the jackson six

Perhaps....

2011-11-12T22:35:00.000-06:00

...it might be time to take the bottle away.

As a mom of 4 girls...

2011-11-12T22:09:00.001-06:00

....there are going to be a lot of moments like these.

Oh, the joys!

Remember When?...

2011-11-12T21:59:00.002-06:00

...I said I would run another half marathon HERE? Well, I wasn't quite sure if I meant that, I was mainly just on a runner's high. But then...since I am friends with some pretty amazing people that motivate me to do things like run 13.1 miles (and train for it weeks before), I jumped in again...especially when I talked some other friends into running it too.

My sis-in-law Sara, my bro Mike and my friend Lisa...they rocked!!

And of course, my neighbor and friend Tina...I was SO proud of her. She was a rockstar too. She trained for this mostly by herself while her hubby is halfway across the world. Now that takes some motivation.

Thanks for pushing me Sara!

Missing from these pictures is my friend Lindsay (the one who talked me into it). We ran together in April and we set a new goal together for this race. She trained all the way up until TWO weeks before the race (which is a whole LOT of miles) then she had to undergo heart surgery. While I was sad I lost a running partner for the day, I have a friend for a lifetime and I'm SO VERY thankful that God was looking over her and that her condition was one that was able to be caught and fixed when it was. Which means...I have another race to run. I can't wait to run with you again soon, Lindsay!

(Beth, Nikki, Lindsay & I in April)

Some days are just like this....

2011-11-12T21:29:00.005-06:00

Who needs a new present....

2011-11-12T21:26:00.001-06:00

...when the box it came in is way more fun??

This is what happens when...

2011-11-12T21:18:00.002-06:00

....you are eating chips and guacamole, then your phone rings and it is an important phone call so you just HAVE to answer it even though you would rather just have a little snack...then your 15 month old starts screaming and pointing at the quacamole and you REALLY need her to be quiet. So you give it to her because of course, it works when she shoves fistfuls of it into her mouth...(nevermind the need for chips when you can just use your hands)...then she rubs it on her pant leg and starts slapping her leg and quacamole splatters EVERYWHERE...you try to teach your 15-month old to eat chips and quacamole.

Ladybugs, Butterflies, Witches and Pirates, oh my!

2011-11-12T20:38:00.002-06:00

It's so much fun when you get your very young toddler all dressed up and they have NO CLUE what is going on...

...until you go to those first few houses and they figure out that when they ring the doorbell, someone comes to the door and gives them candy!! That's pretty cool!

Clap, clap, clap!! I already have 2 suckers in my bucket!!!

Ellie the pirate, at her school party with one of her BFF's!

Here's to another memorable year...now if I could just stop ~~eating~~ looking at all of this Halloween candy!!!

Love this busy 15 month old...

2011-11-12T20:27:00.002-06:00

...she is into EVERYTHING. Big sister doesn't help when she tries to show her how to take a drink of water out of the garden hose. Of course, Eva wanted to do it herself and suprisingly it sprayed her right in the face.

But she just laughed and giggled..oh how we LOVE this girl, her adventure and laid back personality.

May you always be able to laugh at those unpleasant surprises in life, Eva Faith.

Conversations with a 3 year old...

2011-10-13T23:28:00.000-05:00

Me: Guess, what Edyn, I'm not working tomorrow, what do you want to do?

Edyn: Well, I have it all fig-red out. First we wake up then get those sisters on the bus, then me and Eva play and giggle then you play that game with Eva when you stack up ALL her blocks and you say Eva don't knock over my tower, then she looks at you and smiles then knocks over your tower then you say oh no! you knocked over my tower, then she laughs SO hard and we all laugh, you know that game mom? Then we put Eva to bed then me and you, we build a tent together then you make me do some homework and I say I don't want to do homework but I kind of like doing my homework.....then we go and have a picnic in the park and play some more....then I just might be tired so I might go to sleep a little but then I really won't because I know you will get on the treadmill and it will be loud so I will just listen to you run because you like to do that....then I wake up and we play some more and maybe we can make brownies together and I can lick the big spoon and you will put more chocolate on it so I have lots of chocolate to lick from the spoon....

Me: Wow, that sounds like a busy day....

Edyn: Yep, that's what mommy's do, they are just busy all the time.

I love our photographer...

2011-10-10T22:02:00.001-05:00

....somehow she managed to get these (and more) from our photo shoot on Saturday. Thanks Jen...I don't know how you do it! These pictures make me smile :)

Fall.

2011-10-03T09:17:00.001-05:00

One of my most favorite times of the year. We discovered an orchard very close to our house and we couldn't have been more excited to go pick apples and pumpkins....

Edyn had to be the taste-tester!

Grandma Deb and Papa Tom were in town and came to help us pick...

Looking for bullfrogs...they spotted many little eyes poking out of the mucky water :)

My attempt to get all four of them...if Eva could talk I'm SURE she would be saying, "I DO NOT want to get my picture taken right now!!!"

We even got to roast marshmallows...for FREE! There wasn't even an admission fee to get into this place...so family friendly!

Hangin' out with Papa...

Getting a taste of some marshmallows!!

Time to pick pumpkins...hmmmm....so many choices!!

Edyn found the perfect one!

...And so did Ellie!!

Posing with their pumpkins!!

Family picture time! Hopefully it goes a bit better next weekend :)

We HIGHLY recommend this place!!! Wonderful owners and just a perfect spot for the whole family!! We picked approximately 2 bushels of apples, came home with a few pumpkins, apple cider and memories to last a lifetime!!

Deanna Rose Farmstead....

2011-09-12T20:16:00.008-05:00

...Such a neat place that we don't go to as often as we should. There is just SO much to do at a very low cost...this family on a budget sure loves it!

Eva getting a little push from big sister...right into a bush!

Taking time out to strike a pose...I love that they are loving the camera these days...even one year-old Eva runs over to look at the screen on the camera to see what the picture looks like...(although I'm pretty sure she is just copying her sisters!)

Don't pay any attention, Uncle Curtis...pretend this tractor is green!!

Feeding the goats...these are agressive little things...

"ooooh, oooooh" was Eva's response all day....she was LOVING all the animals!!

And this is how the Indians lived...

Who needs flowers when you have these?!?

Harvest Crew 2011...

2011-09-03T22:47:00.014-05:00

Life with 4 kids under the age of 7 is just not adventurous enough, so we got up early this morning and ventured out to Holyfield Winery for the annual picking of the grapes. The girls have been asking ALL year long when we can go back and pick grapes, because they had such a memorable time LAST YEAR. Of course we all had an incredible time, spending time together, ~~chasing kids, making sure they don't hurt each other with pruning shears~~ and filling up our buckets with grapes!

These were all the kids that came to pick grapes...a family friendly place for sure!

Claire and Eva were our taste testers!!

At the end of the day trying to get a picture of our whole crew...

Edyn carefully cutting off the grapes...gotta love a 3 yr old with pruning shears...

SO proud of all her grapes!!

Getting a little help from cousin Alex...

Working hard to get all the grapes off the vine!

What's better than a 3 yr old with pruning shears? A 2 yr old...especially my brother's child :)

Eva trying to hug Claire....they were instant best friends!
Group picture time...of the kids!

Claire loved Eva's car!

And Eva loves Claire!

Look at that bunch!!
LAST YEAR we found a really cool spider web....this year it was a frog. It was SO hard for the kids not to pick this thing up...of course it was easier for us just to tell them it ~~would sting them and could make them REALLY sick~~ was really poisonous...

This is SO much fun!

Eva loved ~~eating~~ picking the grapes too!!

Bittersweet moments....

2011-08-20T08:44:00.003-05:00

...that's the best way to describe yesterday which marked Ellie's first day of Kindergarten and Emma's first day of second grade.

Walking into the building...two VERY excited and somewhat nervous girls....and a sad 3 year old sister.

SO big!

All ready for the big day...and so grown up!

Emma re-assuring Ellie that "Kindergarten is just like pre-school, only a little longer...and harder...with a lot more rules!" Thanks Emma.

Ellie's best friend from pre-school is in her class!!! They were SO excited about this....it is going to be a GREAT year!

Wow, how bittersweet these times are. I miss having them at home, but I'm also excited for them and all that they are learning. I really enjoyed having just Edyn and Eva at home and can't wait for these moments ahead with the younger two. Eva is used to being chased and entertained by her older sisters so she kept trying to play with Edyn. Finally Edyn said, "Mom, this little baby sister won't leave me alone!" It's going to be fun to watch how they interact together. I couldn't believe how easy it seemed having just 2 kids at home (I'm sure all the moms with 2 kids are hating me for saying that but that's just how it is when my head is normally spinning with four!) What fun we had yesterday, just treasuring our time at home...because it is SO fleeting, I've learned. Tear, tear....

Couples Golf Scramble...enough said.

2011-08-20T08:10:00.002-05:00

Jared & I got to spend a Saturday evening playing in a golf scramble with some great friends, the Weller's, Beckman's & Ellis's. I never thought I would say it but I actually had a blast playing golf and we are pretty sure this will turn into an annual event!

Jared analyzing a hole...wow. We weren't aware of the planning and preparation required to attack the golf hole....

...and contemplating between the guys....

...and of course, look at that turn. A perfect hole in one...ok, not really.

So....Lindsay and I decided to do a little analyzing ourselves....

And look at that turn...Ok, not so much but I DID (somehow) manage to sink a 35 foot putt to win the longest putt of the whole tourney...don't be impressed, it was pure luck on the right hole.

