Truly Amazed.

I made the trip back to Sioux County Friday morning, yet again. I am still waiting (as patiently as I can manage) to hear back from the jobs that I interviewed at. I am really starting to get bored of sitting around the house all day... I need a job! 

Yesterday afternoon there was an event that I was planning on attending, but not expecting it to be super "happening" or exciting, but it was a fundraiser for Brad's almost 5 year old cousin, Olivia. She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was just shy of 3 years old, and has been battling it ever since. Joy and Ryan (her parent's) and Olivia have been through thick and thin these past few years, and my sister-in-law, Cheri, and her boyfriend "Weasel" decided to throw a fund raiser yesterday, for some of the medical bills and other expenses that Joy and Ryan are dealing with currently. There have been numerous fundraisers put on by family and friends for this little girl, to show her and her family just how much we are there to support them and carry them through these tough times. 

Olivia (3), shortly after diagnosis, in the hospital with Joy and Ryan. Look at that long, BLONDE hair!! 

Olivia celebrating her 3rd Birthday!

Yesterday my Dad and I stopped by 'The Bar' in Le Mars, where the fundraiser was being held. From 2-7:30 PM that bar was PACKED. With donated certificates, gifts, etc, they were able to raffle off tickets, have a silent auction, AND donate 3, yes, THREE, peoples beards and hair to the cause. The grand total raised last night was just over $5,400. Olivia even got to shave Weasels' beard, and she left the Left side still in-tact, but took off bits and pieces of the right side (we kept saying he looked pedophile-ish with the beard trim he had after Olivia ran the shaver through it a few times!!). It was quite humorous. Uncle Lyle Hoekstra also donated his beard to the cause, but NOT the mustache! His beard hadn't been shaven off since 1983!! 

                     Before/During shaving!!               AND         After! A whole Different Man!! 

In April 2012, Olivia's 'Wish' came true. She had previously submitted a 'Wish' into the Make a Wish foundation, and she was the lucky winner! At just 3 1/2 years, she wanted a PINK playhouse. A wish was turned into reality for this little girl last April. The Make a Wish foundation raised the money for, and built, a BRIGHT PINK Playhouse in Joy and Ryan's back yard. Just for little "O". 

Olivia enjoyed some Pizza on the day of 'the BIG reveal.' The Playhouse was a secret to her, until it was completely built. They kept it hidden in the backyard the week the foundation built it, and when it was complete, she got to see it for the first time! She had already started Chemo treatments, and had lost her hair. Just before this was when shaving people's heads became the new "cool" thing to do! 

Here's a news article on her 'Wish.' 

http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/wish-coming-true-for-girl-battling-leukemia/?id=130874

Olivia is no longer the long, blonde haired little girl she was 1 1/2 years ago. She is now this gorgeous young lady, with dazzling purple glasses, and DARK brown hair!

Olivia at Winterfest of Wheels, she is the little brunette in the middle! :) 

Gorgeous little girl, before her glasses, just after her dark hair started coming in! :) What a cutie!! 

Yesterday, my eyes were truly opened to the amazingness and the willingness that people have within them. God moved nearly 75 people yesterday to donate and assist this little girl in living a good, full life. I can personally vouch for this family, that it fulfills the true definition of 'Family'. I have never felt so blessed, as I was yesterday, to be a part it. I do believe I married into a great and wonderful family. One that would do anything for their own kin. I was so amazed at the willingness and the love and the gentle kindness that was present at 'The Bar' yesterday during this fundraiser. You could feel God there, you could feel him moving, and you could feel him loving each and everyone of us for loving the others around us. 

As Joy and I sat and talked yesterday, we cannot believe how much "crap" God has thrown at this family. It's amazing to see that it is still standing. One blow after another, we all still believe God loves us, and we still have the strength and love to carry on. This is just another example that shows me how God is my rock and Salvation. He is my saving grace. Just like Pastor Jeremy explained in the sermon in church this morning. If God ordained it to be. It will be. His will shall be done. Even though we don't always understand it, we still understand that God loves us and He is carrying us through it. 

Olivia has been a very blessed girl, even though at times, people may believe otherwise. This girl has, in fact, gone through very tough times. Chemotherapy, treatments, tummy-aches, ongoing visits to 'The Castle' (the Children's Hospital in Sioux Falls), etc. This little girl has been fighting for two years now, and just recently, the Dr's prognosed her to hopefully be done with treatments in November, 2013. Praise the Lord. 

