Apples & Alpacas

Kimberly and McCoy came home over the weekend for Kollin's 16th Birthday and we went apple picking at an apple farm nearby, which was such a simple and healthy style of enjoyment.  There were alpacas at the farm too that Farrah loved to look at! 🍎🍏

Birth Story of Me

For Mother's Day, I asked my mom to write out her birth story of having me.  So here she goes...

I was wanting to have another child, so I went off birth control pills in December so I could start planning.  I discovered I was pregnant within the next month.  (My sister found out she was pregnant two months after me.) 

Throughout my pregnancy, I did not have any morning sickness and no gestational diabetes.  I gained approximately 13 pounds my entire pregnancy, but I may have lost some “baby weight” from my first daughter, Kimberly, who would only be two years and two months old when Kristina was born.  My due date was September 12th.  When I started my “weekly visits” in the middle of August, I was dilated 1 cm.  My second weekly visit, I was dilated 2 cm.  Before my third weekly visit, I was awakened in the middle of the night with a contraction.  On my third weekly visit, I was dilated 3 cm.

My sister and I arranged our doctor appointments so we could travel together.   On September 9th, 1987, it was my turn to drive to the afternoon doctor’s appointment.  We did not have a vehicle with cruise control and I was just driving along and met a cop.  I didn’t think anything about it until I saw flashing red and blue lights in my rearview mirror.  I was pulled over.  The officer asked me if I knew why he pulled me over.  I said, “No.”  He said I was speeding.  I was on a 55 mph highway and I do not think I was going more than 10 mph over.  I know he saw my sister’s and my big bellies.  I told him we had a doctor’s appointment.  He gave me a speeding ticket anyway.

I was awakened during the night with another contraction a couple of days before.  So, when I was checked, I was dilated 4 cm.  The doctor said, “I don’t know what’s keeping her in there, but I am going to ‘strip your membranes.’”  I returned home and around 5:00 pm, I started feeling achy with lower back discomfort.  I never really had contractions, just mild tightening.  We made arrangements for Kimberly to stay with my sister and Gale and I headed up to the hospital around 7:00 pm just to get checked out.

I was checked and I had dilated a little more.  They had me walk the halls and put me on the monitor.  I did not dilate past 7 cm on my own; they had to break my water.  Around 6:30 am, they started a Pitocin drip and things started happening.

Gale and I took Child Birth Classes when I was pregnant with Kimberly.  Her delivery was complicated and we did not use anything we had learned with her.  But, Gale and I did remember enough and used what we had learned with Kristina.  I would focus on a spot on the wall when a contraction would start.  I would make my body relax, but was very aware of the tightness in my abdomen.  Gale was a great coach.  He would watch the monitor and when it was near the peak, he would tell me the contraction was almost over.  I knew I only had to endure the discomfort for less than a minute more.   There were times that the nurse would “check me” during a contraction.  She would have to hold my leg up and when she let go, my leg would just fall.  That’s how relaxed I would become.  She was very impressed with Gale’s coaching and my ability to relax.  She made a comment that she wished they could have videotaped our technique.

Kristina Kaye made her appearance at 7:53 am on Thursday, September 10th, and had a head full of beautiful dark hair.

Lately

This "lately" post was written in mid-February, nearly three months ago!  I better post it before any more time goes by!

Lately...we celebrated my dad's birthday (54 years)!  I got him a bucket of snap-off knives that he loves and can always be found wearing in his front shirt pocket.  My mom made him some amazing, delicious, fall-of-the-bones ribs and chocolate birthday cake.  I was able to see him on his birthday and enjoy some warm, fresh chocolate cake, and a couple hours of visiting!  My sister recorded McCoy singing Happy Birthday (his first year singing acapella) for Papa.

Valentine's Day was as sweet as ever.  Kaden intended on making a tractor Valentine's Box, so I tried helping Kylie come up with an idea for hers and suggested a basketball court.  She made hers all on her own!  Kaden changed his mind and decided to make a football field, and Keane and I got to help him on it, which was a ton of fun and it turned out pretty spectacular if you ask any of us!

Keane and I had a nice dinner at CC's City Broiler for Valentine's Day.  It is so much fun getting dressed up with my babe and fine dining.  Although we both agreed it sucks driving an hour to dinner in the same town we drive to work each day during the week.  We were told we would have a 2 1/2 hour wait (it ended up only being 1 1/2 hours) and during that time, we mingled with two other couples and enjoyed the conversations.  Our meal was delicious.  Keane got a bone-in ribeye aged ~34 days (he says it was one of the best steaks he's ever had) and I had a blackened grouper (fish).  It was delish.  I really liked the dinner and no-gift way we celebrated Valentine's Day this year.  My dad sent me a text that said, "Well don't worry about Farrah, she's having fun with Grandpa!  Oops, I was just thinking in the future!"  Haha.  Farrah decided to tag along with Mom and Dad this year, but next year, she has a date with Papa! 

