Monday, March 11, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
groundhog day update.
in february i posted about our groundhog day visit to the lears' to surprise steve with a cake. i didn't have all the pictures from my camera for that post, and wanted to provide a few more pictures.
could this cake be any cuter? i just love this tiny little phil. as i mentioned in the previous post, steve insisted that i get his picture in front of the fireplace with his groundhog day ribbon and his cake.
he cracks me up.
happy groundhog day, steve. now what to do for next year ...
could this cake be any cuter? i just love this tiny little phil. as i mentioned in the previous post, steve insisted that i get his picture in front of the fireplace with his groundhog day ribbon and his cake.
he cracks me up.
happy groundhog day, steve. now what to do for next year ...
Saturday, March 9, 2013
oh so yummy lasagna.
last saturday i posted about several yummy things haley and i spent the day whipping up. i promised you i would post the recipes, and i don't want you to think i'm a liar, so here we go. {also, this stuff was so amazing, i want to make sure i get the recipe saved before i lose it}. but we can pretend this is all for you. ;)
i didn't have a recipe when travis sprung on me at the grocery store that he would like lasagna for dinner. i'm not really a lasagna person, so i've never made the stuff. my mom is a fantastic cook, but i always hated lasagna nights growing up. of course i jumped on google {what else is a girl to do in the middle of the grocery store when her husband wants a dinner she has never made?}. i came across a recipe that sounded pretty yummy {and boy was it ever}!
you can find the original recipe on allrecipes. going back and looking at the recipe now, i see that it says "takes a little work, but it's worth it." not sure i would have made it had i seen that message in the beginning, but the guy is right it IS worth it.
the original recipe calls for 1 lb of sweet italian sausage and 3/4 lb of lean ground beef. travis didn't want me to use sausage, so i used two lbs of ground beef. it also calls for fennel seeds, which i omitted.
world's best lasagna from allrecipes.com {with my edits}
holy moly. look at that ricotta. that was my favorite part of this entire dish.
and here's the finished lasagna in all its melty goodness.
travis posted on facebook that it was absolutely delicious, and haley said it was one of the best lasagnas she's ever had because most of them have a lot of sauce and this one doesn't go overboard on the sauce. later travis told me it was the best he's ever had -- he just wished he could enjoy it more, but his mouth has been hurting so badly.
so there you have it. a lasagna for the books. i have an idea this will find its way into my kitchen again.
i didn't have a recipe when travis sprung on me at the grocery store that he would like lasagna for dinner. i'm not really a lasagna person, so i've never made the stuff. my mom is a fantastic cook, but i always hated lasagna nights growing up. of course i jumped on google {what else is a girl to do in the middle of the grocery store when her husband wants a dinner she has never made?}. i came across a recipe that sounded pretty yummy {and boy was it ever}!
you can find the original recipe on allrecipes. going back and looking at the recipe now, i see that it says "takes a little work, but it's worth it." not sure i would have made it had i seen that message in the beginning, but the guy is right it IS worth it.
the original recipe calls for 1 lb of sweet italian sausage and 3/4 lb of lean ground beef. travis didn't want me to use sausage, so i used two lbs of ground beef. it also calls for fennel seeds, which i omitted.
world's best lasagna from allrecipes.com {with my edits}
original recipe makes 12 servings
- in a dutch oven, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. season with sugar, basil, italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. {this made the house smell amazing}.
- bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. in a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. {haley and i did this while the sauce was simmering and just put it in the fridge so it would be ready when it was time to assemble the lasagna}.
- preheat oven to 375.