Oh and we can't forget Q's purchase (he had the winning bid on the silent auction...of course it helps when you keep going back to bid higher)...Amy was SUCH a proud wife let me tell you!

See you all next year....start packing the coolers now!!!

vacation day #7....

2011-08-04T23:42:00.006-05:00

We started today off with a game of putt-putt...Jared wanted me to practice up for the couples golf tourney next weekend....it became obvious by the 8th hole (when I was beating him by 6 strokes), that I wasn't the only one that needed to practice...needless to say, I had to show the golf coach how to putt this morning :)

We lost our kids halfway through the course but at least I got a few pictures before that...

All packed up and ready to head home....everyone is SO tired!!

After a 2 hour nap, we made a stop in Carthage, MO at the precious moments chapel...Jared did not want me to share that he got dragged here or the fact that he actually spent the most time reading everything in the museum...

Inside the Chapel...

And of course, our girls found life-size dolls to play & dance with....as if we don't draw enough attention when we are out in public....this is when Jared finally packed up & we headed home....

Until next time....

These feet were made for walking....

2011-08-04T00:07:00.000-05:00

....Eva's new kicks! She decided that she primarily wants to walk everywhere so we went and got her some flip-flops and she just LOVES them! She walks around stomping and admiring her feet...I'm sure we have another girly girl on our hands!!

Silver Dollar City!

2011-08-03T23:59:00.001-05:00

We hit the Moonlight Madness at Silver Dollar City from 5-10pm and we beat the heat (for the most part) and the crowds!! It was as good as it could have gotten...the girls were able to ride all the rides they could for 5 hours straight with very minimal lines...and of course, they wanted to do it all over again the next night!

7 nights in a hotel with 4 kids, 7 & under....

2011-08-03T17:31:00.001-05:00

....sounds glamorous, eh? Speaking of being blessed with incredible friends....we were so thankful when one of my friends decided to gift us the use of their family's time share. We decided to stay at a resort in Branson for a week and the girls have had an incredible time! Our good friends, the Beckman's came to stay with us for a few nights which was a whole lot of fun for the kids...and parents :)

Eva & Gavyn sharing hugs....we are hoping that we will need this picture for sometime in the future :)

Edyn & I on the bumper boats....

Emma tearing it up on the go-cart!

Ellie & Lexi chilling at the water park...these two were instant best friends!

Eva posing near Table Rock....

We found a hammock near the lake off the resort...we thought this would be a cute picture of all the kids....

....or not so much.....

Laser tag...for the record, Edyn had a higher score than her daddy!!

Getting ready to "ride the ducks"....the kids got little whistles that sounded just like a duck. They walked about a quarter mile through a shopping center to get on the "duck", while all of them were blowing their whistles non-stop....we just sort of stepped back a bit while they drew quite the scene...we were wondering who those noisy kids belonged to!

Taking turns "driving the duck"....

Chillin' on the swing on our deck....

Fun day at the beach.....

SO much to explore...and eat.

More vacation pics....coming soon!!!

Happy Birthday baby girl!

2011-08-03T00:03:00.001-05:00

Dearest Eva, The year has flown by and I keep telling myself you aren't really one already....but as I see you walking around trying to keep up with your sisters and starting to talk, I know that I need to face reality...you are growing up SO incredibly fast. You are so blessed to have 5 teachers in your family. You can already say lots of words but even if you don't know the right word to say yet, you know how to get your meaning across by screaming. You are such a good good baby and your laid back personality has fit right in with our crazy busy family! You LOVE to dance and do so anytime you hear music.We are so blessed to be your mom and dad and can't wait for all the incredible years that lie ahead. Love you lots, Mom & Dad

We celebrated your birthday on July 23rd with pool party and dinner...you had such a wonderful time. I think you knew this day was about you and that you are kind of a big deal!!

I made you this shirt to go with the theme of the party...

And of course Grandma Deb made the cake.....she is so talented! Jared wanted to have Hooters cater in the food but when I told him the waitresses wouldn't be serving it to us, he decided he was never a fan of parties that had too much of a theme :) *Good choice, good choice.....

I made these little ice cream cupcakes from oreos, ice cream, cool whip and m&m's.

Opening presents..."ooooh, oooooh".....

A new outfit for the birthday girl....

Now what am I supposed to do with this?

I finally get to see the world and face out in the carseat, instead of backwards....this is so much fun, I don't think I will fall asleep anymore in the car!!

Eva's New Toy....

2011-08-02T15:35:00.002-05:00

Eva's new ride...

2011-08-02T15:32:00.002-05:00

...she LOVES it when Emma (& Emma only) wheels her all over the house on the scooter.

Friends...

2011-08-02T15:28:00.001-05:00

...yep, we feel overwhelmingly blessed in the friends department. I love the friends where you can go for a long time without seeing or even talking, then you can just pick up where you left off, like there wasn't even a break in the amount of time that you talked or hung out. Our friends from Michigan came to visit us in Kansas (for the second time) and we had a wonderful time with them and their children as we explored Crown Center. We visited Fritz's for lunch and played at Kaleidescope....and of course we had to hit up the candy store, bakery and Ben & Jerry's on our way out! Thanks for coming to visit us...we had an amazing time and we are blessed to call you friends!

Waiting on the train....

It's here!

All Aboard!!!

Instant friends....just like their parents!

Working hard on something crafty!

Eva had the best seat...all because we forgot the stroller :) You would think that we would have this figured out with 4 kids....

Pretty girls...

Summer...

2011-08-02T15:13:00.000-05:00

...this is what we've been up to!

Memorial Day...Campin' with the Jackson's

2011-08-02T15:06:00.001-05:00

Backing up a little to Memorial Day (just this once...it's so rare for me to get behind in blogging). We spent the weekend with the Jackson's camping. The girls had a blast sleeping in the tent and hanging out with their cousins in the wilderness :)

An afternoon stroll down the creek...

Emma, Jackson & Jamison trying to catch fish....

....while I try to catch a tree.

An attempt to get a family picture...this is only half of us.

Harvest Festival 2011...

2011-08-02T14:52:00.001-05:00

We were able to make it home to my parents this year for the annual Harvest Festival...the girls won $5 each (from Grandma Deb) for being in the parade :) They dressed up in dresses that my mom and aunt wore 50 years ago in a centennial parade (yep, pretty old...dresses that is.) I'm sure you can guess there were a few tears as the girls twirled and danced in these dresses. The theme was "Happy Birthday Kansas...150 years) so we decorated my grandma's old surrey and Emma pedaled them down main street. Of course, they had a blast! My mom and aunt finished off the parade in the surrey by a sign made by the girls :)

Swim Team 2011....

2011-08-02T14:31:00.001-05:00

The girls had a wonderful swim season....(wonderful = the girls jumped in the water and swam their hearts out every meet this summer and had a ton of fun doing it!) Ellie was SO proud of all her ribbons and medals and has them lined up hanging in her room. She can tell you exactly how many firsts, seconds and thirds she got. Emma on the other hand, gave the neighbor girl one of her ribbons because "she didn't have any"....

Anxiously awaiting their next race....

Sisterly love....it so evident as they stick together and cheer each other on!

Backstroke...

Curtis & Barbara....May 14th, 2011

2011-05-17T22:32:00.009-05:00

We had the honor of being a part of this special day. The girls were SO well behaved, once again proof that ~~bribery~~ positive reinforcement is a wonderful parenting tool. It has been tried and true around this house. The girls had an incredible time, definitely a day they will remember forever. What girl DOESN'T want to wake up and get their toes and nails done, hair done, put on make-up and pretty dresses, then end the night with cake, punch and dancing? And of course, they just LOVE their aunt Barbara. Here are just a few snapshots of this amazing day...

Curtis meeting his stunningly beautiful bride...

Limo time :)

The traditional "cousin picture"...

The girls tearin' up the dance floor!

The mother/son dance...we were surprised that my mom finally broke down and cried...:)

The Jackson 6...take 1.

Getting ready to head down the aisle...

...take 2. QUIZ: Guess which girls didn't get naps?

ah...bubbles!!

"Mom, I just REALLY feel like a pretty princess!!" -Edyn

Sisters...

My Eva Diva!

Taking it all in...

hmmmm.....wonder what THEY are up to?

Eva Faith...9 months.

2011-05-16T13:26:00.002-05:00

I love having girls. Playing dress-up is SO much fun :)

Easter 2011....guess what the Easter Bunny brought?

2011-04-24T15:25:00.001-05:00

Oh Glorious Day!

2011-04-23T22:44:00.000-05:00

The song in my heart this week....Glorious Day
One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing
My Savior, Jesus, is mine

Grace.

2011-04-22T22:40:00.002-05:00

There are so many days I have as a mom that are a big FAIL. I'm thankful for the days I get to go to work outside the home because I feel more competent and confident there than I ever do as I parent four girls. I fall short on so many levels. But I continue to draw strength from Jesus and rest in His grace and remind myself that His strength is made perfect in my weakness. He has revealed that to me over and over.

I seriously don't know where time goes. I had a freak-out moment yesterday when I realized it was Easter on Sunday. I hadn't even taken the time to go through the Ressurrection Eggs with the girls (*gasp*) like we have done in years past here and here. I could blame it on the fact that I can't find all the pieces because the girls have played with them so much and have lost a piece here and there along the way. Or I could blame it on the fact that I am incredibly distracted and just trying to keep up with the "dailies" that I brush it off until later, then later becomes too late. So...in my "moment", I stopped by the Christian book store on my way home from work and grabbed another set.

