Julie's Little World

"I'm Still Gracie!"

2011-09-08T09:01:00.001-04:00

My Baby Girl Turns 3 Today!!

Every day, for the past week, she has asked if it's her birthday yet. So this morning I said, "Grace, today's your birthday! You're 3 now! With a smile on her face, she said, "But, I'm still Gracie!" Yes, she is, and I wouldn't change one thing about her!

She loves to laugh and have fun. She brightens my days and reminds me to smile and be happy. If I'm not smiling or look upset, she takes my face in her hands and says, "Mommy, are you happy?" And while most of the time I'm not upset, she reminds me that I need to look happier more often and smile at her more.

Cupcakes are her favorite!!

She keeps me on my toes, and each day is a new adventure!

~She loves to have her fingernails painted~

~She loves to be outside and get dirty~

There's not much she is afraid of, and she is willing to try anything!

I wish this picture would have turned out better!! She is sword fighting with her Great Grandpa. I included the picture, anyway, because it warms my heart and makes me smile! I'm so thankful that my children are able to spend time with him!

~Her favorite pose~

~Her favorite dog~

~Her favorite car~

This is what she wanted for her birthday! No, she is not getting it. But I'm glad that she dreams big!

Grace is such a blessing from God, and I can't imagine our lives without her!!

When we were getting Grace's pictures taken, the photographer asked if she was our angel or our princess. Grace is our angel and our princess, with a little (or a lot) of firecracker thrown in.

Happy Birthday, Grace!

We love you!!

Hard To Say Goodbye

2010-12-09T08:43:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, we had to say goodbye to Chloe, one of the very best dogs I have ever known! The house won't be the same without her!!

Grace's 2nd Birthday Party

2010-11-17T08:57:00.006-05:00

I decided to make the cake instead of buying one. No, I did not make this cake. My idea was to make a boring, flat, ordinary cake and put this Dora doll on top. But then Nana got involved, and this wonderfully awesome castle cake was created!

Blowing out the candle

Admiring the cake

And finally getting to eat the cake

Present time

Aunt Patty is hilarious!

Great Grandpa watching Grace open presents

"Is she ever going to be done so we can play with those presents?"

Landon and Luke still waiting patiently; Lexi taking pictures

Yes, Uncle Ben, Landon needs a doll house, too!

On the way home from Lafayette that weekend, we took a detour through the countryside and visited some covered bridges from the 1800's.

Summer

2010-11-05T15:46:00.004-04:00

These are some random pictures from the summer.

Umm...I don't know what to say...multitasking?

Yard work

A rare moment of calmness and sharing markers...

ok, that moment is over...now back to normal.

Poppy and Chloe on the hayride in the cold rain at Old Settlers

All nine grandchildren, Katie, half of Nana's face, and a couple extra boys ready for the hayride.

Joseph getting on the bus for his first day of Kindergarten

Gull Lake/Air Zoo

2010-10-27T09:25:00.010-04:00

I have so many things to post, and I am going to make an attempt to catch up with a marathon of posts. I guess I should start back in the summer (well, probably from last Christmas, but I'll just go back to the summer for now)!

In June, we planned a week-long trip to Gull Lake. We've been wanting to do this for several years, and this year we finally did it. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and settled in for a great week. Jon and Katie arrived about the same time we did on Saturday. Then Ben, Kaletra, and Landon joined us on Sunday. We woke up to a beautiful sunrise on Sunday morning, but the day quickly took a turn for the worse when we learned of Mitch's accident. Dad and I took off for Indianapolis after breakfast, and then returned to Michigan on Monday evening. My goal was then to try to enjoy the rest of our vacation and leave the rest in God's hands. Dad returned to Lafayette EARLY Tuesday morning, but came back on Thursday so he could take the boys fishing as he had promised them. In the time he spent on the road that week, he could have driven to Florida! We did enjoy the rest of the week at the lake, and we can't wait to go back next year!

Beautiful sunset on the lake

Joseph enjoying a tow from Nana in the kayak

Grace and Luke enjoying the water

The boys are getting ready to practice casting with their fishing poles

Look at the concentration on that face!

Chloe kept chasing the floating thing on his line. He thought that was great!...until Chloe actually got it and pulled it off.

AIR ZOO
Doug found this great Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, and it was FREE!! We did have to buy tickets for the rides, but the kids had a blast!

Showing off their treasures from the gift shop

The first time Doug rode with them, but this time they were brave enough ride by themselves.

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY, GRACE! (a day late)

2010-09-09T07:49:00.009-04:00

We're so thankful for the blessing God has given us, whose name is Grace! She brings such love, laughter, and smiles into our lives! She is so full of energy and makes use of every minute of her day. She may not have the biggest growth spurts, but she is growing! She has made it to the 50th percentile for height at 33 3/4 inches. She also moved up to the 10th percentile for weight at 22 lb. 6 oz. I never knew so much personality could fit into such a little body.

