Why is it that with each new development your baby does you think to yourself, "That has got to be the cutest thing I ever saw/heard." Then another one comes along and it seems to top the last; you think to yourself "how it can't possbily get any cuter than this?" But it happens over and over and over again. Watching a baby grow and develop is truly one of life's greatest treasures.
Only a few days ago Brennan started saying "bababababa." Just this morning I even heard a couple "dadada's" out of her. It is so completely heart melting and bittersweet all at the same time. With each little babble, I know her first real word is getting closer and closer. As excited as I am to see her grow into this real little person who walks and talks and has feelings and opinions and emotions just like us, another part of me knows I am seeing my little infant slipping away and budding into a bubbly toddler. Whenever I hold her and rock her at night, I try to soak up the feeling I am having because I know she will grow up and no longer require me to rock her to sleep at night; it will go away as quickly as it came. Perhaps that is why every mommy finds themselves taking thousands of pictures and videos a year. We can't....no we must not let this moment slip away without documenting the memories. Without all those pictures it may feel like it never happened. Thank sweet Jesus for the technology age we live in, it certainly has made it easier to hang onto the life we have lived forever.
....On to a different note. We went hiking on a local nature trail last Sunday and had a really good time. I had scoped out this trail a couple days earlier with the girls and decided to come back and do the harder part with Jeff so he could help with Kadyn while I carried Brennan. There were 350 stone steps and a couple drop offs that we had to maneuver along the way to an old waterfall which is no longer flowing. It was really beautiful and peaceful. Kadyn did much better than I thought she would and the climb up was not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. In fact, I thought going down the stairs was much more difficult. My legs felt like jello on the way down. Perhaps it was because I was being extra cautious with Brennan on my back and felt more apt to slip on the way down than on the way up.
And to end this post I'll leave you with a funny by my wee one. This was said after we found a little acorn on the trail.
Darci: "What would this acorn become if we put it in the dirt?"
Kadyn: ".....dirty."
If only she knew how witty that reply was. Have a good week everyone!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
That was fast!
It's only been 2 days since our last visit and our house looks like....a house! How exciting! Kadyn was more than happy to model her new room:D
Monday, August 24, 2009
A little of August
For whatever reason, I'm into cluster posting these days. 3rd post of the night!
That pic of the moth doesn't do it justice. I found that sucker just laying in our doorway and it was HUGE! Kadyn loved it and put it in her bug cage exclaiming "Hi little fellow! You're a good girl! Shhh Mama, she's napping!"
The story time I attend at one of the churches sponsored a fun day at the Fun Spot here in Branson. It is a lot of like Chucky Cheese. There is a picture of that building and beside it was another building in which there is a huge violin sticking out. The body of the violin is on the inside and the scroll sticks out of the window on top. Kadyn is sitting on the curb in the outside picture. Gives you a little perspective of the magnitude of that thing. It was really neat.
And of course there is a few pics of dress up fun, Brennan covered in babyfood (although the it doesn't show up well in the pic) and Daddy and Kadyn just being...goofy. Enjoy!
A weekend of fun
The weekend Jeff left town for a golf outing and concert, the girls and I had a little fun of our own. We enjoyed our local discount and attended the show titled, "Amazing Pets" I took several pics so you can see what it was all about (I couldn't use a flash, so some are blurry). Frankie, the monkey was Kadyn's favorite. We ended up buying a video with home footage of Frankie at home with his Mom and Dad. Brennan LOVED the birds and squealed a bunch when they came out; it was a little embarrassing, but cute.
There are also a few photos of our first outing to the AquaPlex. This is an attraction for locals. It has 2 big water slides, and a huge toddler area with a little slide, floating sea animals to climb on, and a water station with lots of falling water. Kadyn loved it! We had a good time. The girls both slept in until almost 9:30 the next day, that is a true miracle!
Babysitting again?
