Good-Bye Summer!

Well, last weekend was Labor Day, the "unofficial" end to summer...I thought I'd do a recap of our summer, since I didn't blog that much about it while it was happening!

We went Strawberry picking in May (twice!) It was so much fun, and we had more strawberries than we knew what to do with! We made strawberry muffins, froze strawberries for my smoothies, made strawberry icecream, freezer jam and of course ate boatloads FRESH!!! Yumm!

Grammie and Grandaddy came to visit over Memorial Day weekend and we got a super awesome "slippy slide" as the girls call it...

Addison LOVES it! Would you belive that Kathryn wouldn't go down the slide until this weekend when we got it out "one last time" for the summer!?!

In July we went to Memphis to visit my parents and sister (who also lives nearby with her husband) for a bit....this is kind of an "annual" trip, every year around the 4th of July we go see them (coincedence that they have a pool and its 90+ degrees when we decide to visit???hmmmm....)

It was a great trip (but long drive).  Towards the end of our visit, my cousin brought my Granny and Aunt as well as another cousin and her kids up from Florida to Mom and Dad's as well---I know! Lots of people to keep up with.  My cousin does this every year...we go see mom and dad and then towards the end of our stay, she brings up my Granny and anyone else who wants to visit so we get to see them as well! Its not easy having family spread over several states, but this way, we get to see alot of them without having to make a bunch of road trips.  Hubby decided that I should extend the vacation with the girls so they could spend the time getting to know my Granny (their Great Grandma)---because, lets face it...how many kids get the honor of knowing their GREAT grandparents like that?...so he took a one way flight home to go back to work while I stayed for an extra week with EVERYONE! It was sad to leave, but lets just say it was nice to sleep in my own bed after sharing a house with 13 people and 4 dogs!  Mom came back home with me so I wouldn't have to make the long drive home bymyself with the kids and Baxter (of course the dog came too!)---so that just meant I got to spend even MORE time with mom...it was so nice!

In our time together she and I did lots of sewing (because I'm still learning the whole process!)  We made hooded towels for the girls, swim suits for both of them, I embroidered a few shirts for them and she made them each 2 or 3 dresses.  It was so nice!

The girls also spent the weekend with their Grandma and Grandpa Yochim a few times too...they always have fun there!

Wow! that was a whirlwind post about a whirlwind summer, but it was a GREAT summer! Now, we are looking forward to cooler weather, the start of PRESCHOOL for big sis, DANCE for both girls etc...Lots of changes coming up, but we are excited and ready to go!

Thankful Thursday...

So, my last update was in March...told you I'm not that good at follow through! Great ideas, sometimes they just dont happen like I intend.  I promise, I'm going to get back on the bandwagon!!!

Today, I was planning all day about what I was going to tell you I'm thankful for this Thursday...but then something awesome happened.  Hubby and I put both girls to bed, then went on to do "stuff"...hubby picked up the dinner dishes and I started a load or 2 of laundry....then I heard it...Addison was praying in her room!!!  She said:

Thank you God for Mommy
Thank you God for Daddy making me chicken and mushroom tacos
Thank you God for the playground
(then she said something about colorful stuff...I think she was referring to us making tie die shirts last weekend...who knows)

How sweet!
Ironically, my Thankful Thursday post was going to be similar:

I'm thankful for MOPS which has introduced me to many Mommy friends I likely would never have met...it is such a blessing to have ladies in my life who are in the same season as I am (and can understand me because of it!)
I'm thankful for my wonderful Hubby who puts up with me in all my glory (and not so much glory)
I'm thankful for cooler weather today (just a little cooler) that enabled us to go to the playground and play with some of our friends (and me to talk to some of my mommy friends)

I hope you've found something today to be thankful for!

I promise to try to update again soon...I have the whole summer to catch up on, and boy has it been fun!

Thankful Thursday...

Ok, so I've been slack about writing latley, but I told you that would happen when I started this blog, remember? We've had a lot going on the past few weeks, both girls celebrated birthdays (2 for Kathryn and 4 for Addison), we had a combined dress up party to celebrate, I started boot camp---yes, you heard me...and get this, it starts at *gasp* 545 a.m.!!!! Anyway, those are all excuses, so I promise to try harder.

Here we go though---I'm thankful for...

1. Dayquil, Nyquil and Amoxicillan, b/c for the past 2 weeks thats been my diet. I got a sinus infection and boy has it been lingering! I'm just ready for it to be over. Thankfully, I no longer have many of the symptons (thanks to all my drugs) but I have a lingering cough and I'm soooo sleepy....and my ears are constantly stopped up---so if I speak to you, I'm not yelling, I promise! I just can't hear myself!

2. Boot Camp. Yep. I said it. I actually enjoy getting up so early and working out. Don't get me wrong. I love sleep just as much as the next mom. In fact, I'm down right mean without it. I've never been one to work out...I just usually look with envy at those other women who do work out and secretly hate them and their fit selves! However, getting up and going to this work out so early in the morning actually gets me home BEFORE my kids get up. I have time every morning to actually have a "non kid interrupted" conversation with my husband before he goes to work (Haven't had one of those in about 4 years!) and you know what? Occasionally, I get some housework done before they get up too!!! Wow! ---I have extra energy *most* of the time and I KNOW its good for me---I certainly won't be upset if the scale shows it soon too! ;)

3. Sunshine!!!!! We've been blessed here in NC with quite a few 60+ degree days IN FEBRUARY!!!! Can you believe it? I am NOT complaining about that one! It has been so refreshing to let the girls play outside in the afternoon and watch them get better at riding their tricycle and scooter! We even took a girls day to the zoo recently! Boy has it been beautiful! Thank the Lord for His abundant blessings! :)

What are you thankful for?

