Where the green grass grows

21 weeks

2012-02-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

Wow...what a difference a month makes, hu?!

Below is a pic of me a month ago that I never posted here, which Matt took. The above pic was a self-timer pic {hence the cut-off head}. The camera was too low and I feel like I'm standing funny...but it'll have to do for now.

Our little babe is growing so fast and I'm finally beginning to enjoy this pregnancy!

My food aversions have pretty much gone...except for coffee. Just the thought of it still makes me wanna gag.

I have so much more energy throughout the day!

My anxiety has subsided tremendously. I'm so thankful for that. My thoughts are now focused on planning and preparing and decorating and organizing instead of the "what if's."

*****

Taylor has been so sweet and so funny since we found out we're having a baby boy...

Yesterday she said, "mommy, I didn't know our baby was going to be a boy."

Me: "I didn't either...did you think it was going to be a girl?"

T: "Yah."

Me: "Are you happy that it's a baby boy instead?"

T: "Yah! Last night I had good dreams all night in my head about baby brothers! It was great!"

Also yesterday...

T: "Mommy, I don't wanna be in the room with you when they cut your tummy and take the baby out...that's too scary for kids."

Me: "Oh no, honey you won't be in the room when they take the baby out...only doctors and nurses are allowed in that room."

T: {getting upset} "But mommy, you will be lonely!"

Me: "No honey, I'll be fine! Daddy will be with me ."

T: {now really upset} "But then I will be lonely!!!"

Me: "No! You'll be with Grandma and Papa waiting for Daddy to bring the baby out so you can hold him!"

T: ..pause...{laughing thru her tears} "Okay...then I will get to hold the baby before you, mommy!"

Me: "That's 'cause you're very important...you're the big sister."

T: ......

I looked in the rearview mirror and saw her smiling ear to ear. :)

T: "Mommy, can we name our baby Manny?!"

Me: "Hmm...I don't know...we'll have to ask Daddy what he thinks about that."

T: "Holly wants to name our baby Mustard!"

Me: "Well, it's a good thing Holly isn't naming our baby!"
T: "Yah, then it would be like a hot dog..."

♥

Baby BOY Blue!!!

2012-02-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

It's a boy. :)

We are all SO excited!!!

I have to admit, though...I got a little teary at the thought of Taylor not having a sister...

BUT...I know this baby boy will be the perfect addition to our family. We've been waiting quite a while for this little man...and we could NOT be happier that he'll be joining us in a few short months!

He was crazy-wild during the ultrasound, but we got some good looks at all the important parts...

his heart,

his kidneys,

his stomach,

his spine,

his brain,

his arm/leg bones,

his sweet little face.

He's beautiful...and he's healthy!

He's perfect. ♥

Tending my nest...

2012-02-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

Here's what we've done so far today...

Had blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast

Made Valentines for our favorite people

Did some laundry

Organized my jewelry...{?!?}

Went through a few boxes of baby clothes

Cleaned the bathrooms

Cleaned out the pantry

Made egg salad for lunch

Played babies

Purged/rearranged the hall closet

Vacuumed every room

Went through Taylor's closet

Sorted a Scentsy order

Watched some Dora

I'm currently sorting/filing 15 months of Scentsy receipts

and now it's time to heat up some leftovers for dinner.

Whew!

It's been awhile since I've had the energy to tackle a list like this...

I think my fast approaching doctor's appointment this Thursday has me in a "to-do" kind of mood.

Can I just say that it feels really good?! :)

P.S. You can also add "Missing my hubby" to the top, middle and bottom of that list.

11 days and counting...

Gettin' better...finally!

2012-01-30T17:24:00.000-08:00

Wow. January's been rough.

It seems like it flew right by while I was half asleep on the couch.

A couple weeks ago I came down with Influenza B, and let me tell you, if you've never had the true flu, be thankful! It was absolutely awful. Add in the fact that I'm 19 weeks pregnant and it was a recipe for disaster. I ended up in the ER needing IV fluids for dehydration, a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia, a nasal swab to test for the flu, a CBC and urinalysis to rule out kidney/urinary tract infections, and Vicodin for horrible back pain and muscle spasms. It was a long night. On top of that, this all happened while we had our big winter storm. So Matt and I drove home from the ER on icy, snowy, half-plowed roads, through forests of trees that looked like they were going to fall on us at any moment...and of course, the next morning, the power was out. Like, out for 4 days. So, not only did I feel like I was dying, but I didn't get to lay on my own couch, sleep in my own bed, or puke in my own toilet.

And then Taylor got sick.

Thankfully she got away with just a high fever that we managed with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. She didn't have any other symptoms other than a little cough here and there, but with the snow/ice storm and her 6 days of fever, she ended up missing 2 whole weeks of preschool. And I assure you, she was NOT happy about it.

We watched a lot of cartoons, took lots of naps, used tons of Lysol and washed our hands a million times a day.

I have never been so sick for so long.

I kept waking up everyday thinking I was going to feel better, and I wouldn't.

It sucked.

But...I'm happy to report that we are now finally feeling back to normal!

I'm just really hoping we paid our sick dues for this year...

*****

Next up is the big ultrasound!

Seriously. I can't. wait.

February 9th cannot come fast enough.

In other big news, Matt just committed to a new job with a new company...and we are SO excited about it!

They're in Wisconsin, which means he {and we!} will be able to spend a lot more time with family and friends there.

He'll be working from home {here, in Washington!} which means we'll see a lot more of him every day.

And he'll be making more money with the potential to make a substantial amount more in the future.

It's pretty much the perfect solution for our family.

I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to travel more, to see family more, and to spend more time together as a family.

And when baby comes...how nice will it be to have Daddy home everyday?! :)

Unfortunately this means that he'll be leaving to head back to the Mid-West at the end of this week, and won't be back until mid-February. Yep, he's gonna miss the big ultrasound. But we decided to keep the appointment anyway. He wants to know just as bad as I do what this little baby's gender is, so we really don't want to put it off any longer. And my sister just happens to be off work on Thursdays, so she's happily agreed to join me in his place! :)

*****

We've celebrated several family birthdays in the last month...

My mom turned 60!

My hubby turned 31!

My brother turned 40!

My grandma turned 86!

And, tomorrow my dad turns 61!

Whew...that's a lot of cake! :)

*****

Well, this was kind of a random post, but I just couldn't stand it that I hadn't posted in over 3 weeks. Shameful, I know!

Hope you're all enjoying our lovely winter!

Stay warm.♥

The details.

2012-01-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

Since posting about my pregnancy here on my blog and on FB, I just have to say that I am 100 times more excited than I was before the announcement! I hadn't really let myself think ahead...hadn't gotten excited...hadn't really thought about much of anything except making it to the next week. Kinda sad. So, I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I am currently dreaming about blue or pink, browsing the internet for boy "things" {just in case} and pondering what this little one's name will be.

It really feels so. good. :)

Seriously, I'm crying as I type this because I didn't think this day would come. I thought for sure I'd be a nervous, anxious wreck until the day this little baby is placed in my arms. I'm overjoyed that I am able to release ~~all~~ most of my fear and anxiety and start to enjoy the process of growing this little human. 'Cause in my mind, each one of these little people are true miracles..and this one is certainly no exception.♥

So, back in October I peed on a stick and found out I was pregnant!

Actually, I peed on a stick and it was negative, but I knew it was wrong...so I waited a few days and sure enough...2 pink lines. Ha. I knew it!
Before I get too much into the details, let's back up a bit.

I'd been toying with the idea of seeing a fertility and high-risk pregnancy specialist that my OB had referred me to several months ago, but the thought of having to go through my whole lengthy history with someone brand new just didn't sound appealing to me. Plus, I loved my doctor and didn't want to leave her.

So, the day after I knew I was pregnant I was at the doctor getting my blood drawn. When I left there feeling like it was just another routine visit, just another routine pregnancy...I decided it was probably in my best interest to go somewhere where I would be more of a priority. Now, about 16 weeks into my pregnancy, I know I made the right decision. In the first 2 weeks that I was a patient in his office, Dr. M discovered the genetic disorder MTHFR and ran a number of other tests to rule other things out. In doing so, he made a few other important discoveries. Turns out I have a protein S deficiency, which means I'm at a high risk for blood clots {protein S acts as an anti-coagulant}. My progesterone levels were also low right from the beginning, so I've been on progesterone injections since week 6 {intramuscular, in the booty}. Because of the risk of clotting, I'm also on a low dose Heparin/Aspirin regimen, which means 2 injections of Heparin every day {under the skin, in the belly}, as well. Add in high doses of Folic Acid, B6 and B12 for the MTHFR, prescription pre-natals, low-dose aspirin, and Zofran for nausea and I'm pretty much a $500/month walking medicine cabinet! The cost alone is enough to make my head spin. And I feel like I should be earning some kind of frequent flyer points at the pharmacy. And don't even ask me what my poor belly looks like from two shots a day, from a blood thinner no less. The bruises are pretty nasty...and well, let's just say that my fabulous and wonderfully talented friend over at Tiffany Jeanne Photography is going to have to do some serious photo editing to make this belly look presentable! :)
But, I'm not complaining...because it's working...and really, that's all that matters!

Along with all the tests and meds I've also had ultrasounds at pretty much every visit...which means I've had a lot of ultrasounds. I always find myself holding my breath the moments right before the screen shows a picture...praying and hoping to see that little beating heart...
{exhale}
Thank you, God.♥

Telling Taylor was probably my favorite part of this whole experience so far. She's been asking daily for a very long time when she's going to have a baby brother or sister, and every night before she went to sleep, she prayed a little something like this...

"God, I would like to ask you to please help my mommy to have a baby in her tummy so I can be a big sister and the baby can be in our family and not in heaven."

Talk about tugging at your heart strings!

So as we knew there was a little babe growing in there, it got harder and harder to keep it from her...and there were a few times where she flat out asked me if there was a baby in my tummy. In an attempt to divert her thoughts to something else, I'd ask her "Why do you say that?!" She'd usually say, "because your tummy's getting bigger!" I'd follow that up with "What?! Do you think I ate too many Christmas cookies?!" She'd say "Yes!" and laugh and go about her business and I'd wish so badly that I could tell her.

So, when the time finally came, it was so very sweet.

We gave her the "Big Sis" shirt, along with the ultrasound pic and it couldn't have gone any better. She was so excited!!!
And she's been telling everyone she sees that her mommy's got a baby in her tummy and that she's going to be a big sister.♥
{Sadly, we also had to have the 'sometimes things don't work out how we hope they will and rememer mommy's had babies in her tummy before that went to live with Jesus in heaven...' talk with her. But we also said that we aren't going to worry about that, we're just going to be really happy and excited for our little baby and keep praying that God takes care of us all.}
Now her prayers every night are more like this...
"God, please help the baby in mommy's tummy to grow and be healthy so I could have a baby brother."
She thinks it's a boy. :)

Some other interesting tid-bits...

I'm still sick if I don't take my anti-nausea meds...thank God for those!
I have slight placenta previa {which means the placenta is low and slightly covering my cervix}, which isn't really much cause for concern at this point, aside from the risk of bleeding since I'm on a blood thinner, but it's something to keep an eye on.
I've gained about 1-3 pounds, depending on the day and what I had for dinner the night before...and if I kept it down. :/
I hate coffee right now. And I really miss it.
Everything gives me indigestion. Awesome.
I'm falling asleep on the couch by 9pm every night. Just call me the life of the party!
I bought a pair of really cute maternity jeans yesterday {$30, JCPenney} and wore them today for the first time. Gotta love the elastic waistband...perfect for my sore, bruised tummy.
We're hoping to find out next week if baby is a boy or a girl! Yay!!
I think it's another girl, which means it's probably a boy because I'm always wrong.

I have a serious craving for all things pastry right now. I can barely pass a coffee shop or bakery without stopping and getting a scone, muffin, coffee cake, etc...and I feel like I'm constantly baking {and eating!} something. My Fischer Fair Scone mix is currently calling my name. Mmm...

Well, that's all I've got for now. This post has already taken me 2 days to finish, so I think it's about time to wrap it up! Thanks so much for all of your love and support, and especially your prayers...keep them coming!! I'm excited to continue this journey while actually being able to talk about it and I promise to try to keep you updated on all the important details.
Which, if we're lucky, next time might just be whether we'll be decorating with PINK or BLUE! :)
Stay tuned...
♥

The secret's out!

2011-12-29T19:50:00.000-08:00

We let Taylor in on a little secret tonight...

a secret that's been 15 weeks in the making...

...and to say that she was thrilled would be an understatement!♥

She asked if it was a boy or a girl, if she can hold it when it comes out of my tummy, what hospital I will be at, and if she could call her Papa, her cousin Holly, and her friend Kenzie. :)

She also took this picture of me...which I happen to think is absolutely perfect.♥

It hasn't been an easy 15 weeks, and I'll fill you in on all the details soon, I promise.

