Life as a Lewis

Brian had a lock-in at church with the youth group last night so he was up ALL night and came home exhausted. He went to bed about 8:00 and said to wake him up at lunch time. My night, while not quite as bad as his, wasn't fun either! I've had trouble sleeping the last several nights and last night was no exception. I finally went to bed about midnight and thought I was feeling tired, but then Camden woke up and asked if he could sleep with me. I thought, why not! So up he came. But as usual, he tossed and turned, kicked me in the ribs, whispered to me, etc. Finally a little after 2:00, I made him go back to his own bed. He hadn't been to sleep all that time either, but still woke up at 6:00! How does a 4 year old survive on so little sleep. I sure can't! So I think I'll be spending my last day off from work camped out on the couch relaxing and I'm definitely taking a nap!

Of course - Camden's new favorite phrase. We've heard this more times than we can count in the last few days. He starts or ends almost every sentence with it. Last week it was "actually." This week it's "of course." This has been a very quiet day. We took down the tree and all the decorations this morning, which took a good 2 hours. After we vacuumed up all the tree needles that fell, our house smelled like a pine forest! Brian made another run to Clarksville to pick up paint for the nursery (we FINALLY decided on the right shade of yellow), exchange the Wii game he bought yesterday, and run into Walmart for a couple of things we forgot Thursday. He also decided to get the car washed, and the brushes knocked off the driver's side mirror! Thank goodness there was someone there who could vouch for him that it was fine before he entered the washer. I'm hoping it won't be too big of a battle to get them to pay to have it fixed. Camden and I worke...

We are finally unpacked and almost caught up in the laundry department, but we still haven't taken down the tree and decorations. I think we're going to tackle that tomorrow. Brian left very early this morning to go hunting, but since it was raining he didn't spend much time out there and returned just in time to head to the mall with me and Camden for another shopping trip. I was able to get another stocking from Pottery Barn plus curtains for Rory's room (BIG sale) and a couple of clearance items at Gymboree for Camden to wear next year. That's about it. Doesn't our day sound exciting?

I don't even know where to start with this blog post - it feels like it's been forever since I've really posted! After spending almost a week with family, we arrived home last night about 6:30. Camden fell asleep right before we got home, and I could not wake him up for anything so he went to bed early! I loved spending time with family, but there's no place like home! And it feels really good because Brian is off until January 7, and I don't go back to work until January 1 so we have several days to relax and get caught up. I'm having trouble deciding what to start on first - unpacking, email, scrapping, putting away all the Christmas decorations, painting the nursery, etc. Camden's Uncle Matt gave him a Wii for Christmas so he's been spending lots of time playing. I think his daddy and Uncle Michael and Aunt Liz are just as excited as he is. The DVD player we bought Camden (okay, it was really as much for us as him) was a perfect gift this year since w...

The Internet is a wonderful invention, and I have missed it greatly! Which is why, on Christmas Eve, we managed to convince my dad to drop me and my two sisters off at Panera Bread where we all sit sipping our coffee and browsing the Internet while he runs errands. It's a beautiful thing. We've been having a really good time together. The weather is unbelievably cold (now that I'm used to our warm southern air). Yesterday, the high temperature was 15 degrees and we had a wind advisory which kept the wind chill below zero all day. There was a bit of snow and ice from Saturday night so Brian and Camden got out and went sledding for a little while. Camden LOVED it! We opened presents this morning and tonight we're having a traditional turkey dinner and then putting the kids to bed and watching Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix. Tomorrow morning we're going to Missouri to spend Christmas afternoon with my grandparents and aunts and uncles. This is what we used to ...

Well, things never seem to go as planned! Poor Brian is rushing off to our nearest Sam's, which is 30 minutes away, to return our travel DVD player. We finally broke down and bought twin DVD players for the car so that our long trip tomorrow won't seem so long! But they forgot to include the car adapter. After spending 30 minutes on hold with the customer service rep while they checked to make sure they had one in stock, Brian is off and running. I know we'll be thankful tomorrow, but for now it's just irritating. So I should really get off the computer and finish packing! Four a.m. is going to come very early. Oh, and I just discovered that somehow Camden's wool Gap Christmas sweater made its way into the washer and dryer. Needless to say, he won't be wearing it for Christmas. We opened presents tonight, and Camden was ecstatic about his Hot Wheels set. We might as well not have even bothered with anything else once he saw that! Okay, saying goodbye for the sec...

