stranded

Well, it's finally setting in that we'll be stranded in Omaha for Christmas. Earlier in the week I though it might be fun to be stranded, just the five of us, in our HOUSE (ugh, I can't imagine being stranded in our apartment!) for a few days.

But now that it's actually happening, I realize this is SO not how Christmas is supposed to be. We have family from Colorado, Ohio, and Honduras all home for Christmas, and unable to see them. :(

So, while we wait for the weather to clear up (and hopefully still leave on Sat) we have a few things planned:

*making Christmas goodies. really easy, simple, not cute versions, but still....
*ME making the entire Christmas dinner. this should be interesting. :)
*edible nativities for Christmas eve
*sugar cone Christmas trees for Christmas day
*lots of memory, since Santa will be bringing a princess AND a spiderman version. :)
*catch up on laundry I guess? :)
*enjoy these days of strandedness, with 3 healthy children, a roof over our heads, and a savior that was born for us.

suddenly I can't find much to complain about....

Halloween....a little late.

So, "someday" has come, and here's my Halloween post. :)

This year was really fun for Halloween. We were acutally in Orange City, so we just all jumped in the van to hit all the friends and family we could. As far as costumes go...

Lillian decided long ago that she wanted to be Elphaba. And while I loved the idea, I had no clue how I was going to find everything. BUT...after a few trips to the thrift store, and two different wigs from walmart, we scored. :) The only major issue I had was finding green face paint. I mean seriously, how many witch costumes do the sell at Walmart? the answer is close to a million. But the only face paint I could find was like, little tiny kits, to make little tiny scary things on your face. Definitely nothing to cover her whole face. But my mother in law found a recipe for homemade face paint.

On Friday she had her preschool Halloween party. They requested "friendly" costumes, so I was a little concerned about her showing up as a witch. I told her we might have to find a different costume for preschool. That's when she informed me that she had already discussed it with the teacher and the Auntie Anne's pretzel lady on pretzel day. She told them that Elphaba was not really scary, and that she just tries to help the animals, so she wouldn't be scary. The pretzel lady, I'm sure, got a total kick out of it, because apparently the two of them had a lengthy discussion about WICKED. :)

So on Friday while I was trying to do Lillian's makeup, it kind of kept soaking into her skin. it was a little strange, but in the end, she had a nice even greenish tint to her skin. Perfect. See?



oh, but wait...you couldn't even tell in the pictures! So then I decided that just for the scrapbook's sake, I'd picnik a few, just to give her the right look. And THAT really was perfect. see?



Oh, she was so cute. When we got to school, she was DELIGHTED to find her friend Alyssa dressed as a princess! She begged her to please be Glinda, instead of a princess, but of course Alyssa had no idea what that even meant, and insisted on being a princess. Lillian was HEARTBROKEN. (I told her that she could still pretend that Alyssa was Glinda, even though Alyssa thought she was a princess.) :)

Here they are: Elphaba and Glinda



So after school on Friday, we all headed up to Orange City. On Saturday we got the other kids dressed too, and all went trick-or-treating. While I was applying Lillian's makeup THIS time, Carla suggested I use a little makeup brush or something to get more paint on her skin, and to spread it out a little more (it was really clumpy because I hadn't used a lot of extra water like I had the day before). So we did that. And oh my. She looked like Elphaba the leper, with nasty, green, clumpy, disgusting skin.




and that's something that even picnik couldn't fix. :) So I apologize for the freaky looking skin for the rest of these pictures. Just pretend it looks like it did on Friday. :)

Josiah's costume was a frog, and good grief, have you ever seen a cuter little froggy?





Brielle got to use the costume that my mom made when Lillian was a year old. So that was really special. and she loved it.



We got to go with sweet pea Hazel too. Brielle was kinda the odd one out with no green...



And just for kicks, here are a few more photos, because that's the best part of Halloween (besides the candy of course, but the pictures last much longer, especially in this house!!!). :)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Since we decided to do a digital letter this year, we thought we should at least try to make it “fun.” So…Ready to sing?

In the year of two thousand nine, the good Lord gave to us…12 months in our house, 11 days of craft shows, 10 months of dance class, 9 million diapers, 8 months of freedom, 7 birthday parties, 6 grandkids playing, 5 KILOMETERS RUN! 4 days in Austin, 3 decades, 2 jobs for Steve, and a family that’s blessed beyond words.

