Little Saflings

When the weather outside is......

2012-01-06T11:37:00.001-06:00

DELIGHTFUL! And it's January 5th in the Midwest and 60+ degrees! Where should we go.....

But to the park with our friends.

Where we'll climb,

And hide,

and play tag.

We'll cross a bridge,

find a friend,

and giggle.

We'll fly on the swings,

watch in awe,

and take a rest.

But best of all, is digging in the dirt,

monkeying around,

and squeezing a pal! What a great day!

Paige Sings At Church!

2011-12-16T08:00:00.003-06:00

I've been waiting for this for 5 years. Finally, the kids got to sing a couple songs at church. Now, I really, REALLY wish it had been a Christmas program, but hey, I'm thrilled they got to experience sharing Jesus love with others through song in any capacity. She was SOOOO excited and picked out her dress, told me how she wanted her hair, and then brought me a necklace to help her put on. It was so precious.

The first video is Blessed Be and the second is Lord I Lift Your Name on High. This is your warning, that they are pretty much family interest level videos. Enjoy!

When you have kids....

2011-12-14T16:49:00.000-06:00

You can't neglect things like putting up Christmas lights outside. They will nag you every day until you put them up. So up they went. The girls wanted to help. It wasn't exactly the warmest of days. (That's what happens when you wait until mid December!) The girls came in and out until I finally got the right mix of outerwear on them....snowpants, coat, scarf over their face, hat, mittons, and boots.

"Lainey - Do NOT put them in your mouth!"

Still thinking about it!

Daddy was very patient with them helping!

Lainey's turn!

Then Lainey brought this up to show me. You can tell it was pretty cold because this is still intact.

And another one! I don't have an after picture, but they did a great job and it looks very pretty. Paige was upset that night when we turned them on and they weren't different colored lights. (We only had white on hand.) We told her we would get some after Christmas, so next year it will be colorful!

A different look for Lainey!

2011-12-07T17:24:00.001-06:00

It was bathtime at our house the other night. The girls thought these "horns" were hysterical!

I've thought for a while that Lainey needed a trim. I normally don't have a problem cutting hair, but with Alaina's curls I just wasn't sure how to go about it. Well, it occurred to me that if I straightened it, it would be much easier. So after her bath, I dried and straightened her hair.

She looked so strange to me and her hair was a lot longer in the back than I thought it was. If her hair was always staight she would be sporting a pretty stylish mullet. The front and sides of her hair, as you can see by the pictures, are still pretty short.

I trimmed off the bottom 2 and 1/2 inches and it looks MUCH better. It looks thicker and has more body. I thought we would keep the straight hair for the next day, but she woke up with curls, so we embraced it. I'm sure we'll do it again sometime soon!

Overheard in the van tonight

2011-12-05T18:07:00.002-06:00

Alaina: "I am the best!"
Paige: "No, I am the best!"
Alaina: "I am the best EVER!"
Paige: "No, I am the best EVER!"
Alaina: "Well, I'm wearing new clothes!"

Wow! (By the way, she was NOT wearing new clothes!)
And I'm not sure what the reference here is, but I am sure Alaina doesn't lack confidence.

Elf on the Shelf?

2011-12-04T14:34:00.001-06:00

We have chosen to not "do" Santa with our girls. Just like we don't "do" the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny. And by not "doing" them, I mean that we are not going to help the girls believe they are real. We still tell them the stories of these pretend characters and what other kids may believe they do, but for us that's where it ends. Just as we don't foster the belief that Lightning McQueen is a real car, Curious George is a real monkey living with a man that always wears a yellow hat, and Ariel is a mermaid living in the sea, nor will we let them believe that an elf that sits on a shelf is watching them and reporting their behavior back to Santa. Why? Well, there are many reasons.

1. It's the truth. Santa isn't real and we don't want to lie to our children. We are teaching our children that the center of our family is God and we need to put our faith and trust in him, even if we can't physically see him. We don't want them to grow up believing in made up characters only to find out they don't exist, then not trust us with the most important thing we've ever taught them to believe in....Jesus Christ.

2. We don't want our children to think they need to be good to receive gifts. Gifts are given out of unconditional love. It is not at all based on behavior. Our kids need to obey and honor and respect others because that's what God calls us to do, not because they may or may not get something in return. We definitely don't deserve and can never be "good enough" for the greatest gift ever given....Jesus Christ. All we have to do is accept this precious gift, just as my kids just have to accept their gifts at Christmas. We also want them to know that it is their friends and family giving to them because we love them so much that we want them to have something picked out specially for them.

3. Christmas isn't all about getting gifts. We want our girls to learn about giving. There is so much joy in giving to others.

Please understand that this is what we have decided for our family. I am not judging yours. And I am fully aware that kids can believe in Santa when they are little and still know God and love Jesus. And if my kids want to sit on Santa's lap and read The Night Before Christmas, we'll let them. Just like we let them play "princess" and "mommy". They know they aren't really mommies or princesses. It's okay for them to pretend and be imaginative.

So in the spirit of Christmas we are going to enjoy selecting gifts for loved ones. We are going to enjoy being with friends and family. We are going to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.

I believe these will more than make up for a childhood devoid of an, "Elf on the Shelf".

Christmas Tree Adventures!

2011-11-30T22:57:00.001-06:00

Well, call me crazy, but this year I thought it would be fun to cut down a real tree with the girls. I LOOOOVE the smell of a real tree and really wanted the girls (and selfeshly myself) to experience picking out and cutting down a Christmas tree. I have always wanted to do this so this was my first time along with the girls.

The problem: I had built this up this wonderful fantasy in my puny little mind of how we would find our perfect tree, with our perfect family, and it would be such a joyful occasion. Reality: We set out at 3pm with no naps to a destination unknown. Can you see where this is going?!

Our first stop was a dud and 25 minutes north of our home! I mean Not. Good. At. All. It was cold. The girls wanted to bring home every Charlie Brown Tree in the lot. Not that I'm opposed to a less than perfect tree, but these were bad. They were either too big to fit in our house or 4 feet tall......and spindly. After traipsing the 5 acres Mark and I called it a bust and told the girls we were leaving. As you can tell from the picture above, they were not happy. They were tired of walking, cold, and cranky.

But we were determined and headed to destination #2, 20 minutes south of our home. Getting the picture, we had to drive 45 minutes. We pulled in at 4:20pm. They close at 5pm. That gave us 40 minutes to find and cut down our "perfect" tree. Not much time with lots of acres and 2 girls with little legs. My fantasy was becoming less and less the joyful occasion I conjured up.

Paige had to pee, but we were like 1/4 mile from the entrance and there were no potties. She wouldn't even consider going outside, even though there were no people around and lots of what looked like cow poo, so I know it would have been fine. So we had complaints of needing to pee, Alaina was tired, I was telling them we need to hurry. It was so pleasant. I, of course, can't just settle for the first nice tree we come to (even though it is the one we end up with), I have to search out the entire lot because a better one might be around the corner.

But we did find one. One that we all liked, even if it was pretty much dark and we had no time left anyway.

Mark set to work cutting it down. I think the girls thought it was pretty cool to cut down our own tree.

FINALLY, we are ready to head home! It may not have been a perfect or the way I had pictured it, but I think we did have fun and would do it again. (Though maybe not every year.)

We decorated the tree the next evening. Mark holding the girls so they could put the angel on.

