Misty-eyed

Well, I'll admit it.  I got very misty-eyed this morning when my sweet kiddos happily hopped onto the school bus. I don't think I've really realized how much I have enjoyed having them home and not having a routine lately.  It was odd to have a quiet house today.  Not bad really...just odd :)  Ash was pretty subdued.  Logan almost didn't know what to do with himself and all the quiet.  He got stuck in a chair, shredded some fake snow, ate some questionable things under the dinner table and had a melancholy day. I spend my day wading through fondant and dying my hands various colors of blue and red.  Oh the excitement.  Tonight was our busiest night in weeks.  Ash and Shelb starting ice-skating lessons, Dylan started basketball (Upwards at our church).  All three kiddos loved their new activity.  Even Logan was super excited to chase his favorite things around a gym for an hour (Balls!) :)  It was a full day...a good day...but I still can't get out of my head how nice it was to be shut-ins for the last few days and just enjoy playing around the house and staying in pj's.  Tomorrow is another school delay.  It snowed again tonight so I'm guessing that's the slick culprit.  But, this mama is going to bed.  I need to get up super early and put together this nautical cake I'm doing for Logan's 1st shindig at Kev's parents.  I am realizing that there is no way I'm gonna get all I have planned out done.  I'm bummed about that, but time/weather/school delays are not on my side.  I am even considering having Ash skip her 1 hour of preschool tomorrow b/c what is the point of driving her there just to pick her up 30 mins later??  Wish me luck tomorrow...I will need it in order to prioritize and give up certain things.  You know I hate to leave things unfinished, but alas...I will have to this time.

Hopefully next week I can actually have some decent picture-filled posts :)

Back to School! :)

Well, tomorrow it's officially back to the grind...at least for the kiddos!  School is back in session.  I think this is good news for everyone involved.  Don't get me wrong...having 2.5 weeks off from the normal crazy schedule has been nice...but I think we are all in need of some scheduling again.  I am sure I will regret saying that in a week or two when we are caught up in the craziness...but for now it's time to get back at it.  And only having a day and a partial day of school will be a good way to ease into it.  My day will be spent trying to finally unpack and get the house in order...oh, and make a cake and plan a party for Saturday :) 

I will say that I am gonna sorta miss my shut-in days with the kids. As much as we got some cabin fever, it was lovely to actually not be able to leave the house.  There is something to be said about being hermits and not having to drive around like mama's taxi service.  It was nice in many regards.  Also it was beyond lovely to sleep in every day.  I will definitely miss that!  Tomorrow the dark sheet comes off our window and Logan will be allowed to wake up early again (yes, we did this and it worked pretty well!) :)

Anyway...today we actually ventured out of our home.  First time in 3 days.  I can't remember the last time we've been homebound that long!  Hailey went to a friend's and the other youngin's and I went shopping.  I'm sure you can imagine how fun that was. But I think I am all shopped out for Logan's bday party and now just need to get moving on party prep.  I sure wish I had my mom around today.  I baked my little booty off and it made me realize how grateful I am to her for all the baking she did for Logan's real bday.  She was awesome getting all that done before we arrived to FL.  I will say we had one scary moment today....eating dinner tonight.  Poor Shelby...she was scarfing down her taco and choked...badly. She was turning blue and very scared.  Hailey was the first to her rescue and started the heimlich.  Thankfully she didn't need it and the taco shell went down after some struggle. But, she was very scared and rightfully so.  I think she'll be sticking to her normal soft taco shell from now on.  Sweet Shelb. 

It's off to bed early so I can get up early (well sorta...it's a 2 hour delay)...but I need to get my mind back in the groove of making school lunches and getting backpacks organized.  Breaks are good, but this almost felt like a mini-summer vacation (well, minus the non-warm weather :)). 

sun, warmth, palmtrees, pools and beaches...

...dreaming of these and a few other FL things on day 3 of subarctic temps....

...I hear a warm-up is on the way and if I'd been outside today I might have noticed we are now in single digits instead of double negatives. 

...but I wouldn't know b/c it has been day number 2 of us being "shut-ins"....and day number 3 is on the horizon (yes, another school closing tomorrow).

