The Gaston's

Ev's Baptism - Sneak Peek

2012-01-31T22:22:00.002-05:00

I had the honor of taking this one's baptism photos last weekend. I just HAD to share a sneak peek of her special day.

The angel herself.

Blessed.

Pure Joy.

A Dogs Day

2012-01-28T19:24:00.001-05:00

This is our dog.

Her name is Dakota and she just turned 7 on January 12th. Yes, I know my dog's birthday - she's part of the family. We celebrate every year, but the parties have progressively gotten less exciting. I suppose that's bound to happen after one throws a dog party complete with all the dogs in the neighborhood, made homemade dog biscuits with peanut butter and honey and cupcakes (of course). This year we just had a quiet dinner at home (yes, she had her own plate too) with cupcakes (store bought, not home made). Seven years have passed, but we love her just the same.

This was her day.

Dakota blowing out her candle after we sang "Happy Birthday" to her.

Eating her birthday dessert.

She is the greatest dog ever. Patient with the kids, nuzzles you when you're having a rough day and is just as cute as the day we brought her home. We're lucky that she's party of our family.

Happy Birthday Dakota Mattie!

Memories, Dreams and Reflections

2012-01-22T00:22:00.000-05:00

I saw this on a friends blog and thought it was a great way to review the year in pictures. I hope you enjoy!

Me. (And the hubby)

I Love You...

My mom and my best friend. I Love Love Love you!

Still Laughing.

We took the kids ice skating for the first time this year, they did pretty well staying on their feet. Guess Russ should've taken notes. And yes...he was even using one of the PVC walkers and still fell. To his defense he was trying to hockey stop - a very challenging thing to learn!

Winter Wonderland.

My angel making a snow angel.

Birthday.

Bennett's 3rd birthday. Baseball themed. Do you notice the inch long gash on his forehead? In addition to celebrating his big day, he also got to visit the ER when he ran into the corner of the wall playing basketball with a new over the door hanging hoop that we had JUST bought him. No stitches, just glue and a very memorable day.

Friends.

Girlfriends, need I say more. These two are inseparable at daycare.

I Was Inspired.

I had the privilege of getting away for the weekend with some amazing girls to scrapbook. This is the beach view from the house we rented ON lake Michigan. It was inspiring to say the least, and helped get our creative juices flowing too!

Spring Fever.

I took this picture as soon as our weeping cherry tree started to bloom this year. Its the most beautiful sign of spring and I look forward to the whitest white blossoms every spring.

Travel or Vacation.

This was Benn hamming it up with grandma's hat while we were in Traverse City. Just trying to make people laugh, and it worked. Sun and smiles make for a great vacation!

Summer Days.

Or the "Dog Days of Summer." Our kids (and dog) spend a lot of time in the kiddie pool this summer. Note to self...may need bigger pool next year. :)

A Day in My Life.

The loves of my life. This is what we do, we play, we're silly, and we have fun.

All Smiles :)

This was earlier in the year when we stayed in GR for the weekend. Just a mini vacation get away with the kids. The kids have so much fun staying at hotels. Here Benn and I are just being silly. His smile is upside down, but I think it still qualifies for a SMILE. :)

Autumn.

The kids and I playing in the leaves. It was so sunny this fall day that we had a hard time getting a good picture that wasn't too shadowy. Thank to my mom for capturing this moment for us.

Family or Home.

My family. The ones I love more than anything on Earth, and the ones I could never live without.

Celebrate.

I became an Aunt for the first time, twice this year. That's a reason to celebrate! Lucas was born in August and is truly a miracle.

Let's Do It Again.

Having fun on the water slides. Another one of our fun weekend trips. The water was freezing, but it didn't stop the kids from diving right in, again and again.

I Miss You.

My cousin Kris. Our cousins Matt and Kristina and their families traveled from GA and FL to see us this year and we so much fun. We're hoping to make the trip to see them in 2012. It was so good seeing them and their little ones.

Beautiful.

Is there anything more beautiful or precious than a newborn? I had the honor of taking this darling's picture just days after coming home. Probably the most beautiful picture in 2011.

Dress Up.

My kids on Halloween. How appropriate right? This year, Avah was a ballerina and Benn was a baseball player. Very suiting (and not a big surprise) if you've ever met my kids. :)

My Favorite.

My girl on top of the world. Well...actually she's climbing on the playground. I love the clouds and her confidence shining through in this photo.

Don't EVER Change.

I love this picture because it captures such a special moment. The innocence, curiosity, and amazement of the kids in this picture are just the sweetest thing. Wish they could stay this age forever.

Just Because So THERE!

2011 was a big year. Something that made it especially big was when Russ graduated in November. He's worked so hard to earn his bachelor's degree. I'm so proud of him. Good job babe!

Hopes and Dreams For 2012.

This is Benn...surprised? Probably not. Benn's love for baseball and his excitement for the game are something that I hope stay with him forever. In 2012 I hope for another healthy happy year full of great family memories. Honestly, I dream of making time stand still. I love my life, quite honestly I often feel like I don't deserve all the blessings God has blessed us with. More than anything, I want time to stand still. I know this is unrealistic, so I'm dreaming of taking thousands of pictures in 2012 so that I can look back and remember every important moment that the future has in store for us.

Kicking off the Year of Vacations with...a VACATION!

2012-01-13T23:38:00.001-05:00

We've been doing this budget thing and trying to put every last penny towards our student loan debt to get it paid of as soon as possible. Because of this, our vacations have been extremely limited. We did splurge in August and went to Traverse City, but other than that we've been homebodies. 2011 changed all that. Our debt is finally paid off and we're ready to explore, so what better time to start than January 1st?!?

Some friends of ours invited us to Splash Universe to celebrate New Years Eve. In addition to not being well rounded travelers, we rarely do anything exciting for New Years, now that we have kids. There's no dressing up, rarely do we go out, and to be honest this all makes it difficult to stay up until midnight.

But this year was different, we actually planned to do something. Our amazing neighbors invited us to join them at Splash Universe to ring in the new year. It was a blast and the kids had so much fun. Us grown ups had fun too! So much so, that we may just need to make this an annual trip. So thankful that Adam and Melissa wanted to share their very last memories of 2011 and first moments of 2012 with us and our kids.

The first think the kids did when we got to the room was to jump on the bed. This was the only picture I could get of them sort of sitting still.

The water park, full of slides, a lazy river, and a mini splash pad for the little ones.

This is Benn obeying the rules and going down feet first, but only after he got in trouble by the lifeguard for going down headfirst and backwards. Crazy kid!

He's swimming around like a fish, my water baby!

The gang all snug in their jammies. We were all surprised that they actually made it to midnight. But not so surprised that they zonked out at 12:05am.

The next day the kids wanted to brave the big kid slides. Notice at the very top, there's a bucket of water just beginning to pour...

This is half of a second later. The kids couldn't wait!

Coming out of the twisty slide like a champ.

Girl power conquered the giant twisty slide and came out smiling.

Girlfriends. Can't think of a better way to have started 2012.

We're looking forward to what seems like a flurry of vacations in 2012. I just hope our pocket book can keep up. Look for updates of our adventures to come!

Top Ten of 2011

2011-12-30T13:21:00.000-05:00

I thought since everyone is putting up top 10 lists of 2011, that I'd put together a little list of my own. Here you go, in no particular order...just some momentous things from our year.

10. Birthdays - Avah (4), Benny (3), Russ (31), Me (30!) Woah!
9. Anniversary - 7 years. Lucky number 7!
8. Vacations - Traverse City, Silver Lake, weekend trips to GR.
7. We finally paid off all of our student loan debt! Only debt left is the house!
6. Avah's learned how to do a cartwheel, and is working on handstands.
5. I got a new job (well, new position but same company). I love it!
4. Russ graduated from SAU with his bachelor's degree! A long road but well worth it. I'm so proud of him.
3. Benn learned to ride a 2 wheeled bike (which he received for his 3rd birthday).
2. Avah and Benn learned how to ice skate.
1. I became an aunt TWICE! We welcomed baby Luke in August and baby Evie in October.

2011 was a year full of great accomplishments and great family memories. I'm looking forward to everything that 2012 has to offer. Stay tuned for a list of goals for 2012!

Merry CHRISTmas!

2011-12-25T23:17:00.000-05:00

Its the most wonderful time of the year. I say this every year, but our kids are at THE perfect age to enjoy the holidays. And, I'm not just saying that because they love opening gifts. This year, we sponsored a star and bought gifts for an infant boy named Alexander. Avah helped me pick out the clothes and wrap the gifts. We've been talking a lot about those who are less fortunate than we are and although she doesn't completely understand, she's comprehending what it means to be generous and has even offered to give some of her older baby dolls to kids who don't have dolls (of course this is quickly followed by, "so Santa can bring me new babies!" but its still nice to hear).

Last year, we over did it with gifts for the kids. This year, the kids still got a lot of gifts, but we were much more reserved with our spending and tried to explain that while its nice for us to receive gifts, its really Jesus' birthday and we should be giving Him gifts. This was a hard concept for them to grasp as Benn kept saying, "well...when is it my birfday?" and Avah asked, "why can't we see Jesus when we sing him Happy Birthday?" So darn cute. We'll keep working on this concept. :)

Here is what our Christmas holiday looked like in pictures...

At church on Christmas Eve. The kids looked much sweeter in this picture than they acted inside the church. It was cramped and hot, but was a great service.

A family shot before mass.

After mass, we spend the evening with my mom. Luke was new to this tradition and we were SO excited to be able to celebrate with him.

My Avah angel.

My goofy brother. We were doing a photo shoot...he was my target and I was his.

Benn being goofy, clearly he takes after his uncle. :)

Baby Luke hanging out and watching his cousins open some of his gifts.

Matt proudly displaying his "Super Dooper Reindeer Pooper!" A gift lovingly given my yours truly (amongst other more appropriate and usable gifts). :)

An action shot, testing out the Reindeer Pooper.

Avah enjoying some bonding time with her cousin.

After celebrating with food and family, we headed home to leave cookies for Santa and hang the key on our front door (so Santa can get in, because we don't have a chimney - its a fake key just in case you're wondering).

What Santa left...oh boy!

One of Benn's favorite gifts. A hand turned wood bat made by Russ.

This was Benn's expression ALL day long. No matter what gift he opened, the kids acted this surprised and excited about everything from new pajamas to toothpaste. He was so grateful and appreciative. He'd say, "Thank YOU so much!" and "This is just what I wanted!" over and over and over again.

Avah was pretty excited to see this under the tree and couldn't wait to hope on for a ride.

This was Avah's excited face as she opened a baby doll bed from Grandma G. Can you tell this was at the top of her list too?

Again...the face. New cleats every 3 year old's wish come true, right?

Dad G and I showing off our "portfolios." Mine is for work and his is to organize sandpaper in his garage. We were both equally excited. :)

This year we hosted Christmas dinner. I enjoyed every minute planning and cooking. The house was full and soon were our bellies too. A wonderful way to celebrate the birth of Christ. Merry Christmas to ALL!

A kiddie party

2011-12-23T21:07:00.002-05:00

The kids had a Christmas party at daycare and I was fortunate enough to have the day off to help out. Its always so much fun watching the kids sing carols, listen to Pat read stories and do Christmas crafts.

Here's the gang.

Here they are reading a Christmas counting book. They were on number 10, can you tell?

Listening intently to "The Night Before Christmas."

Frosting cookies

Benn's more serious when it comes to frosting.

Showing off their masterpieces.

So proud of his creation.

The boys exchanging books. Benny got a basketball book.

The big girls exchanging books. Avah got a "Hello Kitty" book, it was a huge hit!

So much fun and so many smiles. Merry Christmas to all!

"Pin"dicted

2011-12-23T20:44:00.003-05:00

Ugh...I'm so addicted to this site. I can't help it. When I saw this I just HAD to make it.

It took me about 4 hours, but was totally worth it! And, it only cost $25.

This is the half completed tree skirt.

Complete!

Under the tree.

Love it!

Weekend Project - Thanksgiving Special

2011-11-26T23:22:00.001-05:00

I've been looking for a bookshelf to display my new Willow People nativity scene this year. I'd like something with just 2 or 3 shelves in an espresso or walnut finish. The problem is that all of the shorter book shelves that I've found much wider than the space that we have to put it in. Much to my dismay I was feeling defeated last night staring at the tape measure and wishing my wall was just 6 inches wider so that the nice solid wood bookshelf that I'd just fell in love with online (which also had free shipping!) would fit perfectly where I wanted it to and would work nicely for the purpose of displaying the nativity scene. Fortunately, I've got a creative hubby and he suggested that I turn this into a bookshelf...

With a little imagination I thought it might just work. And if not, no harm done because we were going to get rid of the wine rack to make room for the new bookshelf anyways! So, Saturday was demolition day. I hammered, sawed (is that a word?) and used a lot of sand paper.

The following weekend, I painted. And...wahlaaa!

Here's my nativity scene. :)

Boys will be BOYS

2011-11-25T21:36:00.001-05:00

Benn had some friends spend the night last night. Avah was having a slumber party of her own at a friends house so our house was full of boys only (well except for me, oh and the dog too!) The house was fun, full of excitement, and felt like a world championship dodgeball match. :)

We had fun, and I even learned a few things.

