Here Come the Lions!

Tonight was the 2nd Annual "Beef Bowl." Not really sure why it's called that, and it's been going on for a lot more than two years, but oh well, who am I to argue? CL played WL in our traditional rivalry. Leo and I were sporting some new CL gear:
Don't we look great in purple and gold? I think it's my color. :) The picture below is a sad one. I'd just told Leo that Nate wouldn't be our quarterback anymore...
Ok, just kidding. And don't worry, we love Jordan at our house too. (After all he was my drip... Long story, if you want to know more leave a comment.) Leo was sad because his daddy took away his paci.
You may have already known that I love to have things personalized, but just in case you didn't we added it to Leo's shirt. :)

Leo and I got to "watch" the first half of the game. When I say watch I really mean walk on the sidelines, and up and down the hill. I think I saw two plays and those were when I walked over to the concession stand to get some candy. But, they were 2 good plays. They were both PASS plays!!! CL doesn't have a passing reputation; we are more of a run offense. We were down 14-12 when I left, but I've been hearing a lot of cheering, so maybe the tides have turned.

It was very odd to see all the people in different uniforms and numbers. I didn't know at least half of them. I better get a program and read up! Hopefully it is a good season. Go Lions!

Look Who's Walking...

My baby is walking...well, kind of...

Corn Show

It was the great Corn Show last weekend in my home town. We went Friday night to the button drawing. I won $5, a HUGE Mountain Dew can thing, and Root Beer Floats. Yeah me! :)

Saturday we went back early to walk in the 5 mile walk. Leo did well, My mom, Jus and I complained a little more than he did, but we made it.

We went to the parade, where Leo was less than impressed with the fire trucks. Oh well, I don't like loud noises either.

Here are a few pictures from the festivities:

Leo standing my G'ma's blue ribbon winning flower arrangement.
Leo eating at the church stand. He didn't do BBQs, Chili or a hotdog. He did his favorite ~ Pizza!

Leo is sitting by the world famous corn!

The fam enjoying the busy Mid-Way!

What a weekend. We are looking forward to next year when Gavin, Katelynn, & Adri will be here to go on rides!

Happy 4th Birthday, Jaina!

Miss Jaina turned 4 today!
Last night we were invited to her birthday party.
It was all a little girl's party should be! It was full of pink, flowers and princesses...and a truck! All summer I've been asking her what Leo should give her for her birthday and she kept answering, "I don't know." So, I told her that he would give her a truck. She kept saying, ok, I'd like a truck. As her birthday got closer, I asked her mom, Erica, what she would like and she gave me a list of "girly" things: Polly Pockets, Littlest Pet Shop, Baby "stuff." I don't really shop in the girl department...I'm more of a baby department shopper right now, so it was really fun to look at the pink stuff! (But still ,IF, and I repeat IF, I have more children, I'd like another boy. All the pink in the world wouldn't make me change my mind.) So, anyway, I got Jaina these Polly Pocket sets. I made sure to get her a brown-haired girl to look like her too! I also got her a truck, all the while thinking I'll give her this first, she'll be all thinking "whatever Auntie Sara" and then I'd give her the real present. Here is a picture of her opening her truck...

Can you tell from her face I was wrong....Dead wrong...She was soooo excited about the truck. (If you've never met my niece, you don't know she's a laugh a minute with a vocabulary of a teenager.) "Oh, Sara, I love this truck. It is the best truck I've ever gotten. I love it so much. Thank you, Thank you!" Well, I'm glad she liked it and she even let Leo play with it!

And She's Gone...

Well, tonight we had to say good-bye to Sabrina. And I'd be a liar if I said it went well.

I had really been doing ok with everything.

