Road Trip x 2

Girls weekends are the best. I got to spend time with five great girlfriends. We shopped, tasted wine, ate great food, went in the hot tub, and enjoyed the beauty of Door County. It was great to have time to unwind and reconnect. Jenny got us all hooked on the show, "Glee." Next girls weekend we may come home with a new swing choir routine... but I will only lip sync

My cousin was married in Indiana so my brother, sister, and I drove down to Indy together. It was a beautiful wedding and reception at the Indianapolis Arts Garden. It is a all glass enclosure over a four way intersection so it was very unique. I had fun reconnecting with the sibs. You will notice a super cute nephew in the pics, he was the ring bearer in this wedding at age 11, he was also the ring bearer at my wedding at age 2.

Easter Day

Luke and Eva spent the Sunday of Easter with Dave's family. We enjoyed playing in grandma and grandpa's backyard.

Happy Easter

I love spending time with family at the holidays. This was the first year that we did not hunt for Easter eggs in hats and coats. Luke and Eva were the last off of the starting line when Papa said "go," but they collected all their eggs and had a great time. Everyone got new scooters or roller blades so the kids had fun looping the house on the scooters. Luke and Eva enjoyed new wagons, trucks, play-do, swimsuits, connect the dot books, and stuffed animals in their baskets. I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

Time has taken my three year old

Three was a fun age. Luke learned to communicate all his questions, concerns, love, and came up with a wonderful translation of the world he lives in. I love to see things through his eyes. I love the way he jumps with every word while he is excited. I love that he says I am the best mom in the whole world with no prompting - and that I believe he is genuine in what he says . I love when he wakes up all warm and with rosy cheeks from his nap. I love when he wraps his arms and legs around me and makes it so easy for me to hold him. I love that he gets excited about anything...going to the grocery store or Walmart. I love that he works so hard with his line ups, trains, and sand piles. I love that God gave me a whole year with my three year old.

Luke is looking for March 31 in my planner so he can find his birthday and then we can make the cake.

"It is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us" -Dickens

I can't believe how much I love my kids. I never imagined that God would create such a strong love. I feel close to God by holding my kids and thanking Him for creating them and giving them to me. If they only knew how precious they are and how much they give to me. I love every day and every moment with them.

Ski Lessons

Eva and I had so much fun watching Luke learn how to ski. We stayed inside the warm lodge and listened to the music as Luke set out on his first endevor with skis. He said he favorite part was the rope toe.

I know why Mother's don't want to give up their sons...

Dave let Luke deliver my flowers that they bought together for Valentine's Day for me. He said "Happy Valentines Day" in the sweetest voice with a demur head nod and eyelash bat. I plan to spend the first 18 years of Luke's life guiding him to be a man who I would hold in great esteem, a man that will make a great husband, and a man that I would just really like. He should always be loving, serving, and able to find the beauty in life and share that with his future wife. He should be adventurous and be able to provide a secure home life for his family. So you can see why after 18 or more years you may not want to give up the man you helped to make into the man you have always wanted. (Just like his daddy.)
And then I pray he will be able to honor his wife with true love.

Friends

We had a great supper of six last Friday. As our families grow, it seems like six adults and 5-6 kids is a good number to entertain. We made Hawaiian pizza together. Here, Eva and Cal always seem to end up together. Lily played so well with all my old stuffed animals that Luke has not played with yet. Gretchen and Matt know how to take a picture to make a blog look good.

Jeremy and Leslie and Riley...and now they have Brady exactly one week and one day later. Congratulations! (Notice the extra credit on the heart pizza for Valentine's Day.)

Christmas, time with family

The best part of Christmas is getting to spend so much time with family. I love that Dave gets four days off, 2 for Christmas and 2 for New Years. Some of Luke's favorite presents were a remote control car, a crane, more train track. Eva got her first hello kitty and first cabbage patch doll. Luke runs around talking about how excited he is to see family and then as soon as we finish the trip he says he wants to go back next week. He already is packing for the next trip to MN. In the Twin Cities we went to the Mall of America and rode the carousal and the big rigs. We also took a 4 hour trip to IKEA. As we entered I decided that I wanted to change my career to an architect that designs houses with IKEA wardrobes and wall systems. After four hours there and half of the items we wanted I felt like I never wanted to return to IKEA. Luke loved spending time with Jake and he is now making a list of all the things he wants to show Jake next time he sees him.

Luke with a special mouse pancake at Aunt Jan and Uncle Bill's house.Dave's cousins and their new baby girls, Bailey and Abby.

Dave has always wanted to roast marshmallows with our kids since Casey Semour built a fire place just for that reason.

Great Grandma loves her visits from Eva and Luke.

Eva at Jackie and Riley's house.

Changepointe Christmas

Our Changepointe group at church has been such a belssing. Life is not easy with so many transitions. It has been very encouraging to have a group of friends who are going through the same thing who honor God and their husbands and thier children. It is a church within a church.

Luke and Eva Christmas 2009

Last year it was very difficult to get a good Christmas picture so this year I took the kids to JC Penny for professional photographs. I completed the session with 14 photos that I loved...I only needed one.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

I love Christmas because it is the only holiday that is one month long. I love cherishing the time with family, the decorations,the celebration of the prior year, and the gifts. This year my joy was even more intense than usual. I feel so thankful for some of my childhood dreams coming true. I don't have to wonder about what I am going to be, where I am going to live, who I am going to marry, or when to have children. Most of the questions in my life are now answered. They are answered just like I have always hoped. I always hoped for a family and marriage full of love. I also hoped for the ability to provide for myself and others. So I will reflect and be thankful every day.