2011 Recap!

So in January, I posted an entry about all the things I was hoping 2011 would bring.  It's officailly over, and I figured I should see if all of my dreams came true or not! 

• A new job or a new career. (Something that makes me happy!) Done - Been at DEMCO for 9 1/2 months now, and I love it.  Great company!  Enjoying my position, and learning more everyday!  There have been some recent changes in my department, I am anxiously looking forward to 2012 and what our new structure will bring!
• Kale being potty trained! (I have had 6 1/2 years of diapers, and I am ready for it to be over!) Done - He is fully potty Trained, and her is even dry through the night.  We are going to start wearing underwear to bed!  YEAH!
• A Superbowl victory for the Packers! (Sorry Steeler's fans!) Done - Super Bowl Champs, and starting the new season 13-1 (soon to be 14-1) for this year!  I would love 2012 to start with a repeat!
• Rylee growing back in her two front teeth. (The girl couldn't eat an apple if her life depended on it.) Well...We are almost there!  They are both in...Just have to move into the correct places!  :)
• I would love to lose about 20 lbs, but who wouldn't! No real progress here, but I didn't really try to lose weight either.  I haven't lost much, but I haven't gained either!
• Eli to not pee at night.  I am afraid he is going to have to wear pull-ups to college! (He is a sound sleeper, but come on!) No progress here...He still wets almost every night.  Not sure what is going to have to happen to get him to wake up an go?  It's frustrating! 
• I can't wait to meet my new nephew in April...I hope makes things nice on his Mom and enters the world quickly and healthily! Theo is doing great!  He is 8 1/2 months old and besides some pesty ear infections and tubes he is a healthy boy!  Now he just need to start sleeping a little better at night, so Mom and Dad can get some rest!  :)
• I hope Trent has a great baseball season, and his team makes it to the final four.  (Two reasons: 1.) I know that he really wants to play in the championship game, and it would be a great accomplishment for him and his team, and 2.) Then he could retire!  Ha ha!) Well, The Royals lost in the first round of the playoffs, but had a good year all in all.  Trent had shoulder surgery at the end of Sept, and is working on rehab.  Not sure what 2012 will bring for baseball...
• I hope I get to spend lots of time with my family and freinds, cause you all mean the world to me! I have gotten to spend lots of time with Family, and got to see my friends a little more this fall, but still would like to get together more often with some of my friends.  Had a great Christmas with family and look forward to a wonderful new year!

Some great things happened in 2011 that I didn't plan on, but really enjoyed.  Easton and Tica had a litter of surprise pups and they are absolutely adorable!  One of them is going to Sally and Mike's house to live( Her name  is still TBD)!  Nick watched Rylee, Cash, and Mikki for the summer and it was wonderful!  The kids loved hanging out with Nick and It was so nice for us to get to see Nick all the time too!  We spend lots of time at the pond, and the ball park during the summer.  Trent won a wonderful vacation through work, and we went out to San Fransico for 4 days in November.  That was a great trip and a nice relaxing time! 

We had some sadness, and some difficult times...but nothing that we couldn't work through!  All in all 2011 was a great year.  I can't wait to see what 2012 has to bring!  Thank you all for being a part of our lives!  Wishing you a Happy New Year!

Stacey

What are the Benefits?

I have a friend that asked me a couple weeks ago what the good thing about having kids was.  It was a light hearted conversation about life, so we joked about the tax benefits, and she argued with me that they cost more then the tax refund.  After some additional light hearted conversation we went on to talk about other things.  On my drive home that night I starting thinking more about her question.  Over the last couple weeks this type of question/discussion has come up.  As a mother of three, you would think I would be able to easily answer this question, but it's not!  Why is it not? What are the benefits of being a Mother/Father? 

We joke all the time about the sleepless nights, the mass craziness of kids, the house being covered in toys, the mountains of laundry, the timeouts, the temper tantrums, and the bodily fluids (need I say more)!  We laugh at stories about embarrassing moments and out of control kids.  So it's very easy to understand why the question would be asked...It's understandable.

I don't know if it's a sad statement that people with out kids might now know the joy or benefits of having kids, but the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me.  So...Here it is...

The first moment you see your child for the first time you can't imagine every loving anything as much as you love that baby.  But then they start to grow, and smile at you!  You never thought a smile smile or even better yet, a laugh could melt your heart.  As they grow their personality starts to develop, and you start to understand what they think and how they act.  You are the one person that knows every secret, and knows every story.  You get hugs and kisses just for being you, and there is no one in the world they trust more.  No one else that can make there skinned knee feel better, or that they want to snuggle with when they don't feel good.  They make you laugh, they make you cry, the make you want to pull out your hair.  They tell you that you look pretty, and that they love you.  So what is the Benefit of Having kids.  There is not just one, there are a million but the best way I know is to say...

They are my life! 

2011 - Update

So in January, I posted an entry about all the things I was hoping 2011 would bring.  Since the year is getting closer to it's conclusion, I thought it would be a good time to revisit that list...