If you would like to follow the Path that the Haugan's are following, written by God, Olivia does have a CaringBridge site:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/oliviahaugan

 You can also purchase bracelets, ornaments, and t-shirts by contacting Joy or Ryan Haugan. 

These are the t-shirts, the back has an orange and pink "Team Olivia" on it. 

40 Week Journey: Due Date

June 23, 2012 - March 19, 2013.

40 Weeks.

9 Months.

Brad and I never would have guessed that our lives were about to change in July 2012. Nor that it would change yet again in December 2012 instead of March 2013.

July 7th, 2012 I discovered I was pregnant. Was it planned? Not exactly. Were we prepared? Not in the least bit. Were we excited? More than ever.

It took us both a few weeks to realize what was really happening, but at our 10 week OBGYN visit, the heart beat made everything surreal. That was when it really sank in. We were really pregnant. It wasn't just a "fluke" in my bodily routine, it was real. As the weeks flew by, literally, we started nick-naming "it." On November 1 we learned that 'it' was going to be a bundle of pink. A daughter. We both thought we were having a boy based on those silly wives tales, but we both knew that if we thought one thing, it would be the other. November 11th we made the big reveal to the families that 'it' was in fact a 'she'. A baby shower was thrown over Thanksgiving Break for me, and the baby stuff started filling the trailer as we were preparing for her to arrive.

Brad and I started calling her "Pee Wee," as we knew her name was going to be Paige at this point. We wanted a nick name that started with the same initial as her real name. Christmas came and the gifts flowed in even more. As this point the trailer in Ames was packed with baby stuff. I was hitting the "nesting" stage and was preparing for her arrival. I bought paint for her room, and started the painting process. The next day we had our 28 week check-up. After passing my glucose test, and hearing her heart beat, rapidly racing like normal, I set off for Northwest Iowa for the new year.

Little did we know that within a matter of 24 hours, Paige would be taken from our daily routine. On Saturday, December 28th I was admitted into the Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars, Iowa. After a few hours in the ER doing a "stress test" that couldn't find Paige's heartbeat, we had an ultrasound done, where the Dr. then informed us that "there is no movement in her chest." Paige was gone. Taken from us.

Today has been rough, I'm not going to lie. Last night was even worse as yesterday, Monday,  marked 11 weeks since her birth.  The worst part about stillbirth is the fact that you can't be prepared for it. Nobody expects it to happen to them, until after it happens. I've read story upon story about first pregnancy stillbirths, and each and every testimony has resulted in the same thing: fear of a second pregnancy and a second stillbirth. Some stories reported 4 still births in a row, and then, a successful live birth. Some reported a first pregnancy stillbirth, and no issues with following pregnancies at all. But once you experience something like this, there is always the fear of the future and what can happen. I'm not even pregnant, and I already fear having another child. What if we have a second stillbirth? How would I handle that, again? ... I can't help but think about what can go WRONG, not what can go RIGHT.

Before Paige, I didn't really "consciously" know that stillbirth still occurred. People just don't talk about it, until you experience it for yourself, and THEN the word comes out. Over 20 people that are a part of my life came and spoke with me, wrote me letters, or opened up about their pregnancy experiences. From stillbirth, to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancies, or disfigured features, people were open with me about their babies that died. So why doesn't anybody talk about stillbirth to pregnant mothers? Because WE, including myself, don't want to scare, or put fear into the other future mothers. People hide their stillborn stories from others, until their story is able to help and encourage another peer who is going through what they once did as well.

When we found out Paige was going to be a stillborn, so many questions ran through my head, and occasionally still do. Why me? I'm not overweight, I'm healthy, I'm young, I don't do drugs, or smoke, or drink alcohol excessively while not pregnant (the occasional glass of wine, wine cooler, or night out with some friends doesn't count as excessive!), nor did I ever drink while pregnant. After 11 weeks, it still isn't clear WHY. I'm not sure it ever will be clear. It's been 8 years since Breiton's death, and the question still hasn't been answered. It's different when the elderly pass away. Everyone knows that some day, the time will come. As you get older, you realize that time is ticking. Nobody lives forever (besides the couple exceptions in the Bible). You can prepare for {some} elderly deaths. You expect it to happen eventually, you prepare yourself, even though you don't feel ready when the time comes to say goodbye. Nobody is ever "Ready" to say goodbye, but sometimes it's easier to accept when it's the elderly.