I look forward to many more wonderful years with my sweet Grace!

One thing I have learned in the past few months is to never take the loved ones in our lives for granted; so every day I wake up and thank our Heavenly Father for my beautiful children (Prov 127:3 - "children are a gift of the Lord"), my husband, my absolutely wonderful family, as well as the awesome brothers and sisters in Christ that I am so blessed to have in my life.

I'm Back

2010-06-17T21:01:00.007-04:00

I can't believe it's been four months since I last posted anything on here! I'm going to try better to keep it updated. Here are just a few pictures for now. We're leaving for the lake tomorrow, so I'm sure I will have lots of pictures to add when we get back.

Luke talking on the phone to Nana about why she should not leave things at the lake.

I knew she was being way too quiet! I also found her today with a mountain of pancake mix on the floor. I guess I should start closing the pantry door!

Luke (with the remnants of his black eye) and Grace riding their horse.

Luke got his first black eye a couple of weeks ago when he and Joseph collided. Finally, after two weeks, the bruises have almost faded away. There is still a hint of yellow under his eye.

Day 1 - This is about an hour after it happened; but this is what I saw when I ran into the room about 20 seconds after I heard the screaming.

Day 2

Day 3

After this, each day it kept spreading more and more underneath his eye, until eventually it was just underneath his eye; and then the purple turned to green and finally yellow.

Joseph riding his four wheeler at Grammy and Grandpa's on Memorial Day.

Luke and Grace playing with Grammy's pretty rocks.

Grace telling me not to take her picture.

FLASHBACK - Part 1

2010-02-26T07:42:00.008-05:00

September was a busy and crazy month for us with many ups and downs!

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

We headed to Lafayette to celebrate Grace's first birthday!

While we got ready for the party on Saturday, Daddy and Uncle Curt took the boys out the the Orchard.

Party Time
This was the little cake that I made just for Grace. Not very pretty, I know, but it served it's purpose well.

Grace opening presents with some help from her cousins.

The party was great, and we really enjoyed getting to spend time with our family.

But then our weekend took an unexpected turn for the worse. We visited Doug's grandma, Marty, in the nursing home Sunday afternoon. Then we got a call Sunday night that she was in the hospital and not doing very well, so we spent most of the night at the hospital Sunday night. Marty passed away early Monday morning. We miss her so very much!!

I think this may be the only picture I have of her with Grace.

We made a quick trip home on Monday to get clothes, and Joseph had his first day of preschool on Wednesday. We then returned to Lafayette on Thursday for Marty's funeral. Grace ended up getting sick this weekend, also. We had one week of "down" time, and then we were on the road again. On the 23rd and 24th, Doug had to make a very quick trip out to Iowa and back for work. He ended up getting back at about 1:00 a.m. on the 25th. Then at 8:00 a.m. on the 25th, we headed back to Lafayette. Since this was our third trip to Lafayette this month, we decided to have the boys' birthday party while we were there. I'm so thankful for my Mom who helped us throw together a party on such short notice!

I have more "flashbacks" to come, so stay tuned!

Snow Angels

2010-02-25T07:45:00.006-05:00

Grace absolutely loves the snow and sledding; but with snow pants that come up to her neck and boots that are 2 sizes too big, she can't move very well. She waddles for a few steps and then falls. At which time, she has to just lay there until someone comes to help her up.

Luke isn't much into sledding, but he loves to eat the snow while he watches all the action.

Joseph likes to pretend he a super fast race car racing down the hill. He was very happy this time that he didn't hit the tree like last year.

Grace wasn't quite ready to go down by herself, but she was happy to ride down with Mommy and Daddy.

This was Luke's one trip down the hill. It was an easy way to get to the bottom so he could play in the snow.

SMALL STEPS, BIG JOURNEY

2009-10-19T20:09:00.004-04:00

(Yes, I know, it's sideways. Sorry!)

So it happens: With those first steps, she starts the transition from a baby to a toddler; and there is no turning back! You can see it in her eyes, the realization that her world has just opened up to limitless possibilities and new ways to discover. And you can already hear the words forming in her mind, "I can do it all by myself!", even if she can't say them yet.
But as she falls into your arms at the end of her short walk and wraps her arms around your neck, she seems to say, "But I still need you, Mommy!"
Before tears soak my keyboard, I will end my little tribute.
Walk on, Baby Girl! The sky's the limit!

Yes, there are still birthday posts to come!

HOORAY FOR PIGTAILS!!

2009-10-07T15:27:00.003-04:00

I DID IT!!!

