Traditions

Since the holidays are here, I started thinking about family traditions. Of course there are birthdays throughout the year, and some family get togethers on Patrick's side of the family. My side does not really get together. I am not really sure if we have traditions really, but I can think of just a few things we do each year:

January: ?
February: Destin's birthday
March: ?
April: Easter egg hunt, Birthdays
May: ?
June: ?
July: Arwen's birthday (next year) & other birthdays (Patricks & mine too!)
August: ?
September: We always go to the Fall festivals
October: Pick out/carve pumpkins, Watch Charlie Brown's The Great Pumpkin, go trick or treating (we started that this year) for Halloween
November: Eat turkey, Watch Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving, Put up Christmas decorations
December: Watch Charlie Brown's Christmas, Go see the lights at Christmas in the Park, Visit Santa at Bass Pro

So what are your traditions? It seems to me that as a family of four...we need to start our own! We just don't have that many, and I would love to start some new ones ~ especially as our girls get older :)

Our Thanksgiving & other tidbits

If you read my Shutterfly site, then yes, I did copy & paste this...no sense in reading in twice!

Well I have both the girls asleep at the same time at night! Can you believe it?! And I thought I would catch up on my blog/site here for the family...since Pat is out with friends & I have some quiet time here at the house :)

Speaking of sleep...Destin is still being such a stinker when it comes to bedtime. She doesn't want to have anything to do with naps, unless its accidental when going for a car ride or watching tv. She is just on the go all the time (as everyone got to see at Thanksgiving). Arwen is for the most part, still sleeping wonderful...all night, every night :) Yay! Bedtime for Destin means having to sleep with us (which is NOT what I want, I would love for her to sleep in her bed). Then we transfer her to her own bed after falling asleep in ours - she wakes up a few hours later screaming/crying for us to come get her. :( This has been the new trend for the past two weeks - it is soooo not fun! Of course, I have to mention - tonite is the first time in a long time (I don't even remember when??) Destin went to her bed, and fell asleep with me sitting next to her without crying/playing/talking and was alseep within twenty five minutes or so! I cannot believe it! And to make it even better of a night, Arwen fell asleep - and I put her in the crib to sleep for the first time at night :) She has napped there before, but never at night...My babies are growing up!

So now they are both sound asleep in their bedroom together :) Its so sweet! Oh, and this week, we have been trying to give them both a bath at the same time! Destin loves it! Arwen loves bath time - she smiles, and kicks her legs in the water. And to save on time, water & my sanity I thought I would try it. Tonight was the third time they took a bath together, and it is going pretty well. Granted, Arwen cannot sit up yet - so she lays on her bath mat thing that holds her up & I am able to wash them both, let them play a little bit. Then take turns drying, getting dressed, lotion, brush hair, etc. Maybe this can be the start of a beautiful schedule - I can only hope! I would love love love to have both the girls in bed by 8:30 every night. But for now, I will settle for 9ish.

Destin just never wants to sleep...I mentioned earlier that she does not like naps. Starting last weekend, she just flat out refused to take them. And I thought maybe it would help her fall asleep sooner & faster at night. The first night it did (which was last Saturday). But then the next couple nights, she stayed up just as late 9, 10, 11 PM! HOLY MOLY! She has so much energy all the time day or night! So...I am still trying to figure her out with this whole sleep thing. I have been reading books, looking online, asking other mommies out there...and I have no idea what is going on with her. And in case you were wondering - it was just like this before Arwen came too - so I know that is not it! If you are reading this & have any ideas - please share them with me ASAP!

For Thanksgiving, we went to Tammie's apartment in Hermitage, MO this year. It was Destin's 2nd Thanksgiving & Arwen's 1st :) I had the girls dress up in matching red dresses & pink tights from Old Navy. I got them in the mail, along with the other goodies I bought online (I received them the day before Thanksgiving - Yay!). Oh - just a small tidbit here - I bought almost all of the girls gifts online this year. I think I will keep doing this too, since it saves me time, hassle, and the craziness of going out with both the girls. Destin just runs all over the place any time we go anywhere. Anyways..back to Turkey Day :) We had a great time seeing all of Patrick's family - there were quite a few people there: Tammie & Mick; Vicki, Tink & Jared; Shannon, Rob, Ally, Macy & Sierra (sorry if I'm not spelling that right!); Rick, Debbie, Dalton, Daniel, Amber, Jake, Jaiden & Meghan; Shane, Tammy & Tony; Mike, Darcy, Clara & Abby; and of course us!

There was so much food to eat - turkey, steak, porkloin, mashed potatoes & gravy, mac n cheese, corn, rolls, sweet potatoes (2 kinds), corn casserole thing, green bean casserole (I made this), and more! Then for dessert...there were cookies, butter cake, pumpkin & pecan pie, chocolate pie & mini cheesecake bites with cherries (I made these too!). Yummy, yummy!