I talked to my doctor yesterday afternoon, and he said that since the MRI wasn't crucial and because our new insurance might have better coverage, we decided to wait on having it done. I can't say I was too disappointed to put it off! I still got up pretty early this morning and Camden and I made a quick trip to the post office to mail the last of our Christmas packages and cards, and then we headed to the mall to buy one more gift for Brian. I also picked up a sweater, a hoodie, and a long sleeve shirt. I have bought absolutely NO clothes for myself in the last two years, and I really needed a couple of new things. Brian's school let out at 11:00 today, so he is very excited to be finished for almost 3 weeks. He came home loaded down with MANY gifts from his students. He and Camden just headed out the door to run a few errands and to give me a little bit of time to myself, which I'm very grateful for. We're opening our presents tonight because we're leaving at ...

Well, I wish I'd had time to upload the pictures from last night's baking marathon, but I was too tired! We spent hours working on getting everything baked for Brian's school goody bags. Camden even made it into the mix by helping dip pretzels and lick off spoons. Brian was so funny! He spent the first 30 minutes pretending he was hosting a cooking show! I think we've been watching too much of the Food Network. Not too many people get to see the goofy side of Brian, and it's their loss because he is hilarious! After the cookies and pretzels were finally finished and put away, I helped him finish up his grades so he could get his report cards finished today. I am meeting my two sisters ( Becky and Liz) and our friend Kathy for lunch today at Pei Wei (Pei Wei is becoming a habit with me!). Kathy and I were room mates in college; after Becky came to school, we were all suite mates, and then Kathy and Becky roomed together for a year. We were both in Kathy's weddi...

Last night we went to Brian's parents to have our Christmas together since we're all headed our separate ways by the end of the week. I picked up pizza on my way home and went straight there after work. We had a very nice time - Camden was really hyper, but I guess that's to be expected! And he got to open Rory's presents as well as his own, so that made him happy. Tonight we're planning a baking and cleaning marathon (sound fun?). We're making goody bags for Brian's 4th grade class, the 7 4th grade teachers, as well as his Sunday School class. I also want to get the house in good shape so I think we've got our work cut out for us. As anyone who went through Camden's adoption process with us knows, when I have a depressing day worrying about the adoption, I shop. Not for me, but for them. I did this with Camden, and I've done it with Rory. Somehow it makes it feel more tangible - buying something they will actually wear or use. I know it's no...

Well, the party Thursday night went off without a hitch (maybe a few minor ones, but nothing major). The food was really good - seriously, the pumpkin cheesecake was amazing! I even made it home before 10:00, which is pretty early. Friday was just a normal day - laundry, laundry, and more laundry! I met Brian in his classroom after school and we decorated his room for Christmas and then we went out for supper. Because Camden didn't take a nap on Friday, he went to bed early and Brian and I watched Oceans 13. I've had the movie for 3 weeks, and this was our first chance to watch it. Saturday was packed full of activities! We had the faculty/staff children's party in the morning, and then we met Becky and William and Xavier at a local mall to play for a while. Micah, Becky, and the boys are in town for the week, but I'm not sure we'll see them too much. We'll be with them next week for Christmas. Camden and William and Xavier were SO sweet together. The two boys p...

Today's going to be a long day, but probably a fun one. I'm the chair of our social committee and the faculty/staff holiday party is tonight. The committee is made up of 5 of my best friends here at the college, and we always have a great time planning and executing these events. My feet will be sore, and I'll be dog tired, but I will have spent the day with friends and will have laughed alot. Over the last 6 years that I've worked this job, we've planned many events together and this is probably the last one before Rory arrives and I become a stay at home mom, so I'm going to enjoy it. I didn't feel well at all yesterday so I went home early and spent most of the day in bed, which was very nice. I'm feeling some better today. Not much else to say today so I better get moving and get started on this party day!

Yesterday was very interesting. I had lunch at a friend's house, which was fun. After lunch I had several work errands to run so I stopped at the post office first. As usual, the line was backed out the door, and I spent 25 minutes standing there while one cashier worked. Don't you think at Christmas they might add some workers? Then I headed to Michaels for Christmas ribbon (a ton of it) and other accessories. I'm the chair of our faculty/staff Christmas party committee, so I needed lots of Christmas wrapping paper, ribbon, gift tags, etc. I had no idea I'd be spending the afternoon at the store, and it wasn't just because I'm indecisive (although I was a bit indecisive as I usually am in craft stores). It was C.R.A.Z.Y. in there! The line was wrapped around the back of the store. Once I actually made it towards the front of the store in line, someone in front of me fainted so they had to call an ambulance, fire truck, etc. This did not exactly speed up the che...

Christmas is two weeks from today! Are you ready? I am close to ready. I thought I was down to just two more gifts (after a present run on my lunch hour yesterday), but thought of 3 more people we need to buy for after I was home. Actually, all 3 of those presents need to go to Camden's school. While I love that they have so many activities for him, sometimes it seems just a bit over the top! And I think sending 3 gifts to school in addition to teacher gifts is a bit much, especially since he's only in K-4. Oh, well! Our December is shaping up to the one of the warmest on record. It seems so strange to me that while a large portion of the U.S. is covered in snow and ice, our temperature will be almost 80 today. It's been a very warm couple of days, but by Saturday they're calling for sleet/snow. Last night at supper, we were all chatting and I asked Camden to tell me what the very best thing that happened to him yesterday. Then Camden asked Brian, then Brian asked me, e...