It's not as pretty as when Aunt Olivia did it, but I did manage to get those tiny rubberbands to stay in her hair! Don't ask how many attempts it took.

Random Pictures

2009-10-06T06:22:00.008-04:00

Since I am so behind putting pictures up, these are some random pictures from the summer.

You would think I would learn to stop setting the trash bag on the floor.

Watching Daddy play softball and drinking a Dr. Pepper. Does it get any better than this?

Chocolate ice cream cones are pretty good, too!

Playing at the park

She's so silly!

Joseph reading to Luke and Grace

Putting the flag up for Flag Day

SUMMERTIME - Part 4

2009-08-11T14:09:00.005-04:00

Time For:

Air Hockey,

Bedtime stories by the campfire,

Flying kites,

And fishing.

SUMMERTIME - Part 3

2009-07-13T08:21:00.005-04:00

Time For:

Helping Nana make pancakes...

Evenings on the deck...

And playing with dolls?

What happens at Nana and Poppy's, stays at Nana and Poppy's!

EIGHT YEARS!!

2009-07-01T16:20:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was our 8th anniversary!! We didn't exactly have a huge celebration. We are camping this week (in fact, the past 3 years we have been camping on our anniversary). But the difference this year is that it is just our family. I actually forgot that yesterday was our anniversary until about lunchtime when Bob came around to collect our money for the campsite. I asked what the date was, and when he said it was the 30th, I thought, "Oh, it's our anniversary." Doug said he actually remembered yesterday morning, but I was still sleeping when he left for work. Well, then I started thinking, "Well, another year that our anniversary is going to go by without doing anything extra special or really celebrating it." Doug got back from work in the afternoon and we took the boys fishing, came back and fixed cheeseburgers, got the kids cleaned up, and actually put them to bed before 10:00. Then Doug and I sat by the fire, under the stars, eating peanut M&Ms, drinking Pepsi, and talking...just the two of us...no TV or internet to distract us. Then I realized that our anniversary actually was nearly perfect. We got to spend the day with our children and then have some time just for us.
Well, I have to finish getting more clothes packed up (benefit of camping close to home...I can come back and wash clothes and get cleaned up for Bible Study at home) and get the kids dressed so we can go out to eat before Bible Study and then back to camping. Doug has the rest of the week off, so he gets to fully enjoy camping now. I'll have pictures next week.

SUMMERTIME - Part 2

2009-06-23T15:13:00.005-04:00

Time For:

The Holiday Drive-In

The Micklers bought this IU book for her. Luckily, we had our Purdue chair to even the playing field.

SUMMERTIME - Part 1

2009-06-15T09:34:00.005-04:00

Time for:

Summer haircuts...

Learning to ride bikes...

And filling up the pool!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN 9 MONTHS

2009-06-10T15:14:00.005-04:00

Poppy let her eat the pig-in-the-blanket by herself!

She loves sleeping with the puppy Aunt Olivia made her.

It seems like such a short time ago that we were blessed with our new baby girl! It doesn't seem like she could possibly be 9 months old already. She weighs 13 lb 14 0z and is 27 inches. She may be little, but she makes up for it in personality!

Stay tuned...

2009-06-02T13:37:00.003-04:00

I haven't been as consistent as I would like posting pictures and keeping up, but I am going to try to get back in the swing of things. I have so many pictures to post. I am trying to de-clutter and really clean my house this week, so I'm not sure if it will be this week...maybe. Look for Memorial Weekend and Grace Nine Months coming soon :)

THANK YOU, FRIEND!!

2009-05-29T15:27:00.001-04:00

Ok, I really don't remember much about the guy in the middle, but this is the only picture I could find of Dani and I together. By the way, thank you, Dani, for sending me this!

I just want to say a very sincere and heartfelt THANK YOU to Dani Tietz. Dani and I were close friends in high school, but like many friends, lost contact after high school. Until about a year ago when Dani emailed me and then a few phone calls were made. Then we got to spend the day together in Lafayette one day last summer catching up. We have kept in contact since then mostly through facebook and our blogs.

Dani is aspiring to be a writer and, in my opinion, is well on her way. I am addicted to reading her blog because each day there's something new, fresh from her mind, and she is not afraid to share her feelings, thoughts, adventures, and ideas.

THANK YOU, DANI, for reminding me that I need to be more than just a robot mom, hustling through each day without taking time to play or discover things with my kids...or just be silly sometimes. I used to be so carefree and happy all the time, silly and wanting to make people laugh, patient, loved spending time playing with kids. And then something seemed to start changing when I had children. I find myself being serious all the time, not smiling, telling my kids "No, we can't do that now. I have work to do. I'm too busy right now." Maybe it's just all the worry and stress that comes with being a mom. But I don't want my children to grow up with a mom like that!! I want to be more like my mom. My mom always made us feel like she had all the time in the world for us, when I know now that she had a million other things to be doing, but we were more important. One smile from her let you know that she loved you more than anything in the world.

