I may not have the newest house, or latest things.  I may have thought my house would be bigger and better by now.  I may have clutter in every corner (and dust as well).  I may not have the "things", I thought I would.  I may shop at thrift stores and garage sales, my "things" may not have a label.  But I have learned that the best "things" in life, are NOT things.  I had wonderful pregnancies and 2 healthy, beautiful children.  I was able to nurse them until they were both a year old, I was able to be 100% "theirs" for the first 3 months of their lives,  Their Grandparents have all been a huge part of their lives, going FAR above and beyond the call of duty.  Obviously believing in the philosophy "it takes a village to raise a child" and we couldn't be more grateful, nor would we be able to have this without them.  It has been truly amazing to watch Derek transform into the caring, had-working, fun-loving, gentle, thoughtful, inspiring man/husband/father that he is.  He has taken caring for his family to heart and because of that I am able to be a nurse part-time and be a mommy full-time.  Our kids are happy, healthy, loving, GOOD kids!

      These things I was thinking on the 1st day of volunteering in Ethan's classroom this week.  I was SO incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be involved.  I know I won't be able to make it to all the activities, go on all of the field-trips etc..., but as I sat there in the hallway, in a chair way to small for my rear, I couldn't help but think of all parents who would never know, what I know.  Who would never get to feel THIS!  The Lord has blessed us in more ways then we can imagine, and if we are never able to afford the bigger house in the newer neighborhood, that's just fine with me!!

A big catch up...well, sort of

Sweet Miss Addy

Ethan and his new BFF, Jake, on of our 80 degree early spring days.

Ethan trying to catch his ice cream

Addy and Daddy on Easter

Ethan and Jake at the Tulip Time parade this year

Jake's little brother, Caleb, is one week older then Addison and quite fond of her too!  Maybe...

Our first camping trip May 18-21st at Holland State Park (we wanted to be close to home just in case).  It was a huge success!!  The kids (and Mommy and Daddy) loved it!  Thank goodness the trailer has air conditioning though, I can't believe 90 degree temps in mid May!

Addy wanted to be just like her big brother and REFUSED to put a shirt on!

At the park!

Ethan peeking through the tunnel slot

Happy boy!

Loving the camp fire!

Ethan and Mrs Saur on his last day of pre-school.  So bittersweet.  He had her for 2 years and she was just wonderful!

Addison blowing  bubbles at Ethan's end of the year party

Ethan's preschool class

Best Buds!

So Sweet!

I can hardly believe that it's been almost a year since my last entry!  Time flies!  Well, I've missed a few seasons, but here's my grand attempt at a catch up!

Ethan and Addison are growing up so fast and are just so much fun!  I can hardly stand to be away from them!  Ethan has learned so much in preschool and is looking forward to Kindergarten!  I'm a little unsure with Kindergarten changing to all day/every day now.  I think that's a little too much for a 5y/o, it will be a big adjustment for sure!  His new passion is cooking!  He love, love, loves to help in the kitchen!  He's always asking if he can help me "make" something.  He also loves to watch cooking shows on tv, his favorite chef is Ina of the Barefoot Contessa!  Derek and I really enjoy watching too!

Addison is talking up a storm!  She's just as sassy as she is sweet and boy does she have a mind of her own!  She adores her big brother and wants to do everything like him.  She's fearless as well.  Ethan was always so cautious, not her!!  We took her pacifier away about a month ago and since then she has boycotted her afternoon naps....she actually does really well w/o one, but it was nice to have that down time in the afternoon.  It's also so surprising b/c Ethan would still take naps up to 4!  Oh well, guess our afternoons will be busy, busy, busy this summer!!

Derek and I just bought a camper and we couldn't be more excited!  It's a 31' Jayco, with 2 slide outs and one set of bunk beds.  The kids LOVE it!  We did our first camping trip a couple weeks ago and everything went great!  We can't wait to go again and are busy planning out the rest of the summer!!  I hope to stay on top of our adventures this summer!

