Sunday, May 31, 2015

This is my world

It's official...
 
 
This weekend kicked off our 2015 baseball tournament/game schedule and this is now our world for the next couple of months. The boys all love baseball and we love watching them so we wouldn't want it any other way! It also helps that both the older boys are on teams with great families that we enjoy spending LOTS of time with.
 
Of course on Saturday the boys both played at the same time so we had to divide and conquer, each going our separate ways. I spent the day with Isaac and Tim with Riley. They played great for the first games for the season. The both won a game and lost a game.
 
 Lucky for us today they were at different times allowing us to each make it to both games. Riley's team won and Isaac's team ended up losing a hard fought game.

Isaac's team- Ona 10U Purple before their first game
I love taking pictures and this weekend was no different... except for that first game of Isaac's where we were freezing and sitting under umbrellas! I couldn't wait to get the pictures on the computer and check them out once we got home. We had a great time laughing at all of the different facial expressions that they had. Here are some of our favorites:

Is that a snowflake on my nose? (Riley)

All of this cotton tree fuzz makes me a little pouty. (Riley)

Come on, try me! (Riley)

I am a cool dude. (Riley)

Let's get out of this guys! (Isaac)

I think I can do this! (Isaac)

Wow, I really can do this! (Isaac)

I will remain tight lipped about my pitching. (Isaac)

That one might not have gone where I wanted. (Isaac)

Oh boy, not sure where that one will go. (Isaac)

Re-focus, break out the tongue curl. (Isaac)

Pure determination (Charlie)

Nope, not my pitch (Isaac)

I'm ready! Hit it to me! (Nicky)

Let me think about this for a minute. (Charlie)

Pure focus (Jon)

How did you do that tongue curl Isaac? (Charlie)

Yep, I'm pretty cool. (Charlie)

She's kind of like a superstar! (Aidan and Lindsey)

We can do this! (Isaac)

Let's finish this boys! (Isaac)

Friday, May 22, 2015

Teenager in the house

THIRTEEN years ago today I became a mom for the first time. Riley couldn't wait any longer to take on the world and surprised us by coming into our lives 16 days early. I will never forget that day or even the couple of days leading up to and following.

That Monday my mom was in town to visit and got to come to one of my doctor's appointments and then we spent the day together at a wonderful baby shower hosted by my amazing co-workers at the Mason City Youth Task Force. Tuesday I went to work like normal and got home and was able to finish writing out all of the thank you notes for the shower and then spent some time outside with our wonderful neighbors watching the high school baseball game directly across the street from our house. We headed off to bed like normal not knowing that our normal was about to change. I woke up at midnight and my water broke. We called the hospital and they told us to make our way in. We arrived at the hospital about 1-1:30 AM and then for the rest of the night NOTHING happened! We waited and waited. Riley finally made his way into the world later that evening with the CMA Music Awards playing in the background (hey, maybe that is why he is drawn to music and always has to be humming!?!). We had a pretty good stay in the hospital and had many great visitors. Upon being released from the hospital we had to make a pit stop at Target because he was so much smaller than we had anticipated! This kid needed preemie size clothes because he was swimming in the newborn ones that we had taken to the hospital with us. We were only home for a few days when we had to make a visit back to the hospital for a bili check (it was Memorial Day weekend so we had to go there instead of the clinic to have it done) and we ended up having to stay because his levels were too high. We got to spend 24 hours with him under the lights! After that the days get a little fuzzier as we fell into our new normal.

Once again, here is a trip down memory lane through the lens of my camera... this time with Riley as the star of the show!

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

WOW! We have a teenager in the house! How can that even be true? It is crazy how much he has changed in the past few years and I am sure he will change even more in the next few! What an amazing young man he is becoming!