Sometimes I wonder...WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT PERSON I USED TO BE? I want my children to have that person for a mom.

When I started reading Dani's thoughts and feelings on her blog, I realized that maybe it's not so wrong to need to "rediscover" who I am. I am so blessed to have a wonderful husband and chilren who love me and need me. But I am realizing that by trying to be the perfect supermom and superwife, I am really depriving my family of the REAL me. I need to be that happy, silly, loving person that I really am inside and stop being dragged down by trying to have a perfect house, perfect body, perfect...

So I will say one more THANK YOU to Dani. You inspire me to try to do better and be more. Keep doing what you're doing. You will continue to touch peoples' lives.

(By the way, I tried to put a link to your blog on here, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet.)

MOVE OVER, PAULA DEAN

2009-05-15T10:07:00.005-04:00

The boys love to help me in the kitchen, especially if I baking/making dessert! I have found out that when you have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old helping, it takes a lot of patience and twice as much time. So I have also found that it helps to ask God for a little extra patience and understanding before we start.

All three of my boys helping peel apples for cobbler.

(No Dad, this is not yours. I still have to make it today.)

Making strawberry cake

Waiting is the hardest part!

Crushing Oreo cookies for dirt pudding

"Can You Count The Stars?"

2009-05-07T14:51:00.003-04:00

Can you count the stars of evening That are shining in the sky?
Can you count the clouds that daily Over all the world go by?
God the Lord, who doth not slumber, Keepeth all the boundless number:
But He careth more for thee. But He careth more for thee.

Can you count the birds that warble In the sunshine all the day?
Can you count the little fishes That in sparkling waters play?
God the Lord their number knoweth, For each one His care He showeth:
Shall He not remember thee? Shall He not remember thee?

Can you count the many children In their little beds at night,
Who without a thought of sorrow Rise again at morning light?
God the Lord, who dwells in heaven, Loving care to each has given:
He has not forgotten thee, He has not forgotten thee."

"Casting all your care upon Him: for He careth for you." - 1 Peter 5:7

"YIPPEE, THE PARK!!"

2009-05-06T15:20:00.004-04:00

This is quoted from Luke when we finally said it was warm enough to go to the park!

The good thing about living a block away from the park is that you can walk there whenever you want. The bad thing about living a block away from the park is that you can walk there whenever you want. Joseph had been asking since February to go to the park. (He thinks it is OUR park.) I kept telling him it was still too cold. But he thinks that any day the sun is shining is a good day to go to the park. Unfortunately, when the weather got warmer, the sun went away and it started raining for 40 days and 40 nights. So one day, obviously several weeks ago (like sometime before Easter) it was a nice day, and they asked to go to the park, and we said YES!! we can go to the park.

The Lord Has Been Mindful of Me

2009-04-30T07:08:00.004-04:00

Tho I, thro' the valley of shadow, O'er mountain or troubled sea,
And oft in the darkness have travelled,
The Lord has been mindful of me!

Much more than my grief and my sorrow, Much more than adversity,
Much more than the all I have given,
The Lord has been mindful of me!

I'm rich! I am saved! I am happy! I've health and prosperity!
I've friends! I have doors ever open!
The Lord has been mindful of me!

The Lord has been mindful of me! He blesses and blesses again!
My God is the God of the living!
How excellent is His name!

GROW, GROW, GROW

2009-04-27T17:33:00.004-04:00

Doug and I found these little seed kits at Target for $1.00 and thought it might be a neat little project for the boys this summer. One pot has strawberry seeds and the other has tomato seeds. I'm not holding my breath that we'll actually get anything edible from these, but it will be fun to watch them grow anyway. I'll try to post an update each week with new pictures.
These are pics of the boys putting the dirt in the pots. Luke put one handful in and decided it was too messy for him.