The girls in front of the finished product! I just love this time of year with the house all cozy and decorated!

Don't you wanna just sit down with a good book and a cup of coffee!

The girls sure love it!

Thanksgiving!

2011-11-29T15:57:00.001-06:00

We have so much to be thankful for this year....family, friends, Mark's job, a wonderful church family, good health, a great Christian school for Paige, and so much more. God has truly blessed our family with riches beyond money.

It was our year this year to spend Thanksgiving with Mark's family. His parents agreed to take the girls a few days before Thanksgiving to give Mark and I a little break and some time to celebrate our 8th Anniversary. It worked out that Paige would only miss a half day of school, so they got to have special time alone with Grandpa and Grandma from Sunday until we got there Wednesday evening. I know the girls had fun! Thanks Grandpa and Grandma for giving Mark and I a break!

Mark took the girls up to them on Saturday (and stayed Sat. night) to have a Thanksgiving dinner with his Grammie in the nursing home. (I stayed home for some much needed alone time.) Here is the girls' Great Grammie watching them play dominos with Grandpa.

Grandpa with his 3 oldest Grandkids.

Uncle Mat, Aunt Myra holding Ariana, Alaina, Great Grammie with Skylar, and Paige.

As you can tell by the Sponge Bob float on TV, we have now arrived and it's Thanksgiving Day! We brought Skylar a birthday gift, as he had just recently turned 2.

Alaina with 2 month old Ariana. I was sporting a pretty nasty cold and didn't hold Ariana so I wouldn't pass it to her. I was pretty sad about that!

Paige with Ariana, Uncle Mat, and Aunt Myra.

And the craziness begins!

The girls wrestling.

And jumping together.

Grandma "caught" Alaina, as Skylar isn't quite sure what to make of the mayhem.

Then decides he would like to join the fun after all.

I'm going to preface this pic with a little history. Mark and I decided, pretty much as soon as the girls could walk, that when we wanted to rest while they were playing, the worst way to wake up is a surprise attack by the girls. Usually it is a run and jump on you attack. So instead, we implemented a "kiss to wake up" rule. Now, if our eyes are closed and they want to wake us up they come up and give us a kiss on the cheek. Much better!

So then, Mark must have come up with a game they call "Wake the Sleeping Bear"! Here Alaina is the sleeping bear.

Paige comes up and gives her a kiss.

And wakes the bear who starts chasing her. (Mark is usually the sleeping bear.)

Paige's turn to be the bear.

Skylar with Grandpa.

Alaina hula hooping. Paige actually mastered Hula Hooping while there. She is quite good. I don't have any still pictures of her, just video.

A rare smiling picture of Skylar.

The girls' first wishbone. They were very intent.

What happened?

I've never seen a wishbone break like this. They actually broke both the bones off at the exact same time. Not sure what that means!

You may hear them say....

2011-11-26T21:18:00.005-06:00

Alaina:
"Casey is a stunk."(skunk)
"I'm so stirsty!"(thirsty) or "I'm stirsty, stirsty, stirsty!" (She's not at all dramatic!)
"Can I hold she?"/ "I lub she!"
"I'm so starving to eat!"
"I want a magic spoon!" (She apparently doesn't care for plastic kid spoons anymore and wants to use silver spoons, which she has dubbed "magic spoons".
"I'm hungry for breaksast."
"Lasterday" - any day that came before today
"Is Keller here yet?" = Is Heather here yet?
"I have a tummy hache!"

Paige:
"I stampled that for you to keep it together!" stampled = stapled
"I losed the right one!" losed = used
"I weend that!" weend = need
"Pretty Mantis" - praying mantis
"Can I have breaksast now?"
"Lasterday" - any day that came before today
"I have a tummy hache!"

Where Did I leave Off?

2011-11-18T14:57:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I've been less than great about keeping this thing up. But I want to. I NEED TO! For my girls. These are their memories. This is what they are going to have when they want to know when all of their firsts were and how we spent our days. So I'm going to do this. But I'm starting at the present. I'm going to back blog, but you won't see those unless you go back in the history to August, September, and October. It may take me a while to get those caught up, but I have to trudge forward with today. So here is my random post of things you've missed. I'll just touch on a few biggies.

We welcomed a new baby cousin, Ariana May, to the family!

We went to the apple orchard and picked delicious Honey Crisp Apples! (And were a little leary of the "alligator" that lived in the creek.

Paige started gymnastics again and loves it. She can now do a headstand in the middle of the room and holds it.

We carved pumpkins for Halloween.

Unkie, Auntie, and Amelia came to visit for the Hawkeye Homecoming game and we went to the parade.

Paige is becoming quite the budding photographer.

Alaina now sleeps in a big girl bed!

And Paige has lost two teeth!

Wow, that is a lot. I will be blogging about each of the events, but remember you will have to check back through the history. They will not be new posts!

30 Truths for Mature People

2011-09-26T13:24:00.000-05:00

I thought this was a pretty good list. How many do you agree with?

1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How in the world are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work (or home) when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.

13. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this – ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello?),but when I immediately call back,it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

20. Sometimes I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

21. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

22. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.

23. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

24. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said?

25. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent someone from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

26. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

27. There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

28. As a driver, I hate pedestrians ,and as a pedestrian, I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

29. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

30. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet almost everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

Blessings Unlimited

2011-09-08T11:07:00.000-05:00

So I did something I never thought I would do. I became a consultant to sell something. (GASP!) The thing is I absolutely LOVE the products.

While at the MOPS Convention in Nashville, I came across a booth where I wanted to buy EVERYTHING! It was the Blessings Unlimited booth. They are a company from DaySpring, a subsidiary of Hallmark. They are the world's leading producer of Christian greeting cards and gifts.

I love that it is a Christian company and their products all have a verse or and inspirational saying on them. I want anyone who walks into my home to know that my family loves Jesus and that even the things we display show that love.

I now have a website up where you can shop and browse their products. I especially love their Special Day plate, their handbags, and wall sayings. Okay, I really love most of their stuff. You can view my website HERE. If you would like to host a Gathering, let me know. Their products would be awesome Christmas gifts. You can also buy directly from the website. I would love to hear from you!

A mini Vacation

2011-09-05T08:00:00.002-05:00

We took a mini family vacation after the wedding. I saw on a friends' blog a year ago a post about the Morton Arboretum. (Thanks Jessi!) We thought it looked like fun and thought we if ever were that direction it would be a definite stop for us. It didn't disappoint. We loved it and would highly recommend it.

We also went to the Riverwalk and rented a paddle boat. The girls thought it was great and took turns steering. Their goal was to chase the ducks.

And on the way home we had to stop at the home of one of our favorite shows, American Pickers. It was fun, though none of the cast were there that day.

They were in town, so their trucks were there.

Overall, it was a fun few days together and truly needed to refresh.

My Cousin's Wedding!

2011-09-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

We made the 8 hour trip to my cousin's wedding a couple weeks ago. It was a blast being with family and celebrating the wedding.

Unkie Patrick with my cousin Wendy's kids, Noah and Naomi, and my girls.

Auntie Kathy with Paige

Waiting for the wedding to start with Unkie and Auntie.

The beautiful bride, Ariel, and her father.

Noah, Naomi, Paige, Allie, Alaina, and Ryan. Allie and Ryan are my cousin, Kimberly's twins and neice and nephew of the groom and now bride.