Things I learned from the BOYS...

-The words toot, poop, butt and burp all ignite a fury of uncontrollable laughter.
-Boys like to change their clothes as much, if not more often than girls.
- I need to seriously consider getting a third football helmet, hockey stick and basketball. (3 boys and only 2 of the aforementioned items doesn't work well).
-They have two modes...high speed and off. :)
-They don't cry when they fall down, bonk heads, or hit each other, but the tears flow when one buddy tells another "you're meany."
-They make a mess, but really only play with 3 toys...baseball, football and hockey.
-They love hugs, cuddling, and are sensitive at night (when you can get them to sit still).

Here are a couple of pictures of our fun-filled night...

One of the 3 main activities of the night. They dressed themselves. Notice Benn's jersey is on backwards because he wanted his number to be in the front like Kellen's. :)

Kellen was in Avah's room playing by himself for a while and came out with these bracelets on. Too cute!

Resting by 8pm. Actually this only lasted about 30 minutes then it was back to wrestling and playing tackle.

I'm thankful that we had a house full of BOYS and that they allowed me to join in on a lot of their fun.

A Thanksgiving Tribute

2011-11-24T18:54:00.001-05:00

I feel the need to pay tribute to this Thanksgiving holiday. Not only because I've got more to be thankful for than what I feel I deserve, but because there's so much hype about black Friday shopping. Don't get me wrong, I'm a shopper and will be up before dawn, in line, trying to get my hands on some awesome deals, but I feel like we're rushing thru today to get to tomorrow. So, this is my time to sit back and reflect on all that I'm thankful for...

As traditions go, after sleeping in we watched the Macy's day parade as a family (while enjoying some mimosas, of course!). Then shortly after, we packed up and headed to Russ' parents house for dinner with the family. Its always nice being able to enjoy dinner and not have to all the cleaning, cooking and entertaining, so I especially appreciate that Johnene loves to host although I might muster up the courage to host a holiday dinner next year. :)

Now, we're lounging at home, Benn fell asleep at 6pm and Russ and I are watching a Christmas movie with Avah. The house is quiet and peaceful.

At the top of my list of things to be thankful for this year are these two blessings.

I'm also VERY thankful for my new niece and nephew, Evie and...

Luke!

I have a laundry list of other things I'm thankful for, but they all seem trivial compared to these 4 miracles. This has been one amazing year. Thank God for all of our blessings that are too many to list, but that we are non the less thankful for.

One Proud Moment

2011-11-20T21:23:00.001-05:00

Its OFFICIAL...Russ graduated this weekend!!! I'm so proud of him. Proud of finishing what he started at the school he started at 10 years ago. Proud that he did it all while working full time. And proud that he was able to do it all while being married with 2 kids. Good job Russ...

Receiving his degree

The graduate!

Russ and I

Russ and his parents

Benn being with Russ' cap on. He was pretending that he graduated too. :)

One Rough Night.

2011-11-15T19:22:00.001-05:00

Crying kids.

Kids won't eat dinner.

Mom and dad repeat themselves hundreds of times asking kids to eat.

Kids don't listen.

Food on the floor.

Mom and dad frustrated.

Kids frustrated.

Mom and dad yell.

Kids cry but still won't eat.

Kids in trouble.

Time for bed.

Kids don't listen.

Put kids in bed.

Kids get out of bed.

Mom and dad still frustrated.

Put kids back in bed.

Kids crying louder.

Mom in tears.

Ready to give in.

My heart breaking.

One rough night.

Only for a Day

2011-11-13T18:57:00.001-05:00

My curly Suzie Q...

Turned straight and narrow...if only for a day!

Halloween and All It's Tradition (in pictures)

2011-11-04T22:50:00.003-04:00

Beautiful fall day

Throwing leaves

Family picture after carving pumpkins on Halloween Eve

My spooky ghost crafty project

2011 pumpkins. Avah drew AND carved the pumpkin on the left ALL by herself!

Ready to go trick-or-treating

Minnie, ballerina, and a baseball player

Boo! TImes TWO (in one day)

2011-10-29T23:22:00.001-04:00

We are party animals! Yup, you read that right we like to PART-AAAYY! Okay, okay, its really the kids who like to party. It all kind of tires me out to be honest, but the kids had a blast their smiles were well worth the exhaustion. Here are some pictures of the kids' Halloween party at daycare and the OEP Halloween party.

All dressed up at Pat's

The boys: Gibson, Benn, Timmy and Kellen

The girls: Ella, Avah, Mallory, and Paige

Trick-or-treating at Pat's

Spooky ghosts

The line up.

Halloween party at OEP with the Allen's

The ballerina and the baseball player (bet ya didn't see those costumes coming eh?) :)

Getting balloon animals

The gang

Decorating cookies

Can you believe all the fun we had in just one day!?! And there's till 2 more days until Halloween! Stay tuned for more Halloween fun. :)

A Girls Weekend

2011-10-23T20:50:00.000-04:00

We had an amazing girls scrapbooking weekend. The house that we rented exceeded our expectations, the weather was perfect, and we laughed so much I think we burned off most of the calories that we indulged in throughout the weekend.

We arrived mid morning on Friday to this view...

We quickly unloaded our belongings and began scrapbooking. We headed in town to pick up bagels and soup from Panera to enjoy on Saturday (we're serious scrappers and didn't want to have to leave on Saturday for anything!) and grab a quick lunch a Applebee's. It was at lunch when we were paying our bills that Laura realized that she had someone else's debit card. Apparently the bank had given her the wrong card when she signed up for a new account a week earlier and just realized it on our vacation. It was funny and inevitably, we called her Nancy for the remainder of the weekend.

The cottage (more like small mansion) that we stayed in not only had 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, and a hot tub, but it also had a sauna!!! Oh yeah, and did I mention it was ON lake Michigan too? I think I did, but it was worth mentioning again. :)

Here are some pictures of our weekend...

The steep steep stairs from the backyard leading down to the beach. This is the view from the top down. It was a haul going up and down but it was worth it every time.

View of the stairs from the bottom looking up.

Sunset

Me goofing around at sunset. I know my HS gymnastics coach wouldn't be too impressed with my less than stellar form but I think its a fun picture anyways.

This is Nancy, errr...I mean Laura jumping at sunset. :)

Pat and Julie's scrapping tables. They're professional scrappers and had every tool, trick and tip imaginable that they were so generous to share. Believe it or not their tables were the organized ones.

Scrapping late at night and into the wee morning hours.

Pat's cricut machine with a library of cartridges.

I brought a movie to watch on Friday night but unfortunately, we had a difficult time getting the TV to work. This is me trying to rewire the Direct TV, DVD, and TV. Now, I'm sure your'e thinking that this is a scary sight. Me with electronics is not a good combination. I know that, but I really wanted to watch a movie. It wasn't so much the movie I was looking forward to watching but the fact that I was going to get to watch it from start to finish without interruptions from kids. Unfortunately, as you can probably guess there was no movie. I'm an accountant, NOT an electrician. But I put in a good effort.

The girls patiently waiting for me to "fix" the TV. Sorry gals, I tried.

Laura and I in Lake Michigan. Because you can't go TO the lake and not get IN the lake...even if it is October.

The "gem" that I found in the sand. Laura and I went for an invigorating run one morning on the beach. We ran about a mile and on our walk back, we saw some tourists who were waving at us. So we did what any self respecting person would in our situation, we happily smiled and waved back pretending that we owned one of the lake houses on the beach.

Nancy and Martha (aka Laura and I) I mentioned how Laura got her nickname, and I got mine because I brought a fun art project that we all did. It was creative and fun! This is our tribute to our nicknames.

Jill and I being funny. Jill thought she broke one of the chairs earlier in the day and was bummed that she was sitting in it when it broke. So, we decided to have some fun with it. A broken table (it was broken before we sat on it) screamed for us to sit on it. She's pretending to be upset.

Then, we found a jet ski that had fallen off its trailer. Ha! Another great photo op. Poor Jill.

All in all, it was a very fun, relaxing and memorable weekend. Oh, and did I mention that we did manage to get a little scrapbooking done too!

Chocolate Smiles

2011-10-16T22:08:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed a "first" of the season tonight...hot chocolate. The kids have been begging to try some ever since they saw an episode of the Berenstain Bears drinking hot chocolate a few weeks ago. With the crazy weather this fall (one day we're wearing shorts, the next we've got the furnace on) it seems as though that just when I get in the mood for some nice warm hot chocolate, the weather becomes nice again.

So, I decided to pick some up today at the store along with a big bag of marshmallows (of course)!

After a late dinner, hot chocolate was just the thing we needed to wind down from the weekend. The kids couldn't wait for the water to heat up so they could put their heaping piles of marshmallows on. Then, as it always seems to go, the water was TOO hot. So I dropped an ice cube in to hurry the cooling process along. Once the chocolatey goodness was perfect temperature (aka room temperature) the kids were let loose to sprinkle marshmallows, sip and enjoy.

Diving into the marshmallows

Sneaking a few for herself

Enjoying a sip of chocolatey goodness

Holding the cup like mom does. His exact words, "Look mom, my hold coffee like you!"

Avah sipping away. She looks like she's done this before, don't you think?

Benn's cup of marshmallows...

Avah's cup of marshmallows...

Clearly, they enjoyed the marshmallow part of the process the best. Then they got a kick out of pretending that they were just like momma, papa and gamma as they sipped pretend coffee out of their mugs. To tell you the truth, there wasn't a lot of drinking going on though and after a short 10 minutes or so, they were over it. Ready to move on to the next thing.

It was fun while it lasted and I've got some great memories of enjoying our first cups of hot cocoa together.

My Crafty Side

2011-10-16T16:16:00.000-04:00

Have you heard of Pinterest? If not, you MUST check it out. I've spent more time than I care to admit browsing the site this week. But I'd like to share some of the craftiness that its inspired.

A wreath made from old book pages...

And a shabby chic decorative ball.

Both of these projects were super easy and only required 3 or 4 things to complete. I should however mention that they were a bit time consuming. None the less, I'm more than happy with the results. I've been looking for home decor that was unique, stylish and not super overwhelming. I think I've finally found what I was looking for.

I hung the white decorative ball in our bathroom, and the wreath will go in our dining room. I just have to buy another hook since I stole the one that was mounting my creative memories frame. Now I've just got to find something as unique and creative to do in the living room. :)

Pinterest....here I come!

Monkeying Around for my Nephew!

2011-10-01T21:00:00.000-04:00

Today we celebrated Amber's pregnancy/birth of baby Luke! It turned out to be beautiful sunshiny day at Ella's Granary and lots of fun was had celebrating baby Luke. We are so happy for Matt and Amber and were honored to be able to show our support and excitement for them by throwing them a baby shower. :) Here are a few pictures of the day.

Amber picked a jungle theme so everything was coordinated from the cupcakes to the thank you favors. :)

Monkeying around. Perched atop of the cupcakes.

The stand showcasing giraffes, elephants and monkeys.

The center pieces.

Diaper cake.

Baby Luke was with us in spirit. He so badly wanted to be here, but still has a little bit of growing to do at Mott's. Can't wait until the peanut is home!

Candy bar thank you parting gifts.

Lucas' banner.

The gift table.

Party host (my mom) and Amber.

Sisters. :)

Auntie Amber and Avah.

To all of those who were able to come today, THANK YOU! We really appreciated it and we enjoyed seeing everyone.

Blogging slump

2011-09-28T22:02:00.001-04:00

I'm in a slump....kind of like writers block, but in relation to blogging. I think its because I haven't been taking as many pictures. Pictures say things so much better than I can express in words. Doesn't everyone prefer reading books with pictures than just a bunch of words? Anyway, the weather is starting to turn and we've just been ridiculously busy. I think things are beginning to slow down as far as weekends go, which is encouraging.

Because they're on my mind, I thought I'd share some funny things the kids have done lately...

- Benn puts his hands on his head to resemble antlers and says, "Mom! My a deer!" Its so cute. Thanks to our daycare provider Pat for informing us of this new talent of his (animal impressions).
- Avah randomly and surprisingly at times will stop everything she's doing and say, "Mom...I love you." (melt my heart!)
- Benn plays baseball nonstop. When we reject his request to join him in a game of BB, he simply and innocently asks, "Well...you play foofall (football) with me then?" What AM I going to do when we can't go outside to play baseball or football during the winter?
- The only thing Benn wants to eat are hot dogs (gross!) because he says, "Well...that's what beeball (baseball) players eat mom!" They must be good for you then, obviously.
- Avah's becoming more independent every day. Albeit, still shy and a little clingy, but recently has been insisting on making decisions like what to wear, what she wants for dinner and what cartoons to watch. I'm adjusting...
- I love Avah's desire to learn. She begs to work in her workbook at night before bed. So, we do 4 or 5 pages of letters, counting, matching or patterns. Its so great to see her enthusiasm to learn.
- Avah has started gymnastics for the season. She absolutely loves going and asks all week when its going to be Monday so that she can go to gymnastics. She's got her cartwheel down and her favorite event besides trampoline (because everyone's favorite is the tramp) is bars.