Hooray for Bubble Baths

2009-04-21T12:25:00.003-04:00

We decided Easter weekend would be a good weekend to get our new bathtub installed. Doug had Friday off work and since they weren't running production on Monday, he took the day off. We knew this would be a three or four day project. Here's how it went:
Friday morning Doug took the old shower out and took down the ceiling and anything else that had to go. At about 4:00 in the afternoon, we loaded into the truck and headed towards Princeton. We made a stop at the landfill to unload the trailer full of all the junk from the bathroom, and then headed to Menards for additional plumbing/tub installation supplies and supplies for the next weekend's project, which will be in a later post.
On our way to Menards, we received a call from Doug's Dad. He wanted to know if it would be okay if they headed down to our house for a visit Friday night and Saturday. Of course, we were very excited for an unexpected visit. Well, his Mom and Dad got to Jasper before we got back from Menards, which was not until almost 10:00 pm.
Doug was very grateful to have his Dad's help on Saturday, and Grammy got to spend some time visiting with the kids (and me). This was not a simple tub project. We decided to have the faucets at the other side of the bathroom, so this meant Doug had to cut a hole in the concrete wall to be able to do all new plumbing for the water. I was feeling a little guilty through all this because I'm the one who thought we should have a bathtub instead of just a shower. So my wonderful husband basically did all this just for me, but the kids absolutely LOVE their new tub. It took Joseph about 5 minutes to discover that the slope on the back of the tub could be used as a slide! Well, enough of the boring details. I'll leave you with some pictures of the whole operation.

Joseph and Luke helping Grandpa put the blocks into the wheelbarrow after Doug knocked them out of the wall.

The boys helping Doug take the protective plastic off the tub.

After 4 days of hard work, it was finally ready for a test run.

Good thing, because after 4 days with no tub, we all really needed to use it.

I can't tell you how much they enjoyed their first bath in the new tub, complete with bubbles and all!
Daddy is our hero!!

Spring Has Sprung...

2009-04-02T15:49:00.011-04:00

And Outdoor Projects/Play Have Begun!!

Last weekend turned out to be a fantastic fun family time, despite Luke's run-in with a little flu bug!

On Friday, our new (to us) lawn mower was delivered. (Sold the boat and bought a lawn mower...can you tell what we're doing this summer?) Of course, as soon as Doug got home from work, everyone had to take a ride!

Luke took a ride, too. I'm not sure why I don't have a picture of him.

Saturday turned out to be a very rainy day! So I took a trip to the craft store BY MYSELF while Doug and the kids put together the new lawn roller. (Since we have two horses that tromp through our backyard, you can hardly run through the yard without twisting your ankle!) Of course, since it was raining outside, the roller was put together in the living room. The boys quickly put the box to good use!

Doug took the day off on Monday. The day started off with Doug and the boys taking a trip to Menards. I took this opportunity to make a new blankie for Grace. Okay, I didn't really MAKE the blankie...I just sewed the satin around the edges. I soon found out that I was very out of practice sewing, but Grace liked it anyway.

The boys got home and ate lunch, and then the rest of the afternoon was spent outside enjoying the nice weather! First, the new wheelbarrow had to be put together. And, of course, the only proper way to test out a wheelbarrow is to take a ride!

Next, it was time to put the new landscaping stone down. Luke had a great time doing this. He stuck with the project the entire time.

Then it was time for some fun!!! Doug put the batteries back in the fourwheeler and Jeep. Joe had been waiting all winter for that fourwheeler to come out of the shed!

We had hamburgers on the grill for supper, and then it was time for some relaxing.

Grace and Daddy found time to read the paper...and sneak in a kiss.

And then, after a long day of playing, it was bath time.

6 Months Old

2009-03-24T10:34:00.003-04:00

I can't believe Grace is already 6 months old!! She is such a fun baby! She weighs 12 lb 11 oz now. She grew 2 inches in 2 months, but only gained 1 lb. I'm thinking we may need to buy some belts soon! She is moving all over the place...somehow. She rolls and scoots, mostly backwards. She really tries to go forward, especially when she's trying to keep up with the boys! She does occasionally push up on her knees, but goes right back down again. When she does start crawling...watch out...she will show no mercy!! Unfortunately, Idon't have any great pictures of her recently. Hopefully, we will be getting her 6-month pictures soon!

No matter where I put her, she somehow always ends up under this chair...sometimes she even has her head under it!

She loves to eat!

She had a great time pushing this dump truck around!

Hidden Treasure

2009-02-21T20:18:00.005-05:00

My wonderful husband found an awesome treasure for me! I have always wanted mission-style furniture in our bedroom, but had accepted the fact that I would probably never have it because we would never be able to spend that kind of money for something to keep our clothes in. But thanks to Doug (and a local furniture maker's unfortunate turn for the worse) we now own two mission-style dressers and a headboard/footboard for our bed.
WAHOO!!

This is a close-up of one of the dressers.

They didn't have side rails for the bed, so we had to order those from a furniture store.

I will post a picture of the bed as soon as we get them.

4 Months Old

2009-01-20T09:42:00.004-05:00

Miss Grace is 4 months old already!! (Well, she's actually 4 1/2 months, but I'm a little behind.) She weighs 11 lb. 6 oz. and is 24 inches long.