A few Summer Faves

Summer is just FLYING by, as always, and I can hardly believe that July is almost done! I don't want it to end!!!! We are having just a wonderful summer! We have had many days at the beach; which to be honest, we haven't done too often the past few summers. Which is crazy b/c we're so close to fabulous beaches!!! This year is just so much fun b/c Addy can walk and run and is just at that age where she is SO much fun!! Last year, she wasn't walking so it was tough to some things b/c I had to have a stroller or carry her or worry about what she was going to crawl in and now that she's on 2 feet, it's so much easier! Derek and I are really taking a step back and ENJOYING them this summer and I just love it!! Ethan has discovered how much fun it is to have a sibling, to have someone to play with whenever he wants. He really is a GREAT big brother -for the most part, he still has his non-sharing, me, me, me moments though. I just love listening to him talk to her like she understands just what he's saying. He's usually very patient with her and tries to explain or show her just what he wants her to do! And she just thinks he hung the moon. She just loves to be at his side, doing - or trying to do - whatever he's doing. It's too cute!

My little stinker! Full of personality! I love this picture, mostly she's getting such a kick out of touching my camera lens!

Here's Addy right next her big brother on Papa and Grandma Twinkle's boat for the 4th.

Ethan "driving" Papa's boat with Daddy and waving to everyone on the pier!

I Love this pic of Ethan. He is growing up so fast and he's so smart! He's quite a little lover these days too, and that just melts me! He'll tell me he loves me out of the blue or come up and kiss me and I just can't get enough of it!

Confession

So, my last post was titled 'Loving Life' , and while that is very true, I have a confession to make. I am trying NOT to take life for granted, trying to find happiness in all the things that surround me, no matter how trivial they may be because I have recently been reminded of how precious life is, far too many times this year.
A friend of mine from work (who is just a few yrs older then me) was diagnosed with breast cancer around a yr ago and very courageously battled and WON her fight! It was difficult for me to even talk to her w/o crying at first. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know how to say it. I couldn't begin to imagine what was going through her mind....CANCER...in your 30's with a husband and 2 young kids. It hit home....hard. That could be me, and I know I shouldn't dwell on the "what-if's", but it was hard to fathom. So, she began a blog as an outlet for her and I followed it. Almost always crying as I read her blog. Her thoughts were real, she was inspiring and optimistic, and yet I cried b/c I couldn't see myself having such tremendous strength with the card she was delt. Then, I started following some of the blogs that she was following, (Yes, I'm a bit of a stalker I guess) and found more inspiration, among more sadness. Then, I would stop following for a while b/c I couldn't help breaking down every time I read them. About 1 1/2 months ago, I caught back up on Brian and Kristi's blog (one of my friend's friend) and found out that her cancer had returned with a vengeance and she had chosen to stop chemo and enter Hospice. She was in her late 30's, had an amazing, loving husband, and 3 young children. I followed her blog daily, and it was usually her husband posting b/c she had become to weak to post herself, and was just in awe of him and in awe of THEM. Their strength, their courage, their Faith! I do not know this family at all, but felt like I did and was deeply saddened when Kristi passed.
So, this is my confession, my kids and these AMAZING women are my inspiration. I DO love my life and everything in it, I DO love being a wife and a mom and a nurse! I have to change my petty ways. I want to be a better friend then I am, I want to be a better Christian (I don't even know if I can call myself a Christian anymore. I've gotten so off track). THEY are the reason that I must find happiness in everything around me, no matter how difficult it may be, no matter what the struggle. There. I said it, I mean it and I'm stickin' to it!

Loving Life!

I am truly "Loving Life" right now! I cannot believe how much of a difference 3 and 4 is! Ethan is MUCH more pleasant now! I know that sounds terrible, like he wasn't pleasant before and that's not exactly true, but now you can actually reason with him! He is just so sweet now too! He'll tell me, out of the blue, "mom, I just love you". I never tire of hearing those sweet words come out of his sweet little mouth! He's also a great big brother to Addy. I think he's starting to realize that she's kind of fun to have around. He's always talking to her (like she understands him) and telling her to do things. Usually she just follows him where ever he goes and does whatever he does! He's also so good about trying to get her to stop crying. Like if she's upset that we're changing her diaper or whatever, he'll take it upon himself and go grab a toy for her or something. It's so sweet! I just love watching them interact together, and hearing his little conversations with her! I hope they continue to play this well together! :)