How's that for writer's block? :)

The TRIPLE Play Birthday

2011-09-17T22:30:00.001-04:00

We've had an eventful couple of days around here, all centering around Benn's 3rd birthday. I love birthdays and believe we'll ALWAYS celebrate them...for our kids, for us, our parents, etc. Birthdays have so much more meaning now that I'm a parent. I love reflecting on their actual BIRTH days then fast forwarding through all the highlights and milestones they've reached up to this point. It feels like yesterday and I'm still so amazed that God has blessed us with these two angels of His.

Our traditions include a birthday party (of course) and a smaller intimate, much lower key get together with grandparents, aunts and uncles one's actual birthday. For Benn's actual birthday we kept with tradition and planned a quaint dinner at our house. Some lasagna, baseball cupcakes, and family. At least, that was the plan. When we got home from work that day, we let Benn open his presents from Russ, Avah and I. He made out pretty well and one of the things he got was this basketball hoop. He was SO excited, so Russ worked to put it together and hang it up on the hall door before family arrived while I was busy getting dinner on the table. Benn was playing and having a good time until we heard this horrible thud which just happened to be Benn colliding with the corner of the hallway wall as he was chasing the basketball. I grabbed ice while Russ applied pressure to his head to try to stop the bleeding. Very scary! So, we apologized to our parents who were just arriving, rushed around to grab our wallets, and we left in a panic to rush him to the ER. Luckily the bleeding stopped once we got to the ER and it wasn't serious. They put some glue on the gash then sent us on our way. We got back in plenty of time for cupcakes (although we missed dinner - which was fine) and to open presents. Looking back, we knew this day was coming...not his 3rd birthday, but his first trip to the ER. We're just thankful it wasn't serious and to be honest, a little surprised that it took 3 years for him to have an injury that we couldn't fix with a little comforting and a bandaid.

The Gash.

Thanks Grandma H, Uncle Matt and Aunt Amber for the new bike!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Gaston for the bat bag!

We continued the celebration with Benn's friends on Saturday at Extra Innings. I'd never been there, but thought it would be the perfect place to have a birthday party for a toddler whose every waking moment is spent thinking, playing or reading about baseball. :) It turned out to be a great day. The facility was perfect for our little slugger and all his pals. Here are some shots from the day.

The cake. Appropriate don't you think?

Thanks to our talented friend Missy for taking the time to create this theme appropriate masterpiece!

The goodie bags.

The banner.

Friends Gibson, Aubree, Brody, and Kellen

Some action shots of a friendly game of whiffle ball

In the outfield waiting for a hit.

Sliding into home!

The Triple Play, three musketeers, and triple trouble. :)

Blowing out his candles.

Opening gifts.

It's 7pm, we're home and the kids are both crashed (probably for the rest of the night!). We've unpackaged all of Benn's toys so that he can play with them when he wakes up. We're enjoying some quiet time together and basking in the peace that the day has brought after an eventful birthday week.

Thank you to all who were able to join us to celebrate Benn's 3rd birthday party. We had a grand slamming good time and feel blessed to have been able to share it with you.

Meet Me in the Stairwell

2011-09-11T11:08:00.001-04:00

Because there are no words worthy to express the grief, the chilling terror or the pain that exploded in each of us that day. Nor the unspeakable bond that we all felt towards each other, the pride to be Americans, the hope for a better world, and the comfort that we extended unsolicited to friends and strangers alike. May our willingness to help others on that day continue to unite us, give us strength, and resonate peace.

At mass today Father Tim read this prayer.

"Meet Me in the Stairwell"

You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news on September 11, 2001. Neither will I.I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say "Goodbye." I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, "Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK ... I am ready to go." I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.
I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to Me for help. "I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!" I said. "Of course I will show you the way home - only believe in Me now."
I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.
I was with the Firefighters, the Police Officers, the Emergency Workers. I was there, watching each brave step they took.
I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the believers there, comforting and assuring them that their faith has saved them.
I was in Texas, Kansas, London. I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news. Did you sense Me?

