Florida 2010

It's hard to believe, just one week ago we were in sunny Florida (sunny maybe, warm...not so much).  It definitely was great to get away and spend time with the girls.  It was good to reconnect with our children while not having to think about work, laundry, dishes, errands, and the daily routines of life. 

We decided to drive the trip this year.  We've always flown in the past, but between trying to save a few pennies and not wanting to carry 3 car seats into the airport, we figured it best to drive.  Plus this way we could visit my Grandma and Aunts in Georgia.  It has been nearly 2 years since I saw them last, and I thought it was high time for a visit.  I was still a bit nervous about this long trek with an 8 month old though.  I knew the girls would do fairly well, but we had just gotten Andrew to sleep through the night not more than a month ago, and I wasn't sure if this would mess up our beloved schedule.  Fortunately, to our surprise he did great.  Not only was he a great traveler, he pretty much kept to his same routine during our whole weeks stay in Florida.  He was a bit fussy on the way back home, although so were the girls.  I think they just knew we would be getting back to the reality of winter for 8 more weeks.

Once we arrived in Georgia, we were able to peel off our jackets and feel the warmth of the air.  I just love not having to take the time to layer up before you go outside.  Of course little did we know that the next few days were going to be the warmest days of our stay, but at least we experienced warmer temperatures for a short time.  Although it still amazes me that we saw ice instead of water running down the mountains in Tennessee.  It just shows you what a cold winter it's been all over, because in all my travels as a child I never saw ice on those mountains.

It was so nice to see my Aunts and Grandma too.  The girls quickly warmed up to relatives they hardly knew.  Of course it helped that my aunt had a little Shiatzu dog that they loved chasing around.  By the end of our stay they were ready to trade in our large dog for hers.  We stayed up and talked for awhile after the kids girls had gone to sleep.  It was definitely nice to catch up and chat for awhile.  And they were kind enough to stock us up with sandwiches for the next day's drive to Florida.

Finally we reached Kissimmee.  We unpacked, while the girls jumped from couch to couch in our new home for the week.  They were so giddy with excitement that they seemed to bounce off the walls.  The hubs parents were nice enough to rent two condo units for our whole extended family, and because we had the largest family, we had a whole unit to ourselves (which meant we even had our own bedroom)!

We spent the next few days simply swimming.  Although both girls were a little leary to swim at first (remember their ongoing fear of water), they quickly grew fond of the water.  Kyra had digressed from her swim lessons from last year a bit, but generally did very well.  Katie however had been petrified from swim lessons last year and would bearly get in the water to begin.  Then once we grabbed coaxed her gently into the water, she clung to us with enough vigor to leave nail imprints into our skin.  She was deathly afraid of us letting go.  I wasn't sure we would ever get her to relax until good friends of ours showed how much their son loved to go in the pool with the confidence of his life jacket.  Fortunately, the following day Katie let us put the life jacket on her, and I simply let her go.  Once she realized she was floating on her own, she didn't want us to touch her.  All week long she said, "No momma, let go.  I want to do it my own self."  By the third day she was even jumping in the pool with no one catching her.  It was fun to watch her grin from ear to ear.  She loved the pool.  I know the life jacket may give her a false sense of security, but at least we are making some progress.  She even said she was open to the idea of swim lessons once again.

Our final big adventure of the week was going to Magic Kingdom.  We had debated whether or not we should go, since we only had one day to pack it all in, but threw caution to the wind and decided to go for it.  We are very glad we did.  My sister in-law kindly offered to take Andrew for the day, so we could focus on spending time with the girls.  And after the packed day we had, we were glad we were sans Andrew that day.  We truly packed in everything we could that day.  I think the first time we stopped for a break was close to 5:30 pm.  I worried about tiring our girls out by doing too much, but at the same time wanted to make sure we did and saw everything we wanted to for that day.  I wasn't disappointed, except for the weather (which started out with 46 degrees!).  But even the colder temps didn't slow us down that much.  We started the day off by meeting Arial.  She was the only princess we met, but fortunately the girls aren't really in to having their picture taken with characters so that worked out okay (more time to do rides).  We went on almost all the rides too.  I wasn't sure how they would do on many of them (since their are a few with elements of pitch black...a little scary for Katie), but they did fine.  A few of the rides Katie told us at the end that she never ever wanted to go on that ride again, but at least she didn't cry.  The parades were fantastic too.  The girls were glued to music and dancing.  But perhaps the best was the light show at the end.  Tinker Bell flew from Cinderella's Castle, and the girls were facinated by that. 

When I asked the girls what the favorite part of their day was, they both mentioned the Jungle Cruise, exploration on the Swiss Family Robinson tree house, and watching the Bear Jamboree.  Although, I'm sure Katie would say her favorite part of the trip was just swimming.  I'm hoping they aren't too young to remember this fun filled day.  Fortunately we have many pictures to mark the occasion.  Yes, it was another memorable vacation, and I'm thankful that we were blessed enough to have been able to go.  

      

    

Bird Feeder or Critter Cuisine?

