Vacation Memories #1 - Dance As If No One is Watching

This could very well have been Kaley's moto when we were at my cousin Randy's wedding. Before arriving in Minnesota, we found ourselves in the Buffalo airport with a 4 HOUR wait as the storms in the Twin Cities moved out and it was safe for us to fly and land. Needless to say, it was a very long day. We got into Minnesota really late and had to turn around and drive up to Wisconsin the next day for my cousin's wedding.

Long story short: a full day of traveling on Friday + a 2 hour car ride on Saturday + a new house with kids meant no nap + having to sit still and quiet during a wedding (didn't happen) = a very tired little girl. Kaley crashed on the way to the reception in the van at 5:00 p.m. and then slept for 2 hours through the reception. I thought we were in for a very long night, but as soon as the music started, her little eyes lit up! As each of the dances progressed, Kaley got closer and closer to the dance floor. As soon as they opened it up for everyone, she was there and didn't stop for 2 hours!

Kaley made a special friend with my cousin's little girl Karli and those two lit up the dance floor all night. It was great to see them enjoying themselves and obviously having a good time!

Happy Birthday Erica!

Happy Birthday Erica! Love from all of us:-)

God gave a gift to the world when you were born—

a person who loves, who cares,
who sees a person’s need and fills it,
who encourages and lifts people up,
who spends energy on others
rather than herself,
someone who touches each life she enters,
and makes a difference in the world,
because ripples of kindness flow outward
as each person you have touched, touches others.

May the love you have shown to others
return to you, multiplied.
I wish you the happiest of birthdays,
and many, many more!

By Joanna Fuchs

Happy Birthday Sharlene!

Bright Joy

On your birthday,
I’m thinking about how much light and sparkle
you freely dispense wherever you go,
how your sunny smile lights up any gathering.
Every birthday marks another year
of you radiating positive, happy energy,
contagious happiness
that infects all who come in contact with you.
May your next birthday find you the same--
glowing from within,
beaming bright joy on everyone you meet.
I feel blessed to know you.By Joanna Fuchs

I have some catching up to do...

Wow, these last few months have been quite a blur in our household. As the school year ended for me and summer began, we have spent our time visiting with family and enjoying life together as 3 before the big day comes at the end of summer. Needless to say, I haven't spent much time on the computer which ultimately means that I haven't written any posts lately. A lot has been going on, and now that the biggest events have passed, life is settling into a bit of normal once again.

I have much to catch up on and post, so bear with me! Can't wait to tell you all about it.

Happy Birthday Dad!

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it...
Dad
- Anonymous

We love you so much dad and are so thankful you are in our lives. I appreciate all of the life lessons you have taught me and continue to teach me. Kaley sure loves her papa and I am thankful for the person that you are. Many blessings to you in this coming year. Happy birthday!

8 months along!

Next week will be the 8th month of pregnancy! I can hardly believe that it has gone so quickly. Our little baby is growing so fast, and is already bigger than what Kaley was at this time. Luckily, I am still able to move around quite easily and have the energy to play with Kaley. I love this part of the pregnancy because everything about our baby is already formed and it is a time to get stronger and ready for life on the outside. Yet, everything is perfectly suited for life in the womb where our baby is safe, secure and well taken care of. What a gift of life a little baby is!

This is a picture of Kaley and I on a picnic today. I thought it was the perfect picture for 8 months even though it is a week early. This will make up for missing the 7 months:-)

Playing with the "kitchen"

Kaley and I have been on vacation in Minnesota visiting Grandpa and Grandma these past few days and we are having a lot of fun! Dad and mom's neighbors have two little girls, Izzy and Freya, and Kaley has enjoyed playing with them.

They recently bought some chickens to have in their back yard and the two little girls just love their chickens. Kaley has been over to see them quite a few times. She calls them the "kichens." Yesterday, Izzy brought one of them over to the house and it was the funniest thing I have ever seen. This chicken was so calm and relaxed, I almost thought it was a kitten at first. It would let the girls pick it up, play with it and treat it like a pet. It is the first domesticated chicken I have ever met. At one point, they even had it in the wagon pulling it around the backyard and it just sat there better than any pet would have.

The girls were having so much fun that I had to get it on video. Enjoy :-) No animals were harmed in the filming of this I promise!