We're finally letting ourselves feel hopeful and excited, and from here on it, that's all we're going to be!

Stay tuned for all the girly details! :)

That's a wrap!

2011-12-26T10:27:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that Christmas has once again come and gone.

I swear it feels like Summer just ended, the kids were just going back to school, and now here we are, the day after Christmas, left to ponder just where in the heck this year has gone.

It's almost 2012!

Before we get there, though, I'd like to take a few moments and remember the sweetness of this Christmas season. It went fast, but it was still pretty great.

Although I don't have a single picture prior to Christmas Eve {I left my camera at my cousin's house and didn't even realize it until a week later, which obviously means I wouldn't have taken too many pics anyway...} I still want to remember everything that led up to it.

So, here's a little list of some of the fun things we did to make this Christmas a special one...

a Christmas Parade

Matt and Taylor cut down our tree this year by themselves {I was home sick} and came home with the biggest, most beautiful tree!

Christmas crafts in our jammies

baking Christmas cookies

family parties

Christmas cards

a neighborhood ugly sweater party

taking a detour to peek at pretty Christmas-y neighborhoods

shopping for loved ones

Christmas Scentsy

so much good food

a weeknight "Santa" shopping date

dressing up

Taylor's first time on Santa's lap {I was so proud!}

wrapping 'til the wee hours

hiding gifts in every closet and in my parents' garage

watching Christmas movies snuggled on the couch

singing Christmas carols in the car and before bedtime

listening to Taylor make up her own Christmas songs...hilarious!

enjoying the beautiful glow of our Christmas tree when the lights are turned down

sipping peppermint hot chocolate

saying "Merry Christmas" to everyone we greet

Christmas Eve mass at church...my favorite

after church, spending Christmas Eve with my favorite people

leaving cookies, milk and reindeer food {made at preschool} for Santa

waiting for a sleepy little girl to wake up on Christmas morning...Matt and I were both up before her! She finally decided to get the party started at 930am!

seeing the joy on her face and feeling her excitement...there's just nothing better

spending the morning playing Barbie's

"Merry Christmas" via Skype to our Wisconsin family {love Skype!}

Grandma and Papa Clause arrive...good grief, they filled up our living room!

a houseful of family for a delicious feast

giggles and squeals

playing fun new games and laughing til we cried

cheering the Packers to another victory

Matt's homemade hot fudge over ice cream and cookies

the clean-up...which wasn't bad at all

a few last Christmas snuggles on the couch after a long and lovely day

kissing my hubby and sweet girl goodnight, with so much love and joy in my heart♥

♥And a few pics from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful celebration of our Lord's greatest gift!♥

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T14:38:00.000-08:00

Is it really almost here?!

2011-12-22T10:52:00.000-08:00

Whew...this month has flown by!

We've been so busy with day-to-day stuff that I've barely had time to keep up with the Christmas stuff. So today I've decided to take a day to get everything caught up...probably a good idea since Christmas is a mere 3 days away.

So far today I've...

gotten 2 loads of laundry done

made breakfast

dusted

vacuumed

Right now...

Taylor's in the bathtub

I'm sorting gifts and getting ready to wrap

{and obviously blogging!}

Later...

A trip to Costco for a few last minute things

Finish wrapping gifts

Tomorrow...

Picking up our 2 tri-tips from Stewart's Meat Market for Christmas dinner

Baking sugar cookies

These last few days before Christmas are my favorite.

I can't wait for Christmas Eve!♥

Now, if we could just get it to snow...

Let's catch up!

2011-12-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

Oh, boy. This time of year always has me running, but this year has been especially crazy and busy. In fact, I've only been Christmas shopping ONE time! I'm usually done by now!!

We're cutting back this year though, so I'm not too worried about it.

Let's go back to Thanksgiving...and the week before.

Taylor had her very first preschool program for Thanksgiving and it was simply adorable!

The kids looked great, sang their songs like champs and had a great time doing it!

Holly and Colby were pilgrims :)

Taylor was a turkey!

Gettin' down to a turkey song!

Holly and Taylor, thoroughly pleased with themselves after their performance.

Can you believe I don't have one single picture from Thanksgiving Day?!

I was obviously too busy eating to pay much attention to the photo ops around me! Of course we had a great time with our family, and Cheri and Jay did a fabulous job hosting, as always! All of us cousins even planned {and booked!} a January getaway to the Tulalip Resort and Casino...can't wait for that!

The day after Thanksgiving I'm usually one of the crazy people up and out the door before the early birds rise, but this year we decided to head back to Leavenworth for a fun night away. And I'm so glad we did...we had such a great time!

Our friends the Remferts joined us and it was relaxing, delicious and perfect.

And I didn't even miss the crazy shopping crowds...

Okay, I'm lying.

I did miss shopping, but our fun little outing more than made up for it!

The kids had so much fun playing together, and I inherited my second child...little Carson didn't want to leave my side. And I didn't mind one bit! :)

We came home Saturday and I started putting my Christmas decorations up...and finally got everything in it's place by Sunday evening.

Matt had taken Monday and Tuesday off, so we spent the next few days just having some family fun and together-time. We did a little bit of shopping, went out to lunch, slept in, watched movies, ate early dinners, watched football and relaxed. Good times! :)

Skipping ahead a bit...yesterday was the annual Yelm Christmas in the Park and Christmas Parade! Taylor and Matt walked with her preschool class, while my mom, Jay, Holly and I watched the bands, cheerleaders, school classes, dancers, decked out dune-buggies and Santa on a fire truck wave Merry Christmas. And of course we filled our pockets with a ton of candy! It was super cold, but so much fun. Taylor had a blast being in the parade...although I was a bit sad that she missed almost the entire thing since her class was one of the very last to march. But, she had a great time with her daddy and her preschool buddies, so that's all that really matters. :)

Abbie rode her unicycle with some kids from her school!

Cheri and Peter handed out Christmas duckies and candy from Yelm Family Medicine.

Kinda redneck, but that's how we roll! I thought the flags and reindeer on top were so fun!

Here comes ABC Academy! {I missed a pic of their cute sign...}

Half frozen, but having fun...not that you can tell from her face here. :)

That about sums it up from the Grubes.

Now I'm off to get ready for a Scentsy party at my neighbors house!

Happy Christmas season everyone!!♥

xoxo

Preschool 2011

2011-11-27T21:15:00.000-08:00

Here's our sweet girl in her very first school picture...

...and I just don't think it could be any cuter! ♥

Good morning ♥

2011-11-22T09:18:00.000-08:00

I was still in bed this morning when I heard Taylor calling "Da-ddyyy..."

He was in the kitchen, about to leave for work...he's usually gone before she wakes up.

"DA-ddyyyy..."

"DA-DDYYYYY!"

He goes into her room and I hear her say "Daddy, are you staying home today?"

"No, honey, I have to go to work today. But I'll see you later, ok?"

"Daddy, I wish you could stay home with us..."

"Me too, Tay."

...big hugs...

"I always keep you in my heart, Daddy."

♥♥♥

...more hugs and kisses...

"Daddy, I don't want you to leave!"

"I know, honey...why don't you go snuggle with mommy for a little bit before you get up."

...little feet down the hall...

"Mommy, daddy has to go to work today..."

"I know, I wish he could stay home with us, too."

...a few quiet moments pass...her eyes are closed...

she rolls over away from me and says,

"God, please watch over daddy while he drives on the freeway today. Amen."

♥♥♥

Nothing like starting out your day with happy tears.

Love this girl.♥

Happy Birthday, Peter!

2011-11-21T19:19:00.000-08:00

My nephew, Peter, turned 7 yesterday!

He had a jungle themed birthday and we had a lovely evening celebrating a sweet, little boy. :)

Taylor got a front row seat for present time. :)

It took him a few minutes to figure out what his present from his mom and dad was, but once he did...

...he was ALL smiles! A piano {and piano lessons}!!! Just what he wanted. :)

And here's the jungle cake that Peter decorated himself. Yes, himself. This kid is gonna grow up to be something amazing, no doubt! :)

Happy Birthday, buddy! ♥ We love you!!! xo

First snow!

2011-11-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

Did you get to play in the snow before it melted?!

We did!

Hello, weekend!

2011-11-18T16:26:00.000-08:00

Today's been quite a lovely day.♥

I dropped Taylor off at preschool and came home to a {mostly} clean house.

I brewed up a cup of coffee, plopped down on the couch and watched my DVR'd episode of Private Practice from last night. It was Amelia's intervention. Good stuff.

I picked Tay up from school and we headed to Subway for a quick sandwich before hitting up the matinee showing of Puss In Boots. We {Jay, Abbie, Peter, Holly, Tay and me} all really liked it! I'd recommend it if you like kid movies...I'm pretty easily entertained, though.

We pulled in the driveway and found Matt already home and on the roof putting up the Christmas lights! Taylor's exact words were "...ghasp!...Daddy's putting up the Christmas lights! It's gonna be gorgeous!" :)

I got the front porch spruced up a little. Although, it's looking a bit schizophrenic with half harvest, half winter decor. But, oh well...I just couldn't resist.

We stayed outside until we couldn't feel our fingers anymore and then it was time for a quick nap for Tay and a shower for me.

Dinner with friends tonight, and then a weekend with nothing planned except my nephew Peter's 7th birthday party tomorrow sounds just about perfect to me! :)

What's with all the craziness?!

2011-11-15T09:27:00.000-08:00

It sure has been busy around these parts!

We've been back and forth to preschool, the hospital, my parents house, the doctors, my sisters house, work, shopping, parties...PHEW. I wanna go back to bed just thinking about it!

Here's what's been going on around here...

First of all, my dad has been in the hospital for the past two weeks...quite unexpectedly. On November 1st he was scheduled for surgery to repair an incisional hernia...a quick, less-than-24-hour-stay kinda fix. Well, the repair ended up being much more extensive that what the doctor had originally planned for. He had several small hernias throughout his abdomen...in the doctor's words "it looked like Swiss cheese in there." So, he was going to be there for a day or two. He was in a lot of pain, but that was to be expected, or so we thought. Well, by day 3 he wasn't getting any better, and in fact was feeling much worse. His stomach was distended and hard as a rock. Another CT scan showed two large palm-sized blood clots in his abdomen...which is why he wasn't feeling any better. They immediately scheduled another surgery for the following day. Everything went well with the surgery, but while he was in recovery things got a little scary. He spiked a fever, his oxygen was low, his heart rate was high, he was really confused....he didn't know where he was, why he was there, he was pulling out tubes, trying to leave, etc. They kept him in post-op for almost 4 hours and finally he started to come around. They still couldn't get his fever under control, but it finally broke about 9 hours later. Apparently this was all caused by an aspirated pneumonia, which happened while he was in surgery. We thought the worst was over and that he'd finally be healing and heading home. Keep in mind, he still wasn't able to eat or drink anything at all...they even took away his ice chips, which he was NOT happy about! A few days later, he still wasn't feeling any better, and again was feeling worse by the day. Another CT scan...another large hernia....another surgery. Yep, another surgery. So, he's been in the hospital for 10 days at this point...9 days longer than expected, and has yet another surgery looming. They inserted a PICC line and started giving him 2000 calories a day through it...he had a tube down his nose and into his stomach to suction the nasty stuff that he aspirated in the previous surgery to prevent the same complications, and he was on IV antibiotics. Thankfully, the surgery went well. He did great, and when they brought him up from post-op recovery one look at him told me he was feeling better than he had in the previous 10 days that he'd been there! Today is day 15 and he's finally coming home!

While all this was going on, my mom still had her home daycare. That meant that on several days I was there watching the kids while she was at the hospital with my dad. Which also meant there were a few days that Jay had to pick Taylor up from preschool. Jay and a friend were replacing all of the floors in their house at the same time, so on the days they were laying hardwood, I picked the girls up and we all went to Grandma's while I watched the other kids, too! It got a bit crazy, but we all pitched in and got it all covered. I'm glad it's over!!!

Matt's been loving his new job, and the new schedule that comes with it. He decided where to go and who to see on what day, and usually ends up home by late afternoon. Every other week he goes to the Tri-cities and spends the night, seeing customers in the Tri-city area one day and Yakima the next before heading home. It's kinda nice to have a quiet evening to myself every other week, and it just so happens to be on a preschool night, which means Taylor's always more tired and ready for bed a bit earlier than usual. Perfect! :)

As for me, I've been seeing a fertility specialist and have some good news! It turns out that I have a genetic condition called MTHFR {methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase for those of you that get that kind of stuff...it might as well be in German to me}. The good news is that knowing that I have this genetic disorder could prevent future miscarriage!!! Apparently, my body lacks the proper enzyme that converts homocysteine to folic acid, which means my folic acid levels have probably been too low. Multiple pregnancy loss is very common in women who have the disorder, along with a higher risk of birth defects {specifically spina bifida} and Downs Syndrome, and I am also at a higher risk for blood clots and heart disease. Having this knowledge, I can't tell you how many times I've thanked God for my healthy baby girl. How on earth did I carry her with no problems and how is she so perfect? Seriously. I am so grateful... The progesterone issue is a separate issue and one that will still have to be monitored, but we're hoping that with high doses of folic acid and B vitamins to combat the MTHFR, my next pregnancy will be a successful one! :)

Adding to the craziness, we've had Scentsy parties, birthday parties, I filled in at my old office a few days last week and yesterday, and I've started Christmas shopping...