For Christmas, my hubby got the girls make your own bird feeders. He thought it would be a fun project they could make together. Of course Katie had a blast helping daddy screw in the screws, and using a mini hammer to pound in the nails. Between spending time with her dad and creating something with her hands, she was in all her glory. She really is a hands on type of girl. After seeing a girl become so impatient with so many things, it is nice to see her shine in a certain area. Although I hate to admit it, I find myself struggling sometimes to see where Katie excels, and this just proved that she is good with her hands. Maybe she'll be an architect, engineer, or craftswoman. There are endless possibilities!

Kyra on the other hand wanted nothing to do with the project. She was perfectly happy to have her father construct the whole thing. Along with generally not liking to get her hands dirty, she received a couple splinters in years past and has decided wood is not her friend. So, she won't touch wood unless it has been properly painted or stained. Oh the joy of children's fears! Nevertheless, she did enjoy painting the bird house, and all three seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

After the feeders were painted and dry, they three got on all their winter gear and hung up the bird feeders. For days there were no takers. The girls would gaze out the window and see no sign of life. Then just a few days ago, the first birds began to appear!! Kyra and Katie have had a lot of fun seeing the feathered friends flurry about and tell their friends about the new source of food. We've been trying to identify the different types of birds and enjoy seeing the brightly colored blue jays or cardinals against the pure white snow.

Of course word spreads quickly, because it was not long before Mr. Squirrel found the bird feeder too. It took him only a day to figure out how to get the food for himself. He chewed the rope apart and down came the bird feeder. My hubs attempted to put it back twice now, but Mr. Squirrel prevails. Oh well, I guess now we can enjoy all the critters stopping by for cuisine. Now, if only we can get the dogs to stop from salivating from the windows!

Holiday Season of Long Ago

Wow....I can't believe it is already January, and almost a week into it at that. I remember not too long ago I wrote about our very busy October. Then for a short period of time November slowed down, but it has been full speed ahead ever since Thanksgiving. If months go by this quickly, I'm going to be 40 in no time!

Although it was a very busy season, it was filled with joy. I began the month feeling fairly calm about things that had to get done. We chopped down our tree from the backyard once again (or shall I say my hubby did that while I sipped coffee in my bathrobe!), and after a small battle with the lights it was all decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving. I already had several gifts bought, time to make goodies, and cards were ordered and sent out by the 10th. I decided to have our annual women's get together at a restaurant this year too, so as not to stress my self out with cleaning the house and figuring out where to put the kiddos. Of course in doing that I felt disappointed no one would see our lovely tree or decorated home, so I invited people over for New Year's Eve instead. Then the week before Christmas my sister in-law ended up having kidney stones and was unable to host her hub's 40th birthday party at her house, so I said why not mine? All in all I had 3 gatherings at my house the week of Christmas ranging from 13-35 people. It definitely was a little crazy that week, but we had a great time playing games with friends, gorging ourselves with food, and chatching up with people we hadn't seen in awhile.

I'd have to say one of our favorite things we did over the Christmas season was taking a ride on the Santa Train. The nostalgic train was all decorated for the season, complete with a conductor who took our ticket stubs, the town's queen dressed in a beautiful white gown who read Polar Express, and of course Santa. Our girls had just borrowed the Polar Express from the library, and watched the movie twice, so they were on cloud nine having their own personal Polar Express moment.

Kyra was hilarious to watch on the train, because she wanted so badly to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what she wanted for Christmas, but she has always been a bit afraid of him too. She asked her daddy what she should say when she went up to him, and he said "just tell him what you've been telling us for months...that you want a guitar." We had gotten her a guitar weeks ago, since that is all she could talk about. Yet, when she timidly walked up to Santa, stage fright must have got the best of her because that big jolly voice asked her what she wanted for Christmas, and she looked at her father (too afraid to make eye contact) and hastily said..."I'd like a cupcake maker please." My hubby couldn't believe it. We had spent a lot of time researching guitars on the internet, picked a certain one, and then she wanted a cupcake maker!? Fortunately, she wasn't disappointed on Christmas Day. She just said, Santa still got her something on her list and she'd ask for the cupcake maker for her birthday (hopefully she'll forget about it by then).

Yes, it was a very nice Christmas. We still haven't figured out all the traditions I would like to start instilling in our family to make Christmas more meaningful. I want the kids to understand more deeply that Christmas is about Our Savior and not so much the gifts, but we're working on it. We did read the Christmas Story, Christmas morning and spoke briefly what it would be like if we were there that day Jesus was born. Katie even understands more than I give her credit. So, as a New Year begins, I hope to be more purposeful in my every day teachings. I hope to really dive in the bible and learn together with the girls more about Jesus. I think God has great things in store for us, and I hope He does for you too!

This past October had been a busy month. Yes, fall is in full swing and we definitely tried making most out of the month to do some of our favorites. I had planned on writing about each occasion, but between an infant, dial up Internet, and illness, time simply slipped through my fingers.

