Summertime Fun

On a beautiful day in June Sam and I went to the Deanna Rose Farmstead with Grandma K. and Auntie Jess. The animals were stirring around in all pens eager to be fed the 25 cent corn meal. Duckies waddled around, goats ate at our clothes, the bald eagle flew from one end of his cage to another trying to avoid his talon clipping, cows chomping happily on their straw, bob cats lounging on their trees, bunnies nibbling on their grass, and the baby bison taking it easy in the shade. All of these we saw, and each Samuel enjoyed; however the baby goats were his very favorite. He offered his fingers freely to the baby goats, where they were happy to lick and nibble on them. Yucky! Good thing mommy brought the wet wipes to wipe away the grimes left on his hand.
A GOAT NIBBLING ON SAM'S SHIRT

I wanted to get down and get some good pictures of Sam enjoying the goats, but the goats weren't happy that I wasn't feeding them. Soon I had a goat eating at the back end of my shorts, and one eating at my shirt in the front where a nasty slimy green blob was left on my shirt. Mmmmmhmmmm. That is when I lost my cute feelings for the goats...we left the pen at that point. Horse rides were also available but the youngsters had to be 3 years of age and to be able to ride by themselves, I was bummed.






For lunch Samuel had 3/4 of a turkey sandwich and some of a soft pretzel with chocolate milk. He thought it was awesome! If there is one thing I don't have to worry about, it's Samuel eating enough. It is amazing that the boy only weighs 22 pounds.

I finally have finished my past semester at DeVry, where I now get to enjoy 2 weeks of homework freedom. With my extra time while Sam is napping, I will start again on the Christmas stockings; and just when I think I'm making headway I realized that this new baby will also need one! Good thing the baby will miss Christmas this year. It is challenging enough to finish Sam's and Joel's on time. Another thing that will keep me busy is house searching and house discussing with Joel. We are in a nice town home, but to have our own house is what we long for and maybe even at the end of this 6 month lease. We will see. Along with my final semester at DeVry coming up I am doing a self paced medical transcription course so that I may do medical transcription from home. Once school is finished I want something to keep my mind current in the medical field, and this will allow me to do so, while making some extra bucks for dreams of ours.

This weekend is going to be full of activities. We may go to a Royals game this Friday, or we may go to a rehearsal dinner of Joel's cousin who is getting married this weekend. Saturday in the morning is my Grandma and Grandpa Ledom's 50th wedding anniversary, and then at 3 in the afternoon we are headed to a wedding. Whew, I don't think we'll have a chance to catch our breath this weekend. This is all for now, until I can think of something else to write about. Enjoy the beautiful, perfect for the pool, summer weather!

Room 4 Two

I love Samuel so much it's just so weird to think how my love will be matched with a second child -yes- Joel and I have been blessed with another child. We were trying to have another one before we even moved back to Kansas but it just wasn't happening and I was finding myself getting discouraged. I knew however that God would give us another miracle when the time was right; and I guess May was the right time. We found out the beginning part of May that we would be having another baby; but were trying to keep it to ourselves until I could make my first appointment. When I found out the doctor couldn't get me in until July 2 I knew this big secret couldn't be kept for that long. Joel caved and let me spill the beans.

For a while I always thought that it would be nice to have another boy right away so Sam would have another brother to play with, but I have recently been more in tuned to how many males are in our home. Even the pets are male in which I have decided I would love the second child to be a girl, and if not then hopefully my sex of choice will come around later.

This time around my hormones have been playing horrible tricks on me. I have been in a clouded funk for almost 3 weeks now. I haven't wanted to get out of my pajamas, do any house wife duties, leave the house, or keep up with my school work; all I've wanted to do is sit and lounge around with Sam. Now that I feel my spirits lifting I have so much catching up to do. I have started cleaning room by room and knocking off homework assignments that I have let go for the past week and I plan on getting some fresh air moving through my lungs.

It is so hard to think about anyone other than Sam being my baby and someone else to love just as much as he. Some how I know that it will all come together for me, because although they will both be my babies they each are their own person. Joel thinks that with every child you have they get uglier, which I hope isn't the case, but Samuel sure has set a high standard! This baby will be due the mid part of January and all I can think about is how huge I'll be at Christmas. Someone told me today that my situation is perfect because the holiday food will taste so much better being pregnant than if I were not. Here's hoping to good tasting food and expanding our family one baby at a time.