- to assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. arrange 3 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce {the original recipe called for six noodles, but even overlapping them a bit, i wasn't able to fit six in the bottom of my pan}. spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture {so yummy!!}. top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices {i used shredded mozz, but would like to try it with the mozzarella slices in the future}. spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese {i did 4 layers of noodles to be able to use all the noodles i had cooked. on the very top of my noodles, i only had meat sauce and cheeses}. cover with foil: to prevent sticking, spray foil with cooking spray
- bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. cool for 15 minutes before serving.
holy moly. look at that ricotta. that was my favorite part of this entire dish.
and here's the finished lasagna in all its melty goodness.
travis posted on facebook that it was absolutely delicious, and haley said it was one of the best lasagnas she's ever had because most of them have a lot of sauce and this one doesn't go overboard on the sauce. later travis told me it was the best he's ever had -- he just wished he could enjoy it more, but his mouth has been hurting so badly.
so there you have it. a lasagna for the books. i have an idea this will find its way into my kitchen again.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
date night with the loves {feb 2}.
oh the loves. i miss the loves these days ...
over the past two or three weeks, travis's mouth has exploded. it's terrible. i feel awful for him because he's so miserable. there's nothing i can do. a week or two before he went to the dentist he ended up getting several painful lesions in his mouth, and they just seemed to get worse. his wisdom teeth were also starting to bother him a lot. he went into the dentist last week for a regular cleaning and i think that just made the problem worse.
in addition to everything going on at home, i feel like we've been completely disconnected from our friends the loves. travis and matthew work together, but i haven't even been getting updates about them through travis because his mouth has been hurting so much, he hasn't felt much like talking at the office and only does so when he has to.
the saturday night before haley came to live with us, we had a fun date night with matthew & crystal {and as i'm typing this, i realize it's no wonder i miss them so much! it's been over a month since we last saw them!! there was a time when we would see them a couple of times a week, and at least several times a month. now it's been almost a month and one week!}.
in addition to everything going on at home, i feel like we've been completely disconnected from our friends the loves. travis and matthew work together, but i haven't even been getting updates about them through travis because his mouth has been hurting so much, he hasn't felt much like talking at the office and only does so when he has to.
the saturday night before haley came to live with us, we had a fun date night with matthew & crystal {and as i'm typing this, i realize it's no wonder i miss them so much! it's been over a month since we last saw them!! there was a time when we would see them a couple of times a week, and at least several times a month. now it's been almost a month and one week!}.
you know, now that i think about it, i couldn't tell you where we went to dinner. i'm sure it was some place delicious, but i really just don't remember where. interesting ... that's one of the main reasons i keep this blog. looking back, reading these stories, i can always remember the events crystal clear. but if i don't capture them, they are kind of like dreams and have a way of escaping me.
after dinner we did head over to red dirt saloon for a little pool {for the guys} and a little dancing {for the girls -- and once or twice with the guys}.
i don't have any pics of matthew, but we just love the loves. i'm off to get a new date on the books.
as far as travis's mouth goes, i'll keep you posted.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
1 month.
dear haley,
today you have been with us for 1 month. in some ways it's hard to believe it has only been in a month and in other ways it seems like it was just yesterday that we were having christmas dinner at our house with you and your dad.
i'm so glad you've come to stay with us. i wish didn't have to be this way just because it means your dad would still be here with us; but we love having you here.
over the past month we've met brittany and millie {and i've waved to gary from the car}. we seem to hear the most about millie from you. i know we have so many more of your friends to meet. i try to check in with you about brittany from time to time. it's so tragic that you and she lost your dads within weeks of one another. i hope you are somehow able to comfort one another during this time.
you've done such a great job catching up on your school work. you still have a few lessons to go and an upcoming science fair project, but i have no doubt you'll have everything caught up in time. quite the undertaking my dear. it must be so difficult for you to focus at at time like this.
you mentioned that in just three days it will be two months since your dad left us. so hard to believe. i imagine you must miss him so much. you show a type of strength i don't know i would ever be able to display. i shared with you that i would be an absolute mess if i were to lose either of my parents. you seem so strong all the time. .