I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name - though not all know Me. Some met Me for the first time on the 86th floor. Some sought Me with their last breath. Some couldn't hear Me calling to them through the smoke and flames; "Come to Me...this way...take My hand." Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me. But, I was there.I did not place you in the Tower that day. You may not know why, but I do. However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me?
September 11, 2001 was not the end of the journey for you. But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well.
Seek Me now while I may be found. Then, at any moment, you know you are "ready to go." I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.
~~~ God ~~~

What's your favorite?

2011-09-01T21:32:00.001-04:00

Conversation with my 2 year old:

Me: "Benny, which do you like better, baseball or football?"

Bennett: "Ummm...no mom, me like cheerleaders"

LOL!!!!!! Yup, that's my boy!

Rambling Randomness...HA!

2011-08-29T22:07:00.004-04:00

I'll be honest, I don't think in complete sentences. Its more like bullet points or list form to keep all of my "to do's" and thoughts in order. It helps me manage our crazy lives. So, here you go my randomness at its best!

-Work is great...challenging, but great! I'm so excited about learning my new role and the new responsibilities. I'm sure I'll be singing another tune of stress and worry soon but for now I'm enjoying it.

-Kids are growing too fast. I worry about what I'll do when I can't lift them anymore, when the don't want to snuggle or they stop asking us to sleep with them. Avah's a peanut, but Benn's a tank. I know this day is fast approaching.

-Benn's birthday is in 3 weeks. I'm not ready. Haven't thought or planned much. I'm hoping to pull it together soon!

-I love Labor day weekend. Russ and I got married on this weekend and I love that its a national holiday too! We don't have big plans, but I'm really looking forward to dinner and a movie.

-I need to freeze corn.

-I'm overwhelmed with everyone's kindness on fb in wishing me a happy 30th birthday. Kind of makes me feel guilty for not staying up on everyone else's birthday and wishing them a good day when theirs comes around. Blah!

-I think about my nephew Luke all the time! He's amazing and I can't wait until he can come home from Mott's.

-I have anxiety about all this back to school stuff and I don't have kids going to school nor am I in school. What's the deal?! Too much advertising and hype.

-I can't wait for apples, cider and pumpkins.

-These cool nights are AWESOME!!!

-I'm so excited to go on my first ever scrapping weekend here!

-I NEED to get organized!

-I was told today by my boss's boss's boss that I need to take ginkgo biloba because I think my memory is going. Ha! He said, "Don't worry, I need to take it too, I just can't remember to take it!"

-My check engine light came on today. Reason: I left the gas cap off. See what I mean about the ginkgo biloba???

OK, that's enough off my chest that I think I'll be able to sleep. Thanks for being my sounding board. :) Until next time!

Seeing things thru a new LENS!!!

2011-08-26T22:01:00.004-04:00

Yeay!!!!! I can barely contain my excitement! I got a new LENS for my camera tonight! Russ, Johnene and my mom all surprised me and went in together to buy me a new lens for my birthday. I'm so excited. Guess what I'll be doing this weekend??? If you see me this weekend don't be surprised if I put my camera in your face and ask you to stand still so I can take your picture. :)

I already had the opportunity to try it out on some very willing subjects at the hockey rink tonight when we met my cousin and her family for ice skating. 5 kids on skates, 4 using the PVC walkers to help them skate and Russ is the one who ends up wiping out! The best part...I got it on camera. Check it out with my new lens!!!

He's ok, but may be sore tomorrow. :/ Poor guy!

Here are some better (raw) pic's of my adorable nephews. I LOVE this lens!!!!

Sneak Peak of Vacation Week (TC)

2011-08-19T21:09:00.008-04:00

Here's a run down in pictures of our vacation in Traverse City. We had a relaxing time and were lucky enough to have perfect weather. I'm sad to see it end, but there are a lot of things at home that we are anxious to get back to like family, friends, and yes...even work!

Reading stories with grandma

Vacation made Benny super silly. Here he is in my mom's beach hat.

View of our condo from the water :)

Pirates! Arghhh...matee.

We fed the ducks. One of them took bread right out of Benn's hand. The kids thought the duck were much cooler than the seagulls.

We visited Sutton's Bay. A well preserved town that's avoided a lot of overdevelopment. It doesn't have a stop light or any fast food restaurants. It did however, have wineries. Lots and lots of wineries!

We played put-put golfing at the most amazing pirates course

We ate ice cream!

Yummy ice cream

Our nightly game of choice usually enjoyed on the porch overlooking the bay.

There was lots of sand...

More SAND!

SO much sand! Benn thought it would fun to make a SAND angel. Again...the silliness.

Farewell TC, oh how we will miss the warm days, cool nights, mouth watering breweries, chocolate fudge and morning runs on the beach and TART trails (their scenic trails).

Ice, Ice Baby!

2011-08-12T14:08:00.005-04:00

We're going ice skating!!! I'm SO excited. I think the only thing that would make me more excited to take the kids skating would be if my brother Matt could come with us. We'll miss him and we hope he can come with us next time, but for now I'm crossing my fingers that the kids will have a good time trying something new and will want to try it again. Oh! Did I mention that my cousin Mandy and her family are coming with us? In addition to enjoying their company (because we really do!) I'm thinking that Avah and Benn will be less apprehensive about putting on big bulky shoe-like things with only a very thin piece of metal between them and a massive sheet of ice, if their older cousins Taylor and C.J. are out there fearlessly twirling around.

So, we'll see...I'll do my best to take some pictures, but I may be busy holding hands with the kids and trying to stand up on my own two feet (its been about 4 years since I've skated-Yikes!).

Here are some pictures of our first ice skating outing.

Not too sure about these skates...

The kids getting a little assistance at first.

Then...before we knew it, they were off on their own!

Even racing!

Rounded out the 2+hrs by watching the ever entertaining zambonie!

One on One Time

2011-07-31T22:55:00.003-04:00

I get a lot of one on one time with Avah and we do plenty of girlie things like shop, paint our nails, gymnastics, shop, read books...did I mention shop?! :)

My point is, I don't get a lot of one on one time with Benn. Part of this is just our hectic crazy lives and the fact that its easier for me to take Avah because she's my big helper when I need to run errands or go in town. Benn however, would much rather go with his dad to baseball practice or a game. I've been feeling guilty lately because I need to make more of an effort to do things with just Benn, but I feel like he'd have more fun doing things with Russ instead of hang out with me helping me around the house or something.

Well, today Benn was up well before 6:30am so I thought I would be brave and take him to early mass at church today. For us this means 7:30am mass. (Yikes!) So, we got ready and tried to sneak out of the house before anyone else woke up (Avah and Russ did get up before we left, but they were ok with staying home to do some bonding of their own).

Benn was stellar at church. Probably the BEST he's ever been! After church I thought it would be fun to reward said good behavior with a smoothie from Starbucks (my ulterior motive...COFFEE). On our way there I hit a pothole and this was our conversation...

Benn, in a caring and sincere voice said "Ohh...mommy, you be careful. My not want you to break your car."

Me: "That's ok buddy, I just hit a pothole."

Benn: "Well...you be careful mommy or you break your car then you need new car, right?"

Me: "Mommy can't afford a new car bud, they're REALLY expensive. So I'll be careful k?"

Benn: "But mommy, my want to buy you new car OK?"

`Cue heart melting...I almost stopped and pulled the car over just to give him a hug.`

Me: "Awe...thanks buddy! I love you."

Benn: "Yeah mommy, that be good idea. My buy you new BLUE car for you."

At this point, I'm laughing AND crying because I feel like I don't know where the time has gone, and my little guy is so unbelievably in tune with the world around him and so sensitive to others.

After we indulged in some SB goodness, we got back in the car to head back to meet Russ and Avah. We had a hard time getting out of our parking spot because there were a lot of cars coming out of the drive thru and I couldn't get a window long enough to back my car out of the parking spot before another car would drive by. So, after a couple of attempts and nearly spilled drinks from the sudden breaking that I was doing, this was the next conversation that we had.

Benn: "What da matter mommy?"

Me: "Oh, nothing we just have to wait our turn to back out and no one is letting us go."

Benn: "Well...my think my will throw a foofall (aka football) at him's BUTT for you!"

Me: "BAHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Hilarious! I tell ya, this kid means the world to me and I'm so blessed that God chose me to be his mom.

After we returned home, Russ whisked Benn off to play a round of golf and I got to spend some one on one time with Avah at my SIL's baby shower. Today has made me realize how much I really do need one on one time with both of my kids individually. I think Benn had a good time and I know I'll cherish our time too.

Snap It Up Saturday (SIUS)

2011-07-24T08:54:00.006-04:00

These pictures were taken on Friday (Sorry!), not Saturday but our Friday was a lot of fun and I wanted to share. Saturday was fun too, but Russ golfed 18 holes in the horrid heat and the kids and I tried our hardest to stay cool inside. Needless to say, not a lot of picture taking going on this Saturday. So, here's an honorary SIUS...

Fish watching and waiting out the rain before going to the dunes.

Ready for the sand dunes.

Taking a break to play in the sand.

Not sure what this face was for because she wasn't upset. I thought it was cute regardless.

My view from the bottom of the hill.

SO tired after a long day at Silver Lake.

Put Me In Coach!

2011-07-21T06:39:00.003-04:00

First Official "Snap It Up Saturday"

2011-07-16T23:06:00.005-04:00

A friend started a weekly challenge that I'm excited about and all you have to do is post pictures of your Saturday. Hence..."Snap It Up Saturday." Cute huh?!

So, here are some RAW snapshots I took today. :) (Eventually, I'd like to edit the pic's that I post weekly, but its late and I'm beat). Hope you like them!

My favorite berry. We went blueberry picking today!

Baseball...part of our daily routine. :)

We wrapped up the day at the Hot Air Jubilee! As you can see from the sky, it was a perfect evening.

I love this picture. Just look at the kids' excitement. They were watching intently as the balloons lifted off one by one.

Thanks Ashley, for this challenge. I look forward to next week!

A Berry "BUST"

2011-07-16T16:43:00.003-04:00

OK, I'll admit...I may have gone overboard. As you can see, I MIGHT have picked a few too many blueberries. Not to fret though, I vow to put ALL of them to good use. First on the agenda...blueberry cobbler. Then maybe some blueberry crisp, blueberry jam, blueberry pancakes, and blueberry muffins. Whew!

After all of that, I think I might have just enough left over to share with some friends and family. (Sense the sarcasm?)

Here's the hull...almost 30 pounds!

YUMMMMMMY!

My mom and I :)

Hot Air Jubilation!

2011-07-15T23:03:00.002-04:00

To support the cause (and celebrate that the Hot Air Jubilee is back at Ella Sharp Park!) we took the kids to see the hot air balloons tonight. We saw a couple in the sky in the morning on the way to work and the kids were gitty with excitement, so they couldn't wait to go tonight. We picked up Grandma G on our way to the park and ended up meeting up with some friends to watch the balloons launch. It was a great time and memorable (I'm sure) for the kids.

The favorite balloon by far of the evening.

Avah and Grandma G.

Kellen (AKA Benn's twin)...look at that face! I think he had fun, don't you?

Watching the balloons launch

Trouble...trouble....and more trouble. :)

Benn catching a glimpse of the baby tiger.

Girls Day Out

2011-07-09T21:51:00.010-04:00

Today the BOYS spent the day at the baseball field. Big surprise, I know, but that meant Avah and I were going to get some quality time together. If you don't already know, I'm a planner. Since this "quality" time wasn't planned, I felt out of my element and a little frantic because I wanted to do something fun and spontaneous with her, ya know girl stuff. Well, I had to run errands this morning (your thinking Fun?...No...Spontaneous?...Nope again). But it had to be done. Since Avah was my little helper this morning, and we accomplished everything on my list, we rewarded ourselves with a little "treat" from SB.

Avah's new thing is smoothies. She likes trying new fruits and it helps that she thinks it tastes like ice cream but is healthy for you.

Later that day, we decided last minute that we would go put-put golfing (how's that for spontaneity?) :) It was our first time on the greens (although I think Russ has taken the kids to the Frosty Boy to play put-put before). She did great! We had a good time. I should mention that I didn't keep score, but if we did she probably would've beat me!

Getting ready to tee off.

Look mom! I have two balls...where is yours?

A little distracted from all the swimmers at Ella Sharp pool. Next time we'll try swimming!

Concentrating. She did a good job and hit it thru the narrow path and ALMOST got a hole-in-one!

Our fun day!

A cleaning of sorts...

2011-07-06T21:55:00.004-04:00

I walked out of the kitchen for 5 minutes and this is what Benn got into. He completely cleared out the lazy susan (sp?), but look at how orderly he lined them all up! I got a kick out of it. :)

Look at this little ham...how could you mad at that face?

The 4th with Friends

2011-07-04T22:50:00.007-04:00

A lot of fun was had this weekend. A lot of food...a lot of friends...a lot of excitement, and a little sleep. Because its late, and I'm not in the creative writing mood (although many of you blog readers out there have praised my story telling abilities - you are really too kind!) I'll spare you paragraphs and details all drawn out of the things we did this weekend and just post some pics that say much more than I'm capable of writing at the moment. :)

Avah and Aubree in the kiddie pool.

Aubree taught Avah how to go down the slip n slide. This is Aubree...

This is Avah. :)

Neighborhood fireworks after the Cascades fireworks. They were VERY impressive!

The gang, Nick, Benn, Aubree, Gibson, Gannon and Avah. Just asked them to pose for a picture and this is what I got...hands on the hips, folded arms, and a lot of personality. :)

Catching lightening bugs.

Waiting SO patiently...

Finally, playing with sparklers.

Daddy working hard to light the rocket fireworks.

Watching their own personal fireworks show. Thanks Daddy!

I know there are a lot of gaps between events, but these were some of the highlights. Thanks for reading...err...should I say looking? :)

Happy FEET!

2011-06-25T21:11:00.010-04:00

I need some motivation for getting out and experimenting with my camera. All the features, buttons, and options have got me feeling overwhelmed. So today, I gave myself a project.

FEET.

I think feet are fun. Kids feet, my feet, dog's feet (err...I mean paws). I think they've got a pretty important job (they did just help me run a 24min 42sec 5K today, not to mention they get me EVERYWHERE I need to go, without so much as an ache or pain even when I cram them into stiletto heals for 10 hours a day). So today I'm giving them the credit they deserve, while playing with some camera settings and lighting. I hope you like them!

I'll claim these feet as mine, in a blanket of grass.

Taking a dip in the kiddie pool

Daddy's feet are FUN...

Especially when they take us for a ride!

Any guesses as to whose feet these are? Slugger feet.

Princess feet.

Dumb shadows.

Dakota likes feet too.

Love this! Avah's always wearing my heals.

Half and Half

2011-06-22T21:29:00.003-04:00

Today was a day full of excitement and on the complete opposite end of the emotional spectrum, a little bit of disappointment too. I'm choosing to focus on the positive and my glass is half full tonight.

Without going into a lot of details I was just reflecting on the fact that I truly enjoy what I do at work. I believe that once you've found what you enjoy doing and work hard to do your job well, that good things happen. It also helps that I have a kick ass boss and boss' boss. :) So, we'll see where things go, but for now I'm so thankful to be doing what I'm doing and the people I work with and for.

Because I'd hate to leave you in too much suspense as to what was disappointing about my day, it has to do with the class I'm teaching. Teaching has its challenges and for the most part, I've approached them as learning experiences. I think the hardest thing that I've been working on is receiving critical feedback. For what ever reason this is extremely hard for me because I feel like I put A LOT of time and effort into my work and its hard not to take it personally or be discouraged when that effort is met with resistance or defiance.