The kids running circle's around Lucas, Kimberly's husband. I remember running around at family events with all of my cousins and having a ball when I was younger. It's so fun to see my kids now playing with those same cousins kids.

My cousin Nicholas and his bride, Ariel, cutting the cake. They are both avid readers and had all of their favorite books made into cakes as the center pieces with a framed paper telling why those books are dear to them. It was very cool.

My grandma with the great-grands that were there. I love this picture. Note Olivia pulling off Amelia's headband, Alaina grabbing for Ryan, Grandma laughing at the antics. It's just priceless.

Here is the best we could get of all the kids with Great Grandma. The kids from the left: Allie, Paige, Noah, Naomi, Amelia, Olivia, Alaina, and Ryan.

And here are all the kids with the Bride and Groom.

Pretty as a picture!

Lainey with her best bud Noah. She just adores him!

Uncle James with Olivia. Aunt Jenna had to work so she didn't get to make the trip.

Lainey dancing with the bride.

And Paige's turn!

Paige and her Daddy!

Playing at the hotel!

Amelia looking down at us!

Lainey likes to draw....

2011-09-01T23:10:00.003-05:00

Pocanuts! Or as we like to call them, polkadots.

We love to Play!

2011-09-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

We met some friends at the Play Station the other day. My girls loved it and they love their friends more!

Paige and Ashlyn

So this is my favorit pic. Zach, Lauren, and Alaina. They were never far from each other.

"Say Cheese!"

I think Lainey and Lauren played on this the most.

Aubrey, Hannah, and Paige

"Jump, Lainey!"

Hannah, Paige, and Aubrey in a tunnel!

Balloon Festival!

2011-08-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

I've always wanted to go to the Hot Air Balloon Festival. I knew the girls would love it and it just worked out to go the same weekend as the Go Fish concert. It was a beautiful sight to see around one hundred balloons in the sky at once.

The girls loved the Beaver, Panda, and Eagle. It was hot, but fun! We also were there with a couple of our friends families, so the girls really had a good time with all of their little friends.

We had to be a little creative with getting some shade. We hung our blankets in the tree with bobby pins. Hey, it worked!

Night Terrors

2011-08-29T06:00:00.002-05:00

History: As most of you know, Paige suffers from Night Terrors. It has been a long, hard road for us. She started having them, oh, about 18 months to 2 years ago. She has had them EVERY night, TWICE a night since then, minus a few short time periods in which we thought maybe we would be done with them.

What are they: They are like nightmares, only she has no recollection of them in the morning. From everything we've read it happens when she transitions from Stage 3 into Stage 4 of the sleep cycle right before they go into REM Sleep.

What do they look like: We usually hear her start to cry with the first one about 45 minutes to an hour after she goes to bed. Most nights by the time we get to her she is standing at the top of the stairs. Don't let this fool you... she is NOT awake. She is wide eyed, crying hysterically, and usually looking off over your shoulder. Sometimes she'll say something, but most of the time I can't understand what she is saying.

The second episode is usually 45 minutes to an hour after the first one and we are usually in bed by then, so we find her sitting up in bed, wide-eyed, and crying hysterically again. Sometimes she is batting at things, sometimes not. If she is understandable it is usually her saying "no" over and over and swinging her arms.

What do we do: We scoop her up into our arms, assure her of our love and God's love, pray with her/over her, and stay with her until she is calm enough to go to sleep. I don't know that she ever wakes up. There have been times when she is so hysterical and inconsolable that I just turn on all the lights and that seems to help snap her out it. Most of the time she calms down as soon as we pick her up and start talking to her. Though, remember, I truly don't believe that she ever wakes up during any of this.

Does she ever not have them? On rare occasions. It seems that if we are away from home, she won't have one the first night or two we are gone.

Is there any way to make them stop? Nothing we have tried has worked. We have tried waking her up after 30 minutes of sleep as this is supposed to disrupt the sleep cycle and possibly help. We found that no matter what time we would try to wake her up, she would go right into one as soon as we attempted to wake her.

We've also read that the more tired they are, the more likely they are to have a terror. We do still have her "rest" on occasion and maybe we should be more diligent with this, but even when she napped everyday she still had them.

We pray like crazy. We pray before bed with her that she will have a peaceful night's sleep filled with happy dreams. We also pray for the Holy Spirit to fill her and God's angels to protect her mind, thoughts, and body. We have prayed over her room and bed.

How long will these go on: I HAVE NO IDEA! Everything I've read says kids usually out grow them by adolescence. And right now that seems SOOOOOOO far away.

How am I holding up? I'm going to be brutally honest here. I am angry! I am angry that my child gets up terrified every night. I'm angry that God has not taken these away no matter how much I pray. I'm even angry that my evenings, when I should get to relax because my girls are sleeping peacefully, get interrupted twice a night. Selfish, I know, but I'm just being real.

How can you help? Pray with us! I know there is power in prayer and God is bigger than this and can heal her! Pray for Mark and I that we can stay strong in this and for Paige. Right now she has no idea that she has these, but even though she doesn't remember them, she still has something dark and fearful enter her mind every night. Thanks for standing in the gap with us!

Go Fish!

2011-08-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

We got to go to a Go Fish Concert at the end of July! It was AWESOME! The girls absolutely LOVED it! And lets be honest, I did too! They put on a spectacular show. I've been going to Go Fish concerts since I was in college and they performed there. Yes, before they did kids music. Back when they were solely acapella.

Annie's VBS

2011-08-27T08:00:00.003-05:00

Paige was blessed to get to attend a VBS put on by Annie S., a high schooler from church. She had a GREAT time and learned so much about different countries around the world.

Paige on the front of the skateboard, riding down the driveway.

All the girls at their program.

The family who hosted the VBS have some ziplines in their back yard. It's not a great picture, but that's Paige in the red. She had such a blast that week! Thanks Annie for investing in Paige's young life!

Backyard Bible Club

2011-08-25T16:01:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I'm going backwards a little. In July our neighborhood hosted a Backyard Bible Club. Our backyard it perfect as it backs right up to the park and our deck makes a perfect "stage". It was HOT! I mean with heat warnings hot. Like indexes of 115 degrees HOT. But we survived, and did cancel one of the evenings just because we didn't feel it was safe to have that young of kids outside. It was a fun week despite the heat.

Paige's 1st Day of School

2011-08-19T17:13:00.003-05:00

Today was bitter sweet. It was Paige's 1st day of Kindergarten. I can't believe my baby is going to school! We chose not to do any formal preschool education for her. We really want the girls to be able to be kids for as long as possible. We feel like they get what they need for preschool just by observing what is around them and working with them when they show an interest. So this is really the first step that we have taken in letting go. She is going 3 days a week to a private Christian school in town. We trust that she will grow in Christ as well as get what she needs academically. She is SOOOOO excited to go to school.

She got to have a "K" for Kindergarten pancake for breakfast. She was a little shy at breakfast about getting her picture taken.

Here she is all ready to go!

She is taking her Tinkerbell lunch box and Ariel backpack.

A hug from Mom.

And one from Dad. Daddy actually came with us to drop her off. He wanted to be part of her day and see her off.

Walking in.

A pose by her locker.

And all ready for us to leave her. She did let Lainey color with her for a couple minutes. I think she had a great day. She hasn't said much about it, but I'm sure more will spill out when she's ready. She wants to go back so that's a good sign!