For starters, we began the month going to one of our favorite fall festivals: the Zeeland Pumpkinfest. It's a great way to kick off the fall season. Everything is free, with the exception of vendors selling the usual elephant ears or hot dogs. They have face painting, a pumpkin seed spitting contest, a chili cook off, an animal petting zoo, and even a pie eating contest. Unfortunately this October the weather simply hasn't cooperated. It has rained almost every weekend, but we were determined to go, so we took our umbrellas and hopped in the car. Fortunately they had most of the events inside. The girls did their first pie eating contest, which was hilarious. Poor Kyra, daintily ate her pie without her hands as fast as she could, but was no match for a boy who could scarf his down in seconds. Kyra wondered why she didn't get a prize, she thought she was pretty fast (apparently not fast enough).

The following weekend we had my old college roommate and family come to stay for the weekend. We had plans to go to one of our favorite apple orchards, but again the weather was not on it's best behavior. We did end up going to Post Farms, which is a pumpkin farm and has simply wonderful warm donuts. The kids had fun jumping on hay bails, riding on a hay ride, and running through a corn maze. We had a good time staying up late playing card games with our friends and catching up on old times.

Finally, it came time for Andrew's baptism. My family was all coming for the weekend, to help celebrate this joyous occasion while joining in on a few more fall activities. Of course, wouldn't you know the weather once more did not cooperate. My hopes of going to the apple orchard were pretty much squashed. I had hoped for a fun filled weekend for the kids and family, but between the weather and dreadful loom of H1N1, we pretty much stuck to the confines of our home. Of course, it didn't seem to matter much because the girls and their cousins had fun anyway. They just like to be with each other. We did end up carving the pumpkins that we grew (the heaviest being 78lbs!!) and ate a lot of good food (of course). The baptism went well too. All of the cousins went up in front of the congregation and sang "Jesus Loves Me." They sounded beautiful. I am so fortunate to have such a loving family.

So that was our month of October in a nutshell, busy but full of laughter, fun times and friends and family. The only thing missing was Halloween. I was so impressed that I made Kyra's costume this year, but much to my dismay only Katie went trick or treating. Sadly, Kyra developed H1N1 shortly before the day of gluttony. She seems to always get sick on holidays. I'm just glad she made it till after our family gathering to get sick. So as November kicks in, we are going into the new month quietly. We are taking it easy and hoping the remainder of the family stays healthy. Because it won't be long, and a few more major holidays will be coming before we know it!!

Splash Getaway

A week ago we were able to get away for our first vacation of the summer. The hub's job has finally calmed down a bit (he was terribly busy all summer...of course great timing with a little one, but certainly job security and that's nothing to complain about, so I'll quit). So, we decided to head north for an extended weekend to one of our favorite places...Petoskey, Michigan. That whole area is simply breath taking. Of course I love it even more in the fall, when all the leaves are changing, but we couldn't have had a more beautiful weekend to go (mid 70's and sunny).

We stayed at the Boyne Mountain Ski Resort with the hub's parents. We've been there before and always enjoy it, because they have lots for the kids to do, and great shopping for me too! We all enjoyed swimming, going up the ski lift and enjoying the view, bike riding, and pie tasting. The girls even caught a rather large trout in the local pond (which may have been a little more exciting for their fish deprived dad, I'm not sure:). We went to the beautiful marina in Petoskey, and enjoyed shopping downtown too. Of course, I was able to go to one of my favorite stores, The American Spoon, and test their dips. Mmm, go figure one of my favorite stores involves food! They certainly do have great bbqs, jellies, and salsas though.

But I'd have to say the highlight of the weekend was going to the indoor water park. We were a bit hesitant in going, just because our girls are not the biggest water fans. So, we checked the place out first and the girls both said they wanted to go. The entrance fee isn't the cheapest though, so I told Kyra she had to promise to go on some of slides or else it wasn't going to be worth the money (this cheap mamma's gotta get her money's worth you know!) She happily agreed (of course probably not knowing what she was getting into).

Fortunately, the hub's parents were willing to watch Andrew for awhile too, so we could focus our time with the girls. So, when we arrived, we perused the park, and I found a slide that looked suitable for Kyra. It was a rather tall ride, but the slide didn't look too steep, and it required a inner tube that you could share with an adult, which I figured would be less scary then sliding directly on the slide itself. It wasn't until after Katie and I waited at the bottom to take their picture that I found out I had put them on the scariest slide in the park. Yes, way to go momma. I had put my eldest daughter, who was afraid of water to begin with, to plummet to what she probably thought was the end of her short life. Yes, the ride began with a drop into pure blackness, then shoots you out into a huge bowl that twirls you round and round (kind of like you are twirling in a toilet bowl), until you drop into the bottom of the bowl and are flushed out into a lazy river. Yes, she came out screaming at the bottom. I felt so bad. There were so many more easy going slides I could have started her out on, but I had to chose the worst. Even the lazy river frightened her because around the bend were some rapids and a waterfall that pours on you. I doubted she would ever trust me again.

Fortunately, she did. The first hour or so of our time, she hesitated, going only on the kiddy slides or in the pool. But eventually, our forgiving girl went on some larger slides, and even after a few times down with the hub's or myself, went by herself. It was a great time, and it felt great to have some alone time with our girls. I even tried my hand at boogie boarding down the pressured wave. Yes, the weekend away was just what we needed after this busy summer adjusting to our little one, and a great entrance into the new season of fall.