12 months in our house:
2009 was the first full year in our house, and the best part is that now it really is ours! We were blessed to be “housesitting” for some friends of ours, and we ended up buying it! We loved the house to begin with, but in the last couple months, since it’s been OURS, we’ve really enjoyed making it our own. We have also realized how many little expenses come with owning a home, and for that reason, we decided to be smart (read: cheap) this year and send our Christmas cards digitally. (we know you just throw them away anyway…)

11 days of craft shows:
It’s crazy to think that last year at this time I was just starting to think about having my own business making hair bows and other girls’ hair accessories, and this year it’s in full swing! I started ‘the pinkadink’ in February of this year, and it’s been quite the journey. I had a table at 11 different craft shows this fall! It’s been fun, and a great way to get the word out, but man, I’m tired.  To keep busy til next “craft show season” I just started my very own website (www.thepinkadink.com) so I can still be taking orders! I love it! The sad news to share is that I will no longer be selling Creative Memories products after this year. I just had too much going on with the two businesses, and it was time to let one go.

10 months of dance class
Lillian had ten months of dance class in 2009, and while we’re sad to say it, she has decided it’s not for her. I think before preschool she really needed that class as a social outlet sort of, and now that she gets that from school every day, she really lost interest. It sure is nice to have no plans for Mondays though!

9 million diapers
Another adventure we found ourselves on this year was potty training! Josiah did GREAT and is fully trained, except for nights and naptime. But while Josiah was decreasing our diaper changing duties, Brielle was still going strong. And now she has a little competition. I started watching a little guy from church who is now almost 6 months old every day, and between the two of them, I feel like it’s been a 9 million diaper kind of year.

8 months of freedom
This summer was bitter sweet for us, as we knew that our life of freedom (sleeping in, staying in our pjs all day if we wanted, eating, playing, everything at our leisure) were dwindling down. We loved our 8 months of freedom, but in September Lillian started High 5, which is a 5 day/half day preschool for 5 year olds. She LOVES it, and in just a few months has grown by leaps and bounds!

7 birthday parties
This year Brielle turned ONE, Lillian turned FIVE, and Josiah turned THREE, and between the three of them, we had a host of birthday parties! Brielle’s favorite activities at this age are: screaming, hitting, playing in the toilet, and eating cheese! She’s a little pistol, and we’re learning a lot, as neither of the other two kids were like her at all. Lillian’s favorite activities are: watching cartoons, coloring, practicing reading, playing with the neighbors, and singing Taylor Swift songs. Josiah loves playing trucks, trains, baseball, “honey and sweetie,” and jumping off the stairs. While life seems to be flying by, we truly enjoy this time with the little ones around.

6 grandkids playing
In Feb of this year my niece was born! Hazel Faye joined the family and we couldn’t be happier. She is my first niece, so it’s been fun giving her all sorts of pinkadink stuff. That makes SIX grandkids on the Smits side, and while we’re still flying solo on the Hydeen side, the family will be growing next year! In April, Steve’s sister Erika is getting married to Will, and Steve and I will both be in the wedding. I’m looking forward to an in-law on the Hydeen side!

5 kilometers run
In May, Maria and I ran the 5K together at Tulip Festival. It was my first race since high school, and it turns out my body is STILL not a fan of running. It was fun to set a goal and reach it though. And while 3.2 miles or whatever might not seem like that big of a deal to YOU, it was to me.

4 days in Austin
Steve still keeps busy with 88improv, and once again, his team traveled to Austin, Texas for the Out Of Bounds festival there. He always has a good time performing and spending time with his friends. They don’t seem to get much time to just hang out here, so that’s something they really enjoy.

While he was busy in Austin, the rest of us went camping with some of the Smits gang. It was our first (out of 3) camping trips that wasn’t full of thunder, lightening, and RAIN this year! We did, however, hear a train every few hours in the night (a LOUD train, which was very CLOSE to us) and poor Josiah got freaked out by the excessive mooing from the cows in the morning. But hey, that’s what you get when camping in Iowa.