She wears many faces!

2011-08-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

So one day I randomly asked Alaina to show me some different expressions. These are what she gave me. No second takes needed. This girl has always been very expressive.

"Mad"

"Happy"

"Surprised"

"Sad"

My Hula Girls!

2011-08-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

The girls in their dresses that we brought them back from Hawaii. Aren't they adorable!

4th of July Weekend

2011-07-31T08:00:00.001-05:00

Part of being at Nana and Papa's house is getting to ride all of their cars. Well, I had this brilliant idea that Paige should take my sister's dog, Lucky, for a ride. I think everyone thought it was hilarious, but my sister and Lucky!

A nice surprise we found out when we got there was that my grandma was coming to visit from Kansas. We don't get to see her very often and it's always a special time when we get to see her. I'm so glad that my girls had another chance to get to know their Great Grandma V. She is so great at engaging the girls and my girls truly love her.

Here she is helping Alaina into the stirrups.

I just love this picture of Alaina with Grandma. Alaina is so into whatever she is telling her.

Sidenote for Grandma: The other night Mark and I heard fireworks going off. We didn't realize it, but our town was having a fireworks show. Alaina was still awake so I ran upstairs and grabbed her. We could see the big ones from our deck. She was telling me how pretty they were then she said, "We saw fireworks at Nana and Papa's house." I affirmed her that she was right. Then she added, "with Amber and Great Grandma!" I'm so glad she remembers that and that you were there. Thanks for making the trip up to see us. It really did mean a lot to me and my family.

Amelia finally getting some of her ladybug birthday cake!

We spent Sunday afternoon playing outside.

Daddy spent a lot of it pushing the girls down the slip and slide.

They loved it!

Needing to try it on her own!

Aunt Jenna swinging with Paige and Alaina, while Uncle James and Olivia look on.

Me with my neice Olivia.

Oliva Sky!

The girls with their new babies from Great Grandma. Alaina's has been added to the collection that she sleeps with every night.

Sparklers before the fireworks!

Amelia's 1st Birthday Party!

2011-07-28T08:00:00.004-05:00

We went back to my hometown for the 4th of July weekend to celebrate my neice, Amelia's, 1st birthday. We had a great time. This is going to be in a couple posts, just because there are too many pics for one post. On Saturday we had her party at a park in town. My brother Patrick and his wife Kathy did a fantastic job of planning Amelia's party and thinking of everything.

Amelia and Aunt Amber

Nana and my girls playing a little Ladder Golf.

Amelia and her mommy, Kathy.

Amelia - The birthday girl!

Opening presents

My brother James and his daughter Olivia.

Papa showing something to Alaina.

Attempting a family picture - what's everyone looking at? Me chasing Alaina.

A much better attempt. I kind of like that it isn't a perfect picture. It's who we are!

A rare photo of me with my girls and my neices.

Papa brought some 7UP rafts that he's had forever and several family members had fun floating down the creek.

I got a little nervous when Papa sent the girls by themselves and had to sacrifice being dry for the safetly of my children.

Papa at the "catching" zone. The water goes over the road and that is where the rides ended.

Aunt Amber catching a ride with Alaina.

My sis Amber, and Sis-in-Law Jenna.

Daddy's turn!

Nothing like a little watermelon to end a picnic.

After watermelon, the guys got a little braver and decided they would venture past the fjord and float further down the creek. This is Uncle James, followed by Daddy and Uncle Patrick.

Nana and Papa watching Daddy and Uncle Patrick float under them with Paige and Alaina.

Daddy braving the "rapids".

Daddy, Aunt Amber, and Aunt Jenna crossing the fjord for a turn.

They made it!

And we had to end the day with a cousin bath. The first time will all four of them together.

A Little Summer Fun!

2011-07-26T22:08:00.001-05:00

What is that?

2011-07-26T22:03:00.001-05:00

So a couple weeks ago when leaving a friend's house I noticed Alaina had, what looked like at that time, some scratches on her arm. I didn't think much of it there were LOTS of kids there and I just figured she had gotten scratched.

Well, the next day, late morning, I noticed that these "scratches" now were all blistered. All the way down the entire length of the red mark was blistered and looked like burns. (Note: the blisters had almost all popped by the time I thought to take a picture.) I started looking to see if it was anywhere else, and sure enough, she had some smaller marks and blisters around her thumb on the same arm.

I was pretty nervous about it and thought that for sure I would have known if she had gotten 2nd degree burns. So, I called the Dr. and took her in.

He knew right away that she had gotten into some Wild Parsnip. I had never heard of such a thing happening. Apparently, when you pick Wild Parsnip, the sap from the plant gets on your skin and the UV rays from the sun burn the skin where the sap is.

So, how did we come into contact with Wild Parsnip, you ask. Well, the day before we were at the friends house where I noticed it, we were at another friends house in the country that is basically surrounded by wild prairie. Alaina was picking "flowers" all morning there. Who knew this would happen. I guess once the blisters heal the dark marks can stay on her arm for months. We'll see what happens.

It's HOT!

2011-07-20T17:44:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the quality of this picture, but I took it yesterday at 5:30pm while I may or may not have been driving.

Needless to say, it is H-O-T HOT here! With the heat index we are talking 115 degrees hot with no air movement yesterday. And of course it is Backyard Bible Club week. We did actually cancel yesterday due to the heat, but we endured Sunday and Monday nights, and will still have the block party tonight. The kids don't seem too bothered, but I know that my girls have no awareness of when their bodies need water. So, I think it's best to be safe.

I have come to the conclusion, that there are weeks (months) in the winter when you can't be outside, but likewise, there are weeks in the summer when you can't be outside either. It makes me very thankful for spring and fall.

I'm looking at when school starts and kinda freaking out that summer is quickly passing. We have plans for the next 4 weekends, then school starts. I have to remember that just because school starts doesn't mean winter starts. There will still be weekends to camp and enjoy the outdoors. There is still time to get in some of the activities that we love. I just need to relax and enjoy these last few weeks that I have Paige full time at home. But more on that later.

She's so Loving!

2011-07-11T16:55:00.002-05:00

Today Alaina found a millipede while playing outside. She brought it to show me and tell me how cute it was. She cradled it and carried it around for 15 minutes. She "lubbed" her milipede. Then, when she decided she wanted to play on the swingset, she lovingly set the milipede on the sidewalk........and squished it with her foot. "There, it's dead now," she said, and walked away.

A couple more Alaina-isms

2011-07-10T18:07:00.002-05:00

"I found a diamond!" = I found a dime.
"I don't want to eat the bone!" = I don't want to eat the crust (of pizza).
"I want to wear my candles today!" = I want to wear my sandals today.

~Random Fun~

2011-07-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

This is my girl who makes huge messes yet hates to be messy! You can't leave her alone for a second and she's destroying something.

An afternoon nap! Isn't she sweet?!

We spend most of our day dressed up or sans clothes.

One afternoon during quiet time, I let them play together. They had dressed up and worked out a "recital" for me. It was very cute.

My flower child! This girl loves frilly dresses and picking flowers. I love that she has on a completely accessorized outfit complete with dress, shoes, headband, necklace, and ring. She also "lubs" her babies and has one with her almost all of the time. (Sidenote: Her babies are still all named Baby Jesus! LOVE it!) My siblings say if there was ever going to be a hippy in the family, it would be Alaina. She is just a free spirit!

