Vacation Part 2

While on vacation, I fell down some stairs and sprained my ankle.  Thankfully that was all it was since I was also holding Silas.   This however, cut short our time in NY and we decided to go down to Chattanooga and visit my sister Debbie.  

One of the days we went searching for water and found it next to the aquarium.

My cousin, Laura came down from Clemson to spend a couple days with us.  What a treat to see her and to meet her little one, Lillian.   Last time we saw them, Silas was born (suddenly) and Lillian was still in the womb.

My dad is one of 8 siblings with 6 of them being overseas involved in missions work.  Among those 8, they have 27 kids who are also scattered around the globe.  But in Chattanooga, there is a large contingent of cousins.  For some reason, we tend to really like it here!  While we were visiting, we had a cousin night.  It was a lot of fun for me because most of them had never met Paul and I had never met several of their spouses.

4 of us are pregnant.  Here we are in order of due date.  Obviously I am way last.

The next day we went through the aquarium with Laura and Lillian.  My ankle was still pretty sore and so I had the humiliating experience of being pushed around in a wheelchair the whole time.  At least I got to snuggle with Lillian.

 Getting to touch the sting rays.

 In the butterfly exhibit, a gentleman just came over and put this one on my finger.

 Two tired, hot babies!

Fun but exhausting day!

Lake George

It's been quite a long time since I last blogged and I am not even going to apologize.   We were on vacation!  Yes, our first vacation in 5 years - wahoo!!!!!   Here are just a few pictures of our time in New York.  More to come later of our time in Chattanooga.

Abby and Silas playing on the front lawn in the early morning.

Silas running through the grass (note tongue hanging out of his mouth)

Abby cuddling with her mama.

Silas' favorite activity - playing in the sprinkler.

Fashion

"Look Mom, I match....see flowers (on dress) and flowers (on hat)"   

My sweet girl has inherited her mother's poor fashion sense.  I already see it.   But she does enjoy dressing up, wearing pink, wearing fancy shoes, finding jewelry, wearing makeup .....so maybe, just maybe there is hope for her.  How can a little girl be so girly?   How does she learn to giggle like "that"?

Winkle Stars

Abby loves performing. The other morning she got on a kick singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or "winkle, winkle star"

Such a fun kid...

Silas is such a fun kid.  He's full of life and has this mischievous smile most of the time.  He usually only gets upset if he's hungry or tired.  He loves his sister Abby and can say her name.  He can also say doggie, ball, mama, daddy, juice and shoes.   You can see his priorities.  He's really good at playing by himself and often just goes off wandering without a care for anyone else.   When people first meet Silas, the thing they comment on most are his eyelashes.  

Unexpected Blessings

When we first arrived, one of our neighbors asked if we wanted a swing set.   We said sure and then winter happened.   Just a few weeks ago, they asked again if we were ready and then a whole pile of boys brought over this huge swingset.  It is so much bigger than I ever would have imagined and even has a slide!!!!   All we had to do was replace a few of the swings. Our kids love, love LOVE playing out here.

As you can see, Abby's favorite way to play is on the swing on her stomach.  One afternoon, she took a running start and just kept going over the swing on to the ground.  I must admit, I laughed and laughed and laughed.  (I was inside so she didn't hear me).

She also goes down the slide on her tummy since it is a very fast slide.

Getting her arm strength.  Silas trying his arms too!

Silas doesn't so much like the swing yet.  I want to get him one of those ones that they have at the playgrounds around here.  It is rubber and has 4 holes in it.  Those he loves!

Silas much prefers to just wander the yard.  He's much better at playing independently than his sister.  Although he does love his cuddle time.

Check out our lovely patio furniture  (haha....waiting for another blessing on that one AND checking craigslist one a frequent basis)

Outside!!!

Spring is finally here!!!!   It's been a long winter even by local Wisconsiner's standards.  My kids (and Paul and I) have been itching to get outside and play.  Last week we got to play!

The Convenient Groom

Celebrity marriage counselor, Kate Lawrence is ready for her larger-than-life wedding to her fiance.  However on the morning of her wedding, she receives the call that leaves her abandoned.  Kate is devastated as the media is covering her wedding and the new release of her book about how to find a mate.  Lucas, a man who has been in love with Kate, overhears the conversation and offers to "help".   Lucas' help comes in the form of being a stand-in groom.  The agreement comes with a one-year expiration date.  Then they will get a divorce.  After the wedding, Kate and Lucas attempt to keep appearances by pretending they are married.  Predictably during this time, Kate begins to fall in love with Lucas.  It is also during this time that Kate begins to understand that her "perfect" way of finding a mate may have just left out the most important part.

This book was an enjoyable read although rather predictable and far-fetched.  I did appreciate the insight that love can not be boiled down to formula and that if God is at the center of a relationship, then that is far more important than other personality traits.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Springtime in Wisconsin

Last week we had our thaw.  The snow had all but melted and we started thinking about where we were going to plant our garden and flowers.  We needed to think about buying rakes to get the leaves that hadn't been raked last fall.  We needed to think about getting a lawn mower for the summer.  And then.....we got socked with another storm.   It was actually a "thundersnow".   Thunder and lightening last night and then we got dumped with about 10 inches of heavy wet snow with more to come today.

Abby and I went for a short walk and picked up tree limbs that were out in the road.

Abby doing her share!

Pictures from our walk.  It felt magical.

Abby watching Daddy clear snow off the truck.  Sad bit of news - a tree limb fell on Paul's truck and knocked some of the molding off the back.  Thankfully that was all the damage!

Wild and Crazy

My newest project has been working on placemats.  I've wanted to make some for quite a while but for many reasons did not start.  Then I found the fabric squares.....they are a little on the wild side but I love them. 

My plan is to quilt them.  I'll probably use a green or red backing (not sure yet) and then the same color binding.    This will definitely liven up our dining room!

Morning Time

I couldn't resist the other morning...kids in jammies are just so cute.   I don't want to miss these moments.  These are some of the moments that I never want to forget.