It's till hard to believe that God chooses to take young ones away. We all automatically believe that our children are going to outlive us. Even I think about how little Alli and Evie are going to grow up, get married, and have babies of their own, and eventually have to bury their PARENTS. I even think about how Paige should be here to care for Brad and I when we are old and crippled. I don't think about how parent's will suffer the loss of a child, and bury them. After losing so many young ones in my life; my brother Breiton at just shy of 5 years old, cousin Allie Rae at 23 days old, Paige at 28 weeks gestation; I still expect younger ones to live longer than everyone else. That's just human nature. We just all assume that our children, and their children, will outlive us, yet so many of us have buried our own children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." John 3:16-17

When I struggle to remember why young ones are taken so suddenly and unexpectedly  I remember what God did for our salvation. He GAVE his ONLY Son. WILLINGLY, and KNOWINGLY, he watched his Son suffer on the cross for OUR lives. I could never sit back and willingly sacrifice my own child for the lives of others. I am selfish. I would do ANYTHING to save my own child from suffering and distress, and I am almost positive that ANY parent out there would agree with me.

I have repeatedly been told that I am a strong individual for going through everything I have gone through. So many people ask me how I do it. Part of me wants to answer "It's just who I am, I've been through a lot, and I have just learned how to deal with life's punches." But I know that isn't the entire truth. It's not WHO I am, but HOW I am. Everyone copes differently, which Brad and I are learning through this journey. I cope by talking, by telling stories of Paige and sharing memories I have of her. Brad copes by keeping it all locked in, by not sharing, by dealing on his own. We are two different people, we cope differently. My way of coping is by being strong and trusting in the Lord with all my heart that everything is going to be alright. I am not strong because it's something that I have learned. I am strong because my rock is a solid foundation.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Mathew 7:24-27

My house (life) is built upon a rock (Christ). The storm (life's punches) affects my house (life), but since it is built upon a rock (Christ), it does not fall. I find strength in knowing that if God is my rock, my life will stay complete. Even though I am missing large structures (Breiton and Paige) in my house (life), my house (life) is still standing because my foundation (Christ) is solid and does not shift like a foundation made of sand (drugs, alcohol, etc). ... I hope I didn't confuse you all with all of the inserts!

This is why I am strong. Not because I am "immune" to life's events, or because I have learned to roll with the punches. I am strong because He is strong. I don't need anything else in my life for it to be complete. My house could be in shambles, a bomb could go off within it, but I would remain stable. You can always rebuild your house upon the foundation, as long as that foundation remains as a rock.

Another Introduction

On Wednesday I received a text from a good couple of friends who live out in Western South Dakota. She was due with their first child, a girl, on the 9th. On Wednesday the Dr's informed them that the amniotic fluid was low and that they were going to induce her for labor.

All day yesterday Nikita was on Pitocin to keep contractions going. The baby still hadn't moved down and she was holding on for dear life inside of Nikita's belly. Last night at 7:00 Nikita texted me saying that they were upping her Pitocin to really get contractions going because the baby's head was starting to swell a little. 

I received a text early this morning that Evyn Grace Kleyer was introduced to the world at 11:15 last night weighing 9 pounds 12.5 ounces and was 21 inches long. 4 days overdue and a rolly-polly-ollie little girl. She is a perfect little girl for a great set of parents. 

As I watch some of our closest friends experiencing what I dreamed about for nearly 6 1/2 months, I'm full of joy for them, but yet I still have that ache. The ache and longing of holding a baby of my own. Paige would have been baby girl #3 for our close group of friends if I were still pregnant with her. 

I still struggle from day to day, trying to understand "Why?" I know that I may never know the answer to that question, but that doesn't stop it from running through my head. I'm struggling to let go of the dreams and hopes that I wished to have with Paige. The experiences that any first time mother should go through with her first child. My life is forever changed now because of this. It doesn't hurt me to see our friends have both of their newborn baby girls who are very close to Paige's age. It doesn't hurt for me to see pictures of them on Facebook, or to hold them and spend time with them... what hurts is the jealousy of them being able to experience this journey, while I am stuck in the corner watching instead of experiencing it with them. 