Another random outfit by Alaina. Gotta love the training pants and red tutu under the dress.

And lastly, Paige's lovely go at styling hair.

Isn't she great?!

Camping!

2011-06-30T08:00:00.002-05:00

We finally got a decent weekend that we actually had (mostly) free to go camping. We found a really nice county campground. There was a nice playground just down the trail and an arboretum with trails to bike through. It was perfect for us. I'm sure we will camp here often in the future.

There is just something great about watching your kids create play with whatever they can find. My girls spent a lot of time making "food", riding bikes, playing in the small pool I brought, and just collecting things they found aroud the site. It was pretty hot on Sunday and poor Paige must take after me. The girl was drenched in sweat.

Parade. Pedal Pull. Pals.

2011-06-29T15:36:00.001-05:00

We headed back to my parents' for Frontier Days. This is the first year since having kids that we have actually gone back. My parents usually just have the girls and Mark and I have a weekend to ourselves, but this year we went along for the weekend, then left the girls with them for a few days.

Papa "found" them some new big wheels. They were super excited and proceeded to drive around collecting things to put in the baskets.

There is aways a parade on Saturday. It was actually a nice parade and had actual floats and things to see, instead of all advertisements.

Alaina doesn't like the loud firetrucks that had just passed. You can kind of see The Lone Ranger and Tonto in the background.

Aunt Jenna brought Olivia up for the day. Papa is in his element with his grand-daughters. We then headed out to the fort where Paige participated in her first pedal pull. She had fun and pulled 18.3 feet.

How many women does it take to strap in a toddler? Answer: Two too many!

The girls got to pet "Tonto".

And we went to jail!

Nana swinging with the girls.

We ended the day with their first ever cousin bath. Olivia actually didn't scream to take a bath for the first time in a while. I'm sure it was because of her cool older cousins.

Photoshoot!

2011-06-26T17:11:00.003-05:00

In case you missed them.

2011-06-26T15:50:00.002-05:00

To check out Paige's birthday posts go here and here.

And to see her dance recital go here.

A girl and her bike.

2011-06-24T10:27:00.001-05:00

Paige learned to ride her bike "on 2 wheels" last week. We are so proud of her and she is SOOOO EXCITED! She has been wanting to, but when we took the training wheels off a few weeks ago it didn't seem that she was at all ready. So she asked again and we thought that maybe if we used Alaina's bike she would be more comfortable as she would be closer to the ground. We started out on the sidewalk, but she (and by she, I mean me)was too afraid to have me let go. (I just knew that she would get all skinned up.) So we took her and the bike into the park behind our house and practiced in the grass. That night she could go about 10 yards by herself. The next afternoon her and I went back out and worked on the sidewalk. Since she had gotten a feel for it and we both were more comfortable there. Within a half hour she had it. Here are a couple videos of her maiden voyages. Until I was taking the first video, I didn't know she could start herself.

Of course now she is riding her own big bike, starting by herself, and stopping using the brakes. It is so fun to watch her go and know that this is something she will never forget how to do. My girls are growing up. It is so bitter sweet!

Sweet, Caring Alaina, or is she...

2011-06-22T16:37:00.004-05:00

you be the judge.

Last evening we were hanging out front of the house letting the girls run off some energy before putting them to bed. Paige was riding her bike (more on that in the next post) and Alaina was just playing with random toys she was finding in the garage.

So the next thing we hear is Alaina yelling....

"Paige come here so I can hit you with this shobel."

What!? Mark and I look over and there stands Alaina in the driveway holding a toy snow shovel like a batter taking her stance, positioned just right so when Paige rides by on her bike she can take a swing at her.

Oh my stars, this child is giving me gray hair. The things she comes up with. We had to physically get up and get her to talk to her (but not before she started running after Paige swinging the shovel to hit her). We are going to spend a lot of time on our knees until this one leaves the house.

PS. I know you need some new pics. They will be up by this weekend.

No More Diapers!

2011-06-14T22:25:00.001-05:00

It's official! Alaina is potty-trained! Yay! We are still doing diapers for naps and bedtime, but we are diaper free when she's awake! Way to go baby girl!

By the way, I know you are needing some pics. They are coming.........SOOON!

Oh the things they say!

2011-05-30T18:55:00.004-05:00

While brushing my hair, Paige says, "Whoa mom, your hair is so long. You are going to be King of the World!"

Paigisms:
I want a hotdog bun = I want you to put my hair into a bun.
Lasterday = any day that is in the past.
bemember = remember

Something they both say, but Alaina started:
Ready, Seady, Go! or Seady Ready Go! (It's apparently interchangeable.) = Ready, Set, Go!

Alaina-isms:
I'n stirsty = I'm thirsty
Ober der = over there
I hab a snapper = I have a stamp.
stunk = skunk
Lub = love
This needs battewies = This needs batteries. (She always brings me things that don't work and tells me they need batteries)
brocowi = brocolli (It is seriously too cute when she asks for brocowi and cheese for supper.)

I love that Alaina replaces "v" with "b", and "r" and some "l's" with "w".

I'm sure there are lots more, but these are my favs and the only ones I "bemember" right now.

Paige's Worship Dance Recital

2011-05-21T17:15:00.001-05:00

Paige had the opportunity to take some Worship Dance classes this winter/spring. Her teachers were fabulous and she absolutely loved it. They had a little recital for us, which we absolutely loved.

Ellie, Paige, Amelia, and Abigail (Andrea, I hope you don't mind that I copied this from you. It is super cute!)

Abigail K, Paige, Amelia R. and Ellie I.

Alaina entertained everyone before it started by running on the stage and blowing kisses to the audience. It was super cute.

Safly Studios!

2011-05-18T15:30:00.001-05:00

So most of the pictures you see on the blog (well, all the good ones) are pics my husband has taken. He enjoys it and I think is really good at it. He's got a new website out. Check it out at Safly Studios! He's always up for taking pics, so let us know if you would like some taken.

Stats for 2011!

2011-05-16T17:33:00.003-05:00

We went for well child checks today!

Paige: Age 5
   Height - 45 in = 93%
   Weight - 39.3 lbs = 30%

Alaina: Age 3
   Height - 37.5 in = 60%
   Weight - 27.9 lbs = 5% (with all her clothes on)

I went back to compare from last year and both my girls gained just over 3 lbs this year. Paige is 3 inches taller and Alaina is 4 inches taller. I guess it's about a pound for every inch. They do eat, but are just very active. I joke that Alaina doesn't know how to walk. The girl trots everywhere. I guess we'll have to wait to move her into the next car seat. It may be awhile before she hits 30lbs.

Paige's Princess Tea Party!

2011-05-12T15:27:00.001-05:00

Paige and Ellie have been having birthday parties together for as long as they have had birthday parties. This year was no exception. It is getting trickier as they are getting older and have their own interests and a few different friends. Thankfully, they both really wanted to have a princess tea party. They talked about it and planned for weeks. There birthdays are only 2 days apart, so it works out that Emily and I don't have to each have a party.

The girls could come dressed in princess dresses or Sunday dresses if they wanted to. Of course my girls were "all in" for princess dresses. Here are Alaina, Ellie, Hannah, and Paige anxiously awaiting the arrival of the 1st guest.

Poor Zach was the only boy there. He and Alaina are just a couple weeks apart in age. It is so great to have friends with kids the same ages.

