MobileFit

For the past month I've been trying out this free program at the YMCA called MobileFit. Basically it creates a workout program catered to your specific needs and abilities. I love that I can log in from home! Anyways, long story short, today I was jogging on the treadmill and had to keep pulling up my workout skort! Woo hoo, something must be working!!

Mommy's 1st Field Trip with O

Today I was finally able to chaperone a field trip for Olivia's pre-k class. We went to the Fort Wayne Botanical Gardens and saw the butterfly exhibit. What a great group of kids! All of them seemed well behaved. Mrs. Gall (their teacher) does a fantastic job keeping those kids engaged and in order. Wow! 

I also met some very nice parents of O's classmates/& caught up with friends. 

Olivia loved the butterfly exhibit and getting to play in the long tube/slide at the Botanical Gardens! She was so happy and told me that I'm the best mom EVER! 

This field trip will always be a memory that I'll hold close in my heart! 

Peace & Blessings,

Amy

4.26.14 in Pictures

Zoo with the fam...(Grandpa John, Grandma Lori, Matt, John, Carrie, & us)!

The kids fed the giraffes.

We were able to see section 1 (out of 3) of the updated Australian Adventure section of the Zoo. It's going to be really nice! Even the bathrooms were immaculately clean (for now) & have kiddie (lower) sinks...score!

These goats crack me up!

And to finish out my day, I got a call from Von Maur telling me that I WON the Tapestry drawing for a $100 Von Maur Gift Card! Woo hoo!! 

Blessed day! 

Catching up

 

Today was a great day of catching up with some good friends! I started out the day with a T-N-T (tighten & time, aka Body Fit) class at the Jorgensen YMCA with Angie Jurczak & Allison Labrie. 

After getting drenched in sweat from that hard yet incredible class, I met a friend, Susan Reynolds and her girls at Mocha Lounge. The kids enjoyed playing together. If you haven't been to the Mocha Lounge Little Friends Room, I'd highly recommend it! 

Then I dropped Olivia off at preschool and met Dan for lunch at Yen Ching. Gabe enjoys getting his extra special daddy time :)

After lunch I came back home to try and clean up the house before our friends, Nikki Riemer and her kids came over. 

I picked up Olivia from school and then the Riemer's showed up. We played and enjoyed catching up, for it had been far too long since we last saw them. 

I truly appreciate the friends in our life and thank God for each and every one of you!!

Peace

Egged

Today as the kids and I rolled into our driveway, we noticed that our house was EGGED!! No, not the bad type of egging with actual chicken eggs, but some nice neighbor anonymously "hid" a dozen plastic eggs in our front yard, left a basket full of treats (including a cute no bake birds nest cookie), and they put up a sign on our door stating that we were egged. There were some small rocks in an egg carton and one of them said, 'He is risen.' How awesome! 

This isn't like the You've been Boo'd type of chain things, people just do it to show others kindness around Easter. 

Olivia deliberately got a ziplock bag and put a few loose Cheese-It's and 1 piece of candy in the ziplock, then headed straight to Audrey Spitler's house because she wanted to EGG her. I tried explaining that we needed to make a nice gift for whomever she wanted to egg, but she was already out the door. So, Sara (Audrey's mom), I'm sorry, but loose random cheese-it's is as good as it gets for the Spitler's. ;) Enjoy ;)

So go EGG someone's house (the good kind of egging)! It's so fun and brings joy to the little ones!

Peace~

Good Samaritans

As we walk along this Holy Week, I'd like to give a shout out to the good Samaritans out there. You know, the people who do kind deeds without wanting any recognition. People who touch lives just by being themselves and letting their heart shine upon others. 

Thank you to those good samitaritans in my life! I appreciate you more than you know!!

P.S. Here's a pic of my kids with the Easter Bunny & then pics with the masks they gave to us. Enjoy!

Weekend Get-Away

This weekend Dan took us on a last minute surprise get-away to Chicago. We had such a nice time! 

We stayed at the Marriott on the Magnificient Mile and the fav things per our kids were visiting the American Girl Place store, Lego Store, and checking out the "bean" aka Cloud Gate!

Our children (thankfully) haven't really been exposed to poverty, so this trip was a real eye opener for Olivia (5 year old). She told us repeatedly that she's really worried about the homeless people and doesn't want to live in Chicago because there are lots of homeless people there and it's so sad. Dan and I are trying to explain this to her and decided to pray for them tonight before bed with her. 

It's neat to see such compassion at such a young age. Hopefully through HIM, we can instill hardworking ethics along with love and compassion in her!