This nephew of mine is growing up and getting cuter by the day (how is that even possible?)!  I love to call my sister and ask for new "McCoy stories."  They're the best.  Kimberly was laying on McCoy's Kristi Blanket and he got upset and said, "You're hurting her, Mom!!!"  About 3 1/2 years ago, I found a big stitch beginner's crochet blanket pattern and made it in my unborn nephew's nursery colors.  Never could I have imagined how bonded he would become to his Kristi Blanket, but I love it so.

Kylie needs to work on her spelling, ha!  Her and I enjoyed baking some chocolate chip cookies two nights in a row (because yes, they were that good, and yes, they went that quickly)!

Kylie's team won 1st place in the 3rd grade girl's basketball tournament, and Kaden's team won 3rd in the 5th grade boy's tournament, but we might as well consider them 2nd place winners (they're truly kicking arse as basketball this year).

I'll leave with you a couple Lenox pictures, since he's such a photogenic subject.

We Run for Cookies

We made a mad dash for milk and cookies a couple weekends ago.  My sister and nephew happened to be home for my bridal shower, so we all took the opportunity to participate in our town's second annual 5K.  When we got to the finish line, we were greeted with cold milk and delicious cookies.  I'm pretty sure that is the whole reason McCoy wanted to continue on.  "The cookies are this way."


Kimberly had brought an electric motorcycle for McCoy to ride in the race, but the battery didn't hold up long enough to really even get started.  So Mom, Kimberly, and I took turns carrying McCoy, or he would run himself.


Kollin, Kaden, and Kylie took off ahead of us, and we lagged behind.  We later caught up to Kaden and Kylie, and then Kaden went on ahead of us.


After Kollin finished, he and our cousin, Isaac, walked back to meet up with us and check on Kaden, so we all got to cross the finish line/re-cross the finish line, and enjoy milk and cookies together!

We charged up his motorcycle so he could take it for a ride later, though.

He is at my favorite age of all!  The two and thee year old years are by far my favorite.  He talks so much, has a great sense of humor, and is so very smart.

He knew I was taking a picture of him and Kollin playing with the chalk, and he would run over to my phone, and say, "Lemme see.  Take a picture of me again."  And would run back over and pretend to draw with the chalk again, and again.

My sister got a new lens for her camera and we experimented with photos in the backyard and a field beyond that.  Here is just one photo from that afternoon.



Mother's Day

I bought some beautiful flowers for my Mother and soon-to-be Mother-in-law for Mother's Day!  I know my Mom loves purple, and mentioned wanting Impatiens, so that is what she got (along with a hose end sprayer to fertilize her flowers), and I got Keane's Mom some beautiful, happy yellow Daisies!

Keane and I offered to take my mom out somewhere for lunch on Mother's Day, but after some reconsidering, we decided to grill and make supper at our house for her.  We had pork steaks and chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, and baked beans!  We even used the BBQ brander I had bought Keane years ago that we haven't used yet!

HAPPY MOMS DAY

Keane and I are both very blessed to be able to share our love to our mothers on this very special holiday.  Mothers do SO much for their children and families.  They are what shape us, build us up, comfort us, strengthen us, and watch out for us.  I realize this more and more every single day. 

I am so proud of the woman who raised me, and of the woman she raised in me.

Although I wasn't fortunate to see or talk to my very own step kids on Mother's Day, Kaden had made me an awesome pot holder and given it to me the week before.  Keane also got me an under-the-counter radio for our kitchen, which I had really been wanting.  So a very happy Mother's Day to me, too.

Love for my Fam

John Lennon said, There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. 


To have a family to love and who loves me is something that everybody deserves and something that I hold so dear to my heart.  I do not see my family often enough, and my parents and brother only live 13 minutes away.  I have to give props to my sister who does a great job taking weekends to travel back home and spend quality time with us all. 


My nephew is growing up and the way he knows me and loves me and calls me by my name is something that has rooted itself deep into my heart and I ache with love for him.


I have always dreamed of being a mother.  I assume that if someone asked me twenty years ago, "What do you want to be when you grow up, Little Kristi?"  I would answer, "A mom!"  (And maybe a teacher and a gymnast, too)  Being around a child who my sister has created, is raising, and is responsible for is truly such an amazing experience.  I cannot wait to be a mother to such a special gift.  To have someone call me "mom" and to run to me when life gets a little tricky or sticky -- I cannot imagine the joy it will bring to my life.


Kaden and Kylie are really wonderful children to be a stepmother to.  I love them and appreciate them and their child-like presence.  I enjoy teaching them and watching them grow.  They have a father who loves them unconditionally, and they also have a mother who loves them.  To be their stepmother always leaves me aching for children who love me in the same genuine manner that they do for their parents.  There really is something special about family.


