to pick up those long lost things that the vacuum or broom didn't get and stick them up there noses or step on them or put them in their mouths.

Aubrey...

2009-01-22T11:32:00.000-06:00

had her first "hair cut" if you could call it that last night. I had to trim a little of the bangs to get them out of her eyes. The question for any moms of girls out there is: What do you do with a baby girls' hair when it's in "transition" so she doesn't look like an "orphan"??? Advice is being accepted in the form of comments.

2009-01-22T09:49:00.000-06:00

Here are some more pictures of the monster truck show. I didn't have time to post anymore pictures the other day so here are some additional. Last night we found the Monster Jam T.V. show on the speed network. Tyler loves it so we are recording all of the episodes. I think I'd rather have him watching those than spongebob squarepants. All though I do like that show, squidward is one of my favorite characters.

Monster Truck Pictures

2009-01-19T17:45:00.000-06:00

Tyler had a great time with Daddy seeing the monster trucks on Friday.

A monster truckin' they will go!

2009-01-16T15:07:00.000-06:00

I am very excited to say that Matt is taking Tyler to a Monster Truck show tonight called "Monster Jam"... classy huh. Well now I get to have a girls night with Aubrey. Preparing for a baby shower, creating a lesson for my CTR 6 class and also preparing the bulletin. I think I will be breaking out the Dew! Only in times of extreme pressure and duress do I break out the Dew! (Just kidding Tanya!) I will post pictures later.

All of the Fam

2009-01-14T10:00:00.000-06:00

This is one of my new favorite pictures. It was taken at Marian's house on Christmas Eve. The last family picture we have with all of us included was taken when Tyler was about nine months old and also at Christmas time.

Visit From Flat Stanley!

2009-01-10T22:23:00.000-06:00

For those of you with the eagle eye... did you notice that Flat Stanley just happened to be laying there next to Matt's birthday cake?

Happy Happy Birthday!!

2009-01-10T22:16:00.000-06:00

My lovely and handsome husband Matt turned 29 on the 9th. We had a quiet day, (quiet meaning we didn't go anywhere, so maybe is wasn't that quiet) at home because it was snowing all day. We made filet mignon for dinner and had birthday cake. I made homemade buttercream frosting courtesy of my new kitchen aid's recipe booklet. It was rather tasty. This Kitchen Aid does wonders for me...it's like I have been reborn!! I am a new woman ;)

Snow Snow Snow

2009-01-10T22:03:00.000-06:00

All I have to say is that we have gotten a ton of snow.

Christmas vacation and so on...

2008-12-30T09:13:00.000-06:00

We spent two weeks this Christmas on and off the road traveling to Texas and then to Virginia starting on the morning of the 12th and ending on the 27th. So to be exact, 15 days. A little less then half of those were driving. So the kids got to visit Santa in both Texas and Virginia. Both were upsetting incidences for Aubrey. Tyler however did very well.
Now we're back preparing to start off the New Year in a positive way. Gone are the record daily timeouts, to say the least, gone is all but one semester of Matt's schooling, gone are the wasted mornings not spent at the gym and gone are the short days of winter that depress us all :). 2009, I am sure will be a year filled with changes for us all, and for sure, for the best.

Have a Happy New Year.

Our New Family Pics

2008-12-10T19:35:00.000-06:00

We went to a studio called Portrait Innovations to get the $9.95 package deal... but of course I spent way more than that:(. Matt had taken the kids out to the car because they were both having a meltdown. I think he was hesitant to do this because he knew what the consequence of leaving me in the place alone would be. Too much $$$ spent on pictures. The thing is though, I later reasoned with him, is that we have NEVER gotten professional family pictures done before. My point was well taken as you can see from the photos I posted;).

2008-12-10T19:31:00.000-06:00

2008-12-10T19:27:00.000-06:00

Seriously So Bothered...

2008-12-03T09:02:00.000-06:00

I was introduced to the Seriously So Blessed blog that was created to mock those who seriously blog and who have been blessed creatively. I was offended to see that the author used the example of a medical students' wife to be the basis of this crazily creative blog. Does she know any women who's husband's are in medical school or does she know women who's husbands want to be in medical school. Because from the way she describes life I should be having a grand old time! Well that's all I am going to say about that. Glad to be back.

I have been inspired...

2008-12-03T08:54:00.000-06:00

to recreate a blog for the latest family news and happenings of the Kindle family. At the beginning of the year I became hooked on the whole facebook craze. I decided recently that it was not my thing and that it resembled the behaviors of a stalker. So after a couple months of no facebook and no blog I had time to contemplate my next move. I always enjoy reading blogs of the family since we do not live near each other. I am sure they would appreciate updates from my family too and I have just been too selfish and lazy by not sharing these things with them :). Therefore I am back.