She is such a sweet girl and so fun to be around!! She is always smiling and talking. She loves to lay on her back and play under her floor gym. She is rolling from side to side, but can't quite get all the way over -- not for a lack of trying, though. She will turn in a complete circle on her back trying to get onto her tummy. She has rolled from her tummy to her back a few times, but you can tell from her reaction that it was not what she intended to do! A couple of times she has very briefly pushed up on her toes trying to reach forward for a toy, but all she could do was scoot backwards. Well, I'm sure you are tired of reading and endless paragraph about what my sweet little Grace can or cannot do, so I will leave you with a few pictures.

Back Home

2009-01-03T16:36:00.003-05:00

Well, we made it back home from Lafayette and, for the second time, had to haul Dad's trailer back home with us. We had a great time visiting with family and friends. I will post some pictures sometime in the next few days...after I find places for all the new toys.

Inside Fun

2008-12-16T10:26:00.009-05:00

These first pictures are from Thanksgiving weekend.

Friday morning was spent playing in their pajamas.

Grace enjoyed a nice nap in the swing!

Then there was a wrestling match!

These days we are trying to find things to do inside since we can't play outside very much.

Some quality reading time with Daddy...I think they were all three about to fall asleep!

Painting their masterpieces

I was trying to have them paint Christmas trees, but they had their own ideas. I did paint a tree, but as you can see, I'm not a great artist!

We had a pretend picnic one night

Snuggle time with Daddy after work

Luke found a comfy seat with nobody in it, but I'm pretty sure he's over the weight limit!

Playing is such hard work

Grace really LOVES her brothers!

And they love her!

Joseph decided he didn't need to take a nap, so he got to play with the playdough all by himself.

Still Here

2008-12-12T14:55:00.003-05:00

No need to put out any alerts...I haven't been kidnapped or disappeared. It's just that in my effort to be a great Supermom...keep the house neat and tidy and spend more time with my children...I haven't managed to find the extra time to post more pictures. In fact, I'm not really sure how many new pictures I have taken. It seems like these past couple weeks since Thanksgiving have just flown by...and I am running after them trying to keep up! I'll try to sit down tonight or in the morning and find some new pictures and silly stories to post!

Turkey Stress

2008-11-18T09:14:00.003-05:00

We haven't had anything too exciting happening around here lately. (Other than the normal everyday drama!) We are feeling the first hustle and bustle of the holiday season, though. We have started making our Thanksgiving travel plans and I am preparing to cook my first ever turkey for Doug's pitch-in at work. At least he volunteered me for something easy!!! On the other hand, I am very flattered that he has that much confidence in my cooking ability....although that may change after this whole turkey experience! Joseph and I made cookies last week for a bake sale at work. And, of course, the next step after cookies is a huge Thanksgiving turkey!!! I'm sure it will be fine, and I will come through a better person! YIKES!!!

I am also starting a new section titled, What Did Luke Do Today? Give him 5 minutes by himself, and he will find something to get into. And the bad part is that I always have to hide my laughter as I punish him because he's just so funny!! In the pictures below, he has used the Desitin as hand lotion, and emptied the salt shaker all over the table and has drawn roads in it. The really funny part is that the same day as the Desitin incident, later in the day, I decided I would be brave and take a shower. While I was doing that, he found the A&D ointment and used that as hand lotion, too. His hands smelled like A&D for 2 days!!

Busy Week

2008-11-14T08:23:00.002-05:00

I know it has been forever since I have put anything on here. Our gospel meeting is this week, and even though the fact that I'm home all day hasn't changed, there's something about having to get everybody ready, eat, and out the door by 6:00 that makes it such a busy week. Not to mention getting home after 9:00 every night and not getting the kids in bed until close to 10:00. Not that I'm complaining. It's been a great week studying God's Word. I just haven't found the extra time to put up any pictures. Hopefully tomorrow I may be able to get some pics on here.

Two Months Old

2008-11-06T08:22:00.003-05:00

Grace was two months old on Monday!! She weighed 8 lbs. 12 oz. and was 21 1/2 inches at her appointment. She is changing so much every day!! Every day she smiles more and gets out a few more coos. When I lay her down to change her diaper, I almost always get a big grin. This is probably because she really does not like to have a dirty diaper. She is sleeping 5-7 hours at night, which is very much appreciated!! If only I would make myself go to bed at the same time she does! She loves her brothers, and every time they run by her you can see in her eyes that she can't wait to join them! She will be half asleep and Joe or Luke will come up to her, and she will spit her pacifier out and give them a big grin. It is the cutest thing ever!

Unfortunately, in most of the pictures, she looked away right before she smiled every time. Oh well!

She finally figured out how to hit that ring!

The best smile, but not the best picture quality!