As I went through the eggs with the girls, I had to fight back the tears of joy because they kept interrupting me and were able to tell the entire Easter story as we went through the eggs. And with much more detail than I was about to give. Another reminder to me that God is SO much bigger than my forgetful, unorganized mind. And a reminder of why it is so important to talk about Jesus and this amazing truth of his death and resurrection not just around the Easter holiday but ALL THE TIME.
This is a verse I pray over our family often...
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6: 5-9

Thank you Jesus for your grace.

The traditional coloring of the eggs...

...and making sugar cookies. And I MUST share this EASY recipe that makes soft, amazing sugar cookies. A confetti cake mix, a stick of butter (softened) and 1 egg. That's it. So easy for this busy mom.

But when this busy mom is preoccupied coloring eggs and making cookies, this busy baby is under her high chair eating the food that she dropped from breakfast...hey at least she gets fed, right?

And the house remains in this condition....

A wise wise mother of four once told me, "You just need a sign on your door that reads, Excuse the mess, I'm busy making memories with my children"....that was definitely the sign on the door of my heart today.

Easter...Eggs, Caterpillars, Butterflies, Meaning...and purpose.

2011-04-22T22:33:00.002-05:00

We got Emma a butterfly garden for her birthday and ordered five little caterpillars. We have been watching them grow and it has been such a fun and interesting experience. These caterpillars started out so small, but they have grown and they have now entered what is called the pupal stage (so we read in the "instructions"). Four of them have attached themselves to the top of the cup and the final one has already built a cocoon. We will continue to wait and watch as they tranform into something beautiful.

I would like to say that I was thinking all along of relating this metaphorphasis experience to the Easter story. However, it just dawned on me last night, when we were all watching the cocoon in amazement, that it is truly a miracle that God transforms caterpillars into butterflies...and a miracle that He can take a sinner and transform our life to glorify and honor Him....a miracle that He transforms our earthly bodies into heavenly beings and of course, the greatest miracle..that He took the dead body of Jesus and transformed him into a resurrection body.

So...I decided to get on the internet and search for a story that would better tell it than I could and here is what I found from the "Sermons from Seattle" website.

"There was a caterpillar crawling across a Persian carpet, a Persian rug. And the caterpillar crawled for what he thought was seventy-five years. He was just crawling all over that Persian rug, but he could see only one color at a time. He saw first the blues, and then the oranges, the yellows, the reds, the purples, the deep violets, the greens. He saw one color at a time and said: “O, what a beautiful world I am on. Look at all that color!” He lived for what he thought was a very long time, 50, 60, 70, 80 years, a blink in God’s time but long for the caterpillar. And finally, he crawled off the Persian carpet and he became a cocoon. He became a cocoon and hibernated. Although he didn’t realize it, the cocoon was part of the miracle, and then there was another miracle and he came out of the cocoon as a butterfly, a monarch butterfly. He fluttered up higher and higher and higher and he looked down at the Persian rug for the first time and saw it in its total magnificent splendor. What a sight he saw. For the first time in his existence, he saw the meaning of his whole life; he saw the past and the present like he had never seen it before. …

"The purpose of Easter is the victory celebration that tells of the Power of God that took the dead body of Jesus of Nazareth and transformed him, metamorphasized him, transfigured him into a glorious resurrection body. The purpose of Easter is God telling the Truth that God can create life out of apparent death. The purpose of Easter is to convince us that creepy, crawly caterpillars become transformed into butterflies. The purpose of Easter is to convince us that not only are there miracles in nature but that there are miracles in history, in your history and mine. The purpose of Easter is to convince us that there will be a time in our lives when we too shall be transformed into something utterly magnificent and beautiful. The purpose of Easter is to tell us of those good and glorious promises of God who has the power to take that which is dead and transform it into life." -Sermons from Seattle by Edward F Markquart

All tuckered out...

2011-04-18T21:44:00.000-05:00

....from a rough day at the park!

Wordless Wednesday...

2011-04-13T18:39:00.000-05:00

...because sometimes pictures don't need words.

Happy 7th Birthday sweet Emma June.

2011-04-10T18:56:00.003-05:00

7 years ago, I became one blessed girl when I became a mom...your mom. Words could never describe how amazing it felt to hold you for the first time. Blessed? Absolutely. Scared? Sure. Amazed? Beyond Words. There was no trip like being first-time parents and you were the most patient and sweet baby that has grown into such a fun, sweet little girl. I have watched you become a big sister not once or twice, but three times. You have done an amazing job at that. I love how you love to help me by taking care of your sisters. I am amazed at the things you are capable of doing at the age of seven. My prayer is that you will grow into the person that God desires you to be and that you will seek Him and trust Him always. This verse is for you daughter. You are loved SO much!

Proverbs 3:5-7 (The Message)

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

he's the one who will keep you on track."

Celebrating at the park with cousin Avery! Happy Birthday Avery!

Cousins...

A towel and bag to match my swimsuit....fun fun!!

Watch out for Eva Diva...she is on the move!

Fun times with dad...

The birthday girls in their matching shirts from grandma!

Only 7 year olds can tackle this!

Cousins...they are going to be best friends someday :)

Wow...look at all those neon cupcakes! Thanks Grandma Deb for decorating them!

Here comes Edyn Jo....

This baby and puppy partied too hard.....

And yet another room fit for a princess...

2011-04-10T18:27:00.003-05:00

Another beautiful quilt made by my mother-in-law. I just gave her the flower fabric (around the outside) and she came up with this amazing quilt for Eva. She also made matching curtains, a dust ruffle and a pillow in the time it would have taken me to make one pillow :) She has made each one of the girls a quilt and given it to them when they were born. Such a special momento that they will always treasure....

A little reading and rocking nook in Eva's room...one of my favorite places to be. My mom covered this old rocking chair...the fabric was stained, faded and torn and she brought it back to life...thanks mom!!

Just in case she forgets what her name is....

Her mobile/canopy...perfect for a little princess.

A room fit for a princess...

2011-04-10T18:13:00.003-05:00

Since I am playing "catch-up"....here are a few snapshots of Emma's room. I'm thankful to have such a talented mother-in-law who can turn a few swatches of material into something so beautiful. I have loved these colors for while and ended up finding some material that I liked. I was so excited to watch this come together! I found the heart fabric at IKEA for $1.99 a yard in the clearance section and Emma loved it. This was my old canopy bed too. Total cost for this room including paint, fabric, etc. was under $100. But...having grandma make it all was priceless, that's for sure. Thanks again Jan...she LOVES it! (and so do I!) You did an amazing job as usual!!

Love. Them. All.

2011-04-10T00:15:00.002-05:00

Only when you are 3...

2011-04-10T00:12:00.000-05:00

...you can dress like this and get away with it.

"Look Mom!!"...

2011-04-10T00:04:00.001-05:00

"We are teaching Eva to Hula Hoop!!"

Eva just stood there and watched her sisters move the Hula Hoop around her over...and over...and over....bless her little heart. She has such a high tolerance for her sisters ideas :)

My first half marathon...

2011-04-09T23:39:00.003-05:00

yep, I said first. Because I will do this again. Running has become addicting to me in a weird and twisted sort of way. My friends had this crazy idea to run a half marathon and I needed a new challenge....

Here we are...in action!

Our kids lined up to give us a "high five" as we ran by...

There we go...this must have been a fast camera to catch us :)

My friend Lindsay (who is so smart and creative and always thinking a step ahead of me), brought posterboard and markers so the girls could make signs to hold up as we ran by. Kudos to our husbands who dragged around 9 kids (between the 3 of them) for 2 hours...they were there at mile 4, 8, 12 and the finish line and it was so encouraging to see them. Just when I thought I needed to stop, there they were to cheer us on to another few miles :) We are thankful that Bentonville is such a great city...one of our friends learned this day that you can actually leave the keys running in your van for about an hour and it will still be there when you get back...we are just thankful you finally found your keys Bobby!

Hanging out in the park after the race....there were so many vendors with freebies (including ice cream for the kids) along with bounce houses. It was Emma's birthday and initially she was not happy to be here because she had to forgo a party with her friends. While we were hanging out after the race she looked at me and said, "Thanks Mom, this is the BEST birthday EVER!!" It made me cry. Partially because I was so glad to be done running, but mainly because I could tell she was having a blast!

And the best part...my girls think I won the whole race because I got "such a big medal". I will be laughing at that for a very long time. Thanks Beth and Lindsay for challenging me to do this with you and for all the encouragement while training...I'm so thankful for friends like you.

My New Helper...

2011-04-09T22:53:00.001-05:00

Oh Eva Faith, at 8 months you are already pulling yourself up on everything, starting to "cruise" and climbing up steps. You are growing up way too fast. I love your happy, exploratory self. When the dishwasher or fridge opens, you come a crawlin'.......someday I will miss this.

My angel baby...

2011-04-09T22:31:00.001-05:00

After having Edyn who definitely fit the definition of colic, I'm so thankful for a very happy 4th baby. She is so good, she puts herself to sleep in her jumper without making a peep. This day, I was busy with Edyn on the floor and she kept crawling on Edyn's "homework" so she got to go in her jumper for awhile. After a few minutes, ~~I forgot about her~~ I went to check on her, and this is what I saw...LOVE this precious girl.

Trivia question...

2011-04-09T22:21:00.002-05:00

(A) This baby has Pica.
(B) Daddy is home on spring break and was in charge of watching her.
(C) These parents forget that they have an 8 month old that gets into EVERYTHING!
(D) B & C

Ah, it's going to be one interesting summer at home with dad. Enough said.

I'm back...