i want to let you know that you don't have to be strong all the time, haley girl. the feelings that you feel -- the longing for your dad, the sadness, the inability to focus without thinking about him -- those are all things i would expect you to experience. all feelings you need and should feel. even on the days when you feel numb from the overload. please don't feel like you have to carry this alone. you have a huge family {here with travis and me and the pups, but also aunts, uncles, cousins, and even family you've never even met yet} who loves you dearly. a family who cries over your hurt. cries for the loss of your dad. prays for your heart. and thinks of you daily. we're all here for you. to help you carry this and to help you make it through ... like the story of the butterfly i shared with you, you will come out of this stronger.
thinking of you being stronger than you already are is a little bit overwhelming for me. as i said, you seem so strong every single day. i can't imagine the kinds of thing you will accomplish in your life after you've come out on the other side of this. it will be exciting to watch and thinking of it gives me goosebumps.
you'll never be the same person you were before. not completely. there is always going to be a part of you that misses your dad. every day. even in a few years. and what an incredible blessing to have been able to have that kind of love for someone in your life. and to know that he loved you just as much.
if i could take this away from you and bring him back, i would do that. without question. since i can't, though, just know i am here for you, travis and i both, any time you need someone to talk to, a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on, or even a hug. and all those other people i mentioned before are willing to do that for you, too. you're not alone in this. {even those puppies love to cuddle and will hold you when you're sad}.
you are so special, haley. i hope you recognize that. please don't be afraid to be vulnerable or sad.
we love you so much little missy,
r h i a n n o n & t r a v i s
today you have been with us for 1 month. in some ways it's hard to believe it has only been in a month and in other ways it seems like it was just yesterday that we were having christmas dinner at our house with you and your dad.
i'm so glad you've come to stay with us. i wish didn't have to be this way just because it means your dad would still be here with us; but we love having you here.
over the past month we've met brittany and millie {and i've waved to gary from the car}. we seem to hear the most about millie from you. i know we have so many more of your friends to meet. i try to check in with you about brittany from time to time. it's so tragic that you and she lost your dads within weeks of one another. i hope you are somehow able to comfort one another during this time.
you've done such a great job catching up on your school work. you still have a few lessons to go and an upcoming science fair project, but i have no doubt you'll have everything caught up in time. quite the undertaking my dear. it must be so difficult for you to focus at at time like this.
you mentioned that in just three days it will be two months since your dad left us. so hard to believe. i imagine you must miss him so much. you show a type of strength i don't know i would ever be able to display. i shared with you that i would be an absolute mess if i were to lose either of my parents. you seem so strong all the time. .
i want to let you know that you don't have to be strong all the time, haley girl. the feelings that you feel -- the longing for your dad, the sadness, the inability to focus without thinking about him -- those are all things i would expect you to experience. all feelings you need and should feel. even on the days when you feel numb from the overload. please don't feel like you have to carry this alone. you have a huge family {here with travis and me and the pups, but also aunts, uncles, cousins, and even family you've never even met yet} who loves you dearly. a family who cries over your hurt. cries for the loss of your dad. prays for your heart. and thinks of you daily. we're all here for you. to help you carry this and to help you make it through ... like the story of the butterfly i shared with you, you will come out of this stronger.
thinking of you being stronger than you already are is a little bit overwhelming for me. as i said, you seem so strong every single day. i can't imagine the kinds of thing you will accomplish in your life after you've come out on the other side of this. it will be exciting to watch and thinking of it gives me goosebumps.
you'll never be the same person you were before. not completely. there is always going to be a part of you that misses your dad. every day. even in a few years. and what an incredible blessing to have been able to have that kind of love for someone in your life. and to know that he loved you just as much.
if i could take this away from you and bring him back, i would do that. without question. since i can't, though, just know i am here for you, travis and i both, any time you need someone to talk to, a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on, or even a hug. and all those other people i mentioned before are willing to do that for you, too. you're not alone in this. {even those puppies love to cuddle and will hold you when you're sad}.
you are so special, haley. i hope you recognize that. please don't be afraid to be vulnerable or sad.
we love you so much little missy,
r h i a n n o n & t r a v i s
Saturday, March 2, 2013
busy bees.
wow. march 2nd already. how is it possible that we're in the last month of the first quarter already?