Trick or Treat

2008-11-05T06:49:00.007-05:00

Captain Joe Sparro and Sheriff/Cowboy Luke

This is the first year that Joseph has shown any interest at all in Halloween, so this was our first year for trick-or-treating. Joseph wanted to be a pirate, but when it came time to put the costume on, he didn't want to wear it because it was too ScArY. We finally told him that if he didn't put the costume on, he couldn't go around and get candy, so he unwillingly put it on. Then we went out to eat before starting on our mission for too much candy. He complained about his ScArY costume all through dinner, but once we started knocking on doors and people told him how good his costume looked, he instantly loved it. Luke was so cute in his cowboy hat with his holster and gun. We couldn't stop laughing at him. He would follow Joseph up to the doors and repeat everything that Joseph said. Hearing a two-year-old say "trick-or-treat" and "happy halloween" might be the cutest thing ever! Of course, the giggly "thank you" as he was running down the driveway to the next house while trying to hold his increasingly heavy bag of candy is a close second. I couldn't find a costume small enough for Grace, but she happily spent the evening wrapped in a blanket being carried around.

Overall, our first trick-or-treat event was a success. There were, of course, a couple of houses that really got into the Halloween spirit that were much too spooky for our boys to even get close to. At one such house, we finally had the boys convinced to approach the door through the front yard cemetery with fog and spooky noises, when the guy opened the door in full costume. This sent both boys running back toward the street screaming and crying. That incident just about ended our night!

Joseph and Luke sifting through their loot

The scary guy that sent the boys running and screaming

Last Weekend

2008-11-02T15:56:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I'm a week behind!! The past week just flew by without me adding one single page to my blog.
Last Saturday, we all loaded in the truck at 5:30 a.m. and took off for Lafayette. We visited with Poppy and Nana for a very short time...maybe an hour...and then we headed to Grandpa and Grammy's orchard for a few hours before going to Ben and Kaletra's for sweet little Landon's first birthday party. It was a very chilly day, but the boys didn't seem to mind the cold. Unfortunately, I didn't take one single picture at Landon's birthday party. At about 7:00 p.m. we started for home. By the time we stopped to feed Grace on the way home, we arrived home at about 10:00 p.m. It was a very tiring day, but definitely worth it!!

Joseph, Luke, and Grace at the orchard

Luke on the rocking horse

Joseph and Luke on the slide

It was a close race!!

Tune in tomorrow (or Tuesday) and I will have Halloween and Springmill State Park pitch-in pictures.

Painting Pumpkins

2008-10-27T11:46:00.008-04:00

We had a TON of fun last Thursday!! Katie, Lexi, Abby, and Sam came to visit. Katie brought pumpkins for the kids to paint. They had a blast!

Katie painted Grace's pumpkin for her.

Then Sam got stuck in a tree!

We had such a great time and can't wait to get together again!

Quiet Weekend

2008-10-18T15:53:00.009-04:00

Well, I don't really have much to write about today. We are just enjoying a nice quiet weekend with nothing planned. Our big event today was a trip to Walmart to pick up a few things. The trip was much nicer, though, with Daddy along to help!! Since I don't have anything exciting to write about, I thought I would just post some pictures.

It is so fun to watch Grace grow and do a little more each day. I get a few more smiles out of her and a few more coos every day. She is so close to discovering that she can actually control her hands. If I hold up a toy, she swings her arm around trying to touch it; and if she actually does, her eyes get big.

I never get very many pictures of me with the kids because I am usually always taking the pictures, so I tried to take this one myself using the mirror for help. I almost deleted it, but was very proud of myself that I actually got both of us in the picture, so I decided to keep it.

Grace snoozin' with Daddy

Joseph and Luke love their sandbox!

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY, JOSEPH!

2008-10-14T07:06:00.010-04:00

I can't believe Joe is 4 already!! Doug stopped on his way home from work last night to pick up this ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. Guess what? The cake didn't make it through the night. We all decided that since it was such a big cake and there are only 4 of us to eat it, that we should start on it last night. Mmm...it was good! I guess we'll put the candles in the partially eaten cake tonight so we can sing Happy Birthday to him.

The boys love to play with their soccer ball and football. They went outside yesterday, and Luke turned right back around and ran in to get his football. However, he found Joe's soccer ball before his football and ran back outside, all the way across the yard to give it to Joe. He said, "Here Joso...soccer ball." Then he ran back inside to get his football.

In the bottom left picture, Doug is trying to teach Joe how to drop the football and kick it. Have you ever seen a 4-year-old try to drop a ball and then kick it? As it looks right now, he may not be the punter for the football team. He tried very hard, though.

Even though he's built like a linebacker, Luke might make a good receiver. He is catching the football very well...for a 2-year-old.