2011-04-09T22:13:00.002-05:00

...and ready to play major catch-up on blogging.

March was a bit on the stressful side.

But I'm so thankful His mercies are NEW every morning.

And I'm thankful that He is teaching me...and I am learning...but oh, there is still just so much that I need to learn.

It's overwhelming.

These times just happen.

I am embracing them because it is drawing me closer to Him.

Ah, growing pains.

I'm so thankful for His voice of truth....

...and true, honest friends that draw me closer to Him and encourage me on SO many levels.

I am blessed.

The silver lining? Stress + training for a half marathon + getting my wisdom teeth pulled = I can fit into my pre-pregnancy skinny jeans again....I just wish muffin tops were more comfortable.

Time Capsule #3...my mom.

2011-02-19T22:27:00.000-06:00

Yes, we are STILL going back in time. Now, it is January10th, my mom's birthday. There are so many reasons why I love my mom...she is definitely one of my best friends and I'm so thankful for her. My only complaint is that I just don't get to see her as much as I would like....which is not a bad reason to complain, I don't think. She has taught me so much. Here are just a few reasons why I think she is just so great....

She is an incredibly hard worker.

She loves much.

She is an amazing nurse...and I know this, because if we ever got a headache we had to talk her out of taking us to get an MRI to rule out a brain tumor :)

She is a walking pharmacy and knows how to dish out the right drugs...if it wasn't for her having Lortab and Phenergen on hand, we would have had to make a trip to the ER after I had Eva because I had a migraine so bad, I couldn't even lie down and vomited most of the night. Of course she held my hair back and the bucket for me as I nursed Eva at the same time. I love that I can be my ugly self with her and she loves me just the same.

She NEVER cares what my house looks like or how disorganized I am.

She is SO flexible and she will go out of her way for others...and I mean, WAY out of her way.

She has forever wanted a dozen roses delivered to her, not that anyone would know that :) So...I surprised her on her birthday and got her 2 dozen roses (the ones on the right...my dad got her the ones on the left.)

I hope your birthday was a good one, mom. Wishing you SO many more. Love you lots.

My forever shopping buddy...

2011-02-19T21:58:00.001-06:00

Edyn, Eva and I went shopping on Wednesday and here is a bit of our dressing room conversation...

Edyn: "But Mommy.... I REALLY want you to get these pretty pink shorts."
Me: "Well, Edyn, I don't think those will even cover my butt."

PAUSE...PAUSE....Edyn thinking REALLY hard.

Edyn: "Well....you have a pretty good butt, mom."

We stopped for ice cream on our way home.

My new favorite song...

2011-02-19T20:43:00.002-06:00

...that I can COMPLETELY relate to and I know many of you can too.

LOVE this.

I lost my keys in the great unknown
And call me please 'Cuz I can't find my phone

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use

45 in a 35
Sirens and fines while I'm running behind
Whoa

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use

So break me of impatience
Conquer my frustrations
I've got a new appreciation
It's not the end of the world
Oh Oh Oh

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff
Someone save me
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
And I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use

Oh Oh Oh Oh
This is the stuff You use

Time Capsule #2....

2011-01-24T10:13:00.001-06:00

Edyn Jo turned 3 on December 26th..I think it will always be a challenge to celebrate her birthday due to the business of the season. Oh, if it could just be about the birth of Jesus and celebrating life....**sigh** ...however, she loves it that her birthday is so close to Jesus' birthday. I wanted to do something special for her and Ellie and Edyn got gift cards to Build-a-Bear for their birthdays (thanks Aunt Jennifer and Julie). She REALLY wanted to invite her most special friend to go with her to build a bear...her "boyfriend Cooper". Normally we would freak out about this but we LOVE Cooper's family too and this is a friendship we don't mind encouraging :) My friend Megan met me at the mall and she was SO HELPFUL taking care of Eva while I helped them pick out, fluff, dress and name their reindeers. Thanks so much Megan, you were a lifesaver!!

Picking out their animals...they all ended up getting Rudolph and Clarice...

Cooper showing Edyn how to fluff their reindeers...he has done this before :)

Getting ready to ride the carousel, posing with their new reindeers :)

Having a blast on the carousel....

Oh, Edyn Jo, we thought Ellie was spunky, you know how to take it to a whole new level. You definitely keep us on our toes. You love to swim and you are getting so good at it. It amazes us how fearless you are and how long you like to stay underwater before coming up for air. You are constantly making us laugh with the words that come out of your mouth and we are amazed at the things your 3 year old mind can dream up. You can run laps around the house and up and down stairs in high heels, you like dancing to Taylor Swift and Justin Beiber. You just love to draw and paint, not just on paper but on walls too. You love "reading" your Bible and you have such an incredible understanding of it, even at 3. We love you to the moon and back, Edyn Jo. Happy 3rd Birthday!

Time Capsule #1....

2011-01-23T22:28:00.001-06:00

So...because I'm TERRIBLY behind with blogging and have SO MUCH to catch up on (because this is the only type of scapbooking I do, so I HAVE to keep up), I'm going to send you back in time (a few months) to catch up on all the fun things we have been up to. First off...pretend this is November 29th...Miss Ellie is 5. I find myself saying, "It's so hard to believe how fast they are growing up".

She celebrated at Lil Monkey Bizness with 4 of her bestest friends and her sisters. They played hard and had a blast.

And totally crashed on the way home...

And of course, she got to bring cupcakes for snack at preschool.

And the partying continued...we had family over for a little party for Ellie and Edyn. Ellie loved her Kailan cake that my mom and I dreamed up the day of her party....

This girl LOVES money...and twenty, one dollar bills from grandma Deb made her day!!!

Cousins...

And EVERYONE had a blast with the bathtub crayons...hmmmm.

Oh miss Ellie Bells, how I love your spunk. You put a number to everything. I love that you think I go to the bathroom 40 hundred million times per day (small bladder +4 kids) and that you have 60 hundred billion silly bands. On December 15, 2010, I listened as you read your Bible out loud for the longest time and I am SO amazed and proud of you at how much you grasp, even at 5. What I began to understand about Jesus at the age of 19 years old, you already know. You made me laugh this day as I listened to you...."Then an angel said to Mary, you are going to have a baby, Mary prayed and prayed to God then God said don't be afraid, I am with you, then Mary said, Oh crap, but I'm going to get sick, God because I have a baby in my tummy."

You love to learn. You were trying SO hard the other night to read a book from the Hooked on Phonic Kindergarten set and you were having trouble and just dropped the book and started sobbing and said, "I just don't think I'm going to make it in Kindergarten". Oh, sweetheart. You are doing SO well and you will do amazing because you are a hard worker and don't give up easily.
I love how you love to surprise me by cleaning up on your own or helping me with something when I don't ask you. You are such a peacemaker and easily give up something that your sisters want so they will stop fighting or crying. You are one special little girl, Ellisyn Grace. We love you lots. Happy 5th birthday.

BLESSED.

2011-01-23T22:10:00.000-06:00

These pictures make me smile.

My Little Helper...

2011-01-23T21:45:00.000-06:00

...actually, BIG helper is more like it. Emma wakes up early every morning with Eva and she calls this her "special time with Eva" because she misses her sister SO MUCH when she goes to school. Emma will change her diaper, play with her and read to her. One morning she even heated a bottle for her and fed her (good thing she told me about that AFTER it happened...)

I usually stay up LATE to get things done, so I sleep in (until 7) and let them have their time together. One morning I woke up to this...and it was such a beautiful start to my day.

6 months.

2011-01-23T21:10:00.001-06:00

A face only a mama could love...

Tomorrow is your half birthday. You are growing up so fast and it is so bittersweet. You love your exersaucer. Well, actually it looks like an exersaucer on steroids. You play SO well in it and enjoy the alone time, because that doesn't happen often for you around here. In fact if Emma is home, she will often lift you out of there because she just can't stand not to play with you or carry you around all the time.

You are SO patient when your sisters try to put you in funny chairs with umbrellas to play "photo shoot". (Sorry, this one made me laugh, I just had to play "photo shoot" too.)

And thank goodness, you are finally able to ride in your carseat, awake, without screaming your head off.

You are cooing and squealing in excitement which are my favorite sounds EVER. You are sitting up and you just love your bathtime. You just started taking cereal 3 weeks ago, and you have had a week of green beans and you are on day 2 of avacados and loving it all. Sleeping...well, let's just say we are still working on that...We love you SO much Eva Faith....all 21.5 lbs of you!

Dedication...

2010-11-19T22:30:00.002-06:00

"Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

Ephesians 6:4

On October 17th, we dedicated Eva to the Lord. Trusting in God FULLY is something I have always struggled with. I have recited Proverbs 3:5-6 numerous times to count...."Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge HIM and He will make your path straight". You see, I just want to partially trust God with our children. I often think "Ok, God...I trust you with their life as long as you promise to __________ (fill in the blank)." To publicly dedicate Eva's life to the Lord, choosing to FULLY trust God while raising her with open hands, was a step of faith as it was with all the girls. And I know I will continue to try to hang on even when I know that our children are much better off in God's hands than in our own. I know I can't raise her on my own strength alone or protect her like God can...so WHY is it SO HARD to trust? After all, we know our Heavenly Father loves us perfectly and has great plans for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a HOPE and a future? (Jeremiah 29:11) These children are HIS and SUCH a blessing from HIM. I know in my head I can trust HIM but my heart fails to believe otherwise.

Thanks so much Grandmas' and Papas' for coming to share in this very special day in Eva's life.