The party goers: Claire, Ellie, Amelia, Ashlyn (in the back), Paige, Hannah, Alaina, and Zach.

The girls all got to decorate their very own tiara.

Then, they got their nails painted.

It's hard to see, but Lainey picked green!

And then they got to have a little make-up put on. They loved every minute of it.

We had little finger food snacks. "CHEERS!"

Butterfly cupcakes!

The birthday girls!

That's one way to keep your hands clean.

And we ended the party with a few gifts.

The girls had so much fun playing together. Thanks everyone for coming and celebrating Paige and Ellie's birthdays. It was a very special day!

No TV Day!

2011-05-04T11:37:00.001-05:00

We've been watching WAY to much TV at our house. So today I decided it's a no TV day! The girls are playing downstairs with nothing to entertain them, except each other and their toys. They just called me down so show me they are playing "Garage Sale". (Smile!) The basement is trashed, but it's worth it to let them use their imaginations. They keep asking to watch a movie, and I keep saying no. I've been using movies too much as a "babysitter" when I need to get something done or need an hour of quiet. While there can be a place for this, it's been way to frequent here.

I want them to learn to play together. I want them to know how to entertain themselves. I don't want them to rely on me or the television for their entertainment. This is something they are going to have to learn how to do. My kids have never been super imaginative. They don't get a lot of pleasure from toys. I've often thought that I should just get rid of 90% of our toys and maybe I should, but days like today, when I don't give them something else to entertain them, they are playing nicely and enjoying some toys they haven't played with in a while. It doesn't hurt that yesterday was Paige's birthday and there are some new things to play with. We'll see how long it (I) lasts.

Paige Turns 5!

2011-05-04T10:30:00.002-05:00

Paige is now 5 and she was "rockin'" it!

She got the movie Tangled from her sister and LOVES it.

Lainey also gave her some princess bubble bath that she has had her eye on.

Daddy got her a ball glove and a couple tee balls to play in the yard.

She requested an Ariel cake again this year and liked Alaina's cake so much, that she got an Ariel princess cake. Sidenote: she was upset that Ariel's dress was purple. She wanted pink. She got over it, but I did feel bad that I didn't give her "exactly" what she wanted.

She wanted to go to the gymnest for her birthday, so we called up some friends and went to lunch bunch there. She had so much fun!

Happy Birthday Paige!

Happy 5th Birthday Paige!

2011-05-03T08:00:00.003-05:00

My first-born, I can NOT believe you are "one whole hand" old today! You are growing up so fast and keep reminding me that you are NOT little! You are so so so excited to start Kindergarten next year. You are so smart and helpful.

Right now you are really into all things princess. You LOOOOOOVE your princess jammies, princess songs, princess movies, princess toys, and frilly frilly dresses. You want an Ariel cake again this year, so Ariel cake you will get. It makes me happy that you believe all girls are princesses and boys are princes, and when you grow up you want to marry Daddy!

Other things you like are gymnastics, dance, anything craft related, Taylor Swift, Hannah Montana (no judging, please), Disney movies (the ones I'll let you watch), Psalty Kids Praise Five (can I get a woot woot), and anything that Alaina has. Seriously, you will change your clothes to match Alaina. You will change what you want to eat because Alaina wants something different and you wanted what Alaina got, for your birthday.

Paige, you are so very precious with a super tender heart. You still believe the world and the people in it are good. I cherish your innocence and your love for others. I'm proud of the young girl God is making you and pray that you always find your worth in Him. It is because he is the King, that you are indeed a Princess. I love you baby!

Easter, Lainey's Party #4 and Paige's Party #1!

2011-05-02T13:28:00.002-05:00

Nana, Papa, Aunt Amber, Uncle James, Aunt Jenna, and Olivia came Easter weekend to celebrate the girls' birthdays.

The girls in their Easter dresses!

For the girls' party we had an Easter Egg hunt, opened presents, and had cake and icecream!

"But I can't reach it!"

"Now I can reach it!"

Poor Olivia has had nonstop ear infection for months, so we made sure to bundle her up!

Hurry, Alaina!

Aunt Amber will help!

Lainey found MONEY!

Paige found candy! (Don't worry everyone got money in one of their eggs.)

Yummy Chocolate!

The girls checking out their Easter Basket goodies!

Cousin Livvy!

Time to open birthday presents.

New shirts and princess crafts from Olivia.

This is what they did when we told them to pose like a rock star!

Lainey got a "new" to her bike from Nana and Papa!

A new princess jammie gown from Nana and Papa.

She wears it every night. I have to wash it every couple days!

Two Aunts and a Cousin

Time for Birthday Cake. There were 3 candles for Alaina and 5 for Paige. They picked out the cake together.

Lainey's Party #3

2011-05-02T11:31:00.001-05:00

We went to Grandpa and Grandma's house to celebrate Alaina's birthday. It was a fun weekend. Daddy and Uncle Mat helped Grandpa with a project, while the girls (and Skylar) relaxed.

Lainey's Peep cake!

Blowing out her candles!

Her microphone from Grandpa and Grandma. They also gave her a pass to the pool this summer. Yay!

And some books!

"What can it be?"

It's Tinker Bell from Skylar!

Paige got Rapunzel from Skylar. They didn't know if they would see her again to give her the present!

Paige had fun riding her bike in G and G's driveway!

Lainey just played in the dirt! She is a magnet for it!

Showing me her dirt.

We all enjoyed Grandma's cinnamon rolls outside!

I think this was a highlight for the girls. I think they will want a ride every trip now!

Alaina's Birthday Party #2

2011-05-02T11:04:00.002-05:00

Happy 3rd birthday sweet girl! Today you turned 3. We went out to a play date with Mommy's MOPS table. You had so much fun playing with the baby kitties. We had cupcakes and sang to you. You were a bit embarrassed by all the attention and cried after you blew out the candles and we all cheered. Mommy took you out the park in the afternoon and you chose to go to Taco Bell for supper.

My big, baby girl.

Kisses for Mommy! I love you so much!

Watching a video on the computer!

You won't let us forget how old you are!

The Greg, Emily, Hannah, Ellie, and Zach came over to help us celebrate and eat cake and ice cream! Paige made you the card you are holding!

You wanted a Princess cake for your birthday!

Alaina's Birthday Party #1

2011-05-02T10:32:00.001-05:00

Alaina and Zach celebrated their 3rd birthdays together with their friends. They had a Jump-a-lene Ball Pit Party! They had a lot of fun!

"Cheeeeeze!"

Lauren "hiding" in the balls!

"It's my party and I'm lovin' it!"

Clara and Alaina playing doll house.

It's time to sing and blow out the candles!

Lainey needed a little help from Zach!

"Fork? I don't need a fork!"

Yummy cupcakes!

The older kids enjoying their cupcakes!

Alaina figuring out how to hold up 3 fingers!

The birthday girl and boy!

Good friends!

Alaina and Zach gave each other roller skates! Huge hit at our house!

An Ariel umbrella.

Of course we had to try everything out at once.

Oh what fun it is!

2011-04-30T14:30:00.001-05:00

Picture taken with my phone at the park yesterday!

Lainey's 1st Prayer

2011-04-17T21:44:00.001-05:00

"Dear God,
We hab fun today. Mason, Abery, an we eat. for the park. Thank you for this great day. In Jesus name, Amen."