Peace & Blessings,

Amy

Thankful for the Y

Ever since joining the Y in December, I've felt a strong sense of physical, mental, & emotional empowerment. These positive endorphins have got me on fire and I love it! 

I'm so thankful for Dan letting us join! I've gone more there in the past 3 months than I went to Max Fitness the past 2 years (sad but true). 

The childwatch has been such a blessing at the Y and my kids enjoy going. I feel so good about showing my kids the values of a healthy lifestyle. 

So even though I don't show that I'm losing any weight, I feel mentally better and I'll take it over being down in the dumps any day!

Cheers to good health!

XoXo,

Amy

My Lenten Journey-Day 1

The incredible season of Lent is once again upon us. The ashes this week will help us as we journey towards the expectation of Easter Resurrection.

Several friends have asked me what exactly lent is and why I'm giving up Facebook for 'Lint'. Well let me tell you, it's only been 1 day and I've already failed by logging into that darn Facebook. 

I ordered a pair of shoes for Olivia, they arrived in the mail and were too narrow for her so I wanted to re-sell them on a Livie & Luca resellers page or Juliana's Closet FB group page to avoid ebay seller fees. I feel so guilty for making an exception, but all I can do is move forward. 

Moving along to the 'What is Lint' question: this is what Lent is to me: 

a liturgical season, destined towards a celebration, as well as a reflective period where we contemplate our lives and make adjustments to our lives. Lent is a period of preparation for the glory of the Christ's Resurrection. It also calls all believers to participate in the journey towards Easter that goes beyond 40 days of personal sacrifices.

Onto going beyond...one thing I've actually never done with my family since becoming Catholic are the Stations of the Cross. I hope to do this with them and hope to continue to teach them the importance of having a faith centered life.

I love that my kids have decided on their own to give up candy for lent. I've never seen Olivia get so into this liturgical season and it's awesome to watch!

I'd also like to practice sacrificial offerings for the less fortunate by spending some time working in a soup kitchen. I also want to bring my kiddos into Saint Anne Home to visit the nursing home residents and help cheer them up. 

So here's to trying to share Christ's journey and sacrifices to all those around (and ONCE again, to new beginnings).

God Bless~

MIA

I def haven't been keeping up with the blog like I should...so here's to new beginnings. 

This winter has been extremely rough with extreme freezing temps and snow storms galore. It's made us become hermits and I'm slowly becoming un-Amy'd (aka-I'm less likely to want to do social things, which isn't like me at ALL). 

The nice part is that I'm getting to spend more time with my creator, Jesus Christ! So let's focus on the positives and look forward to Spring/Summer. 

1). I'm looking forward to Spring bc that's when the Zoo opens! I can't wait to go on play dates with my kids & their friends!

 2). Pink Flamingo neighborhood parties

3). Outdoor jogs

4). Pool time

5). Bike riding

6). Walks with the dog

7). Pretty flowers

8). Getting to mow (oh...)

Ok, it's past bed time...enough random rambling for now.Thanks for your friendships!

Peace,

Amy

Babysitting Do's & Don'ts

Lately we've been trying to do more date nights with one another, but it's not always easy...

Finding a babysitter is the challenge. I have a list of people I'll call to watch my kids when needed, first being grandparents, then if they're not available I'll go to my babysitter list. Usually if you book in advance it's not an issue, but last minute can be tricky.

I'd like to think that we pay babysitters a descent rate, although I'm not sure what the going rate is currently. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

Regardless of pay, what gets me about sitters lately is there lack of professionalism. We've been using a couple different sitters lately and appreciate them very much, but I don't know if it's just me or what but these teenagers seem to have no manners. Listen to me sounding like an old lady, but seriously. 

When I was a teen babysitting, I hope that I made polite conversation with the parents. I hope that I arrived on time. I really hope that I said "THANK YOU!" to the parents and didn't just zip out the door after getting paid, as if I were clocking out. 

Does anyone else notice these things? I'm not sure if it's the generation or what but I am determined to teach my children proper manners.

I've compiled a list of things to do to become a parents 'Go-To Sitter':

1). Availability. If you’re never actually around to babysit, you’re probably not going to become someone’s regular babysitter.  Of course you’re going to be busy, but what’s important is that you clearly communicate when you’re generally available and when you’re not.

2. Enthusiasm. “My favorite babysitters are the ones who say, ‘I’m exhausted, it’s a lot of work to keep up with your son.’ That tells me she played with him and did their best to keep up with our 3 yr old. Our kids know who plays with them most and gets more excited for the active babysitters to come over than the not so active ones.

