I've moved

In case you've been wondering, I'm blogging at http://threetenpennys.wordpress.com/ now.

Happy 1st Birthday Elias

May 29th, Elias turned one! We celebrated with a cookout and monster themed party. Elias loved playing with all his little friends and eating his chocolate cupcake. He crashed about halfway through but that gave me time to rest and enjoy a nice summer days with friends.

Project: Simplify

It's that time of year for Spring cleaning! Each week, Simple Mom reveals a "hot spot" to declutter and gives helpful advice to help organize the space. Join me in simplifying our lives.

Christmas Cards

Ok, so if you're like me, you absolutely LOVE getting Christmas cards each year. I love seeing pictures of my friends and their sweet babies. I especially treasure that rare letter that tells all the exciting news of the last year. Each year, I hang the cards around my patio door frame. Well this year, I had so many I had them around the door, on the refrigerator, and even taped to my cabinets! LOVE it!!! Well, the thing is I keep them hanging until March, yes March. I figure I don't get most of them until right around Christmas, and I want lots of time to enjoy them. I would leave them longer but that would only lead to even more teasing from my sweet hubby!


So, the question is what do YOU do with your yearly Christmas cards?

This year, I'm doing something new. It's not an original idea, but one I read off a website or another blog. Honestly, I can't remember. I gathered all my cards and each day, I take one card and pray specifically for that family. I think this is a wonderful idea, and it allows me to bless those who bless me. Needless to say, I'm SUPER excited about it and can't wait to see how the Lord works in their lives this year! Afterwards, I cut out the pictures of family and close friends and hang in frames on my refrigerator. It helps us feel like we're always surrounded by loved ones even if we're 900 miles away.

9 Months

Today my sweet boy is 9 months old! He weighs 23.5lbs (91st percentile) and is 30 inches long (94th percentile). At this stage, he is so much fun. He loves to play with his toys, play peek a boo, and imitate faces. He gives hugs and kisses and cuddles on the couch with dad. He scoots around on the floor and pulls up but he has yet to go from lying down to sitting. He still loves baby food and hates anything with texture- especially the puffs! He is very social and always has something to say to the people in the grocery store and his little friends. He waves bye to dad when he goes to work or to sleep. He's developed a pretty great sleep routing with naps at 10am and 1pm. Bedtime is at 6:30 and he wakes around 7:30am and happily plays in his crib until mama decides to get up. He is a pretty content little boy, but definitely throws his share of tantrums. We love him so much. He is a true blessing and adds so much Love and Happiness to our lives.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

I love my birthdays and every year I like to do it up. This year was no exception. Saturday, Elliott and I went and bought a charm for my bracelet. I picked the luggage because I love to travel. Then, we then raided our giftcard stash and made a trip to Caribou Coffee for a yummy apple cider and then to Best Buy where we got The African Queen with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. For anyone who appreciates classics, it was a great movie. The afternoon was fun and spontaneous. :)

Saturday night we were invited over to our dear friends house for dinner and games. They made the day even more special with homemade spaghetti and meatballs, chocolate cake, tulips, and champagne. We put the babies to bed and spent the evening playing Power Grid and laughing. It was such a great night! I also got LOTS of fun cards, a subscription to Netflix, and some yummy cheesecake brownies. Now, if I could only get Elias and I well it would be perfect! :)





And of course it's tradition... isn't he cute? :)

Painfree and Dancing

FAI or femoroacetabular impingement and a torn labrum. Big fancy words for bones rubbing and torn cartilage. That's why my left hip hurts so bad. The doctors do think the cartilage tore during child birth. Ten pound babies do that you know. :) But mostly, it's just how I'm made. The head of my femur sits deep into my hip socket; so, every time I flex my hip, it hits bone.

So what do we do about it? Surgery, but Mayo won't do surgery without first trying alternative methods. On the 9th I got a cortisone shot and started PT. I was really sore the first couple of days, but I've now been pain free for a week! It's really a strange sensation. I keep waiting for my hip to hurt. I've also notice how much I compensate for the pain. I'm really trying to use my left side more. I've been dancing around and being silly all week. Elliott just laughs and tells me I'm going to break something. :)

I don't know how long the shot will work, but the next step is surgery. Nothing major. Thanks so my sister's encouragement, I finally went to the md and found out the problem before there was any bone damage. Thankfully I won't have to have a replacement just a hip arthroscopy. They'll go in, repair the cartilage, and shave down the bone so it doesn't rub. Recovery is longer than a replacement (9-12 months), but I don't have to worry about my replacement wearing out in 10-15 years which would be a pain considering I'm only 27.

It's a lot to think about considering our plans to leave for the mission field and our 9 month old and any future babies, but I trust the Lord knows best and His timing will be perfect. I've seen His work before and how beautifully everything came together. I'm thankful for a God who cares about the details of our lives.