My Baby - The Toddler

One year has come around so fast I can hardly believe that my baby turned one on May 18th! We had a birthday party for Sam on the 19th where great grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and even cousins showed up. My Mother and I baked a 2-layer cake, cupcakes, and all while stringing balloons and setting up chairs for everyone to sit on. Samuel was such a good boy with all the commotions going on around him; being passed from person to person until someone put him down on the floor so he could walk across the room. Yes that's right folks, my baby is walking! He has attempted running but that ends all to quickly with a thud on the floor. Surrounded by his stacks of presents, he was most interested and excited about the tissue paper and bows, as expected.

I was excited for him to make a complete slob of himself with his cake but he was anxious about the whole freedom of diving in without repercussions. Instead of being a messy boy he preferred to take his thumb (like little Jack Horner who sat in the corner, stuck his thumb in the pie and pulled out a plum and said what a good boy am I.) and graze it across the icing, quickly sucking it off and doing it again and again. The cameras loved him! Eventually he stuck his thumb in far enough to pull out some of the cake, mmmmhmmmm! Nobody volunteered to have a piece of his cake after he was through; turns out the cup cakes and ice cream were more popular to the crowd who didn't want to share Sam's slobber.




Samuel is still stuck with two teeth and who knows when he'll get more; however he gets along just fine eating pieces of chicken, cheese, Cheerios, Trixs, beans, etc and he loves carrying around a sippy cup of milk. We are enjoying our beginning of Summer at the baseball fields, swimming pool, or taking strolls around the block. I look at him now as my baby, but once another baby rolls around I know I'll look at him as such a big boy, and that makes me so sad. You love one person so much it is just strange to think of how your love will be for future children, and if Samuel will be a big helper or a big pain in my rump? Either way you have love it all and love your children through and through! If I don't soak it in now I know the time will come all too quickly to where I have to say good-bye.

So here is to your babies and loving them through and through!

Pool Day

I have waited one year to be able to share pool days with my son, where his head will be filled with wonderful fun memories to recall, and finally that year has rolled around. This is a picture of our first pool date.

Unlike what I had expected our first dip in the pool to be (screaming and crying) Samuel just had to warm up to the water...and before I knew it he was off! In order to get a feel for the water, we stood on the first stair in the pool and allowed his piggies to warm up in water. To ease some of his anxiety we splish splashed his foot through the water. Then we made our way down to the second stair, where the water came up to his belly; Sam gasped and caught his breath due to the rather chilly water at the beginning of the pool season. No worries, Sam quickly started playing with his pail and shovel vigorously stirring the water. From that point on I quickly moved him into his covered floaty 'boat' and we were off. His fast kicking legs help propel us through the water going around and around in circles. Our pool date was a success!

Yesterday Samuel, my Mom, Grandma & Grandpa Fay, and I took a day out on the town; where Grandpa spotted the cutest little bench, and thought Samuel couldn't do without it. Now that he has his personal bench there will be many hours of sitting on it, wandering into Dr. Seuss' imaginative worlds..

So faithful blog readers, we are anxious for our summer days in the sun, where we will enjoy days by the pool and bike rides on the trails. I can't believe I have my summer days back!

Next Saturday will be Samuel's 1st birthday party where hopefully I'll capture great moments of the day. Stay tuned!

At Long Last

The hectic and unstructured Kellen household is finally coming into a routine, which Joel and I are both happy about. Who knew that almost 5 years of having a set routine to my day, would make me want to have that structure again... even when I don't have to?! All the boxes have been dug through and thrown away, and every item has once again found itself a home. With the project of moving out of the way I can now devote more time for blogging, scrap booking, reading, biking, swimming, and homework again. It feels great, I'm not going to lie. My past Mexican Train Dominoe games have carried over to my cousin Sarah and her hubby Travis, my family, and Joel's family. Once again I have my Domino fix! ;-) We still search for a lovely couple to play Euchre with us, and miss our dear friends Meeghan and Raymond very much!

The weather has been near perfect here in Overland Park, and Wal-Mart finally has their beautiful Petunia hanging baskets out. I bought 4! They are so full and pretty, and add more character to our patio then anyone else's.



Easter came and went in a flash. We spent the morning with Joel's family, and the afternoon with my family. We attempted to have Samuel participate in the long anticipated Easter egg hunt, but he passed it off as boring, while he threw his lone egg as far as he could. Oh well! The Easter bunny left some goodies for both of my men. Samuel got Fox and the Hound Dog DVD and some huge legos to enjoy.