I have come to realize I am not going to be able to plan the party I wanted for Logan on Saturday. And I have to be ok with that. I can't do it with all the kids home and a vehicle that I can't get all the kids into to run errands (we did get the driver door open, but none of the other doors will open, thus it's difficult to travel with kids).  So....I will have to learn to simplify things and continue to roll with the punches. I should have known last Dec. 27 that God was giving me this boy to teach me a few things about how I can't be in control.  He is continuing to do that even a year later :) 

Here's to another snow day!  Any FL folks who want to send warm thoughts (and temps!) our way, I'll take them!

Artic Indiana

Brrrrrr.....

It's the coldest I think it's been here in Bloomy in 20 years.  Close to -40 with the windchill (yes, there is a negative in front of that number!). 

I don't think I've ever wished for warmth, sunshine and palm trees like I do today!  I closed my eyes a couple times today and sped back to last week where I was actually in FL enjoying 70+ degree weather and pools.  But that is just a far off dream today... 

It snowed and then mostly rained yesterday. This was not good considering the temps dropped drastically and now everything is ice.  Kev tried to go to work today and he had his Yukon on for 30 mins and the sheet of ice on his windshield never melted.  It's that bad :(  I stuck my head out the back door today only to write "too cold" in the snow.  We couldn't even go out and play in this kind of weather.  We are under an advisory not to drive anywhere.  Thankfully we are not under Indianapolis' warning where no driving is allowed at all and the National Guard is out.  We have hardly any food in our house now and might need to venture to the store tomorrow.  I never stocked up after vacation.  Not that it mattered. I saw pics of Kroger on Saturday and there was nothing left on the shelves.   

So, yes, we are snow day number one of 2014 (2nd of the school year).  Another snow day is on the cards already for tomorrow.  I often love snow days and normally January is a great time to have that, but after a very busy Christmas and just getting back from vacations and trying to throw together a bday party for Logan on Saturday with the Stegs...well, I really needed this week to hit the stores, plan and unpack.  None of that is happening with all the kids home for two extra days.  Oh well.  I honestly think God is teaching me almost daily to just "go with the flow" more and to let more things go.  As much as my mind protests, I am starting to get better at being more flexible :)

So instead of the kids going back to school and me cleaning and party planning, we spent the day staying warm in the house...making gingerbread houses (nothing like dragging Christmas out as long as we can...ya' know b/c it's my fav holiday and all!)...but I had bought the ingredients a month ago and figured we'd may as well use them.  Then the kids just played on electronics most of the day...and Ash went to a friend's.  Now it's movie night and time to settle down early.  Hopefully tomorrow I can start posting more pics...of our great Christmas celebrations, time in FL, Logan's bday and our snow fun yesterday (Shelb made Olaf (from Frozen) in the front yard :)).

Fav part of the day was watching Logan try to eat his gingerbread house...very daintily, might I add...one finger full of frosting at a time.  Very cute.  He is getting the hang of eating real food...even though it's not healthy food :)  Also loved him sitting at the table with us today eating a real meal. He would only eat if the food was put on his spoon.  He's a character.  So, the snow day wasn't all bad...we did have a couple laughs over our Lil' Logan...there is truly never a dull moment with him around :) 

Peace out and stay warm to all our neighboring midwesterners!

Hailey's 812 Magazine Article

Yesterday, on the day of her awesome SAB news, her article (in 812 magazine) was also published (the one she was interviewed for a couple months back)...

Hailey Stegemoller, ballet dancer

OUR DEPARTMENTS, WHAT I'VE LEARNED, WINTER/SPRING 2014 | January 4, 2014 | 0 Comments

This teen lets her body do the talking.

By Rachel Wisinski

Hailey Stegemoller, 13, is in the most advanced level of the Pre-College Ballet Program at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in Bloomington. She has danced at the School of American Ballet’s summer program in New York twice on full merit scholarship. /Photo courtesy of Kelly Stegemoller
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beyond typical teenage behaviors such as shopping at the mall with her friends, 13-year-old Hailey Stegemoller focuses on one thing – ballet. She enrolled in the Pre-College Ballet Program through the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in Bloomington when she was five. Since then, she has participated in the School of American Ballet’s summer program in New York twice on full merit scholarship. Now at the most advanced level of ballet at Jacobs, she shares with 812 how to stay en pointe.

