Lincoln's First Haircut & The Simple Pleasures in Life

This is the pick-me-up face which is shortly followed by the put-me-back-down squirm so characteristic of a busy 9 month old infant. This was taken after Lincoln first hair cut.

 This is Derrell. Sheehan's barber. He was kind enough to cut Lincoln's hair for the first time (something I was really nervous about since he tends to not sit still very long). 

He was perfect! It was like I had rehearsed this at home. He sat still, giggled at the perfect moments, and came out looking like a dapper little boy. He was so perfect Derrell gave us his first hair cut "on the house."

Lincoln is a wonderful shopper. He loves the colors, the people, the music, and being with Mommy and Daddy. As you can see in the photo above, a la material, we are traversing the craft store.

This photo is my idea of the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words." To start off, Lincoln LOVES his binky which right now I'm okay with. It comes in handy at church. We decided to go shopping with Grandma Bev at Savers on a 50% off purchase day and they ran out of carts so we improvised with this pull along basket with basic wheels. He loved standing in it and I had many other shoppers chime, "I didn't see that on the shelf" referring of course to the one and only adorable Lincoln. I also LOVE this picture because he is so busy he doesn't have time to look at the camera. This is real life and it warms my little heart.

I got a new bedspread and curtains which I have long been waiting to splurge on. On a whim trip to Walmart and a little more money that I intended to spend that day I came home beaming with this wonderful decor. I am ecstatic. Sheehan helped me make our "new" bed. We ironed, sang, hung curtains, and danced while we remodeled the room. I'm not sure what I enjoyed more, the assembly or the outcome. Either way, we enjoyed the simple pleasures.

The video above I adore because Linko is walking along with his little toy like a walker. He is on the move!

Everyday Life

     I'm not sure an everyday life really exists just like I'm not sure there is such a thing as normal. But as of the present this is our everyday.

Lincoln helping load the dryer with wet clothes

     Lincoln is the highlight of our day (and often night) with his cute smiles, laughing, and babbling (ma, ma, ma,....) You bet I like to think he is saying mama! He is busy and into everything. I have seriously considered to the point of researching an infant helmet as learning to stand/walk has caused daily falls onto the hard wood or tile floors. As much as we try to put down blankets and surround him with pillows he doesn't seem to be interested in those "baby-proofed" areas. I look outside and can't WAIT to take him out there and let him roam and play. If only there wasn't so much snow and freezing wind. Then I think in the summer time I'll be lamenting "If only it weren't so dang hot!" Clearly, never satisfied...

Lincoln helping with the dishes

     Sheehan is still doing home inspections and his business continues to grow and get traffic from his website. What an amazing blessing! We are so grateful for the flexibility it offers and that Sheehan can do something that he truly enjoys.

     I have a forever conflicting debate with myself that when I go to work I love it! I love the productivity, the interaction, the opportunities to succeed, the "red" comes out in me so much it's hard to control. Then I come home to my wonderful house, Bagheera the cat that I secretly adore, husband that I love even more that the day we got married, and the better-than-words-can-describe little 9 month old boy named Lincoln. In that moment all I can think about is how much I love be home and being a mom. I think about how much I want to be the meal making, crafting, epitome of a mother that I always imagined. It makes me never want to work again but then I go to work and I sincerely love my work day and the wonderful experiences I have working at a hospital. The cycle is never ending.

     Someday a side will win out, but for now I am looking to find joy in these moments. I marvel at the wonderful blessing the Lord has given to Sheehan and I. The direction we have received and the guidance in our lives. I imagine that guidance comes in more ways that we may notice in the past, present, and shaping our future. Right now, Sheehan and I are busier than ever balancing work schedules, Lincoln, church callings, and service but I can say we are so happy. I am grateful to be able to be happy!

Citizen's Arrest

     One night around 10:00 pm we were driving home from Grandma Bev's house down Pleasant Grove Center Street past a bar and a man pulled out in front of us. There was several feet of snow off the road and some packed on the road still. The man was driving in the wrong lanes, swerving, driving mostly around 5 mph then he would speed up and then slow back down. We figured he was drunk and slowed down behind him. We called 911 since he was headed toward a busy signal light and was likely to cause an accident.

     We approached the stop light and it turned red. Fortunately, he stopped. We pulled up next to him and he was wide eyed and jumpy. By this time Sheehan was on the phone with the police reporting the man and they were on their way to our location. The light turned green but the man didn't pull forward through the intersection. He stayed parked and so did we to keep the cops informed on the phone as to what he was doing and where he was going. He didn't move until the light turned red again. Then he suddenly decided to go right instead of straight through the light. We followed him and the other cars around us were all pointing at him aware that something wasn't right.

     We continued to trail him which was easy to do since he was only going 5 or so miles an hour. He still swerved around the road, causing all the traffic to creep along behind him. By this time the police came charging from behind us and flashed their lights. The man punched the gas and tried to flee as we approached another light signal. The man jerked the car to the right as he went through the intersection and went off the road straight over snow and train tracks running parallel to the road. The man was driving a Ford Taurus in 2 feet of snow and driving over train tracks he was all over the place. His suspension was having the workout of it's life as he did his "off-road" fleeing.

     He quickly spun out in the snow and the police blocked every direction. In the picture you can see the car pulled off in the snow. Notice the direction our car is headed. We had originally come from the opposite direction. There was an elementary school not to far down the road and an officer asked us to pull into the parking lot so they could get an official report from us. The officer asked if we saw the man drive off the road and into the train tracks. It was pretty ridiculous looking. He said the man was inebriated and would be charged with a DUI and thanked us for reporting it to the police. Sheehan wrote down our witness account and then we were on our way. Sheehan and I were a little adrenaline rushed from the experience but our "citizen's arrest" was clearly unforgettable.