Hangin' at The Heiden's

Since my brother, Scott, got married a few months ago, we have begun Family Dinner Night, at least that's what I call it. Nothing official, it just seems like about once a week we get together with Uncle Scott and Aunt Shawna for dinner. Most of the time we have it at our house, since we have the little kids with early bedtimes and the older one with lots of homework during the week.

A couple of nights ago we went to their house for dinner and the Giants game. Yes, good times!

The evening began with Lego's for the boys...

Aunt Shawna made chicken noodle soup. From scratch. Made her own noodles. Who does that?!?! It was amazing, even if it was 100 degrees that day! More lego building took place, while Dominic, Amanda (a good friend,) and Uncle Scott played a game of SkipBo.

We kept Emma Kate up way past bedtime. She was a trooper though.

Aunt Shawna was still in the kitchen...making something yummy and very "Fall-smelling!"

Some kind of pumpkin goodness!! I think I died and went to heaven!

And to top it all off...the Giants beat the Diamondbacks!!! Sorry Kim.

Woohoo!!!

Thank you, Scott and Shawna for the yummy food...and I forgot to mention...the yummiest margarita I've had in a VERY LONG time! We love living close enough to you to get together often and thank the Lord every day for blessing us with you in our lives. Can't wait for Baby Harley to join us!

What's In A Name?

Ever since I was pregant with Connor and looking for baby names, I have loved the name "Emma." So, when we found out that this baby was a girl, it was a given. Jeff and I really didn't have anything to discuss, except the middle name. We finally decided on Katherine, after my maternal grandmother. Since "Emma" is a pretty common baby name right now, we decided that it would be really cute to call her "Emma Kate." I really don't want her called "Emma S" when she is in school and there happens to be another "Emma" in her class.

Problem solved!

Not too long ago, my brother showed up at our house with a gift behind his back. I squealed in excitement when he revealed the treasure...

Yes, that's right! I picked a good name! There's even a book out there with it as a title!

No, it's not one of those books that you order and they input the child's name throughout the story...truly...honest to goodness...a book with my daughter's name as the title!

OK, it doesn't take too much to thrill me these days...but I was VERY excited!

I have wanted a daughter for as far back as I can remember. And when I found out that I was having a girl with our third and final pregancy, dreams for our future together began to run through my head...

Pigtails!

Shoes!

Dresses!

Mani-pedi's!

Pink! Pink! and more Pink!

Now I have one more thing to look forward to...reading her this delightful story about an elephant and her imaginary friend, Emma Kate. I look forward to sharing this with her over and over again, and hopefully someday, she too, will read it to her own daughter.

I LOVE me some Emma Kate!

Harvest Moon

I can't believe how fast this weekend flew by! We had such a great time and squeezed every moment out of it that we possible could. It began with work on Saturday for both Jeff and I. (OK, that was obviously NOT the fun part!) Dominic left for Santa Cruz with youth group on Friday for the weekend and the "little kids" got to go to "Bunga's" for the morning while I was at work.

Saturday evening marked Jeff's annual Harvest Moon Train Ride. This is where the volunteers at the railroad museum he belongs to get together for the first full moon of Fall and ride the train at night...no lights, just a few lanterns and the light of the moon. We usually gather the kids and go out to ride, even though it means very late bedtimes. (Connor woke up Sat. morning, came downstairs with very sleepy eyes, and asked, "Is it time for the "Night Time Train?!?!" He was VERY excited!) This year my parents watched Emma Kate. Connor and I invited some very dear friends from church to come along, and Jeff was the engineer on the steam engine. Since we had company joining us, we of course had to go to dinner first! So we met Steve, Lisa, Lydia, and Eva at Skipolini's for some PIZZA! In case you don't know me very well....I LOVE PIZZA! We had the added surprise of seeing Heidi and family there as well.

I'm not sure if Eva likes the pizza or the ranch better!

Connor had his arm around Lydia for quite some time!

I think it made her daddy feel a little nervous:)

I had an extra attachment throughout the whole train ride.

Eva stuck to me like glue! I loved every minute of it!

You're welcome Steve and Lisa...you only had one child to keep and eye on! We loved having you join us!

Sunday morning we forced ourselves up and out of the house early for church. After, we decided to head to downtown Martinez for their Annual Italian Street Painting Festival. This is where local artists bring their chalk and create masterpieces on the sidewalks. It is very impressive to see what they can do. There were also lots of vendors and the Farmer's Market.

(Still in progress...)

We had to stop for some Mexican food since we were there!

Connor and Daddy are looking for the very famous beavers.

They built a damn there across the river and have caused quite the stir in Martinez the past few years.

And finally...some Farmer's Market! Connor loves rasberries and I picked up some squash for dinner. Yes, he ate the whole thing before we got to the car!

Dominic came home full of excitement from a weekend full of fellowship, fun, and prayer. We thank the Lord every day that He continues to draw Dominic nearer to Him, even through his teen years thus far.

Jeff's parents came over for dinner and a walk and we ended the weekend perfectly...

FROYO!!!

Time to spend the week working off my "weekend sins!"

A Few Have Asked

For those who wanted to see Dominic on

his 1st day of Kindergarten...

(I will be forever envious of his great skin!)

Down Memory Lane

This past weekend, while cleaning in the garage, I came across a bin of old books. Connor was very excited to have a huge stack of "new" books to read! Tonight he chose to read this one. I can still remember my late paternal grandmother reading this book to me when I was young. So needless to say...I was excited to revisit the story.

A few pages into the story, I began to hear my grandmother's voice reading the words. She was an amazing story-teller! It was as though I was young again and she was reading the story to me. When we finished the book, I told Connor about her, how much I loved her, and how she is with Jesus now. As I kissed him good-night and closed his bedroom door, I couldn't get her off my mind...

