Day Trip

We headed out to Clinton Lake on Sunday for a little day trip. We had a picnic planned and some fishing and were possibly going to scope out a spot to camp for a few weeks from now. The kids were totally up for it and we did have a nice relaxing time. It was so calming and peaceful to listen to the water lap the shore. I wish I were looking at the ocean, but I'll take what I can get.

Spending this time with my family was sweet and it made me think back on when I was little and all the camping and fishing we did as a family. This pregnancy really has made me nostalgic and miss the simple times of childhood a little bit. I love all the traditions and outings we did as a family and I'm really happy that my parents carved out all that special time. I think it is so easy to get caught up in the business of life and constantly be on the go, but I prefer to do things more simply. 

Kiddos throwing sand into the lake

Me enjoying the peaceful sound of the water.

Little man fishing solo

Pretty lady (oh Oliver...)

Dustin thought my hat resting on the tippy top of my head was funny.

Cute boy

Oliver's First Soccer Game

Oliver started Soccer this spring through our local YMCA. The Sporting Tykes has been a lot of fun for him and also for us as a family. We love going to his practices and his games, when they are not postponed due to cold weather and rain that is. It has been a wet and chilly April! 

This has been his first experience with soccer and it is awesome to watch his confidence build and his skills improve. He loves going and we are trilled we signed him up! 

Here are a few photos from his first game, and it was cold out there! 

Oliver and Myla practicing before the big game

He shoots, he scores!

Once the real game began, he wasn't too sure he wanted to play at first...

but he quickly got into the action!

Waiting to kick the ball in

Ode To Pregnancy

With it being National Poetry Month (courtesy my local library) I thought it fitting to write a little ditty down about my life the last few months. For old times sake, what I really should do is give my sister Becky the assignment, have her write an awesome poem and pass it off as my own brilliance. My sophomore advanced English teacher never saw it coming. A+, thank you very much. To Becky that is. Haha.

Here goes...


thrilled
worried
secret
valentine sharing
big smiles
love
kisses and hugs

shoe dropping
couch sitting
energy evading
nausea coming and going, and coming again

teeth brushing
gagging
cheese and cracker eating
chicken ramen noodle slurping;
way too much sodium but too sick to care

too many snowstorms
lots of bundling
toes freezing
sunshine and warmth needing

decision regretting?
close to meltdown
crying
praying, wishing, hoping
would do almost anything to feel better

glimpse of sunlight
tease of warmer weather
park going, snack bringing
kid's laughter

heartbeat
kids telling
emotions mixed
laughter

family seeing
glimmer of hope
better feeling
phone calls
news sharing
excitement and love

energy returning
God thanking
happiness
warmish air
SUN

kids belly checking
silly naming
smiles
fruit eating

old photo scrolling
love
excitement
contentment

Sunshine Weather

"Is it summer? Can we go swimming? Can I wear a dress? Can we wear shorts?"

The latter is a question asked more frequently around here than anything else lately. And do my kids listen to the answer and take heed and wear appropriate clothes for the weather outside? No. They do not.

But, at least they are dressing themselves, even though they change way too many times in a day and I am doing way too many loads of laundry for four people. But never mind all that. At least they are quiet when they are deciding what to wear and while getting dressed, because if you know my kids, quiet is not a word you would use to describe them. ;)

Giving spoiled Piper some love

"It's cold outside you say? Change? Why?"

Love the little bun

Bouncing the chair silly

Ballerina in training

Introducing Little Lady Lullaby

Our little niece made her debut a few days after Christmas and we were thrilled to get to meet this little cutie. 

Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.  ~Elizabeth Stone

Congratulations Sarah and Jason!

Uncle Dustin holding the BEST Christmas Present

Can you tell I'm in heaven holding this little lady?