3 decades
On September 1st, Steve turned THIRTY! Because of a late labor day this year, we were glad to have him home on his birthday (usually he’s in Austin)! To celebrate, we brought cake to the improv show for the team and all the audience members. Lillian and Josiah got to go with me, so it was a fun night for everyone. Steve and I also celebrated earlier in the summer when we went to see Coldplay in concert here in Omaha. It was such a great night, and we wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Another fun outing we had as a couple this past summer was finally getting to see WICKED! I’d been wanting to see that show for YEARS now, and finally got to go! It was incredible.

2 jobs for Steve
Steve has actually had the same job, just at two different locations this year. But if you ask me, it seems an awful lot like two completely different jobs. He started the year at Methodist Hospital where he had a small property and was able to call most regular guests by name. Now he’s at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. While it was a major promotion and an honor to be chosen to get that job, it’s been quite a headache (literally) for him. It’s the biggest contract that his company has, and he works lots and lots of hours and (if you ask me) does not really get the appreciation that he deserves. But in this time of economic uncertainty and such, we feel so blessed that Steve has a job that can provide for our family

And a family that’s blessed beyond words
It’s truly amazing to us that God has known the whole plan for our little life forever. And as He slowly reveals the path to us, we realize that He really does know what He’s doing. And we’re so thankful for all He’s given us, especially in sending his son. I’m not sure there are too many things I’d give my kids up for, if any. It truly makes me realize what a sacrifice it was, to send His son, and watch him suffer on this earth. We serve a loving God, and I’m so thankful for that special birth so long ago. It was for us…

because a thankful heart is a happy heart

I thank God for this day,
For the sun in the sky,
For my mom and my dad,
For my piece of apple pie!

For our home on the ground,
For His love that's all around,
That's why I say thanks every day!

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have,
That's an easy way to start!
For the love that He shares,
'Cause He listens to my prayers,
That's why I say thanks every day!

I thank God for this day
for some time to play outside,
for the birds in the trees,
for His love that's deep and wide.
For the air that I breathe,
for my friends and family.
That's why I say thanks every day!

I thank God for this night
for the stars in the sky,
for my mom and my dad,
for this special lullaby.
For a chance to have friends
for the ways that I am blessed.
That's why I say thanks every day!

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart.
I'm glad for what I have,
that's an easy way to start!
For the love that He shares,
'Cause He listens to my prayers,
That's why I say thanks every day!

-Veggie Tales

I know that I should say thanks every day. But I'm not sure I do. That's why I'm thankful for Thanksgiving day, actually. It's really a season for me. I know all year 'round that I'm blessed. But I don't actively think about it every day like I do in this season.

And here are some things I'm especially thankful for this year:

These guys. and yes, that's one of our Christmas card pictures. You get to see it early. :)



This guy. He's my all.



This house, which is actually mine now. :)


These guys.


These friendships.


That I got THIS for as long as I did.


and a few other things that I don't have pictures of:
*my freedom. and the men and women that fight for it. and the fact that my husband is not one of them.
*that I am absolutely, 100% loved and accepted by Christ, even when I think I'm not good enough
*that my kids are healthy. I can't imagine going through what way too many parents are going through right now.
*Tom, Carla, Erika, and Christa, who I can't seem to find a good picture of. They are a wonderful family who have loved me since I was 16, and still love me, and SHOW it. :)
*that my kids are growing up having everything could possibly need, but not everything they could possibly want.

I live a blessed life. and that's why I "should" say thanks every day.

someday...

someday I'm going to write a post about the second annual "Grandma Sharon Days" celebration we had last month.

and someday I'm going to upload my halloween pictures so y'all can see how cute my kids were on that day.

and someday I'm going to do all the laundry that piled up while I was catching up on laundry. (how does that work like that????)

and someday I'm going to turn back into the mom I used to be instead of contributing to the stressed out craziness that has taken over this home.

and someday I'm going to find my container of 2T clothes, since Brielle is already wearing that size. (if you borrowed it, could you let me know???)

and someday I'm going to take a chunk of time and hang out with my husband and just be with him, and maybe do some things that have been on the "to do" list for a long time, but mostly just BE with my best friend whom I miss terribly, even though he lives in the same house. :( in fact, that someday might be tomorrow. who wants to babysit?

someday I"m going to make myself get up early, even though my kids sleep in, and get stuff done so I feel a little more on top of the game.