today we've been busy, busy bees. travis and i woke up and poked around the house for a bit. then we got ready for the day and headed out to do a bit of grocery shopping. i had planned to stop at aldi in owasso on the way home from work yesterday, but i missed the turn, and travis and i were both just so tired.
we headed out at about 9:30 and left haley to work on her vanity (she's in the process of stripping and sanding it down so we can paint it). we hit up aldi, then the meat market in coweta, and then walmart. i loathe running errands, but it's not so bad when i'm spending time with travis. i hate shopping at aldi, but i've found that the prices on a lot of things are almost half the price that i pay at reasor's or walmart. sooo, even though i hate it, and going there stresses me out, i am trying to be conscious of what we spend on food.
while shopping, travis kept spotting items and getting inspired. he put a bag of vanilla wafers into the cart. i asked what they were for. "you're going to make banana pudding later." oh. excellent. good to know. =) he was teasing of course and i like to whip up stuff in the kitchen, so i didn't mind. i picked up a box of lasagna so i could make the mexican lasagna that i made a few weeks ago and travis asked, "are you going to make me lasagna tonight." i told him my plan, but he decided actual lasagna sounded much better.
when we got home, haley had made a lot of progress on the vanity, and travis was able to start painting it. we all got the groceries put away, and then i called haley into the kitchen to help me make the banana pudding. after that, we started on the lasagna (which smells amazing, by the way). the recipe has been awesome so far, and i can't wait to taste the finished product.
while we were letting the meat sauce for the lasagna simmer for an hour and a half, we mixed up some homemade oatmeal cups. they're kind of like granola bars but instead of being in a bar, they're in a baking cup. and our contain no granola. just oats, honey, and a few fun toppings. i'll post the recipes for everything a little later. for now, i'm going to go remove the foil from the lasagna so it can finish cooking. and i don't want to miss the last of lady and the tramp. still an all-time-favorite of mine.
happy weekend from the lear family!
today we've been busy, busy bees. travis and i woke up and poked around the house for a bit. then we got ready for the day and headed out to do a bit of grocery shopping. i had planned to stop at aldi in owasso on the way home from work yesterday, but i missed the turn, and travis and i were both just so tired.
we headed out at about 9:30 and left haley to work on her vanity (she's in the process of stripping and sanding it down so we can paint it). we hit up aldi, then the meat market in coweta, and then walmart. i loathe running errands, but it's not so bad when i'm spending time with travis. i hate shopping at aldi, but i've found that the prices on a lot of things are almost half the price that i pay at reasor's or walmart. sooo, even though i hate it, and going there stresses me out, i am trying to be conscious of what we spend on food.
while shopping, travis kept spotting items and getting inspired. he put a bag of vanilla wafers into the cart. i asked what they were for. "you're going to make banana pudding later." oh. excellent. good to know. =) he was teasing of course and i like to whip up stuff in the kitchen, so i didn't mind. i picked up a box of lasagna so i could make the mexican lasagna that i made a few weeks ago and travis asked, "are you going to make me lasagna tonight." i told him my plan, but he decided actual lasagna sounded much better.
when we got home, haley had made a lot of progress on the vanity, and travis was able to start painting it. we all got the groceries put away, and then i called haley into the kitchen to help me make the banana pudding. after that, we started on the lasagna (which smells amazing, by the way). the recipe has been awesome so far, and i can't wait to taste the finished product.
while we were letting the meat sauce for the lasagna simmer for an hour and a half, we mixed up some homemade oatmeal cups. they're kind of like granola bars but instead of being in a bar, they're in a baking cup. and our contain no granola. just oats, honey, and a few fun toppings. i'll post the recipes for everything a little later. for now, i'm going to go remove the foil from the lasagna so it can finish cooking. and i don't want to miss the last of lady and the tramp. still an all-time-favorite of mine.
happy weekend from the lear family!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
sick kiddo.
today i learned what it's like to be a "mom" while juggling a career ...