3). Positive reviews (from the kids!). Moms are happy when their kids are happy. Yes, you’re there to make sure the house doesn’t burn down, but you’re also there to make sure the kids have a good time when their parents are away.

4. Manners. Show interest in not only our children but in holding a polite and adult conversation with us. Being able to communicate well with the parents shows them your manners — manners which they hope you’ll model for their kids. Plus, it lets parents know you’re comfortable discussing issues or concerns they (or you) may have.

5. Punctuality. Be there when you say you’ll be there. They’re counting on you. Running late? It happens. Make sure you call and let the parents know you’ll be late — and don’t make it a habit. 

That's all for now, but please do share your 2cents! I'm all ears!

Daily Grind

1/13/2014

The Happenings of Today

1). 9:15-10: cardio kickboxing class at the Y with Angie Jurczak and Allison Labrie. Got to I expectantly see Angie Hormann too. Also met a couple new gals! :)

2). 10:30-11:20: Lunch @ home 

3). 11:30-11:45: Dropped Olivia off at her preschool

4). 12:00-1:30: Tried to clean, Gabe peed his pants deliberately in my pantry, so I gave an unexpected bath and mopped. Fun!

5). 1:30-1:40: Packed for O's swim lesson

6). 1:40-2:00: Took Gabe to speech

7). 2:00-2:30-Played on FB while Gabe had speech

8). 2:30-Zoomed to pick Olivia up from school.

9). 2:50- Took the kids home to get a snack, get O ready for swim lessons, and took MY shower (woo hoo). 

10). 4:00-Took O to her swim lesson at the Y. Met a nice mom whose son is in O's swim class.

11). 5:00-got a car wash (finally, this car was a dirty mess)

12). 5:30-Is it bed time yet?? 

Blessed day but boy am I tired. Through Christ, all things are possible! He is my strength! 

Hello January

Well it's been around a month since my last post and I thought it was time to blog before bed. 

First of all, I can't believe that Christmas has already happened again. We had a lovely Christmas, despite all getting hit with the flu bug. Not only did the 4 of us get sick, but this fast acting virus also reached my entire family except for Lori. Bad news bears to the flu!

Flashing forward to today, I worked and my incredible husband took Gabe to the grocery to get prepared in case the "big snow" hits. God love him! Then yet another kindred spirit, Angie picks Olivia up for her daughter's 5th birthday party at Crazy Pinz. She knew I had to work today and offered to help with transport so that Olivia could join in her daughter's party. Olivia had a blast! 

I can't express my gratitude enough  towards selfless people (like Dan & Angie). God is ever blessing me with caring people! Thank you Christ!! I truly believe that all things are possible with prayer. 

Everyday I pray for God to continue to use me for his will. Life is such a precious gift friends. It's too short to sweat the small stuff. 

Speaking of sweat, Dan got us a YMCA membership! I am still in shock! This coming from a long yearning & battle to quit Max Fitness and join the Y. You see, at Max, their childwatch is absolutely horrible. They would interrupt my workouts for ME to come change Gabe's diaper (back when he was still in diapers), and they'd interrupt me to take my kids to the bathroom. Really?! They're fully potty trained. So, I just gave up. Gave up on myself and going all together. 

It was bad. I hit a slump and I think Dan noticed my moods were lower than normal. So one day, as we were driving to run some errands, he asks me how many of my friends go to the Y. It was completely out of the blue. I told him that most do, and asked him why. Then he drove us to the Y to take a tour and then he asked to sign up. 

We've been going regularly and the kids LOVE it! I couldn't be happier with Dan's amazing Christmas gift to me! I was honestly secretly hoping he'd do that but never said anything. I just kind of gave up on that battle all together, and he gives us the gift of health, I'm so grateful! 

So here's to a happy, healthy 2014 friends!

God Bless~

New Experiences

Tonight was filled with a couple new experiences. First we tried out the new babysitting event at church, called BABS (Book A Babysitter), and secondly we tried out a new restaurant here in Fort Wayne, Tucanos. 

Both were great experiences that I'd highly recommend. BABS is something new that the church/school is doing to help parishioner/school families. Parents can drop off their kids in a safe environment and do whatever it is that they need to do. I know a friend of mine used her time to wrap presents (smart move Courtney). 

We used our time out with another parishioner couple, Allison & Marc Labrie and tried out Tucanos. It's incredible how they've transformed the Jefferson Pointe food court into an enlightening restaurant. 