But TODAY I'm going to do ONE load of laundry, make as many bows as I can for my TWO craft shows tomorrow, try my hardest to sing and dance instead of yell, take pictures of my new products (but not post them yet) for my etsy site, tend to the four kiddos i have in my care today, and show you some pictures that the wonderful ALISON took for us. That link goes straight to her blog.

*to see the rest:

go to www.alisonbickel.com
click "enter the site"
click on "clients"
password is hydeen.

isn't she awesome?

okay, that's what I'm going to do today.

my sunday afternoon nap

Okay, it was actually a Sunday MORNING nap, but I wasn't going to mention that we skipped church. But now you know. We skipped church.

anyway, Steve put a movie in for the kids and sat down on the couch to watch it with them. And so I laid down on his lap.

It was a strange feeling. I hadn't done that for so long. I felt so young. I think part of it is that every time I lay on his lap I'm instantly taken back to that one night when I was 15, at the Huisman house (full of the usual 10-15 teenagers), and I caught a glimpse of Jaci Kluis laying on Steve's lap. It was more like just resting her head on his leg, but all I could think about that night was that I wanted it to be MY head on his leg.

man, I still remember it like yesterday.

So on days like Sunday, I felt young again. Like we were dating. except for the random and frequent "beeps" to my nose and pokes in my eyes by the one year old, the 5 year old sharing the lap with me and sitting on my hair every time she repositioned, and the almost-3-year-old sitting on my legs. :)

just another day in paradise. :)

I feel like Jessie Spanno

hey people.

I realize I haven't posted in forever, and that's just fine with me. I've been feeling spread a little thin lately, and the blog is always the first to go.

I've been busy buying a house, taking care of 4 kiddos, seeing how much crap my family can eat before I actually make a grocery list and go to the store, and doing craft shows galore (and PREPARING for them). It's a busy time of year.

One other thing I definitely don't have time for these days is money saving. "no time...there's never any time...." I usually try to price match my groceries, find good deals on websites, and things of the sort. BUT...here are some things I'm doing intentionally to hopefully save in some ways that will help balance where I've been spending.

Okay wait. It's not really SOME THINGS. It's ONE thing. But it's what I can do. :)

I've just been trying to be very conscious about how much of _________ I'm using. For example, I'm using slightly less laundry detergent with each load. I haven't been able to tell a difference yet. And a little less shampoo, and a little less toothpaste (still plenty, though).

a little less mayonnaise.
a little less mousse.
a little less dishwasher detergent.
a little less of whatever.

I figure for every time I use less ____________, all those little amounts I'm saving will end up adding up to a few more weeks of using that product before I have to buy more.

isn't it easy? easy is good.

ALSO...
I'm going to make a blog post telling "all" my readers (ha ha..) about my friends who make or sell products. I think networking is so important for home based businesses or direct sales, so I want to do my part. If you make or sell something and would like to be on my "list," email me at andreahydeen@gmail.com and give me the info you want posted. Hopefully we can all use each other to get some shopping done for Christmas and spread the word about our businesses!

(four score and) FIVE YEARS AGO...

It feels like it really could be four score and five years ago. I can't remember what life was like without her. And I feel like she's been with us forever. But she's only five.

and I think, seriously? We've lived all that 'life,' and it's only been five years?

Of course I remember the day she was born. It was a long long long day. It turned into a potential emergency c-section, but then bam! there she was! (well, not really bam.) and my life was changed forever.

My heart had no idea what it was in for.

and here we are, only five years later, with a PERSON on our hands. A person with thoughts, feelings, and words that are HERS. A girl with a huge heart and gift of empathy. who loves princesses, and dolls, and all things pink. A girl who looks an awful lot like her mommy at that age, but has a personality all her own. A girl who is dying to be Elpheba for Halloween. a girl who told her mommy, "it's okay mommy, you don't need makeup to look beautiful" and still loves her after forgetting her birthday cupcakes for her preschool class.

I had no idea I would love so deeply. I had no idea I COULD love so deeply.