School started today (Side note: I LOVE my new job! How great is it to leave your house and be at work in less than 2 minutes?!?! What a commute!), and it was near the end of the day. Sabrina's mom, Amy, who works in the middle school, wanted Sabrina to help her with something. So Sabrina came to school and then had a few extra minutes to chat with me. When I saw her standing in my doorway I started to get all choked up. Ugh...It was the weirdest thing. My mind flashed back to the first time I saw her at school. She was a "sassy" 8th grader with a Twin's jersey on. Man did her group of friends intimidate me as a substitute teacher! Where did the last 5 years go?

We helped some people from our church move tonight, and I didn't get home until later than I planned. She came over to say good-bye and my mind kind of went fuzzy again. I could see flashbacks of her coming over when she'd just gotten her license, when she'd broken up with the wrong boy, and she gotten together with the right one, and countless other times she stopped by for absolutely nothing at all. I think my house will be so quiet without her! I wanted to impart some wisdom, or at least not be a crying fool. Yeah, didn't happen. Leo gave her a very large, very wet kiss, and the sweetest hug he's ever given to anyone (besides me :)). That's when the tears started. Oh well, what's the saying...better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all...better to have had a friendship than not to at all. And instead of good-bye we've decided on "See you later."

Here are a few pictures of Leo Beo and his sweet girlfriend. :) They are sporting Morningside Mustang gear. Leo's daddy said he could be a Mustang fan if it was for her. :)

We couldn't get him to look at me until I started playing Patty Cake.
Mid-Clap!
How cute are these two? :)

Sabrina Mae: You will go from here and do great things. You are a wonderful person and friend. Your faith, determination, strength and personality are outstanding. I am lucky to have gotten to know you these last few years, and hope that we stay in touch while you attend college. Your mom and I have decided we would be ok with you coming back to RR to be our own nurse. (Especially since you put Leo's eye-drops in tonight with NO tears!!) I wish you the best of luck! We love you!

Don't forget to visit...

"See you later!"

Grandpa's Shoes

See Uncle Eric...these shoes are soo cool!

Long Week & Owies

Leo and I have had a long week. Sorry for the absence, Justin has been out of town all week and we have been single parenting it... Not a lot of fun. This is going to be a short little post:

Leo was in the bathtub on Thursday night and was going crazy. He was splashing like crazy and crawling all over. He went a little too fast and slipped. He fell and banged his cheek on one of his stacking cups. Owie #1:Today I started school. Woo hoo! It was so fun! (Seriously, I'm not being sarcastic!) Leo was at daycare all day; when I went to get him, Carrie told me that he got bit. Owie #2:

In this picture I asked, "Who got bit today? Raise your hand."

Just kidding! He just raised his hands.

In this picture my mom his holding him up to see the bite. Poor little baby. I can't imagine how bad that sucker hurt!
Here is an up close picture of the wound. You can send your "get well" wishes to Leo by leaving a comment!

And The Sadness Begins...

Leo hasn't done anything sad...
As the end of August draws near it's time for back to school. I'm excited to start my new adventure at Central Lyon, and a few others are starting their adventures, too. The first of our "kids" has left us to start their new adventures. :(
Nate gave this shirt and socks to Leo Beo. (However, Leo will NOT be attending NWMSU...too far away!)

Over the next few weeks the rest of our kids will be leaving home. Some will head to Northwestern, in Orange City, UNI, in Cedar Falls, and Morningside, in Sioux City. Tonight I was talking to Brett about everyone leaving, and I got all choked up. It's hard to believe the time is here. They were just middle schoolers like yesterday. (That's when I met most of them at church.)

If I got choked up just talking about them leaving, I can't imagine what the 21st will be like...(That's the night we say goodbye to Sabrina Mae.) I'm really not looking forward to that...
I know they are all going to do great things, whatever and where ever they end up. I'm so glad I've had this time to get to know all of them! As sadness fills my heart, I must also remember that deep down I don't want them to stay. They need to grow and fulfill the plans God has for them. (I hope those plans include visits to my house...)

