It's What Fun Is...

Every year our company has a Summer party that everyone can bring their whole family to. This year was extra special as it was the 10th Anniversary, so they decided to celebrate at an amusement park, Lagoon. Each employee was able to go for free and bring a guest at no additional cost, (if they had more family, they were able to come for like next to nothing).

Any who, Char & I took Rebekah & Rhett (my sister & her husband) with us. I'm still a little confused on who was who's date-but I digress. to celebrate their 5th Wedding Anniversary. It was so fun with just the 4 of us, we haven't been on a grown ups only date in a long time. It also made all those 4 person seating rides so much fun.
Besides super hot sun, long lines, 3 babies aged 2 and under would not have been to pleasant for very long.

We wandered around, went on a spinning ride, had lunch, go on the sky ride (basically it's like going on a ski lift in the middle of summer, went on some roller coasters, my glasses lost me, went on another roller coaster, looked for my glasses, and wandered around some more watching people do the really scary thrill rides or playing the carnival games. Time flies when you're having fun, after a few hours and (some sun), we were all missing our babies and headed home. All in all, It was sooo much fun!
Yes-My glasses went missing. We were on the Wicked-and they came right off my face-just gone! It was rather impressive actually-Char has the exact same glasses and they didn't get lost at all. Apparently it's a very common thing for items to get lost while on this ride from pockets, faces, ect. that there are even daily search times set aside. We never found my glasses, I used my old ones until we were able to get replacement ones yesterday.

These Small Hours, Still Remain

As you may of noticed, I have been away. Even when the hospital released me (I feel the Simpson's phrased it best with "Well, your as healthy as the insurance will pay for.") I've haven't been quite up to my normal self. But I am getting there.

The whole time I was away this song was in my mind from 6:30 am to 8:00 am then again from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. These Small Hours, it's sung by Rob Thomas and it's on a movie Meet the Robinson's' (one of Char & Heidi Anne's favorite movies I might add). One verse always strikes a cord with me:

Our Lives Are Made

In These Small Hours,

These Little Wonders,

These Twists and Turns of Fate,

Time Falls Away,

But These Small Hours,

These Small Hours, Still Remain....

Why during those 4 hours every day? Those are our Small Hours.

They are our family morning time and night time. I never missed going to wake up Heidi Anne in the morning and saying "Good Morning Sunshine" so much in my life (Yes, it's a race-if you could see the smile she give us-you'd race in too-we normally tie anyways). I was still up at 6:25 on the dot. I missed the getting ready, the brush your teeth songs, the picking out which outfit to wear. I missed talking with Char in the morning.

Nights I really missed, I missed the Heidi Anne updates, her telling us about her day, us playing referee between her and the puppy, Char making dinner, listening to the radio and singing along. Just everything that makes our family us. Even the little things we didn't realized we did-I missed.

Amazing how that works-I guess that's what is meant by "You don't know what you have until it's gone." It's just become so natural, how could it be any different and then suddenly one day it is.

He would bring Heidi Anne to visit in the mornings and nights-but it still wasn't our patterns. But trust me-I Loved every second of it-and I love our Small Hours Even more.

And These Hours aren't even just for the daily Small Hours as well. We went to Lagoon on Saturday with my sister and her husband and I don't think we could of had more fun!! :)

Our Lives Are Made

In These Small Hours

Thoughts on Hospital Stay

So, it finally ends. They decided that Lissa's blood did a magic trick and disappeared. No one decided where it went just that she lost a lot. so they gave her more blood and sent her on her way, gave her some nasty bruises.

Heidi has been a little trooper and has been wanting to see mama at every turn. she woke up crying wanting her mama and I had to tell her that mama is still owies in the owie place. and she nodded her head and held out her arm and went owies and decided that was a satisfactory explanation.

So we went and visited Lissa at every opportunity that we could, and the ward that she was in was full of older people that were sedentary and not having loud visitors... in comes Heidi so exited to see her mama that she is singing and dancing and laughing and giggling. She got all the nurses to give her lollies and they all loved her eyes and asked about where she got her blue eyes was cause there is no way I had a daughter that tan. I reply that we are still looking for the father.