First Corn of the Season

It's that time of the year again!! Corn pickin time! Yes, this past week we had the first fruits of our labor (my hubby's labor anyway). We've had beans, cukes, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchinis, potatoes, and eggplant. But, it doesn't feel like summer until we've had corn from our own garden. After all, planting corn runs deep in the blood of the hub's family. I think my hubby would give up hunting before he would give up planting. He just gets a deep satisfaction out of watching our acres fill with corn. He will often take daily walks to see how much the stalks have filled out (I can't say that I could see much progress daily, but maybe he can). I bet he could even hear it grow. Okay, enough already, you get the picture. He LOVES corn.

My husband's love for corn has been inherently passed on to the girls. They have been eating it off the cob since they were 16 months old. They ask for it at every birthday meal, and are known to eat 3 cobs at a meal. This past week, Kyra even learned how to pick the ears off the stalk. She knows how to feel for fullness and everything. I was quite impressed. And I'm sure my hubby was beaming at his budding farmer.

So with out further adieu, here are this years pics of our kiddos eating their corn (we've taken a picture every year).

(Might as well start him out early!!)

Fourth of July

This year we missed our yearly trip to Hessel (up north), and therefore missed their little town's parade. My hubby has never been in town over the fourth of July because for the first 30 years of his life, he has always been in the U.P. Although, he was a little sad to be missing his annual vacation, and I a little sad to miss a cousin's wedding in Washington D.C., we made due.

Andrew was 1 1/2 weeks old and made his first parade. The local parade was actually very nice. It was a bit more crowded then our little hobunk town up north, but we managed to find a spot without too much trouble. Andrew winced with the fighter jets flew by, but the rest of the time he slept. The rest of the day we just relaxed at home and took it easy. We contemplated fireworks, but decided the parade was enough excitement for one day. So, we headed into town for ice cream, and then called it a day. It was a quiet day, but a nice one. We missed family and friends this past week, but know we got a very good blessing out of the deal! Hope you all had a wonderful 4th!

Catching Up

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted last. And I'm afraid it's just going to become fewer and farther between. I so wanted to keep up with blogging, taking care to write all the cute things my kids say and record their precious sayings. I wanted to record how this pregnancy went so I could tell the kids stories later in their life (considering I forgot so much about the first two). But alas it didn't happen, because life happened. And that's okay. I'd like to recap some of the things that have been going on though...

The Girls
A couple months ago, the girls began swimming lessons. I know we aren't going to go swimming much this summer, but we do have a boat and I think it is important for them to learn swimming safety. Plus, they have shown a lot of fear in the past and I was hoping to have them get over that (to the point they don't even want to take a shower!!) Both girls went through some tears over the last 5 weeks, but I have definitely seen improvement. I especially couldn't be prouder of Kyra. She went from not being able to let go of my arms to jumping in the pool all by herself and turning around and swimming to the edge of the pool. She dove off the diving board, and even went under water to reach for rings at the bottom of the pool (although she wasn't thrilled about that exercise). Katie needs a little of work still, and fought going to lessons almost every time, but at least she'll jump of the edge to someone in the pool and is starting to kick and move her arms. It was a joy to watch them both.

The Hubs
My hubby has been extremely busy, much to my dismay, but at least as this baby approaches quickly his time away from home seems to be lessening. He has become head foreman of his big job site, which requires more of his time, and hence comes home a little later sometimes (which don't get me wrong I am grateful for, because he has a job, and a job in this economy is definitely a plus). He also, along with his brothers, just put in over 50 acres of field corn among 4 property parcels. His father become ill with a burst appendix over a month ago, and has been unable to help, so the boys had to put in some overtime. Of course planting corn and watching it grow is one of my hubby's ultimate joys. He gets a high off corn.

Me
I have slowly been trying to give up control in trying to have everything ready for baby #3. It would have been nice to have this boy's room all decorated nicely, had my computer ready to print out baby announcements, and have Katie all potty trained (so I won't have two in diapers), but I'm afraid it's not going to happen.

It was my New Year's resolution to have Katie potty trained by the time the baby was born. And considering the fact that she is already 3, it seemed like an obtainable goal. However, she is a strong willed child, and along with having so many constipation issues, I think it's going to take awhile yet. To her credit, she does go #1 on the potty a great deal of the time, we just have to work on the other half. I know it will come, I just need to work on patience.

Our computer has died on us too. And while this doesn't seem like a huge problem, I lost the program I loved best to download pictures, and haven't been able to find an equally good program (don't remember what I had before). I have also spent a good deal of what seems like wasted time trying to download software, when I could have been washing baby clothes or watering flowers. So, we finally drug our feet to the store to buy a new desktop after installing a new hard drive in the old computer and not receiving the results we expected. Hopefully this computer will last awhile, and I can download everything I need before baby comes.

Finally I was broadsided in a parking lot by an older couple. Fortunately I was okay, but we have a small dent in the car that bugs me. And due to Michigan's no fault law, I would have to pay for the damage even though I didn't create it (not to mention if claimed, my insurance rates would go up). We thought about small claims court, but at this point in the pregnancy, I think I'm just going to let it go.