We chose Mark 12:30 for Eva's life verse:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

This verse is one that I have prayed over all the girls during my pregnancies...that while God was forming their hearts, that he would give them hearts that love Him and long to know Him.

And I continue to pray...because most days, that is all I can do.

Christmas Cards...

2010-11-19T20:20:00.001-06:00

...yep, it's that time of year again. Thank GOODNESS family pics are done. Now it's time to create that card. So many choices...decisions, decisions. There are SO many places to choose from, then SO many options when you finally choose a place to get them printed. My favorite is Shutterfly. I chose to write a blurb about how great I think they are, and in exchange I get 50 free cards! You know how much I love FREE and the word "SALE" and that is just one of the things I love about this company! I have been a customer for a LONG time and have always just been SO impressed with not only their special offers but also with the quality of their pictures, cards and photo books. They are so easy to make too and I have always loved their designs. I'm really into the vintage designs (they have SO many cool ones!) and plan to use a card from their new Holiday collection. Check out their goods HERE

Can you guess which one I'm going to choose?

And finally, can you guess which picture I'm going to use?

Theme 1: "You better not pout, you better not cry..."

Theme 2: Hope your Christmas is buckets full of fun!

Theme 3: Using the above picture on our blog, fully dressed as the Wizard of Oz Crew..."Merry Christmas, from the land of Ahhh's"

Ok, I better stop here. I'm pretty sure Shutterfly didn't make this the "Who can make the dorkiest Christmas card? contest.

Family Pictures...

2010-10-29T13:18:00.000-05:00

...yes, that word use to cause me to shudder. NOT something I looked forward to...the planning of the outfits,~~bribing~~ using "positive reinforcement" to get the girls to put their outfits on, get their hair curled AND smile for the shots. That is ENOUGH to worry about...so I'm very thankful for our photographer who meets us where we are...(even if I forget an ENTIRE outfit for the baby) to take our pictures. Not to mention her extreme patience and calm attitude when half our family is in tears. Check out a sneak peek of our pics HERE. Thanks again Jen for just being so wonderful :)

If I only had a brain...

2010-10-25T22:50:00.003-05:00

...I would have realized that sewing+4 kids=mass chaos.
But I'm SO glad I did because the results were just FUN!

Ok, I had to show you the second picture of what the table REALLY looked like BEFORE I cleared it off to make it look like one of those pictures from Martha Stewart or some really cool famous and crafty blog. I just wouldn't want to give you the impression that my house is immaculate or anything.

7 years ago, when Jared and I lived in Michigan, we were AWANA leaders and we bought these Dorothy and Scarecrow costumes to wear to the Halloween party (we thought we were HILARIOUS since we were from Kansas). I was pregnant with Emma at the time and I told Jared, "Let's keep these, because one day, we will have a family big enough to sport the WHOLE Wizard of Oz cast at Halloween". He laughed. And here we are , 7 years later.

We got invited to a costume party/birthday party in our neighborhood. What a blast we had.

My little "Toto" baby. LOVE her.

The trashy Dallas cowboy fans.

The cards.

A cute little train and his dad.

The beautiful hostess and her son (it was their birthdays...he was 32 and she turned 9...so she says....)

Thanks for an awesome party...we had SO much fun! The girls are STILL talking about it!

This is how we roll...

2010-10-25T22:11:00.001-05:00

QUESTION: How does this mama of 4 kiddos, take a shower?

ANSWER: Throw the 3 older kids in the tub, and put the baby in the swing.
Yes, I thought that was a great answer UNTIL the baby starts screaming (the blood-curdling scream) and one of the girls tries to get out of the bathtub to get a pacifier then slips and is crying, then I get out of the shower, grab the baby, trying not to get her soapy and wet while trying to console my other child who hit her head.....
**Sigh**
Whoever said, "The days are long but the years are short", definitely knew what they were talking about.

Pumpkin Patch Fun...

2010-10-25T21:42:00.003-05:00

Fall would have to be my favorite season...and going to the pumpkin patch is one of my favorite things to do. The girls got to go to a pumpkin patch birthday party and as you can see, they had a blast!

Kerby Pumpkin Patch is complete with a zipline, a playground, a corn maze, a spooky house, animals, and of course, LOTS of pumpkins to choose from.

We have only been able to carve 1 of 3 big pumpkins...hopefully we will get them done before Halloween. I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I wrote "big pumpkin". When Ellie was almost two, we drove by someone's house and they had a big inflatable pumpkin. Ellie started screaming in excitement, "Buffukin...buffukin!!" (big pumpkin!) These people continue to display this big pumpkin every year and we laugh so hard every time we drive by it.

Ok...on a much more edifying note...I just love this devotion...who says you can't incorporate Christ into Halloween...this devotion is so awesome to do while carving your pumpkins and such another neat tool to teach your kiddos about what Jesus did for them....

Being a Christian is just like a pumpkin!

First, God picks you from the pumpkin patch and brings you in from the field. The Bible says He selects us out of the world. We are in the world, but no longer of the world.

He then washes all the “dirt” off the outside that we received from being around all the other pumpkins. All the outside influences of our former life must be cleaned up. Old things are passed away and all things become new.

Then, He carefully removes all the “yucky stuff” called “sin” out from the inside. Look at this! Yuk! He then changes us from the inside out by the Power of His Word. That’s why it is important to go the church and learn about God’s Word.

He carefully removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and fear. He replaces them with the seeds of faith, hope and love. After Jesus is invited inside, you begin to experience the changing power of God’s love in your life.

Then He carves a new smiling face. We are changed by the power of His presence in our life. We then become so grateful. It can even show on our face!

Now we are going to light this candle inside. Look! This pumpkin now reflects the light from inside out. So too, when Jesus, who is called the Son of Light, lives inside of us, He shines through our life for all to see. We can let His light reflect through us to reveal His presence. “Let your light so shine before men that they may be able to see your good works and glorify your Father, who is in heaven.”

So you see, we Christians are really like this pumpkin! We will never be the same with Jesus inside of us!

Random Backyard fun!

2010-10-25T20:57:00.001-05:00

The girls came running in, VERY excited, from playing outside...
"Mom, dad, there is a real hot air balloon and it is coming to land by us".
And we thought, "What great imaginations they have...always coming up with something".
They dragged us outside and to our surprise, this is what we saw....

We chased it...it was just across the street from our house.

So much random fun on a beautiful fall evening...and it DID land VERY close to our house :)

Harvest Time!

2010-09-20T11:01:00.002-05:00

We live SO close to the winery and nearly every time we drive by, Ellie (the question-asker) asks when we can pick grapes! Last year I missed the sign-up, so this year, I put it on my calendar to call in July and we were excited when there was an opening to pick grapes!

We couldn't have asked for a better morning and a better baby! Eva did great on her first adventure picking grapes. She slept ALL morning in the baby carrier.

The girls were amazed when they found this spider and web. Even though I'm not a fan of spiders, I thought it was pretty neat too!

We weren't sure how this was going to work out...getting to the winery at 8:00 am to pick grapes until a little before noon. On our way to the winery, Jared and I just looked at each other, started laughing and told ourselves we were crazy! But...we were so proud of the girls. They worked SO hard picking and had SO much fun! Half-way through picking, Ellie asked "When do we get to do this again?"

After picking grapes, the winery fed everyone brunch, complete with Sangria :) And, we even got a free "Harvest Crew" T-shirt! We would have to mark this up as one of the best, family-friendly outings we have done. If we can do it with 4 kids under the age of 6, in the mud, anyone can! And to top it off, the owners of this place are wonderful people!!

About 2 and a half TONS of grapes were picked yesterday morning...the girls contributed to 4 buckets worth and they were SO proud. When we drove by the winery last night, they squealed with excitement about how much fun they had!

And another one off...

2010-09-20T10:01:00.002-05:00

Ellie had her first day of pre-school on September 8th. I wrongly assumed that sending the second one off to pre-school would be a lot easier the second time around (been there, done that, right?) Not so much. Especially when she said, "Mom, I'm just a little scared", when I dropped her off.

I had to get a good picture of the Kailan backpack because I'm sure this won't be cool in a few years, but right now "it is the coolest thing ever!"

Of course, she loves it and wants to go EVERY day, not just 3 days a week!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

2010-09-20T09:32:00.001-05:00

Off to the zoo I went with 4 kids, 6 and under. It's alright to call me crazy. Sometimes we just need to get out of the house. Thank goodness my friend came with her daughter...that helped!

Edyn and Trinity...they are going to be such great friends!

Edyn trying to pose like the flamingo. Silly girl!

Eva Faith...5 weeks.

2010-09-20T09:08:00.000-05:00

You are growing up SO fast! At 5 weeks, you weighed 10 pounds, 3 ounces. When we brought you home from the hospital you weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces, so you are definitely what they call a "feeder and a grower".

You are so patient, letting your sisters hold you and play with you. I think I get overstimulated from them before you do.

You did lose your patience when I was in the other room and your sisters got the Bumbo seat out and decided you were ready to try to sit in it. You did NOT like that one bit. The Bumbo seat is now on a high shelf.

A day of celebration!

2010-09-20T07:03:00.005-05:00

65 years ago it all started with these two...don't they look wonderful?

A few years later, they added 6 children...

And if you think this is a lot of grandchildren....

These are most of the great-grandchildren!

Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa Donnis and Happy Birthday Donnis. We wish you so many more wonderful years together!! Cupcakes to you!! (with the most adorable cupcake ever, thanks to Amy!)

first grade.