Happy 5th birthday Lillian Grace. Your life has changed me forever, and I know it will change others forever too. I love you.

9.21.04


9.21.09

never let go

So, Brielle started walking. And this whole process has really got me thinkin...

She's really been able to walk for a while now. She could do it. She just wouldn't. So she'd hang on to my hand, and not let go. not for anything. And if my hands were busy, she'd hold my leg.



It was like she felt like she could do ANYTHING, as long as she was holding on. She'd be so excited about the littlest things, and look up at me with big eyes, hoping for approval. But she didn't want to let go.

And then every so often, she'd test the waters. She'd take a step or two on her own. But that's it. A step or two. And she'd come back and grab my hand, feeling safe again. But every so often she'd fall flat on her face before she came back to me. She'd come crying, and I thought she'd never let go again.

Yet sometime this past weekend she walked a little more. She'd start at the couch and walk away, only to turn around and head back to the couch again. Little circles, but always back to where it was safe.

And I realized that I want to be like that.

I want to NEED my Father's hand in mine. I want to think I can do ANYTHING when I'm holding on. I want to know the ONLY safe place. And if I can't reach His hand, I want to hold on to His leg. Anything to feel close, to feel safe. And if I try things out on my own, I want to run back to Him. I want to turn myself right around and go back to safety.

I think a little two often I think I can do it on my own. so I do. And I fall flat on my face. And when it hurts, I realize why I fell. I can't do it on my own.

I want to never let go.

the after preschool post

if you haven't read the before preschool post yet, read that one first to hear about leading up to this very special day.

as for this post:

well, one day down and not much to share! Lillian said preschool was "awesome" and she got to be the helper today! She did things like call on the class with a pointer thing, lead the line to the playground, put the sign up for the parents to come, and probably other things that she's too exhausted to talk about.

and they made some rules. and got new shirts.

all in all, it was a great day.

that's about all I know. And I think she'll sleep well tonight. :)

the before preschool post

Okay. We survived. Lillian is, as I type, in her first day of preschool.

This past weekend we were camping, and I reminded her that 'the day after tomorrow' she would go to preschool. And she freaked out. Like, loud whooping and hollering type of freak out, early in the morning. And she said, "Mom! I've been waiting SO LONG for this day! I get to go to PRESCHOOL!" She was pretty excited.

And last night we were talking about our big girl. I was pretending to be the teacher, and asked about everyone's long holiday weekend, and she told me all about camping with her aunties and making s'mores, her favorite part.

She was still excited, but I could tell that there was a little more apprehension now that it was real. So I talked about fun stuff, like when she'll get to be the star student, and bring five things to show that are special to her and tell about her. And she said, "like my HOPE rock?" Her hope rock is a rock that was actually my mom's. When Maria and I were cleaning out her old stuff, I found an old pink purse, with her license and tons of stuff in it, including the hope rock. So I thought Lillian would love to have it, and I was right. But she hasnt' talked about the hope rock for months. But I guess it's pretty special to her. :)

So she finally went to bed after lots of "but mommy I'll miss you"s and such. I was a bit concerned taht she'd be stuck to my leg crying, or even worse, trying NOT to cry when I left her at preschool the next day.

But today was another story. She woke up excited, and even got herself dressed. The only problem was that the outfit was terrible. She chose and orange shirt with a pink plaid skirt. I did all but beg and plead with her to pick a different outfit, but when she told me that it was really important to her to wear these clothes, I decided I was being ridiculous, not her. So instead of all the adorable MATCHING outfits that sit waiting in her closet (thanks Grandma Carla!), she chose that one. and after a very LONG morning full of BOREDOM (her new thing...always being bored), it was time to eat lunch and go to preschool.

So we did.

We dropped her off, helped her put her supplies in the supply pile, took a few pictures, and out we went. I didn't cry. She didn't cry. She just looked at me and said, "Mommy, I love you so much, and I'm so excited, and I'll see you at 3:00." (She wanted to say the 3:00 part because that's waht Hannah said.) :)

I'm not sure if it was because all the other moms were there totally holding it together, or because I was so concentrated on getting my double stroller up and down the ramp and into the little portable classroom, or what, but I left the classroom with dry eyes. :) Until I got to the van. And then I cried. But just a little.