I wish with all my heart that I could have that "poopy diaper conversation" or the "up all night talks" that I know two of my closest friends get to experience together without me. We were all looking forward to raising our girls together and having these conversations and gatherings, but now I am out on my own type of journey that is completely opposite of theirs. It sucks. 

I get to watch these two other couples fall completely head over heals in love with their daughters, and with their partners all over again. I get to watch their daughters grow up and experience the things that Paige will never experience. It hurts, but it is life. The life that was laid out for me to live, not for me to write but to follow. Which is exactly what I am currently doing. Living life, day to day, according to what God has planned for me. 

Homeless

Well.... I tell you what.

I has been one ... heck... of a week.

Last week headed to NW Iowa to look at a few houses that we had found online. We drove around for a couple of hours Friday morning just looking at a few houses from the outside, just to get a feel for what we wanted. On Saturday we met with a Realtor to look at a house just south of Sheldon. Uuuugh.

9 Acres, and a house that was built in 1901. 6 bedrooms, 4 bath. HUGE brick, antique corn crib, new windows, recently sided... $110,000. NW Iowa ground is selling for ~15,000/ Acre... You couldn't even buy farm ground for this price... It was a DREAM of a house. The only problem: the people who were selling the acreage had started to re-model, but then quit. The house was in pieces. Literally.

That house had an estimate of another $100,000 worth of work that needed to be done. But this was a DREAM house. Like I told Brad... If we were rich, and looking for a "project" to make into our dream home, and had $300,000 just chilling out, I would have jumped on this property in a heart beat... But. We don't. Not only that, but the bank would NEVER give a 23 and 25 year old the loan to remodel a house like this.

We also looked at a house near Hospers, which has a 3 stall garage, and the entire main floor has been re-modeled and all new windows and siding. This was another awesome house. This was a 6 acre place, and I really liked it, but Brad wasn't quite sold on it.

Oh well.

I have an interview on Friday, and another one on Monday. I just NEED to hear back from somewhere to figure out where we need to find a place at.

On Saturday afternoon, Cathy and I headed down to Ames to get the rest of the house packed, and everything organized. Bill and Brad came down that night too.

Sunday morning we went and rented the U-Haul and stuffed it. A 17' U-Haul was COMPLETELY PACKED. There wasn't very much room left in that truck! When we headed back towards NW Iowa, the weather decided to get really crappy. 4 hours into the trip we stopped outside of Storm Lake to clean off our windshield wipers, and Cathy locked the keys IN the RUNNING U-Haul. ... 45 minutes later the tow truck guy came and let us back in, and then we slowly made our way into town. We ended up staying at a Super 8 because all of the roads were shut down. Monday morning we finished our trip to Hospers and unloaded the U-Haul into a storage unit. A 10'x20' storage unit was almost packed full. There was a lot of "air" space open above all of our junk, but it took up a large chunk of that unit.

Monday afternoon Cathy and I headed back to Ames, yet again. The roads were mediocre at best, but we made the trip in 4 hours. We cleaned a lot of the house on Monday, hit up some supper, and headed off to bed. Tuesday morning we went to HyVee and rented a rug doctor and I cleaned carpets while Cathy cleaned the rest of the house. We then closed on the house yesterday afternoon, ran the checks into the bank, and headed back to Sioux County.

I am now staying at my dad's place for the time being, at least until Monday when I have the interview in Fort Dodge. I am really hoping to hear back some GREAT news from the Sioux Center interview that I have on Friday and I am REALLY hoping for that job, but, only God knows what the plan is for now! If I don't get the job in Sioux Center then I'm more than likely going to take the offer at AMVC, farrowing sows, at least for the time being until I do find something more permanent and something that applies my education a little bit more. I'm just following the Plan that God is laying out in front of me. Letting Him guide me through life.

Job and House Search

... After 2 months of job searching, I am really hoping that it is coming to a close.