Here is my interview with Riley at age 13...
  1. Name: Riley Owen
  2. How old are you?  13 years old
  3. What is your favorite thing to do? play baseball
  4. Who is your best friend? Henning
  5. What is your favorite color? Orange or purple
  6. What is your favorite food? Pizza- supreme
  7. What do you like to do with your family? go on vacation
  8. What is your favorite toy? my fishing pole (surprising... I would have guessed the iPod that seems to be glued to his hands)
  9. What do you want to be when you grow up? an engineer  (build bridges)
  10. What makes you happy? playing baseball
  11. What makes you sad? when I lose a really big fish when out fishing
  12. What is your favorite show? Ice Cold Gold
  13. What is your favorite book? Caught
  14. What do you love to learn about? math
  15. Where do you like to go? the lake (Lake of the Ozarks)
  16. Who is your teacher? Ms. Chaouki (Algebra)
  17. What is your favorite treat? Scotcharoos
  18. What do you think about before you fall asleep? I never remember those things.
  19. What sport do you like best? baseball
  20. What are you really good at? baseball
  21. What would you buy if you had $1000? I would buy a paddleboard.
  22. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? chocolate
  23. Who is your biggest hero? Jonathon Lucroy
  24. What do you hope you'll get to do before your next birthday? learn how to wakeboard
  25. What do you like to do best with your friends? play baseball and fish
  26. What is your favorite song? Cruise by Florida Georgia Line
  27. I am very proud because.... I am in Algebra.
  28. I am afraid to.... go up really high without a harness.
  29. Imagine that you can become invisible whenever you wanted to. What are some of the things that you would do? I would sneak on a plane to Mexico and go on vacation.
  30. Pretend that you can fly whenever you wanted. Where would you go? I would go to Italy.
  31. Where do you want to go on vacation? Mexico again
  32. What is your favorite thing to do with Mom or Dad? Do stuff outside and our workouts at the Y.
HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY RY!
 




Monday, May 18, 2015

Double Digits

Just over a week ago my spunky, brown-eyed, freckled-faced boy turned ten years old! That's right... we have another child in double digits! That is just CRAZY to think about! This boy sure knows how to challenge me but at the same time melts my heart! One minute he is picking a fight with his little brother and the next he is helping make his lunch and load his backpack into the car. He definitely has a heart of gold and is very thoughtful!

If you know me, you know my love of taking pictures so I can't help but take you on a trip down memory lane through the lens of my camera...

2010

2011


2012

2013

2014

2015
It was so much fun going back through old pictures to put these together. Looking back makes me smile, laugh, and maybe even tear up a little! There are so many great pictures of this silly kid! It is crazy to look back and see how much he has grown up already and I am excited to see where the next several years take us.

If you remember in past years I sat down with each kiddo around their birthday and did an interview with them. Here is my recent interview with 10 year old Isaac...
  1. Name: Isaac Paul
  2. How old are you?  10 years old
  3. What is your favorite thing to do? play baseball
  4. Who is your best friend? Kadin and Sammy
  5. What is your favorite color? Purple
  6. What is your favorite food? Tacos
  7. What do you like to do with your family? Hike
  8. What is your favorite toy? iPod
  9. What do you want to be when you grow up? Baseball Player
  10. What makes you happy? my friends
  11. What makes you sad? not being able to play baseball
  12. What is your favorite show? Liv and Maddie
  13. What is your favorite book? Blood of Olympian (Lightening Thief Series)
  14. What do you love to learn about? Science
  15. What was the best part of your birthday? Having a sleepover with my friends
  16. Where do you like to go? The baseball field, Mexico and Missouri
  17. Who is your teacher? Ms. Eiken
  18. What is your favorite treat? scotcharoos
  19. What do you think about before you fall asleep? What I will be doing at school tomorrow
  20. What was your favorite birthday present? fishing stuff
  21. What sport do you like best? baseball
  22. What are you really good at? running the mile (time of 6:45 at school for the spring)
  23. What would you buy if you had $1000? a Mako baseball bat and catchers gear
  24. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? blue moon
  25. Who is your biggest hero? mom and dad
  26. What do you hope you'll get to do before your next birthday? go to Mall of America again
  27. What do you like to do best with your friends? play baseball
  28. What is your favorite song? Rain is a Good Thing by Luke Bryan
  29. I am very proud because....   I got a good time in the mile run.
  30. I am afraid to....   go on the SpongeBob rollercoaster at the Mall of America
  31. Imagine that you can become invisible whenever you wanted to. What are some of the things that you would do? Scare my brothers. Make people scared.
  32. Pretend that you can fly whenever you wanted. Where would you go? Disneyland and Mexico
  33. Where do you want to go on vacation? Miami and Hawaii
  34. What is your favorite thing to do with Mom or Dad? go to the baseball field and hit and go places with them.

Monday, May 4, 2015

May the fourth...

I have never been much of a Star Wars fan but my boys sure are so I couldn't pass this up... May the fourth be with you! 
 
 
Once again it is Monday but it isn't any ordinary Monday. It's Melanoma Monday! Melanoma Monday is a day to raise awareness about melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer. Melanoma Monday is special to me because , as many of you know, I am a melanoma survivor.
 