With that being said (and to stick to my promise to focus on the positive) I'm very thankful that I have the opportunity to teach. Not only is it an avenue for me to improve and work on my leadership skills, its been spiritually rewarding. I learn something new from my students every time I step into the classroom and get a high when each class ends.

So tonight, as I get ready for bed, I'm thankful that I can look back and reflect on my glass as being half full and look forward to tomorrow that it is a new day filled with new opportunities!

From the West side to the East side

2011-06-20T06:18:00.012-04:00

Starting with the WEST side of the state, we celebrated our cousin's wedding in Kalamazoo on Saturday. They got married at the Gilmore Theater on WMU's campus. The ceremony took place on the second floor in front of floor to ceiling windows overlooking the campus. Then the reception was ON stage. They did a great job decorating. I wish I had more pictures to share, but we forgot the camera so these shots are what I was able to get with my mom's camera. It was a great time catching up with friends and family and we're so happy that Haeli is now officially part of the family.

The Courter's. The happy newlyweds and Bryon's family.

My beautiful momma, hubby and bro.

Travis and mom cuttin' a rug.

OMG! We actually got a decent picture of the two of us. I think that the only reason that this was acheiveable was because we didn't have the kids with us. :) They're just so darn cute that they steal the show when they're around so we never think to take pictures of us as a couple.

A fun surprise of the evening was reuniting with our former tee-ball team. The Expos unofficially celebrated their 25th reunion with the coach! Here we are posing for a "TEAM" picture.

On Sunday (Father's Day), we made our way to the East side of the state to the Detroit Zoo. If you've never been, I would highly recommend it. I enjoyed it more than the Toledo Zoo (although its a great zoo too). We thought it'd be fun to celebrate Father's day by taking Russ and my dad to the zoo and it turned out to be a great day. The weather was beautiful and the kids had a great time exploring all of the animals that they'd only ever seen in books. Here are some pictures of some animals that we saw.

Benn standing in front of the kangaroos. I think they were his favorite even though we didn't see them hopping. Instead they just laid there and Benn did the hopping.

Peacock and baby chicks. These birds were attempting to walk across the path where we were walking! Talk about an up close encounter! The baby chicks were a favorite of Avah's but she got skiddish when the momma peacock started to spray her feathers as if to say, "Give us some room, we want to cross here."

Checking out the dinosaur exhibit. Benn was so excited to see the dinosaurs that he kept ROARing, but once we got there and he saw how big they were he got a bit scared and needed Daddy protect him.

Ginormous rhino! Look how close we were! The kids thought the rhino was silly because it was scratching its hind end on this pole. I'll admit, it was funny seeing a rhino shaking it back and forth.

The most stunning giraffes ever...beautiful.

We saw this beautiful duck while we were crossing a bridge and all of a sudden appeared a turtle too! I think Benn can now finally understand the difference between a frog and a turtle. For what ever reason, he confused the two before. Seeing them in person must help!

A highlight for Russ and I was the seal aquarium. You can view them from above or go below in an enclosed tunnel and watch them swim all around you. This seal inparticular was showing off her skills by blowing bubbles and flapping her fins at us.

Happy Father's day Russ!

On the train. We took the train to the back of the park (on the way we saw various animals) then worked our way back to the front of the zoo. We figured this way the kids wouldn't get so tired and we'd still be able to see the majority of the animals.

Jam Session

2011-06-12T17:31:00.005-04:00

Today my mom and I made strawberry freezer jam! I'm embarrassed to admit that I come from a long line of "canners" and I barely have the skills or know how to simply freeze fruits and veggies. Thanks to my mom and her keen ability to teach, I now know how to make freezer jam. In all honesty, its really not that difficult as I'm sure 50% or more of you reading have made fabulous tasting freezer jam. I'm pretty proud of our production, and we're even considering making black raspberry jam once the berries come on. We've got a ton of black raspberry bushes in our back yard and I'd love to preserve them to be able to enjoy them throughout the year, and canning is an easy way to do that.

We used these jars...

And these strawberries...

To make this jam...

And this jam!

Because I'm an accountant and a bit nerdy, I thought it would be fun (yup, I said FUN) to figure out the cost per jar. Also, I'm gearing up to teach another class so I've got job costing on my mind. Here's the breakdown if you care. :)

1 Quart strawberries $3.75
1 Box Sure-Jell $1.50
4 Cups of sugar $1.10 ($5.50/10lbs, equals $0.55/lb, 1lb = 2 cups)

Total $6.35 per batch

We got 6 jars out of 1 batch, so final cost per jar equaled $1.06. Can't beat that can ya?!

I should probably mention that it took just about 30minutes of manual labor from start to finish to prepare one batch of jam. So, even if your time is valuable, this is still a great deal. Not to mention I got to spend some quiet, uninterrupted time with my momma which is priceless. :)

Thanks mom for our jam session and for teaching me how to make freezer jam.

Next up canning. I'd love to try to can corn relish, pickled beets, and maybe some applesauce in the fall.

A New Recipe

2011-06-09T21:05:00.004-04:00

We went met some friends in Lansing last weekend at PF Chang's restaurant. I'm embarrassed to say that it was my first time, and I was excited to try their famous lettuce wraps.

The verdict?

They were amazing! I would highly recommend them and Russ would too! Unfortunately, he wasn't able to make it to the restaurant with us so I brought some home for him to try. I think he was pleasantly surprised at how good they are. You know, things with lettuce (like salads) aren't usually that satisfying to men. But he really liked them. So much so that I tried googling it to find a recipe to make them at home.

I found this recipe that had rave reviews and didn't look too difficult (although there were more steps than I usually care for).

So, I tried this new recipe for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit. Check out what it looked like...

New Car Game

2011-06-09T07:58:00.004-04:00

Remember when you were younger and the thought of a car ride was SO boring? I can remember my brother and I making up games and playing "I spy" to entertain ourselves.

Today, with modern conveniences like dvd players in cars, iPods and iPhones with games on them (and the fact that our kids are still a bit young to remained focused on playing a game in the car), it hadn't crossed my mind that they'd be interested until this morning.

On our way in town today I decided to take an alternate route. No particular reason really, it wasn't any longer distance or time wise I just needed some different scenery. So, instead of driving on back country roads where the speed limit is 55mph and getting frustrated about being stuck behind a bus or another vehicle traveling 10 or more miles below the limit, I opted for Spring Arbor Rd. The drive was nice and the kids were quiet. Agh...I breathed a sigh of relief and was thinking that maybe a different view was just what we all needed this morning.

By the time we got into Spring Arbor things got a bit noisier in the car. At first I couldn't really tell what my 2 and 4 year old were yelling at. Loud, short bursts of words that were unidentifiable until I looked back to see what all the comotion was and realized they were pointing out their windows at something. Turns out they were yelling "FLAG!" over and over again. Turns out every flag/flag pole we passed the kids were pointing it out and yelling, "FLAG!" as if to see who could spot each flag first.

I know what you're thinking...how could I not know what they were yelling at? Well, Benn was by far the loudest yeller and coming from a two year old, sometimes it takes a translator to figure out what they're saying. His interpretation of the word flag is said with a silent "l". It didn't take long for me to figure out he was really meaning to say F-L-A-G, but for a split second there I was a little alarmed!

Once we were all clear on the "rules" of the game, I joined in and the remaining 5 minuted of our commute was spent playing the Flag Game. Walah the invention of the first Gaston Family car game.

Dog Gone Fun in the Pool!

2011-05-31T20:09:00.005-04:00

It was HOT today (please note that this is in no way, shape or form a complaint!), so the kids got to go swimming.

And they ran...

And jumped...

The dog was hot too, so she joined them!

Not much room for anything else in the pool.

Who needs pool toys when you have a dog? She's such a good sport!

A Holiday Reunion

2011-05-30T21:08:00.009-04:00

We had one exciting weekend! Not only was it a holiday weekend and we got to enjoy an extra day off work, but our cousins came all the way from Tampa and Atlanta to visit us. We had a weekend full of bonding, reconnecting, and forming new memories that we'll cherish for years to come. We spend most of our days together eating at some of Jackson's famous restaurants (i.e. Jackson Pizza Factory, The Parlour, etc), we saw a Tiger's game, and even went to the Spring Arbor parade. At night, we reminisced about old times, growing up, and catching up. We bonded over wine and spent quality time getting to know each other again.

Our kids did much of the same things (minus the wine part of course!). Avah and Benn played their little hearts out with their cousins Olivia and Frankie. They were all really well behaved, and played like they've known each other their whole lives.

The weather wasn't the best, until Monday but we didn't let that get us down. Check out some of the great memories we made this weekend...

Kris and I being silly, finally back together again!

Introducing sweet baby doll Frankie. Our youngest niece (to date), whom we met for the first time this weekend.

The big kids, picking up right where they left off playing and giggling.

Ready for the Tiger's game!

Twins? Sisters? Nope...adorable cousins.

Riding the carousel.

Benn finally got to meet Paws. Quite possibly the highlight of his day, even though he appears bashful in the picture.

Emily and Frankie. BEAUTIFUL people, inside and out!

Just relaxing together.

Memorial day parade.

Daddy and Benn watching the fire trucks.

Fashionable Frankie, stylin in her shades.

The cousins, together at last!

Great weekend, sorry to see it go. The good-byes were hard, but look forward to next year! Happy Memorial weekend everyone!

Gymnastics Recital

2011-05-24T22:36:00.005-04:00

Avah had her first gymnastics recital tonight. She was SO excited because both of her best friends (both named Ella) were there too! The girls did great. They performed a short routine on floor, bars, beam and even did some tricks on the trampoline. It was down right adorable watching how much fun they were having.

Floor routine. Avah's on the far right and her friend Ella B. is on the far left.

Lunging for a cartwheel.

Finishing her floor routine. Ta-daaaahhh!

On the bars.

Benn was NOT that impressed that he had to sit on the sidelines and couldn't get out there and jump around too.

Avah holding her trophy.

Little gymnasts...Ella, Avah and Ella

Proud little gymnasts.

My "BIG Boy"

2011-05-17T14:39:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, we noticed that Benn’s naps were getting shorter and shorter (Ugh…nap time is heavenly for me and I dread giving it up). Some weekends, he doesn’t even take a nap if we’re busy and he does relatively well (emphasis on ‘relatively’). So on the occasions that he does nap, we’ve been letting him sleep in Avah’s bed (a full sized big girl bed) for short stints. He wakes up rejuvenated and so proud of himself because he feels as though he’s accomplished something grand…the art of sleeping in a bed without rails and not falling out. Mediocre for adults, but monumental to a 2 year old who’s every waking moment is spent trying keep up and do EVERYTHING his older sister does.

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that Benn has been potty training. I’m NOT going to delve into this anymore than to say that we are so proud of our little man. During this time, we’ve been stressing the fact that he is now a ‘BIG Boy!’ in addition to giving him starburst candies (see previous post here).

Well, we learned fast that the phrase ‘Big Boy’ translated by a 2 year old has a literal meaning, not just a figurative meaning of encouragement and pride. As a result of all of this encouragement, Benn has informed us that he is now ready for a ‘Big Boy’ bed. Yup, you heard me right, HE told US, in the sweetest most innocent voice ever of course.
Every night he asks to sleep in Avah’s room, to which she informs us that he “Kicks me and wakes me up too early.” Ha! That kid’s full of it. Benn always wakes up 30 minutes earlier than her and she continues to sleep soundly without interruption. When we say “No” Benn proceeds to ask if he can sleep in our bed. Again, the answer is “No Buddy, sorry.” He then says, in a confused voice, “but my big boy mama?” (Cue melting heart)

As you can probably guess, this didn’t go on for very long before Russ and I decided it was time to get him a bigger bed. A new bed wasn’t in the budget this month and was an unexpected expense, but Russ and I talked about it and we scrimped and found the money to get him a bigger bed. I took the kids to pay for it yesterday so that it could be delivered tomorrow and showed Benn the mattress set he was getting. You wouldn’t think that a plain white marshmallow looking thing would be very exciting for a toddler, but boy was it ever. He was jumping up and down and so pumped. He got to sit on it for a few minutes then we signed the papers and left.

He was a bit upset when we left because he didn’t understand why we couldn’t bring it home with us, so I explained the best I could that it was TOO big and wouldn’t fit in our car and that the men had to get a HUGE truck to bring the bed to our house tomorrow. He seemed content with that and bragged to everyone we saw that night that he was getting a “BIG Boy” bed.

Better Luck Next Time

2011-05-09T22:26:00.004-04:00

I got peed on tonight. I'm not proud of it, I'm actually really grossed out. But I suppose, since its the first time since Benn was born that I was at the wrong end at the wrong time, I can't be too upset about it. So I've been laughing about it ever since. Here's what happened if you're so inclined to read.

We're potty training and Benn's been doing great. He's even starting telling me when he has to go. Unfortunately for me, when Benn said he had to go potty tonight, I didn't move fast enough. We made it to the bathroom but the second I pulled his pants down he fired away. When I lifted him up to set him on the potty he continued to fire back more. Ugh...my clothes, the floor, my shoes, everywhere.

At this point I'm drenched, and I've got a 2 yr old who's so excited because he thinks he just went on the potty and asks, "My get candy, my go potty?!"

Really?

I said, "Well honey you did go potty but the goal is to make it TO the potty k?"

We'll do better next time. I hope...

Flying High on Mother's Day

2011-05-08T20:28:00.005-04:00

Happy Mother's day! I was up early today, not sure why, just couldn't sleep but it gave me time to sit and reflect on how my life has changed since having kids. There are no words to express how honored I feel that God has trusted me their mom and has picked these two special kids to give to me and Russ. Forever grateful, forever blessed.

Our day started like any other Sunday. I jumped in the shower and Russ got up and started helping get the kids ready for church. When I got out of the shower I was told NOT to come in Avah's room. I suppose they were finishing up some last minute Mother's day stuff, so I played along and said OK. Next thing I knew, the door flew opened and Benn came out running yelling, "I yo you, mom! I yo you!" He gave me a card that he was so proud of and said, "My got you dis ma." It was a gift certificate for a pedicure (something I love to have done, but its just not in the budget these days so its been longer than I care to admit since I've splurged on myself and had one done). Avah was just as excited. She told me she loved me and said "Happy Mother's Day" (with a little coaxing from dad). :) She also handed me a card from daddy and as well as a card she made at Pat's house. The card had butterflies and flowers on the front and looked like spring. On the inside, it read "Happy Mother's Day Love, Avah" and was dated "May 8, 2011." She wrote all of that! It was precious.

It was getting late and we needed to head to church. As I was finishing getting ready, out of the blue Benn came running up to me, grabbed my leg and said again, "I yo you mom! Happy Easter!" Ahhhhahhahhhhh! I laughed so hard I was almost crying. He was so excited to wish me a happy day that he got his holidays mixed up. :)