Our builder has presented us with a list of upgrades that really seemed like they should be standard, but apparently they are considered upgrades (closet lights, linen closet, vanity in bathroom as opposed to pedestal sink, sliding glass door to deck as opposed to a solid door, etc) There were too many to mention, but needless to say we had to decide what we couldn't live without and use all of our proceeds from the last house to make it happen. Consequently, we are sitting her twiddling our thumbs wondering how to fund our new refrigerator.
Two days ago a neighbor, knowing I used to babysit, asked if I would be interested in babysitting a little 3 year old girl for extra cash only for 3-6 weeks until they can get her into more permanent arrangements. I wanted to decline as I have created such a fun little life lately in Branson full of fun outings for the girls and lots of social and learning experiences for all; I have dreamed about having this life for the last two years while I was homebound watching all those boys day after day; I finally feel like I can be the mom I need and want to be. However, I couldn't help but wonder if this little opportunity for cash was an opportunity from up above to help us fund our new refrigerator. So....I decided it was best to take the opportunity. I am not looking forward to being homebound again and dividing my time between my own children and someone else's child, but it is only temporary and I'm sure it will go by quickly.
The woman who is asking me to do this is currently trying to get her granddaughter into Head Start so this may not even happen if there is an opening there, but if not, I guess I will be once again be entering the ranks of employeed...sorta. A little extra cash never hurt anyone. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.
Two days ago a neighbor, knowing I used to babysit, asked if I would be interested in babysitting a little 3 year old girl for extra cash only for 3-6 weeks until they can get her into more permanent arrangements. I wanted to decline as I have created such a fun little life lately in Branson full of fun outings for the girls and lots of social and learning experiences for all; I have dreamed about having this life for the last two years while I was homebound watching all those boys day after day; I finally feel like I can be the mom I need and want to be. However, I couldn't help but wonder if this little opportunity for cash was an opportunity from up above to help us fund our new refrigerator. So....I decided it was best to take the opportunity. I am not looking forward to being homebound again and dividing my time between my own children and someone else's child, but it is only temporary and I'm sure it will go by quickly.
The woman who is asking me to do this is currently trying to get her granddaughter into Head Start so this may not even happen if there is an opening there, but if not, I guess I will be once again be entering the ranks of employeed...sorta. A little extra cash never hurt anyone. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
For the record
Tonight Jeff made a comment about our blog name. He thinks it's very lame and made him think of big guys in white cone shaped hats. I just wanted to set the record straight, I was NOT in any way thinking of that when I picked our name. For whatever reason, I had that silly song "The Candy Man Can" in mind when I picked out our name and just changed it to "The Bilberry Clan Can." So there you have it. The origin behind the name. Geeze I hope that no one else thinks of that too.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Yea for whole in the wall places.
This may not be the most entertaining of posts, but it was my day, none the less.
This week I have had the goal of getting our van fixed. It started Monday. I had to call all over town to see if anyone could get our dip stick out. Seems the handle had fallen off and now the stick was stuck inside. We've been driving it without the ability to check it for a month now. Not a good idea really, so it needed to be done. I finally found a place to do it. Had them change the oil while I was at it. Costed me 111$ to do those two things. Doing something like this with the two girls in toe is not easy. By the time they were finished the girls had had their fill. So the next repair had to wait.
Today rolls around and I knew I had to get the last repair done soon. Jeff leaves tomorrow for Tulsa, and I will be alone here in Branson. With no family and no close friends yet, I don't want to chance being out with the girls and having the van not start. The battery light has been going on and off for well over a month now. We've been told it is the alternator going out and eventually it just won't start. I hate spending money on repairs. We held out for awhile just because the move itself was expensive. Today, however, I knew I needed to get it done for my peace of mind while being alone this weekend.
I went to the same place that fixed my van on Monday. They charged me 20$ to tell me it would cost 470$! Called Jeff and he instructed me to shop around. I get on the phone and call two other places which was not easy with a whiny 3 year old and bad reception. After a dropped call and some time pulled to the side of the road examining my engine so I knew what kind it was (the guy on the phone needed to know and I know NOTHING about engines)I finally got a price I could live with. The part costed 225$ and the labor was 50$. That seemed like a good deal to me.