It was so heart breaking how much my little angel Heidi missed her mama and how much she wants to be like Lissa. Heidi wanted to be like her to the point where she wanted Band-Aids and would go owie and have me kiss it better. I swear that if Heidi could talk more clearly she would have said something like just give her a magical kiss and then she could come home, cause my kisses seem to make her all better. I cannot imagine how single parents do this, I have so much respect for them, and how widowed parents are able to cope with their loss while still trying to be strong for the children. while it is true this is not a tragedy and no lasting harm came from it has made me think of how hard it would be.

more daddy thoughts

So the drama continues from yesterday. It always amazes me how much pain women in general and specifically my wife can handle and keep on going. Lissa went through 30 hours of labor with no epidural and still thought that she should have been stronger. she went through surgery on Monday with little or no pain medications, and wondered if that was okay to do. However, this is still the worst pain I have ever seen her in.

The good news is that the hospital is keeping her relatively pain free until her pancreas is back to normal. I believe that she has had this in a medium form for the past 4-6 months and it just spiked to horrible levels this week. Which means she has been in mild to severe pain for over 4 months but has not let onto it.

I have met very few people who are so stubborn and not willing to give in as Lissa, even though she woke up with stabbing pain on Tues and had a hard time breathing she still had to go into work because it was billing and there is no excuse to miss billing days. When I met her on the first floor to go home, or so she thought, all she thought she needed was some rest at home and she would be back to work the next day. I am glad I don't necessarily listen to her all the time and dragged her to the ER. Lissa had sworn off wheel chairs and vowed to never use them, she didn't when we had Heidi only after when no one would let her walk, but she asked for one. to sum it all up, Lissa is a very strong and amazing women who has a crazy strong work ethic.

Daddy Thoughts

Today was up there with some of the most scariest that I have ever had since I have been married to Lissa. It all started this morning around 4 Lissa woke up with a stabbing pain in her chest and thought that it was an asthma attack or possibly a reaction to the sugary that she had on Monday. Being the crazy stubborn women that she is, she opted to get ready for the day and go to work. on the way to dropping Heidi off at day care Lissa said, at "what point do we say uncle?" at this point it seemed like no more then a particularly hard day for her, and it was after a surgery.

She goes to work and we get about an hour into it and she chats me and says "maybe a half day" and then "I need to go home and rest." so I said well lets meet and go, and I went to where we normally meet and she was slumped on the floor and I said maybe we should go to the insta-care but she said that she was unable to walk to the car and I needed to bring it around. after I got back her pale ashen color was getting more pronounced and her trouble breathing increased. I rushed her to the ER and she was rushed back and I couldn't get a word in edgewise to keep up with what she had, her medical alert bracelet was used more then I was in the beginning.

The pain and not being able to breath was very worrisome, bit they gave her oxygen and we had all sorts of tests to find out that she has a super inflamed pancreas, to the point that the doctors were kind of shocked that it is about 23 times it should be. So Lissa can't drink or eat for a few days, just a lot of IV fluids.

So I become a single-ish dad, got Heidi from daycare and Heidi started on her usual momma back or daddy back routine that she does if there is one of us missing, I tried to explain that momma is owie and so we decided to go see her and let momma see her little girl. We visited but Heidi was getting restless and so I took her home fed her, tickled her and cuddled her and all the while she was having me do all the things that momma usually does. No I cannot sit in mommas place at the table, and I have to take her shoes off in just the same way and get her night clothes on without Lissa choosing them before hand, Heidi didn't like them as much.

I realized how much Lissa does for our little family in the love and support that she gives to us and this little scare brings to the front of my mind how important she is to me and how lucky I am to have her in my life for as long as she graces me with her presence. I got into this marriage knowing what she has and knowing the risks, but was willing to take them and have some of the happiest times of my life. Lissa is one of the bravest person I know and I Love Her.

Happy Birthday 2 You-Pool Party-Toddler Style!

We decided to celebrate Heidi Anne's Birthday down in the valley so it would be easier for everyone to come. What fun is it to have a party when your cousins aren't there? We were planning on just going to the park somewhere,Nana offered to have in her backyard. Which worked out great as we were able to also do a pool party-Toddler Style!Here is Alice enjoying the wading pool.Heidi Anne and Kayla playing by the pool togetherHeidi Anne and Alice playing togetherThe toddlers soon dried off and then proceeded to play on the slide, swings, and playhouse.