Addison is just as sweet as ever! She's really starting to say a lot now and it's fun to hear how she tries to repeat us and how it comes out! Ethan loves to try to get her say things too! Like when we say "Hi" to her she'll say "Hi Dah"! I'm not sure why she say's dah, we think maybe she's saying Hi There, but who knows! She also says bye-bye, baby, shoes (which is too cute the way she says it), she's starting to say nite-nite or nah-nie, Ah-choo! I'm sure there's some that I'm forgetting, but I just love both of the ages and stages these guys are in! It's so much fun....but it's going SO fast!!!
Obviously, all of the pictures are from the spring since I didn't take the time to post anything! Shocker! I really thought I was going to better about blogging this time around! It's not that I don't enjoy doing it, b/c I really do. Anyway, moving on.... I have successfully lost a little over 20lbs since Jan and I am so proud of myself! I feel so much better and it's so much fun to see the clothes that I wore last summer, hang on me this summer....but, I'm also disappointed in myself that I've lost my groove so to speak. I honestly have a good 10 to 15 more lbs that I NEED to lose and I've totally been a slacker! I hardly work out anymore, I still eat quite well during the day, but I definitely splurge more then I should at night! Then, I go to bed feeling awful about what I ate or how much I ate! I even made a bet with Derek (about 5lbs ago) to try to get me inspired again and that hasn't really even worked! I mean, I'm still losing but very, very slowly. Not nearly at the rate I did initially and I know why and I just seem to get my ass in gear! The bet with Derek was if I lose another 15lbs, then he had to quit smoking. Which he AGREED too, we even shook on it!!!! I want him to quite smoking so bad and for so many reasons..... Before, I was getting up early, like 5 or 5:30 am to work out in the basement. I did Insanity, which is just that - INSANE! But, it worked and I loved sweating buckets b/c I felt like I was really burning! Then I could still shower and get ready for work, or have some time to myself before the kids got up...it was perfect except for that 5am part. Somehow, I got out of my routine about 2 months ago, and I just can't seem to make myself get up to do it! It doesn't help that Ethan climbs in bed with me when I don't have to work and I just LOVE snuggling with him! Plus, it buys me another 30mins of sleep! Ugh! I need to stop rambling, and just get it back together...right?!!!!!

So, the kids were fairly cooperative for me to put Dutch costumes on them for a few pictures at Tulip Time. Well, I had to bribe Ethan and then hope for the best with Addy. They did great at first, and so many tourists wanted to take picture of them and as soon as a stranger would try to talk to them they'd act like little brats! Slightly embarrassing, but I probably don't have to worry about either one of them going off with a stranger!!! We went out for brunch on Easter and Ethan was literally petrified of the Easter Bunny, but Addy walked right up to him! Well, we having so much fun this summer, it's so much better now that Addy can walk, what a difference that is! We've already ventured out to the beach several times and they love it! I love just watching them play and explore! I'm so thankful that I am able to work part time so I can enjoy them! I don't have the house that I want and we are definitely on a budget, but it's so worth it to me!!

Ethan is 4!!!!

I'm still pinching myself that Ethan is 4! I really can hardly believe that 4 years have gone by since he came into our lives. I feel like I can still remember every little detail of his birth, and hear that amazing cry when he was born, and counting his fingers and toes, and just staring in awe of this little miracle that we have been blessed with. It truly does go by so fast. I miss the baby stages and all of the excitement that goes with them, but I have found it true what people told me "it just keeps getting better". I think we have finally started to get out of the "terrible 3's", however we have traded tantrums for attitude and back talking! Fortunately, with this new "maturity", has also come the ability to reason. He's also just thriving in pre-school, which is wonderful. In fact, Derek and I wonder if he acts out out of boredom, that we're just not stimulating his mind enough. He amazes us with his memory and how quickly he picks up new things. He loves to "help" us with more things now. Laundry is still a favorite. He loads the washer, puts in the soap and fabric softener, and then puts all the clothes in the dryer. Now, if I could only get him to fold them and put them away!! Now, he loves to "help" us cook, especially Derek. He's also become a big fan of vacuuming, which is funny because he used to be deathly afraid of it! Derek and I have also moved from being "Mommy and Daddy" to Mom and Dad. Neither one of us saw it coming, nor do we like it! I'm boycotting it, I still refer to myself as mommy and to Derek as daddy. He will almost always correct me though. "You mean Dad, Mom". Just because he's 4, now he gets to drop the mommy and daddy??? I'm not ready for that!

Addy was quite the little ham at the birthday party. It was just the cutest. I was really surprised at how funny she was!

Ethan got a GATOR for his birthday. We split it with Grandma Twinkle and Papa. Bonnie and I could hardly contain our excitement for him to see it. His last present was a little egg with a message inside. We sent him on a little scavenger hunt all over the house, ending in the garage where the Gator was waiting with a bow on it! He loved the scavenger hung almost as much as the Gator! Of course it rained all day, but we got lucky with a very short stop in the rain so he could try it out!