A while back I had heard about a job with Boehringer-Ingelheim in Sioux Center, Iowa. I kept in close contact with the hiring manager there, and he sent me a link to the job when it was posted online for the application process. I applied last week Wednesday, and received a call yesterday morning for a phone interview. 20 minutes after that call I got another call from the Fort Dodge location for the SAME position, which I had applied to a while ago. So, I had a phone interview for the Sioux Center location yesterday at 1:30, and I have another phone interview at 2:00 today for the Ford Dodge location. I should hear feedback from the Sioux Center location within the next week. They just needed to decide which direction they were going to go, and if they decide to offer me the job, I should know within the next two weeks for sure. I may have to go up there for a personal interview, but I may not. It all depends on what the Hiring Manager wants to do. 

I also had a phone interview with Christensen Farm's for a Sow Farm Assistant Manager position up by Estherville, Iowa. I haven't heard anything back from them yet, but should yet this week. This would be an alright position, but, it would be in a farrowing house. I would much rather be in the research field with BI, but I'm just keeping my options open.

I was offered a job with AMVC (the place I interned at last summer), but that is my back up in case the BI job doesn't come through. They offered me the job a month ago already, but they didn't want me to start working until after I had heard from the other positions I applied for. They didn't want me working for a couple of weeks and jumping ship... which I totally understand. I don't want that on my work record anyways. 

So. For now, I am reallllly hoping and praying that the Sioux Center job comes through. 

Sunday we are moving all of our junk out of the trailer! We will be shipping it to NW Iowa to a storage unit until we figure out what we are doing with our lives and where our home location will be... depending on what job I am offered or decide to take. Brad really doesn't want to leave his job if I don't get the job I want, which is understandable. He just wants a steady income until we figure everything out! :)

Tuesday we are closing on the house. The new owners will be dropping off the check, and I will be transferring the title and keys over to their possession. It's a bitter sweet feeling to be leaving this place. It's been "home" for the past 2 1/2 years, and it was the first major investment Brad and I made together. But, we will hopefully be moving on to bigger and better things in the future. 

We aren't really sure what we are going to do for housing just yet. We know we want to buy a house, but we just don't know where we will be located just yet, not until the job situation is decided. We've been looking at houses in both the Anita and Sioux Center area, because those are the two locations that we know we will end up at. So, for the time being, we are "homeless" until everything is finalized.

Wish us luck on this .... long... journey we have ahead of us. :) 

2 Weeks To Go...

 Today would be week 38 of my pregnancy with Paige. Only two weeks would be left, if not less than that.

I can't help but imagine what life would be like if I were still pregnant. I picture myself to be ginormous. I was already feeling fairly large at Christmas 10 weeks ago, I couldn't imagine the size I would be by now. I'm sure it would be constant sweatpants and sweatshirt types of days. I would be miserable. I am sure of it. I was already having back cramps and really bad knots. I was already dealing with throbbing feet. I didn't sleep very well, which I'm sure would have just gotten worse as time got closer to our due date.

I imagine myself as nervous as a pheasant on opening day. I would be beyond ready to meet my little girl, I am sure of it, but I would be freaking out about becoming a mother as well. I can't help but picture the feelings I would have after giving birth to her though. I still wish, everyday, that Paige were still here with us. I still wish everything that happened over the 29th to 31st of December never happened. But it did.

Even though I can wish and hope that Paige was still here, I know that she is not, and I know that God had different plans for our family. Obviously Paige wasn't meant to be a part of our physical family. It's hard to accept that, but it's the truth.

As I watch so many of my other friends have their babies, or prepare for their upcoming ones, I miss Paige more and more. Each and every day it gets a little harder, but easier at the same time. I know she is gone. I know she is safe. I know she is cared for. That's all I need to know to keep living life, happily. I know that everyone else's babies aren't going to make the future easy. I will always picture Paige in the babies that are close to us and in our lives. I know little Allison and little Miss Kleyer, who is SUPPOSED to make her appearance any day now, will be life long reminders of Paige and my journey with her. I know they will always be reminders of where Paige should be in life, developmentally. I know it won't be an easy trip. But, it was all worth it. The mere 5 months that I knew Paige (minus the first 4 weeks since I didn't know I was pregnant) was enough for me to fall completely in love with her.

Like anyone's life, there are ups and downs. She has been my rock through everything lately. Even though she is not here physically, she is still here spiritually. I hold that close to my heart and keep in close contact with my guardian angel. I know she will never be far from me.

As our due date draws near, life gets a little bit more sad each day, but I know in time it will wear down. It's just a journey that God is walking me though for the time being. I know as each day passes by it hurts a little less, even though I miss her a little more.