this morning haley texted me while getting ready, "i feel horrible." we were running a little late, so i didn't see it at first. i even dashed past her to the laundry room to snag a sweater and pants that had been tumbling in the dryer. when i read her message, it was my turn to feel horrible.
i went in to check on her and take her temperature. her stomach was achy, and she had a little bit of a headache, but no fever. she's not allowed to miss anymore school since she's had to be out so much this school year. we decided since she didn't have a fever, she would have to go in. i felt terrible sending her and empathized with her as much as i could. haley understood, so we headed about the day. i encouraged her to eat a piece of toast, but she didn't feel like eating. i suggested grabbing some saltine crackers out of the cafeteria once she got to school to carry with her to class.
i got a text message from haley at about 9:15 asking if she could go to incredible pizza with her friend nicole and a few other friends. this gave me hope that she was feeling better. unfortunately, when i asked how she was feeling, she said her head was stuffy and that her tummy still hurt. i decided it was best for us to wait it out and see how she was feeling later in the day.
an hour and a half later i got another text message from haley. she had thrown up. in class. and in mrs. metcalf's office (the assistant principal). oi. they weren't able to get a hold of my mom, and i knew there was little mom would be abe to do from muskogee anyway, so i instant messaged travis to see if he could get a ride home from matthew after work. i had a short window to go get haley because my afternoon was filled with back to back calls beginning at 1:30.
i packed up my stuff and headed to catoosa. it took a little over an hour from the time i got her text until the time i got to the school. by this time, haley was in the principal's office and was looking pretty miserable. i signed her out and headed to CVS to grab some ginger ale and speak to the pharmacist. there has been a horrible stomach bug going around this year and i wanted to combat it from the beginning if we could. unfortunately all they said was pedialite. we walked out with our pedialite and ginger ale and headed across the street to subway to grab her some chicken noodle soup. they didn't have any. boo.
i snagged a sandwich and then headed up the street to schlotzsky's (andrea and jenny should love that). thankfully they had chicken soup, so we grabbed a bowl and headed home.
when we got to the house, her temperature was higher than it was this morning, but it was still only 98.7. haley tried to eat a little of her soup while i took care of the boys and wolfed down my sandwich. i was already online replying to emails trying to take care of as much as i could before being on calls all afternoon. she wasn't able to eat much of her soup, so we fixed her a glass of ginger ale, gave her some pepto, and tucked her into bed with a washcloth on her head and one on her throat. didn't work. right before i went back to get on my first call, i heard her get sick again. poor baby.
she laid back down, i put the boys in to snuggle with her, and i headed back to my closet. {have i ever mentioned that i have to take calls from my closet when working from home? the boys bark too much and that's the quietest place i can find}. my first call was supposed to last an hour and a half, but after i presented my 40 minute portion, i hopped off the line and went to check on her. she was sound asleep and didn't even stir when the boys barked. i let them out for a bit and stretched my legs while answering emails from my phone.
i wrapped up several other calls for the day and heard her stirring while i was on the last call. she had been able to eat a little soup while i was working -- but when i checked her temperature, it had jumped to 101.2. uh-oh.
now she's lying in bed. i've become a germ freak and am spraying everything down with lysol and checking in on her every few minutes.
so, another new experience. it was crunch time for a few minutes this morning. i had just finished some work, but had other work that needed to be done on a project that has to be completed this week and then i knew i had the afternoon calls and presentations. i'm so grateful haley caught me when she did. i would have felt horrible if she'd just been sitting and sitting waiting for me to come.
i felt like a whirlwind, and was so grateful when another call ended early this afternoon.
now i have a trip to houston next week, and i'm sitting here hoping that if i'm going to get sick, that i get sick this weekend so i won't get sick while traveling. what a weird thing to wish for. vitamin c and lysol, here i come!
this morning haley texted me while getting ready, "i feel horrible." we were running a little late, so i didn't see it at first. i even dashed past her to the laundry room to snag a sweater and pants that had been tumbling in the dryer. when i read her message, it was my turn to feel horrible.