Black is the ribbon color for melanoma
 I was diagnosed with melanoma in December 2012 (you can read some of the journey after diagnosis here). On January 2, 2013 I had surgery to remove the affected area on the top of my ear, reconstruction of my ear, and had sentinel nodes removed in my neck to make sure the cancer hadn't spread. It was a journey that I never imagined I would ever be taking-  Moving forward and getting back on track were definitely interesting! It is crazy to think back over the past few years and how far I have come since those first weeks/months after surgery. It was really scary and honestly still is!
 
It has been a while since I have done an update so here goes...
 
I am definitely less self-conscious and am back to wearing my hair up most of the time without really thinking much about doing it. I do have to admit that there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about and look at my ear in the mirror though. I am also anxious about every little ache and pain or funny freckle/mole and my first thoughts go to "what if it is back" or "what if it has spread". Once I have that initial thought then I think rationally and think through what I did to be sore or whatever the case may be or I am able to ask about it at one of my follow up appointments. I am not sure that type of worry will ever get better or go away completely. 
 
I no longer worry about what people think/say and honestly I think I was over-reacting about how much people would notice. At the time though it felt so obvious to me! Truth is there have only been a few people that have ever commented about it.  My ear/neck are a lot less sensitive. Recently I had to use headphones while at work and that was still uncomfortable and I kept having to move the one on my right ear so it wouldn't put so much pressure on my ear. My ear isn't very flexible anymore and doesn't bend like normal. I also find that I am uncomfortable holding the phone to my right ear- it doesn't really hurt- it just isn't comfortable the way it hits and hurts if I push the phone into my ear. Not being able to push the phone into my ear makes it harder to hear as well. I have adapted and just avoid all of this and always put the phone to my left ear. There is still a very small area around the scar on my neck that feels "different". It isn't really numb but doesn't feel normal yet. Overall, things are looking good. I continue with regular follow up appointments and all of my providers have been very happy with everything!
 
I am lucky and very blessed to have had such wonderful care and support through the past few years!

Friday, May 1, 2015

Goodbye April, Hello May

 Riley has been participating in middle school track and has already had his first three (yep, you read that right- 3) meets. I know you are shocked that you haven't seen pictures yet! The first meet we ran off without thinking to take the camera (and I also don't seem to have any of the stats on that one). I know this is a shocker for those that know me well! After last night's meet pictures have FINALLY made it from the camera to the computer!
 
La Crescent Meet- April 23, 2015
Discus, Long Jump and 1600M
The boys team took 1st place in the La Crescent meet!
 
Here are Riley's stats:
1600M- 5:51.50 (6th Place)
Long Jump- 13-08 (6th Place)
Discus- 54-02 (19th Place)
 
Sparta Meet- April 30, 2015
Long Jump and High Jump
Scratched 1600M due to a sore hamstring
If you remember, last summer he participated in a summer track program through our Park and Rec and did long jump and sprints. He really enjoyed the long jump so he stuck with that but realized that he was a better long distance runner so switched to 1600M. He has also been trying new things like the discus and high jump. Last night he did high jump in the meet after only practicing one night. He has been doing a great job and it has been fun to watch him and all of his friends (WOW- it is crazy how much they have all grown and changed this year!)
 
It is too bad that baseball and track run at the same time once they get to high school. He seems to really be enjoying track but baseball is definitely his main sport/love! Track will probably be limited to middle school for this kid. It does sound like he plans to stick with cross country though so we will still get to see him continue to run.
 
As I was going through pictures I came across these from this past weekend and I had to share! I can't believe how big my "baby" is getting. He looks so old here :(
 
He was such a great helper with the mulch... well at least while I did the front yard!
 
Before heading off to the track meet yesterday, all of the stars aligned and I had pretty close to the perfect run (for me). The weather was beautiful! The temp was right where I like it and there was a light breeze. My body was on board for a change- both my legs and lungs got their act together at the same time! My mind was focused and was enjoying everything about this run... it was just what I needed! I have had so many tough runs lately that I NEEDED this run to push aside some of my worry and self-doubt. I know that everyone has tough runs and that not every run can feel wonderful but I felt like I was really struggling lately. It is very true that all of those tough runs make you appreciate the good ones that much more!
 
Instagram pic from yesterday
I guess that pretty much wraps up our April and we are moving onto May!
 
 
May is a busy month for us- birthdays (one kiddo entering double digits and one becoming a teenager), graduations, track, soccer, baseball getting into full swing (pun intended) and school winding down for the year and all of concerts, activities, and field trips that comes along with that. It is crazy to think that it is already that time of the year! With everything that we have coming up this month I am sure that May will be gone just as fast as it snuck up on us.