To be honest though, this has been the best pregnancy I have had. Even though my ducks aren't all in a row, I have felt good almost the entire pregnancy and still don't even sleep with any side pillows. I have had a few rough spots, but all in all I feel great. Even this cooler weather is a blessing, because my feet and legs are not swelling up as much as the past pregnancy's. This baby is a mover and a shaker though. I have felt more kicks and punches then with either girls combined. He must be ready to take on the world!

So, after this long winded blog entry (sorry), I will leave you with this prego picture some of you have been requesting. I don't normally like photographing myself, but also regret not taking more pregnant pictures of me with my girls either. So with 19 days before baby comes, here I am smiling and ready (hopefully) to relinquish control to God and his foreseeable future for our life as a family of five!!

Florida Trip, part 2

Our time in Florida was simply wonderful. I kept on thinking, "I can't believe I have 8 warm sunny days with my family!" I think the only bummer part of the trip was that we were going to spend the first day and 1/2 with our friends who live in Florida. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we found out their son had the stomach flu. Although we still had breakfast with them the following day, and stayed at their "house next door," we didn't get to stay up and chat or play "greedy" with them. But we weren't about to get all chummy chummy with the thought of getting the stomach flu ourselves and virtually ruining our week of relaxation. Thank you for your hospitality, Jon and Stacey, despite feeling so sick.

The rest of our vacation was spent at a resort in Kissimmee, thanks to my in-laws. We each (all of my hubs family members) had a one bedroom condo with a little kitchenette so we could make the majority of our meals. There wasn't a stove to cook on, but my in-laws are always well equipped with alternatives. They brought two electric skillets to make pancakes, stir fry, eggs, etc. You name it, they were willing to make it. We really only ate out for dinner two times. And the meals were hilarious. Try fitting 8 grown adults, and 3 little children in a 9'x12' room. We sat on coolers, the floor, arm rests, basically any little corner we could find. I'm sure housekeeping ended up having a fun time cleaning up that room too, because 3 kids under 4 years old can only keep their food on their plates so well. But we were together and having fun.

We spent most of our days just relaxing by the pool side (my idea of a perfect vacation). My hubs was very wonderful in taking the girls to the pool the majority of the time so I could take in maximum sun time on the lounge chairs and chat with the sister in-laws. The pool had a big waterfall in the center where kids could race underneath. Of course our girls were going no where near that. Their petrified fear of water subsided some over the week, but not as much as I would have hoped. The hubs actually got Katie to swim from him to the steps (with swimmies on) one day, but the next she wanted nothing to do with it. Both girls were satisfied sticking to depths they could reach or clinging to our arms. Oh well, baby steps right?

Perhaps my favorite part of the trip was going to Sea World. We debated whether or not to do the whole Disney thing, but thought maybe one adventure park for the week would be enough. As it ended, we were glad with our decision, because that day really tuckered them out. The park was just great though. I almost had more fun watching my kids in awe reactions to the shows than the shows themselves. What surprised me most was my emotional response. The magnificence of "Shampoo" (as Katie called him) jumping out of the water simply brought me to tears. Yes, this pregnant momma had a few emotional moments that day. The shows were elegant, humorous, and entertaining. Kyra's favorite show was a dog and cat show. These dogs and cats were walking on tight ropes, driving cars, jumping through hoops, and more. Although it was at the end of the day, the girls stood in laughter through almost the whole show. Her least favorite was the sea lion show, because the "pirates were fighting and being mean." It was actually a pretty funny show, but she thought the pretend fight was real. I told her they were just pretending. She said, "you mean the pirates aren't real humans?"

The park also had quite a few kiddy rides. We even took them on a relatively high, and fast roller coaster. Although it was a kiddy ride, it took quite a drop, that even I was surprised. Half way through the ride, Kyra nervously asked when it would be over. I was afraid if she had that reaction, how Katie was doing, but when we got off, the hubs said Katie had a great time. I should have known the younger one wouldn't be afraid of a little coaster ride!

Yes, the trip was a great success. And after being home a few days now, I am definitely missing the mid 70 degree weather. Although we feel rejuvenated as a family and are thankful that spring is near.

"Shampoo" giving the diver a ride

This dog pushed a cart, a door opened and out popped 5 wiener dogs!

The Sea Lion Pirate Show

The girls give a manatee statue a hug, after seeing the real deal

Time keeps tickin...tickin...

Wow! I can't believe it has been a month since I blogged. I haven't been exactly in the mood to write in a while, but a month...wow! February was a relatively low key month (at least I think it was...but my prego brain doesn't always serve me right). I've spent a lot of time searching the net for bunk beds for the girls (since they will be moving in together to allow room for the little one). I was surprised how much of my time this consumed. I think I was being a little too particular in my search. We did find one bed we really liked, but it was out of our price range. After finding that bed, nothing seemed to compare. Now that I have wasted all that time, I am pretty sure we are going to get two single beds. After all, my mom pointed out I would be doing most of the bed making, and this momma doesn't want to get a work out daily by making a child's bed (although that might be good exercise for me). Anyway, I'm rambling on (which I guess will happen when you haven't written in a month).

