So, I’m a little odd…

I’ve had multiple realizations lately that I’m a little bit odd. Sure, sure, you knew that already… but I was possibly in a little bit of denial. So, I guess I’ll share some of the things that have come to mind recently that made me realize my, well…oddness? ;)

- It’s been 10 years since I owned a horse, but I still pine over nice horse trailers. You know the big four-horse ones with the windows that open for the horses to stick their heads out? And has living quarters up front? *sigh* I love ‘em!  I’ll probably always admire them, I guess, even though it looks unlikely that I’ll own another horse any time soon. (I’m very allergic)

- I want a motorcycle. I’ve decided this might be my way of “replacing” having a horse, but whatever it is, I do want one. I’ve never ridden one by myself, just ridden with my dad (who rocks the motorcycle world!) I figure it can’t be hard to learn, and it would be super fun. Maybe I could get a sidecar for the kids? ;)

- I occasionally enjoy watching kids’ shows. I’ve always been a fan of cartoons. I just can’t help myself. And yes, sometimes I laugh out loud at said kids’ shows.

- I enjoy grocery shopping. What I like is making my list, checking sales and coupons, and seeing how much I can get for the lowest amount of money (without compromising quality). I literally get a little thrill when I see the total at the register…and just how LONG my receipt is.

This is just a mild sampling, but I thought I’d share my oddities with all of you… just for the fun of it ;)

8 Months

Yes, this is the face of a troublemaker.

Austin is now 8 months old and he is full of mischief! (as any little boy should be, of course). It's all onward and upward for him these days. Just a couple weeks ago, he mastered crawling forward. He was getting everywhere he wanted to before, but did so by moving backward and sideways. Now that he has the forward motion thing down-pat, we're in trouble. And today he mastered another skill....*drumroll please*.... pulling himself up on furniture (or anything/anyone else that will be still just long enough for him to take advantage). You can tell he desperately wants to walk... and he's not giving up on trying!

As you can see by the picture above, he's into everything now. His favorite place to be is Zack's room... and thankfully, Zack loves him being in there with him. I love to sit in the hall and peek in on them without them knowing it. I constantly have to stifle giggles while watching them!

Austin is doing so well, and you wouldn't ever know about his rough start unless we told you. Speaking of which, he's still doing great in his braces for naps and bedtime. His next check-up with Dr. Dietz in Iowa City is next week - We're hoping for a glowing review!

Here's to new milestones! :)

Sum-Sum-Summertime

I’ll be honest: I’m loving the cooler weather we’re having this summer! Today, it’s only going to get into the upper 70s or low 80s… and it’s July 20th!  Sure, it’s a little cool for swimming, but overall, I love it :) I prefer not to feel like I’m continually melting while I’m outside.

The boys have been enjoying it too, since it means it’s easier to spend more time outside (since we can avoid that whole melting thing I just mentioned).

The Saturday after the 4th of July, we went to Ankeny’s Summerfest parade (since we didn’t get to attend a 4th of July parade this year) Zack thoroughly enjoyed it. It was only in the 80s that day, but we all got pretty warm after sitting out in the sun for a few hours!

Zack was sporting his shades, and Austin was lookin’ good in his stylish new hat ;)

The folks in Ankeny are very, VERY generous when it comes to candy. Zack made off with quite a haul…

We’ve also been hittin’ the water in the past week (even if it hasn’t been scorching outside). My awesome in-laws have a lovely hot tub, which served as our “pool” this past week. The boys LOVED it. Zack was quick to hop in this time with Aunt Cassidy. (Yes I know, they look like brother and sister, instead of Aunt and nephew!)

I have a feeling Austin is going to be our water baby. He is completely comfortable and has no fear of it, it seems.

Further proving his comfort level…Austin proceeds to recline in his floaty (he does this almost as soon as he gets in!)

Zack’s also been taking part in the summer reading program at the library this summer. He loves to read and we spend a lot of time reading together. Right now, we’re readying ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ together…along with all his other little books, of course :)  He gets prizes from the library for reading certain amounts…and one of the prizes he got this last week was sidewalk chalk. So, of course, we had to try it out :)

He wrote his name (he’s getting better at it). This time, we ended up with a backwards ‘Z’… but not bad for a 3 year old. :)

So far, we’re loving the summer and I can’t believe it’s going by so quickly! Still up this month: The Walk for Military Marriages and maybe more swimming at Grandma and Papa’s. Next month: The Iowa State Fair and a visit from Grandpa and Mimi!

All this keeps bringing one of Zack favorite new songs to my mind… “God is so good, God is so good, God is so good…He’s so good to me.”

Behind the Times…

Ok, so I’m severely behind in my blogging. As for excuses, I have plenty (trust me), but I won’t bore you with them all. Suffice to say, blogging took a backseat for awhile there. I’m hoping now, I can do a bit of catching up, and stay a little more up to date. ;)

Let’s start with the fact that my boys are growing so quickly I hardly know what’s happening.