On our way home I heard this little peep from the back seat. "Mama? I want Gracie." Over and over and over again. The whole way home. Bless his little heart. He's NEVER been without his big sister, except at MOPS a few times last year. It totally broke my heart. into a million little bits. That part was probably harder than leaving Lilian.

Okay, so in a half hour we go and get her again. Steve had to be at work at 5 am today, so he's leaving early so he can be there to pick her up too. I'm so excited. I know she'll love it.

All my fears are conquered. I survived the parking lot/drop off thing, which I was very concerned about. I found out that there are at least THREE kids in her class that have food allergies, so she's not the only one with separate snacks, etc. AND, she was still excited when I left the building. So far so good.

Here's a little video and a few photos of our big girl BEFORE the big day:









Okay, and for the video you have to turn your neck a little. :) sorry...I always forget that. And I just have to say that she got the "stage presence" from her daddy. I guess it's more "camera presence," because it does NOT exist on stage lately. (she won't even do free dance during her dance class bc she thinks all the moms are watching her.) anyway, she definitely 'turns it on' for the camera. :)

the winds of change

Today was a rainy rainy day. It was such a bummer to not go play outside. And today it really hit me. My life is going to dramatically change next week. For almost forever.

Yes, next week I start babysitting N (gotta do the initial thing again, sorry. but at least it's not as confusing as I). But that won't seem like major change. I'm ready for that. I'm excited for that. He'll just blend in here. :)

But the change that will be almost forever is the school thing. okay, so it's only a preschool thing, but still. This is the very last week of my life for a REALLY long time that I don't have any kids in school every day. I mean, think about it...for the next 23 years or so I'll have kids in school (if they go to college). No more random quick trips to Orange City. No more day trips to the lake. (well, maybe in the summer I guess, if I'm not babysitting.) It's so strange. I'm kinda sad.

So, on one of the very last days of our life in this phase, Lillian decided to take it all in, rain or shine. here's my so-excited-for-pre-school (and the fact that she doesn't need quiet time anymore) girl, livin and lovin being a kid. (forgive the bad photography, but I was not about to head out there with her just for the sake of clear pictures.) :)







and an air shot!


Well, winds of change, feel free to take your time blowing over here. I kinda like this phase.

the post of birthdays past

Here's a bunch of pictures from birthdays gone by. For those of you who don't know, I was born on my big sister's 5th birthday. It has been so fun for us to share a birthday for 28 years now. We SO treasure the years we get to celebrate together (like last year, even though we forgot to take a picture). As you'll see, our mom did a really great job of taking pictures every year, even though she always beat herself up about her photo taking and photo keeping. I think they're mostly in order. And only a few years of my childhood are missing. As I got older I guess I didn't care as much about birthday pictures.

so...without further ado, my birthdays:

the first one:


the third one: (okay, so I just posted this, and now realize that technically, if I count my actual birthday as the first one, then all these numbers are wrong. but I"m not changing them all. so by third one, I mean when I turned 3, not technically my 3rd birthday. does that make sense?)


the fourth one:


the fifth one: (yes, I wore the same shirt two birthdays in a row)



the sixth one:


the seventh one:


the eighth one: this first picture isn't very good, but the memory is so clear. The Ulmers were visiting us in CA and we got to go to Pizza Hut. It was AWESOME!


And I think (because of my sweet bangs) this was the same year:


the ninth one:


the tenth one: a huge bday in the Smits household. we got to have a SLUMBER PARTY when we turned ten. Here I am with my friends Stephanie, Christine, Rebecca, Darcy (some of you know her!), Julie, and Kelly


We moved back to Iowa. A birthday at the Ulmer house- 710 S. Main :)


Onto the middle school years. I'm pretty sure this is my 13th bday


Check out my very excited friends. :) Aubyn, Steph, and Renee.


Birthday during a camping trip. 15 years old.


AWESOME birthday when I went to visit Ang in Chicago. 17 I think.




My first birthday in college. Mom and dad came to Fern to see me.


Last year. Not sure what I did any of the years between that last picture and this one. There is no documentation at all. weird.


And this is what I look like today! 28! (Lillian picked the smiley face cake, which you can hardly see anyway, but this was the least blurry picture.)