Joel is enjoying his new grill, Nerf shot gun (I swear...), and some PB eggs.

Samuel is daring to stand by himself for seconds at a time, and has even taken 3 falling steps towards me! He will be off one day, and that is when my exercise program really starts. Yesterday we had our first big bump on our head, the picture doesn't do it justice, but he hardly cried just as a tough guy should.

He is extremely proud about giving hi-fives, drinking from a straw, and walking alone with his walker. I can hardly believe that my once helpless baby is turning 1 year old next month. May 18th passed and has come around again so fast I feel I have barely had enough time to breath. Hopefully his 1st birthday party will be a hit, just like his first year of life. I think I might be getting another baby itch here soon...we'll see I guess.

Joel found a job at Lansing Trade Group and is excited about where the company is going. His title is a merchandising trade assistant, where he does all the accounting work for the traders in cotton. Hopefully our future is promising, and we can continue basking in the goodness of life.

As some have pointed out to me my beloved Jayhawks didn't make it to the final 4, but just remember (you people who should not be named) next year a butt kicking is in order. BRING ON THE BRACKETS!

Here is our new place with the newest member of the family - GUS -(4 mo. yorkipoo

I Promise

OK folks, I promise that more pictures are to come today or tomorrow. We finally aren't so busy and school for me has slowed down. My routine of my day will now consist of better blogging.

Happy days are ahead!

Click your heels 3 Times

Wow. A week has gone by already being here in Kansas. Our new place is starting to feel like a home and there are only a few more straggling boxes lying around. One big box in particular in Sam's room.

The weather here is about 10 degrees better than it is in Chicago, and believe me, I don't miss the weather in Chicago. Our place is actually on ground level where as before we could peer out across the pond and the parking lot in our old place. See, even Melvyn and Sam are wondering what's going on.

Our town home is in a great location. We have plenty of restaurants to choose from, Town Center Plaza (like the Old Orchard shopping center), and grocery stores. I never thought that it would feel so weird to be back. I guess after living up there and seeing the same people everyday, everything really grows on you. I miss it. Well, let me rephrase that, I miss the people. I miss Dominoes with my wacky IH friends, and seeing all their friendly smiling faces, and I miss the few Navy people I talked to often. Joel and I weren't as lucky to keep in good contact with old high school friends, but I'm sure that I have made some life long ones in the Navy, whether them being Navy or IH. Don't worry Meeghan and Raymond I haven't forgotten about you either! We will truly miss our card and upside down margarita nights! Can't wait til you come and visit. For the ones that know who you are...you are my dear lifelong friends.

I'll post pictures of our new place once it isn't so messy. Check back in a couple days. For now check out our daring, assisted walking/standing, man!

Anchors Away

THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME....30 DAYS AND I HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO THE NAVY!!!

More to come if I have time.

Diggen for Eggs

Hmmmm.....


What do we have here?



Is this an Easter egg?



YES, YES, it is an Easter egg! I sure hope the Easter Bunny doesn't pass me by!


I guess if I don't want to get in trouble I better just spend some more time in my toy basket. Yup, I can't even get out of here to cause problems. I can't wait for my Grandmas and Grandpas to come visit, I have lots of new tricks to show off. I hope they can catch me!

Christmas Stockings

Here is the picture I wanted to show everyone. I have been working on this before Sam was born; little by little I cross-stitch away so that my son and my husband will have their very own stockings, made from scratch, from the woman they love so dearly. Sam's stocking is hardly perfect, actually there are many mistakes, but to the onlooker that hasn't studied the pattern no one would ever know. I've pricked my finger and cursed this very involved stocking, but, picking it back up none the less because I am so proud that I'm doing this with my own two hands.

THIS IS WHAT IT IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE:


THIS IS WHAT I HAVE SO FAR:


THIS IS JOEL'S WHICH WILL BE DONE AFTER SAM'S:


My Mom worked many years to give her family a stocking of their own, which she allows us kids to take with us when we move on. I too wanted her to teach me her art, so the tradition can continue; and maybe if we are blessed enough to have a daughter, she will also want her mother to teach her how to cross-stitch. My Christmas stocking however is not the only thing I treasure that my Mom has made for me. She made me a great quilt, made with great love, and I will continue to use it with great pride so that I can feel her embrace wrapped around my family.