So I told "Dora" my new GPS navigator explorer to get me there and she took me to this trashy little neighborhood in a tiny town called Hollister. I kept thinking my GPS must be wrong. Where is the big fancy garage? I ended up backtracking and Dora was right. It was nuzzled in between two trashy little houses. This tiny little garage with a gravel driveway. I pull up and they literally were prepared to do the work on the driveway. There was no where for the girls and I to sit but the grass under the tree. We opted to stand and watch.
First the man wonders if it even is the alternator because the van continues to run even when he unplugs the battery from the alternator. He decides it's best to clean up the corrosion on the battery and let me drive it around a bit to see if that fixes the problem (at no charge mind you). Wishful thinking I suppose. I got almost home and the darn light comes on again. So....I get the kids home, feed them, let Brennan nap, and then we're off again to get this van fixed once and for all. Pick up some cash at the bank (they'd only accept cash) and return to what I can only describe as a "whole in the wall place." This time I came prepared. We had lawn chairs in toe, toys, a coloring book, and crayons. The gentleman gets the bad alternator out in no time flat, runs off to O'Reilly auto parts and gets it back in, in what only seemed like 30 minutes. He tells me there is a lifetime guarantee on the part and if I do have trouble and bring it back to him he will fix it again at no charge. This place doesn't charge for estimates either.
I guess my whole point with all of this is to say this: sometimes we are too quick to judge based off of appearances. I had such a yucky feeling when I drove up to this place; in a way I've gotten addicted to the big business chain mentality, but when I finished I had such an appreciation for my little find. The tiny little garage in this icky neighborhood was really a little diamond in the rough. It had honest, good hard working people, just trying to make a living helping people repair their vehicles at an honest price. They have earned my business should I need any more repairs. So now all I have to say is, yea for whole in the wall places. You saved me almost 200 dollars:)
This week I have had the goal of getting our van fixed. It started Monday. I had to call all over town to see if anyone could get our dip stick out. Seems the handle had fallen off and now the stick was stuck inside. We've been driving it without the ability to check it for a month now. Not a good idea really, so it needed to be done. I finally found a place to do it. Had them change the oil while I was at it. Costed me 111$ to do those two things. Doing something like this with the two girls in toe is not easy. By the time they were finished the girls had had their fill. So the next repair had to wait.
Today rolls around and I knew I had to get the last repair done soon. Jeff leaves tomorrow for Tulsa, and I will be alone here in Branson. With no family and no close friends yet, I don't want to chance being out with the girls and having the van not start. The battery light has been going on and off for well over a month now. We've been told it is the alternator going out and eventually it just won't start. I hate spending money on repairs. We held out for awhile just because the move itself was expensive. Today, however, I knew I needed to get it done for my peace of mind while being alone this weekend.
I went to the same place that fixed my van on Monday. They charged me 20$ to tell me it would cost 470$! Called Jeff and he instructed me to shop around. I get on the phone and call two other places which was not easy with a whiny 3 year old and bad reception. After a dropped call and some time pulled to the side of the road examining my engine so I knew what kind it was (the guy on the phone needed to know and I know NOTHING about engines)I finally got a price I could live with. The part costed 225$ and the labor was 50$. That seemed like a good deal to me.
So I told "Dora" my new GPS navigator explorer to get me there and she took me to this trashy little neighborhood in a tiny town called Hollister. I kept thinking my GPS must be wrong. Where is the big fancy garage? I ended up backtracking and Dora was right. It was nuzzled in between two trashy little houses. This tiny little garage with a gravel driveway. I pull up and they literally were prepared to do the work on the driveway. There was no where for the girls and I to sit but the grass under the tree. We opted to stand and watch.