Heidi just getting down the little slide
Kayla on the swing

Even Baby Alice joined in on the funHeidi Anne on the playhouse
Once everyone was there (and we were all hungry) the barbecue began. I don't think Heidi Anne could look more excited to eat!Rykken looking all around
After we had all eaten we began to clean up, so Heidi Anne and Kayla kept themselves busy
I think they had the most fun whenever Sarah would come over and play with them. Sarah is a Childrens' Librarian-so she knows how to interact perfectly with any age (newborn to 90) and the Girls just Loved her.

What's In A Name

I don't know if we've ever fully explained all the thought we put into Heidi Anne's full name (some of you may have just learned that her full name isn't Heidi), it is Adeliede Annelise. So I will tell you how we picked it, why we choose it, and even how you get Heidi out of Adeliede.

Our pregnancy was a scary one and we knew our little baby was a stubborn and strong willed child. We also wanted a name that sounded sweet, what can I say, we knew from the start she was independent.

Adeliede-Of Noble Kin.

This is the full name of Heidi (well when spelled the old proper German way of Adelheid-thus the nickname Heidi). She is named after Saint Adelaide, who was a German Queen who became a Holy Roman Empress. She was a very stubborn, charitable, loved to serve others, and an important Lady in middle age history.

Heidi is also named after a very sweet childhood friend of my Dad and I just LOVED that book as a child.


Annelise-Gracious, Merciful-- God Is My Oath

Well Annelise is actually after 3 different people. She is named after two of her Great Grandmothers, my Granny Sonia Ann, and Char's Grandma Elise, the third is Anne Frank.


Anne Frank-Yes, her full first name was Annelise. She was such a smart & brave girl-hiding and surviving-yet still living at the same time. When everything was dark and hopeless, yet there was Anne Frank still writing, every little journal entry a testament to her resilient spirit, her unwillingness to give up, to keep on fighting-knowing that just by living she was fighting.---That was so our little baby girl.




Sonia Ann-My Granny was the best Granny Ever. I have so many happy memories of her, and that lady was tough as nails, a great story teller, and had a wonderful laugh. I see so much of my Granny in Heidi, the laugh, the scheming and puzzle solving, being to smart for her own good, and constant tomboy-ish attitude balanced with feminine touches. Sometimes think I see my Granny is standing right next to Heidi Anne encouraging her dare devil or messy ways. I swear I've heard "Where's your hair?" when Heidi has very, very dirty hands.

Elise-Char's Grandma, who was from England and survived the Blitz during WWII. She loves to travel and to be out and about. (Out and about-Sound like any toddlers we know?) A very wise women, very independent, and very stubborn. Whatever life has thrown at her, she just rebounds, nothing keeps her down.


So we knew ahead of time that she'd be stubborn-I just wonder at times if we tempted fate by naming her after so many stubborn and independent women all at once. ;-)

Happy Birthday 2 You-The Aquarium!

So Little Heidi Anne has now turned 2!! We didn't do much on the actual birthday day-day. She got to open a present and have some cookies. We saved the super fun stuff for when we went down the the valley to celebrate her birthday with the rest of our family (therefore her cousins) on Saturday.

The Aquarium!

We went to the Living Planet Aquarium. We'd gone before (when Heidi Anne was 5 months old) with my sister family, (Kayla was barely 1 at the time). So it just seemed right that we went with my sister, her family,(This time the Girls both 2 Years old and little Rykken was the 5 month old), and even Heidi Anne's Nana was able to come too.

It was so much fun trying to keeping up with the girls! They kept wanting to look and see different things. Kayla kept saying my favorite phrase in her sweet little voice, "Come on Heidi, Come on!" I think it is the cutest thing to hear.