There is a song that talks about letting go, and I've always thought it was appropriate around graduation time. A few lines: "...I'll have tears as you take off, but I'll cheer as you fly... I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams, and that faith gives you the courage to dare to do great things. I'm here for you whatever this life brings. May my love give you roots and help you find your wings."

I wish that on all of my "kids." Good luck and keep me informed! Love you!

**I realize this wasn't really about Leo, sorry. But, these people are pretty important to him too!**

My Summer Vacation

Well, if you made it through Mommy's novel last night, you know what they did on their summer vacation. Here is a run down on what I did at Grandpa & Grandma's:

Saturday: Grandpa's work had a picnic at Arnold's Park, so Grandma & I tagged along. I didn't get to ride on any rides, but that's ok. I think I may get motion sick like my mommy. I also didn't get any cotton candy. I was kinda bummed about that. I guess Grandma was worried about my teeth! That night I slept like a dream boat Grandma said, 12 hours! I was so tired from seeing all of the people that I needed lots of rest.

Sunday: I went to church with G'pa & G'ma. They said I was really good, which is good because their church doesn't have nursery like mine does! I got to swing that night. I love to swing. G'ma told mommy that I slept really well again. I think I like spending time at G'ma's!
Monday: Today I was 13 months old! Can you believe it? My mommy was really sad that she wasn't with me, but I talked to her on the phone, and G'ma said that would help us both. G'ma was a good sport and took my picture on my blanket because that's what Mommy always does to see how big I've gotten. I didn't lay so still for G'ma either~ it is too fun to try and get my lion! I think I was missing my mommy, too. I didn't sleep well at all. I cried for 1 1/2 hours. Even G'pa got up to see if he could help. I was just not a happy camper. I wish my teeth would come in.

Tuesday: Mommy comes home tomorrow! Woo hoo! G'ma and I had a picnic inside because it was really hot outside. Mommy said she was wearing pants and a sweatshirt. I didn't want to wear anything. I don't like hot. Tonight I kicked G'pa out of bed, so I could sleep with G'ma. He had to sleep on the couch, and I ruled the bed. :)
Wednesday: I get to see my mommy and daddy tonight! Yeah hoo! I can hardly wait. G'ma said I made a big mess in the "dorm" for her to clean up. I told her she should see my house. It's always messy because of me! My mommy called and said there was something wrong with her bus. I don't really know what that means, but I don't think I like the sound of it. G'ma took me to my house before bath time and bedtime. It was great to see my toys again, and my bed! I missed that place! Mommy and Daddy didn't make it home until Thursday morning really early. I saw them when I woke up. I was so happy to see them, but I was kind of confused as to where G'ma was. I missed her too!

My trip was lots of fun, and a little calmer than Mommy and Daddy's. They said they would take me to Colorado sometime to see the mountains. I think that sounds like fun, but I don't want to take a blue bus!

Rocky Mt. High

If you wondered why I was absent for a while, we (Justin & I) were in Colorado at Rocky Mt. High (for room sake we will now refer to Rocky Mt. High as RMH) with our youth group. What an amazing experience! Pull up a chair, pop some popcorn, crack out a soda. This will be a novel people...

Let's just start from the beginning...

Justin & I have been sponsors for our church for three years. I've been looking forward to going to RMH for 3 years...until I realized something...one-year-olds do not go to RMH...

So, I had to get over the fact that I wouldn't see Leo every day for the rest of my life, sometime right!?! I sure didn't think it would be when he was one! So I worried, and I worried about silly things, "would he forget me, would he still love me, will he sleep for my mom, will he eat for her, will she shake him in the night because he doesn't sleep?" Don't judge me until you've had him scream for 1 1/2 hours and you have no idea why. I wouldn't shake him because I'm his mom, but would someone else shake him? I didn't know. Seriously, Mom, I didn't think you would shake him, but in my irrational mind, even Justin would...Ok, back to RMH.

I was so busy worrying about Leo, I forgot to worry about the trip. I get motion sick, I hate heights, I can't squat, and I have a touchy stomach. What in the world did I sign on for?!?!! (Um, wake up Sara, God had you do this!)