The last half of February just simply flew by. We had a nice visit from all my siblings. We had a great time chatting and letting the cousins finally play, after what seemed like time after time of cancellations because one or more of our family members was always sick. The kids even went roller skating for the first time. Good times! Then we had our much awaited ultrasound and were off to Florida the following day. And wouldn't you know it, Kyra got an ear infection the day before we left. Yes, I was a little worried how that might affect the plane ride, but thankfully we knew of the infection before we left and she was aokay.

So there you have it. That was our month in a nutshell. Of course I'm leaving out many details, like that of our trip and ummm... the sex of our baby!!! But I'll leave that for a post later this week (yes, I promise).

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Our Family to Yours! I hope everyone had a wonderful day.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a little different this year to say the least. I'd love to say it was a great one, but I'd be lying. There was, however no shortage of things to be thankful for. I know that I am deeply blessed and am thankful for God's out pour of blessings. I digress though, because this story (probably condensed as I can put it) has to make it to the memory bank. It all began like this...

In our family we rotate holidays. One year is Thanksgiving with my family, Christmas with the hubs fam, and the next year is the opposite. This year happened to be Thanksgiving with my family. And it was going to be no small production by any means. My aunt and uncle have a beautiful home in Ohio and are generous enough to open it up to my Mom's side of the family. Of course every year the family keeps growing, so it was no small task this year to host 35 people at their home (for 4 days)! Some of my cousins I haven't seen in years, so we were excited to say the least. Kyra could hardly wait as we counted down the week before Thanksgiving (she was excited to stay in Molly's room fully equipped with a lovely dollhouse!)

So on Monday I began making my contributions to the holiday festivities. I made soup for our arrival day, a couple types of desserts, and prepared my ingredients for the Thanksgiving day jello. I even managed to get an appointment to get my hair highlighted and cut, and got new glasses just in time before we left (all of which needed to get done anyway, but just a bonus for getting done before we went).

Finally, Wednesday morning I began packing the car, as I waited for my hubs to come home from work early so we could hit the road. Unfortunately, just as I was putting the last things in the car, my hubby called. My mother in-law was sick and in the hospital. He told me to go ahead and continue to pack. We just might be delayed a bit, so he could visit her in the hospital and make sure she was stable. We went ahead and visited her and she seemed to be okay. She had low 02 stats, but they seemed to be getting it under control. So on the road we went. However, after an hour on the road, we received a call from his brother saying that her condition hadn't improved, and had a surmountable amount of carbon dioxide in her system and they were going to have to put her on a ventilator. After a few moments of indecision, we turned around.

It was a scary evening, spent with my hubs family, wondering if his mom was going to pull through or not. There were tears and fears, questions and confusion. We stayed close by the next day. And fortunately, Thanksgiving Day showed some progress. She seemed to be pulling through this scary time. So we talked again of going to Ohio. We could still make our actual Thanksgiving dinner (which we celebrate on Friday). Of course, while my hubs stayed by his mother's bedside, Katie developed the stomach flu. I spent all day with one vomiting daughter, and another who was bouncing off the walls wondering if we were still going on "vacation." All I could say, is "we'll just have to see Kyra, right now we just need to make sure Grandma and Katie are okay."

Friday morning arrived, and Katie seemed to be on the mend. Both girls looked good (I thanked God that Kyra didn't seem to get Katie's bug). My hubby went to visit his mom one more time, and praise the Lord, they took her off the ventilator. Her first words were even "What are you doing here, you are supposed to be with your family in Ohio? Scoot, I'll be just fine." So he got his approval. His mom was going to be okay, and we were now on the road! Five short hours later, we arrived at my aunt's home. We were greeted by a warm house full of people and glad to be with such a loving bunch. We headed to our places for dinner, prayed, and began to get the girls plates ready. Of course right in between two of the tables stood Kyra, vomiting on the floor! We had been there not even 1/2 hour and she had thrown up! We couldn't believe it, and we certainly didn't know what to do. We had made it so far, and yet knowing how contagious this bug must be, we didn't want to contaminate everyone. So after quarantining her for a couple hours longer, eating a quick dinner (for us), and 2 more times throwing up, we decided to turn around and go back home.

That was our Thanksgiving! It was crazy to say the least. But as I reflect back on it now, I am still thankful. I am thankful that the my mother in-law is still with us. I am thankful that even if it was just a few hours, I was able to visit with some family I haven't seen in a long time. I am thankful for such supportive family, who was praying for us. I am thankful for my girls, who are on the mend and graciously didn't have a fit for having to leave. I am thankful for a husband who did a lot of driving in a very short period of time. And I am thankful for a God who is faithful. Now, hopefully Christmas goes a little smoother!

October Highlights

As I wrote in my previous post (3 weeks ago!!), I haven't been in the writing mode. However, tomorrow is a new month and I plan on jumping into blogging again (of course that's just a goal not absolute).

We did have a wonderful month though filled with many outings and visits with friends and family. I won't go in total detail of everything we did (since I'm summing up our month in one blog entry), but for memory sake will include the synopsis.