My 1st day home from the hospital.

(We brought Emma Kate home in the same blanket!)

OK, so it's not attractive of either one of us...I had just had my tonsils out and every time I look at this picture, I remember the comfort I felt when I was close to her.

(Even if I didn't look very comforted!)

This picture was taken on Thanksgiving Day 2000, one month before she passed.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have so many women in my life who inspire me, give me strength to be a better woman, a better wife, friend and mother. She is one of these women. She emulated so much strength in her life. She lived through The Depression, raised two children, and saw her husband through alcoholism. She was a caterer by trade and was always the party-planner, whether it be among friends, family, or at church. Most of all... she loved with all of her being. I can only pray to become this kind of woman and thank God for her and her influence in my life.

Emma Kate Rolls Over...again!!

OK, so I posted already today...but today was a monumentous day at "The Schwab Zoo!"

I was on the phone with Rose, watching Emma Kate lying on a blanket, playing with some toys.

She rolled over onto her tummy from her back, which is no biggie...she's been doing that for a while. But then....there she went...right back onto her back! She did it! Like she's been doing it forever! And not just once! Yeah Emma Kate!!!

I didn't get a pic of the moment...but this one was cute from a couple of days ago.

Happy Birthday Corben!!!

Today we celebrated my nephew, Corben's, 1st birthday.

He is such a cutie. I love those cheeks!

He was not thrilled with his cupcake.

As always, my sister-in-law was an amazing party planner!

The crocodile theme was very cute.

The little ones had a fantastic time!

Ok...so did the "big ones!" Jeff is up and walking around today!

A really good time!!! I can't remember the last time I

was swung in a hammock! I think we need to get one.

I don't know who had more fun...

Dominic went as well. I didn't get any pics of him because

he was running around being chased by 3 and 4-year-olds!

Finally after all the excitement, the boys had to drag me home.

Thank you to Nick and Becki for a fantastic party.

We clearly had a great time! I also want to thank you

for an easy bedtime...the kids are tired!

Happy Birthday Corben.

We love you buddy!

(Please forgive the off-set pics, etc...I'm still

trying to figure this thing out!)

Connor's Getting Married

Emma Kate and I were sitting in the other room this morning while Connor and Dominic ate breakfast at the kitchen table. This is the conversation that took place:

Connor: "Dom, do you know my new babysitter?"

Dominic: "Yes..."

C: "Her name is... (Calling to me in the other room) "Mom, what's her name?"

Me: "Samantha."

C: "Oh, her name is Samantha...do you go to school with her, Dom?"

D: "No."

C: "I'm going to marry Samantha."

D: "Why?"

C: "Because she's BEAUTIFUL!"

D: (Snicker) "Ohhh!"

C: "Oh! I have to go to the head!...Did you know that some people call the bathroom 'the head?'"

Me: "Where did you hear that?"

C: (Running to the bathroom, yelling) "On TV at Bunga's house!" (FYI-Bunga is what the kids call Jeff's mom.)

I don't know which is funnier...the fact that Connor is getting married to Samantha or that he called the bathroom "The Head!" You knever know what is going to come out of their mouths!

And it Continues with Connor

Connor started Pre-School again this week. Dominic's friend thought that Connor had been held back. Very cute! Connor, unlike Dominic, likes the picture by the tree idea! Of course once he got to school, the first thing he headed for was the train table. I could barely squeeze a kiss good-bye out of him. He had a great day and loves his new teacher. He said that when they went outside he played "Bad Guy" with two other boys. Connor was the "bad guy" and was chased by the "cops." When we told him he could be the good guy as well, he said he liked being the bad guy better. This was the highlight of his day. I hope this is no indication of future events in his life! A mother can only pray.

Where Has the Time Gone?

It seems like yesterday when I packed my little Dominic up in his uniform and with his Scooby Doo backpack and sent him off to Kindergarten. He was so excited for school to start because he would finally have homework like the "big" kids at daycare. I picked him up that day and beamed with pride as he sang me "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes."

A few short weeks ago, I woke up and attempted to pack up my "little" Dominic for his first day of high school. He didn't need me to wake him up...I think I heard Lady Gaga blaring from his alarm clock, doing the job for me. He packed up his own backpack, PE clothes, and lunch. He did allow me to make him breakfast, which I will admit, pretty much only happens on the first day of school for him. As he was eating, he looked up at me with hesitation ready to say something...I stopped what I was doing, anticipating him saying that he was nervous or thanking me for being such a great mom all of these years...instead..."You're not going to take the annual

First Day of School Picture by the tree out front are you?"

Of course I told him that I would be and when He followed that question by asking me how many years I would be taking these pictures, I responded, "Till you move away, of course!" So on our way to the car, I made Connor and Emma Kate wait while I took pictures of my new Freshman. I tried to get a smile out of him in between groans and glances at the cars passing by, making sure that no one he knew was seeing this embarassing scene.

I don't know where the time has gone. How did my cute little guy go from wanting to marry me someday to barely wanting to be seen with me. How did the requests for some snuggle time turn in to requests for rides to the movies with his friends? If I have learned nothing else from being a mom, it is to cherish the time I have with the kids. Every moment. Every smile. Every tear.

An Attempt

OK, so for quite a while now, I have followed some pretty amazing bloggers...women who have busy lives, children, and jobs...women who inspire me and make me laugh. For so long I have thought that there is no way that I could have time to keep up on my own blog or possibly have anything interesting enough to say. However, over the past few weeks I find myself in situations that I am thinking, "I could totally blog about that!" or "I want to remember this moment forever." So here goes...