So it was the day we were supposed to leave, and I called Sabrina and asked her to go to Pizza Hut for lunch. I thought Leo would like it as a treat before I abandoned him for 5 days. Bad idea. The food made me super sick (well, maybe it was the nerves). So I spent Friday afternoon laying on the floor in my bathroom while Leo slept off his three slices of pizza. (Side note: the kid is going to eat us out of house and home before he graduates, not that I want to think of his graduation...tear...2026...I think I have a while to fret.)

Justin got home from work, we packed, ate dinner, played with Leo, gave him a bath and put him to bed. Pretty uneventful. I could feel the tears welling inside, but I was strong, and kept them in...until about 12:30 AM (our bus left at 2 AM). That's when it hit me...if I break my arm or leg, I can't go! It was brilliant! It would work! Oh, wait...I hate pain. Scratch that idea. I started crying uncontrollably at this point. I tried to sleep until 1:15 AM and I just cried in my bed instead. Leo woke up about the time we were leaving, and I could hear him crying as we left the house. Not the best feeling in the world. I was in such a tizzy that I forgot my glasses. Hello dummy, how do you plan on seeing anything? Thank goodness for Justin; he walked back to our house and got them before the bus left.

We loaded the bus and took off. The ride to Colorado did go pretty fast. I only called once on the way up to see how Leo was doing. (I had bad reception...) Soon we were going up the mountains, and I was getting excited to see some things I hadn't seen in a while. We got to the park and realized we weren't in the fancy dorms, we were "slumming" it. :) I was staying in the room with Cheryl, Kayla & Molly. We, Cheryl and I, made an executive decision that we would NOT be sharing the double bed, so we resorted to the bunks. Ok, so remember my fear of heights..., being the good sport that I am (and remembering to respect my elders, sorry Cheryl, I could NOT pass that one up! ;)) I said I'd sleep on the top bunk. Yikes!

First day, Saturday, uneventful. The weather was nice, the speakers were good, the kids were well behaved, but still something was off. I could tell my heart just wasn't there yet ~ My body was, but my heart and spirit were back in Iowa with a certain little boy. (Who, by the way, was having a great day. More on his vacation in another post. I'm waiting on pictures.)

Sunday, Day 2. Uneventful, Weather:good, speakers:good, kids: good, shopping: rip off...another story...another day... Pretty much the same as the first day, only I had salt water taffy. Leo had done really well for my mom, in fact, slept 12 hours. I was beginning to relax, and enjoy myself. I'm not really sure when it clicked in my mind, but God loves Leo even more than me, he would keep him safe, and He wouldn't let him forget me! He brought us to this amazing place, and I needed to focus on that! So I went to bed on Sunday feeling really energized ~ which would prove to be important!

Monday, Day 3. 4:30 AM. Time to climb the mountain. Yep, Sabrina, Kayla & Brittany had successfully conned me into climbing Hallet's Peak. What in the world was I thinking? Fear of squatting...had to do it twice. Not nearly as bad as poor Kiley! I love you Kiley! :) Ashley, Jeremy, Danielle, Kiley & I were determined to climb this mountain, and we sang a few High School Musical songs, but we made it! And the view was breath taking! It was worth it. Really, Ashley, it was! (She said she wouldn't ever do it again, unless she was paid over 1.5 million dollars!) On the way down, Justin, Sawyer, Brittany, Brett, Kiley and I were caught in the rain. I was going to fast and fell on my hip. Oops! I felt like a total dork, but that's nothing new! Here are a few pictures of the trek:



The view from about 1/3 of the way up. Yes, we are higher than the trees!

Justin, Kayla, Sabrina, me, Brittany and Brett at Bear Lake, which is on the very bottom of the mountain. Little did I know what lies ahead!

Here we are at the top of Flat Top Peak. I thought this was the top. I swear I didn't believe Sabrina for about 15 minutes that we had to go to the top of the peak you see in the background. Yes, we did, and yes, I did!!!