Finally we got around and were off to church. Mass was nice, we saw a lot of families there that we don't normally see and it was nice to chat with them (even if it was just to say a quick "Hi" and wish the mom's a happy Mother's day). After mass, we ran over to the airport for a late breakfast with Russ' mom, my mom and my brother. This was by far the BEST part of the day! We of course had a great time visiting with each other and the food was good too. The kids always like eating here because they get to see the planes come in and take off continuously while we eat (which usually results in them not eating much, but at least they're content and we get to have a nice meal without screaming children). Today was no exception. After our meal before we had paid the bill, the kids wanted to go out to see the planes one last time, so I volunteered to take them. It was a gorgeous day, sun shining and warm so I didn't mind. We couldn't have been out there for more than a minute when a pilot (Jerry) spotted us and noticed how excited Benn was to see the planes landing. Jerry so generously asked if the kids wanted to sit in an airplane. Benn's eyes lit up and he said "Yeahhhh!"

That's all Jerry needed to hear and he led us out on the runway for a tour of his plane. I'm not sure who was more excited, the kids or I. Jerry was really nice, he was patient and let the kids play with the controls a bit and he even indulged Russ and I with some fun facts and interesting tidbits about flying. We even posed for some pictures. We left and the kids couldn't stop talking about the planes.

The rest of the day we spent at home. Russ mowed and I caught upon some laundry. We played outside with the kids and grilled out. We even squeezed a walk in. Now its bed time and I'm again reflecting on how fortunate I am. This was by far the best Mother's Day ever!

Flying solo

In the cockpit

Co-pilots

Jerry's plane

Checking out the plane and watching others taxi out from the runway.

My beautiful mom.

The Gaston clan

Early Mother's Day Retail Therapy

2011-05-07T21:13:00.003-04:00

Today, I got to spend the better part of the afternoon with my mom. She's been wanting to take a trip to Lansing to do a bit of shopping today was the perfect excuse because her cousin's daughter Lacey just graduated from MSU's veterinary school and is now a doctor of veterinary medicine. So, our first stop was her open house which was actually fun for me. I wanted to go because I knew it meant a lot to my mom, but honestly wasn't looking forward to it. Surprisingly, we had a good time. We ate some great open house food, visited with relatives we only see 4 or 5 times a year and enjoyed some much needed sunshine and warmth.

After that, we went to some stores my mom wanted to go to including World Market and Home Goods then we navigated (barely) through a detour and eventually made it up to the Eastwood Towncentre. Gap was our final destination for two reasons, the first being that earlier this week (being the clutz that I am) I fell down our stairs while carrying Avah and ripped a hole in the knee of my favorite "go-to" black dress pants. I know, I'm cool. No one was hurt, just a little shaken up, but my pants weren't so lucky. The second, was that I had a coupon and GAP just so happened to be were having a Mother's day sale. Fate? Luck? Needless to say, it didn't take much convincing to make a quick stop by (since we were already in Lansing) to pick up some new dress pants for work. So, we did and it was a great day.

I found work pants (won't admit how much I spent - even with 30% off), my mom got exactly what she was looking for (her new purchases look fabulous on her) and we got to enjoy 2 hours of uninterrupted bonding time in the car. Its been a while since we had time together like that and I'm very appreciative for the fact that my MIL was able to watch the kids while Russ was coaching so I could treat my mom to some early Mother's day retail therapy.

Happy early Mother's Day to all you mom's out there!

Raw Images

2011-05-01T16:36:00.006-04:00

I'm by no means what you'd call a photographer. And I usually don't enjoy scenery pictures. But spring time brings new life for a lot of vegetation and its hard to resist getting excited about all the bright new colors and buds. So, here are a few raw images (not edited at all, mostly because I'm lazy!) of some of the beautiful scenery that we've encountered in the last few days.

Vibrant tulips that my mom gave me for Easter.

Blossoms on the weeping cherry tree in our front yard.

Our street sign.

Our crazy daffodils along the walkway to our backyard.

The bird feeder outside our front door. Its not really "scenery" but I like it. Ignore that its empty, guess I should fill it and maybe I'd have birds to take pictures of too, eh?

Peace OUT!

A Walk in the Park

2011-04-30T20:59:00.005-04:00

Last weekend we had decent weather so we decided last minute to go to Cascades and walk around. One of the perks of going to Cascades is that they have ice cream there. It was a nice evening for a walk and I've been itching to get out and take some pictures of the kids. You'll see the pictures aren't great. There were a lot of shadows and I'm just not that good a capturing the oh so precious moments on camera. Its really kind of hard to pay attention to 2 kids, what they are doing and where they are playing when you're trying to focus (no pun intended) and snap a great photograph.

Nice disclaimer eh?

Well, here you have it. Our "Walk in the Park" in pictures. Enjoy!

Standing tall.

Amused with the camel...

Not amused with the camel.

Climbing. This was so high and Avah insisted she do it all by her self. Scared me to death...so I took a picture. :)

Looking at the ducks in the pond.

Watching the ducks swim.

Ice cream!

Holding hands :)

Easter in Pictures

2011-04-24T20:58:00.009-04:00

We did a lot today. Church, egg hunts (plural!), dinners (plural!), horse riding, AND...potty training (more on this later).

Egg hunting at home. Notice the eggs in the retaining wall. :)

Benn hunting for eggs.

Benn found his Easter basket at Grandma's! Do you think he's excited that there's a baseball bat and ball in it???

Avah showing off her Easter loot.

Silly Papa teaching Benn how to use a paddle ball.

Egg hunt at Grandma's.

Russ found the "Golden Egg" with $20 during the "Big Kid" egg hunt!

Sharing some candy and bugs with cousin Haylie.

Playing what else??? Baseball with Uncle Rick and Dad.

More baseball. Very serious game going on.

Cousin Barley being a good dog.

Avah enjoying some riding time with Gus. Thanks Aunt Amber and Uncle Matt!

On to the potty training....Call us crazy, but Benn is following in his sisters footsteps in that he has just all of a sudden decided to no longer wear diapers! Wahoo! Unfortunately for us, that meant that we spent the better part of our Easter holiday in the bathroom...on the floor...encouraging him to go "potty" every 20 minutes or so. We've been talking about the potty for a while and something just clicked this weekend. Today after church, Benn took off his diaper and said "My throw this away. Diapies for babies, my big boy!"

Really?

Seriously? Could it be true?!

So, we gave it a whirl and sure enough, he started going on the potty! This warranted an emergency trip to Wal-Mart to get some "big boy" underpants. I found this amusing because Russ immediately volunteered to run in town for this purchase well aware that Wal-Mart would be the only store opened on Easter Sunday. He despises the store and refuses to step foot in one unless he's dragged kicking and screaming. But today all it took was 4 little words from his little buddy, "Daddy! My went potty!" and he was gone, on his way to pick up some briefs like any proud daddy would.

Like I said before, a lot of the memories of today revolved around Benn's time spent in the bathroom but overall I would say it was a successful day. We spent time with most of our closest family and I was so thankful that I didn't have to cook or clean! Now, its early and the kids are already in bed and I'm trying to figure out what in the world to do with all this candy! :) Happy Easter!

Easter Egg-citement

2011-04-21T21:31:00.007-04:00

We began our Easter activities on Tuesday when we colored Easter eggs then frosted cookies. Russ missed out because he had baseball practice, but we have plenty of other Easter fun planned that he's going to help with this weekend!

Before I get into the play by play of our evening, I have to say that when I think back on when I was a kid (gosh just saying that makes me feel old!) I remember all the great traditions we had preparing and celebrating the holidays. I think its these great memories that make me want to pour so much time and effort into making the holidays special for our family and kids.

But the last few holidays we've celebrated with our kids (birthdays, Christmas, and now Easter) have been nothing like I remember from my childhood. Maybe its because I'm no longer "the kid", maybe its because our kids are still a bit young, what ever it is the whole process of preparation is a lot messier than I remember. Having my mom here to help us decorated eggs remind me that no matter how messy the floor got, no matter how many eggs got broke, no matter how many sprinkles we went thru, and no matter how many cookies with frosting the kids ate the most important thing was just to have fun. And that we did.

I started by dissolving the color tablets in water and my mom did her best to explain to a 2 and 4 year old proper egg dunking techniques. Only problem with this was the word "dunk." Benn knows this word well and when he says it, its usually followed by a curling of the wrist and slamming of what ever object is in his hand in a basket, the sink or (the obvious) a hoop. Needless to say, more than half of our eggs cracked due to his "dunking" technique and all around roughness. It was so funny, we didn't have the heart to tell him to be gentler.

Avah's egg coloring style in action...first the wax crayon, very serious, and meticulous.

Grandma's helping Benn color eggs.

Dunking his eggs.

Benn's egg coloring style...the messier the better!

The finished Egg product. From this picture you can't see all of the cracks, but trust me...they're there. Still beautiful in my book though!

After we colored the eggs, we had to let them dry before we could put stickers and tatoos on them so we frosted and decorated some Easter cookies that I had backed right when I got home from work that evening.

Again, my expectations for this may have been a bit high. I thought we could all sit around the table, frost and put sprinkles on the cookies. What actually happened was the kids each put a huge glob of frosting on their cookies, dumped a pile of sprinkles right in the middle, then they became more interested in eating them than decorating the rest of the cookies. So, we changed our plans and my mom and I finished frosting, then let the kids help put sprinkles on.

All in all, it was a great night and although the kids are young and may not remember, I hope they'll enjoy looking at these pictures later and reading about the fun times we had.

Frosting and sprinkling cookies. Notice Benn is more concerned with eating than decorating his cookie. :)

The finished Cookie product...

For better or for worse...

2011-04-19T21:16:00.004-04:00

We love her...

I'll admit, it isn't easy. Especially when she barks, or drools, or sheds, or tears thru the garbage. BUT...

She does have her good qualities. Actually, I'll even go as far as to say these attributes make her one of the best dogs I've known. Every day without fail she greets us at the top of the steps with a huge grin and wagging tail as if to say I'm SO happy to see you, please pet me, I missed you so much! She's forever patient with the kids poking, prodding, and climbing on her. She really is a good sport. She's the most gentle creature, I don't think she could be vicious if she tried.

If you aren't a dog lover, bear with me for a few more minutes...I promise there's a point.

You know the saying, "Its a dogs life?" I often imagine what goes on inside that head of Dakota's. What do they think about? What do they spend all their time doing when we're at work? When they bark at other dogs are they really communicating with them or are they just seeing who can yell the loudest?

I guess where I'm going with this is that while my dog might be big and blubbery, even slow and not the smartest dog at times, what matters most to me is her dedication, devotion and relentless and unconditional love she has for me and my family. Despite all the times I've had to pick up the garbage that she's torn thru or run her to the vet for an eye or ear problem (that are apparently common in St. Bernard's), I take one look at this huge furry head and can't help but love her in return. She's a part of our family for better or for worse and we wouldn't give her up for anything (even though I've threatened to...a number of times...just recently as a matter of fact! :)

Spring Break

2011-04-03T21:17:00.010-04:00

Even though we aren't teachers or get the privilege of having an entire week off to celebrate spring, we still enjoyed a mini get away with our neighbor friends who are teachers. We had a great weekend, and more importantly, the kids had fun. We drove up to Grand Rapids and stayed here. The hotel was super nice with big rooms, and they were accommodating when we asked to have rooms next to each other. The kids' favorite part was the pool. There was a mini aquatic center in the hotel with slides, water fountains, a whirlpool, hot tub and a 3 story water slide for adults.

Avah braving the water slide

Swimming with daddy

The boys playing catch

I have no idea who this adorable girl is, but Benn sure was showing off for her trying to drink from the water fountain.

Ella and Benn

Grant the water baby

Cutie patootie Avah

The aquatic center. The steps in the background lead up to the 3 story water slide.

The kids being fish

It was "raining" inside! The kids thought this was neat to look at but didn't enjoy being 'rained' on much

"Hiding" out under the slide.

Benn going head first down the slide. TROUBLE!

On Saturday, we visited the Children's Museum. It was so cool! There was so much for the kids to do there. We were there for almost 2 hours and didn't even see everything! The kids played with legos, went fishing, stacked blocks, played with trains, dumped sand, colored, played with magnets, went grocery shopping, and so much more. Check out some of the neat things that we did...

This was an apple tree that you could "pick" apples from. They are magnetic and the kids loved putting them on and "picking" them.

A block stacking exhibit. Notice the sand table and real VW Bug in the background!

The lego table.

A ramp with bells that you tossed golf balls down and they made a "ping" noise every time the ball hit the bells. One of Benn's fav's since it involved a ball, throwing and noise. Key features to holding his attention.

Life sized connect 4 with balls instead of checkers.

We played on this for half an hour!

Gone fishing

Resting on the blocks

Russ barricaded Avah with foam blocks

Great weekend! Enough said.

The Bathroom: Before and After

2011-04-03T20:37:00.005-04:00

I've been in the mood to paint and the bathroom is my latest project. So, I thought it would be fun to post some before and after pictures. I'm super happy with how it turned out. We've slowly but surely been making the transition from faux wood trim to white and its making a world of difference. Before I would describe the bathroom as ok, not terrible, I've seen worse. The light fixture was the original that they put in the house, cheap and reminded me of an eighties salon (please, if you have this light fixture, do not be offended - its just not my cup of tea). The mirror is plain and the towel bars had fallen off the wall. Basically, this room was screaming HELP!!!

Can you tell that I didn't like the light fixture? I never even replaced the bulbs once they burned out!

After, I would describe the bathroom as clean and peaceful with a nice mix of modern and traditional styles. I chose a grey/purple color for the walls, painted all the trim and doors white, added a new towel rod and towel hooks (hence the modern style), and of course a new 'hotel' style shower curtain. All the accents are bright white to accentuate the newly painted trim and we reused a mirror that we had hanging in our dining room. Oh, and we got a new light fixture too. Unfortunately, its not in the picture yet because when it arrived (we ordered it online) one of the globes was cracked, so its not fully installed. All in all, it was a fairly inexpensive revitalization of our dreary old bath. Take a look and see the transformation for yourself.

Newly installed towel hooks. No more stuffing towels behind a rod or yanking on them at an awkward angle and pulling the screws out of the drywall!

Avah's Belated Birthday post

2011-04-03T20:24:00.003-04:00

I'm a little behind on downloading pictures from my camera, so I'm just now getting around to posting pictures of Avah's "actual" birthday. I already posted about her party(ies) but we rounded out her birthday week celebration with a day of fun on her actual birthday too.

We woke her up early and let her open her birthday presents from mom, dad and Benn before going to daycare. Then we swung thru Tim Horton's and picked up donut holes for everyone at daycare. Later that evening, we had dinner as a family and sang 'Happy Birthday' one last time.

We love celebrating birthdays, which is why we devote an entire week for the special occasion instead of just one day!

Dog Gone It!