I loved all the pics that I got on this wonderful holiday - be sure to check them out in the November photo album on my Shutterfly site (http://destinpaisleyroach.shutterfly.com/)! Thank you to everyone for being so loving and caring ~ and of course, talkative! It was nice to have a Thanksgiving with everyone down there! I wish we would get together more often!! I know Destin had so much fun playing with all the girls - Meghan, Jaiden, Macy, Sierra, Ally, Clara & Abby.

Other stuff...

Potty training: We started at the end of September, and Destin did great for about one weekend. She went poop & pee pee in the potty (that Gpa Todd bought her in the beginning of August). But then she kept having accidents (even with her cute Dora undies) and so we stopped. We kept trying all month of October & November. She would sit & try, but never really go. I think she may have went once or twice in October...but only if we caught her at the right time. Last Sunday, she went twice (not a lot but sat, tried & went). Then today, at the end of November (almost two months later) she went pee pee in the potty again (a whole bunch)! Yay! Daddy even gave her some M&Ms for going :) So we put her in her undies again, but I am sorry to report she had an accident on the floor after bath time (about an hour after) and she didn't really care. I even had her in a new nightgown from Old Navy (her first one ever, since she was a baby). I would love to get more nightgowns for her, if she starts going potty again. I told Pat maybe we could start a treasure box, or a sticker chart - or both to encourage her to go potty! So...we will see what happens. My goal was to have her trained by Christmas...but now I would like to change that goal to her birthday. I would love to say she is going potty by the time she was 2 years old! Lord knows, she is smart enough to do it! She is soo smart!

How do I know she is smart, you ask? She is learning to say her ABCs, count to 10 in English & Spanish, learning Spanish words like Gracias, DeNada (from Dora the Explorer - her second fav show), recognizing & trying to draw shapes, colors, dressing herself and more!

Arwen is learning so many new things too...she is starting to push up on her hands & knees during tummy time. She blows bubbles/raspberries with her mouth. She cries "mama" (although I am not going to count this is as her first word). We are still working on rolling over, and learning how to sit up on her own. She loves to stand up too (in her bouncy seat - it was Destin's old one). We also have her sitting up in Destin's old blue seat too. She just loves looking around and seeing what everyone is doing.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Take care & keep in touch!

Oh, I almost forgot...Arwen will be 4 months old on Monday :) Her checkup will be December 1st! So look for an update about her visit/shots/weight/height!

What I am thankful for...

Since Thanksgiving is almost here I wanted to share what I am thankful for...there is a lot:

1. My incredible family ~ my amazing husband, two beautiful daughters & two big dogs :)


2. My husband, Patrick, who works everyday, all day in all kinds of weather/conditions. I love you!


3. Our house/home - even though it never can manage to stay clean!


4. My parents ~ who love, support, offer advice & would do anything for me
   
5. My family & I are all healthy & happy
   
6. I am in love with a wonderful man...and he loves me more than anything too :)
   
7. That Destin just loves to learn, smile, laugh, sing & is always on the go - she wears me out, but I know that its worth it. Every sleepless night is definitely worth it for her.
   
8. Arwen's smile & laughter - it just melts my heart everyday.
   
9. My ability to multitask - I can breastfeed, eat, drink, entertain Destin, read a book/magazine, talk on the phone, watch a tv show, share a great conversation with a loved one, and more - all at the same time :) Well, maybe not all of those things - but I am learning that I can do more than 1 thing at a time and its okay to do so.
   
10. Reading a great book - I wish I had more time to do this...I usually read at night after everyone is asleep or during the occasional naptime. I miss reading and I hope to read more as Destin gets older. Maybe her & I could read to each other someday :)
    
11. Being able to stay home with the girls everyday...its probably the greatest gift Patrick gives me everyday. I love knowing that I can see them meet every milestone in front of me.
    
12. I am thankful for all of Destin's favorite shows...because not only are they helping me educate her, but they also give me that ten or fifteen minutes of 'me' time :)

I am sure there are many many more things that I am thankful for, but I just wanted to share these. I hope you all have as many things to be thankful for in your life. Don't be afraid to share what you are thankful for - especially to your loved ones. Take care!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you & your family! I hope it is wonderful! We are going to Patrick's mothers house near Hermitage, MO...his whole mom's side should be there I think! Our second big get together as a family of four :)

I hope to actually get pics of this Thanksgiving celebration!

My weekend...

We had a pretty good weekend...other than Pat having to work 10 hours on Friday & Saturday :( It just sucks that he has to work so much - I know he wants a break & so do I! We miss him and I know Destin would love to spend more time with him...he is such a great man working so much for us!

Sunday, I went to Walmart & bought some stocking stuffers & survived the crowded aisles in Lee's Summit! Oh my goodness was it packed! I am hoping to get most of my Christmas shopping done online this year - we will just have to see what happens though...I need to write down exactly what I want, look for deals/coupons/discounts/etc. and go from there. I am planning on buying 1 Black Friday deal - the $88 Power Wheels Jeep for Destin. I know she would love it and its such a great price! Hopefully they aren't all gone when I go to buy online at Midnight this Thurs evening (yes, Thanksgiving!). Can you believe they are starting Black Friday deals at Midnight now? Wow! I can't imagine going out to get all those deals - but some people will do just about anything to find a deal.