In the beginning of the month we headed to Zeeland's Pumpkin Fest. We've gone for the past 4 years and loved it. They have a chili cook off, barn yard animals to pet, pie eating contest, and a bunch of games for the kids to play. The best part is that it's primarily free! Next we had my old college roomate and her family visit for the weekend. This was a true treat since we haven't seen each other in over 2 years. We had no problems catching up as if it were just yesterday. The weekend was complete with painting pumpkins, getting in a game of golf (for the guys), and having a bonfire. Their little girl, Ella, fit right in and seemed to become friends quickly with our girls. At times they played so nicely together, we didn't even remember we had children in the house! We tried sneaking my hubby's birthday in amidst the company too, unfortunately other than a cake it was sadly under celebrated.

Katie, painting her orange pumpkin....orange!

Kyra put the candy corn on herself!

The following weekend we had another college roomate and her family come to visit. We headed to the apple orchard and picked apples. Of course we went on one of the 80 degree days, so it didn't quite give us that fall festival type of feel. Of course at least we didn't have to worry about jackets either! And with those apples (along with many my father in-law has given us...he loves to give us seconds from a local farm), we have made apple pie, applesauce, apple dumplings, and apple compote for pancakes. I guess you could say we haven't exactly been shrinking by our consumption of desserts.

The girls at the apple orchard

Finally, the girls and I went for a visit to Chicago to visit my family. Unfortunately they didn't get a whole lot of time to visit their cousins since our family seemed to get stuck with some kind of diahrrea bug, but we still had a good time. The girls dressed up early in their Halloween costumes and were able to take part in the town's Batfest parade. They enjoyed playing more games, watching all the other kids galavant in their costumes, and listen to Halloween stories at the library.

Yes, it was a good month, full of family activities. And as the upcoming holidays approach quickly, I'm sure there will be many more fun times. The quickly descending chill in the air and husband fervantly working to harvest the corn before the frost sets in, tells me that I need to be starting on my Christmas lists, cookies baking ideas, and cards. November, here we come!

Happy Anniversary

After our lovely time at the cottage, our plans for my parent's 40th wedding anniversary party took to fruition. My SIL and I had been planning the events for months, and it was finally show time. I have to say, that I had my doubts at times that certain dishes we made or parts of the evening that were planned would work out, but with my SIL's organizational skills and knack for party planning, everything went better than imagined.

The party took place at the new ministry center belonging to my parent's church. It was the first time it had been used for a big event. And it was the perfect place for such an occasion. There was a stone fireplace that gave it a warm touch, beautiful hard wood couches, and the perfect amount of tables and chairs for the number of people who were attending. We began the evening with punch and soft dinner music (compliments of my brother, who is always talented in making the perfect music medly's). During that time, my brother and the hubs were outside cooking the main entree - chicken and beef kabobs, on just about the largest grill I have ever seen (I think the testosterone level shot up just a bit). We then had dinner. The kabobs were complimented with spinach and strawberry salad, red potato and green bean salad, and rolls. I wasn't sure if that was going to be enough food, but it was just right. After that, was a tasteful game of "Who knows Paul and Carol the best!" Turns out everyone did, because amongst my parent's friends are a few cheaters! They were a rowdy bunch to say the least (Dad included). It was fun to see them laugh and have a good time. Finally, came dessert and a slide show. My SIL has a friend that made a bunch of mini desserts that were simply fabulous. There were chocolate chip type scones that we sliced in half to put strawberries and whip cream, coconut covered lime balls, and mini blueberry and chocolate turtle cheesecakes. Hmmm. The slideshow was put together by my brother, who again has a talent for putting the perfect music with pictures. He had a gospel tune put in the movie that had my Dad clappin.

It was truly a joyous time to be had be all. There were memories shared from several friends and family. I was certainly touched by some of the stories shared by close friends. And was glad that my grandparents and aunt were able to travel aways to share in the special day. It was only too bad that my sister and BIL couldn't be there, as my sister's warm comments and brother's humor always add much to a gathering. Nevertheless, it was a very special and fun party that I will cherish for time to come.

My parents are wonderful people of whom I couldn't be prouder. They are caring and supportive to say the least. We love you very much and thank you for all the love you have shown to us and our loved ones.

The centerpieces and cards at each table telling of events/prices of the year.

Look at those master grillers!

The spread

Surrounded by loved ones.

The couple of the hour and their family!

Fishin Time

It's that time of year again! Vacation time...okay fishin time. We're leaving for our annual trip to Hessel, Michigan. Every year over the 4th of July week we head north to a little cabin (and by little, I mean the size of my kitchen little) for some much needed fishing time (that's for the hubs of course). For some of you who know me well, you've heard many a time how much I adore our little cabin (insert sarcasm). For the 9 years I've been going, it has never been one of my favorite vacationing stops, afterall who wants to pack winter clothes for their summer vacation! And every year I vow to have an open mind, but I always come home in a grumpy mood.

But it's not about me. My husband has been going to this place since he was in his mother's womb. It is perhaps one of his favorite places to visit. He feels connected there. You can almost measure his smile getting bigger and bigger as we count down the hours till we go. It's a place where he can feel most connected to God, spend time with his family, visit old friends he grew up knowing, experiencing the high of luring in a big one. He loves it. And the fact is, my kids are becoming more and more fond of it too.