This is definitely the most wonderful {and craziest} time of year!! :)

Giddy Up!

2011-10-31T09:57:00.000-07:00

Cutest little cowgirl in town, right here!

Stay tuned...there's more to come from this little cowgirl!

a Halloween preschool performance

a visit to Grandma's daycare

trick or treating

and of course, counting candy!

Happy Halloween!! :)

One of those days...

2011-10-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

So today's been one of those days.

My alarm went off, and I hit the "off" button instead of the "snooze." So I'm up 20 minutes later than I'd planned. No biggie, I just won't curl my hair.

But then I spent too much time in the shower {had to shave my legs...they were bad to the point where I was disgusting myself.} so I was even more behind.

Taylor was still sleeping, so I decided to grab a quick bowl of cereal, and of course check my Facebook while I'm eating.

Before I know it, it's 20 minutes before we have to leave, my hair's still wet and Taylor's still asleep!

Rush, rush, rush...out the door and at preschool on time and with backpack and show 'n tell item. Phew!

Run a few errands, write some thank you notes, call my doctor's office. For some strange reason I think to myself "when are my tabs supposed to be renewed?" Umm, that would be last month. Yah.

Get tabs for Tahoe. {and there was no line?!}

20 minutes to kill before preschool pick-up...so I go to the grocery store for a few things.

I then spend so much time debating what kind of candy bars to get for our trick-or-treaters that before I know it, it's 5 minutes to noon and my "few quick things" have yet to be paid for. Ugh.

Rush, rush, rush...self-check out...no line!

"Unexpected item in bagging area. Please remove item to continue."

remove item...

"Item removed from bagging area. Please place item in bagging area or press 'skip bagging."

replace item...

"Unexpected item in bagging area. Please remove item to continue."

repeat these steps one more time...

Aaaaahhhh!!!

Finally make it out of the store at 12:01p, race across the street and pull up to preschool practically on two wheels. Jump out, run into classroom to find my sweet girl sitting all alone in the circle waiting for me. Ugh. Mother of the Year, right here...

Come home.

Starving.

PB&J, grapes and applesauce for Tay {per request} and a nice, big salad for me.

"Mommy, can I have a bite of your salad?"

"Sure."

"Mmm..that's good. Can I have another bite?"

"Yes, but you need to eat your sandwich, too."

"I don't wanna eat my sandwich, I want your salad."

"Of course you do."

After lunch, I turn on one of my Scentsy warmers and the light bulb blows.

I try to make myself a cup of coffee in my Keurig and it makes a crazy noise and a tiny bit of coffee came out.

I'm out of stamps for my thank you cards.

And now I'm headed out the door to take little miss to her 4-year checkup...where I'm sure she'll be getting a shot or two.

Just another day in the life! :)

Sunday

2011-10-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

Football

Chili, soup and cornbread

Barbie heaven

More football

Pumpkin carving

Pretend restaurant with the most adorable waitresses

4-wheeler riding

Animal loving

And that's just some of the fun that we had on Sunday!

It was a good day. :)

Go Cougs!

2011-10-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

They lost, but we still had a great time with our fam!

Me and Matt with my cousins Amanda, Matt and Molly

Schilter's Farm

2011-10-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

Our field trip to the pumpkin patch today turned out to be a pretty fun little adventure, despite the less-than stellar weather. The kids all had a ball, and that's really all that matters. :)

Our morning included:

picking pumpkins,

a tractor-pulled wagon/hay ride,

a petting zoo with the cutest little animals,

an indoor hay maze in a beautifully lit barn,

fresh, warm donuts,

and lots of muddy boots!

Party time!

2011-10-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Taylor's birthday party. :)

It was a lot of work...lots of planning, lots of buying, lots of prepping...but it was worth it.

Everyone had a great time!

And most importantly, the birthday girl was surrounded by the people she loves the most, and was blessed beyond words by each and every one of them!

It truly was a very special day for her.

This morning when I asked her if she had a good birthday party yesterday, she replied "yep...it was amazing."

I think that about sums it up. :)

So, thank you to all of you who celebrated our sweet girl's 4th birthday with us!

And to those of you who couldn't be here, we missed you, but know you were here in spirit! :)

We decided to make it easy this year and, per Taylor's request, we ordered pizza for the adults and the kids got to make their own personal pizzas. That meant I didn't have to be in the kitchen for most of the party and actually got to sit and chat with our guests a bit {and take some pics!}. I'm not sure I'll ever go back to making a big fuss with tons of dishes...I'm tellin' ya, Pizza Hut is the way to go!

Enjoy the party pics!

Taylor wanted a Care Bears party, which was super cute! And those Bears sure do love their rainbows...

Jackson with grapes in his cheeks. :)

Cousins...Taylor, Holly and Caitlyn

The much anticipated present time!

A puppy purse from Grandma...she loved it. :)

Care Bears cake...courtesy of yours truly...

"Happy Birthday to you!"

Makin' a wish...and it's sure to come true!

Jackson says "don't mind if I do!"

The kiddos...minus Kenzie {who was being shy} and Tristen.

The inside! This was a big hit with the kids. :)

A little birthday love for Grandma and Papa

The proud parents of a 4 year old...and the host{ess}es with the mostesses! :)

Crazy kid!

And the whole crazy bunch!

Oh, that's much better. ♥

Cheese!♥

Happy 4th Birthday, Taylor Jade!

I hope it was a day you'll remember forever!

XOXO

♥

*****

I also just have to add a few pics of the cutest little 3 week old boy...Tristen!

I met him yesterday for the first time, and he stole my heart...

I mean, how could he not?!

♥

A good day to be the birthday girl!

2011-10-13T23:50:00.000-07:00

In true birthday queen fashion, she yells to me from her bed this morning instead of getting up and letting me know she's awake.

I go into her room, say "Happy Birthday, Tay! You're 4 years old today!!"

Now excited to get up, her feet hit the floor, she looks down and says "Oh! I'm bigger!!"

Seriously, love this kid. :)

I had plans to make banana chocolate chip pancakes {our fave!} but since she knew we were going to my parents house in the morning she decided she'd have breakfast there instead.

Whatever you say...you're the birthday girl.

So, after a fun morning at Grandma's with her cousin Holly {who she will also tell you is her best friend :)} we came home and watched her new Strawberry Shortcake movie she had opened when she got up. {she was allowed to open one present in the morning...the rest had to wait for daddy.}

I don't know about you, but I could watch those Strawberry Shortcake movies all day long. Her and her little Blueberry Muffin/Lemon Meringue/Raspberry LaTorte/Orange Blossom friends are just the cutest! :)

After that it was outside for some playtime with our favorite neighbors...which included her first experience of pouring salt on a slug! Sorry to anyone who things that's cruel...but they are everywhere at our house right now and they are nas-ty.

Homemade mac 'n cheese with sliced spinach-and-feta-stuffed sausage mixed in for dinner. So, SO good. {I used a light Havarti in the mac 'n cheese and it made all the difference...delish!}

And, finally...present time!

I would say she had waited patiently for this all day long, but that would be a lie. There were at least 3 occasions where there were tears and/or folded arms and furrowed brows and/or "I'm MAD! I wanna OPEN my PRESENTS." and/or me saying "If I hear that attitude one more time I'm putting your presents away and you won't get any of them. You need to be patient and appreciate that have presents at all. Some kids don't." Thankfully that was the end of it, because I'm a firm believer in following-thru...don't threaten unless you plan on doing it...and I really didn't want to take her birthday presents away from her! {and knew I wasn't going to, regardless...but she didn't need to know that...}

After gifts galore, phone calls and thank yous to grandmas and grandpas, and a little paper clean-up duty by yours truly, it was cupcake time!

She put her own candles on her cupcake, waited patiently for us to sing "Happy Birthday" and blew out those 4 candles like a champ! I thought for sure she'd want to light them again, so I hadn't taken a picture the first time...I just wanted to enjoy it...well, wouldn't ya know it, she didn't want to blow them out again, she just wanted to lick the candles.

At least we have in on video, right?

We heard a knock on the door...our favorite neighbors again with yet another present for Miss Taylor to open!

She was in heaven tonight.

She's super excited about a stack of new books from Uncle Mitch and family.

She alternated between her new Sketchers Twinkle Toes and her {fake} Ugg boots at least 3 times tonight.

She put her birthday money in her new piggy bank.

And she drifted off to sleep with her new baby {complete with 3 outfits handmade by great grandma} and her new Care Bear under her arm, and informed me that she'd like to wear her new cupcake necklace to preschool tomorrow.

She is one seriously blessed little girl.

And seeing her so happy makes this mama's heart practically skip a beat.

I say we do it again tomorrow. :)

♥

Four

2011-10-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

Wow.

Where in the world did the last four years go?!

Time seems to be moving even quicker now, and the days are flying by.

I can't believe my baby girl is four.

She amazes me every. day.

She loves with all her heart.

She is so eager to learn and is always asking a million questions.

She kills me with her silliness.

Her laugh warms my heart like nothing else ever could.

She is the joy in my day and a constant reminder of all the good in my life.

She's still so innocent.

She'll play in her room by herself for half the day...her imagination is out of this world.

She is her daddy's princess.

She's a girlie-girl that loves her bike and doesn't mind getting dirty.

She is the best and the worst of me.

She wants to be everyone's friend.

She notices when someone's being left out.

She wants a baby sister more than anything in the world and asks for one daily.

She apologizes without being told to...and means it.

She has a beauty within her that I pray stays with her for the rest of her life.

She has such a good and kind little heart.

She is a blessing straight from the hands of God.

She's changed me in ways that I never knew I ~~wanted~~ needed to be changed.

She's my favorite girl.

My little punkin pie.

And Daddy's best buddy.

I can't believe she's four.

I love you, sweet girl.

Happy Birthday.

♥

What's in...

2011-10-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

Amish Friendship bread in my oven....

Coffee in my cup...

Vanilla Caramel Cream creamer in my coffee...

My hair in a hat...

My feet in slippers...

"Up" in the DVD player...

Mexican Tortilla soup in the crockpot...

Cranberry Muffin in my dining room Scentsy warmer...

Cozy Fall blankets in the living room chest...
My sweet girl in her girlie-girl get-up...

I'm just loving these cooler, slower days...

♥

Tumwater Falls State Park

2011-09-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day for Taylor's first preschool field trip!

The kids all had a great time, and it was so adorable seeing them all interact together.

I'm so looking forward to more outings like this with her and her class, and I can only hope that from here on out the weather is half as good as it was this day!

Next month is especially exciting...we get to go to the pumpkin patch. :)

Preschool friends!

Tyler and Taylor...she was finding leaves and giving them to him...and he was so sweet that he kept them and carried them around with him for a good part of the day. :)

Hailey, Reese, Holly and Taylor

Taylor and Colby...little buddies.

Holly and Jay

The three amigos

Taylor and Holly, Reese and Tyloer. I look at this picture and my mind fast-forwards to her high school days...walking and talking with her girlfriend about the boys behind her! :)

In other news, this Friday is going to be super exciting for the kids at ABC Academy...

it's Cooking Day and Show 'n Share Day!

Oh how I wish I could be a fly on the wall!!

Goodbye, Summer!

2011-09-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

So today officially marks the first day of Fall.

And wouldn't ya know it...the sun is out and it's going to be a beautiful day!
{unlike most of our Summer...}
I have mixed feelings about Fall this year.
I sorta feel like I'm ready for jeans, sweaters, cozy evening fires and crockpot dinners.
But then part of me wants to hold on to these last few rays of sunshine and never let go.

Well, today we get to enjoy those rays with 19 other preschoolers!
Taylor's class has a field trip every month and today is their first...Tumwater Falls State Park. We'll walk the river walk {about a 1/2 mile along the Deschutes River}, visit the fish hatchery, and end with a picnic lunch and playtime at the park.
Sounds lovely, right?!
We're pretty excited. :)

Happy first day of Fall to you!
Here's hoping we have many more Fall days like this one! :)

A new 'do for little miss Taylor!

2011-09-16T08:43:00.000-07:00

We've been growing Taylor's bangs out for quite awhile now.

Her and I both wanted her to get her hair cut before school started, but Matt was a little hesitant. He liked it long. He thought his little girl wouldn't look like a little girl anymore.

