Toddler bed

So many of you know that we just moved Carson into a Toddler bed about 2 weeks. Boy how I dreaded this transition. I thought he was too little still or that he wouldn't understand the concept and never stay in bed. I was anticipating the worst.

Well needless to say - it went fine without a glitch and he is so good at it. The first few days he did great. Then at naptime, I heard him starting to play on the bed before he went to sleep - I just had to go in and "speak sternly" (if you know what I mean) to him and I never heard him again. A couple of the mornings he woke up and was at the door crying when we would go in, but after a few "stern talks" he just stays in bed until I go in and get him. It's amazing. He waits there on his bed, until one of us opens the door and tells him he can get out of bed. "Well that was easy!!!!"

Before we moved him a friend had told me to not expect him to stay in the normal sleeping position, that he would move all over th eplace and not be under the blankets etc. Well I had been prepared for that, but was pleasantly surprised that he did stay in his bed and lay flat on his back pretty much the entire night. We did go in a place the blankets back over him a few times, but that's it.

Well last night was a different story - we went in like we normally do to check on him before we went to bed - and this is what we found -

How does this happen? Was he up and then didn't make it back into bed? did he slip out? I wish so bad we had a video camera in his room to watch what went on. He didn't even flinch or wake up when I picked him up and laid him back down. So weird!!!!!

Thanksgiving

Oh Boy! did I have a great weekend. All the Mayfield siblings were together again. It's so fun when we all get together, we could sit around and just talk forever. I really feel like my sisters and I are closer now than ever. Probably a combination of maturity and in the same stage of life. Juli and Scott live in Minneapolis - so we hardly ever see them. And my brother Jeff is at Northland. Jerelyn lives 3 hours from here. My Mayfield Grandparents were also able to make the drive from IL for a little bit of the time.

Jerelyn and I put the meal together, and it all turned out so great. I love cooking with her and preparing the big meal. Our boys do so well together, and Carson was WORN out by the end of the weekend. We got some shopping time in, jewelry making time, talking time, it was a filled weekend, but so so worth it. We also got to meet my brother's first girlfriend this weekend. That was nice and a new dynamic for our family. :)

Sadly I never took one single picture the entire time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot believe it. I think Juli took a couple so I will have to steal them from her.

On our way home we stopped to see some good good friends, the Hoersch family, that have since moved to North Carolina. We had a great few hours just chatting and catching up with them. it's so nice to have great friends that encourage, challenge, and help you.

What a good weekend.

Now on to Christmas. Tis the season to be busy. :) but it's all super fun stuff. Cookie exchanges, parties, present buying, decorating. So many fun things.

Just waiting for the first good snow fall. :)

4th Anniversary

Here it is - Our 4th Wedding Anniversary. We got married on November 25th 2006. We knew we were getting married on the holidays and that our anniversary would fall on thanksgiving some years. But it is kinda weird now that it's actually happening. :)

I was trying to think of a clever and interesting, unique post to write about our marriage, but I can't right now.

Richard is truly an amazing husband. He is so forgiving, never holds a grudge and very self sacrificing, all of the traits that I feel like I constantly need to work on. :( He is a good example to me and challenges me with that even without realizing it.

It's so cool to me that God established and designed marriage - that he wants us to enjoy every aspect of it, but also that it is the best thing in our earthly lives to develop christlikeness and make us holy.
Richard and I love being married, love being together, and love sharing life together. He is a great dad and I can't imagine life without him.

I love you Richard

Ps I married into a great loving family also. :)

New hair cut

I decided last night I couldn't wait another day before I got carson's hair cut. But I didn't want to pay. he has had 2 other hair cuts prior to this, that I have paid for, and I was happy with it. But this time i didn't want to spend the money and I needed to just try it on my own. Richard's mom taught me how to cut hair with Scissors and i do cut Richard's hair. Although I do not like it, I am getting more confident and it is going a lot better with Richard. So last night I decided to just go for it. :)

It turned out pretty good. not perfect and today I'm seeing a lot of areas i could've done better in, but hey, for the first time on a 19month old. I think it's ok. I'm sure I'll have many more opportunities to cut it in the next few years.

Soccer

So while I sit here and watch my brother's team (NIU) play soccer at the National Championship in Kissimme FL, I reminisce of the good ol' days. Boy I had 4 wonderful years of playing soccer at Northland. Those friendships that I gained are not replaceable. So many memories. I learned so much during those 4 years and really really had a great time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the 2 years that we went to FL were the best ever!!!!! Just great memories. I'm so happy for Jeff, that he gets to experience that. :)

I will never again be able to play like that, and I was at my peak. It's sad to me that I will never play like that again. I do miss those days a lot!!! Here is my favorite picture ever. It's of me and Richard after my last home game ever!!!!

Love/Hate relationship

I have a love hate relationship with my treadmill. hahaha

Richard was able to bring home a treadmill that he got from a job for free!!!! That was a huge praise. In the past i've always run outside, but of course once the sidewalks get covered in snow and ice my running stops and in the spring I start from scratch again. Well last fall he brought home this treadmill. Perfect for me for 3 reasons - 1.I'm a mother so i can't leave the house whenever, 2. I live in NEPA and the winters are long, and 3. I've recently really wanted to start running as a hobby.

The thing about a treadmill is - It's perfect b/c I can still run all year long. But my treadmill is located down in the deeps of our unfinished grimy basement, with nothing to look at or see except a wall that has the dry wall falling down and the furnace. I am a very competitive person when it comes to athletics so i can never just have a leisurely run. I'm constantly looking at the time and the distance and the pace and am always trying to push myself more, beat the time I had before, and go a little farther than the last time. I can't just have a nice jog.

But all this to say, I'm really thankful for something, and once spring comes, I will be going outside. :) Maybe I'll start training for my next big goal of running in a 10K. :)

Be thankful

I'm in the stage of life where I get very little sleep and am extremely tired all the time. I am constantly reminding myself that life does it easier, full nights sleep will eventually come, and my babies will grow up and be more independent. Carson is living proof that kids get on better schedules, sleep patterns, and more independent. It's easy for me to complain about being so tired or the craziness my days sometimes hold. But today I was reminded to be thankful b/c some people out there want so desperately to be in my shoes and can't. I was speaking with a past fellow co-worker and he longingly looked at my baby stating how they have been trying so hard to have a second baby but things are working out yet. As I left he said he would give anything for those sleepless nights. boy - that hit me. First of all to pray for him, he's not a Christian, but also my heart breaks for him and his wife. They are lovely people. God please show them your love somehow.

God help me to always remember how blessed I am, to focus on your love and goodness, and to always be thankful for what you give me. I don't want to complain, I want to praise you. Thank you, Ted Michel, for that reminder.