Where did the time go?

At this moment 4 years ago hubby and I were having a conversation wondering when our first daughter was going to be born. It was my due date, but we were both convinced she'd make her appearance on Valentines Day. Sure enough, later that night, while watching "House" my water broke and off to the hospital we went. I cannot believe how much our lives have changed since that moment!

Addison is the funniest, cutest thing that I've ever met---well, her baby sis is pretty cute and funny too! I cant believe that this time 4 years ago, Joe and I were wondering what it would be like to hold our baby, and now, we have not 1 but 2 precious little girls who keep us on our toes!

I don't know what God has in store for us on this journey called life, but I do know I'm going to buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Valentine!!

Thankful Thursday...

So, I can't promise I'll update the blog as often as I'd like, but I was thinking earlier this week...a lot of people use a blog as an outlet, to get their feelings out about whats going on in life. I dont want this to end up being all about me telling you guys, as readers all about my "crazy" life. I want to make sure I never take things for granted. When I was little, about 11 or so, I got a diary for Christmas. My grandmother (my Ging) suggested that after every entry I write, I should also write something I'm thankful for. A blog is kind of like a diary....but not private, right? So I decided to have "Thankful Thursday" so that no matter what has happened earlier that day, or week, I still take a moment to reflect on at least THREE things I'm thankful for.

Today, its a little difficult. I started thinking, and making my list of what I was going to write about earlier today...but then the "5 oclock" meltdown occured. Does that happen at your house? Everything seems totally fine, kids are being good, dinner is close to ready, house is relativly clean...but then 5 oclock hits, and all the craziness begins....I don't know what it is...maybe the kids are hungry by then, or just tired of Mommie and ready for Daddy to be home...but at my house, everything falls apart around 5. So all my stuff I was planning on telling you I'm thankful for, are the same things that drove me crazy today! But---I'm still thankful, so I'll tell you all about it! :)

1. I'm thankful for my kids. I have 2 of the cutest girls I have ever met! (I may be biased though). One day, I'll figure out how to upload pictures to my blog, so you can see them too! Believe it or not, there was a point in my life that I didn't know if kids were part of God's plan for me....but I'm so happy that they were! I can't tell you right now if we are done having kids or not...but for now, I do know that Addison and Kathryn are my pride and joy (most of the time)

2. I'm thankful for my hubby's job (and him too...but thats a whole other story!). Without my hubby's job, I wouldn't have the opportunity to stay at home with my kiddos. Once again, I never planned to be a stay at home mom...My mom worked outside of the home, and there was nothing wrong with that....my sister and I turned out just fine as far as I'm concerned! I went to college (even got my MBA) and had every intention of working...after all...why would I pay all that money for my college education if I weren't going to use it? Well, once again...God had a different plan for me! About a year and a half ago, I unexpectedly lost my job...and *reluctantly* became a stay at home Mom. During this past year and a half, I have met some extraordinary women whom I may have never crossed paths with, had it not been for me being a stay at home mom. I've been able to be a part of not 1 but 2 amazing MOPS groups and have learned so much from all of these lovely ladies! Also, some of you may know my dad had a cancer scare recently and had surgery to remove a tumor last week...Thanks to my hubby's job, and my job as stay at home Mom, I was able to fly out to visit with him and help out during his recovery. If I had a "real" job...I would have had to take vacation time to do this....and probably wouldn't have done it. I'm so grateful that my hubby is able to provide for us so I can grow as a wife and mom!

3. I'm thankful that God answers prayers. I mentioned briefly that my Dad had a cancer scare ealier. I won't bore you with any details, but basically, he was diagnosed in October 2010, did chemo and radiation in November, then had surgery in January....this all happened very fast, but I know A LOT of people were praying for him...and for me and the rest of our family...He is now officially cancer free...its so amazing what God can do! Dad is doing fine now...fighting a bit of infection from the incision area right now...but he'll be back to normal in no time!
I'm also rejoicing with a special friend right now as she's *finally* holding her adopted daughter....this child has been prayed for for so long...I just know God has special plans for her life. This is one special family who has had some pretty awful setbacks recently, but God's Word says in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" This has been my "theme" verse since I first memorized it back in middle school....but it still holds true. God has it all planned out....This family has never doubted that...and I know I have learned a lot by observing them...and I know many others have as well. (This mom is one of those extraordinary women I never would have met had I not become a stay at home mom)

So, there you go....I'm thankful for my kiddos, hubby's job, and answered prayers.

What are you thankful for on this Thankful Thursday?

Welcome!

Well, I finally did it! Welcome to my blog! I've been contemplating creating a blog for a while now, because several of my friends have one. I think its a pretty cool way for me to keep my family members informed about our life.


My original plan was to get this started for the new year...I'm just a little bit late on that one, but for those of you who know me, that should come as no surprise. I usually have the best plans to do the coolest things, but usually procrastinate until its too late. I cannot even promise that I'll update this as regularly as I plan to!

Bear with me as I learn this whole blog thing! I hope you'll follow me and leave me comments, too!

Welcome to my world!