Well, on Wednesday, our good friend Brittnee {who just happens to be a stylist!} came over and chopped it off! I sent Matt a picture of her on the bar stool and under the cape in the kitchen and crossed my fingers that he would love her new 'do.

Well, he did!

The first thing he said to her was "oh my gosh, Taylor...that is the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

We both decided it makes her look younger, which doesn't bother this mama the slightest little bit. :)

Here she is this morning, all ready for preschool...in her jean leggings and pink Converse Chucks. I really love having a girl! :)

♥

Happy Friday! :)

Rules for shopping...from a candy junkie.

2011-09-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

Rule #1 - Never go to the store hungry.
Rule #2 - If you find yourself at a store when you're hungry, do not walk past the brand new, 4 aisle, Halloween candy display.
Rule #3 - If you've failed to follow rules 1 and 2 and find yourself walking up and down the candy aisle, do not under any circumstances buy a bag...even though they're on sale and it's a good deal.
Rule #4 - Now that you've paid for your candy {sigh}...place your bags in the very back of your vehicle. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT put that gigantic bag of candy on the front passenger seat. It's too distracting to drive, text, check Facebook and open candy all at the same time.
Rule #5 - Do not read the nutrition label on the back of the bag...only to find out that the little package of Whoppers only has 30 calories per pack, which means you can eat like 5 of them!
Rule #6 - While at the first stoplight do not pick out one of each flavor...and then go back for ~~seconds~~ thirds of your favorite.
Rule #7 - Now that you've eaten half of the bag, do not try to hide the wrappers in your door pocket while picking your daughter up from preschool...they might just fall out and blow across the next parking space.
Rule #8 - Do not tell your child, who you love and adore and would do anything for, about your delicious front-seat passenger...because God knows you can't afford to share a piece or two.
Rule #9 - If you've completely failed to follow the above mentioned rules, give yourself a break, make light of it in a blog post, and go have another piece. Oh, and...
Rule #10 - DO NOT weigh yourself in the morning!!!

{Just in case you were wondering, I think Rule #8 is the only one I've managed to follow.} :)

We will never forget ♥

2011-09-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

In memory of 9-11-01.

Dedicated to the victims, the heroes and their families...

we will never forget your sacrifice or your loss.

God bless you.

And God bless America.

♥

First day success!

2011-09-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

This is how the first day of preschool went...

*in bed on-time for the first time since I-don't-even-know-when {9pm...hey, we're getting there, alright?!}

*I was just getting out of the shower when I heard Taylor coming into my room...and the first words that came out of her mouth were {a very enthusiastic} "I know what today is! It's PRESCHOOL DAY!!!"

* I was concerned about breakfast...she's never liked to eat right away and usually I can't get her to eat a thing until atleast 10am. I'm sure it was just the first day, but I was able to use the ol' "you have to eat a good breakfast so you'll have lots of energy to learn and play at preschool" trick. Worked like a charm!

*with a full belly, she was dressed, hair done and shoes on...just in time for a few pictures before we headed out the door. {I should mention that although Taylor was ready, my hair was still wet...but I wasn't the one who needed to look cute today!}

*we got there just as Michelle was pulling up to drop Colby off, so Taylor and Colby posed for us real quick before heading in the door. And this picture kills me!!♥

*when the kids came in, they were told they had a hook with their name on it and they could find it and hang-up their backpack. Taylor found hers right away and she was so proud!

*Holly came in just as Taylor found her hook, so we took a few quick photos of the 3 amigos before it was time to say goodbye...

*she gave me a quick kiss and a half-hug, and was on her way...skipping to the play area with Colby. I watched her for a moment, and she didn't even turn around to see if I had left or not. It truly made me so proud! :)

*I walked to the car with my sister and Jay and commented how I couldn't believe I hadn't shed a tear...I felt a little lump in my throat as were walking in, but walking out was easier than I thought it would be. We said goodbye, see ya in a few hours, have a good day...I got in the car and the second I started to pull away I lost it. And cried the whole way home. Hopefully that'll just be a first day thing. :)

*I can't wait to pick her up and hear all about her first day...I know she's going to have so much to tell!

My baby girl is officially a preschooler. :)

DMB Caravan...preview!

2011-09-05T16:25:00.000-07:00

This is where we've been all weekend...

And here's a little peek at some of the fun we had!

Stay tuned for much more... :)

Preschool bound!

2011-08-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

She's bored.

She gets lonely.

She doesn't nap anymore.

She's ready for something other than just being home with me everyday.

She's ready for someone else to challenge her.

Someone else to celebrate her accomplishments.

Someone else to praise her beautiful artwork.

Someone else to ~~make her~~ teach her to pick up after herself.

To teach her that the world does not revolve around her schedule.

To make new friends.

To explore new toys and books.

To practice sharing and caring.

To listen and obey.

To respect authority.

It's preschool time, friends!

{Do you think my expectations are a bit too high?!}

{at last night's Open House}

She'll be attending ABC Academy in Yelm, which is owned and operated by an old school friend's older sister and her husband...Matt and Kara! :)

Together they are the teachers at the preschool, along with her mom who just retired from the Yelm School District where she was a Kindergarten teacher for more than 30 years.

To say that I think she'll be in good hands is an understatement!

They're a wonderful family who I've known my whole life, and I couldn't be happier about my little one spending her first "school" days with them.

She's in the 4's class, which is mostly 4 year olds and a few who will turn 4 shortly after the school year begins. That means she'll be one of the youngest in her class, but I'm not at all worried about her keeping up or fitting in. She's a social one...and a smartie to boot! :)

I know there will be a lot of tears on that first day {mine, not hers!} but I'm also really looking forward to seeing her challenged and thriving in a new environment.

Stay tuned for pictures of the big day...next Wednesday!! :)

My love ♥

2011-08-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary, to my love!

He's made me laugh and he's made me cry...

he's picked me up when I've fallen apart...

with just a look he can make me smile...

he works his tail off to take care of his family...

he's handsome...and he makes a darn cute kid!

But best of all, he loves me.

♥

Looking forward to many more years with this man of my dreams!♥

Sealed with a kiss. ♥

The after party!

I just threw these next two in because they're so darn cute! :)

And, now we're off to enjoy this beautiful day!!♥

It just doesn't get much better.

2011-08-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

So, I kinda feel like I could just copy and paste my last post about what an awesome day we had...the only difference being today we were at the lake instead of the ocean.

The sun was amazing and so relaxing, and the water was warm and so much fun!

Another awesome summer day! :)

These are a few of my favorite photos from today...

Tay's first time on the tube...she's never wanted to go, but today I finally talked her into it, and as you can see she was glad I did!! :)

"Whoa! This is bumpy and fun! Let's go faster!!"

Being brave {and rather daring!} with her buddy, Fallon...

This one made me giggle... :)

Sisters, Riley and Fallon

Doin' a little fishin' with Daddy. ♥

Waiting for a bite...

Our annual boat photo. :)

And wouldn't ya know it...my favorite picture of the day is of the dog. ♥

Westport

2011-08-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

What a perfectly gorgeous summer day yesterday was!

While Matt and Noah {our neighbor} fished all day, us girls that were left behind decided to have some fun of our own...so we packed up and headed to the coast!

I have to say, I don't ever remember spending a more beautiful day on a Washington beach.

It was fantastic.

Blue sky as far as you could see.

A lovely view of Ocean Shores across the water.

The Olympics looked like they'd been painted on the horizon.

It was a perfect summer day at the beach!

Happy Summer, friends! :)

Motley Crew

2011-08-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

Check out this little biker gang I see riding up and down our street almost daily.

I hear they're known as the Emerald Lane Posse.

You don't wanna mess with these girls...especially the second one from the right...she looks pretty hardcore. {click on the picture to see just how hardcore she is...}

Okay, okay...so they're not really all that bad...they're actually pretty darn cute if you ask me!

Suno, Mo, Taylor and Bailey :)

Ike Kinswa 2011

2011-08-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was our annual family camping trip to Ike Kinswa State Park on Mayfield Lake near Mossy Rock, WA.

It was a blast!

We camped for the first time this year and even had my parents join us...they haven't been camping in years! We all shared our huge tent {nicknamed the Taj Mahal...it has 2 big rooms} and everyone had a great time! Matt actually slept in the boat his first night because it was so nice out and he wanted to literally sleep in the outdoors. {I opted for my air mattress an extra blanket over my sleeping bag.} Aside from a really annoying crow that decided to wake us up by joining our camp at 6 o'clock every morning, we all slept wonderfully and woke up refreshed.

Our days started out slow...there was a pretty thick cloud cover so it was chilly in the mornings.

There were 5 campsites, 9 families, and lots of little kids in our group. The kids played around the campsites, rode their bikes and followed trails through the woods until it was warm enough to head down to the lake.

We brought the boat but only put it in the water on Saturday, when a few more of my aunts, uncles and cousins joined us for the day with their boat, too! My cousin Maddie and I rode the tube together like champs, then got seriously shown up by my cousin Molly's boyfriend who grew up on a lake. An unfair advantage, if you ask me. Their was water skiing, eating, tubing, dessert eating, lounging, snacking, sandcastle building, BBQ's, dogs fighting, more eating, games played, naps taken, and a whole lot of really good food! That's usually how my family does it...we kind of eat our way through every get together, and it's great! :)

I took very few pictures this weekend, and the ones that I did are kinda random, but they're cute none the less. Enjoy!

♥

Current faves...

2011-08-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

oatmeal with peanut butter

my sweet girl's bronzey sun-kissed skin

outside dinners

morning walks with friends

my new phone

the FB group "You know you're from Yelm when..."

Jumpin' Jelly Bean and Fresh Cut Cantaloupe

a date with two of my favorite gals on the calendar

party planning

new babies

Cafe Escapes Mocha in the Keurig

my wildflower garden

Disney's Organic Animal Crackers from Costco

the cutest Hello Kitty backpack

fresh garden veggies

camping

pool parties

Rojo's all natural pico de gallo

bare feet

good neighbors

my blonde hair

the start of football season

mixbook.com

afternoon movies and snacks

...and so much more!

Life is good, my friends.

♥

This and that...

2011-08-03T23:07:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are again.

I just realized I never posted these from 3 weeks ago.

Seems to be my theme lately.

Guess I'll just go with it.

*****

I'll start with my favorite...

On July 17th my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary!

Yep, forty years. That's a long time, people!!!

Dinner with the family at The Ram to celebrate

The happy couple...40 years later. :)

The Petersons :)

*****

With summer finally making an appearance, we've been spending most of our days and evenings outside. We are fortunate enough to have neighbors that we adore, and we've been spending quite a bit of time with them, too. Last Friday, after sitting on Joe and Kristin's front steps for a few hours, we put the kids to bed and headed to our backyard to kick the party up a notch! :)

Oh, Brittnee... :)

This picture kills me!

I'm not sure who's face I like better in this one...

Kristin was cold...

...but she was a trooper and hung out way past her hubby!

{Ok, he was running a race in the morning so he had a good excuse.}

Noah, Lambeau and Chris...where there's food, you will find these 3! :)

Olga...busted!!

And here's Matt with our new bar set...love it!!

*****

And lastly...shortly after 9 o'clock tonight I came in from watering my flowers and this is what I found...

The best part?

They were both snoring.

LOVE!♥

Bedtime prayers...

2011-07-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

"I love God and I want to ask Him to bring back my baby sister from Heaven so I can hold her and rock her the first time. And I want my baby sister to live in my house with me because I love her. Amen."

Last night as I was putting Taylor to bed, I asked her who was going to pray, her or me, just like I always do. Usually she says me, which I don't mind, and usually she wants me to sing the Lord's Prayer while she sings along {she knows most of the words}. But, every once in awhile she takes it upon herself to pray for all of us. Last night's prayer was what I posted above. She also says things like "God is my friend and He loves me and He's nice to me." or "I pray for God to make my mommy's tummy not sick anymore." She prays for her friends, her family and her babies. She prays for Lambeau. There are nights when I'm so tired and ready for it to be bedtime that I think about skipping the prayers and hope she won't notice. But, it's little prayers like last night that remind me...she has her own budding relationship with God. She's learning to speak to Him about the things that are in her heart. And sometimes just listening is all it takes for Him to teach me a little something, too...

Playing catch-up!

2011-07-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so if you thought I was behind on posting pictures before, I've got some even older ones for you!!

The day before we left for Wisconsin, we had a big, family BBQ/pool party at my sister's house and, oh what fun! Love these people, and love that we're making a point to spend more time together now that we all have little ones running around. {Next weekend we're all camping together for 4 days which I'm SUPER excited about!!!}

These little girls had a great time playing together...Holly, Taylor and my cousin Ashley's little girl, Claire!

Taylor and Claire being goofy in the grass! :)

Off the diving board she goes! She has NO fear this year...she's turned into quite the little fish.