It was so precious. We ask her every night and at meals if she wants to pray and she always has said no. Today we had lunch with her friends Mason and Avery and we went the park to play. I love hearing their hearts. Sometimes she recites the Boz Prayer with Paige. Paige prays the Boz prayer for every meal and at bedtime. Sometimes she adds to it at the end thanking God for our food or other things. The Boz prayer is. . .

Thank you God as this day ends, for my family and my friends. Taking time to sit and pray. Thank you God for this great day. Amen.

Happy 3rd Birthday Alaina!

2011-04-05T14:57:00.001-05:00

Sweet Girl! I can't believe you are already 3! You are my baby! You are a spunky little thing and your curly hair suits your larger than life personality, though you are very timid around new people and big groups. In fact the other day you were wearing a shirt that said, "A little bit of Attitude", and Emily said I need to take a fabric pen, cross out "a little bit" and put in "a whole lot".

You don't mind playing independently, but ADORE your big sis! If Paige goes somewhere without you, within 3 minutes you say, "Where my Paigey? I miss her so so much!" You love to play with your "babies" and you have named each of them "Baby Jesus". You love your Mickey Mouse blanket and puppy Pillow Pet and must sleep with them every night. Being outside is one of your favorite things and you can't get enough of the park. We often find you digging in the mulch, looking for worms. You can't stand messes and need throw every bit of trash you see away.

You LOVE to sing and often sing for hours after we put you to bed! Your favorite songs are ABC's, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Oh How I love Jesus, and Ho Ho Ho Hosanna. You ask us to "snuggle you" every night at bedtime.

Lainey, it is a joy to watch you grow up. You are independent and strong willed. You know what you want and how to get it. When you make up your mind, there is no swaying you. You would rather give up dessert than eat 3 bites of vegetables at times. I love this about you and pray that God will help me to teach you to use that strength for His Glory. We love you so much!

Sardines are Yucky!

2011-03-30T18:56:00.001-05:00

Disclaimer: We did NOT want to open the sardines, but the girls BEGGED! We told them sardines are fish and if we opened the can, they would have to try it. Both agreed! The candy came into play after the can was opened and both girls bailed on the idea of eating sardines.

Spring?

2011-03-30T14:30:00.001-05:00

It was such gorgeous weather over spring break that we finally got to take the girls to the park. It was the first time in 2011! They needed it and I needed it!

Papa pushing Paige!

My little climber. She was hesitant at first, but as soon as she realized she could do it, there was no stopping her.

More pushes!

Paige has always loved the Monkey Bars. Her strength amazes me!

And our first "owie" of the year! I'm sure we'll have many to follow.

Lainey likes to hang, but you better be right there because she'll just drop when she can't hold on any longer.

Not a very well composed picture, but I love the hair and expression!

Happy Unkie's Day!

2011-03-30T14:13:00.002-05:00

Paige woke me up March 17th, saying, "Mommy get up it's Happy Unkie's Day!" What?! It took me a minute to figure out that she had translated St. Patrick's Day to be Happy Unkie's Day. You see, my brother, her unkie's, name is Patrick. Clever girl!

I was at my parents house for a few days for spring break, so my mom and I took the girls a big St. Patrick's Day parade. It happens to go right by where my sister works, so she took a few hours off to hang out with us. Aunt Amber LOOOOVES St. Paddy's Day!

Paige gets nervous when the fire engines roll through. She's not so much a fan of the sirens.

I can't say that I recommend the parade. It was CRAZY! But the girls had fun and were so cute and well behaved compared to the rest of the city that was there. After the parade we went to the zoo. Unfortunately my camera batteries died, so no pics from the zoo. It was such a nice day and we had so much fun!

Kiwi or Pooey, Same difference!

2011-03-28T20:16:00.004-05:00

Today for lunch I gave the girls kiwi. I had forgotten that Alaina calls it pooey. She got up and started dancing around, singing, "I waaant pooey, I waaant pooey!" Here's some video I took of the girls having their "pooey". Please ignore the hair and outfits. We had and "at home" day today.

Dear Blog,

2011-03-28T14:36:00.001-05:00

Have you been missing these faces? The ones I keep neglecting to update you on. The faces that are keeping me extremely busy with life. I've been waiting for this life to slow down, for this life to return to "normal", but over the past few months I've had to come to terms with the fact that "busy" is our new "normal". So I'm choosing to embrace it. I'm going to stop waiting and try to start keeping up. I solemnly swear (except I don't) that I will update you more frequently. That I will store our memories here so the girls have something to look back on and remember their childhood, so I will remember their childhood. These precious faces are growing up and, in the words of Steven Tyler, I don't want to miss a thing!

Love, Melanie

For Amber!

2011-03-28T14:19:00.002-05:00

No worries!

2011-03-09T16:06:00.001-06:00

Today I laid Alaina down for nap and called for Paige to come up to get ready for rest time. Paige replied to me as she was coming up the stairs, "You don't have to worry about me anymore. I'm a big kid now!" Oh. My. Heart. If she only knew.

Shoe Tying

2011-03-09T16:02:00.002-06:00

Paige has actually been able to tie for a few months, she just wasn't very consistent. Today, she wanted to tie the string on my pants, so I had her go get her tennis shoe and show me. She got it right away and then did it a few more times. I'm pretty impressed, I've only shown her a few times, but then when I asked her who taught her, she said, "Daddy". Maybe he's been showing her. Either way, I'm so proud of her!

See ya later Grandpa!

2011-02-15T11:53:00.003-06:00

At the end of December/beginning of January we found out the my grandpa had Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. He was initially given 6-8 months, but God's timing is perfect and he wanted Grandpa to be with him sooner. He went to be with Jesus on January 31st. We were blessed that he and Grandma came home from Florida at the end of December and lived with my Aunt and Uncle outside of Iowa City for the remainder of his life. We got to spend time with him and eventually help take care of him. That time was precious. I got to hear him tell me about accepting Jesus into his heart at age 13 and how he knows with certainty that he will be with Jesus in heaven and we will see him again. Unfortunately, Mark and I were in Maui when my Grandpa passed and were unable to attend the funeral. I was sad to be unable to grieve with family and get that closure, but like I said, God's timing is perfect and for some reason, it was supposed to be that way.

Grandpa had a way of making each of his 27 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren feel special. There was always a knee to have a pony ride on, always a song on his lips in that beautiful tenor voice, and of course, always cards to be played. He was always up for a game of Hand and Foot, but you had to watch him, he had a tendency to cheat. I'm so thankful that my girls got to know him and make memories with him. He loved his little dears (grandkids) and his deer (statues). There was always a deer in his yard. He has left a mighty legacy. I miss him and know that someday he'll be there to greet me in heaven. I love you Grandpa!

While visiting Grandpa and Grandma, Paige and Alaina sometimes got to play with their second cousins, Noah and Naomi.

Lainey just adored Noah and wouldn't leave his side.

So precious together.

Below is the video we made to celebrate Grandpa's life.

Never Grow Up!

2011-01-26T14:14:00.003-06:00

Happy 1st Birthday Olivia!

2011-01-07T10:12:00.001-06:00

My niece, Olivia, turned one and we got to go to her party on the 1st. I can't believe that we have NO pictures with our family in them, but I guess that is how it goes sometimes.