Has anyone heard this new song by Mandisa and Matthew West? The first time I heard it, I thought "wow." The second time I heard it I knew I wanted to buy the CD, and the next time I heard it I thought it was my favorite Christmas song ever! I found this YouTube video that shows them singing it at a concert if you're interested in watching. Here are the lyrics for Christmas Makes Me Cry: I think of loved ones who've passed away And I pray they're resting in a better place. I think of memories of years gone by And sometimes Christmas makes me cry. I think of soldiers across the sea And sometimes I wonder why it's them instead of me That for my freedom they give their lives And sometimes Christmas makes me cry. Tears of thankfulness, tears of hope I cry tears of joy at Christmas because I know There is peace on earth for every heart to find And sometimes Christmas makes me cry. I think of family; I think of home And say a prayer for those who spend this time alon...

Friday was Brian's birthday and I was able to give him the best present we could have hoped for at this point - Rory's legals! They actually came on Thursday, but I held on to them and waited until Friday when I gave him his gift to tell him. This means that as of Friday, our I-600 has been filed and we're officially waiting. This is a big step in the process and could take quite a while, but we're praying it won't be too long. Friday I stayed very busy working around the house. My friend Amanda came over and we worked on digital scrapping. She is just getting started, but already has completed some really nice pages. Friday night Brian's parents took us out to eat for his birthday and then they kept Camden for the rest of the night while Brian and I went to a movie and dessert. I had heard really good reviews for Enchanted, but wasn't really all that interested in it, but it fit into our time slot so we chose to see it, and the movie is seriously cute!! Eve...

It has been such a busy week that I can happily say it's Thursday (which is my Friday since I don't work on Friday's!). I am really looking forward to having a weekend off, although it is jam packed as well but packed with fun stuff, not work. We start off the weekend with a party at one of Brian's fellow teacher's house tonight. There are seven 4th grade teachers on his team, and they're having a Christmas party. This will be the first time I've met any of his co-workers, but I'm looking forward to it. He really enjoys working with them and they get along well. I talked to Becky this week, and she was asking me if we ever had days with Camden when it felt like all we did was get on to him, tell him no, put him in time out, etc., and I told her YES! Her boys are 23 months old if you can imagine double the frustration (and hugs and kisses). I also told her that it eventually gets better and that things seem to cycle - good weeks followed by bad weeks, but...

I am now the proud owner of this pink Chi flat iron! I've been saving my pennies for several weeks (okay, almost 3 months!) now so that I could spring for a Chi, and I even decided to spend the extra $10 and get the pink breast cancer iron. And Trade Secret is seriously my new favorite store. They have a lifetime guarantee on their appliances, and I got this iron, plus a ton of styling products for the same price that just the iron itself was everywhere else. AND I got a $20 gift card to use on my next purchase. Fun stuff! One fun little story about Camden before I jump in the car for work. We've noticed this quite a bit in the last several weeks - his vocabulary is really expanding, and he's repeating lots of words that he's heard used. They don't always come out quite right, however. Last night, he proudly told us that he attends Oaklawn Feeble Church. I stayed off the computer last night, but here's a page I finished up earlier this week using a picture from...

Don't you love my catchy weekday titles lately! Last night Brian had a meeting with the education board to go over his new insurance and salary. It was both exciting and a tad disheartening. Exciting because this insurance is MUCH better than what we currently have. The premiums are a bit more expensive, but the coverage is so much better. Just the fact that we won't have a $1,500 per person deductible is huge, and there are many other benefits besides that. The part that I found a little bit discouraging is the pay scale. Not that I thought teachers were going to be making big bucks or anything, and his starting salary is okay I guess, but the top salary he could ever possibly make is not much more than what he makes now - and he would only reach the top bracket after teaching for EIGHTEEN years! Believe me, it doesn't even cover inflation. Oh, well - I guess we'll just make it work, but I have a feeling that my days of being a stay at home mom are quite numbered (and ...

Happy Monday! I'm starting bright and early this morning and planning to head out the door a little early as I do every Monday (it's my official Starbucks day). This is a busy week for us. The first 2 weeks of December are always 2 of my busiest at work - board meetings, leadership conferences, Christmas parties, etc. One bright spot, though, is that it's my last December at work! I shouldn't be so thrilled about that (and I'm sure that next December I'll actually miss some of this hustle and bustle), but for now I'm looking forward to being at home. While we were shopping on Saturday, Camden only wanted to hold my hand for some reason (believe me, this doesn't happen often). At one point, he commented, "I just love you the bestest, mommy. I love my daddy alot today, but I love you the bestest." Now despite the fact that I wanted to just enjoy the moment, I did the appropriate thing and told him that he could love me as his best mommy and he co...