Well the rest of my Sunday (and well Saturday) I cleaned the entire house - floors (sweep, mop, vaccuum), dust, rugs, all the laundry, dishes, organized the playroom, and more! Even though it doesn't look like it now, I felt accomplished when I finished. My mom, Jeff & Joe came by to have dinner & play with the girls. It was nice to have them over for a little while. I know Destin loves when they visit :) And then after they left, Patrick found my earring that I thought I lost in the shower drain last week - YAY! It was a gift from him for Mothers Day this year - so I was very very upset when I thought I lost it - but yay we found it! Woo hoo!

This week, I am getting prepared for Thanksgiving - getting my recipes, cooking, baking stuff ready. I am planning on making Green Bean Casserole, Mini Cheesecakes (my mom's recipe), cookies & possibly pumpkin bread. We are going to Patrick's mom's house for Thanksgiving - so it should be fun to see all of his family. The last time we saw everyone it was April! And no one has met Arwen yet, except for Pat's mom (last month!). She will be 4 months old soon and she is growing so fast!

Its still pretty hard to believe that I am a mommy of two under two. A mommy to two beautiful, adorable little girls that I love with all of my heart and soul! I am so lucky to have such an amazing family :) I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend & has a wonderful week ahead of them :)

The Fitzwater/Iser Gathering

Yesterday, on Sunday, November 14th...was the first time my mother's side of the family has gathered together in one place in over 28 years! We were invited by mail (and by my mom thru the phone) to meet at The Ranch Cafe in Raymore, MO, which is owned by my Aunt Michelle. Each family needed to bring two dishes, and the main course of Ham, Turkey, Stuffing, etc. would be provided.

Supposedly everyone and thier mother (literally) was invited...so here is who came:

• My Grandma Anne (the host - my mom's mom)
• My family (me, Patrick & the girls)
• My mom, Jeff & Joseph
• My Aunt Michelle, her boyfriend Mike - her three kids & their children (a total of 12 people)
• My Uncle Mike, Aunt Deb & daughter Stephanie
• My Uncle Damon (he is one year younger than me) & his dad, Bob
• My Great Uncle Bud & his wife, Lori
• My Great Aunt Janet (her husband, Dick, stayed home to hunt) and her granddaughter (Waylens daughter?)
• My 2nd cousin, Ricky (Uncle Dick's son) & his wife Kelly, plus their two daughters (one is married with a daughter)

So surprisingly, there were alot of people that did come! But, there were a lot that did not...like my Uncle Scott (his wife & their kids), my other Great Aunts/Uncles, thier children & their children and so on. For the most part, I think everyone got along...and I think my Gma Anne was happy that everyone who did come - came, brought food, & had a good time talking. The weird part was, noone really talked a whole lot - at least not to me & my family. I introduced myself & my family to some family members that I had never met (Uncle Bud) and to some who I haven't seen in years...but there were no announcements/speeches or anything like that. Everyone ate, talked briefly small talk - and then left.

Sadly, I did not take any pictures (crazy, right? I love taking pictures!)...due to time, my daughter running around & the pure craziness of it all. There were kids running around everywhere. I had to feed Arwen at some point. I was incredibly nervous having anyone hold her..and I didn't want Destin getting in trouble/hurt/etc.

I am glad that I went & that I got to see everyone...but I personally believe that this will probably never happen again for several reasons...our family is broken, and since it took almost 30 years for all of us to be in the same room at the same time - I don't think it will ever happen again. I know that my Gma would like for us to get together again, and grow up together sharing stories & having our kids play - but its just not going to happen. I don't want to seem witchy or stuck up - I just don't see that anyone would make an effort to get together again. Why would we? Noone sends Christmas cards, noone sends out a family letter, there is no family site...its just very sad. Noone really cares about one another like a family should.

I'm not sure how the rest of my family feels about this issue...but thats just the way it is I guess. When it comes to my father's side of the family - I think they still get together a couple of times a year. At Christmas was the only time I would see anyone from that side of the family, which would include my Grandma Reta (my dad's mom), his sister & her family, and then my Great Grandma Mary (my Gma Reta's mom) and then her children, their children and so on. Sadly, I don't really know them very well either. Each year we would gather at my Gma's house and have a guy/girl gift exchange - but noone really would make conversations (with me anyways) other than small talk. And to be honest, I know this sounds bad, but I can't even remember everyone's names & who belongs to who?! There are a lot of family members there & I guess everyone just thinks - we are family somehow or another.

Then, Patrick's family. His parents are also divorced & remarried, just as mine are. And both his parents come from big families - but again, we don't get together that often. When it comes to his family - I don't think its lack of anything, but time, distance, etc. Everyone is so busy with thier own lives, thier own families - that we don't just stop & take the time to see one another.

I would hate to think that as you get older, the love, time & devotion that you have to your extended family doesn't just go away, or does it? Every family is indeed very different - and mine is something that I am still learning about, learning who is in it, etc. I joined Ancestry.com a couple of years ago, and started doing some research...because someday I'm sure Destin & Arwen will want to know who they are related to on both of our sides.