Keeping Busy

E has been working a lot of evening/night shifts this month so I've been keeping myself busy with little projects. Last night, I decided to replace the bathroom faucet and add knobs to the drawers. I figure it's nothing major but will help when we want to sell next year. I found the faucet on sale for $50, and drawer knobs run anywhere around $1-$5 a piece. It was a pretty easy job. The directions are written well. I only ran into a couple of snares. The pop up drain was a little difficult to figure out, but after watching a DIY video on the internet, I got it working. The other was with the water lines. I forgot to get them...so last night it was all put together pretty, but had no water connected. This morning, I promptly made a trip to the local home improvement store and we now have water hooked up to our sink! Oh, the other thing I didn't count on was how disgusting it was when I unhooked the pipes - YUCK!

Here's the completed project! What do you think?

The old faucet...

The kitchen sink is next...

And just for fun...

Toys!

This morning, I sat Elias on his bottom and gave him 2 toys to play with while I put my contacts in and brushed my teeth. This is what I found when I came back. I think he figured out where I keep the toys.

Last Will and Testament

Sorry to talk about such a somber topic, but this is something I've been contemplating since my pregnancy. Most people think they'll live until they're 80 and don't plan to address this issue. I hope that is the case; however, I've lived long enough to know people die everyday. Before, I figured I'd die, and be buried in the back forty with all our dear family pets. My sisters could sort through my junk, and Elliott would remarry and have another family. Simple. No Big Deal.

Throw a baby in the mix and it suddenly becomes much more serious. Technically, all the other plans can still happen. But in the tragic event that both Elliott and I die, what will happen to our sweet little boy? State custody is NOT an option. This is a hard topic to discuss. No one wants to think about dying or their children being left without parents. And there are so many details to think about. We have to think about how we want him raised? Who would not be burdened by him? Will he be included in family functions? etc. etc. We finally made some decisions and have drafted up a couple of wills with the help of legalzoom.com. I feel much better knowing my child will be taken care of.

Have you and your spouse had this discussion?

Packers WIN the SuperBowl!

Believe it or not, Elliott is a LONG time Packer fan. I know it's kind of funny for a TN boy, but he's been a fan ever since Reggie White. Besides that, it's kind of fun to pick on the MN fans here. (hehehe!) Needless to say, we were a little excited about the game. We got all dressed up. I made Rotel and wings. We were super pumped to watch the game, AND then we realized they weren't streaming it... Boo! We had our little party and watched The Other Guys. Every so often we wish we got a channel or two.

Movies in Review

While in AZ, I had to the opportunity to see a couple of movies. Watching movies is one of my favorite things to do, especially in the theater. I picture myself in the roaring 20s when everyone put on their glitz and glam and walked the red carpet to see the latest picture. Now, you all know I'm anything but glitz and glam, but I do feel special every time I go.
ECLIPSE Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner One Thumb Up! Overall, I was a little disappointed. I personally think the books were much better, but I read them over a year ago so maybe I'm just over it. It's definitely a must see for all of you who read the books and want to see the story played out. I will see Breaking Dawn, but I want be paying to see it in the theater.

THE KILLERS Starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl Two Thumbs Up!!! This was a fun movie for me because it had the romantic comedy and action all in one. I think it could work for a date night, but my hubby hates these movies. It was perfect for a call night-just me, some ice cream, and a little Ashton Kutcher. :)
THE KINGS SPEECH Starring Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi Two Thumbs Up!!! Loved this movie. It had royalty charm, historical facts, and great actors. Definitely a movie I enjoyed watching with my hubby and would actually pay to see it again in the theater.

Swimming in JANUARY!!!

As you can see we are enjoying the beautiful weather here in AZ! The other day, ET got home early so we decided to take Elias swimming for the first time. It was probably more fun for us than him, but he didn't cry and even splashed a few times. Elliott dunked him under and he did just fine. Of course, I couldn't dunk him. It just feels so wrong to put your baby under water. Does anyone else understand this? I hope to go a few more times before we leave. Got to prepare him for the 2011 Kumpf Beach vacation! :)

Elias' First Kiss

My sweet boy has been introduced into the world of LOVE :) While at the park the other day, my friend's 11month old little girl Ella crawled right up into Elias' lap, put her arms around his neck and started smacking him all over! He didn't know what to think at first, but he literally embraced the situation and hugged her right back. So there they sat for a good 5 minutes. It was really cute!!!

New Year Words

I'm not usually one to make resolutions, because I know that I won't keep up with them. However, my Bible study leader challenged us to think of 3 guiding words that represent our goals but are general enough to guide our choices without locking ourselves into a certain behavior, like "lose 10 pounds." She writes about her words and experience doing this here.

So far only one word has come to mind - RESPOND. Webster defines it as "quick to respond or react appropriately. This is applicable to me in so many ways.

1) God. I hope to be more attentive to His voice and respond quickly and fervently.

2) Elliott. When Elliott speaks to me, I find that I try to read into what he is "really saying" and am quick to assume the negative. More often than not, I snap back with something ugly that I don't really mean. I don't understand why I do this. Elliott has a good heart and we love each other very much. I hope to respond with more appropriately with RESPECT and LOVE.