This is Holly's signature diving board move...hilarious!

Two little fishies! :)

Claire and her daddy, Bob.

I just love this picture of some of the kids in the pool...they had a blast!

Peter....cannonball!!

Erin...can't forget to plug the nose!

Taylor and my cousin, Maddie.

Ashley, with her nephew Luke {my cousin Tara's baby boy}.

We also surprised my mom and dad by having a little celebration for their 40th wedding anniversary! They are NOT big party kind of people, but wanted to do a little something special to recognize such an amazing accomplishment! I put together this little table with some of their wedding photos and a cake that I ordered from the same bakery that did my wedding cake. {they made the cake and frosted it and I put the flowers on for the finishing touch} It was just perfect for them.♥

Happy 40th Anniversary, mom and dad!!

And then there's little Claire. I just couldn't help saving these two for the end...I think they're just the cutest thing!

Our 4th of July trip (the condensed version)

2011-07-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

Since I'm so terribly behind on posting pictures these days, I'm going to keep the commentary to a minimum. I hope you enjoy the few hundred pics on this post! And, sorry, I may have gotten a little carried away with the collages...but it's better than scrolling through all of them separately, right?!

First up, the 4th of July!

This was the first day Taylor and I got to Wisconsin and we didn't waste any time jumping right into the fun! We spent the afternoon with Matt's brother Mitch and his family and then watched fireworks lake-side with good friends and family...perfect!♥

The next day Matt had planned a little day away for the two of us to spend alone. :) We hit up Summerfest in Milwaukee {the biggest music festival in the world!} and that was really cool!! After several hours in the scorching hot sun, we decided to skip the headliner {Def Leppard} and head over to Miller Park to catch the Brewer's game!

The next few days were super hot, so we kept it low-key. We took the dog for short walks...

...and met up with Matt's good friend Ryan and his fiancee Heather for dinner! {They just got engaged in Mexico last month and are planning a destination wedding for next Spring! I'm so excited!!! :)}

We played at the park...

and got a surprise visit from uncle Mitch while he was on duty!

We also hit the Neenah pool to cool off and had a fabulous time swimming and water-sliding!

We headed up North for the weekend, where we celebrated Matt's dad's 60th birthday! Saturday we hung out at their cabin with them and Matt's uncles, Mike and Max...the Grube boys keep it entertaining, I'll tell you that!

Sunday we spent at the river with the Mattison side of the family! It was soo much fun...we floated the river, made sand castles and visited with family we haven't seen in a long time. Matt and Taylor even found a little time to do some fishing.♥

Sunday night we went out for dinner at one of our favorite spots...Schaffer's Supper Club. They have an amazing fish fry with perch and all the fixins, and we always leave with bellies way too full!

Speaking of full bellies...I think we ate enough ice cream to last us the rest of the summer. It's kinda hard to say no when Grandma Nettie's ice cream shop is connected to the house. Monday morning before we left, Taylor had 3 different flavors! Oh well...that's what grandparents are for, right?! :)

And of course, our trip to Wisconsin would not have been complete without a stop at Lambeau Field to see the 2011 Super Bowl XLV Championship trophy! Pretty cool.

And one last picture...the night before we left...here's Taylor snuggled up with Bumpa and Grandma Juicy.♥

All in all, a fantastic trip.

We had tons of sun, tons of fun, and can't wait to visit again soon!

Thanks friends and family for making our trip so special!

We love you all, and miss you already!♥

I'll get around to it one of these days...

2011-07-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

There are so. many. pictures. So many pictures!! I'm thrilled that I found them, but the task of sorting, editing and posting them is quite daunting. So, there they sit. Half edited, at least. I'm sure I'll get around to it soon. {hopefully tomorrow, but we'll see...}

In other Grube news...

Taylor is all of a sudden a giant. I mean, I look at the girl's legs and can't quite believe that it's the same little girl who could barely reach her pedals last summer! She's now cruising all over the neighborhood with her little friends {who are constantly ringing the doorbell and asking "can Taylor come out and play?" which I think is just about the cutest thing ever!} and has the bruised and scraped elbows and knees to prove it! She's a fantastic singer {just ask her!} and at any given meal will probably be eating a banana with peanut butter on it {sometimes twice a day}. She will stay outside all day if I let her, but she loves to sit in her room on her bed and sing and play with all of her babies, too. Her favorite thing to pretend play is "mom and dad" {she's usually the mom and I have to be the sister} and she's always down for some coloring/drawing/writing. She can write her name, but doesn't like to {especially if you ask her to} and she can draw a stick figure like nobodys business! Last night she drew a picture of the two of us...she drew me bigger than her, we both had lots of hair and lots of teeth, and we were holding stick hands. So sweet. She's got a vocabulary that makes me do a double take and says the most hilarious random things...like...we're out for a walk last night and totally seriously she says "man, they sure did a good job on that house!" or when our neighbor Chris said something sarcastic to her she came back with "Chris, you got some good jokes!" And then just yesterday as we were leaving the movie theatre, she rolled down her window and said to her uncle Jay "Peace out, homey!" Seriously, this girl is a hoot! She's always wanting to call her Grandma and Papa on the phone, and practically has their number memorized. She hates bedtime, but loves to sleep. And it's just about the sweetest thing ever to hear her say the Lord's Prayer with us at bedtime. She's not all roses and rainbows these days though, that's for sure. She's all of a sudden grown an attitude to rival some of my own 16-year-old memories, and she is not afraid to use it! When she doesn't like something I tell her, she stomps to her room, slams the door and turns up her music as loud as it will go. She's been in more time-outs in the past few months than in her whole 3 1/2 years previous, and some days my patience and my sanity are teetering on the edge of abandon... But then, at the flip of a switch, she's the sweetest, snuggliest girl you've ever seen. And, even at her worst, she always seems to keep her tender heart...she always apologizes, and she loves to give hugs and make up. Some days I feel like I'm losing my mind and other days I feel like the luckiest mommy in the world! 'Tis the life of a mama, I suppose...♥

Matt is home from a 2 1/2 week trip to Wisconsin, and if I'm being honest, I wasn't sure I was going to get him back! He loves being home. He loves seeing his family and doing the things he used to do as a kid. He got to spend some good quality time with his brother this trip {which is something they don't normally get to do a whole lot of when we visit} and he really enjoyed his time getting to know his brother again. Matt's trip ended up a bit longer than originally planned...5 days before we were scheduled to all fly out together, Matt's dad was in a serious car accident, so he ended up leaving on the next flight out in the morning. {Long story short, his dad is home and is going to be ok, but will probably have some lingering effects for some time.} I'm so thankful Matt was able to go and be there with his dad. Under the circumstances, he needed to have that time with him, too. There's a lot he feels like he misses out on not being there, but when it really counts, it's nice to know we're only a plane ride away! He's got big plans for Lambeau's kennel that never gets used...he's turning it into a man cave! He's also planning on adding a swing set to the backyard in the near future and Taylor and I can't wait for that! :) We're also getting really excited for Dave Matthews Caravan at the Gorge on Labor Day weekend! It's become sort of a tradition that when Dave comes to town, we head East. Matt's seen them more times than he can count and they never disappoint! More big news...Matt sold his Harley last month! Shocking, I know!! He has plans to get something bigger and more comfortable {for both of us} but for now our 3rd stall is empty. Kinda sad, actually. I miss that obnoxious beast! Tonight Matt came home and showed me some tires and wheels he'd picked out for the Tahoe. It needs new tires anyway, and it was lowered when we bought it, so it also needs new springs and a leveling kit to get it back to where we want it...might as well put the wheels that we want on it while we're at it, right?! So tonight we dropped it off at Les Schwab and I can't wait to see how it looks tomorrow when I get to pick it up! I have a hard time picturing that kind of stuff in my mind, but Matt always seems to pick just the right thing, so I trust him. I'm sure she's gonna be a beaut! :)

As for Me...I'm still selling Scentsy and loving it! This is typically a slow time of year for consultants {that's what I hear, and it makes sense with everyone being so busy and all} so I'm enjoying my free time and hoping that come Fall things will pick back up again. I've been on a mission this summer to get rid of a few pounds that have slowly crept up on me. A few months ago, I went to the doctor for a post-miscarriage follow-up and was horrified to see that I weighed more than I ever have in my life {aside from when I was pregnant with Taylor}. I've been telling myself "it's ok, you've been pregnant 5 times in the last 4 years, with 2 surgeries on top of that, cut yourself some slack..." or "well, I just wanna get pregnant again anyway, so does it really matter?..." The funny thing is, I was actually working out like crazy! Going to the gym or working out at home at least 4-5 days a week. I've always eaten pretty well, but I have to admit I have a pretty big sweet tooth. Well, I started doing the Flat Belly Diet {which is awesome!} and I am proud to say that I've lost 18 pounds so far! And now I'm using the tools that I learned from the diet and incorporating them into my everyday life. Never before have I ever "gone on a diet"...so I was really looking for something that would teach me the right things to eat, in the right combinations, and in the right portions. That's exactly what this diet did. I'm never hungry. I eat all the same foods that I did before...but now, I just eat them differently. I still allow myself a treat now and then {just got back from DQ as a matter of fact!} but I think so much more about what and how much I'm eating now! I actually cut back on working out and saw the pounds fall right off. Now that I've gotten to a point where I'm much happier with my body, I'm incorporating my exercise back in and hoping I can still lose a few more pounds. My goal is to lose another 10 pounds by Labor Day, so we'll see! I really think I can do it! {Actually, Matt and I challenged each other to see who could lose the 10 pounds first (without starving ourselves), so stay tuned for those results!} :) Other than that, we've been pretty tame these past few months. I'm looking forward to some sunny days spent with my girl before she heads off to pre-school in a few short months...which by the way is a very bittersweet topic for me. Being our only one, I'm sorta panicking about her leaving me! Whatever will I do with those 9 hours a week that I'm left alone?! Ridiculous, I know... But, she's our baby. Our one and only baby. And she's certainly NOT a baby anymore...

Well, that concludes this update on the Grube clan! Check back soon for pics from our ~~not-so~~ recent vacation! Peace out, homies!! :)

Cured!!

2011-07-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

I am sick no more, friends!

I found my pictures!!!

They were on the sweet little portable external hard drive that my thoughtful husband bought me for Christmas! {for this exact reason!}

*sigh*

You have no idea how happy this makes me! :) :) :)

Just sick...

2011-07-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

I was just getting ready to post our pics from Wisconsin, when I noticed a few were missing. Well, in fact, over half of the pictures from our trip are missing. Somehow they didn't transfer from the memory card. And the memory card is empty. So from day 3 on...nothing. There were some really super cute pics of Taylor with her cousins {who she hasn't seen in over 18 months}. Pictures from our stay with Grandpa Dave and Grandma Nettie {they have an ice cream shop attached to their house}. Pictures with Great Grandma and Grandpa and cousins and aunts and uncles who we haven't seen in almost 3 years. Pictures of all of us floating the river. Pictures of us out for dinner with good friends. Pictures of Taylor going down a huge water slide with her uncle Mitch and playing in the pool with her cousins. So. Many. Pictures. GONE.

I am seriously sick about it...

Last day...

2011-07-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

It's our last day in Wisconsin. It's starting out a little bittersweet. On one hand, I'm ready to be home, sleep in my own bed and get back to our little everyday schedule. But, on the other hand, we're really going to miss everyone here when we go.

Taylor's old enough to remember her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins now, and she's gotten pretty attached to them in the 9 days that we've been here. That's a good thing...but it means she's going to be missing them a whole lot more. It also means they're going to miss her a whole lot more, too.

We're excited to see our furry friend that we left behind, though! Lambeau's been the perfect gentleman with Grandma and Papa, but I have a feeling he's going to be more than happy to get home, too! Although he gets free roam of the farm {which includes swimming in the canal and the river} and loves every second of it, he's always happy to reclaim his rightful spot on the top step of the patio outside, while his little family is cozily tucked away inside. {He doesn't know it yet, but mama's planning on letting him sleep inside 'til daddy gets home...just so he knows how much we missed him. :)}

Today we're taking a quick trip to the mall for Packer gear, having a backyard picnic and playdate for Taylor, Allie and Emily {her cousins} and just enjoying each other's company for one more day.

Stay tuned for a lot of pictures! :)

Prairie Days!

2011-06-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

Last night was the much anticipated Prairie Days parade!!

Okay, I think I was the most excited {with Taylor a close second and Matt a distant third!}.

This was something we looked forward to every year when I was growing up and I feel like a little kid again when I see that Prairie Days sign up in the park! :)

We got there about a half hour early, which turned out okay because my mom and dad had already been there for an hour saving our spot! Good thing, too...it was already packed!

Note to self for next year: be there by 6pm.