New Year's Eve

2011-01-06T09:52:00.001-06:00

We spent New Year's Eve 2010 at our friends, Clint and Amy's, house. There were 5 couples there with all 12 of our combined children. We had a great time. Nana and Papa were in town, so we took the kids to them at 8pm and enjoyed the rest of the night kid free.

Here are the kids having supper, minus Ty.

While the women fed the kids, the guys watched America's Funniest Home Videos.

We had a White Elephant gift exchange. I thought I was being pretty sneaky and "accidently" left our gifts behind. Well, I should have known better. Greg and Corey brought them back to us while we were out of town. Do you see anything odd in the picture above? And they "borrowed" ALL our ladders so we couldn't get it down for a few days. Good times!

Christmas Day!

2011-01-05T13:59:00.001-06:00

Christmas Day dawned with the girls sleeping in. Upon waking, Paige helped me make Monkey Bread for breakfast. She's been asking for it for a while and it is our Christmas breakfast tradition. We read the girls the story of Jesus birth while they ate, so we all don't forget the real reason we celebrate Christmas. After breakfast was done and cleaned up, we sat down to open presents. We really try not to overdo it with our kids. They each get an ornament, an outfit, books, and a toy from us, and one toy from each other. We also do stockings with small gifts and trinkets. We don't do Santa here. The girls know that Daddy is Santa at our house. I don't feel like I can pretend that Santa is real with them, only for them to find out later he is not. Then, also teach them to believe and love Jesus, whom they can't see, but is very real. We let the girls play with their new toys until lunch, which was broccoli and cheese soup in bread bowls, and after lunch, Paige helped me bake a birthday cake for Jesus. We sang Happy Birthday and had the cake after naps. It was a nice relaxing day!

Christmas Eve!

2011-01-05T13:29:00.001-06:00

We made it home JUST in time to head to our church's Christmas Eve service. The weather was a bit frightful, but it was sure cozy inside. The girls enjoyed being in the big service with us. We couldn't resist taking some pics of them all dressed up. They looked so pretty!

And no holiday is complete without a picture with their friends.

One of our Christmas traditions is to spend the evening of Christmas Eve with our friends Greg and Emily and their kids. We have appetizers and play cards, while the kids play and eventually go to bed. Here the kids are looking at presents.

And now to the pics of Zach and Alaina which I'm sure they will hate us for later. But then again, maybe not!

And Paige with her "besties", Hannah and Ellie.

Both of our families have made it a tradition to open one gift on Christmas Eve, which is new pajamas.

Sometimes the adults participate. This year, I surprised Mark with new sweats. Neither of us needed pj's, but he can always use new comfy sweats.

Me with the girls in their new jammies.

S. Family Christmas

2011-01-05T12:22:00.001-06:00

This was our year to spend Christmas with Mark's family. We decided a couple years ago that we wanted to be in our own home for Christmas day, so we can make our own traditions and the girls could wake up at home. So we actually spent the 21st through the 24th there and drove home Christmas Eve.

Skylar in his birthday bag. We missed his party, so we brought his gift with us.

Skylar playing with the farm toy the girls got him for his birthday.

The trampoline is a always a hit. The kids love it!

Time to open presents. Lainey was pretending to be shy about it.

But she snapped out of it quickly.

Paige's turn.

Mommy got a new popcorn popper.

Grandma got lots of help opening her gifts. It was fun. The girls really got into this year. Lainey especially got soooo excited about everything she opened. . .even if she thought it was just a box.

Grandma made Alaina a special blanket because Alaina goes around the house saying, "I so cold" and insists on being wrapped in a blanket at all times. Even when we eat. What a special gift for her to have something her Grandma made!

A pic of Uncle Mat, Aunt Myra, and Skylar.

Sidenote: Alaina one day told me that the picture of Ernie (from Sesame Street) on her daiper was Uncle Mat. We laughed so hard. So now she goes around saying, "Uncle Mat is Ernie!" It's super cute. She also has a habit of calling all of her uncles, Uncle Mat. It must roll easily off the tongue.

Lainey also has started calling all girls/women, "A". She has a friend Avery that her family and subsequently us, call "A". I don't know why she picks a name and calls everyone that name, but it is one of the stages that I'll miss when it's gone!

Snow Angels!

2011-01-05T11:41:00.001-06:00

The girls really wanted to go out and play in the snow the other day. It was "warm" (in the 20's), so I thought it would be a great day to head out. They loved it! They even thought they wanted to walk to the park and we did. The slides were super fast and Lainey thought it was hilarious to fly off into the snow. She kept wanting to down them, Paige didn't like them. They were pretty tired by the time we were done and the walk home from the park ended in tears. I couldn't carry both the girls and Paige was exhausted. It was hard work walking through all the snow.

Face Painting

2011-01-05T11:25:00.001-06:00

For Christmas, the mall was having activities on a Friday evening. One the activities was free face painting. The girls were so excited. Paige picked this festive one.

We found out that Alaina was a bit too young to have her face painted. Something about the paints not being recommended for kids under 3. So she settled for a butterfly on her hand. Why she could have in on her hand vs. her cheek. . . we'll never know!

Go Hawks!

2011-01-05T11:03:00.001-06:00

Paige got to go to her first Hawkeye Men's Basketball Game on a date with Daddy. This is something that even Mommy hasn't gotten to do yet. (The game, not the date.) She got to go with her friend Nora and her Daddy. She had a BLAST!

It (unofficially) begins!

2011-01-04T17:54:00.001-06:00

I love that she's reading about Smart Phones!

Thanksgiving/Christmas at Nana and Papa's

2011-01-04T17:40:00.001-06:00

My family decided this year to have Christmas at Thanksgiving because we would all be together. It's so hard to find time around Christmas to all get together again and you never know what the weather is going to do, so it worked out great. I didn't get any pics of Thanksgiving Dinner, so we'll just go right into Christmas.

Paige LOVES her Uncles and they humor her.

Paige and Olivia

Me with Amelia

Paige and Tiffany made a small "fort".

Lainey spinning on the chair.

Unkie Patrick with Olivia.

Another of me with Amelia. . .we match!

The guys doing what guys do.

Auntie taking a pic of me taking a pic.

Opening presents.

What could it be?

A unicorn Pillow Pet! She has been wanting one of these for MONTHS!

And what do you suppose Lainey got?

A puppy Pillow Pet! They were sooooo excited and have slept on them every night!

Nana reading Laina the book she got her.

Thanks Aunt Jenna for the Barbie.

Lainey got a Barbie, too.

More Thank you hugs.

All the girls got hats and flowers from Auntie Kathy. Aren't they cute!

Me playing with Olivia and Alaina. I have to say that having an Alaina, Olivia, and Amelia in the same house is a bit confusing. Poor girls are always getting called the wrong name.

We have this game with Alaina that when we fall asleep she can wake us up with a kiss. Sometimes it's fun, when we really want to get a nap in, not so great! This was a fun time!

I love this pic of the two of us!

Auntie looking at pictures with Paige. We all barely noticed Olivia sleeping in her carseat on the floor.

She slept there for a couple hours in the middle of all the hoopla. Amazing!

Uncle James playing a game with Paige.

Tree Trimming!

2011-01-04T16:15:00.001-06:00

We put the Christmas Tree up right before Thanksgiving, so it would be up when we got home. I don't remember where Alaina was. . .maybe still napping. Mark and I put the tree/lights up while the girls were resting, then had them help us with the ornaments. Alaina may have been off digging through Christmas boxes. That what she does best.