8 1/2 Hours of Running Circles

Phew. Yesterday was QUITE the day for me! I don't think I've had such an exhausting day in my life! Honestly!

Friday night was a super, super, super late night for me. I'm not really used to being out late anymore. Laura refers to me as "the old lady." Oh well, I'll take it! I won't deny that I love being in bed at 9 and sleeping till 7 or 8. :)

Yesterday morning I had to wake up at 6:30.... Eeek. After enough hours of sleep to fit on a single hand (which isn't acceptable in my life in order for me to be in a good mood) I set off for Altoona at 7:15 for a long day of babysitting. My uncle and aunt, Nate and Shawna, had an adoption conference that they were attending for the weekend, so yesterday, I got to watch little Keegan.

They adopted Keegan a couple of years ago when he was just a little tyke. He's now 3, and full of spit and vinegar! Keegan an I started our day together at 8:00 AM. He was MORE than excited to go to the swimming pool. So we switched up clothes, put on the suits, and headed for the pool at approximately 8:05. When we got to the pool... we realized it doesn't open until 8:30. I made the suggestion of going back to the room to watch some cartoons until it was open, but NO. That was not an option for him. Instead, he went and found the game room.

Keegan thought he was pretty cool playing "Big Game Hunter"... :) The gun was a tad big, and there were no quarters put into the machine, but he had a good time "shooting" the deer! :) 

Finally, when the pool opened up, he was #1 into that water. He even got the whistle blown at him for running!!! I told him he couldn't run or they would kick him out of the pool and he couldn't go back... that put an end to that! 

 

He had an absolute BLAST in the pool. 

After about 2 hours at the pool, I decided it was time to move on for the day. After another 30 minutes of trying to convince him it was time to go see the dinosaurs, he finally obliged to leaving. We got back to the room and it was bath time. He was sad his bath-tub toys weren't there, so he substituted a bar of soap instead. He picked it up to was his belly, and it slipped out of his hands. He chased that bar of soap around the tub for 20 minutes until I told him it was time to go see the dinosaurs. I would almost believe that kid was a fish! After getting dressed, we packed up everything from the hotel room, and checked out. We then went and got the car seat from their truck so I could put it in the escape.... Who knew car seats took about 20 minutes to move from one vehicle to another!? That thing was tied down like Fort Knocks. Eventually though, we got it, and off we were to get a snack since he was hungry. I tried talking him into going to get some breakfast food, but nooooo. "I don't like food. I just like snacks." So, 2 ho-ho's and a bottle of bug juice later, we were off to the science museum. 

For those of you who haven't heard of the Science Center of Iowa, it was an awesome place to take a sugared up 3 year old for the day! 

http://www.sciowa.org/

The Science Center was featuring Sue, the T-Rex, and that was how I convinced Keegan to come with me! He was pretty excited to see the dinosaur. There were so many other activities too. Some of the activities Keegan and I did were:

Keegan really liked the dinosaur. I don't think he was expecting a real dinosaur though. We walked into the room where Sue was on display, and the poor little guy clung to my leg like a leech. He looked at me and said "Whoa.... I'm scared. I don't want it to eat me." ... Crack. Me. Up. So I picked him up and we walked over to where Sue was on display and I explained to him that this was just the dinosaurs bones and the dinosaur was dead. We had a good 15 minute conversation on why the dinosaur was dead and why the bones were there. This is how I explained how they found the bones...

The Science Center had plastic "bones" that resembled Sue's bones. These were then buried in ground up rubber to make it look like dirt. I told Keegan that people, like him, went and dug the bones up out of the dirt, just like he was doing. The kids were all digging and paint brushing off  the rubber chips. Keegan played here for about 30 minutes before he got sick of it. :) 

After about an hour sitting at the Dinosaur exhibit, we decided to walk around the rest of the building. There were so many activities for kids to do. 

There was a space room, where you could go and look at meteors, remote vehicles that were used on the moon, look through telescopes, and we even went and watched a movie on the stars, earth, sun, and moon. Keegan really liked this movie until the sun exploded and he thought he was going to get burned. It was in a miniature I-MAX theatre, so he laid on the floor and stared at the "big tv screen" as he called it. It looked like the stars were flying past our bodies and like we were really in space! 