First the man wonders if it even is the alternator because the van continues to run even when he unplugs the battery from the alternator. He decides it's best to clean up the corrosion on the battery and let me drive it around a bit to see if that fixes the problem (at no charge mind you). Wishful thinking I suppose. I got almost home and the darn light comes on again. So....I get the kids home, feed them, let Brennan nap, and then we're off again to get this van fixed once and for all. Pick up some cash at the bank (they'd only accept cash) and return to what I can only describe as a "whole in the wall place." This time I came prepared. We had lawn chairs in toe, toys, a coloring book, and crayons. The gentleman gets the bad alternator out in no time flat, runs off to O'Reilly auto parts and gets it back in, in what only seemed like 30 minutes. He tells me there is a lifetime guarantee on the part and if I do have trouble and bring it back to him he will fix it again at no charge. This place doesn't charge for estimates either.
I guess my whole point with all of this is to say this: sometimes we are too quick to judge based off of appearances. I had such a yucky feeling when I drove up to this place; in a way I've gotten addicted to the big business chain mentality, but when I finished I had such an appreciation for my little find. The tiny little garage in this icky neighborhood was really a little diamond in the rough. It had honest, good hard working people, just trying to make a living helping people repair their vehicles at an honest price. They have earned my business should I need any more repairs. So now all I have to say is, yea for whole in the wall places. You saved me almost 200 dollars:)
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Learning to love veggies
Lately, I've been really trying to take advantage of cheap summer produce. I have never been a huge fan of fruits or veggies, but it seems as I age, I am actually starting to enjoy healthy food. Perhaps it's because I've forced myself to try it more knowing it is vital to be healthy. Anyhoo...I get bored of the same old frozen peas, corn, green beans, etc. If I can't incorporate these into my main dish, I've decided they have to be a side somehow. So....in my search for different recipes to change up my favorite veggies, I ran into this website. You basically click on the picture of the veggie you wish to use and a whole bunch of recipes with that veggie come up. It's really neat. I've only used one recipe so far; it was OK. I wish other people had used the recipes, so I knew what was good and what wasn't. So.....I'm posting the website in case one of my readers wants to check it out and try a few. Let me know if you find any good ones.
http://www.nikibone.com/recipe/veggieside.html
Bon Apetit!
http://www.nikibone.com/recipe/veggieside.html
Bon Apetit!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
One more post for today
Man I'm getting a lot done tonight. This is my 4th post for tonight. Anyhoo...it was worthy of being posted because it's so darn funny. Brennan has started to do this strange thing where she tenses up her body. We aren't sure why she is doing it, but it is darn funny. Here are a few pics of her doing that and a video at the end (just click the pic to view). I apologize because she only does it for a very short while at the beginning of the video, BUT if you watch it all, you'll see her do it really good at the end.
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| From Brennan's weird behavior |
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| From Brennan's weird behavior |
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| From Brennan's weird behavior |
My birthday
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| From birthday parties |
Here are a few photos from my birthday and some others from a birthday party we attended in Springfield. The birthday party in Springfield was for a little 2 year old girl and it was held at "Jump Mania." It was a place with a bunch of inflatables. Kadyn LOVED it! Anyways, the little girl on the big inflated chair is the birthday girl. The little pic of my cake is a video. Click on it and you can hear the Bilberrys sing me "Happy Birthday."
Enjoying the views
A person could really get used to living here. Every day that I drive around my new town I am in awe of the beauty of my surroundings. My kids will probably never really realize how lucky they are to grow up in one of the most beautiful places in this world. Someone please pinch me:)
At last, progress!
At last we have progress on our house. Here are some pics of the progress so far. Not much, but it is a start. I'm sorry it's so small and hard to see. I can't figure out how to make it bigger.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Last update for now...
...on my mom. First off, thanks so much everyone for all your prayers. They must have worked. My mom had a cat-scan and the doctor said the cat-scan showed more clearly the damage to her lungs and it doesn't appear to be nearly as bad as they once thought. He said he's seen much worse. He said that she should be fine as long as she stays on her meds, especially when it starts to flair up. He said she should expect to have flair ups every now and then, but for the most part, should be able to live a pretty normal life. Thank you sweet Jesus! Since her latest episode, my mother has been trying to take better care of herself. She has started exercising regularly, eating healthier, and taking her medications. She is feeling A LOT better! I guess it really pays to take care of yourself.