Sabrina and I on the top of Flat Top Peak, after I finally believed I wasn't going to make it up the mountain! But I did! I kept thinking when Leo comes here in a few years, if he climbs the mountain he will think I was so brave and strong for doing it. Or, maybe he will think I was so stupid!

We finished the climb, went back to camp, took a nap, and then went to our evening speaker. It was Ken Davis. He was really good, and asked the kids to recommit their lives to Christ. It was so awesome to see the Holy Spirit move in our kids. I think over 15 kids recommitted that night. It was just amazing. I have goose bumps and tears in my eyes again! What a sight!

Tuesday, Day 4. Weather: awesome, Speakers: super, Kids: great. Can you tell my mood was much better? Our morning session talked about purity. It was really in your face, and it was just what the kids needed. We talked about finding an accountability partner, someone you tell your sins to, and they hold you accountable for your actions. Let's just say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my partner! You know who you are, and I'm so thankful for you! It was just an amazing day. These pictures are from that day:

Our whole group! Quite the crew!


Our seniors! (some of them weren't able to go and they were missed!) I will miss this class so much!

The sponsors! What fun we had.

So, back to our trip. Wednesday, Day 5. 13 hours until I see my little Leo! I was counting the minutes, seconds, 1/2 seconds, etc. until I could hold him in my arms. I guess it would be delayed a little more than 13 hours. As we were traveling out of Colorado, our bus broke down. Ok, not a big deal, God grant us patience. Um, yeah, 7 1/2 hours later, we loaded the bus again. We were broken down in a small town in Colorado. There were about 6 buildings in this town, and we spent 7 1/2 hours in three. Subway, Flying J's Cafe, and the Budget Host. As we went to the BH, the ambulance was there getting a guy who had passed out in the bar area. What a great opportunity to talk to our kids about alcohol. :) We finally loaded the bus at 7:30 PM. We've already been traveling for 12 hours. The kids were so good and didn't complain. We played cards and sat around:

I won! Ha ha girls!
Subway loved us! I think they tripled their yearly profits in about an hour!

The trip wore on. At Missouri Valley one of our girls got sick, and stayed sick until Sioux City. We stopped at the emergency room, and she ended up staying, poor thing. We got back into town at 5:45 AM. What a nightmare trip home!

All in all, it was a great trip. I love being involved in young people's faith walks. I once heard that when you go to Heaven, there are all the people that influnced you at the gates welcoming you in. I sure hope that I get to be at a lot of our kid's gates. Would I go back to RMH I was asked in church on Sunday? In a heartbeat~ wait, well, can Leo go too?

***Thank you to Scott & Amy for being our prayer partners! You did an awesome job with our pictures of Leo! I loved it! Thank you Melia for the bag with Leo's picture I loved it. And thanks Mom and Dad for watching Leo, taking pictures, and making us the scrapbook!

Too Hot

We are bad parents...
It was only 86 degrees outside, so we decided to take Leo for a little walk, so he could have some fresh air. Um, 86 degrees isn't bad until you add 100% humidity. Holy cow!
Poor Leo. His face was instantly red and he was sweaty. We took his shirt off, in hopes to help cool him down. He thought it was fun to ride around in his stroller with no shirt. His little belly was jiggling as we walked. It was pretty funny. :) Anyway, his cheeks stayed rosy, so we cut the ride short and came home to the air conditioning.
His new favorite thing to do is sit in the computer chair and watch the pictures flash on the screen. He likes to holler out the peoples names as they flash across the screen. He's entertained for hours...actually 5 minutes and then the computer goes to sleep. :)
Here are a few pictures of the very hot boy.
Here is the boy's dad acting like his typical self. Sorry Jus, I couldn't help myself. :) Love you long time!
***Side Note*** Our friends, Tim & Alyssa, are having a baby at the end of January! Yeah them!