Getting out of your comfort zone is a great way to gain knowledge.

I took part in summer intensive programs away from home to train more. We got to meet famous teachers and dancers from the New York City Ballet. There are new teachers, new people in your class you have to work with, new techniques you have to learn to use and adapt to. And being away from home is a different situation. It’s challenged my artistry to let go but still have strong technique and make it look effortless even though it’s not.

Everything is easier with a support system.

My friends in the studio at Jacobs are great for guidance. They help you become a better dancer because they push you. They can help you do corrections if they’re better on one step than you. We’ve been together for a long time, so we all know each other. Having ties of friendship is great because they’re always going to be there and help you through things.

Taking advantage of educational opportunities is key.

It’s great to have live music during class at Jacobs. Most schools use CDs, but this prepares us for performances, and we get used to a live audience. It’s also great to have a big stage because we’re able to move a lot and aren’t stuck in a small space.

Keeping a positive attitude can help you overcome challenges.

One of my biggest challenges was not getting the role of Clara for The Nutcracker, but you have to learn to deal with it and work toward the next one. Your chance will come some other time. It’s nice to get recognition because you know you’re improving and doing well. It gives you self-confidence, so you push yourself further into technical training. I was chosen to be Cinderella for the Pre-College Program’s ballet last spring, and it showed me I have grown a lot, enough to get the main role in a ballet.

Ballet enriches life in other ways.

Ballet is a nice way to move and feel free. It’s a good stress reliever. I get into the studio, and everything outside class goes away. I’m able to move and be artistic. I’ve found my creative self through ballet, and I’m able to express myself through the steps and motions. I really enjoy diving at the IU Outdoor Pool, and the flexibility with ballet helps with diving. The agility helps it come more naturally.

Big Apple Bound...Again!! :)

Well our lil' Steg fam is on cloud nine tonight after some amazing news for our ballerina today...

It was audition day for our sweet Hays....remember...the audition that we had to rearrange our whole vacation for...the one we thought certainly couldn't be til after winter break.  Well all that agonizing turned into some amazing news.  The past two year's she's auditioned and gotten news within a week of her acceptance and scholarship...but this time it was immediate.  The co-chair asked her on the spot to attend the program on scholarship.  Not something we expected at all, but something we were extremely happy about....shocked, yes, but extremely happy.  So, so, so thrilled for my Hays and this opportunity to attend SAB (School of American Ballet) in NYC again this summer.  A dream come true for her to be a part of this school of ballet again and to live and learn in the Big Apple.  It's becoming like her second home and ours too.  We are already talking about all the fun we're going to have there sight-seeing (and, yes, I do remember we agonized over bringing a family of 7 there for vacation...but we're crazy enough to consider doing it again!) :)  So proud of our Hays and so grateful to the good Lord for laying out this path in her life and allowing her dream to be fulfilled.  Here I was a little worried last night about her getting sick before this audition (either with Kev's flu or Dylan's pukes), about her not having danced in 3 weeks, about her being cramped in a van for 2 days (bad for ballerina legs :))...this will show me that God is in control and to trust Him and to also trust the abilities he's given our girl.  Yay for Hays!! 

Back to the grind :)

Well, we are home as of about an hour ago.  Back to snowy, 20 degree Bloomy....wishing we were sitting by the pool in sunshiney 80 degree Ft. Laud like we were two nights ago.

But, it was a good trip...an awesome trip...a whirlwind trip...a truly treasured time with family and friends.  I felt very blessed as I reflected on it all on the car ride home.

You can be sure I will post more about the fun but here are the highlights...

1. Logan turning ONE and celebrated in warm, sunny style at the house I grew up in.  We rolled into FLL just hours after he officially turned the big 1 (about 4am on 12/27).  He met Auntie Susie for the first time on his 1st bday, played by the pool, stuck his feet in a cold pool, ate a popcycle, took a 4 hour nap (yikes!), and celebrated with all our Gritz fam. and some friends.  It was a good day, a fun day and I am so, so grateful to my parents and Aunt Sue and Kev and the kids who all worked together to make his bday special in FL (b/c you know I had it in my head to have a perfect party at home...but I think it was good for me to give up some control...and I was so tired that day that I didn't overdo it with any of the cake stuff or anything :)).  Thanks to all who came to his party.  The little guy had a ton of fun. He was very dainty-ish with his cake though...just ate pieces here and there and didn't make a huge mess like I thought he would :)  Pics to come of his fun bday adventure.