You all should try it, but def make a reservation, as the place was packed. Luckily we had reservations way ahead of time and got right in, but the wait looked crazy. 

Basically Tucanos is a Brazilian meat house with an awesome salad/sides bar! You pay around $27/person but the food is unlimited and the atmosphere is well worth it. It's def not something you will go to often but is nice for entertaining out of town guests and special events. Plus it is much cheaper than Fogo de Chao out of Chicago (same concept). 

In conclusion, try BABS & Tucanos. 

Honestly, if you are a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, you must give the BABS a try (same type of thing as Parents Night Out was ONLY you do not have to take turns working the babysitting bc the 7th graders and their parents do it). I was impressed that the kids came home happy and they did activities with them. Any questions just ask. Peace~

Thanksgiving Blessings & Life Lessons

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all had a nice time with your loved ones! 

I was blessed to get to spend the day in Indianapolis with my side of the family. My sister, Lori recently moved from Florida to Indiana and was kind enough to host Thanksgiving dinner at her new home. It was so wonderful to have us all together again. Truly blessed!

Then we went back home to the Fort to go to Dan's mothers house. It was nice to spend time with her. 

I'm so grateful for everything that this year has brought us! Olivia is getting so much out of preschool, Gabe is getting the help he needs in his speech therapy, my job continues to allow me to work PT and I love what I do, and Dan always amazes me with his persistent drive to always wanting to learn more and push himself everyday to provide a nice lifestyle for our family. None of this would be possible without our amazing Catholic community at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish. Putting God first has truly changed my life over the past 5 years. 

It hurts to see those that I love live without Christ, but I know all things happen in HIS time. 

This brings me to my next topic, that life truly is too short. Holding grudges only holds you back. 

Life is too short to continually focus and dwell on the past. Enjoy the present and prepare for the future. 

Life is too short to feed into any negativity aimed towards you. Focus on those that support and believe in the fabulous person that you are. You can't please everyone, so don't try (I've struggle with this one). 

Life is too short to not get out and enjoy (healthy) things. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone every now and then. You'll be surprised at how much you'll discover. 

In conclusion, life is too short to not love yourself! You are the one and only you and you were created in the eyes of God to love others. Let's lift one another up and live with Christ's love in our hearts...always!

God Bless each of you for being a part of my life! XoXo

Love in Christ,

Amy

O=5?!

Today is Olivia's 5th Birthday! It's so hard to believe that 5 years ago our lives forever changed. There's no such love as the gift of life and no way to quite explain the feeling that overcomes you after you hold your baby for the first time...it's 100% God! God has truly blessed us with the joy of Olivia Marie! 

To celebrate O's special day we did the following: 1). Olivia made fruit kabobs for her pre-k class and brought them into school for her friends to enjoy at snack. 2). Olivia got to open a couple of her gifts early this morning (lipgloss, Hello Kitty rings, hand sanitizer thing for her back pack, and a Birthday Princess sash) before getting dropped off at daycare. She was most excited about her rings. Too cute!

3). We let her pick out where she wanted to go for dinner and she was insistent on going to Chic-Fil-A. It turned out Wednesdays are Kids Night there which means that our kids ate FREE...sweet!! Our dinner was only $12 and they gave O a free cow stuffed beanie baby. After dinner the kids enjoyed playing in the play place. It was nice up until the 2 other random boys (my kids ages) started acting out. The oldest boy came up to my kids and randomly said, "I'm going to KILL you!" Right then and there Dan and I turned to each other and Dan said, "Yeah, that's not likely! Bye." And we left. I really hesitated to tell his mom, but it wasn't worth it. Who knows where she's coming from. Everyone has a story. I just felt bad for those boys bc the mother was in the booth in the restaurant reading a book and on her phone the entire time. She didn't go into check on them once. I'm not trying to judge her here but I just feel so bad for those young kids and for her. She'll never get these moments back. These kids grow up so quickly! I try to cherish every moment. Yes, I do have my bad mommy moments when I need a good cry behind closed doors, but I never want to look back with regrets bc life is too short.

Ok enough in my rant...moving on.

3). We assembled O's big gift...her art easel and she LOVES it! She also opened up the rest of her gifts (books, blanket throw, earrings, hello kitty undies). 

4). We sang Happy Birthday to her and had a piece of her Big Cookie that Dan made for her. She was all smiles!

5). I read her new books to her, she prayed and thanked God for her "especially special 5th birthday!"

Thank you, Jesus for the gift of Olivia Marie. I pray that she touches so many lives spreading your great love!