what's going on

we are back into the swing of school days. it's coming pretty easy & so far i'm pretty excited about it. the girls both seem to be enjoying school, making new friends. it's an exciting time.

 

the bus is still going good. each morning we play "i spy" & walk on the balance beam while waiting for the bus to come.

 

 

i have been writing little notes on their sandwich bags each day. they haven't asked me to stop. and they always laugh about what i write.

we spent some time at grandma's this weekend. and we soaked up this devilishly handsome little boy. i can't believe he will be 3 months old tomorrow. seems crazy. he's still so little but it seems like he has always been here. can't remember life without that little guy.

 

here is grandma's gang. lucky #7.

 

all of a sudden fall is upon us. and with that is harvest. busy time for my farmer/grain hauler. the girls & i were anxiously awaiting his arrival home from work monday night.

 

 

weight watchers is going really good for me. i'm feeling motivated & happy. i started a blog to journal my weight loss. as of now, it is private because there are some #s on there i am not quite ready to share with the world. maybe one of these days i will share it. but for now, just typing it all out is a bit therapeutic and makes me accountable.

one day

 

one day was sunday, september 1st.

i am ready for a change. 

i have already changed {some}.

i'm ready to change my life.

 

back to the chub-club i went, with my mom & sister. i do better in a team type setting. i need someone to push me. i need someone to tell me that i am going to do this. i need the system to hold me accountable. meetings are thursday nights. nights. not really sure how i feel about that yet. but i am doing it. and i am doing it right.

 

i'm ready to change.

 

only a week into it, and i already feel better.

 

i'm doing this for my girls.

i'm doing this for jarrett.

i'm doing this because i need to do this.

but most of all, i'm doing this for me.



back to school 2013

another school year is upon us. my olivia is in 4th grade now. my rachel started kindergarten.

 

time flies...

day before school started. Olivia said "I'm smiling because today, I have freedom"

 

I said "Rachey, tomorrow you start kindergarten!" & this is the face she made.

 

 

first day of school

 

walking into school.

 

day #2 = first bus ride. the bus comes at 6:50 am. that's before 7:00. It's exhausting. But as the time is progressing, it's coming closer to 7:00 each day. If I could get like 7:05, I would be happy.

 

Rachel was so excited to ride the bus.

 

Olivia, not so much. She said "you took my picture yesterday".

 

and Friday on the 1st week of school. They are smiling because the week is just about over.

 

The 2nd week of school was SWELTERING!!! Olivia's school doesn't have air conditioning. And temps were in the 90's close to 100 a couple days. They got out at 1:15 all week. This week starts regular hours - til 3:15. And I believe this is wearing my Rachey girl out. She slept on the way home last night when I picked her up.

 

Only 161 more days of school.

{hashtag truth}

Just some random #truths until I load back to school pics onto my computer...

When I registered Rachel for school, I misspelled the word seventy on the check. I had to void it & start over because, let's face it, a check for school registration is not where you want spelling errors. I had to laugh at myself. Like, here you go - "I want my daughter to get some fancy book-learnin. Cuz her Ma can't spell numbers." #truth

I cried a little after dropping both of my girls off for their first day of school. Not nearly as much as I thought I would. I'm just a little nervous for them both. Olivia doesn't have as many of her old classmates in this year's class - only 2 kids. Rachel was nervous about school altogether & worried she wouldn't be able to find her teacher. But as luck would have it, her little friend Avery was arriving at the exact same time we were. So all was well. #truth

we all survived the 1st day of school

I totally yelled at the school Monday when they sent Rachel home on the bus to our empty house in the country in error, rather than send her on the daycare van. I've since received 4 apologies from the school. But I have yet to forgive them. Maybe in due time... #truth

Today's lunch-break was the extreme highlight of the day. I had an actual real-life conversation with a guy I kinda stalk. Not really stalk. I just get pretty excited when I see him in the hallway or have any type of interaction with him. Dasani Water Guy - I'm so happy I had a brief 2 sentence conversation with you. #truth #dasaniwaterguyforever

Do the Hustle came on the radio in the grocery store the other day. Rachel immediately declared "this is my jam". I nearly lost my mind. #truth

We all went to the state fair Saturday. Olivia & I got to pet a zebra. It was the coolest thing. I felt like a kid, probably just as excited as she was. #truth

Illinois State Fair

we went to the state fair this weekend. i lov ethe fair. literally the best people watching ever. and as luck would have it, we went on the night ke$ha was there performing so there were all kinds of glittery, scantily-clad, fish-net wearing girls walking around.