i went in to check on her and take her temperature. her stomach was achy, and she had a little bit of a headache, but no fever. she's not allowed to miss anymore school since she's had to be out so much this school year. we decided since she didn't have a fever, she would have to go in. i felt terrible sending her and empathized with her as much as i could. haley understood, so we headed about the day. i encouraged her to eat a piece of toast, but she didn't feel like eating. i suggested grabbing some saltine crackers out of the cafeteria once she got to school to carry with her to class.
i got a text message from haley at about 9:15 asking if she could go to incredible pizza with her friend nicole and a few other friends. this gave me hope that she was feeling better. unfortunately, when i asked how she was feeling, she said her head was stuffy and that her tummy still hurt. i decided it was best for us to wait it out and see how she was feeling later in the day.
an hour and a half later i got another text message from haley. she had thrown up. in class. and in mrs. metcalf's office (the assistant principal). oi. they weren't able to get a hold of my mom, and i knew there was little mom would be abe to do from muskogee anyway, so i instant messaged travis to see if he could get a ride home from matthew after work. i had a short window to go get haley because my afternoon was filled with back to back calls beginning at 1:30.
i packed up my stuff and headed to catoosa. it took a little over an hour from the time i got her text until the time i got to the school. by this time, haley was in the principal's office and was looking pretty miserable. i signed her out and headed to CVS to grab some ginger ale and speak to the pharmacist. there has been a horrible stomach bug going around this year and i wanted to combat it from the beginning if we could. unfortunately all they said was pedialite. we walked out with our pedialite and ginger ale and headed across the street to subway to grab her some chicken noodle soup. they didn't have any. boo.
i snagged a sandwich and then headed up the street to schlotzsky's (andrea and jenny should love that). thankfully they had chicken soup, so we grabbed a bowl and headed home.
when we got to the house, her temperature was higher than it was this morning, but it was still only 98.7. haley tried to eat a little of her soup while i took care of the boys and wolfed down my sandwich. i was already online replying to emails trying to take care of as much as i could before being on calls all afternoon. she wasn't able to eat much of her soup, so we fixed her a glass of ginger ale, gave her some pepto, and tucked her into bed with a washcloth on her head and one on her throat. didn't work. right before i went back to get on my first call, i heard her get sick again. poor baby.
she laid back down, i put the boys in to snuggle with her, and i headed back to my closet. {have i ever mentioned that i have to take calls from my closet when working from home? the boys bark too much and that's the quietest place i can find}. my first call was supposed to last an hour and a half, but after i presented my 40 minute portion, i hopped off the line and went to check on her. she was sound asleep and didn't even stir when the boys barked. i let them out for a bit and stretched my legs while answering emails from my phone.
i wrapped up several other calls for the day and heard her stirring while i was on the last call. she had been able to eat a little soup while i was working -- but when i checked her temperature, it had jumped to 101.2. uh-oh.
now she's lying in bed. i've become a germ freak and am spraying everything down with lysol and checking in on her every few minutes.
so, another new experience. it was crunch time for a few minutes this morning. i had just finished some work, but had other work that needed to be done on a project that has to be completed this week and then i knew i had the afternoon calls and presentations. i'm so grateful haley caught me when she did. i would have felt horrible if she'd just been sitting and sitting waiting for me to come.
i felt like a whirlwind, and was so grateful when another call ended early this afternoon.
now i have a trip to houston next week, and i'm sitting here hoping that if i'm going to get sick, that i get sick this weekend so i won't get sick while traveling. what a weird thing to wish for. vitamin c and lysol, here i come!
a lot can change in a month.
as the title of this post suggests, so many things have changed in our lives. when i last wrote, we had spent the weekend with haley, and then ended up bringing her to live with us on february 3rd. this weekend it will be one month since she moved in. so many has happened it's hard to believe it has only been four weeks.
i didn't really know how our lives would change by bringing a 17 year-old, high school sophomore girl into our home. (my last post said she's 16, but she's 17). travis and i tried to anticipate -- doctors' appointments, parent-teacher conferences ... BOYS!! -- but until you really dive into the daily grind, you don't really know what's it's going to be like.