My whole family has really gotten the health bug actually. I started out with the small goal of working out 3 times a week but lately have been anxious to do at least 5 days a week. I know I will hit a point where I am not as motivated, but it is nice, for once, to be eager to exercise. I haven't felt the inclination to do this for years. The girls and I go to the indoor walking track and walk/jog 2+ miles whenever we go. Kadyn enjoys it because she gets to watch a movie on her portable DVD player and Brennan just likes watching things go by or watching Kadyn. When I finish I let Kadyn out and run around a few times to burn off a little energy. It has been a nice outlet for us lately.
We have finally picked a church. It is very contemporary. The music is very good and the atmosphere is soooo casual. The pastor wore a t-shirt and jeans; his sermon kept our attention throughout which is big for us. A little different than usual, but we both really felt this church seemed "real" and it seems like it will be a nice change of pace for us for awhile. We have already started attending a small group and are anxious to start feeling connected.
Brennan has been waking a lot lately but has recently cut 2 bottom teeth which I believe is the culprit. It has made for some sleepless nights but she continues to be such a good baby. She is getting more vocal everyday with her squeals of happiness. It is so endearing really. She is starting to wave now and seems to be bent on rolling everywhere instead of crawling. I'm beginning to wonder if she might just skip crawling. We start meats today, I'm not expecting to have any trouble because she eats almost anything I throw her way. She is taking puffs and cheerios pretty well now but really doesn't care for the sippy or water. Got of lot of work to do there.
Kadyn is doing well but driving me bonkers at times with her obsession with the two little boys next door. She just doesn't understand why they can't play with her 24/7. I don't feel comfortable letting her play outside at the apartment complex without me there to supervise, and there are so many times I just need her to play inside so I can get stuff done around the apartment. It is a real power struggle to get that to happen. I miss our fenced in back yard. Aside from that, she has been a big help for me entertaining her sissy. She loves her sooooooo much and often tells her that just in case Brennan didn't already know from all the kisses Kadyn smothers her in. Brennan still adores Kadyn and often finds her hilarious, which always gives me those heart melting mommy moments.
Our house is still in the baby stages. They are supposed to pour the foundation this week....finally. Our closing date of August 31st had to be moved obviously and now we are expected to close mid November. I kind of always knew August 31st was too good to be true. One of the things we have found a little exciting and nerve racking all at the same time is that we will have a little creek in our back yard. They actually had to divert it farther from the house because it was VERY close. We're hoping it never grows during a big storm and floods our basement, but it might be kind of fun to have that natural water feature.
Anyways, things are starting to calm down a bit now that we're settling in. I have slowed down a bit with all the activities I have been dragging the kids too. Mostly because exercising as taken a priority lately and takes up a lot of of our previously free time. I still manage to get Kadyn to two storytimes and the park every now and then to play in the creek or on the equipment. We also try to go to every playdate we can. The butterfly palace is also very close to our apartment and since we have season passes we go to that every now and then for a change of pace. Lastly, the other day we took the kids to a local frisbee golf course.
Jeff's new business up here is going slowly which has been a bit discouraging, but that is to be expected when you start a new branch. Overall, he is still doing fine and enjoying the work he does. I am soooo proud of him and thankful to have such a supportive man by my side who is allowing me the opportunity to stay at home and raise our kids. He is such a wonderful father and a great role model of what a good dad should be. We have been so blessed and I owe that in part to his hard work and dedication to provide for his family. I know there are often times when he gets eager for the times when I will return to work because living off of one income can be stressful, but we know we are doing the right thing, and God has been so graciously providing for our needs. Even in tough times we have always had our health, our supportive family and friends, a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and clothing on our backs. What more could we ask for? We are very fortunate.