2011-03-29T19:23:00.003-04:00

After work today, I went to Meijer to pick up just a few things for dinner this week then some snacks for our mini road trip this weekend. I got some good snacky stuff that we don't usually get because we like to eat fairly healthy. Things like frosted animal crackers, chocolate chip cookies, goldfish, cheese its, twizzlers, and pretzels.

When I got home I put away some of the refrigerated items, made a couple of pieces of french toast and hurried off to the school to pick Benn up from baseball practice. Well...not actual practice, but Russ has been taking him a couple of nights a week before JV practice starts so Benn can hit. If you aren't already aware, Benn loves baseball and would play the sport 24-7 if we had enough energy to keep pitching to him.

When we returned, I found the floor covered in red bits of sticky, slobbery candy pieces, pretzels crunched, and completely empty bags of chocolate chip cookies, animal crackers and goldfish. Really?!?!?!! Dakota had eaten thru most of our snacks that I had left on the barstool.

Seriously!!!!

Ugh...I'm so mad. Not only because I have to clean up the nasty drooly mess and the eminent pile of puke that is sure to come sometime later tonight or tomorrow, but because I just spend over $100 at Meijer thinking I wouldn't have to make another trip to the store before we leave. And now, because of my ridiculous dog, I have to go back to the grocery store sometime between now and Friday to spend another $30 on snacks that the dog just consumed.

Now the dog is outside. I wish she could stay out all night, but she barks whenever the neighbors are out (which they are) so I reluctantly have to let her in now. Nice night eh?

All we have left is a box of cheese its. And I've got to tell you that I'm not convinced those weren't next on Dakota's list.

Looking back at 3

2011-03-24T13:28:00.003-04:00

Each year I try to come up with a list of things the kids have learned, accomplished, and mastered. Not to mention some things they said or did that were just downright hilarious that I just have to document so that I don’t forget. So here it goes, here’s my list…

During this past year, Avah has
· Expanded her vocabulary immensely
· She is sensitive, helpful, easily excitable and absorbs everything like a sponge
· She’s always willing to help “clean” the windows
· Her best friends are both named Ella
· She deciphers her grandparents by calling them “Papa with no hair or Papa with glasses” and “Grandma with curly hair or Grandma with straight hair.” What can I say, the girl’s world revolves around hair.
· She thinks popsicles are a main food group
· The girl is obsessed with shoes and boots, hers and mine
· She can write all of her capital letters and most lowercase letters
· She’s interested in road names and where we are going
· She knows all the days of the week except when you ask her what day it is, she always says Friday. I can’t blame her though, that is the best day of the week!
· She prefers white milk over chocolate, but insists on chocolate donuts over glazed
· She is inquisitive, but has finally grown out of asking “why?” all the time
· She talks ALL of the time, poor Benn can’t get a word in edge wise
· She rides her bike (with training wheels) all by herself
· She has mastered the 50 piece puzzle and can do a 100 piece puzzle with a little help from mom or dad
· She has an unnatural fascination with band-aids and thinks she needs them for every freckle on her body because they are “boo boo’s”
· She prefers dresses/skirts over jeans
· She sleeps with her blankie, but believes she’s “too big” to take it to daycare
· She’s a cuddler and will snuggle any time of the day
· She no longer takes naps
· She insists on doing things herself, except when it comes to eating dinner she likes to be fed

Favorites:
Colors - pink and purple (unchanged from last year)
Cartoon - The Bernstein Bears
Toys - her dolls which is nothing new from year 2, but now she pretends with them, puts them down for naps, and lines them up to read to them like a teacher would.
Food - fruit, with the exception of popsicles as mentioned above
Vegetable - celery
Sport – gymnastics
Princess – Snow White

Two for Four (years old)

2011-03-20T20:22:00.008-04:00

We celebrated Avah's birthday twice this weekend (and her birthday isn't official until Tuesday). I'm exhausted, but we've got one super excited little girl. On Saturday, we celebrated with many of Avah's friends at the YMCA with a Hello Kitty themed party and the kids got to go swimming.

Avah, Brooke, Ella and Paige excited for the party!

Listening intently to the lifeguard before swimming

Avah and her cousin Taylor swimming

A bit bashful while we were singing "Happy Birthday" Isn't her cake(s) cool?

Best Bud's

All of Avah's friends are more than generous and she received so many great gifts. She got this ladybug and named it "Dot." She takes it everywhere and sleeps with it, its adorable.

She of course also got a lot of Hello Kitty things, as well as a sticker maker (a ton of fun...even for adults!), a Snow White princess (her first surprisingly, bc its her favorite princess), magnetic dolls that you can dress up and a lot of artsy crafty stuff. We played with ALL of her new toys when we got home from the party. We even got a nice walk in because it was gorgeous outside and by 8pm, both kids were tuckered out. It was a fun day with friends (Avah's and ours) and we hit the hay early to get up and do it all over again on Sunday.

Sunday began as usual, up early to go to church. The kids were OK at mass so because they weren't terrible, we rewarded them with donut holes. After driving to 2 Tim Horton's to find chocolate donuts, we headed home to clean and get ready for party #2 with family.

I made 2 lasagna's 2 loaves of garlic bread, a huge salad and the largest quantity of green beans that I've ever cooked at once. With in a matter of minutes (maybe 20 or so) all the food was gone. Yikes! I actually ran out of food...well, kind of. Everyone ate, but there wasn't extra for seconds. Thankfully we had these cupcakes and ice cream to fill everyone up. :)

Avah blowing out her "4" candle

Presents...

The kids and their new roller skates. Uncle Matt thought they needed their hockey sticks too!

So, now its Sunday night and the kids are both in bed. I'm trying to reflect on these past 2 days but it just seems to be a whirlwind of rushing here and there. I loved that Avah felt so special this weekend as we (and everyone else) focused most of our attention on her. She's growing up so fast and I want nothing more than for her to know and remember how special we think she is.

So, Tuesday is her official birthday and we'll probably do dinner out to wrap up the birthday week festivities. My baby girl is almost 4 and I just can't believe it. She's grown up so much in the past year and I know there's no end in sight. We love her so much and are very proud of the big girl she is growing up to be.

The Great Outdoors

2011-03-09T21:32:00.005-05:00

Its no surprise that those who live in this fab state of MI have spring fever. The weather around here has been terribly cold, rainy, snowy, and at times there has been freezing rain causing icy roads. BLAH!

That's all I have to say about that.

Well, that's a lie. I have a little more venting to do. (sorry!)

In between these snowy, rainy, dreary days mother nature has teased us with an occasional sunny day that even in one instance flirted with the 50 degree mark on the thermometer. On these days everyone's mood is brighter, we are more productive (so I think anyway) and quite plainly life becomes enjoyable again. Not that I don't enjoy my life on gloomy days like today, I just think the sun makes a huge difference in my attitude.

Earlier this week we had one of these sunny days. Instead of setting the kids in front of the t.v. after work while I made dinner (I'm ashamed to admit this has become "routine" in our house), I rushed home with the kids, grabbed my camera and we went for a walk. It was chilly, but sunny and the kids were able to run off some of their pent up energy that's been festering all winter. :) Here are some pictures I captured on our walk...

I thought it was funny that Benn's shadow was almost as tall as mine. Must have been the light eh? :)

Avah walking Dakota. Its a funny sight and our neighbors get a kick out of her walking a 170+lb dog.

Benn was so excited to go for a walk he had to take his backpack too. He must have thought we were going to be gone a long time. :)

Just playing with some camera settings...

So tonight as I reflect on my day, a day that was gloomy and my attitude was sub par, I remain thankful for the weather variations that this state has. To be honest, I'd become tired of continuously hot and dry temperatures if it meant we didn't get to witness the different seasons that we have in Michigan. With that being said, I'm so ready for SPRING!!!

"Water" Rapids

2011-02-27T21:17:00.005-05:00

We took a mini-vacation this weekend and visited GR. I know its not very far away, but we LOVE Grand Rapids and since its fairly close, its a great little get away to take with the kids. The hotel experience with the kids was amazing! They did so well. Sleeping was effortless (we wore the kids out and they pretty much just passed out each night). Eating was enjoyable. We made what seems to be our traditional a.m. run to Starbucks for breakfast, met up with some friends for lunch, and strolled downtown and grabbed a late dinner later Saturday night. As for activities, we went swimming...A LOT. The kids turned into fishes and begged to go swimming almost every waking moment. We did find time to squeeze other entertainment it. But, like I said before, this was a vacation and we treated it as such. We didn't do a lot, which was so nice and relaxing. We went shopping at Rivertown after lunch on Saturday and the kids were surprised when we took them to Build-A-Bear. They were giddy as they picked out their bear (or Tiger in Benn's case) and outfits. Their favorite part was giving their animals a "bath." They did this by laying them on a table under faucets that blew air (instead of water) and they used scrub brushes to get any excess fuzz off. It was a great time.

Here's our weekend in pictures...

Benn and his tiger "Paws" (original, I know!) :)

Avah with her bear "Princess"

Benn virtually swimming on his own.

Avah hanging out poolside.

Being silly in the hotel room.

The kids were obsessed with the corded phone in the room. Weird. They wouldn't stop playing with it.

More swimming.

Playing on the steps.

Benn did this probably 100 times. He'd get mad when we would hold our hands out and say, "No, go way! I do myself." So, we let him. He jumped and we'd scoop him up after. He'd come up for air laughing so hard. He's our little water baby!

GR was great, we're already talking about planning our next mini-vacation. :)

Wonderful Wednesday

2011-02-23T22:24:00.003-05:00

Last Wednesday, I was lucky enough to take the day off work since our daycare was closed. I say lucky because its rare this time of year for us to take much time off because we are so busy at work. And for that I was thankful.

Instead of making a laundry list of things to accomplish on my day off, I decided to do something that the kids would enjoy. Turns out, I had a great time too! We made a trip to the Treehouse and surprised my SIL for lunch (since she works in Chelsea). The kids were so well behaved, played and helped each other up the equipment and all in all, just had a fun time. Avah made a friend and they had fun running around together and Benn kept trying to sneak and throw the balls from the "baby" area into the big kid area which kept me busy.

Lunch was also fun. We ate (well, Amber and I ate - the kids refused to eat anything except a chocolate chip cookie) at a quaint coffee shop then after a couple hours in Chelsea, we made the trip back to Jackson. I did end up getting some errands done after which made me feel accomplished for the day.

What I love most about that day was the time I got to spend with my babes. Time that I otherwise wouldn't have had, had our daycare not been closed and had I not been fortunate enough to be able to take the day off that wonderful Wednesday.

Benn (aka Linus from Charlie Brown) being silly

Avah climbing up the Treehouse

Taking time out from playing for a quick snack

The comedian...

All for Fun and Fun for All

2011-02-13T13:11:00.010-05:00

Russ took a mini trip up north last weekend so I decided to take the kids to the children's museum in Albion. If you haven't been there, I highly recommend it. The kids had a blast and its a great place for them to burn off some energy. Here's a look in pictures (and a few words) of our day at Kids N Stuff.

First we played Doctor

Then we navigated an airplane

Benn put on a puppet show (sort of). He mostly just popped out of the curtain and would say "ROAR!"

They both made a dance video. Future rockstars maybe?

A highlight was the grocery store. Apparently, Benn was hungry. This is why he rarely goes grocery shopping with me. :) Because I'd be broke!

Avah had a hard time keeping up!

Creating painted masterpieces.

The highlight of Benn's day...catching a fish!

Spring Fever

2011-02-05T22:11:00.005-05:00

That's the only explanation for it. The restlessness, the crankiness, the irritability and all that goes with the winter blues. We have thoroughly enjoyed the snow this year, we've played outside and gone sledding a number of times, but I think the kids have had enough.

I'm ready to have the windows opened, I want to see the very tips of daffodils popping up and I want nothing more than to go for a walk OUTSIDE! My kids are ready to play outside too. Take a look a what they've been up to...

Innocent looking enough right? They were tackling each other on the couch.

The crabbiness...

Dribbling, playing basketball. Its just a matter of time before something gets broken.

Looks like hugging, but really more tackling.

Hitting baseballs in the house. Again, just a matter of time...

Benn's warming up for spring training; Avah in her leotard thinking its summer.

Big Girl = Bronze

2011-01-25T18:36:00.006-05:00

This is Avah's second year in gymnastics at All-Around and she loves it. I love it because it gives her confidence, pride, and teaches her how to listen and be a part of a team (in the greater sense, she's not actually on a team). She comes out of her shy shell when she's at practice and shows true enjoyment when she gets to do experience and try new tricks with two of her really good friends, both of whom are named Ella.

Back to the reason for this post. A milestone. An accomplishment. A sign that Avah's growing up...OK, maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but this week marks the first week of moving up from "Parent - Tot" class to "Bronze" class where the girls work out with just an instructor, no parents allowed (in the gym at least, we can still watch from the waiting room). We've been talking about this move for a couple of weeks and the instructor felt that she (and Ella) were ready to move to the next class. I was a little worried only because she is such a shy kid, and can require some coaxing when it comes to trying new things. But, her eyes light up when she talks about the "Big girls" so we thought we could give the new class a try. Monday was her first night of gymnastics without me and she handled it so well! I on the other hand had a mix of emotions overcome me while I sat and watched her parade off with 3 other little girls and begin stretching without so much as a look back to say "bye, mom" or show the slightest hesitation once she realized I couldn't come out on the floor with her.

It hit me hard and I was sad for a quick minute until I saw how much fun she was having and how well she was listening and paying attention. My sadness (of realizing she's really growing up) quickly turned to glowing pride as I watched her working hard and having fun independently and without me. So there Melissa (Ellas's mom) and I sat, oohing and aghing over their cuteness and laughing at some of their quirks. We snapped pictures like crazy obsessive mom's but we didn't mind the looks from other parents and tried to remain discrete so the girls wouldn't be distracted. All in all, it was a great experience. When we got home, she was beaming (no pun intended!) and was literally bouncing off the walls. I think this "Big girl" class is going to work out after all.

On the trampoline.

Avah's friend Ella on the trampoline.

Avah on the low beam and Ella on the high beam.

Walking backwards on the beam...with some help.

Avah balancing on the low beam.

An ode to Uncles

2011-01-20T18:48:00.008-05:00

Our kids adore their Uncles (and Aunts for that matter). Their uncles love getting them riled up and they get down to their level and play whatever sports or pretend baby dolls the kids want. Avah and Benn love spending time with them and we are so fortunate to have family that lives so close. So, to honor them here's a quick poem...

Uncles love laughter

they tickle and make faces,

They teach us to yell,

to pick our noses and make messes.

Dad just smirks

and watches over proudly,

while mom rolls her eyes

and thanks the unruly.

Uncles teach us how to be tough

and how to get up when we fall down.

They'll play baby dolls for hours

and wrestle on the ground.

Uncles protect us, get us into mischief

and show us all kinds of neat stuff.

They keep on playing with us

even when mom says that's enough.

Uncles are the best

we hope that they know,

That we love them

and we hope it really shows.