Proud Papa

Lullaby and her adoring Mommy

Visiting Aunt Sarah, Uncle Jason and Lullaby on the Farm

Aunt Missy snuggling one month old Lullaby

Myla helping Mommy feed sweet Lully

Merry Early Christmas

My heart is happy in my content little edge of the world, yet filled with grief. The families who have been affected by this senseless act of violence in Connecticut are constantly in my thoughts and prayers. My heart goes out to all the little children and parents who have to make some amount of sense out of this and then continue on and find a new normal. I think of all the siblings who are missing their sister or brother, the husbands missing their wives, children missing their mothers. There are so many questions without any real answers and my heart just breaks when I think about these innocent children and teachers. 

May God give these families comfort and peace in these extremely difficult times and reassure us all that He will prevail. That love and kindness trump any hate in the world and that we can turn to Him for peace. 

Here are a few pictures of the kiddos last week. 

Sending love and prayers your way.

Love, 

Missy

Calling for Piper "Woo Hoo" (they think their whistling)

Oh Oliver, where do I begin...

A lot has been happening in these neck of the woods lately and I am feeling like I need to catch up.

Oliver turned 4 towards the beginning of November and he had a super fantastic birthday week!  We had a fun party for him with friends and family at a nearby park where the kids ran around eating popcorn and cupcakes. Two of his favorite treats. :) We also celebrated his big day at home on that Sunday and made him a perfectly pink strawberry cake (his suggestion) but I made sure to make WHITE vanilla frosting, because you know...I couldn't go that far.

Oliver at his park party. Happy Birthday Oliver!

Oliver is super energetic and ornery at times, but this boy is definitely a sweetheart. He melts my heart when he says "Mommy, you look really pretty today." Or when he calls Myla "sweet pea". Today I told him I thought that was really an adorable nickname for Myla and he said " I know Mommy. That's why I made it up."

He is intensely curious and loves learning about new things. He still loves his trucks and trains, but has branched out into jets or helicopters (which he now flies around the house), Legos, drawing pictures, singing, reading a lot, and picking out books at the library. 

Oliver and his Daddy giggling in the kitchen

Making silly faces at Daddy's Ultimate game

And mulching the leaves, always good fun.

Sometime into November, Oliver and Myla decided to not listen to their mommy and come out of their "quiet time" rooms. They started giggling and thought it was just too much fun to run in and out of the bedrooms while shuting the door before the other one could make it in. Do you know where this is going? If you guessed, one of them got a finger smashed in the door, you would be correct!

Myla accidentally shut the door on Oliver's right middle finger and after going to urgent care and then being sent to the ER, the rest is history. Poor little man cut about 1/2 the way into his finger about a quarter of an inch below the nail bed. I did everything I could, but forgot to give him ibuprofen to reduce any future swelling (because it really wasn't swollen yet), which is part of the reason we ended up in the ER. He now has three cool x-ray pictures of his hand showing perfectly in-tack bones.

I have got to say that I am so extremely proud of my son. He did not cry once while he was being treated by the doctors and nurses, even with the cleaning and prodding. He was so brave! He did however release the tears just as we were about to leave when the nurse taped his injured finger to his ring finger and put a splint on it. Needless to say he was not too thrilled about that, but after a couple minutes of explaining the reason, he resigned to be super protective of his injured hand and swore he would leave it on for forty days! (He has this thing with the number forty, I think he gets it from the Noah's arc story.)

Oliver eating a super healthy meal at McDonald's after he was released from the hospital.

Sad boy

A glimpse of the injury the day after (it looked much better).

You can't tell, but half of his finger could be lifted up. Yuck.

It really didn't slow him down too much. :)

Today, 21 days after the incident, his nail finally fell off and now his finger is in a band aid until the nail grows back. Phew. What a long 3 weeks it has been, and I'm sure Oliver is so glad he doesn't have to worry about his "ouchie" anymore.

His finger, almost as good as new. 

Anyway, so that is what we have been up to. That, and we have all been nursing a cold that we caught almost a couple of weeks ago. So we are hoping for a healthier rest of the week!