It's funny how receiving homemade gifts as a child can almost make you feel embarrassed; after all it would be a disaster to wear something that wasn't brand name! (Kidding of course, but that is how it is going these days.) As we age we hold close and treasure the homemade gifts. I will always feel my mother in my quilt and in my stocking, as Sam will feel me. Sam will remember his Grandma K. by the softest blue bear security blanky, and Joel will feel his mother in the jean quilt that she made for him. Some people ask, "Why use the quilts and not keep them put up in a box?" Well, how can anyone enjoy something that is kept out of sight and not used for the sole purpose of why it was made?

Each child makes treasure that last a lifetime for their parents. I see the Santa of clay (or what ever material it was) I made for my Mom every Christmas carefully tucked away under a glass dome, a picture of hand prints myself and my brothers made for her hanging in the laundry room, etc. Soon I'll have the chance to receive the treasures of a child, and will hold on to them tightly.

NEWS FLASH: Samuel crawled across the living room twice last Sunday and it was a mighty cute waddle.

Not Happy

Woe is I. Right now the military systems are absolutely driving me batty! I now know why the acronyme NAVY is what it is (Never Again Volunteer Yourself)and it's because even the higher ranking advisers can't get truthful and honest answers from personnel at the hospital. I have been in the process of waiting for a response telling me to separate early from the military, and was told that my memo had been sent out to BUPERS aka the big dogs of sailor's destinies; to find out this week my HM1 had been blatantly lied to. My papers are still some where in the hospital, which translates to me not knowing by the end of this month what our plans are. ERRRRR. I can't even express my distaste right now of the whole matter, and the sad thing is is that I'm not surprised either. Unless you plan to stay in the military the whole darn thing is just ridiculous! I'm glad I had the opportunity for the experience and all the things I have learned; but frankly I'm ready to move on and to enjoy my child, my husband, and life to its fullest. For all you people thinking to yourself, things can come up even if you're not in the military, and sometimes you need to do things on a moments notice, I know that and don't really need to hear it from anyone else. I may sound like a smarty pants but take it as you wish, there are some things that don't need commenting on. In most cases I can see both sides of a situation and do not need reminding of them. Enough of that.

Samuel is getting ready to go through another illness, hopefully only being a cold, and I really feel for the kid. Damn that incubator of illnesses daycare. I guess if it weren't now it would be in grade school, etc. He is becoming quite the prodigy if I say so myself ;-)I have taught him to push the button on his "ball shooter" toy, working with him on putting the right shapes into the right holes on his little pot, and I am trying to teach him some sign language; however he just sits and smiles at me when I'm signing. He's probably thinking, "What the heck is Mommy trying to do? Does she need to work on her muscle development so that her arm and hands are spazing out? I guess I'll impress her with a smile and pretend that I know what she is trying to do."



In the mean time when I'm done with school work and Sam is napping, I have been reading the book Angels and Demons, and working on the never ending Christmas stocking for Samuel. I guess I really know how to pick out the good ones. The Christmas tree alone has about 6-7 different shades of green in it. And once that is complete I start right away on Joel's. I did want to post a picture of it but I'll do that Tuesday. The weather is beautiful right now 42 degrees and I'm loving it. I'm beyond ready to wash my car and to start grilling again, not to mention get my lovely petunia hanging baskets. I'm ready to breath in some fresh air and get the family outside walking the little neighborhoods that surround our complex. Ahhh, a beautiful dream that is maybe a month away. Anyway the grumbles of my stomach are telling me it's time for lunch and to start preparing dinner in the crock pot. Speciality pork chops tonight, and I can't wait!

A little bit of everything

Well Samuel got his first tooth and is working on his second. I was able to get a picture of his tooth from him smiling big for the camera. Sam is also working on waving bye-bye and has started pulling himself up to certain objects in the apartment. He has taken two crawling steps, but has yet to do it again. I think he figures army crawling is a safer way to get around. He is now enjoying Gerber's Puff cereal where he can practice chewing like a big boy, which he loves doing! He looks so proud while he's chomping away. Yesterday I found the guts to go for a major hair change. I had not cut it short in almost 5 years and decided that it was time for a change. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but it is much too late to change my mind.
The weather up here is bitter cold, and while I'm at the computer typing I'm staring at a thick layer of frost around out bedroom window. It is a whopping -4 degrees right now and it is almost 11 o'clock in the morning. Geesh! Some pictures below are of Sam getting ready for a bath, acting silly, and showing off his preppy outfit. Damn cute, and there isn't another way to put it.