We have had a lovely weekend! It was busy, but good. Usually my Fridays somehow get away from me, but I managed to get quite a bit done this time: 4 loads of laundry, vacuumed, dusting, grocery shopping, and I even cooked dinner as a surprise to Brian. I decided to pick up some of his favorite things and have supper ready for him as a little congrats. He was appropriately excited! Saturday we decided to take Camden to the town Christmas parade. I think this was his very first one, and he had a blast! He stood up next to the road in his little hat and jacket waving wildly and saying "Merry Christmas" and was pelted with candy all morning. Seriously, I know he's cute, but you should have seen all the second looks he got as people drove by and then they would slow down, turn to grab candy, and toss it to him. One thing about living in a small town that we've always regretted is the lack of ethnic diversity. I guess the upside is that he's a novelty (just kidding here...

Today is a pretty big day for Brian. He has his college exit interview, which will officially end his educational career (for the second time!). I am so proud of him for the way he has worked sacrificially for our family to get this second degree so he can start a new career. A career that has helped us to adopt Rory and will allow me to be a stay at home mom. He has done so well, but it has taken alot of work on his part and I just want to tell him thank you! The exit interview today is a big deal because he has to turn in a huge project, which is basically the sum total of all his college work for the last 18 months. I think that the interview itself is just technically a formality since he's been a star student in the Teacher Education Department, but it will be a relief to finally have that finished. We would like for him to continue on and get a master's degree, but I think he's ready to take a couple of years off before undertaking that! I have one page that I've ...

Rory is 14 months old today! I hope that she had a fun day with her foster family. I would imagine that she is walking by now. At 12 months, she wasn't quite walking on her own, but close according to the social worker's reports. We are still waiting for her legals, but am hopeful they might arrive this week. I am feeling quite anxious about it all, and I feel the burden of this wait weighing heavy on me. Its been 5 weeks, and we haven't even started the big wait for our immigration paperwork. While we're on Rory and adoption, just a little rant from me. Over the last several weeks, I have had so many crazy, uninformed comments made to me that I've about had it! So let this be a public service announcement: PLEASE think before you speak! This is only one small example, but if one more person tells me how great it is that we won't have to deal with the infant/newborn/sleepless nights/endless bottles stage, I think I'll scream. Does anyone really think that ...

It's back to work this morning! I'll admit to being a bit cranky and tired, but hopefully some coffee will wake me up nicely. Camden's newest phrase is, "see how much I've growed, mommy/daddy." It's the first thing out of his mouth every single morning! Here is another picture of Camden and Cheyenne. I actually did not stage this one - they were playing peek-a-boo with the tree. Here is the Lewis family at Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, these pictures I took did not come out that well, but here it is anyway.

I am finally taking a quick moment to blog and say a belated Happy Thanksgiving. We have had a very busy week! Between cleaning and preparing for company and all the dozens of small projects around the house that you always plan to take care of, but never do until company is coming, we were very busy the first part of last week. We spent a couple of days visiting with Brian's brother, sister-in-law, and niece. We had a great Thanksgiving with the Lewis's. My parents arrived Thanksgiving night. Camden was so excited to see them. I think he probably drove my dad nuts - he wouldn't leave his side for 3 days straight. We did the standard Black Friday shopping and I got quite a few Christmas presents bought. My mom bought Rory this adorable dress from Gymboree along with polka dot tights to go with it. It is adorable! We also bought new luggage so that we would be prepared for our trip to Korea. We spent Saturday shopping for a Christmas tree and finally brought home a beautiful...

I've never taken "leaf" pictures with Camden so I wanted to make sure I did so this year, but Camden had other ideas. He really wanted to play in the leaves, but wanted nothing to do with pictures. So it finally happened. We resorted to potty humor to get laughs. As soon as the inappropriate noises started, so did the smiles. Now, how to explain that those inappropriate noises are not appropriate in every day life! We're spending today cooking, running errands, and getting the house ready for company. We're excited to see Brian's younger brother, sister-in-law and our niece. And my parents arrive tomorrow night. Camden is so excited to see them. We've been counting down the "sleeps."

My favorite day of the month is here - lunch bunch! And it's my turn to choose the restaurant this month. I'm pretty sure we're heading out to Pei Wei ! What makes today even better is that it's our last day of work before Thanksgiving break - we have 5 whole days off! Woohoo! Here's a random Camden tidbit for you. His new favorite word is dude. It's hilarious!