Heartbeat 5000

We walked the Heartbeat 5000 yesterday in NE Minneapolis benefiting the Children's Hospital and Clinics. It was a great walk. We left the house at 7am. Arrived at the park at 8:30am. The walk started at 9:30am. I basically stood in line for 45 minutes after we got there, to pay and then to pee! But, it was worth it. It was a great day and a great cause! And, then we took the girls to Chuck E. Cheese.

Ellie is 15 months!

So today is the 22nd and that means Ellie is another month older. She is now 15 months and I am wondering if she is on track. I think she is, but to be honest, I haven't followed the milestone chart like I did with Hadley. I don't log on to babycenter.com ever, I haven't read any books about her growth, I rarely even get to talk to other Mom's about what she is supposed to be doing. I am not worried because I feel like she is doing just fine. But, I am going to take a look anyway, just to make sure...
This evening we had a great dinner consisting of bbq chicken breasts, baby red potatoes, bourbon beans and a spinach salad. Ellie at everything but the spinach because it is too hard for her to chew up... Then we went to the park, now they are taking a bath. Ellie has decided to climb on everything and she keeps going places she is not supposed too like the kitchen table, the coffee table and now the little sitting ledge in the bathtub. We try to say no and she just gives us the look like she knows she is doing something she is not supposed to.
So I looked up milestones for 15 months and....
Ellie seems right on track. Climbing is supposed to happen at 16 months and only half can do that... so she is advanced in that department, probably a little behind in speaking but that is actually on track for baby number two in the family! They don't have to speak when they have a 3.5 year old speaking for them...
It is just so cute to watch her try to be like her sister, she does everything Hadley does and she is very independent and throws a fit if we try to help her. She is very stubborn but also silly.

Anne's wedding

Ellie relaxed with Nessa!

Hadley got to meet a real princess!

Dancing... the girls just loved it!

Nevaeh, showing us her moves!

Ellie, out on the dance floor!

Still some candy left in the jar... it was finished by the time we left!

Hadley took this picture!

Hadley and Nevaeh waiting for the next dancing song...

Cheese!

Trying to get them to take a photo in the photo booth area!

What a great day! Hadley and I went to Anne and Justin's wedding ceremony at Steele's Nursery with Shanessa and Nevaeh... then, we attended the dinner and dance with Ellie and Daddy at the Wahkon Inn. It was a beautiful day, with a few rain spurts, but none of the spurts disrupted the wedding. The girls had a wonderful time, a little shy at first but then it was all about the dance floor and having Mommy chase them. We left around 7:30pm, and came home, did bath and everyone was in bed by 9pm.... it was a wonderful day. Thanks Anne for the great wedding, food and fun! We enjoyed seeing your first dance and hearing those wonderful words as Liz made her maid of honor speech! Congrats to your new journey!

Everyday we have is a gift, truly...

Today a dear friend of mine lost her mother. Now at age 32 she leads her life forward without that compass so many of us depend on. I know many have walked in this path, like my husband who lost his mother when he was 7 or my mother who lost her mother when she was 50, or my friend Nicole or my sister in law Michelle. But it doesn't matter what age you lose her, she is someone who shares our cells with us, who can sense our thoughts and feel our energy. Mothers don't just love you more than themselves, they actually deprive themselves of life's necessities because children come first. I believe my friends mother was that type of Mom. She was quiet but you knew she cared and she loved her daughters as well as her precious grandchildren.

So tonight, I have a heavy heart in knowing that there are so many broken hearts by those who loved her. I am thankful that Joan is out of pain and is now an angel watching over us all. But, sadden that life must move forward without her earthly presence.

So to my dear friend Anne, I ask the Lord to watch over you and your family.
I ask that He give you all (Anne, Liz, Bern, Mike, Diane and so on...) strength for these days ahead. I pray for your father Mike, who has only known life with Joan and who will need a new compass to help him find his way. And, please be with all the grandchildren as they come to realize what it means to lose a grandparent.

We never know what may happen or how God will test our strength so it is times like these where I am reminded to take a deep breath and give praise for what I have.

Feeling pulled!

I feel like I am never going to catch up. This endless feeling of things to do has come again. I am now enrolled in an 8-week summer A&P 1 course which as you know is all memorization where spelling counts. So in order to achieve an A in this class, I must study and successful studying requires time... ALONE!

On top of this new class I am also doing preparations for the Mille Lacs Fun Run, honestly this takes more of my time than I think it will.
I am still employed at two different places. Positive note... I have more days off every week. This should help in the studying department.

However, I must not dwell as this is just another class, just another day. I am happy to have a healthy family and the opportunity to go back to school. I know that it could always be worse.