Happy Mother's Day

To ME!!! 

Yes! That's right! I'm celebrating myself today!!!

Mommyhood is HARD! But it's also the most rewarding thing on this planet!! I love my three little babes more than life itself and couldn't imagine living this life without them....

From the biggies like birthdays and all the "firsts" milestones to the littles like kissing owies & combing hair. 

From the happy moments and fits of laughter to the sad times filled with crocodile tears. 

From the times they test my patience levels like no other to the moments when the stars align and they kill each other with kindness. 

From the times they let me snuggle them x's 1,000 and won't go to bed without a tuck-up & a kiss (or 20) to the moments when they can't stomp away loud enough & mumble under their breaths.

All I know is that I wouldn't trade a single second of any of it in....

Mommyhood makes me whole & fills my heart with the truest form of 110% unconditional love....

I had a great time spending the day at the ballpark with my crew and relishing in all things Mommy!!! 

And, I loved all my special, straight from the heart, gifts from my sweeties...the things that are better than any amount of money can buy...

The perfect homemade wrapping paper that doubled as the perfect banner from Trey Man!!

My framed note...

And, my BEAUTIFUL finger flower cards from my girls!!! 

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Now, the hair cut, pedicure, and new makeup is still to come. Mommy does deserve a little time to herself & I'm totally thinking I'm going to turn Mother's Day into Mother's WEEK!!! 

Friday's Fun...

consisted of Jason being gone for high school football camp with his East players over in Camp Dodge. It was a two-day camp, which left the kiddos and I with plenty of time to do what we wanted.

Friday started off with a little trip to the gym and then off to (what I expected to be a QUICK) trip to the Driver's License Bureau for a driver's license address change. Uh, it was a COMPLETELY opposite of QUICK trip visit. First we drove around the parking lot TWICE to find a parking spot, which is NEVER a good, "This is going to be quick," sign. But, after driving 20 minutes and having this specific task on my to-do list for the past YEAR, I thought I'd just stick with it and get it done! After waiting in line, with all three kids, for 10 minutes, I finally reached the "desk helper" only to realize that she'd give me a clipboard and pencil and send me on my way to the "waiting" area.

When there's a wait to get INTO the waiting area, it's NEVER a good sign....

Since my mind was already made up, I decided to stick it out and WAIT. Mind you, the Dum-Dums that were supposed to keep the kids occupied (which I found in the bottom of my purse once I realized we had to step into a waiting line) had already been completely sucked down to the stick by this point. (I actually told them to see who could suck their sucker down the slowest...just to burn a few minutes...it worked, but I wished I would have had those HUGE rainbow carnival-type lollipops instead. Ha!)

So, we walked into the waiting area to find that there were NO CHAIRS left, so the kiddos and I quickly settled down on the floor, but were told twice that we had to move due to safety reasons. We finally settled against a wall in the most "safe" place I could find.

Once settled in, Taylen quickly realized that she wanted out of the stroller and wanted to tell the whole room about it. Remember that road trip car screech?!? Well, she found it again and apparently felt the need to be LOUDER than usual. Ty wanted to look at a book, which, LUCKILY Trey had in the back of the van and, THANKFULLY, I made him bring it in, "just in case!" Ty settled down nicely, on her belly, with her legs sprawled out and looked at all the pictures.

I put Trey in charge of watching the numbers at the front counter...we were number 691 and his job was to keep me posted on what numbers they were helping. He started watching at number 642! His first response was, "We have to wait a lot of numbers, Mommy!" Even a six-year old quickly figured out that we were in for a looooong wait! He did a great job watching, but 32 minutes later, he informed me that he was tired of his "job" and that they were only on number 650....poor kid! So he decided to join Ty....

 

Ty pointed out the pictures and Trey read the words...then they would stop for cute little conversations!!! Thank goodness for that Diary of a Wimpy Kid book that was left in the car from the Gulf Shores trip!!!

Someone must have been listening to Tay's little form of communication because as soon as Trey joined Ty, THREE more stations opened up and the numbers started rolling by a little faster. The kids read a little longer and then took turns "strolling" Taylen around in circles to keep her happy.

And, before we knew it, Mommy had a new picture taken and a temporary license issued....never mind the worn down circle of carpet from at least 100 trips around waiting area!!!

Thanks, kiddos for being so cooperative....and YAY! for getting something else crossed off my summer to-do list....You're the BEST!

PS....We stopped at the library and one of the librarians told me that there's another office just right around the corner from our house. OOPS!!!!! We will have to remember that if we ever move again!!!