The static ball was on display in the space center. Keegan thought it was pretty cool how the electricity would go to his finger when he touched the ball. 

There was also a Build and Test room. You could build paper rockets, stick them on a piece of pipe, and when you pushed the button, pressurized air would push the rocket off the tube and it would fly away. Keegan and I made a rocket and we walked over to the launcher. We counted to ten and pushed the button... and our rocket got stuck in the ceiling of the building. So many people were clapping at Keegan that we wanted to make another one... but then got bored half way through. He also made a "derby" car out of lego's and raced that down a "derby" track with 3 other little boys his age... he didn't win, but he didn't really care! He also got to build a train track and play with trains here! 

They also had a huge wall covered in tubes and pipes and baskets where the kids could watch balls zig and zag through the pipes and stuff. Keegan really liked this ball place too. The balls were the same as what are in a ball pit... And he chased them around for over an hour, trying to throw them into the baskets, changing the amount of air that went through the pipe so they would go fast or slow... He loved it! 

Around 1:00 I decided it was time to eat. Keegan once again told me that he doesn't like food, only snacks. Still wasn't convinced. I asked him "Hot dog, cheeseburger, or pizza?" and he replied "I don't like any of those." So I asked "Fries or Tater-Tots?" ... again "I don't like any of those." ... argh. I was SO not convinced because I have seen him eat pizza before! And I'm sure he's had hot dogs and cheeseburgers before! So, a hot dog and tater tots it was! He ate about half of his tater tots and then 3 bits of his hot dog and a few chips. Ok! At least he ate something, I figured. 

One of the other rooms that they had on display for the time being, and one of the "sessions" we went to watch was Cold Blooded Critters. A guy talked about different critters such as the American Toad, Northern Hognosed Snake, Bull Snakes, and Turtles. Keegan got to pet one of the box turtles! They had a huge room with displays of native Iowa Critters. There was a huge snapping turtle in a tank that Keegan really liked. He also liked the Beaver and the Duck that were stuffed and put on display with a whole bunch of other "swamp" animals like the Muskrat, Blue Crane, Goose,  and a few others, that I didn't know! Keegan's favorite part of the display though, were the snakes! 

 According to Keegan, Salamanders are "Toad Snakes"... :) I guess I kinda see where he got that from!



This fat toad was one of the things Keegan liked because he kept hopping around!

Keegan also really liked watching the snakes squirm around in their aquariums too. He even got to see the "Hognosed" snake's nose!

Keegan and I also went to the session on 'Fireworks.' They taught kids that it's NOT ok to play with fire... even though Keegan said "Yes" when they asked the question..... Lol. He learned that fire can burn you really badly. They blew some stuff up, which Keegan really liked, but the loud noise scared him. They took balloons filled with Hydrogen, Helium, and Nitrogen and showed how they burn differently. It was pretty interesting! :) 

Around 2:30 I realized that Keegan was beyond ready for a nap. I told him it was time to go and, needless to say, he was NOT ready to go... This was when temper tantrum #1 came out to play. So, I carried him to the car and we drove off. He screamed for the first 5 minutes saying he wanted his ball back... So, off to Target we went. I told him I would get him a ball.

I park at Target, get out, and grab him from his car seat and he is practically sleeping. I carry him in and we find a ball. Then we find a ball and bat. Then a dragon. Then Thomas the Train. Then Angry Birds... and he wanted ALL of that... Well. I told him ONE thing.... and temper tantrum #2 came out to play. So. I grabbed the bat and balls and we went and checked out. 

The whole way back to the hotel he was asking to go to the playground to play with the bat at balls. Well, by now it was almost 4:00 and Nate and Shawna were going to be done at 4:30. So, I just told him maybe tomorrow! ... When we got to the hotel, I got him out of the car and headed to the entrance of the hotel. I realized that the little Mr. isn't next to me anymore and turn around to see him DROP to his knee's and start screaming "I WANNA GO TO THE PLAYGROUND!"... Eek. Temper tantrum #3 for the past hour! 4 other parent's were walking past me, chuckling, and the only thing I could think about was "and this isn't even my kid!" Hahaha. So I told him lets go inside and find Mommy and Daddy and then he could ask them to go to the playground. He was ok with that. At this point, I figured Nate and Shawna knew how to handle a tantrum better than I did, so I shoveled that one off onto them! Lol. I wonder if he even mentioned the playground to them?? Lol. 