3) Loved Ones. This has really been on my heart. I am so not good about getting back to friends. I don't like to talk on the phone, and now that I'm a mom, it's difficult to find time to write or send cards. I have started to see the effects of this as I loose touch with so many dear friends. Many times when a person comes to mind, I pray for them. However, I'm afraid that some of these people will never know how much they mean to me. I hope to respond more often to phone calls, texts, and FB messages. And when a person is on my heart, I hope to let them know I'm thinking about and praying for them.

How about you guys? What are some words that represent your goals for the year?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELISSA!

Wishing my eldest sister Melissa a very HAPPY and BLESSED 3_th birthday!!!

You are a FABULOUS sister. You've always been there for me whether it be for prayer, DQ runs in Mildred, advice about boys, or going with me to tell dad I had a wreck. :) You are STRONG. Raising four kids by yourself isn't easy, but you strive to do your best by making the most of what you have. Although they can be crazy, I LOVE your babies and can't imagine life without them. You are SMART. I know your heart for teaching and I believe your students are pretty darn lucky. You keep FAMILY close. I appreciate you always making an effort to visit us every year. It means a lot to me. You are BEAUTIFUL. Of course, you are a Kumpf. :) You encourage me to stand up for what is right, not to hold grudges, and to be a good mom. I love you and hope you have a wonderful birthday!

Thawing Out...

Well, the Tenpennys have escaped the MN tundra to the warmth of Phoenix, AZ! E is doing a 4 week rotation at the Children's hospital while E2 and I are enjoying the sites. We took 3.5 days to drive the 1600 miles. Most people think we're crazy to attempt this with a 7 month old, but we LOVE to road trip it and enjoy the journey by stopping at fun places. Unfortunately many of the sites we tried to stop were closed because of the new year. The ones we did enjoy included a mom and pops cafe and antique store in middle of nowhere Tonganoxie, Kansas, dinner at the historic El Rancho in Gallup, NM, a night at the 1920s Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, AZ, and of course the breathtaking Grand Canyon. The snow and ice made it extra exciting. The plateaus of NM and AZ are quite stunning. I've seen them several times before, but I think the snow highlighted them just perfectly.

I'm dreaming of a WHITE Christmas...35 inches and all!

Elias' first Christmas was a special time for our little family. Elliott had to work, so we spent our holiday in snowy Minnesota. Christmas Eve, we ate a Turkey dinner with some of our closest friends here in Rochester. Not only did we enjoy the wonderful food, but we got to have a friendly but competitive rematch of Ticket to Ride. It was so much fun! Our friends have two sweet little girls, one 4 days younger than Elias. They had a wonderful time playing and chatting about all the excitement. Christmas morning we patiently waited for Elliott to wake up which ended up being around 11am (He worked until 3am). We immediately opened up stockings and presents. Elias was so funny to watch. Once he realized there were toys under the paper, he'd lunge forward as his daddy opened the presents. So far his favorite is definitely the Fisherprice bucket of blocks! He loves the bucket :) I surprised Elliott with a signed F.W. Boreham book which he LOVED. And I got a beautiful locket. I made Christmas breakfast- cinnamon pecan waffles, sausages, and oranges. It was so yummy, we ate leftovers all day. Elliott went back to work that evening, so Elias and I spent the evening with some of my sweet friends whose husbands were also working on Christmas. We missed our family in TN, but it was a very sweet and laid back Christmas. I can't wait until next year!!!

Sharing Special Memories with Shutterfly

Have you ever lost ALL your photos when your computer crashed? Well I have and it was so sad to loose my precious memories. So my husband and I found Shutterfly. It's an online business that allows you to store all your precious family photos and to share them with friends and family. My family LOVES it! We even have our own site so we can share photos and print whichever ones we want. Not only is it great for storing photos, they site has great ideas for personal gifts. Need some Christmas ideas? I used Shutterfly to make several gifts this year. Here are a few examples - calendars, puzzles, notebooks, a mouse pad. I used photos to make it extra special and the recipients LOVED it!

Announcing the birth of our first baby was very special time. I trusted Shutterfly to make my announcements. The ease of Shutterfly's website and the quality of their product made the overall experience wonderful. I can't wait to use them for my Christmas cards. Here are a few examples I love - 1, 2, and 3. They are doing a promotion for bloggers for 50 FREE Christmas cards. I ordered Elias' announcements from them and was very happy. Now, I'm looking forward to making some CUTE cards!

My Parents' Bed

Do you remember crawling in your parents' bed on Saturday mornings? What about racing to their bed for nap time? How about when your dad was out of town, did your mama let you sleep ALL night with her? Mine did :) What is it about our parents' bed that is so appealing as a young child?

I love my parents' bed. It's real tall so you feel like a princess when you're in it. It's comfy, not necessarily physically, but emotionally because it's a safe place and if you use mom's pillow it has the familiar scent of her perfume. The bed is our family center. We've spend lots of time there folding clothes, jumping with the kids, changing diapers, having family discussions, napping, wrapping presents, deciding what to wear, etc, etc.

I think the gene has been passed on.

Everyday of the week we get up and have to be somewhere - NOT on Saturdays. We still get up at our normal time, but then crawl back into bed with Mama. My son LOVES it and will sleep for hours. I LOVE the snuggle time.

I hope this is the beginning of LOTS of fun memories with our family.