Well anyways, more posts to come, but wanted to make sure I updated everyone on my mom. Again, thanks for the prayers. My family appreciates it. Praise you Jesus for your blessings overflow.
My whole family has really gotten the health bug actually. I started out with the small goal of working out 3 times a week but lately have been anxious to do at least 5 days a week. I know I will hit a point where I am not as motivated, but it is nice, for once, to be eager to exercise. I haven't felt the inclination to do this for years. The girls and I go to the indoor walking track and walk/jog 2+ miles whenever we go. Kadyn enjoys it because she gets to watch a movie on her portable DVD player and Brennan just likes watching things go by or watching Kadyn. When I finish I let Kadyn out and run around a few times to burn off a little energy. It has been a nice outlet for us lately.
We have finally picked a church. It is very contemporary. The music is very good and the atmosphere is soooo casual. The pastor wore a t-shirt and jeans; his sermon kept our attention throughout which is big for us. A little different than usual, but we both really felt this church seemed "real" and it seems like it will be a nice change of pace for us for awhile. We have already started attending a small group and are anxious to start feeling connected.
Brennan has been waking a lot lately but has recently cut 2 bottom teeth which I believe is the culprit. It has made for some sleepless nights but she continues to be such a good baby. She is getting more vocal everyday with her squeals of happiness. It is so endearing really. She is starting to wave now and seems to be bent on rolling everywhere instead of crawling. I'm beginning to wonder if she might just skip crawling. We start meats today, I'm not expecting to have any trouble because she eats almost anything I throw her way. She is taking puffs and cheerios pretty well now but really doesn't care for the sippy or water. Got of lot of work to do there.
Kadyn is doing well but driving me bonkers at times with her obsession with the two little boys next door. She just doesn't understand why they can't play with her 24/7. I don't feel comfortable letting her play outside at the apartment complex without me there to supervise, and there are so many times I just need her to play inside so I can get stuff done around the apartment. It is a real power struggle to get that to happen. I miss our fenced in back yard. Aside from that, she has been a big help for me entertaining her sissy. She loves her sooooooo much and often tells her that just in case Brennan didn't already know from all the kisses Kadyn smothers her in. Brennan still adores Kadyn and often finds her hilarious, which always gives me those heart melting mommy moments.
Our house is still in the baby stages. They are supposed to pour the foundation this week....finally. Our closing date of August 31st had to be moved obviously and now we are expected to close mid November. I kind of always knew August 31st was too good to be true. One of the things we have found a little exciting and nerve racking all at the same time is that we will have a little creek in our back yard. They actually had to divert it farther from the house because it was VERY close. We're hoping it never grows during a big storm and floods our basement, but it might be kind of fun to have that natural water feature.
Anyways, things are starting to calm down a bit now that we're settling in. I have slowed down a bit with all the activities I have been dragging the kids too. Mostly because exercising as taken a priority lately and takes up a lot of of our previously free time. I still manage to get Kadyn to two storytimes and the park every now and then to play in the creek or on the equipment. We also try to go to every playdate we can. The butterfly palace is also very close to our apartment and since we have season passes we go to that every now and then for a change of pace. Lastly, the other day we took the kids to a local frisbee golf course.
Jeff's new business up here is going slowly which has been a bit discouraging, but that is to be expected when you start a new branch. Overall, he is still doing fine and enjoying the work he does. I am soooo proud of him and thankful to have such a supportive man by my side who is allowing me the opportunity to stay at home and raise our kids. He is such a wonderful father and a great role model of what a good dad should be. We have been so blessed and I owe that in part to his hard work and dedication to provide for his family. I know there are often times when he gets eager for the times when I will return to work because living off of one income can be stressful, but we know we are doing the right thing, and God has been so graciously providing for our needs. Even in tough times we have always had our health, our supportive family and friends, a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and clothing on our backs. What more could we ask for? We are very fortunate.
Well anyways, more posts to come, but wanted to make sure I updated everyone on my mom. Again, thanks for the prayers. My family appreciates it. Praise you Jesus for your blessings overflow.
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