for travis and me, our routine hasn't changed terribly. we wake up around the same time we always did. now instead of getting to work at 7:30, though, we get in closer to 8:00. we drop haley off at school on our way to work. kind of like with the pups, though, before we make a plan to do anything with our friends, we consider how that will impact haley, where she'll be, etc.
i do hate that haley has to get to school so early. it has actually worked out well for the time-being, though. having lost her grandma in november (who lived with her) and then her dad in january (i still can't comprehend this kind of loss), she has quite a bit of make-up work. her english teacher meets with her each morning to help her get caught up. the first week she and travis got all caught up on her french homework. geometry has been the biggest struggle (as i'm typing this, i'm so grateful i don't have to worry about geometry homework!), but she has a teacher helping her over lunch to get caught up. now she has an upcoming science fair project and two more papers in english before she's good to go.
i didn't really know how our lives would change by bringing a 17 year-old, high school sophomore girl into our home. (my last post said she's 16, but she's 17). travis and i tried to anticipate -- doctors' appointments, parent-teacher conferences ... BOYS!! -- but until you really dive into the daily grind, you don't really know what's it's going to be like.
for travis and me, our routine hasn't changed terribly. we wake up around the same time we always did. now instead of getting to work at 7:30, though, we get in closer to 8:00. we drop haley off at school on our way to work. kind of like with the pups, though, before we make a plan to do anything with our friends, we consider how that will impact haley, where she'll be, etc.
i do hate that haley has to get to school so early. it has actually worked out well for the time-being, though. having lost her grandma in november (who lived with her) and then her dad in january (i still can't comprehend this kind of loss), she has quite a bit of make-up work. her english teacher meets with her each morning to help her get caught up. the first week she and travis got all caught up on her french homework. geometry has been the biggest struggle (as i'm typing this, i'm so grateful i don't have to worry about geometry homework!), but she has a teacher helping her over lunch to get caught up. now she has an upcoming science fair project and two more papers in english before she's good to go.
her friend brittany and her friend millie have both been to the house, but we haven't gotten to meet a lot of her other friends. as time goes on i'm sure we'll get to meet more of the people who have been so important to her over the years.
i'm so grateful that we have a strong support system in place as well -- family members who have helped pick haley up from school when friends weren't able to bring her home, friends and family who check in on us to see how the transition is going, and everyone who loves us (and has come to love haley even without meeting her).
i'll post more about our activities in february including our date night with the loves, mom's birthday, valentine's day with the smiths, and houston travel. cheers for now!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
weekend with haley.
last friday night mom and haley came by the house just in time for dinner. i had just whipped up a delicious pot of mac and cheese soup ... but i added broccoli to liven it up a bit. the girls ate and watched a couple of shows with us, but then they headed to muskogee to stay the night at mom's. they had talked about staying the night with us, but knew we had to head to muskogee the next morning to surprise steve on groundhog's day. and i think haley was just craving some girl time with my mom. being with her helps her feel closer to her dad.
they came back over on sunday afternoon. mom hung out for a bit, but then had to head back to muskogee to work on homework and get ready for the week ahead. travis and i spent time hanging out with haley. she showed us the new outfits mom had gotten for her and the two new pairs of shoes. very cute.
we grabbed lunch at the olive garden and drove around the area to help haley see what all was in the area as far as stores, the theater, etc. she stayed and hung out with us until a little after 8:00 and then we took her back to her dad house so she could get ready for school for the week.
we had just gotten home and started getting ready for the week ourselves. mom and i were on the phone catching up when she said haley was calling her and that she would call me back. i went to the bathroom and when i came back i had a missed call from my mom. i tried to call her back, but it went straight to voicemail. turns out she was on the phone with travis. she explained there was a lot of commotion going on at haley's house and that she was going to drive us from muskogee, but in the meantime, we needed to go get haley right then.