2.  Loved, loved, loved spending time with my Aunt Sue whom we've hadn't seen in many years.  Having her there for this trip and all these special memories was probably my most favorite part of the trip. I was reminded again how fun she is and what a special person she is in our lives (not that I had forgotten this)  Even though we rarely see her she always makes such a great effort to be a part of our lives.  I hope we can see even more of her in the years to come.  The kids especially enjoyed her.  I found Ash sitting by her numerous times :)  Love you, Aunt Sue, and so grateful for your time with us!

3.  Enjoyed tons of time in the pool. I can't remember a time it was so pleasant in December in FL...it was just perfect weather.  The kids even played almost every day in the pool at my parents which is not heated. I even went in with Logan (who by the way LOVES water even when it's cold).  I can't say I've ever been in our pool in Dec. and although it was too cold for me, it was was not unbearable.  Kids had a blast in it especially with their cousins!  We also loved swimming in the heated pool at my grandma's condo...and seeing my old dinger bud, Lein and her cute Marlie :)

4.  Had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas with my Aunt Sue and parents and then again with the whole Gritz fam.  Such great, generous gifts from all our fam.

5.  Awesome time at Butterfly World with almost all our Gritz fam.  Biggest group we've ever had go there.  Kids had a ball watching the butterflies and having birds land on them.

6.  Great time seeing my bro and sis-in-law and niece and nephew.  I almost took my Brooke home with me. She's gotta be the most helpful 4 (almost 5!) year old I know. She helped me make my bed and clean and set the table.  She's my bud.  I think my fav part of seeing the cousins was how they all played together. Brooke and Ash had fun doing each other's hair and make-up and playing together in the pool...this is not uncommon for them....but it was new to have the boys play together.  I saw Dylan giving Austin numerous piggy back rides and playing cars and other toys together.  I loved watching this. It's what having cousins is all about!  Our kids just loved spending so many days with their cousins.  We had an awesome time at the beach with them too.  Even Pops and Nina and Aunt Sue came.  Perfect beach weather and Logan LOVED the sand more than any baby I know.  He dug in it, ate it, threw it and just thoroughly enjoyed it (well not the eating it part :)).

7.  Had a great shopping trip to our Sawgrass outlet mall. An annual event :)  Lots of bargains and a fun time with just us ladies, while the guys toughed it out with the kids :)

8.  Wonderful moments of down time...building tents, playing cards, playing Bingo, taking walks to the park, fishing in drains :), shooting marshmallows from a bow and arrow, etc...

9.  A hilarious New Year's Eve with my fam.  Whoda thunk a broken blender could bring so many laughs, but it sure did.  It was a fun(ny) night :)

10.  I turned the big 37 on the drive home from FL.  I realized on my bday that this past year we have celebrated 4 out of our 7 bdays on the road.  Weird!  But my family and Kev made my day extra special with lots of cards and gifts, cupcakes, and a surprise ice cream cake on the day before we left :)  I felt very loved.  We stayed in a nice hotel last night with free snacks at night and a pool/jacuzzi.  Much better than driving straight through like we did on the way down...

And now we are home.  I wasn't sure we'd make it.  Our drive down there was horrendous...almost 24 hours long (that's like driving there from MI)...and doing so on a few hours of sleep right after Christmas was not ideal.  Our drive back was a two-day-er by choice.  Not sure it was worth it though b/c Dylan ended up puking in our hotel room last night all over the floor and none of us slept much.  I am feeling sick now.  Kev has the flu or a cold.  We are just exhausted.  And now we drive to Indy tomorrow for Hailey's audition.  This is the life we Stegs lead...it's sure not to change much in the New Year, I guess :) 

Hope everyone is having a splendid 2014 and thank you to all who sent bday well wishes for Logan and I.  I am sorry I have not been on facebook or my email in about a week, so I promise I will start to catch up once we are settled and feeling better.  Special thanks to my parents for a wonderful time in FL.  As crazy as that long drive was an as exhausted as we are, it's all worth it for the memories made! :)