4 years...in the blink of an eye

Today marks 4 years that my husband and I have been together. But it seems as if no time has gone by at all. I've been married before, we were together 5 years. It seemed like so long, I think because of break ups and make ups, moving out, moving back in, etc. My relationship with Rob has just been so fluid. We didn't do everything in the traditional way (or order), and yet, it seems everything in our lives has happened at precisely the right time to make our relationship stronger, our lives fuller, and our hearts more at ease. I have no doubt that I am right where I belong with the man I belong to. I never worry that he doesn't feel the same way because he lets me know all the time that he belongs to me. I think I used to have some pretty screwed up ideas of what a relationship was supposed to be like. I am so blessed to have my soul-mate, my life partner, with me all the time. He is my heart. I love you the mostest, honey.

Father's Day

I just can't wait to spend time tomorrow with the two best fathers I know. My dad and my husband. You are both wonderful fathers and men. It's not just because you're mine that I say you're the best. I love you both so much and I hope you enjoy the day tomorrow.

Going potty makes you feel good! LOL

Ok, so I'm a slacker kind of blogger, but I don't care. Today was a great day and I feel like writing about it. So we're really into this whole potty training thing now. Which is good, because Natalie turned 3 a month ago and I just really wanted her to be out of diapers by this age. So at home she wears big-girl panties, but elsewhere (or at bedtime) she wears pull-ups. On Saturday mornings she goes to work with me for around 3 hours. She has a good time watching movies, coloring, and eating snacks...including juice. So, because I work in the office of a bar, I have not pushed her to use the public restroom there. After a Friday night in a bar I don't even want to use it. Anyway, today we are there and after about an hour and a half I ask if she needs a new pull-up, and she says "No, I need to go to the bathroom." First of all she never says that, she always says potty, never bathroom. So, I say "Ok.Let's go." We got in there, and as luck would have it, the cleaning dude has already cleaned and sanitized the area. Hooray for cleaning guy! So we get the shorts and pull-up off and I set her on the potty (this is no household size toilet it either, it's very large). She went right away and starts yelling "I went on the potty Mommy!" I was so proud...her first time on a public potty.
Fast forward to when we get home from work, I put her big girl panties on her, and not only does she keep them dry ALL day, she's just taking them down on her own and going whenever she feels the urge! It's so wonderful! I tell her everytime that I'm proud of her and she tells me everytime that she's going to get another big present! (I'm glad she doesn't hold me to that, lol)
The best part of the whole day is when she tinkles in the potty, stands up and says "Let me do it Mommy." She takes the little bowl out of the potty and carries it oh so carefully to the "big" potty, empties the contents and flushes. Just when I think it can't get any better, she climbs up on her step stool and starts washing her hands all by herself! Funny thing is that this is the point when I realize that I need to go too, so while she is washing her hands, I use the potty. She starts cheering, "You goin on the potty Mommy!" And she's soo excited for me. It made me feel good. Isn't that silly? I felt good, and proud of both of us for what she has accomplished.
She is my best friend, my cheerleader, and I am hers. We make a really good team. I can't wait to see what she surprises me with tomorrow.

Family Tree...kind of

My mom gave us a baby peony tree to plant at our new house. For now we planted it in a pot, then someday we can plant it in the ground if we want. It doesn't look like much just yet but it's supposed to bloom once this year and I can't wait to see it. As cheesy as it sounds, to me the tree is a symbol of our little family. We're in our new home, just starting out really just like the tree. It takes love and care to keep it going and we all have to put in the effort to benefit from the beauty of it's blossoms. Rob, Natalie, and I all planted the tree together. The first day after planting it Natalie woke up and ran to the back door saying "the tree needs water...it's going to grow pink flowers!" We had to buy a watering can for her to use because we gave her cups of water the first day and she just kept dumping them in the same spot. (pics to follow) Anyway, it is a wonderful gift and I know we will cherish it and love it for as long as we can keep it alive. Thanks mom.

Already behind...

Okay, so I already feel that I'm behind on blogging. So much has been going on the last couple of weeks and I haven't taken the time to do this...so, I'm going to post several blogs tonight and pretend that I did it in a timely manner, as events happened. :)

A new beginning.

I've decided to start this blog for a few different reasons. First, because I saw Lacey Newman's blog and enjoyed reading through the entire thing in one sitting. Later, I pulled it back up so my husband and I could read through some of the hilarious kid antics together. So much of it we could relate to with our soon-to-be 3-year-old daughter.
Secondly, I thought it would be a great way for family and friends who can't be around all the time to read about the funny little things that happen on a daily basis when you're raising a toddler. It's also a great way to share pictures bacause attaching them to emails takes sooo long and you can only send so many at a time.
The last reason I wanted to start this blog is because our little family just moved into our first home. We are beginning a new life in a new house and it all goes by so quickly. I find myself already forgetting little details about Natalie when she was first born, or the first time she started walking, etc. I hope that keeping up this blog with events and photos as they happen will give me something I can look back at and laugh, cry, and be right back in that moment...because each one is so precious, it's nice to be able to hang on to them for just a bit longer.
So, if you feel inclined to keep up with our family and see new pictures and probably laugh quite a bit, you are welcome here anytime. To all our dear friends and family...we love you very much and this is for you just as much as it is for us. :)