• A new job or a new career. (Something that makes me happy!) Done - Been at DEMCO for 8 months now, and I love it.  Great company!  Enjoying my position, and learning more everyday!
• Kale being potty trained! (I have had 6 1/2 years of diapers, and I am ready for it to be over!) Done - He is fully potty Trained, and even waking up dry about 90% of the time!  It's wonderful!
• A Superbowl victory for the Packers! (Sorry Steeler's fans!) Done - Super Bowl Champs, and starting the new season 4-0!
• Rylee growing back in her two front teeth. (The girl couldn't eat an apple if her life depended on it.) Well...They are getting there.  One is in all the way, and the second one is working it's way in!  They both look huge, but we are heading in the right direction.
• I would love to lose about 20 lbs, but who wouldn't! No real progress here.  I haven't lost much, but I haven't gained either!
• Eli to not pee at night.  I am afraid he is going to have to wear pull-ups to college! (He is a sound sleeper, but come on!) He woke up the other day dry.  First time in months...Maybe that is progress? 
• I can't wait to meet my new nephew in April...I hope makes things nice on his Mom and enters the world quickly and healthily! Theo is approaching 6 months and is a sweetheart!  He is healthy and happy, and a wonderful addition to the family!
• I hope Trent has a great baseball season, and his team makes it to the final four.  (Two reasons: 1.) I know that he really wants to play in the championship game, and it would be a great accomplishment for him and his team, and 2.) Then he could retire!  Ha ha!) Well, The Royals lost in the first round of the playoffs, but had a good year all in all.  They battled hard!
• I hope I get to spend lots of time with my family and freinds, cause you all mean the world to me! I have gotten to spend lots of time with Family, and this fall I am going to work on the Friends thing!  Need to get together more often with them.  I miss you guys!

So all in all things are going well in 2011.  Now I just have to work on losing weight and getting together with friends more often.  It has been a good year so far!  Until next time!

Annual Baseball Photo

Rylee, Trent, Kale, & Eli - July 4, 2011

It has become a tradition that we take a picture of Trent & the kids on the 4th of July with his Baseball uniform on.  This year was a bit different cause the uniform is a different color, but we still wanted to take the picture anyway.  Rylee had been in a good mood, but for some reason all the pictures we took she looks grumpy!  We also don't have Lodi shirts yet, so the kids had to just wear any blue t-shirt they had.  Last night Trent was comparing this year's picture to last years and couldn't believe how much taller Rylee looked!  Kale is also starting to catch Eli!  Pretty soon they are going to be the same size!  ha ha!  We might have to re-do the picture once the Lodi t-shirts come in, and hopefully Rylee will smile next time!  Ha ha!

Mac N Cheese

In the normal hustle and bustle of a morning at the Schneider house, After getting up showering, getting ready for work,  getting the kids up, and dressed, we headed down stairs to eat breakfast, and get things around and ready to leave.  I have been pretty busy at work, and have been working through lunch, so I like to take something to eat.  I grabbed the grapes and washed them, grabbed a puding cup, and was searching in the fridge for something else to take.  I saw a container on the bottom shelf that looked like noodles.  I opened it.  Mac N Cheese perfect.  Threw it in my bag, and we were off.  As I was driving to drop off the boys at daycare, and Rylee at Sally's house, I started to think about the Mac N Cheese.  I know I wasn't home for supper last night (I had volleyball), but Trent is kind of doing this No Carb Diet thing, so I would be surprised if he made that for supper.  It was also not Kraft Mac N Cheese It was clearly more "gourmet" then that.  We didn't have anything but kraft in the cupboard.  Ummm...Then I was thinking.  When was the last time I made Mac N Cheese, and what kind was it.  I think it's been weeks, or even over a month, and I think I put  hot dogs in it that time.  My mind started to wonder...Finally, I ask Rylee.  Did you have Mac N Cheese for supper last night?  Thinking as she starts to answer..."Is my lunch safe to eat or will I die after consumption?"  She says, Yes...It was really good.  I had two helpings!  AH!  Thank goodnes! 

I am not sure what I learned today.  A.) I need to clean out my fridge more often.  or B.) Just ask the kids...They know what is going on better than we do!

Happy 7th Birthday Rylee!

Today is Rylee's seventh birthday!  WOW!  I can't believe she is 7 years old already!  Time Flies when you are having fun!  Trent, Rylee, and the boys went down to spend the day in Hollandale.  They were going to visit Grandma & Grandpa Schneider, Grandma Hendrickson, and Grandma Judy.  Then they are heading back to Madison and we are meeting for dinner at Ella's Deli.  The boys gave her the present they picked out for her this morning (Lady Bug Pillow Pet)!  Trent said she liked it. 

I hope Ryle has a great day!  She is such a sweetheart and deserves to have a great birthday!  She had made my life o much better since the day she was born, I can't belive how lucky I am to have a daughter like her!

Enjoy your day Rylee!



Kale & Rylee



Tball (Age 6)





Rylee & Mom - Badger Game (Age 5)



Monkey Sized (Age 6)

Rylee Brewer Game

Rylee Picnic (Age 5)









Tball BABY!

Last week Wednesday night Rylee had her first Tball game of the year!  She did great!  The weather didn't really cooperate, so they were only able to play 3 innings, but Rylee got to hit twice  and played short-stop, 2nd base, and pitcher.  She seemed to have a good time!  She seems to be so much better then she was last year.  I am not sure if it's just that she is a year older, and the younger kids are clueless, or if she has gotten better.  I guess we will see!  Tonight is her second game of the season.  So we will see how it goes...

Eli also started Tball last night.  He is doing a 1st sports class through the YMCA.  He is in the 4 yr old class, because he is 4 until the end of August, but he worried me a bit.  Some of those kids were so little compared to him, and he has such a strong arm that I was a little worried he was going to hurt one of the little girls he was playing catch with from 5 ft away!  AHH!  She was about 25 lbs soaking wet, and I could just see him throwing it as hard as he could at her face!  Thankfully he didn't!  When they hit off the "T" he did a great job!  The one time he hit it about 20 feet behind the farthest fielder.  Trent said he looked back at Trent and was smiling ear to ear!  After the hour class he wanted to play more, so Trent and him hung out and played catch for another 20 minutes or so!  He really seems to love baseball!

Rylee & Eli are doing so good!  It's fun to watch them grow, and enjoy themselves.  I will have to take some pictures tonight at the game!