He's got wheels!

He took Addy for a little spin too, but she wanted nothing to with riding on it! She hopped off right away!

Ethan wanted to make his cake this year and at first he said he wanted a "brown cake with green frosting". Easy enough, right! Well, then the day of the party, he said he wanted a frog cake. I still thought I could do it, so I looked up some "frog cakes" on the Internet and he saw this one and said that it was the one he wanted. Now, I realize that neck is a little long....but I'm pretty proud of how it turned out! Considering I'm no Martha Stewart!

Ethan also got a really cool basket ball hoop from Grandma Geeka and Papa Rich! Here he is playing in the box!

It's been a long Winter

Winter started out fun for everyone. We couldn't wait to get outside with the kids and play in the snow! They loved it! I was surprised how much Addy liked it, despite hardly being able to walk in all of her snow gear! She was a trooper though and kept getting back up! She was so cute! They loved being pulled in the sled and Ethan was such a great big brother letting her sit on his lap so they could both ride in the same sled. It was a great work-out for me pulling them too!

But, along with the snow, the season brought colds - one after another! With Ethan being in school this year, he was exposed to a plethora of bugs that he hadn't been before and it seemed like he got EVERYTHING!! Which, of course, meant so did Addison and sometimes Derek and I. Uggh! For a while, I would send Ethan to school on Tue and he'd be to sick or running a fever by Thur so I had to call in for him, then he'd get better over the weekend and I'd send him back on Tue and he'd have something else by Thur again! It was awful! It seemed to get better after Christmas, but now we're back at it again! It seems like we just keep passing it around our house!! I can't wait to open the house up and de-bug!!!

I just HATE it when the kids are sick, but they have both been troopers for the most part. Ethan tried to convince me that he was all better so he could go back to school a few times. He is really thriving in school! I am so glad that I didn't wait to send him. We just had his parent/teacher conference this week and Mrs. Saur had nothing but good things to say about him. She said that he is a "joy to have in class", "really enjoys being in preschool", and "is very polite". He's even advanced in some areas for his age, which is really neat to hear! Next year he'll be going 3 days a week and I know he'll love that. He gets frustrated over the weekend when he can't go to school. He is definitely one that needs to be engaged all the time and Derek and I just can't do that all the time. It has been frustrating at times b/c I feel like I'm neglecting Addison half the day, b/c he requires so much attention to do things and if I don't engage him in something constructive, he acts out. Either on the dogs, Addison, or just destroying his toys/the house! Another reason I can't wait for spring so we can be outside more!!!!



Addison is all girl already! I can tell such a big difference in her interests and actions compared to Ethan at this age. She is already a little diva! She LOVES to wear necklaces! It's so cute when she finds them, b/c she doesn't know how to put them over her head yet, so she tucks them under chin (b/c she knows they're supposed to be hanging in front of her) and walks around like that! I get such a kick out of it! She's also saying a few things and trying to say lots! She says "baby", for her bunny and her little baby doll that she sleeps with (they are both baby). And she says "uh-oh". Which is super cute. I usually hear her saying "uh-oh" on the monitor when she wakes up. She's also saying "bye-bye" sometimes, but she definitely knows what it means! If she's anyone getting their boots on, she goes to get her boots and brings them to you. She loves to go bye-bye, just like her brother. But, unlike her brother at this age, she LOVES to watch tv! She'd probably sit there all day if I let her! Ethan was always way to busy for TV at this age.

Ethan's latest favorites are pretending to play house. He has several play vacuums, and he loves to vaccume. He makes the sound and everything. He even picks up all of his toys off the carpet so he can "clean". He also is very into "helping" Derek and I with EVERYTHING - from making dinner, to laundry, to shoveling. He'll do anything and loves to learn how to do it. It's really fun to see him get excited to learn something new and to see his imagination really starting to take off. I love all the ideas he comes up with!



I found this lime green and pink tutu on-line the other day and I just could NOT resist it! When it came in, I put it on her and she had fun walking around with it for about a minute, then she went off to play. It was so funny b/c the first thing she grabbed to play with was one of Ethan's trucks! I thought it was too cute, "A Truck and a Tutu"! Her little personality is really starting to come out and she is so sweet. I can't wait to see all the new things she does, although it makes me sad b/c she's growing up and changing so fast!!! I wish I could slow it down a little. But, I'm trying not to go there and trying to live in the moment! Speaking of which, time to play with my babies!