They love to play with their Daddy!! As soon as he walks in the door from work, they grab him by the arm and are ready to show him what they're playing or ask him to play with them. Lately, they ask him to "race cars" before he can even get the door shut behind him. They absolutely love to watch us play MarioKart on the Wii. So he usually has to sit down and race a few races for them every evening. They like it when Mommy plays, too, because they can laugh at me every time I go off the track...only on certain tracks though. I'm really a good racer...really I am!

Joseph and Luke love their baby sister, and she loves them!! It is so heartwarming to watch them interact together. At only 5 weeks old, Grace's face lights up when one of them starts talking to her. She will lay on the floor forever if they're sitting beside her talking to her or giving her kisses. She kicks her feet and turns from side to side looking at both of them. At times, she even rolls on her side. Sometimes they get more smiles from her than Mommy does.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

2008-10-10T09:52:00.006-04:00

Well, it's taken me almost a week, but I am finally getting around to writing about the boys' birthday party last weekend. I love having their birthday party because they get to spend a lot of time playing with their cousins that they don't get to see very often, and it gives us a great chance to visit with all the family. Joseph was mostly happy because he finally got his Lightning McQueen cake that he has been talking about since his last birthday.

It was a great weekend!!

The football may have been Luke's favorite gift. He has to take it with him every time we go outside.

Joseph loves all of his gifts...and Luke's, too!!

Yummy Cake!!
Ready to Race
Poppy, Chloe, and Grace relaxing
Joseph and Luke blowing out the candles... after it took me forever to light them!

Maybe Tomorrow

2008-10-06T14:52:00.002-04:00

I have pictures to post and things to share from the big weekend, but I'm still recovering from the big weekend...trying to get some sleep (yeah right), get things put away, toys put together, bedrooms rearranged to fit all the new toys...etc. I will try to have a new post tomorrow, but I'm not promising anything. It's amazing to me how a person can be home all day, every day and still not get anything done. Anyway, check back tomorrow or Wednesday for a new post.

Best Friends/Worst Enemies

2008-10-02T09:00:00.007-04:00

Ok, I put these pics in the wrong place and now I don't know how to remove them, so here they are!!

I am amazed at how quickly my boys can go from being best friends one minute..to worst enemies the next. At times, they laugh and giggle and play together so well. They love to play race cars and chase each other through the house yelling, screaming, and laughing. (They do this a lot!!) They also love to wrestle. I used to contantly tell Joe, "Be careful with your brother. He's smaller than you." But now I don't worry about that so much. When Luke tackles him, Joe sometimes has a hard time getting Luke off him. A lot of times, I find them sitting on the couch together looking at books. Joe has a lot of his books memorized word-for-word so he "reads" to Luke. Luke will just keep bringing him more books to read.

Then there are days when every time I leave the room, one of them (usually Luke) ends up crying or screaming because Joe will not stop pestering him..pushing him or pinching him or yelling in his face. Of course, Joe usually has a very good explanation for his actions...like Luke took the toy he was playing with, or he was singing a song wrong, or saying something Joe didn't want him to say, or he was sitting in the wrong place...the list goes on and on.

I understand that their relationship will probably not change as they get older. It will always be a love/hate relationship...they can't be loving and kind to one another all the time..there's just too much testosterone between the two of them. I will just have to learn to deal with it better. I am, however, hoping there is a difference between their relationships with each other and their relationships with Grace. I'm hoping that they will always be loving with her and want to protect her. (I won't hold my breath, though)

Not to leave Grace out today, I will include some pictures of her, also.

GOOD MORNING!!

2008-10-02T08:44:00.002-04:00

I want to start off by letting you know how my morning started. I was changing Grace's diaper at 4:30 this morning, and I had just put her clean diaper underneath her when she sneezed and poop squirted all over the front of me, on my arm, my hand...who knows where else that I haven't discovered yet. About that same time, Joseph decided to get up, so there was no going back to bed for me. I'm learning how to function again in that no-sleep fog that new moms walk around in for the first few months. I'll have another post in a little while, but for now I need to go make sure my boys aren't killing each other...sounds like they might be.

Getting Started

2008-09-30T07:32:00.003-04:00

My wonderful sister-in-law, Olivia, has inspired me to start this blog in an attempt to stay closer to family and friends, to try to develop my creativity, and to force me to take more pictures of my beautiful children.

Before I had three children, I used to wonder why it was that there were never as many pictures of the younger children as there were the first...or why Aunt Patty had hours and hours of home video of my oldest cousin, Regina, dancing around Meme's living room, but hardly any video of the younger kids...like me. I always told myself that it would never be that way with my children, but I realized the other day that Grace is three weeks old and I haven't taken the first picture of her since we came home from the hospital. I also realized that Joseph's baby book has a lot written in it, Luke's not as much, and Grace doesn't even have a baby book yet. So I am hoping this blog will encourage me to take more pictures to capture the beauty and enjoyment of watching my children grow and discover new things.