When we got inside the hotel, people were EVERYWHERE, but Keegan wanted to play with his bat and ball. So, I told him he could "golf" with his bat and he could hit the ball nicely. He was ok with this too. Eventually Nathan walked up and Keegan began to throw another hissy fit, but Nate knew exactly what he was doing! :) Thank goodness. Keegan was by far, beyond tired. I told Nate and Shawna, I wouldn't be surprised if he was passed out before West Des Moines... 

When I turned my phone on after going to a movie last night, I received a cute text from Shawna. "Roslyn will come see me tomorrow" "I will tell her... her come see me tomorrow." Someone stayed awake the entire way home and is already making plans for you tomorrow!! Thanks again!" And another one later that said "KJ told me that I should go see the Dinosaur and the Fireworks. But I can't see the fireworks till I eat first." ... 

Well, needless to say. I think I passed my "toddler" test yesterday. I decided though, I will NOT be adopting a 3 year old any time in the near future. Not until after I get more experience first. I don't know how people do it! I believe that the transition from baby to toddler helps you become more prepared for the "events" of toddler years... Jumping into it... people are nuts! :) That kid wore. me. out. I slept like a rock last night, took about 5 minutes for me to fall asleep! :) I'm glad Keegan had fun! I had a blast, up until the last hour and a half! :) 

Things You Should Know About Me If We're Going To Be BFF...

Ok. I admit. This post is SO copied from a blog that I follow fairly closely. This lady's blog helps me stay sane through everything that goes on. It gives me a comical view on life, and the things we do, and why we do them. I hope you enjoy!

A few years ago she had written the original post:
http://www.littlemissmomma.com/2010/12/things-you-should-know-about-me-if-we.html

She just recently updated the original post and inserted a few additions:
http://www.littlemissmomma.com/2013/02/things-you-should-know-about-me-if-were-gonna-be-bff.html

Things You Should Know About Me If We're Going To Be BFF

My dog's are like my Kids, my life revolves around them.

About 75% of the time, my Husband, in some way, can embarrass me in public. 

I suck at cooking: ... 

I once left the water in the macaroni and cheese... and added the rest of the ingredients.

I also put a frozen pizza in the oven... with the plastic still on and the cardboard under it.  

Explanation enough??

I have an Obsession with Blue Bunny's Strawberries are Forever Shortcake Ice Cream... 

I have never been given a ticket from a cop. I have been pulled over, but managed to weasel out of everything so far <knock on wood>. 

I have an ability to spew random facts about almost any conversation {My husband finds this extremely annoying}.

My hair color is naturally dirty blonde... which runs deeper than the hair roots. 

I have a leaky tear duct in my right eye... and it always acts up during church or an emotional gathering. It makes me feel like people think I'm crying when I'm not. 

The toilet paper roll always has to be put on the holder so it comes undone from the front... 

I fold the toilet paper on the perforated line before I use it, and I only use 3 squares at a time. 

After exiting the shower, I dry myself from my feet up. I first stand on the towel and dry from my feet, to legs, to waist, belly, chest, arms, neck, and then I wring out my hair one more time, and put the towel on my head. 

I always shake up my milk before I use it {I don't even know why...}. 

If I'm eating M&M's, I always eat them in the order of the rainbow. 

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, then the Brown. 

One of my favorite snacks ever is celery smothered in peanut butter.

I cannot stand onions on my food. BUT I love onion rings! 

When I am frustrated or mad or upset about something, the first thing I do is start cleaning. No matter where I am at. 

I will not drink water, unless it's ice cold.

I learned last week that I cannot stand the sound of styrofoam screeching together. It reminds me too much of the chalk on a chalkboard sound...

Human B.O. reminds me of the smell of fried onions. 

90% of the time, running water makes me need to pee. 

I may be (almost) 23 years old, but I still sleep with a special blanket, and I can't go anywhere without it. 

One of my favorite past times is watching my dogs sleep. 

Obviously, it's pretty entertaining. 

When I eat Nacho Cheese Doritos, I always wait until I'm done to clean my fingers off. I can't stand when people lick their fingers between chips. 

We all have our quirks and oddities. These are a few of mine. What are some of yours?