Austin just turned 7 months on the 4th of July and is learning new things CONSTANTLY. He’s doing so many new things lately I feel like I can hardly keep up! A few highlights: He now has two teeth (and is desperately working on some more), he’s thoroughly enjoying stage 2 baby foods (with a particular fondness for veggies), he can sit VERY steadily now and needs no help from Mommy, he can get pretty much anywhere he wants…but gets there in reverse (he hasn’t quite mastered “forward” motion yet), and the latest as of tonight is he can get himself from his stomach up into a sitting position (he was QUITE pleased with himself about that one!) WHEW!

As for Zack, he just blows my mind some days with things he notices or remembers. He’s also coming up with his own “sayings” now. I’m not quite sure of his motivation for some of them, but he’s getting them from somewhere! His new favorite: “You silly potato!” (seriously, I have no idea). He’s also learning to write, and is doing really well with his workbooks, tracing shapes, numbers and letters. He can also write his name pretty well on his own now.

Ok, next…4th of July was fun this year (although we really missed the Carlisle parade, which was cancelled due to the weather). We DID get to see fireworks this year though – and it was the first time Zack saw them. We were up late, but it was worth it :)

I may not have girls, but I still have to “dress up” my kids. :)  Here are the boys in some 4th of July garb…

We went to Norwalk this year to see the fireworks. It was really nice! (just a little cool – hence the jackets and blankets!) It was also VERY humid, which explains my hat ;)

Zack had fun playing with sparklers with Aunt Cassidy and 2nd-Cousin Tory while waiting for the fireworks to start. (He calls them “sprinklers")

He did get a little close for comfort a couple times… (look out Papa!)

Other than that, we’re trying to spend time outside, but the frequent rain has kept us inside more than we (especially Zack) would like. But we do get out for walks and time in the backyard.

Zack loves being outside and exploring…and also making a sword out of any stick (or anything that looks remotely like a stick) that he can find. He also loves to “jog” with me. Even though I have to circle back to him many times, he keeps going and is quite pleased that he’s exercising with me. He’s quite the cheerleader! (“You can do it, Mommy! You can do it!”)

And with that, I’ll wrap up. It’s overload for sure, so I’ll try not to wait so long between posts next time, and spare you all the lengthy rambles ;)

We’re Under Attack…

They’ve invaded our home. They’re in our yard. They’ve taken up residence in our shed. There’s no escaping them!

Well, maybe it’s not so bad as that… but it’s still pretty bad. The invaders? These pretty little fellas…

Meet, the earwig. These suckers have been found crawling in all sorts of places in our house. (and outside, as well) Mostly, in and around the bathrooms. We think they’re creeping in from under the tub and other lovely spots.

I’ve become quite the expert earwig squisher (yes, I believe that’s the technical term) and have come to save the day (for Zack) many a time. Oh what us mommies won’t do…

Lending a Hand to Military Marriages

So, next month Josh and the boys and I will be taking part in a fundraiser that's for a GREAT cause - so I thought I'd share about it here as well. This is the email I've been sharing with friends and family - we'd love your help, as well!

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Hello friends and family!

Coming up next month, Josh and I (and the boys, too!) will be taking part in America's Family Coaches 1st Annual Walk for Military Marriages. It's a great opportunity to say thank you to the military men and women who are serving and protecting us.

More than 56,000 marriages in the U.S. Army alone have ended in divorce. Even more alarming is how quickly these rates are escalating. Historically, little has been offered to help husbands and wives reunite and reintegrate as a family after they have been apart. But America's Family Coaches are changing that and the money we help raise through this walk will go directly to helping military families.

As most of you know, I (Kristy) worked for America's Family Coaches and I have seen first-hand what an amazing difference this organization is making in the lives of military couples. Through a network of military chaplains, America's Family Coaches have already provided donor-sponsored resources to thousands of military soldiers and spouses around the globe before, during and after military deployment at no cost to them. They resource military marriages and families with mp3 players loaded with more than 20 hours of marriage material designed specifically for deployed soldiers, military conference DVDs, monthly Date with a Purpose subscriptions, and free/reduced cost marriage conferences for military couples. We want to help them reach thousands more!

That's why we'll be taking part in America’s Family Coaches 1st Annual Walk for Military Marriages at Gray’s Lake in Des Moines IA on Saturday, July 25th. By sponsoring us, you can help us strengthen these marriages and families!

We realize that budgets are extremely tight this year, but we would appreciate anything you can give!

We're asking you to support in 1 of 2 ways:

• Sponsor us to walk on July 25th by either responding to this email!

• Register to be a walker either at Gray’s Lake or in your own city. Visit the website to register: www.TheGreatMarriageExperience.com

Any donation will go a long way!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Blessings to you all!
Josh and Kristy Heilman
(& Zack and Austin, too!)

He's got the Eye of the Tiger...

So, as most of you know, Zack loves music... LOVES it! Most of you also know, we own the game "Rock Band" and love to play it as a family. Usually, when Zack "plays" with us, his instrument isn't exactly plugged in... ;) But recently, we let him have free reign with the mic as he's been walking around the house singing "Eye of the Tiger" constantly. So here it is... how do you think he did? ;)

Eye of the Tiger from Kristy Heilman on Vimeo.