2010-09-19T14:57:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I'm old enough to have a first grader. I need to add that to my shirt. Kids grow up so fast. Once again, I'm SO thankful to be able to get to stay home part-time with them for these precious years that I will never get back. I can't imagine it any other way. We are blessed, for sure.

Emma went to a different school this year and was a bit nervous. However, all the neighborhood kids go to this school so she was excited after her first day and exclaimed, "Wow, I have, like, SO many friends...everybody knows me!" She is doing just wonderful and we are so proud of her!
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As you can tell, Edyn was NOT happy when Emma went to school. Emma and Edyn get along really great because Emma understands that you can't reason with a 2-year old. (Ellie, on the other hand, does not, which of course, results in a lot of fighting.) It broke my heart to watch her sit by the door waiting for Emma to come home.

Emma claims Eva misses her SO MUCH when she is at school and has to have several minutes of cuddle-time with Eva when she gets home. Oh, the sisterly love!

Emma thought she needed her picture on the second day of school as well...by the third day she was too tired to even ask!

Miss Eva...3 weeks

2010-08-14T23:04:00.003-05:00

It is so hard to believe you have been here for 3 weeks. Some days it seems like you just arrived and on other days it seems you have always been part of our family. You are growing and changing every day...your sisters LOVE You and take SUCH good care of you. We have to set the timer because they fight over who gets to hold you. You love taking a bath and you are more and more awake every day. You love to eat and have taken well to the bottle the past 3 days. We are thankful to get such a good baby. What a beautiful blessing you are.

Eva at two weeks...

2010-08-14T22:52:00.004-05:00

Eva at one week....

2010-08-14T22:29:00.003-05:00

Happy Birth Day Eva Faith..

2010-07-24T17:25:00.004-05:00

You are a miracle and such a perfect gift from God...(James 1:17) He blessed us incredibly by choosing us to be your mom and dad.

Your sisters adore you. Ellie can't believe how much your head is just like a peach. Emma is SO protective and doesn't want to leave your side or share you with others. Edyn isn't quite sure she is ready to give up the "baby" role but she wants to hold you lots.

Today we became a family of 6 and we feel complete.

You are beautiful. And healthy. And our hearts grew when we met you.

Born at 2:37 this morning, you weighed 6 lbs, 7 ounces and were 18 inches long. So tiny, everything about you. But yet so perfect. Dark brown hair. You sleep a lot...and you don't want to wake up to eat.

You have reminded me today of the absolute miracle of life.

Your first name, Eva- means "life" or "living one" and your middle name, Faith- means to be sure of what you hope for and certain of things you do not see.

And we pray that you will always be FULL of life and faith.

We love you SO MUCH Eva Faith...welcome to our family.

Practicing our Spanish...

2010-07-16T19:57:00.003-05:00

Ellie is VERY MUCH into learning, so much that we got the Hooked on Phonics Set to keep the girls learning over the summer (after they finished some workbooks that we thought would serve that purpose). They are just LOVING it and it is so much fun to see their reading skills take off (well, that's how we see it of course!) At 4, Ellie is reading and spelling many words and Emma actually asked her one day how to spell a word. She told me the other day that she wanted to practice all her letters so I gave her a pencil and this pink piece of paper. She was so excited to show me her progress and when I looked I was surprised to find all these "scribbles". I asked her where her letters were and she said, "Right here, I'm just practicing my Spanish today".

A Family Babymoon...

2010-07-16T16:46:00.006-05:00

Our family, along with our wonderful friends, the Beckmans, went on a little vacation to the Great Wolf Lodge. We are so blessed to live about 10 minutes from this awesome resort so it was a ~~perfect~~ ideal little "get-away" as I get closer to my due date. It was a great time waddling around in my swim-suit at 8 and a half months pregnant, making sure all 3 kids were accounted for at a large waterpark, not to mention that I am dilated to a 3 and 60% effaced and feel like a huge bomb ready to go off any moment as a family and with our friends!

Jared got a raise...

2010-07-11T12:34:00.004-05:00

...yep, my husband, the school teacher got a raise and it barely covered this brand new cubic zirconia ring that I got on sale for $11.92 at the hospital gift shop.

I haven't been able to get my wedding ring on because my fingers are so swollen. I went to church last Sunday by myself with the 3 girls, 8 months pregnant and no wedding ring and just didn't feel quite right. And then it was worse when a male worker at Wal-Mart seemed a bit too friendly. I thought maybe he just felt sorry for me. But...I finally had to break down and buy this ring after one of my patients told me through his yellow, missing teeth (while looking at my ring finger) "So...I take it the baby's daddy AIN'T in the picture...if you ever need any help, just give me a call". Yes, it STILL makes my skin crawl!

Singing in the Rain...

2010-07-11T12:27:00.003-05:00

...what a glorious day for singing in the rain!! The girls had a friend over for a sleepover and they woke up to a rainy day. It rained ALL morning. Finally, we decided to let them go outside and play in the rain and of course, they had a blast. They turned up the radio and danced away...

A Shower for Baby E

2010-07-11T11:53:00.003-05:00

Yesterday my friend Lindsay hosted a diaper & wipe shower to shower baby girl #4! And baby E is pretty set on diapers & wipes for awhile (& I'm so thankful I don't have to venture out to the store to buy them with 4 kids, 6 & under!)

She is so creative...she made an "advice tree" where everyone wrote words of advice on a little circle and hung it on a tree. Check out some of the advice :)

Thank you so much to my friends & family for coming and helping us celebrate our newest addition. You have blessed our family!

Sometimes I just need a little "sharpening"...

2010-07-06T22:22:00.005-05:00

I'm so blessed to have such amazing friends...it seems they all serve a purpose in my life (hmm...I think that might be a "God-thing"). There are the friends who affirm me, the ones that keep me accountable, others to just LAUGH with (but of course, they are all fun!), others to sharpen me and the list could go on. Sometimes the best friends are those that you don't talk to often but when you do, you can just pick up where you left off like there was never a huge gap or an EMBARRASSINGLY LONG time since you last connected. One of those friends shared this on her blog a while back and although I had "skimmed over it" it before, it meant something so different to me reading it a few years later...or...I'm sure it was just more convicting than it had ever been to me. Yep, this is a long one, (and...I had to read it slow to "get it" because I'm not used to the "thou art hast thee" words) but it pretty much covers everything. Thank you Trisha for sharing this and sharpening me. It made me miss you terribly!!

Calvary Love
by Amy Carmichael

If I belittle those whom I am called to serve, talk of their weak points in contrast perhaps with what I think of as my strong points; if I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting "Who made thee to differ? And what hast thou that thou hast not received?" then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I find myself taking lapses for granted, "Oh, that's what they always do," "Oh, of course she talks like that, he acts like that," then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can enjoy a joke at the expense of another; if I can in any way slight another in conversation, or even in thought, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can write an unkind letter, speak an unkind word, think an unkind thought without grief and shame, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I do not feel far more for the grieved Savior than for my worried self when troublesome things occur, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can rebuke without a pang, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If my attitude be one of fear, not faith, about one who has disappointed me; if I say, "Just what I expected" if a fall occurs, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am afraid to speak the truth, lest I lose affection, or lest the one concerned should say, "You do not understand," or because I fear to lose my reputation for kindness; if I put my own good name before the other's highest good, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am content to heal a hurt slightly, saying "Peace, peace," where there is no peace; if I forget the poignant word "Let love be without dissimulation" and blunt the edge of truth, speaking not right things but smooth things, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I hold on to choices of any kind, just because they are my choice, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am soft to myself and slide comfortably into self-pity and self-sympathy; If I do not by the grace of God practice fortitude, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I myself dominate myself, if my thoughts revolve round myself, if I am so occupied with myself I rarely have "a heart at leisure from itself," then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If, the moment I am conscious of the shadow of self crossing my threshold, I do not shut the door, and keep that door shut, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I cannot in honest happiness take the second place (or the twentieth); if I cannot take the first without making a fuss about my unworthiness, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I take offense easily, if I am content to continue in a cool unfriendliness, though friendship be possible, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I feel injured when another lays to my charge things that I know not, forgetting that my sinless Savior trod this path to the end, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I feel bitter toward those who condemn me, as it seems to me, unjustly, forgetting that if they knew me as I know myself they would condemn me much more, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If souls can suffer alongside, and I hardly know it, because the spirit of discernment is not in me, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If the praise of others elates me and their blame depresses me; if I cannot rest under misunderstanding without defending myself; if I love to be loved more than to love, to be served more than to serve, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I crave hungrily to be used to show the way of liberty to a soul in bondage, instead of caring only that it be delivered; if I nurse my disappointment when I fail, instead of asking that to another the word of release may be given, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I do not forget about such a trifle as personal success, so that it never crosses my mind, or if it does, is never given room there; if the cup of flattery tastes sweet to me, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If in the fellowship of service I seek to attach a friend to myself, so that others are caused to feel unwanted; if my friendships do not draw others deeper in, but are ungenerous (to myself, for myself), then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I refuse to allow one who is dear to me to suffer for the sake of Christ, if I do not see such suffering as the greatest honor that can be offered to any follower of the Crucified, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I slip into the place that can be filled by Christ alone, making myself the first necessity to a soul instead of leading it to fasten upon Him, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If my interest in the work of others is cool; if I think in terms of my own special work; if the burdens of others are not my burdens too, and their joys mine, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I wonder why something trying is allowed, and press for prayer that it may be removed; if I cannot be trusted with any disappointment, and cannot go on in peace under any mystery, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If the ultimate, the hardest, cannot be asked of me; if my fellows hesitate to ask it and turn to someone else, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I covet any place on earth but the dust at the foot of the Cross, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

That which I know not, teach Thou me, O Lord, my God.

the fourth.