They got to pet a sting ray-well almost, if nothing else, they got to play in the water with a sting ray. The girls then played in the coral reef play tunnels. We weren't to worried about the girls getting lost, Kayla's shoes have lights on them and Heidi Anne's shoes squeak,(my sister & I are very smart like that). Those two can run (Fast!)-but they can't hide (for to long).We then saw the penguins, yes penguins. Little Gentoo Penguins, which were pretty cute. They were just swimming and playing like little clowns. But unlike fish were the exact same type of fish can look completely different, all the penguins looked exactly like eachother-so the girls were off again.They had fun looking at the fish, the frogs, the huge snake, the little alligator (a caiman), and more fish! Sadly, it was super crowded, and Heidi Anne doesn't handle crowds to well. Not to mention it was nearly lunch & nap time. So while we didn't spend as much time there as we had hoped-I think it was much time as Heidi Anne could tolerate. Besides-maybe one day we'll have a real full size aquarium here in the state. (Hey, I can dream can't I?)

All in all-Kayla and her had tons of fun-and there was still plenty more to do in the day!

Daddy Realization #31

I have realized that Heidi has the most interesting perspective on life, for example at day care they have two rocking horses and Heidi wanted to have the one that looks like a snail and her friend was on it. They told her that her friend has it and she could ride the other one. Instead of being mad at the child on the one she wanted she got mad at the other horse and started yelling at the horse they were offering. she then went to play with something else and came back to the offending horse and yelled at it some more. It is so much fun to see how she is viewing the world.

Daddy Realizations #42

Today I got to spend the day alone with my daughter, she was my little shadow. I would do something and she would kneel right next to me and help out. I was putting up a shelf in our family room and she kept handing me the screws I dropped.

Also when I have been taking a drink and going ahhhh after she has started doing it to. My wife used to call her brother and sister baby ducks and it is true, Heidi would walk funny right after me and promptly fall down.

Our day care consists of mostly little girls and all the teachers are girls as well. This being said you think that she would be a princess, but this is not true, she will stay out side until the cows come home and then a little longer she has these little boy behaviors, not to be sexist or anything, most little girls I have ever known will spin and have wands, which Heidi does on occasion, but Heidi will "fly" with her arms behind her, if you say ready, she will finish it with set, go.

Lately she has been playing in the toy cars that you move with your feet and the boys will go beep, beep to have others

move. so now instead of saying move she goes Beep, Beep to get things to move, this includes toys cats, dogs, Daddies.

This is not to say she didn't learn this from me and my love of honking at people who cut me off or do stupid driving tricks, but Heidi has become a mini me.

Fourth In the North

I've determined nothing is more unique then the 4th of July that falls on a Sunday when you live in a small town. Why?? Only here can we make it last 3 full days!
We have the Cruise In on Main--lucky for me our office window overlooks the conference center where the totally awesome classic cars all register. So we get a sneak peek of some of the fun classic cars. The Friday night (normally the 3rd of July--because everyone drives to the city for the real fireworks on the 4th) we had our fireworks show.
Sadly Heidi Anne fell asleep before it started. She did get some Aggie Ice Cream and to see the military fly over. To which she pointed to it and said "Airplane". How we got pictures of that-I will never know!
On Saturday Cruise In on Main happens-most people, businesses, restaurants even, start saving spots a few days in advance. But the morning of is just priceless! RVs, trailers, chairs with rope or tape sectioned off. Nothing quite says small town then the Saturday of Cruise In-and I couldn't love it more!!

For the 4th for real-We visited Chars family. Where Heidi Anne got to play in the wadding pool. Can you tell she was a little excited? She played in the water, splashed, even put a plastic green chair in the center.
She just ran round the back yard playing between the slide, grass, and wading pool.She even helped out with some gardening and playing with her cousin Alice while we were barbecuing. She fell asleep on the drive home before the real fireworks started, but we tossed a few pop fire works earlier in the morning, which were good enough for her.

Pet Rock and More

Since Heidi Anne is able to participate in the fun "big kid" crafts and activities at preschool and little cute projects get lost over the years, I'm going take pictures of them as keepsakes for Heidi Anne.

Her first one was her pet rock. It may look black (mostly because it is) it's meant to be purple. She picked a brown rock and painted it very carefully with her current favorite color-purple. However, Brown Rock + Purple Paint = Black Pet Rock. Either way she loves it and is super proud of her accomplishment.