i called and let haley know we were on the way and to pack a bag and her school stuff. her house is only about 10 minutes from our house, so it didn't take long for us to get there. her sister courtney helped her carry out a few things, and they had a tearful goodbye. all the while saying they knew this is for the best. i felt so badly watching courtney walk back into the house that seemed to be causing such problems and heartache.
we got haley to the house and helped her bring in her things. she wanted to know what my mom and michelle were talking about and when my mom was going to be at the house. we had her take a shower to start getting ready for the week and to try to calm the situation.
i checked in with mom a few times, but it took her a while to get to catoosa, and then after that it took her a while to sort things out in catoosa. she decided that haley wouldn't go back to the house again without one of us with her. she and sierra packed up the rest of haley's clothes and shoes and loaded up as much as they could.
we've had miss haley ever since. she had been nervous to move in with us {which is understandable. she has already been through so much}, but that night when we dropped her at her house, she had already started packing things. the plan would have been for her to move in with us this weekend, but everything happens for a reason, and we're all grateful that we've had her this week.
it was an eventful night and we didn't manage to get to bed until well after midnight. i'm still not sure that haley was able to fall asleep right away. i don't think i would have been able to had i been through what she's been through.
the week has been a pretty smooth transition, not without it's challenges, but they've been minor and we're slowly settling in to new routines.
be thinking of our family as haley goes through this time of incredible transition. as travis and i have become parents of sorts. and as our household has grown to include a 16 year old. =)
they came back over on sunday afternoon. mom hung out for a bit, but then had to head back to muskogee to work on homework and get ready for the week ahead. travis and i spent time hanging out with haley. she showed us the new outfits mom had gotten for her and the two new pairs of shoes. very cute.
we grabbed lunch at the olive garden and drove around the area to help haley see what all was in the area as far as stores, the theater, etc. she stayed and hung out with us until a little after 8:00 and then we took her back to her dad house so she could get ready for school for the week.
we had just gotten home and started getting ready for the week ourselves. mom and i were on the phone catching up when she said haley was calling her and that she would call me back. i went to the bathroom and when i came back i had a missed call from my mom. i tried to call her back, but it went straight to voicemail. turns out she was on the phone with travis. she explained there was a lot of commotion going on at haley's house and that she was going to drive us from muskogee, but in the meantime, we needed to go get haley right then.
i called and let haley know we were on the way and to pack a bag and her school stuff. her house is only about 10 minutes from our house, so it didn't take long for us to get there. her sister courtney helped her carry out a few things, and they had a tearful goodbye. all the while saying they knew this is for the best. i felt so badly watching courtney walk back into the house that seemed to be causing such problems and heartache.
we got haley to the house and helped her bring in her things. she wanted to know what my mom and michelle were talking about and when my mom was going to be at the house. we had her take a shower to start getting ready for the week and to try to calm the situation.
i checked in with mom a few times, but it took her a while to get to catoosa, and then after that it took her a while to sort things out in catoosa. she decided that haley wouldn't go back to the house again without one of us with her. she and sierra packed up the rest of haley's clothes and shoes and loaded up as much as they could.
we've had miss haley ever since. she had been nervous to move in with us {which is understandable. she has already been through so much}, but that night when we dropped her at her house, she had already started packing things. the plan would have been for her to move in with us this weekend, but everything happens for a reason, and we're all grateful that we've had her this week.
it was an eventful night and we didn't manage to get to bed until well after midnight. i'm still not sure that haley was able to fall asleep right away. i don't think i would have been able to had i been through what she's been through.
the week has been a pretty smooth transition, not without it's challenges, but they've been minor and we're slowly settling in to new routines.
be thinking of our family as haley goes through this time of incredible transition. as travis and i have become parents of sorts. and as our household has grown to include a 16 year old. =)
time passing by.
wow. time has always gone by so quickly, but it seems to go faster and faster all the time.it seems like levi was just celebrating his 30th birthday, and yet february 3rd has come and gone again. so hard to believe.i love my family so much. i miss being a little younger and getting to spend more time with them. happy birthday, cousin. i love you.
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