Weekend Get-A-Way...

for Mommy and Daddy was a fun, fun time!

Two weekends ago, Jason and I hit Chicago to catch a little (BOO!) Cubs action, visit Karrie and Vinnie B, and catch up with my bro, Aaron. MawMaw Cindy flew up and spent 4 days with the three munchkins...they loved every second of it and totally had a blast with her. It was great to see friends and nice to see my bro's place. (Which he happens to be moving out of soon!) It's been a loooong time since Jason and I have had a date night, much less a couple date nights in a row. We definitely enjoyed our time together!!! It was so nice to be able to hold hands with the hubbs whenever I wanted...Love you, Jason!!!

Enjoying the view before heading off on our boat tour of the city and skyline...

Loving our seats for the game...Jason LOVES the Cubs!

The whole gang at enjoying Wrigley....

Jason, Me, and Karrie

Fun times at Wrigleyville...

Karrie and I talking about old memories and laughing like usual....

Just a little glimpse of the AMAZING views we had on the boat tour...Great idea, Uncle Aaron!

The afternoon we got back from Chicago...we hit the ICubs game here in Iowa. The kids wanted to show MawMaw Cindy how awesome Principal Park is!! It was a HOT one, but a fun one!!!

Posing with MawMaw....

Trey Man & MaMaw

Ty & MawMaw (and Baby, of course)

MawMaw and Sweet Tay...

We definitely hated seeing MawMaw Cindy leave, but we know she was ready for a break!! These three definitely kept her busy, busy, and more busy!!! THANKS for the great little visit and thanks so much for letting us road trip to Chicago for the weekend! Love you and Miss you lots, Mom!!! XoXo

Graduation Day!

So, my first official year teaching in the Des Moines area is coming to an end. In fact, tomorrow is my last day and marks graduation day for my 5th graders. I have thoroughly enjoyed this group of kids and their awesome, supportive, and involved parents. I couldn't have asked for a better way to continue on with my teaching career....especially considering how much I liked teaching in Ottumwa and how hard totally re-locating jobs can be. It's been an EXTREMELY stress-free year and I learned a tremendous amount from this new group of students. Writing them their congrats letter was a breeze and definitely included one of my FAVORITE quotes from good old Dr. Seuss...

  "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And, YOU are the one who will decided where you'll go!"

This quote (in a Dr. Seuss kind of way) sums up parts of my teaching philosophy...life is definitely about the choices you make and the way you react to what happens to you. It's absolutely heart-warming to see my students becoming advocates for themselves and learning from all the ins & outs of everyday experiences! They are a tremendous group of students.

So, tonight, the kids and I had fun putting together these little goody graduation caps. I actually think they turned out cute and are going to be a hit tomorrow in class....

Hopefully they will be able to tell what they are...LOL!

Ty working on a little tassel making herself....

They were more excited about the fact that they were going to get to try one of their own....silly kids!!! Who says there's anything wrong with sneaking Reeses Pieces?!?!

Thanks, Munchkins, for all your help. You two have a wonderful way of making all the things on my "to-do" list that much more fun! What a great, goody graduation cap-making team we are!!! I know my students will love hearing that you helped make those little fun things...in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you guys have a few handmade thank-you cards waiting for you when I pick you up tomorrow afternoon....

Well....It's OFFICIAL!!!

I, Julie Renee Weite, am a MINIVAN driving Momma!! And, I still can't believe how EXCITED I am!!! I'm excited for the EXTRA ROOM, I'm excited for the CONVENIENCE of AUTOMATIC SLIDING SIDE DOORS, and I'm EXCITED about getting better GAS MILEAGE. Who would have ever thought that I'd EVER be excited about driving, much less OWNING, a MINIVAN!!! I mean, this is coming from the girl who was NEVER, EVER, EVER going to own a MINIVAN. I was NEVER going to be caught dead in one and I was certainly NEVER going to expose my kids to a minivan....boy, have times changed!!!

Let me take you back about a decade and a half when I had my first experience with a minivan...a 1990 (I think that was the year) GM Safari...gray exterior with gray interior and the CUTEST gray curtains on each window. (Mom, in NO way am I complaining...that van was PERFECT for all of our softball road trips and had lots of room for our family...so don't take any part of this paragraph personally! That van was definitely good to us!!) BUT, driving a minivan in high school was NOT cool....not that I was caught up in the material world, because my siblings and I were definitely raised to appreciate things and to work hard and take care of what we had. (But, all the cool cars parked in good old Marquette High School parking lot were something that I was a little envious of ;) Anyway...that HOOP-T van toted around my friends and I on a many, many weekends and never let us down. I hyper-extended the passenger side door...(if that's even possible on a car) and once left a gallon of milk under the seat in the summer (after a grocery store run for my mom) for at least a good week in the hot, hot sun. I'll let you all guess how long it took to get that STENCH out!!! So, as much as I loved that ride, I swore to myself, back when I was 17, that I'd NEVER buy a minivan. I was definitely going to be a SUV kinda Momma!!