This is her car. I could say she was trying to be a non-conformist by leaving it blank. But in all actuality I think she just had to much fun playing with it, wouldn't color it, therefore it's just white.

Here is her carousel. Naturally she picked a purple. Who knew how super cute a plastic cup, sliver pipe cleaner, and a paper horse could be?










Lastly is her guitar. While the older kids made a guitar out of tissue boxes and rubber bands the little kids made these guitars. They are cut from cardboard in the shape of a guitar and have yarn as the strings. Sue sue (the teacher) said the older kids were teasing her "guitars".
She said The older kids were making fun of her cutouts and telling her "That doesn't even look like a guitar at all". But when the little ones saw they had their own special project, they didn't care the exact shape, they loved it. Even after they colored it and stung it, the little kids thought they were so much fun and kept "playing" and "strumming" their guitars.
They had more fun with the yarn guitars then the older ones did with the tissue box ones.

Update On Momma's Goal # 324

Quick Refresher-Part of Goal # 324 is...Start the day off in clean clothing, free of obvious signs of staining, and no tares or holes...
Last week Nana gave Heidi Anne a very pretty, lacy, yellow dress. The next day Heidi Anne just HAD to wear it. Now this goal was mainly meant for mismatched clothing colors or rain slickers with tutus. However, after a few minutes I thought "Why not? What's the fun in having a pretty Princess dress if your friends can't see it?" And "Isn't this what Oxyclean was made for?" So off to preschool she went dressed for a ball and she didn't get a speck of dirt on that dress.

Momma's Goal # 391

Just let her be little. I believe the phrase Heidi Anne has in her mind most of the time right now is "But I'm Not Litttle..." She wants to be a Big Girl so much and to do everything all on her own like a big kid. She is getting to be more and more of a toddler, what more can I say?
For example, she now insists at preschool to wait to eat with the older kids. She won't go with the younger toddlers (keep in mind she is the youngest and the smallest of the little toddlers).
That's our little stubborn girl.
We're just learning to adapt so our little baby girl can do things the big girl way-hopefully the terrible two's won't be so rough this way. So far, so good.

The Children's Museum

Then the Highlight of the day, the Children's Museum. This place is awesome!! There is so much to do there for so many ages. There are 5 sections, we were there for 2 hours and we bearly wentthough 3, (the last one was towards Heidi Anne's nap time) so more like 2.5 sections. You can spend the whole day there easy!

The Beehive

The first section we went to was the Beehive. Here there are two parts, one where there are big musical instruments and the other is where kids basically play with balls down shoots, up pipes, down peg boards, ramps, vents, just busy bees.

The Kid's Eye View

We spent the most time in this area. The best way to describe it right off the bat would be to think of the coolest play house you ever saw as a little kid--remember it?--now times that by 100.
That is the Kid's Eye View.

There is a fun water play area, with and old handle pump, pipes with running water, different things to pour with, even little floating water toys.

Heidi Anne thoroughly enjoyed every single wet second of it!

She would focus so hard at times just thinking about what to do next.

The next stop was an Just for under 3 play area. It had a little bird playhouse, a wigwam play house, a few slides, different things up on the walls for them to play with, lots of activities!

There was a big playhouse, complete with a kitchen, bedroom, and living room, (think studio apartment). Heidi Anne ironed, vacuumed, played in the kitchen, and after all her hard work, took a little break and relaxed. Doesn't she look happy playing with the puzzle? I loved how everything is perfectly child sized.Next to the playhouse was a Construction area, with big foam blocks, cranes, pulleys, "blueprints" on the walls for the kids to follow. Next was the play Farm, with a farm truck they can play in and round, collect chicken eggs, pick vegetables, and play with them getting ready for market. Heidi loved to organize the vegetables, and play with the conveyor belt. Next to it was a play Market. Heidi Anne had an absolute ball! Playing store is one of her favorite things, and you couldn't of had a better play store. It had absolutely everything-bakery, deli, aisles, hand baskets, check out lanes, and even little lines.--Guess even in make believe there are still lines.
We tried to attempt the upstairs parts. We played in a bit in the Studio. However, by this time Heidi Girl was exhausted. All in all, it was a great day, and she had tons of fun with her Nana.