 

we enjoyed the dive show.

 

we saw the infamous butter cow.

we played games & won fabulous prizes.

we were hot & sweaty.

 

we enjoyed the exotic petting zoo.

 

we had lots & lots of fun.

Mazy

There are 5 very heavy hearts in the Totten house. These hearts belong to Jarrett, Olivia, Rachel, Jersey, & myself. We lost a family member. 

Sweet sweet Mazy Jane. {yes, she has a middle name - don't all of your pets?} Our first baby. She was the sweetest, biggest, most lovable mutt with the cutest eyebrows ever. 

Jarrett & I fell in love with her the second we saw her. She was the only one with those eyebrows. We brought her home, before we even had a home together. And once we were married & moved into the house, she was instantly every bit our spoiled fur-baby. 

My heart hurts. There is an immense weight and pain in my chest the moment I open the front door to step outside. I know it will ease with time. 

Mazy, I take comfort in knowing you didn't suffer. You are reunited with Pooch in doggy heaven. Until I see you again my sweet girl...

Mazy Jane Totten

July 16, 2002 - August 15, 2013

rest & relaxation

we took a few days to just enjoy each other. rest & relaxation on a little extended weekend get-away. what the girls call our big summer vacation.

it was wonderful. the kids laughed. we laughed. it was fun. here are just a few pictures from our trip. i don't want to go into picture overload...

 

 

back to work...

back to daycare...

 

then monday -- back to school {more to come on that}

what's goin on

{typed but never published for some reason...better late than never}

it's august. and i cannot believe another month has absolutely flown by. school starts in 18 days. gaaaaaaah!!!

a lot has been going on this summer. and a lot hasn't been going on. we have been takin it easy. we have been enjoying little things here & there. these kids, bless their hearts. sometimes i feel like they don't get to do a whole lot, but they don't complain so i think they are quite happy.

my girls are enjoying a visit from jarrett's grandmother - grammie & their cousin brooke. they have stayed at my in-laws' house the last 2 nights & will stay again tonight. it is the weirdest thing ever to be home and not have the kids there. the last 2 mornings have been super strange, quiet, lonely, yet relaxing. i only have to get myself ready. but when i walk by their room with their empty unslept in beds i feel sad. only 1 more night, then brooke will come stay at our house & i will have a house full of 3 loud and crazy girls.

Rachel - Olivia - Brooke

july photos from the phone

1. beach day

2. beach day - the water was as hot as the outside air temperature like 90 something.

3. state farm park day.

4. state farm park day - the park is literally the nicest ever. 

 5. girls night out to the normal cornbelters game with haley, sarah, & christin. christin actually wrote about that trip to the game here on her blog.

6. my parents were in a car accident on their 35th wedding anniversary. thankfully, they are ok.

7. got new phones at work. and some jackass thought it would be funny to move my still functioning old phone behind my computer. i couldn't find it.

8. a new to us very old tractor - jar's summer project

 9. liv learing to ride the motorcycle

10. rachel learning to ride the motorcycle

11. rachel speeding away from jarrett, she had it gunned.

12. olivia putting around. she wouldn't go fast.

13. school supply shopping has commenced

14. holding my nephew britton for 1.5 hours. love it.

15. normal

16. also normal

 

lastly, some pics of pics. the professional pics from the recital have come in.

see, i think you people underestimated the cuteness of rachel's group.

olivia & isabelle - so much sass in this picture

and the individuals. i die. seriously. i can't handle it.