2010-07-04T08:48:00.008-05:00

I hope your day is filled with the fun that comes from living in a country where we have been granted so much freedom. This pretty much sums up our day...church, fireworks, homemade ice cream, a parade, grilling out, family, friends, dancing in the rain, homemade ice cream, the excitement and anticipation of the "big fireworks" from 3 little girls, some cute (& not so cute) "patriotic" outfits, watermelon, outside pedicure for a big pregnant mama from my cousin, dunk tanks, a bounce house, twizzlers, red, white & blue, swimming, did I mention homemade ice cream?

Of course, a special thank you to all the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country. And to the families of these soldiers...you have sacrificed too. And to our own VERY special soldier, my brother Curtis. We are so proud of you for being so brave, risking your life by serving our country so willingly and whole-heartedly. We love you Uncle "Turtis".

Off to Grandma & Papa's house they go....take 2.

2010-07-04T08:39:00.005-05:00

My parents willingly (& bravely) took all 3 girls for 4 nights and 5 days and although the "break" was nice and we got SO MUCH done, we missed them and just can't imagine life without them! Our house was SO QUIET...almost too quiet. When we picked up, organized and cleaned it stayed that way...imagine that! However within 5 minutes of them getting home (& pulling out everything from their suitcases) we could no longer see the floor. Yes, it was great to have them home again :)
They had a blast and keep talking about Papa Tom's garden, going fishing and swimming. My mom had them stemming green beans and eating peas out of the pods, and they had a blast just picking veggies out of the garden(some of the things that I loved and remembered doing as a child).

Thank you for taking them...they had so much fun and made some great memories they will never forget.

I'm a Barbie Girl...

2010-07-03T15:07:00.003-05:00

...in a Barbie World...

...washing my Barbie Jeep.

Dad was afraid they would want to put their Bikinis on while they did this...better now than later, right?

A big day for Emma...and me too.

2010-07-02T14:04:00.014-05:00

Emma had her 4th swim meet of the season on Wednesday and it was at another lake. This one was even more intimidating than the first. First of all, it was much bigger and second of all the dock was so far above the water, at first glance we thought she would have to jump in from very high up on the dock. Thankfully this was not the case. I could just see the fear and anxiety in her little eyes as she frantically bit her nails.
We checked the schedule to look at her line-up of events and found out she would be doing the free-style relay with the 8 year olds. She was then to do the freestyle on her own, the backstroke, then her coach informed her she would be doing the medley relay with the 8 year olds, swimming first with the backstroke. Yes, there was quite the rush of anxiety in ME as I watched her go into total freak-out mode. Then to top it off she asked, "But mommy, what if I turn over (doing the backstroke), or hit the ropes, then the "BIG GIRLS" will be mad at me for not getting a ribbon?" My eyes started to well up with tears and I wanted to tell her that something like that would NEVER happen. But I couldn't. I couldn't do anything but fight back the tears and keep my smile pasted on as I wondered about her heart and mind as she faced such anxiety. All I could do was think, "I get it girl. I understand. I too am anxious about things...and scared sometimes...and insecure...and fearful...I really do get it".

Part of me was thinking, "Wow, this is no big deal...this pregnancy sure is making me emotional....she is a first-child, she just gets nervous a lot...this is just her personality." Then another part of me was wondering if this was going to be some scarring, life-changing moment for her that would cause even more anxiety for her for years to come. My heart just broke for what could have happened as her AMAZING coach grabbed her hand to take her out to the docks and I silently prayed that no matter what happened God would protect her heart.

It saddens my heart to know that I cannot protect my girls from anxiety, worry, heartbreak and just pain in general. Yes, this may sound dramatic and silly coming from a mom who is 8 months pregnant but as a mom, I want to protect them. Parenting teaches me about Gods love for us. And how He longs to protect us but sometimes we just have to stumble and fall to learn and grow. And He is always there to comfort us, just as I will always strive to be there to comfort my girls when they stumble and fall. While I want to protect my girls, I also want them to have every opportunity to find their God-given talents and abilities so that HE can use them for HIS glory. It's just that with every experience there is the potential of disappointment and failure which can have a HUGE impact on who we are and become, how we view life, how we relate to others, and even how we view a God that loves us and truly does want what is best for us.

So...as you might have already guessed...Emma gets it from me...fear and anxiety still creep at the door of my heart. As much as I constantly try to guard my heart (Proverbs 4:23), I am daily reminded of all the PAIN that is present as a result of living in a fallen world and I sometimes think, "When is it going to have to be MY turn?...Life is just SO GOOD, surely there is going to be MAJOR heartbreak, loss or pain around the corner." (I know, terrible thoughts I have sometimes...)

I'm so thankful that God is quick to remind me in His word that this is NOT His heart. While His purpose for our life is to make us Holy, it does NOT have to involve such tragedy. But I ask myself frequently, "What if it does?" So...I just have to CHOOSE EVERY DAY to remind myself that I am covered by His grace and my response to that should be to trust HIM in all things and lean NOT on my own (VERY limited) understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6) He loves me and He has rescued me more than once from the mud and mire and given me a firm place to stand...(Psalm 40:2) while offering peace...and hope. And so everyday as my heart battles to comprehend how much God can love me, I will choose to believe in these truths.

To my girls...I will always pray that no matter what circumstance you are faced with in this life, you will make the choice EVERY DAY to believe in God's grace, His incredible LOVE for you and the truth that HOPE is available for your choosing.

Whoa...did I mention I was 8 months pregnant??

On a lighter note, my girl did INCREDIBLE in ALL of her events, did not turn over OR hit the ropes in her backstroke races and came home with 3 ribbons! (two Third place and one second!) And I was just proud of her for jumping in and overcoming such anxiety :)

happy daddy day...

2010-06-20T13:14:00.005-05:00

Jared,
I love watching you be such a patient, loving daddy to our princesses. Thank you for realizing that there is no greater gift you can give to your daughters than loving God first, loving me, and loving them and being so actively involved in our lives. I love that my best friend became the BEST daddy. I never dreamed of having such a wonderful marriage first then the perfect daddy next! We are SO SO blessed that you get every summer with them...something they will NEVER forget and will FOREVER cherish. The girls love and adore you SO much and I do too. Oh and one more thing...thank you for learning how to get excited about pink, purses and make-up! You do a wonderful job at that too.

Off to Grandma and Papa's house they go...

2010-06-19T20:49:00.003-05:00

Ellie & Edyn got to spend a few days with Grandma Jan & Papa shorty and I don't know the whole story behind these pictures but it sure looks like they had a lot of fun! Thanks for having them...they are still talking about it.

Nesting...

2010-06-19T20:44:00.001-05:00

Sometimes when you want something done, you just gotta do it yourself!

Planting with Papa Tom...

2010-06-19T20:38:00.002-05:00

The girls are so intrigued with Papa Tom's garden and because we haven't been able to go help him plant, he brought them their own garden to plant and grow. The girls had fun planting radishes, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. We have already picked and ate a cucumber and some radishes...they are so proud of their plants and can't wait to go spend 5 days with Grandma Deb and Papa Tom next week to help him with his garden!

Swim Team...

2010-06-19T19:35:00.003-05:00

Emma LOVES to swim so much and daddy was just adamant that Emma "choose a sport". Emma tried T-ball last year and did NOT like it one bit so Jared was excited when he discovered that Tonganoxie had a swim team. Emma has practiced SO HARD every morning from 8-10am and has competed in 2 swim meets and has placed 4th in the backstroke and freestyle and 1st in the freestyle relay! She was such a trooper...her first meet was in a lake which was REALLY intimidating for her but she did great! She even made the newspaper...you can check it out here.

An "E" for baby...

2010-06-19T15:17:00.005-05:00

We have had the hardest time deciding what to call our newest princess. We decided a while ago that it should start with an "E" but that's as far as we got. The girls were anxious to name her and I really wanted to buy the letters of her name for her room but we couldn't decide so I bought an "E" which the girls and I had fun decorating! In fact, Ellie was signing a card and I told her to sign it for her sisters and she signed it, Love, Emma, Ellie, Edyn and E.

This was a while ago and we have since given her a name. We are anxiously awaiting her arrival in hopefully about 6 weeks or LESS (note the emphasis on the LESS part). We feel completely and totally blessed and I am thankful for this new life and the chance to assist God in a miracle, however, I am large, hot and uncomfortable and just very READY for the newest member of our family to get here. My days off consist of either staying inside in the air or being in the pool with the girls. Most of the time we are in the pool which I am SO THANKFUL for! When I start to turn into a prune, I waddle out to work on my tan and this has allowed me to be able to empathize with a beached whale.
At my last appointment she was breech so I'm REALLY hoping she flips. She is VERY active so I'm hopeful she will cooperate because I REALLY REALLY do not want a C-section (insert prayers here!) The girls are SO excited and LOVE to go in her room and help me get it ready. They pull the clothes out of her drawers and hold them up to my belly. We washed all the bottles yesterday and they were so excited at the thought of getting to help take care of their sister. Emma said, "I'm just the luckiest girl in the whole world because I am getting a new baby sister." They are all going to be GREAT big sisters and wonderful helpers. Our new baby will definitely have 4 moms. Please pray for our last few weeks as the Jackson 5, for new baby "E" to "flip" and get here safely and for our adjustment to being a family of 6. Thank you in advance!

Our silly clown...