The kids were amazing and nobody complained once having to wait for the parade to start. I think we were all just glad that it wasn't raining. :)

Brittnee, Chris and Ryder joined us this year, too! Aren't they adorable?! :)

Gettin' ready to start...candy bags in position.

The kids quickly figured out that the more they waved, the more candy was thrown their way. ;)

Oh, Ryder. ♥

{He really can't help it...his dad's a plumber. :)}

The prancing and dancing horses were probably my favorite! They were so darn cute!

They high-stepped and pranced in circles, forward, backward, and around each other to the mariachi music...it was amazing!!

Tonight, Taylor and Matt have a little carnival date while I do a Scentsy party.

I'm kinda bummed that I'm gonna miss seeing her little face on all those big rides {cuz she wants to do the BIG rides!}...but that's okay. It makes me smile knowing her and her daddy will be sharing some sweet memories, known only to the two of them. ♥

Father's Day ♥

2011-06-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

First up: one of Matt's favorite breakfasts...sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches.

Super easy and seriously delicious!

Next up: a few quick errands, a grocery shopping trip, and quick nap for Taylor and some lawn mowing for Matt.

After that: a yummy BBQ and a not-so-sunny afternoon in the pool at Cheri and Jay's house, that just happened to be heated to a perfect 85 degrees! Yay!

The kids enjoyed some time in the hot tub with their Papa!

It is sooo good to have him back to his old self...no more chemo {and a clean bill of health!!!} means he's feeling good again, and we are so, so, so thankful for that!♥

Spending a little time with the most handsome man/daddy around! ;)

Dad's sure are great, aren't they?

They are our protectors, our providers, our shoulder to cry on, our voice of reason and wisdom, and a great big hug when you need it.

They are our heroes.♥

Hooray for...

2011-06-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

...best friends,

...marshmallows,

...sweet little boys who share with their mamas,

...and backyard fires with wine and good friends! :)

♥

Happy Birthday, Carson!

2011-06-20T00:23:00.000-07:00

Saturday we spent the afternoon with our good friends celebrating their baby boy's first birthday!

The party had been planned at a park in Renton, but due to our lovely June weather it had to be moved indoors. They did an amazing impromptu job of bringing the beach to the kids, and everyone had a really good time running around, digging and playing in the sand...in the garage!

It was genius, really. Everyone stayed warm and dry, and when the kids were done, we moved inside. Perfect!

Here are a few pictures from Carson's big day! :)

♥

This was just part of the fun that we had this weekend...

but, you'll have to stay tuned for Father's Day pics 'cause this girl's going to bed! :)

Splish-Splash!

2011-06-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

There is nothing that I'd rather be listening to right now than the

giggles, squeals, laughter, and pure delight

that is coming from my bathroom tonight.

These little girlies are having a ball! :)

Crescent Bar 2011

2011-06-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

Oh, Crescent Bar...how I do love thee!

We had a really, really great time over Memorial Day weekend with our good friends, the Remferts.

The weather was fantastic...perfect for sandcastle building, sunbathing, boating and relaxing.

The food was amazing...we kinda spoiled ourselves with dinners and really did it right. Stewart's tri-tip, grilled salmon and marinated flank steak were all on the menu...and they were all so good!

The kids had a blast together...Taylor and Jake really get along great {most of the time...all kids have their moments!}. Poor little Carson didn't have much to do, but he did get in a little practice tasting and playing in the sand. He was also working on a molar {with no baby Tylenol to be found}, so he wasn't really his happy little self.

Did I mention the weather was beautiful??

We did have a rough night on Sunday though...Taylor woke up in the middle of the night with a nasty little stomach bug. Her first stomach bug, mind you. In someone else's house. All over someone else's bed. With all white linens. {Thank God for bleach.} But even that didn't put a damper on our weekend. We were certainly tired from being up all night, but the sun and sand seemed to perk us right up! :)

Although...Matt must have caught a slight version of what Taylor had, 'cause he wasn't feeling real great all day Monday, either. And then after getting home on Tuesday afternoon, I started throwing up and was up all night, again...for the 3rd night in a row! Ugh! I have to say though, it was a great way to get rid of the extra pounds that I'm sure I gained over the course of our holiday weekend. :)

Anyway, back to the finer points of our little getaway...

I think this was one of the most relaxing weekends away I've ever had. We really had no agenda, other than to do whatever we wanted to do.

We went into town for about an hour one day and stopped at the cute little surf shop where I found a super cute Roxy hat and a Tully's coffee bar. Double score!

We were outside 95% of our waking time, whether it was soccer, flying kites, taking a ride on the boat, building a sandcastle, playing tag, lounging on the patio, etc...we really took advantage of our chance to get out and enjoy the sorely-missed sun!

Of course I took a ton of pictures...and it was hard for me to narrow down the ones to post...so I didn't! Ha! Actually, I did...but there are an obscene amount of pictures to follow in this post, and well...I apologize. :)

No, really, there's a lot.

Here's the house where we stayed {we rented the bottom level}...

...and this is the view from the deck.

The gorgeous Columbia River Gorge from the beach...

Play time!

♥

There were lots of naps taken...the sun and all that playing makes for some tired kiddos. :)

Taylor took the boat for a little spin {and actually did a really good job of steering}...

...and Jayson and Jacob got the tube in the water for the first time this year! Serious props to them...that water was freezing cold!

Crystal and Carson...he actually slept most of the time we were out on the boat!

It got pretty windy in the evenings, which was perfect for the kids to fly their kites!

Of course there were lots of baths taken too...the bathtub looked like a little sandy beach every night when they got out! :)

This little guy decided to come inside and take a look around our little house. Unfortunately, he couldn't figure out how to get back out...so Jayson caught him with his bare hands!! Crazy.

Me and Matt

Crystal and Jayson

My little sickie. :(

{I just have to tell you though, she was such a trooper. She was saying things like "Oh no, mommy...I so sorry...I throwed up in my bed!" Or when I'd wipe her face after she'd thrown up she'd look up at me with a pathetic little smile and say "thank you, mommy" before laying her head back down. And when she was about to throw up, she'd sit up and say "Oh no, mommy, that yucky stuff's coming again!" Seriously, she was so polite and so sweet...it just broke my heart! :(

Not a single cry, whine or whimper came from her the entire night...and after a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, even though she wasn't feeling 100%, all she wanted to do was play outside. It's amazing how quickly kids bounce back.

And, here she is the very next day. I told her she had to stay out of the sun, no running around, and she had to keep drinking fluids. She happily agreed, and off she went! :)

Me and Crystal...two tired mamas!

Carson and Taylor, trying to decide which beer to try first. ;)

Picking flowers for mommy. ♥

Goofin' around with Daddy. ♥

When Matt's off work, she's such a little Daddy's girl...

Posing by her name, courtesy of Daddy. :)

And, I definitely saved the best for last. ♥ ♥ ♥

Now, we're off to enjoy the beautiful sunshine that we woke up to today!

xoxo

I wanna go back...

2011-05-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

We're just getting settled in at home from a wonderful weekend away with our good friends.

Stay tuned for lots more about our little getaway! :)

Star Spangled Scentsy! {edited}

2011-05-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek at next month's warmer of the month!

So cute, right?!

And paired with Peach a la mode {June's scent of the month} it's the perfect combination for summer!

Get them 10% off for the month of June only!

Visit http://caragrube.scentsy.us/ to order.

{June warmer and scent of the month available starting June 1st}

Soccer girls and birthday girls rock!

2011-05-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

My niece Abbie had her last soccer game this past Saturday.

The score wasn't pretty...they lost...but Abbie is definitely the rockstar on their team!

And her dad does a pretty good job as coach, too. But don't tell him I said that, he tends to let things go to his head. :)

Later that day we celebrated my niece Caitlyn's 2nd birthday and oh my goodness, was she ever just the most perfect little birthday girl ever! She opened her presents like a champ, sat perfectly posed for pictures, and had the darn cutest look on her face while we sang "Happy Birthday" and she blew out her candles! Seriously, I've never seen a 2 year old eat up the whole birthday thing like she did!

She was a total rockstar, too! Must be her genes. :)

What a week!

2011-05-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

We have been busy, busy bees!

MONDAY...watched the daycare kids for my mom so she could go to a doctor's appointment with my dad...he was getting results back from the tests that were done last week to check for any more cancer...

and praise God...they didn't find any!!!

The chemo worked and he is officially

cancer free!!

That was certainly the best news any of us could have hoped for!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your prayers...they were definitely answered!! :)

TUESDAY...we had a lunch/play date at the park with some of our best friends that we haven't seen for quite a while. A few tears were shed, hugs were exchanged, and all was right again. Thank God, 'cause I really missed my friend. ♥

WEDNESDAY...Ryder came over for a bit in the morning while Brittnee went to an appointment, and when she got back Taylor went to their house while I went to my massage. {Have a mentioned lately how much I love my neighbors?!} I had a picnic lunch outside with my babe, and then mowed the front yard while she rode her bike and played. We skipped her nap and decided that sidewalk chalk and swinging were much more fun. :)

THURSDAY...we hit up the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium with Brittnee, Ryder and another neighbor. It was lots of fun, but so freakin' packed! Apparently everyone else in Western Washington had the same idea on such a beautiful day. Luckily we got there right when they opened and got in a good couple of hours before the crowd got a bit overwhelming for all of us and we decided to call it a day. When we got home Taylor took a nap and I lounged in the backyard in the sun. Matt came home and decided to mow the back yard, and I jumped at the opportunity to hop on my bike! It was so nice and I couldn't help but think how easy it felt to be pedaling...until I turned around and realized the entire ride back was all uphill. A gradual, steady incline that just about killed me. I sure felt amazing afterwards, though! After Matt told me he had decided to make Thursday his Friday and take a vacation day for today, we decided pizza sounded good for dinner. Later it was beer, campfire and conversation 'til the wee hours. It felt sooo good to be outside late into the evening...and the stars and sky were gorgeous. I think I've got Summer fever. :)

TODAY...Matt went for a Harley ride with his buddies while Taylor and I headed over to play with Jay, Holly, Michelle and Colby. Thank God I put sunscreen on Tay, but for some reason I decided that the only place I needed it on myself was my arms. My legs are burnt. My chest is burnt. My nose is a tad burnt...despite the SPF 20 in my face moisturizer. I'm almost a little glad the sun will be gone for a few days...my skin needs some time to heal and repair itself before I go and damage it again next weekend in Crescent Bar. :) We also went to Jake's soccer game and watched him score two goals for his team...the only two goals that were scored! The game ended in a tie, but I'm so proud of him...and was glad I was there to tell him so. :) We had dinner at Hop Jack's with Jay and the kids on the way home, and then it was bath, books and bed. Matt's out with friends, so the house is quiet, and I'm getting ready to fire up the DVR and catch up on some Law & Order and maybe even watch the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. It's another wild Friday night at the Grube home, folks! :)

Colby and Holly looking seriously adorable.

Eatin' cookies :)

#8...looking just like his dad!

He shoots...

...he scores!!! GOOOOOOOOAAAALLLL!!!

TOMORROW...Abbie's last soccer game is first on our agenda, and then we're off to celebrate our niece Caitlyn's 2nd birthday! Stay tuned for more soccer pics and of course, the birthday girl and her party! :)

Thirty four...

2011-05-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

After my last post detailing how my birthday morning had started out as somewhat of a comedy of errors, I am happy to report that things got infinitely better from that point, on!

My family got together at my parents house for pizza and strawberry shortcake, cake, candles and ice cream, presents, basketball, wrestling and lots of laughs and good times. Turns out that a little family time was all that I needed to turn things around. :)

Taylor has been begging to have her cousins over for a sleep-over for a while now, so after the celebration Abbie, Peter and Holly came home with us to spend the night! We didn't get home until after 9pm, so half-way through The Princess and the Frog we ended up calling it a night. We got up in the morning and had whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast...fabulous! The sun was shining bright and all of us wanted to get outside, so we called Jay, he brought all their bikes over and we hit the trail for a nice, leisurely {read slooow} bike ride. After some playtime in the sun at home it was nap time for Taylor and Matt. I couldn't stand to be in the house on such a gorgeous day, so I decided to jump back on my bike and go for a ride that would actually get my heart pumping! {Riding with Holly and Taylor isn't what you'd call productive in the way of exercise...unless stopping constantly in someway burns extra calories...} I rode for about 45 minutes, a little under 10 miles and loved every second of it! I came back with a little bit of a sunburn on my face and arms, but I certainly didn't mind. And I can. not. wait. to get back out there when the sun decides to come back...or atleast the rain decides to go away.

Taylor had another sleep over with the kids last night {this time at their house} so Matt and I could go out with some friends to celebrate my birthday at one of my favorite restaurants, Mama Stortini's! The food was sooo good, the drinks were fabulous, the laughs were plenty, and the company was superb! We had such a great time with some of our very favorite people!