So this year, not only am I going to try keep an open mind, but I am going to dwell on the fact that my family loves this place and that part of my joy comes from watching them enjoy their vacation. And there are some positives too that I could focus on. Afterall, there is the little town's fireworks (which are really quite good), the beautiful view of the sunrise, great meals every night by the beach side, fresh lake breeze in our cabin, card playing time with good friends, the sound of the waves quietly slapping the dock, long walks near the marina, and of course GREAT ice cream cones! See you in a week!

Wordless Wednesday

Summer Snapshot

Our New Park

A couple weeks ago, we were sitting down for our usual Saturday morning breakfast (pancakes and sausage made by my hubs), when I asked him what he had planned for the day. Not many summer weekends go by where he doesn't have something planned so I needed his itinerary. Surprisingly he said nothing, and suggested maybe we go to Me*nards to buy 2x4's for a sand pit. I thought it was a great idea. I was thrilled that he suggested it, because lately the girls had been getting pretty bored after say about 15 minutes on their bikes. And although we have many great parks within the vicinity, something else to play in at home would be great. I really wanted a swing set, but we kind of overdid it when we bought all of our living room furniture a couple months back. So off to the store we went!

Of course when we got there, they were having a 12 months interest free sale (they always get ya don't they). So we decided to "just look" at the swing set material. The hubs decided we could probably afford to make a simple A frame swing set. We had some old boards he could use up and would probably just need a couple swings. Of course then I said, well they really use a slide more than a swing, so maybe we should do that instead. One thing led to another and before you know it, we had material for a whole swing set!! I thought at that point we should just buy a kit, thinking that might save time, but the hubs was determined to engineer it all on his own. He already had an idea in his head. There was no stoppin him now! I decided to stay out of his way and let him build, because after all I was getting my swing set.

Needless to say, our simple sand box project had turned into something bigger. But my wonderful man plugged away at it, and finished that baby in 4 days! He even said next year he might add a roof and a few other things. But for now, it suits our needs and the kids LOVE it. I'm sure we'll have some good times this summer having picnics on the deck, races down the slide, and lots of laughs.

This is all it was supposed to be!

The hubs hard at work (and still smiling!)

Who needs a swingset? We should have just invested in a slide and put it on a hill! They seriously had loads of fun, just sliding down the slide on the ground for like an hour.

The final product! Our park (as Kyra calls it)

New Face

Introducing the newest member of our family (the hub's brother's baby)....

Miss Ava Mae

9 lbs. 11 oz.

20 in.

She's only a day old, and already she'll give the Michelin Man a run for his money!! She's got the cutest chunky cheeks, and thunder thighs to boot (although I should talk, Kyra was 10 lbs 2 oz!) Boy, does she seem to have the sweetest disposition though. Her mom couldn't be prouder and certainly glad to be done with the very difficult pregnancy.



We were so excited to see this new member of the family. The girls could hardly stand waiting all day to go see the new baby at the hospital. And while Katie may need a few lessons on how to be gentle with a baby, she was already smitten with her new cousin. Kyra needed her turn to hold little Ava too, and loved to touch her soft skin. Yes, you are a beautiful little girl Ava. We're so glad you've finally joined our family!

A Visit to My Hometown

As I mentioned, last week we traveled to Chicago to visit my parents for a 4 day stay. Although my family lives only a few hours away, I do miss them dearly, and cherish the trips I am able to take to their house. I began going solo when Kyra was just 3 weeks old. I would nurse her first thing in the morning, with the car already packed, and head to the big city, hoping that she would make it 3 hours before she would need to be fed again. After a few times there and back, I became quite confident traveling with a child. Soon after, there were two, which was a little more challenging, but still manageable (as long as I had a stash of binki's and snacks in the front seat). Although I enjoy visiting my family with my husband, he is only able to do weekends. Traveling alone allows me to stay for longer periods of time and also an opportunity for my hubs to get projects done at home (in other words time without kids and a wife to distract him from his love of farming!)

As we approach the school age, I am realizing that these cherished trips are going to become few and far between. Life is only going to get busier, so in reality this will probably be my last year to take longer trips to Chicago. So I try and pack it all in with my favorite restaurant, stores, and time chatting with my parents and siblings.

This trip included many of my favorites. We looked through many of my childhood pictures, sat up late watching movies (mom is the late night movie queen, and a shared passion), ate at Sweet Tomatoes (thanks Dad), went garage saling with my sis in-law and mom, shopped at Trader Joe's (LOVE that place), and went to Brookfield Zoo with my parents.

Although the day at the zoo was very cold, the girls still had a great time. There were several new baby animals, and playful ones too. The baby giraffe stayed close to it's mama, the camels were cuddly, the gorilla's were wrestling, and the polar bear tried unsuccessfully several times to get out of the water. Katie was pointing at everything, and is becoming more and more enamored with all of the animals. It is such a joy to watch them get so excited by simple activities. Yes, it was a great trip. Thank you, Mom and Dad for your hospitality.

A Zoo

The polar bears

so white and strong...

The spot neck giraffe

with a stance so long...

Monkey that swing

by their tails in trees...

The big grey elephant

with the wrinkled knees...

Let's take pictures

of one or two,

Oh, please,

let's go to the Zoo

-author unknown