Well...not that there's anything wrong with SUV's, but with soon-to-be three little kids, it just doesn't seem practical...not to mention the gas mileage on the BIG ones I like!! Besides...my priorities have changed my ways and opinions of the good old minivan......

We're going with a 2008 Toyota Sienna XLE...not my dream minivan, but a definite great purchase...especially with EVERYTHING else we have going on at the moment!!! (It also helps that Trey & Tylee love it....and, that's what really counts!!!)

Now, Dad....I know you're never gong to forgive me for buying a foreign car, but really, it was the best deal, with the lowest mileage and the best options. Making a smart investment has to count for something, right!??! (On a side note, I did buy it from a local, hard-working, small-time dealer...thus supporting the American Dream :)

Let the minivan FUN begin..........

(And, yes....I realize I used the word "minivan" TEN times in this post, but isn't that the point?!? It's MINIVAN TIME!! Now, make that TWELVE TIMES!)

The 10 Week Countdown is ON....

and Baby Weite #3 is having a blast kicking and punching me as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep! I'm exhausted and ready to snooze away, but can't complain. What a miracle in the making. I seriously can't believe that the 10 week countdown is on...in a matter of hours, it will be 9 weeks and 6 days!! Woo-Hoo!

We are so excited to welcome this baby into the world and are even more excited about the fact that we are waiting to find out what we are having. BOY or GIRL??? That is the question on everyone's mind...Trey thinks BOY, Tylee thinks GIRL, and Jason has yet to make a guess. I REALLY have no clue one way or the other...my first two pregnancies were IDENTICAL and I had absolutely NO morning sickness. This one, on the other hand, had me feeling nauseous up until the second I hit the 13 week mark. So, even though everyone seems to think I should just have that "Mommy" intuition, I really can't even begin to guess. So, guess we'll just have to wait and see!!!

I am enjoying being pregnant, but have done a fabulous job, yet again, of putting on the pounds. For some reason, it just comes so easy for me. Just that much more work for me after we meet the little one....no biggie, I'm up for the challenge. So, in the meantime, I just going to keep reminding myself that feeling fat only last for NINE months (okay, maybe quite a bit more after the fact), but the joy of being a Mommy last a LIFETIME!!!

Here's the latest pregnancy shot of me...and, will probably be the only one you'll see posted. I'm just NOT fond of the camera when I pregnant! But, I did vow to take at least one pic for the record.....

Looking forward to welcoming you into this big old world....but, goodnight for now!

Here goes nothing....

Okay, I know what you are thinking!! I said I'd never blog....that I didn't have the patience, that I didn't have the time, that no one really cared what I had to say, blah, blah, blah!! Well, TODAY, December 31, 2010, officially marks the start of my attempt at blogging....

I have a few friends who are in the blogging "business" and I'm absolutely hooked on following them. I LOVE how it keeps me in touch with what's going on in their busy lives when we just don't have the time to talk the old fashioned way like we'd like to. I LOVE how they use their blogs to document the ups and downs of their busy, crazy lives and how they'll have a collection of posts to share with their kids as they get older. I LOVE how I can steal awesome ideas, recipes, and parenting tips from them. I just LOVE them period....

So, I've come to the conclusion that I want a blog of my own....solely for the purpose of documenting events in the lives of The Weites and keeping those I absolutely love up to date...distance may separate us, but it won't keep us apart!!

I'm no writer and I am horrible at spelling (just ask the hubs...) so feel free to laugh along with me...what's fun about life if we can't learn to laugh at ourselves and learn from our mistakes?!?!

Below is a little glimpse into our current state of Weite House craziness....what you see is what you get!!!

These are my two...Trey Jacob, who's 4 1/2, and Tylee Jean, who's 2! Christmas was a blast (I'll flashback to that a little later) and we are excited for New Year's Eve!! Needless to say, Iowa winters keep us pretty cooped up.....

So, before I bore any of you with a long-winded 1st blogging entry, I'm gonna end this one by wishing you all a Happy New Year! Be safe and have fun!! Here's to a fantastic Twenty-Eleven.....