♥Brittnee, Monica, me and Crystal♥

{Apparently I missed the memo on black/gray/white attire! :)}

Today has been a lazy kind of day.
Coffee, rain, sweatpants and cartoons...and that's about it.
There's a roast simmering in the crockpot, my meal plan for the week is complete, and I'm happy to wrap up a weekend that is sure to be among my favorites in the memory book.
{This weekend also got me really excited to spend four fun days over Memorial Day weekend in Crescent Bar with the Remferts! Eeek...can't wait!!}

Thanks for a super fun weekend, friends and family...and my hubby, especially!! It was just plain awesome! :)

Love you all to pieces! xo

Happy Birthday to me! Well, sorta...

2011-05-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

So today started off with a wake-up call from Taylor at 7am {much earlier than she usually gets up...I think she was just excited that it was my birthday!} in the form of "Happy Birthday, mommy...I have to go get your cup!" She disappeared and returned with a gift...a super cute birthday mug wrapped in tissue paper that her and daddy had hidden in her tent the night before. {She might have let it slip last night what it was, and where it was hidden, and that it would be a surprise for me when I woke up. :)}

I didn't mind acting surprised at all and we both happily got up a bit too early and headed for the kitchen...me to fill up my new coffee cup and her to...wait, she's watching cartoons in my bed. Well, coffee for me anyway. Next I checked my Facebook and already had 40+ birthday wishes from friends and family...why are these people up so early?! It was a nice way to start my day though, and made me want to get up and get movin'! So, we had some breakfast and then headed to the DMV to renew my license...nothing like waiting 'til the very last day! {I admit, I'm sort of a procrastinator when it comes to that kind of stuff...and who doesn't want to spend the first few hours of their birthday at the DMV??} A quick jaunt to Fred Meyer afterwards for some veggies and...wait, did I say quick?! Silly me. What I thought was going to be a quick in-and-out trip to Freddie's turned out to be a tad bit drawn out, what with having to clean up a certain little girl from a #2 accident, followed by a swift pantie-less walk to the kids' section for some new Hello Kitty undies. Shouldn't I be the one buying new panties today?! Anyway, that was that and I'll admit I was a bit frustrated when I left the store. {This is the 3rd day in a week that this has happened...thankfully the last two days have been at home, but it's leaving me with a lot of question marks...and a irritated.} We were finally on our way to the gym and I knew that alone would lift my spirits and melt away my frustration. Driving with the sunroof open and the sunshine on my face helped a lot, too. Pulled up to the gym, grabbed my gym bag, got Taylor checked into the Kids' Room, headed for the locker room, and realized I didn't have my shoes. %$&#$#^!! {That's what I said in my head.} It wasn't a total loss, though...the tanning bed was open so at least I had that. Back in the car, heading the 3/4 of a mile to Nikki's office for an adjustment...I get a rock chip in my windshield. NO, I'm not kidding...this is not just for your entertainment, this is really happening to me on my birthday!! I can't believe it! At that, I just had to laugh. What else?! WHAT ELSE?!?! Well, I guess being born on Friday the 13th, and celebrating my birthday on Friday the 13th every 6 years would lead some people to believe that I'm just doomed to have days like this, especially on my birthday. I have to say though, it hasn't been a total bust! I still have pizza and strawberry shortcake with my family to look forward to tonight...and my new driver's license picture is really pretty cute! Well, I mean...except for the double chin...

*the mug says..."Coffee and Cupcakes...Make everything better." And I have to agree! :)

To all the mamas...

2011-05-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

...even the littlest ones...

Happy

Mother's

Day!

♥

On a gorgeous, sunny Sunday!

2011-05-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a beautiful day! One of the first of it's kind around here this Spring. We decided to take full advantage of it, and had ourselves a really great day in the sun. :)

Our day started here...

...for coffee and pastries in the sun-filled, outside seating area.

Then it was off to the Farmer's Market where we checked out the vendors, admired the flowers and bought a few fruits and veggies...

...and of course stopped to get a flower balloon made from the balloon guy.

We wandered over towards the pier and the beach and found a nice, quiet bench to eat our lunch on. There's just something about packing a lunch and eating outside in the sunshine, isn't there?! I would honestly do it every day if I could. It makes me happy. :)

There were tons of beautiful, vibrant, pink blooms on all the trees...they were gorgeous!

The view from our lunch bench. :)

After lunches were eaten we climbed down the big rocks and had some rock-throwin', toe-dippin' fun-time down by the water.

It was time to head home, but before we did we had one more stop. We had to pick up our bikes! Yep, that's right...we all got brand new bikes!!!

Matt and I have been wanting them for a while and actually purchased new ones a few years ago, along with a bike trailer for Taylor. I found out shortly after we bought them that I was pregnant, and Taylor wanted nothing to do with the bike trailer for more than just a few minutes at a time. Needless to say, after being parked in the garage for a month with no hope of use, we returned them. It just wasn't the right time.

Well, now it is!

Taylor is a pro on her little two wheeler {with training wheels} and we've been having a lot of fun getting her used to being on it and teaching her to ride safely. I should mention though, that the first day that we got it she wouldn't ride it out of the driveway. Apparently I went a little overboard when telling her how dangerous it could be to ride on/by the road though, and after that she wasn't having any part of it. She was literally shaking and kept saying "I too scared to go on the woad, it's not safe!" Hopefully she'll lighten up a little once she gets used to it. :)

We came home from our sunny, fun day and Matt mowed the lawn and weed-eated while I tidied up inside. Then, my neighbor Brittnee and I got the great idea that we should go have dinner and drinks at Puerto Vallarta! Our neighbor Terri is a bartender there, and she was working that night, so it was perfect! Three of us girls ended up going and had a nice, impromptu, neighborhood girls night out! {although we were home by 9pm, so I'm not sure you could technically call that a girls' night out :)}

I wrapped up my day with some snuggle time on the couch with my two favorite people and then stayed up way too late reading my book after everyone else turned in for the evening.

It was a night where I went to bed with a smile on my face and happy in my heart.

Another truly lovely day!♥

Sweet dreams

2011-04-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

How am I supposed to enforce a decent bed time when this is what I'm up against?!

Alright, no more monkey business...

Hey, I mean it!

That's better. :)

Good night, baby girl. Sweet dreams. ♥

I ♥ today!

2011-04-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days...the kind where you sit down in the evening calm and relaxed. A darn good day.

Here's how it started...

I woke up when I heard Taylor's bedroom door open and I waited for her to come in and say "good morning" to me like she usually does. Sometimes she heads straight to the living room to say "hi" to Lambeau first, so when she didn't come in my room right away I assumed that's what she was doing. A few minutes later she was standing next to my bed with a half-eaten Reese's peanut butter egg in her hand and chocolate on her face. I said "Taylor, are you eating candy?!" She said "Yep, it's from my Easter basket. It's real good."

After she polished off her candy she climbed up in bed with me, snuggled in, maneuvered my head so it was resting on her shoulder and said "mom, just stay right here and watch some toons with me." Ok. :)

After watching Belle's Magical Moments on the Disney Channel's Fairy Tale Wedding Week {pretty darn cute, if you ask me!} we got up and saw that the sun was out and shining bright! We called our favorite neighbors/friends Brittnee and Ryder to see if they wanted to go for a walk, and we all headed out for a beautiful morning stroll in the sunshine. A quick stop for coffee/hot chocolate on the way home made it just about perfect.

We all came back to our house and decided to watch Tangled! LOVE this movie. I've probably sat down and watched it beginning to end atleast 10 times, and I love it more every time. That Rapunzel is just the cutest little thing ever! Anyway, Brittnee and I had a super delish salad for lunch and after the movie it was time for kiddos' naps. I watched General Hospital for the first time in a long while {and of course picked up right where I left off} and sipped a cup of Green Mountain Hazelnut Coffee with my sweats on and my feet up.

I started feeling guilty that I hadn't worked out today like I had planned, so I busted out Level 3 on the 30 Day Shred and felt so much better!

I finally went through my Easter pictures and caught up on blogs,etc.

Matt came home and we had fish tacos for dinner...super easy and sooo good!!

After dinner, Matt and Taylor put puzzles together while I soaked in the bathtub and read my book in peace and quiet for a good hour or so!

Now, it's American Idol and a little family snuggle time on the couch.

Oh, how I ♥ days like today! :)

*****

If you haven't heard, tomorrow is National Pay It Forward Day!

I wish we didn't have to have an actual "day" for people to practice random acts of kindness, but it's a good reminder, nonetheless. Even the smallest thing can make someone's day...pay for someone's coffee, help someone carry their groceries to their car, leave flowers on someone's door step. A little kindness can go a long way...and hopefully, when they have the opportunity, they'll pay it forward.

If you're looking for a great way to help someone in need, I'm holding a Scentsy fundraiser for a childhood friend who has recently been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. All of my commission from the fundraiser sales will go directly to her and her family to help pay for mounting medical bills and daily expenses. She's a wife and a mommy to two little girls {4 and 6} and is in a desperate fight for her life. If you can help, go to my website at http://caragrube.scentsy.us/ and click on Rajeana McQuilin's Fundraiser on the left hand side. Thanks so much!♥

Our Easter

2011-04-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

...was so much fun!

We started Saturday night at my Grandma's house...four new baby calves have been born in the past week and we just had to go see them! Here's two of them...

Our friends Brittnee and Ryder came with us...it was Ryder's first time seeing cows up close and personal and he loved them! He "moooed" almost the whole time we were there. He even tried to backwards Army crawl under the barbed-wire fence to get to them! Love that kid. :)

We colored Easter eggs at my parents house before we headed home, and I think Taylor may now hold the record for the fastest Easter egg coloring ever. Seriously...she couldn't stand to let them stay in the color for longer than 10 seconds! I'm sure we went through a dozen eggs in less than 5 minutes. They were still beautiful, though and she was so proud. :)

Sunday morning I was up early getting things ready for our family Easter celebration that took place at our house. I was in the kitchen when I heard Taylor's bedroom door open; then the sound of her little feet; a still-drowsy "Good morning, mom"; then the front door open; and then the saddest cry I've ever heard! I looked around the corner and saw her standing there with the door open and tears streaming down her face. I said "honey, what's the matter?!?" Her reply (while sobbing), "the Easter Bunny didn't leave me an Easter basket!" Apparently she thought it would be left on the front porch and when she didn't see it there, well...it just broke her little heart. Luckily for her, the Easter Bunny hadn't forgotten her after all! In fact, she was a bit spoiled by him if you ask me. :)

After Easter baskets were found, candy was eaten, breakfast was made and cleaned up, brownies were in the oven, baked beans were simmering in the crockpot, ham was prepared and pork roasts were marinating, I finally made it into the shower 25 minutes before we were supposed to be leaving for church. Did I mention Taylor wasn't dressed yet, either? Ugh! It was a mad dash, but we actually made it out of the house in 30 minutes, were plenty early for church and we all looked rather fabulous if I do say so myself. :)

Church was wonderful. Christmas Eve mass is always my favorite, but Easter Sunday is a close second. The songs of worship are so uplifting; everyone's looking their best; and the hope, renewed spirits and the love for our Lord is overwhelming...it's such a special day!♥

After church we headed over to the hall for the Easter egg hunt! We lucked out and the little kids (3 and under) were inside this year so we didn't have to tramp through the grass and dirt in the pouring down rain. Taylor was one of the oldest in her group and found a lot of eggs, so she shared some with a few of the smaller kids who were less than thrilled at the one or two eggs that they had found themselves. Such a sweet girl. :)

After church, my family came over and, before we celebrated with a delicious ham dinner and all the fixins, the kids went out and had another egg hunt! Matt always does a good job of hiding the eggs and even the big kids have a hard time finding some of them!

♥ Peter, Abbie, Jake, Caitlyn, Holly and Taylor ♥

After our oh-so yummy dinner Matt made his Grandpa's famous family recipe hot fudge! Ice cream sundaes were on the menu for dessert, complete with brownies, oreos, nuts and...

birthday cupcakes for Jake! He turned 12 on the 21st so we celebrated his birthday, too.

Did you know that side stripes are coming back for boys' hair? So cool. :)

Happy Birthday, bud! We love you!♥

And here's just a cute pic of Cheri and Abbie...and Peter picking his nose in the background. Love it. :)

Hope you had a very Happy Easter, as well!

Wishing many blessings to you as we head into Spring and Summer...

...the sunshine is coming, right?! :)

Easter fun with friends!

2011-04-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

Today we hosted a little Easter party with some of our favorite little people!

We had yummy food, colored Easter pictures, played, and decorated cupcakes.

The kids had a great time and so did us mamas...it's always nice to get together with some girls and chat over a counter-island full of food. :)

Here are the kiddos decorating and eating their cupcakes...

Most of them turned out like this, which I love!