Having fun in the sprinkler.

Wrestling.

Hanging out watching baseball (or football - can't remember but it was sports related)

Teaching Uncle Rick a thing or two.

Uncle Matt teaching Benn how to look tough.

He Caught the BUG

2011-01-14T08:43:00.004-05:00

Poor Benny, he's caught that nasty flu bug that's been going around. We had a feeling he might get it when we heard a couple kids at daycare had it the day before (we weren't as concerned about Avah bc she had this flu thing over Christmas break). And sure enough, it happened last night. Russ picked the kids up from Pat's yesterday (I ran home to get ready for dinner at my brother and SIL's) and I asked him to make sure he asked how the kids' day was, if they ate well, and if they all around had a good day (sometimes he forgets to ask!). Apparently, Benn was ok all day but after nap he refused to eat a snack (since the kid never refuses food, this was the first major sign). On the way home, Russ said Benn kept complaining that his belly hurt. Uh-oh...

So, they got home and I was so excited to see them. I asked Benn how his day was and Russ said, "go ahead, tell mommy." Russ started to hand him to me and before Benn could tell me his belly hurt, he threw up all over me. YUCK! Blah, bleahk! The kid is a trooper and never cried (I remember being a balling mess when I was a kid and sick like that). Not Benn, he just let me hold him over the sink until he was finished. We got him cleaned up, put a movie in and cancelled our dinner plans (sorry Matt & Amber!). We gave Benn some Gatorade, of which he proceeded to throw up not 20 minutes later on the new couch (good thing we have leather now!). We both needed a bath after this episode. So we did. We sat in a warm bath and he appeared to be feeling a little better. The rest of the night, we cuddled on the couch watching movies and trying to limit the amount of liquid he was taking in, in fear of if making another appearance.

At night, he slept ok and only got up once. This morning, he's running a low fever and just kind of mopey. So, we're staying home to do more snuggling and relaxing. Hopefully the throwing up is over and he perks back up soon. I'm so thankful that I get to stay home with him today.

Belly hurts :(

Watching movies....

Benn's Sweetness

2011-01-09T12:51:00.008-05:00

Bennett has been talking up a storm lately and making us laugh when we least expect it with his whit and charm. Here's my attempt at documenting some of these precious moments...

When asked what he wants for lunch, Benn always answers, "Aghh...Mak-er-OH-nie." (translation - macaroni)

When I pick him up from daycare, he runs to me arms opened wide and says, "Oh, I tubble mommy." Meaning he got in trouble at Pat's house. Nice! He's so darn cute how can I be mad? This is quickly followed by, "I not naughny, mommy"

When playing football with dad, he insists that he "go deet daddy, go deet." (translation - go deep as in run far then I'll throw the ball). When he's told to go deep, he runs as far as he can then turns to catch the ball.

When running the bases (inside the house) and hitting off the tee Benn slides into home plate and declares he is, "SAFE!" But when daddy slides, he says "you out daddy!" Every time, daddy is never safe.

He refers to Avah as "Ah-ba"

He is quick to point out that when he has a full diaper that "Mommy sinky" and "pee yew mommy" (not true, but he thinks is hilarious)

When I'm being silly, dancing around the house, or playing peek-a-boo with him he stops what he's doing, looks at me like I'm nut and says (without being prompted) "mommy, you so silly!" (this is also immediately followed by belly laughs)

He calls basketball (the sport, the ball or anything associated with it) "ba-ball hoop"

Hockey (sticks, pucks, goals, etc) is "hockeyball"

He'll spend hours (literally) hitting baseballs off of a tee with Russ at baseball practice with the big kids.

He insists on wearing his cleats everywhere, including the store, daycare, grandma's and even to bed.

Whenever we do something that he enjoys, a birthday party, playing outside, going to a friends house, as soon as we get in the car, he reflects on the event and says, "my had fun!" followed by a long sigh...

He repeats everything his sister says and they even carry on miniature conversations about kids at daycare, thing they want to play with, and even pretend together.

One of his favorite things to pretend is that there's a "mun-sdr coming!" (translation - monster) See picture below...

He is still my cuddle bug, but has what seems like overnight gained an intense stamina for play. He plays non-stop, mostly sports, but he does enjoy his train track, Hotwheels cars, and Mr. Potato head amongst other things. At night time, he still snuggles with me on the couch and I try to cherish every moment because I know it won't be like this forever. This is Benn's sweetness that I want to bottle up and save.

A Green Resolution

2011-01-01T22:43:00.005-05:00

Here it is, my new year's resolution. I figured that by putting it out here and making it public, maybe I'll stick to it. Now, my resolution isn't super exciting. I know many of you out there will roll your eyes when you hear what mine is, but that's not the point. Each year I reflect on the previous year and think about how I/we have grown as a family. So much can happen in a year and as corny as it may sound, I've been trying to appreciate people and things in my life more. I've been trying to make an extra effort to let those around me know I appreciate them and care about them. This goes for family, friends, co-workers and even the Schwan delivery people that bring me delicious ice cream right to my door. Its amazing how friendly and warm people can be when you step out of your shell to tell someone you appreciate them.

As far as resolutions are concerned, last year I quit doing something so this year I'm going to resolve to do something. Ya follow? Last year I cut up my credit card and I can officially say I've been credit card free for 365 days! Wahoo. Feels great, thanks Dave!

This year I've decided to DO two things:

1. I will try each day to find someone or something that I appreciate and take time to be thankful for them/it. Russ is always saying I need to slow down and I think he's right. Life goes by so fast, I want to not only remember it, but enjoy it too. I think this resolution will help with that.

2. (And here's where the eye rolling comes into play) I will quit making waste. Well, not completely, but more specifically we are going to start recycling. I've been wanting to do this for a while I've just been too lazy. So, in 2011 I'm going to make the effort and recycle tin, glass, plastic and paper.

And there you have it folks, these are my big resolutions for 2011. What are your resolutions?

Christmas in photos

2011-01-01T22:18:00.007-05:00

Christmas eve at my mom's. Benn was being silly. What a ham!

Princess Avah on Christmas eve. I just realized I didn't get any family pictures of the 4 of us this year. Geesh...I've got to get better at this whole picture taking thing if I want to get a new camera!

Presents on Christmas eve. Look at her excitement over a toothbrush!

Checking out the window to see if they can see Santa's sleigh. They swore they heard sleigh bells. We even saw a small flashing light on a cell phone tower on the way home from my mom's that Russ pointed out to the kids and told them Santa was on his way so they'd better get to bed.

Before going to bed, we had to hang Santa's key on the door so he could get in (since we don't have a chimney). Thanks for the idea Kathy!

Christmas morning

One of Benn's many sports related gifts - a youth baseball helmet. He likes to pair this with his new baseball cleats from grandma G and wear this get up to bed. See pic below.

One of Avah's favorite gifts a balance beam (after her new baby doll of course!)

Said baby doll - Baby Alive

Cleats...enough said.

A Sweet Time

2010-12-23T23:13:00.005-05:00

I love the holidays and the traditions that go with them. One of these great traditions, is making cookies. Usually, we bake them at my mom's but this year we just decided to stay in and make a mess in our own house. Lets see... there was a flour explosion, sprinkles on the floor, cookie dough stuck to the bottom of my foot, and the little finger prints in the unbaked cookies on the cookie sheet. Boy was it fun!

Benn loved helping cut the cookies out...

Avah had a great time putting sprinkles on the cookies

A floury mess...

SnowRific!

2010-12-12T19:55:00.004-05:00

We enjoyed the first real snow day last week by heading outside and making a snowman. Bennett was so excited once he saw the final product and has been talking about his "no man" every time we pull into the driveway. Unfortunately, just after we got 6inches or so of snow, a lot of it melted and Frosty's head fell off. :( But Benn still loves it and acts so surprised everyday we come home that Frosty's head is on the ground...Poor kid, maybe we should put Frosty's head back on.

My snow angel...

The kids (and Russ) working hard on Frosty

The finished snowman (notice we didn't have a carrot for the nose)

After making a snowman, it was time for a snowball fight. Some fight, it was more like an attack. I was armed with a camera and Benn kept pelting me!

We had such a great time outside. The kids made snow angels, you saw our sad snowman, and of course the snowball attack. I can't wait until we get more snow so we can do it all again!

Under Construction

2010-12-06T21:21:00.005-05:00

Well...sort of. I feel like I'm living in a construction zone, but it looks more like a tornado went thru here. For those of you that I haven't told yet (I'm a wee-bit excited, can you tell?) we are having our house painted. Yeay!!!

Now I know what you're thinking, why can't we just paint right? I'll tell ya why. My mom and I did try to paint our house 3 years ago (interior) and it was a nightmare and I'm NOT exaggerating. We have cathedral ceilings (doable with a tall ladder), but we also have a bi-level house. So, that means that in our entry way, the distance from the floor to the ceiling is greater than what our extension ladder will extend to. What does this all mean? It means DANGER. That mixed with an impatient, perfectionist and you've just spelled disaster. Thankfully, the first go around was uneventful and nobody got hurt. This time we needed to paint the ceilings and I've been longing to have my faux wood trim painted white.

So, we found a great painter (thanks Kathy!), saved up a bunch of money and in just 1 short week the trim, doors, ceiling AND living room have all been painted. Holy moly! I'm excited to say the least. I can't believe what a difference color makes. All that's left is the hallway, dining room, kitchen and entry way. It sounds like a lot, but all that's left are the walls so it goes pretty fast. Thank goodness, I'll have my house back together by Wednesday and we'll finally be able to put our Christmas tree up. Did I mention I can't wait???

Here are the preliminary "Before" and "After's"

Before - Tan walls, very plain and boring...

"Blue Spa" That's the color - no decor yet, it'll come in time.

I apologize the color isn't this bright in person. But this is what my flash does bc I have crappy lighting in my house at night.

I just thought this was cute. Benn's trying to convince Dakota (the dog) to be a Tiger's fan. But Dakota's just not that into it. LOL

Mission Accomplished...So Far...

2010-11-24T23:00:00.004-05:00

As requested by my MIL...

Ingredients.

Pumpkin roll (before its rolled) minus the ooey gooey filling.

The finished product...

Wolah! My pumpkin roll. After 3 and a half long hours of standing in the kitchen, I've got 3 pretty darn good looking pumpkin rolls. No taste tests have been conducted as of yet, so I'm hoping they don't disappoint.

I should mention that this was no easy feat. There are so many steps (3 pages - including pictures, of ingredients and instructions). I even had to use a special jelly pan (didn't even know what this was, but was excited to learn that I had one - wedding gift). I did have one minor mishap. I forgot to put the pumpkin in the cake part before baking it. YIKES! How do you for get the pumpkin when making a pumpkin roll? LOL (I have a short attention span, can you tell?). After that it was smooth sailing.

Now its 11:30 and I'm ready to hit the hay. I'm excited to get up and watch the Macy's parade with the kids. Looking forward to a great day with family. What are some of your favorite things to do on Thanksgiving?

Tag It!

2010-11-23T18:58:00.006-05:00

One of the many things I wanted to do this holiday season was to make all my Christmas tags. I attempted this task last year and had a lot of fun doing it. But last year, I did a lot of embossing and layering. The problem was that after I made the tags, I realized that none of them coordinated with the wrapping paper. Ugh...talk about unacceptable. :) In all seriousness, this really bothered me (as you can tell bc I'm still talking about it).

This year, while browsing random blogs, I came across this one, Eco-Friendly and Green Gift Wrapping Ideas. This is my favorite post to date was the one where she talked about going green during the holidays. If you know me, you know I love doing my part to help out mother Earth. I"ll admit, I'm not into wrapping presents in the "funnies" or using washcloths or blankets to wrap gifts (unless its for a baby/bridal shower), but one of her reduce, reuse, recycle ideas was really genius (simple, but genius). It was to use brown paper bags and fancy them up with bright and colorful ribbon. Love it!!!!!

Not only is this a fab idea, but I thought about my plans to make all of my tags this year and it was the perfect solution! Now I don't have to worry about the tags matching the paper bc everything goes with brown! With this new found freedom, my creative juices started flowing and this is what I came up with.

These really didn't take much time or effort to create. But I like simple things and think they'll work perfect with my brown (or should I say "green") packages.

What season is this?

2010-11-12T09:56:00.001-05:00

Have you noticed how beautiful it’s been lately? In keeping with the Thanksgiving spirit, I have to say that today, I’m most thankful for the abundance of gorgeous weather we’ve been having lately. Can you believe that it’s the middle of November and still hovering around the mid 60’s? The birds were even chirping this morning! Add the time change on top of it, and the days have been so much brighter. Now, I’ll come back down to reality and admit that the days are considerably getting shorter and I know that Darrin (my meteorologist) says it’s going to be low 40’s all next week, but lately, I can’t help but be thankful for the sunny days. I’ve been in a better mood, my kids have been able to play outside and burn some energy, and I’ve been super motivated and productive (for which I’ll attribute to the weather too!).

In other happenings…
Like I said before this IS the holiday season, and not only is it a time to be thankful, but it’s a time for family. I always look forward to this time of year because although we seem busier with the hustle and bustle of the giving season, somehow we always find time to get together with family. Now, I came from a small family and there’s something to be said for small families…close knit and private (not a lot of drama). But, one of the things that fascinated me when I first met my hubby was his huge family. I loved the bond they all shared, all the party like gatherings they had, and mostly the fact that they still shared the close knit bonds that our smaller family had. Russ’ mom has 4 sisters and Russ’ dad has six siblings. There’s always something exciting or new that goes on in a large family like that. In addition to Russ’ family, we are also close with my SIL’s parents. The best part is that our kids have not only all 4 grandparents around all the time, but they have honorary grandparent’s too (Papa Glenn and Grandma Judy)! We are truly blessed to have so many family AND friends too that love our kids like their own.

Although I hate to admit that the weather is turning quickly, I’m ready in full force for the holidays. Hope you are too!

Loving this Setback!

2010-11-07T20:24:00.003-05:00

Setting back the clocks that is! Its 8pm and both my kids, I repeat, BOTH of my kids are asleep. Victory!!! Aghhh...this is nice. Actually, it might have something to do with the fact that they were both up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 5:30am this morning (I think Avah was excited to wake up, go to church and then out to breakfast at the airport - they love watching the planes come in and fly out). Combination of early risers and the time change made for some sleepy babes tonight. :)

Peace, quiet, and relaxation. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure what to do with myself. Obviously, I'm on the computer and having a decent conversation with Russ (uninterrupted) but there are so many possibilities. I could watch whatever I want on t.v., pick up the path of destruction left over by the kids in the living room, dishes, or take a bath. Hmmm...

Before I decide, I just want to bask in the moment that is so peaceful. Sometimes I have a hard time doing this. Those of you who really know me, know that I rarely unless forced, take a moment to relax. On any given day you can probably find me doing 3 things at a time, which I've convinced myself is what every mom does to stay sane and keep up with everything.

Anyways, back to basking...I wonder how bed time will be the rest of the week?