Memorial Day Weekend

we had a great memorial day weekend.  the kids and i did a little closet organizing on saturday morning (our subdivision garage sale is fast approaching) before heading over the luke & michelle's to hang out.  derek had left early that morning to help luke roast the hog for goetz memorial day party...it's become their yearly tradition of drinking beer, cooking, seasoning, and eating their way to belly aches.  

michelle and i and all our babies played and did our own thing inside since it was raining all day. we eventually forced ourselves to go to walmart, and it was quite an adventure (as usual when it comes to an outing for michelle and i). let's just say we were giggling and having a great time while everyone else at walmart seemed to hate us.  we had a cart full of kids and another full of food and somehow determined that self checkout was the way to go.  as you can imagine, it didn't go so well...neither of us are skilled enough to get items to beep thru the scanner!  it was pretty funny...we had a line of people behind us cursing our name that's for sure.  what i keep wondering is WHY anyone would get in line behind us?  we had huge trash bins that we were trying to lift upside down and scan...while kids are screaming and fighting and trying to scan their own items.  it was great!

Mommy's little helper is adding the finishing touch to our flag dessert

Rowan is keeping Ainsley's kitty warm and dry during Saturday's drizzle

I think Ainsley might want her kitty back...I wonder what Rowan is thinking???



its windy in wanatah

one of the joys of living in wanatucky is that we have no wind cover.  a breezy day in valpo is basically a windstorm out here.  pony tails are a must or otherwise...

suds.

it's time for new pictures

we're planning to get new pictures of the kids taken soon since rigby is 1 and rowan is 2 1/2.  below are a few of the pictures we had taken 6 months ago...they grow so fast.  can't wait to post the new ones to see how much their little faces have changed :) 

one more easter post!

easter sunday was a great day! the kids woke up to find easter basket's/buckets full of little toys and gizmo's, we had a delicious breakfast casserole that I made the night before (our little family tradition...last year it was a quiche), the message at church glorified our risen King, and we made an absolutely fabulous traditional easter dinner at our house for my sister Angie and brother-in-law Mark, and also for my dad.

the kids seemed awfully quiet while mommy was cooking...rowan found the jelly beans and was sharing with rig

my sweeties

the juiciest ham ever!

an easter moment totally worth posting

rowie and her aunt angie

easter with the gora's

we celebrated easter twice this year...once at bob & maureen's with the gora family and then we had my dad and sister and her husband over for the allen side.  derek's youngest sister (baby jenny as he likes to call her) was home from texas so we got to see her over easter which was great!  we love going to his parent's for the holidays...just getting to relax and spend time together as a family is such a blessing.  it's funny how we all live so close together and don't get to see each other much.  unfortunately though, i was sort of a mess for the gora easter.  lyme & company had the best of me that day, and i ended up sending derek and the kids over ahead of me so i could have a few minutes to try to pull myself together.  i was very emotional that day/weekend and felt like i was close to losing it...no joke.  i have a sympathetic heart for those who suffer from depression, never having experienced it for myself as an adult.  it was seriously overwhelming, sort of this dark hopelessness that i just couldn't escape. i ended up sitting on the floor in my closet sobbing, and then blowing drying my hair and sobbing...and by the grace of God, actually forced myself to leave and head over for easter, puffy face and all. :)  what a day -- oh my goodness.  it was an interesting weekend to say the least, but God saw us through it.  i can actually say that it's so good to be in a place where we need God. so many people complain about the hard times, but really, it's so humbling and such a blessing.  there's nothing like lying in bed with tears flooding your cheeks while your husband holds you and prays :)

easter egg hunt

we had a great easter this year!  holidays are such a joy, especially with little ones running (or crawling) around.  we took the kids to an easter egg hunt at the laporte county fairgrounds one saturday morning with our friend peggy and her baby girl luci (luciana, so precious). at first i wasn't sure what to expect because it was basically just a large field with obviously placed eggs!  but as you can imagine, it turned out to be something quite special for the kids.  rowan brought her easter bucket along that she had gotten from grandma gora's easter the week before...and excitedly raced around and filled her little bucket to the brim. 

Happy Birthday Rigby!

Rowan and Rigby with their Mimi

really for me?

don't mind if I do!

finally playing with some real boy toys...

Rig loves the creepy singing toy from Papa Dan!

and the big trucks from Chelle Belle!

breaking in his new glasses from Aireee

taking some time to love on Aunt Jenny

the blue eye beauties mesmerized by YoGabaGaba

my guys....aren't they adorable?

something new

i was thinking today about how precious life is, and how thankful i am to God for the little things.  there has been so much going on lately that sometimes it seems overwhelming.  but when i take the time to slow down, sit back and take a look at our life, i'm amazed at how blessed we are. 

we live in a home that's practically a mansion when compared to how the rest of the world lives...seriously.  there are so many people out there struggling and hurting who don't have homes or food, little babies out there who don't have mommy's to hold them and rock them to sleep.  and i get caught up in moments of frustration because my cell phone keeps shutting off or inpatient because we don't have cable or satelite tv anymore and have to sit thru commercials.  seriously? 

about 6 months ago God started working on me a bit (and derek too) and started softening us to what's really going on in the world, and in our own hearts for that matter.  we were introduced to a ministry that is helping orphans in Uganda...and since then, i've actually been crying myself to sleep.  just hurting for those little babies out there who don't have anyone to offer them a little kindness, let alone the love and acceptance that kids need to survive.  i tell my little rowan that she's a good girl, that i love her, that i'm proud of her, that i miss her, and i tuck her in bed every night and hold her because she says "mommy snuggle me". and it breaks my heart that there is a 2 year old right now, without a mommy, putting herself to sleep on a concrete floor, with no blanket, no hug, and just trying to stay out of the stream of urine that's puddled nearby.  this is something that is serious to me now.  the cable tv and newest most fabulous cell phone doesn't really seem like a priority anymore.

i keep finding myself asking the question...what's really important?  is it the american dream?  the really nice house, decorated and finished off to last linen, towel and night stand, the expensive crew crab truck, designer clothes, or our kids having every toy and item of clothing we deem necessary?  necessary?  hmmmmm.  that word just sounds so different to me now. 

well, i am so thankful to God and praise him for what he's showing us and working in us.  we have this desire to change our lives and to help others, and i have to say, it's a first for me in my 33 years.  it's the first time, even as a believer, as someone who loves and lives to honor God, that i've actually sat back and saw things thru eyes that are a little less self focused.  i know i don't usually write stuff on our blog about our personal/intimate lives...i usually just keep it light hearted and all about the kids.  i just wanted to put this out there.  it's the most exciting thing, the thing we're most proud of at this moment. 

crazy tongue baby

One other thing Rigby has been doing lately is playing with his tongue.  It's really funny.  I have no idea what he's trying to do...but it cracks me up.