2010-06-19T15:09:00.004-05:00

This girl is a product of 2 older sisters...the things that come out of her mouth keep us constantly laughing.
This was her prayer one night before going to bed..."Dear Jesus, Thank you for mom, dad, sisters and Taylor Sliff (Swift)...she wears short kirts (skirts), I wear sneakers, she's keer (cheer) cap'n and I on bleachers. ok, A-MINT!"

Recital...

2010-06-19T14:26:00.004-05:00

Emma and Ellie had their recital for their tumbling/dance class on Saturday June 12th. They had a wonderful time getting dressed up and "strutting their stuff". Emma was especially proud because she got to stand on her head at the very end of one of the dances they did. They had such a wonderful experience this year at dance and they were so excited to be in the same class with several of their friends. And of course, they LOVED posing in their outfits...

...and of course, Edyn did not want to be left out!

Field Trip to Deanna Rose

2010-06-19T14:10:00.008-05:00

Emma's Kindergarten class went on a field trip to Deanna Rose Farmstead and it was dampered a little bit by the pouring rain! We had a lot of fun visiting the old school, learning about cows and the native American Indians. The class took a quiz and it was cute when 75% of them guessed that chocolate milk came from brown cows!
Emma then had a "scrapbook party" at the school and Emma gave us a scrapbook that she had been working on all year filled with projects and pictures...such a wonderful memory of her first year of school. We were SO THANKFUL for the WONDERFUL teacher that Emma had! She put together a really special video of all the kids. Emma said she didn't want a different teacher even if that meant staying in Kindergarten forever! She learned SO MUCH this year and did so well. She was so proud of herself for getting a "green card" every day of the school year. (The behavior system they follow is a green card for good days, yellow for misbehaving a little and a red for misbehaving a lot.) She gently reminded her teacher the last day that maybe she should get a prize for getting "green" all year, so her teacher put a "prize" together for her which was so special to Emma. Thank you Mrs. Budimlija for making Emma's first year such a great one! We appreciate all you did for her!

Minnesota fun...

2010-06-19T14:10:00.004-05:00

The Mall of America and IKEA were just a few of the things that were on our list to do while in Minnesota. The girls had a blast on all the rides at Mall of America...Ellie & Edyn are quite fearless for their ages. They had a REALLY great time at the American Girl doll store...I'm pretty sure their daddy got a few more gray hairs by the time we left that place.

A Trip to the Salon...

2010-06-19T13:55:00.004-05:00

So we thought we were set with the $2 foot spa (see previous post). We went to Minnesota for my cousin's graduation and my aunt Loretta wanted to treat the girls to a day out at the spa and they were THRILLED!! They had a blast getting their toes and fingernails done. It is going to be a sad day when the flowers on their toes come off
Ellie later told Jared, "Daddy, I really wish my mom painted toenails for her job, so she could paint flowers on my toes all the time."
Thanks Aunt Loretta for doing this...it was so special for them!

Birthday Party Fun!

2010-06-19T13:42:00.010-05:00

The girls were so excited when they got invited to a birthday party at the "Pink Zebra" which is a boutique with all things girly!! They had a blast getting their hair and nails done by "the older girls" and they got to decorate a purse and take home lip gloss and jewelry. Thank you Teigan and Jodi for SUCH a FUN party!

What's a Dad got to do...

2010-06-19T13:42:00.004-05:00

...when his daughters want to pamper him? Jared is such a good sport. (I think he actually enjoyed it more than he would admit!)

Ellie: Mom, can I PLEASE get my toes and fingers painted?
Me: Sure, Ellie, I'll get the nail polish out after you clean your room.
Ellie: No, I want to go to the place where you get your hair done and have them do it there.

So...I compromised. The very next day we saw this brand new foot spa at a garage sale for $2! We brought it home and the girls LOVE it and haven't asked to go to the salon again. Now if we were just set for the rest of their lives....

Adventures in Parenting...

2010-04-24T12:32:00.005-05:00

...that's what it is. An adventure. Like a roller-coaster. Edyn (the same child who ate almost all the pieces to an operation game as an infant when her sisters left it out and the one who stuck macaroni all the way up her nose) decided to swallow a penny Thursday night. I was not home and did not witness this, but got confirmation from Jared, her sisters and 2 sets of neighbors that she swallowed it. She was fine all day yesterday, but no BM. She woke up this morning and kept saying she "had to go poopy" but she would just sit there and cry, saying her butt hurt. This was after giving her stool softener for 24 hours. After talking with my neighbor (whose children have swallowed coins and said swallowing a penny is the worst because the zinc can burn the esophagus), I panicked and off we went to urgent care, so guilt-stricken, thinking I was the worst mom for not taking her in sooner (and by the way, Jared is gone ALL day in a golf tourney and I can't get a hold of him on the golf course!) Thankfully urgent care wasn't busy. I paid our co-pay and once we got back to the room to see the doctor, Edyn said "I need go poopy REALLY bad". So she went...and went. The stool softener kicked in. After convincing Edyn that it was Okay to not flush this one time, I went and told the doctor. I'm sure you can guess what I got to do! Yep, I got to fish her poop out of the toilet...(once again, thankful for gloves!!) There I am in the urgent care bathroom WITH the doctor and Edyn, fishing it out! But good thing when I put the first pile in a little cup, we heard a clanking noise and sure enough, we looked and saw the infamous penny! Edyn was still dancing in circles, chanting, "I went poopy, I went poopy!!" I'm glad we gave the nurses and Dr. such a laugh and I'm so thankful she is fine and I was able to laugh at it as well. And the office was so great...they even refunded our co-pay! I was still willing to pay because I'm SURE if we would not have gone to urgent care, she wouldn't have passed this penny!
And so she continues to keep us on our toes...

Thank you Jodi and Victor for watching the girls for me! It was SO helpful...we are so blessed to have such wonderful neighbors like you!

Fun at Wyandotte County Lake Park

2010-04-19T08:04:00.005-05:00

We took the girls for ice cream then to the park on Saturday evening and the weather was perfect! They had a blast and we are looking forward to SO many fun times outside this spring/summer. They were excited to get to see a total of 8 deer throughout the park in the few hours we were there!

Growing up SO fast...

2010-04-19T07:57:00.002-05:00

I got an e-mail from Emma's teacher last Wednesday that she lost her front tooth at the playground and after looking for it for 10 minutes, it was nowhere to be found. She also said there were tears. When I picked her up that day, she had the most adorable toothless grin (this is the fourth tooth she has lost!) Although, still a little upset about not finding her tooth and the trauma of losing it at recess, she perked up when she realized the tooth fairy would still be able to find it! She is just growing up SO fast and looking so much older every day!

Spring Fun...

2010-04-19T07:41:00.004-05:00

Emma, being the little perfectionist she is would absolutely NOT attempt to ride her bike without training wheels...until this weekend. The mention of it last spring/summer would bring her to tears. She must have known she was ready because she was eager to give it a try when Jared brought it up, and sure enough, within a few minutes, she was off!!

Ready...

Set...

GO!!

And of course, Ellie was excited to be able to get her bike going and had to stop and pick dandelions. I told her I wanted a picture of her blowing on the dandelion and she stated, "It's NOT a dandelion, it's a WISHFLOWER!!"

Easter weekend...

2010-04-19T07:11:00.006-05:00

We kicked off Easter weekend by throwing a surprise anniversary party for Jared's parents at his sisters house in Manhattan. It was a great time, with about 40 people that came to celebrate 40 years with them! Congrats on a wonderful marriage and to many more years of bliss :)
It was Emma's birthday the Friday before so we also celebrated her birthday with family and this girl does NOT like being the center of attention, so when everyone sang Happy Birthday to her, this was quite mortifying!! (as you can tell)

We then headed to Clay Center and on Sunday the cousins had a fun time celebrating Easter together. The Easter bunny came to Clay Center, we went to church, had a great lunch then a fun Easter egg hunt for the kids!
Easter was so much fun...Emma and Ellie are starting to fully grasp the Easter story and the significance of what happened on the cross. Emma often said it was hard for her to listen to the story, because it made her SO sad. She is the sensitive one and frequently had tears in her eyes, while Ellie, on the other hand would reassure her by saying, "Emma, he just had to die." (very matter-of-factly!) Ellie, also being the extremely curious one, would ask SO many questions and details DAILY. And in the background there was Edyn in a sad little voice saying, "Jesus died on the cross..." over and over. We had such a hard time getting through the RESURRECTION EGGS because it would turn into a 20 minute discussion about her wanting to know the details....
"But, I just want to know WHY Peter said he didn't know Jesus THREE times?!"
"Why didn't his mommy, Mary, stop those mean people that killed him?"
"Why didn't Jesus just run away?"
These are just a FEW of those questions...we are SO thankful she has them...it makes our hearts smile to see them "get it" and I'm pretty sure it has to make Jesus smile too.

Happy 6th Birthday Emma June...

2010-04-05T22:48:00.007-05:00

We celebrated with a carnival this year and turned our backyard into a fairground! Emma's favorite part was the juggler who juggled fire and took a bite out of an apple while juggling! She said the worst part was when her friends starting chanting her name after she blew out the the juggler's torch. Over 25+ kids came and had a blast earning tickets to earn prizes while playing the Duck Pond, Ring Toss, Golf, a Sucker game, Fishing, Horseshoe Toss, and Baseball Toss. Thanks to all the "carnies" who helped with the games and for our neighbor Tina to arrange for her brother-in-law to come (the juggler Al along his wife Kim). Also thanks to my mom and dad for TONS of help! You all helped make her day so special!