Keane loves me for me and he does so as a choice and that is something so very special.  He notices instantly when I am not myself, and questions what is going on in my life.  He likes my company and is very complimentary and appreciative of the things I do.  And oh how good he is at making me laugh that deep laugh from within my soul.  I am thankful for a loving man in my life who loves me for me.


My little brother is growing up and although there is still a 13/15 age gap between him and his sisters, there is less of a gap the older he gets.  He is maturing, he is taller than we are, and we can have adult conversations with him.  He is an uncle to McCoy just as much as I am an aunt to him.  We are all equals in the family.


My parents are unchanging and reliable and understanding.  They are always there and are really good listeners.  Sometimes I am unsure whether they are not saying anything because they don't understand what I am trying to say, because they don't agree, or because they completely do get it, but either way, they make me feel important.  They have known every single step I've been through in life, the struggles and the joys, and they love me nonetheless.


And my sister.  She's something special.  We are two peas in a pod and she fills my heart to the brim.  And my laughter cup, and my understanding needs.  We complete each other's sentences because we just know.  I gave her Glennon Doyle Melton's book Carry On, Warrior, for her birthday (which I had to read before giving it to her) and she loved it just as much as I had hoped she would, if not more.  If you haven't read that book, you need to.  I told my sister I had never laughed so hard and felt so deep as I did while reading it.  She laughed/cried her entire way through it, not really knowing if she was laughing or crying.  It's a must read.


My heart is full with all the love that I have in my life, for the happiness that I have at hand that can sometimes be disguised as a busy schedule and a messy home, and for my future children who I have always dreamed about and who I will continue to pray for.  Honestly, I know that sometimes I am fearful to love so much.  And that pulls me back from life.  But then I read this:


There is no room in love for fear.  Well-formed love banishes fear.  Since fear is crippling, a fearful life -- fear of death, fear of judgment -- is one not yet fully formed in love.  We, though, are going to love -- love and be loved.  First we were loved, now we love.  He loved us first.
- 1 John 4:18-19

My Mom

I remember my mom laughing so hard she literally cried watching movies in the living room with my dad (and he said she still does).  She would have a tissue and would apologize for her laughter & tears, and I loved how she could get so involved in a movie that she would have such a strong reaction to the humor.  And at the same time, I remember my mom crying while watching movies.  I never understood how she could feel so much sadness from watching a movie.  I actually would feel sorry for her a little bit.  And I never could help but to keep peeking at her and her tears while she tried to sniffle them away.

I cried the other day.  I sat on the couch next to Keane, hoping he would not see my tears, as I watched the season finale of Sons of Anarchy.  "Are you crying?" he asked.  I felt a little like my momma right then, crying at a TV show, and after I knew that Keane knew I was crying, I felt better letting the tears roll down my cheek.  And I cried laughing the first time I watched Bridesmaids, so much so that I think I embarrassed Keane in the movie theater.  I am my mom.

My mom is the Suzy homemaker in our family.  Just the other morning, my sister was telling me the strap to a stocking cap I had bought McCoy for his birthday had broken off and she said, "...so I'm going to bring it home to have Mom fix it."  She sewed up the edges to a new blanket for McCoy in a quick twenty minutes.  Keane wanted me to patch up some overalls for him on the sewing machine he bought me, but I don't know how and I need to ask my Mom what the best way to do it is. 

I had a rash on my face -- "Mom, what do you think it could be?"  "Well, you were in the woods yesterday; it's probably poison ivy."  POISON IVY -- of course!!  My mom just always knows best.  She knows what medicine to take, how to treat each and every disease, condition, and sickness.  She knows how to mend any item of clothing, or rid of any type of stain or snag.  She even always thinks to put Kollin's name inside his coats.

I just hope that I will be half the mom that she is to me and my brother and sister.  She is beautiful to me.  The picture above is her senior picture, and it is truly my favorite picture ever.  I thank God for blessing me with a mother who loves me the way she does. 

Even though she used to buy me clothes from garage sales that I thought looked like boy clothes because the jeans were too dark or the shoes were blue, even though she would get onto us for running at exhilarating speeds back and forth across the living room from the couch to the loveseat, even though she wouldn't let us run and flip over the coach doing gymnastic-style leaps in the back room, and even though there were many times I thought that I knew best -- she has always been my hero, and she has always been there for me.

Lenox came into the kitchen last night where Kylie and I were working on supper.  I turned to point my finger at Lenox's nose (without much thought), and saw that Kylie was already doing that!  I loved seeing it.  I do it because my mom always did that to our cat, Mittens.  Sometimes it's the little things that you realize are the really big things, and the things that matter the most.

I love you, Momma!