This one in particular was Bella's...she worked really hard on it.♥

These little beauties are Colby's creations...he was very serious about his decorating and even made one for me, without me even asking him! He obviously knows the way to this girl's heart. :)

After all was said and done, Holly and Taylor were the last ones standing and I asked if they wanted to decorate the leftover cupcakes. They did!♥

Our week in review

2011-04-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

We'll start with last Friday, since that's where all the fun and craziness began. :)

Friday night was the Mariner's home opener at Safeco Field! We met up with a few of Matt's customer's and their wives/friends and had a really great time...despite the less than stellar performance by the M's. We ended up leaving in the 6th inning when the score was 12-1. Before we did though, I ran into 2 very special people! My good friend, Jeff...I haven't seen him in ages!! I had talked to him earlier and knew he was gonna be at the game, so we met up and grabbed a beer...it was sooo good to see him! Love that guy. AND, I also just happened to run into my good friend Christina and her girls Molly and Lillie, just by chance! Of all the thousands of people there, how in the world does that happen?! Anyway, it was a fun night and I look forward to a few more games this summer...hopefully with a win!

Saturday was another fun day! First, we hit up our little friend Rell's 3rd Birthday party! She had a cowboy/cowgirl theme which was so adorable on the little ones. We ate BBQ'd burgers and dogs, watched the kids bounce in a big bouncy house, and had fun watching sassy little Rell blow out her 3 candles, twice! :)

Rell and Robbie ♥

My little cowgal. :)

The Birthday Girl!

Candles: Round 1

After Rell's party, we headed over to my old high school buddy Jen's house for an oyster bake and bonfire with some of my favorite people from long ago. It was so fun seeing all of our kids running around together, just like we used to when we were their age! Oh, how times have changed. Matt and Taylor took off before the party got too wild {10pm...not so early in my world!} and left me to hang with my girlies, and boy did we have a great time! I don't remember everything that was said, but I know I laughed more than I have in a long time! Love those girls!! ♥

Chelsea and Me

Sunday we {I} slept in a bit and lounged around watching the last day of The Masters Tournament. I haven't sat down and watched golf in years, but I used to watch it a lot with my Grandpa. My love of sports definitely comes from spending so many days watching football, baseball, basketball, golf, and pretty much anything else that was on with him. He always used to tell me that he wanted to teach me to golf and that I would be good at it because I could shoot a mean game of pool! {they had a pool table that we used to play on almost every day...he taught me that, too} So, as I sat there missing my Grandpa, I really regretted never going with him to play golf. Just to have those memories with him. I guess at the time I thought I was too busy with other things. Oh, how I wish I could turn back the time...

After we all took a much needed nap and a shower, we went to Cheri and Jay's house to celebrate Holly's 4th Birthday! She was so super excited to have her whole family and her little friend Colby there to celebrate her. We had the most delicious BBQ'd chicken, pasta salad and green salad...while the kids had chicken nuggets and mac 'n cheese, per Holly's request. She got lots of cute, springy clothes and a few new pairs of shoes...she was happy as a little clam! She blew out her candles {with a little help from Taylor...oops}, passed out her goodie bags, and made sure everyone left with a balloon in hand. She was quite the little Birthday Girl! ♥

Monday, Taylor went back to play with Holly and Colby for the morning and I hit the gym and did a little shopping.

Tuesday, I worked out with my neighbor Kristin and then spent a much needed day at home cleaning, purging and organizing closets, doing laundry, delivering Scentsy orders, donating clothes, and finally having dinner at Farrelli's after two failed attempts at homemade pizza crust. :/ {I don't know why I can't do pizza crust...I've never had so much trouble cooking/baking anything like I do pizza crust! It's supposed to be easy, right?!}

Wednesday, did the 30 Day Shred with Brittnee and then had lunch at Red Robin and saw "Hop" with two of our favorite girls, Tiff and Makenzie! The movie was cute, the popcorn was delish, and the company was super fun! Here's Tay and Kenz in the photo booth after the movie...

{We didn't realize they were too short for the camera until after the first ones were taken...obviously!! Still, super cute! :)}

Thursday, I did the Shred solo, tanned and had a massage. It was soooo good. Picked up a few things at Costco on our way home, and spent the afternoon playing babies, cutting shapes at the table, and having our snack picnic-style on the living room floor. It was quite a lovely day. :)

Today, we went to my mom and dad's for a few hours this morning, stayed for lunch, and came home to finish up some laundry and play. I might have let Taylor stay up instead of napping, knowing that Matt's going to play poker tonight, and an early bedtime for Taylor would mean a quiet, peaceful evening all to myself. I can hear the popcorn popper calling my name already! ♥

Hope you have a great weekend! :)

Lessons on life

2011-04-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some thinking lately. Call it soul searching, call it hormones. Maybe it's the Lenten season, maybe it's Spring cleaning. Call it what you will. I've been feeling a struggle inside of me and I need to do something about it. So here's what I'm choosing to do.

I'm choosing happiness instead of hurt. I'm choosing forgiveness instead of bitterness. I'm choosing prayer instead of sorrow. I'm choosing friendship instead of ambivalence. I'm choosing faith instead of fear. I'm choosing hope instead of worry. I'm choosing empathy instead of ignorance. I'm choosing simplicity instead of chaos. I'm choosing patience instead of haste. I'm choosing acceptance instead of judgement. I'm choosing love instead of indifference.

I've realized that I can choose to let little things bother me, I can choose to let people tell me who I am and what I'm not...or I can choose not to! I can live by the rules that I set for myself, even if others choose not to...and as long as those rules are true and good, then I can lay my head down every night knowing I did the best I could. I can forgive, even if I'm not ready to. I can love, even if I don't get love back. I can hope for things that may never happen. And I can also let go of things that I'm ready to move on from. Because...well, it's my choice. ♥

Where in the world does our time go?!

2011-04-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks around here...luckily most of it's been fun!

Here's a little recap of what we've been up to...

Scentsy parties! This was an event that I did with my buddy Tiff at the Liberty Theatre in downtown Puyallup...it was a good experience for me (my first show) and it was super fun to hang with her for the night! :)

Abbie's Birthday! All she wanted for her 10th birthday was a puppy...and look who she got!!

This is Libby...she is SO cute and sweet. We love her. ♥

And, here's the birthday girl!

We love her, too. ♥

We spent the day at Great Grandma's last weekend.

We said "hello" to the cows...

Took a walk with Papa and played "follow the leader..."

found some mud...

followed a trail through the woods...

found this cool hollowed-out tree...

climbed another tree...

went to the river...

and got a ride back. :)

We've also been putting together puzzles like crazy!

And putting the finishing touches on our freshly painted bathroom.

We've been eating a lot of popcorn. I got one of those fancy poppers for Christmas and I think I've finally got it down...it's sooo good!

We've watched Tangled a few times...love it! It's on right now, in fact. :)

We had a playdate with my friend, Abby and her baby girl, Blake! So, so good to see that girl. Love her.

We watched some basketball...March Madness is so fun!

We've been going to the gym and exercising a lot. On the days that I'm not going to the gym I'm doing the 30 Day Shred at home. My neighbors and I have plans to do it together a few times a week, but so far we've only done it once. And Matt ~~forced~~ asked me to run with him last night. We only ran a little over a mile and I couldn't even make it that far...had to walk part of it. Pathetic, I know. But, we're gonna do it every other day and my hope is that it will get easier, I will grow to hate it less, and I won't die in the process. We'll see.

What's next on our agenda?? Well, I'm glad you asked!

This weekend we are jam-packed full of fun things to do!

Friday night Matt and I are heading up to the Mariner's home opener at Safeco Field! We have great seats and I'm excited to be going to a sporting event with my hubby...one of our favorite things to do. Cross your fingers for a win!

Saturday we are going to be bu-sy. We have an oyster bake at my friend Jen's house (super excited for that...not for the oysters, but to see my old friends!), my sister's new office (Yelm Medical Plaza!) is having an open house for the community before they officially open their doors to patients in the new building on Monday, AND we have a birthday party for our little friend Rell who is 3 years old today! Whew! I'm not sure we'll get to everything, but we're gonna try!! :)

And finally, Sunday is Holly's 4th birthday party! It's another princess party and it's sure to be a ton of fun!

What else do we have to look forward to??

Easter dinner at our house,

a girls night out,

dinner with great friends,

a wedding,

Jake's birthday,

and don't tell the little miss, but...

Matt will probably be taking another trip to LA within the next month and we might just be incorporating a little visit to the Happiest Place On Earth!! Eeeek! I'm so excited!!! Shhh! :)

Now, if we could just get the sun to come out...and stay out...all would be just about right. ♥

Hello, cuteness!!

2011-03-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Taylor and our little friend Ryder at the park yesterday!♥

It's official!

2011-03-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, my dad was honored as a retiree at an awards ceremony from his long-time employer, Lakeside Industries.

Most of our family was there to enjoy a delicious breakfast spread, watch his slideshow, and listen to words from his co-workers about how valued he was/is and how much they're going to miss not only his hard work and abilities, but just plain miss him. He is definitely very well respected and valued as a heavy-equipment mechanic by all of his peers...I've heard so many times, if nobody else can fix it, call Gary! They joked that if you ever wanted to find my dad, you just had to look for the long line of truck drivers following him around the yard wanting him to fix their trucks. And at one point there was literally a line of people waiting to talk to him at the banquet, too!

I'm pretty proud to call him my dad. ♥

The Sunday Rundown

2011-03-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

Church

Family

Lunch

Puzzles

Nap

Cleaning

New head light

Basketball

Order new tail light

Finish Painting

More Basketball

Dinner

Dishes

Bath

Jammies

Fruit Smoothies

and finally...

Post some cute pics of my sweet girl helping us paint our bathroom

Isn't she just the cutest little painter you've ever seen?! ♥

On a sunny Saturday

2011-03-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

Ridin' bikes...

Playin' with the dog, going for walks...

Makin' silly faces...

Swingin'!

Posin' for a pic at the park...

Just plain having a blast outside in the sun!

Boy, am I looking forward to more days like this one! ♥

Despite the rain...

2011-03-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

...I'm having a pretty great week so far.

Monday

Taylor went to Michelle's for the day {next Monday is my turn to have the kids...we took a little break, but we're back to our Monday swap}, so Brittnee and I got coffee and pedicures, and then hit up Target and Kohl's afterward. Throw in a quick lunch and it was quite a lovely day! :)

Today

Taylor and I went to Story Time at the Library and then to the gym for the first time in for-e-ver.

I eased into it, since I'm not feeling particularly "normal" yet...but my body's in desperate need of some exercise, and it felt pretty darn good. Oh, and I tanned! Another lovely day. :)

Tomorrow

A late breakfast/early lunch date with some of our favorite girls...Tiff, Kenzie, Christina and Lillie! Taylor's super excited to see her little friends! We haven't had many playdates in the last several weeks {me + preggo = super sick} so I'm really happy that she gets to see them and play!

Thursday

We're registering Taylor for preschool and taking a tour of the classroom in the afternoon! I'm so excited for her because I know she's going to love it and thrive in that kind of environment...she's so ready for something like this! However, I'm a little sad at the thought of her being somewhere else 3 mornings a week. Having my due date in early September was so perfect...that's just when preschool will be starting. Now...well...I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with myself just yet...

Not much else planned for Thursday, but looking forward to a nice, quiet day at home.

Catching up on laundry and cleaning will be on my list for sure.

Oh, and wearing green! :)

Friday

No plans yet, other than probably hitting the gym and making a much needed Chiropractic appointment.

Maybe I'll tackle our half-done bathroom project...we started painting a few weekends ago, but haven't gotten around to finishing it yet. Ya know, now that I'm thinking about it, I think that's just what I'll do!

Not on a school night!

2011-03-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, granted, none of us have to get up for school in the morning.

And two of us don't even have to get up for work.

So why do I feel like starting a batch of cookies at 8pm on a Sunday night is so rebelious?!

Maybe because it would've never ever happened in my house when we were growing up.

But, hey...we all had a craving for some chocolate chip cookies...

So, why not?!

♥

Rainy Days Ahead

2011-03-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

This weather seems perfectly fitting...cold, dreary and depressing.

I already knew what I was going to say when I posted my "I'm pregnant!" blog post...I've been thinking about it for weeks. It's been a long time coming. But, instead...

...we suffered another miscarriage this past weekend.

I was 13 weeks pregnant, again.

I was just letting myself get excited. There were no signs that I should be worried...no "bad" feelings that something just wasn't right...I really thought we had done it! We hadn't told hardly anyone, but we were slowly starting to share our joyful news because we wanted so badly to be able to be excited about it. I heard a sweet, strong heartbeat at 2pm on Friday afternoon...and by midnight, it was gone.

To back up a bit...you may remember at the beginning of January a post about Taylor telling me I had a baby in my tummy. Well, she was right. She told me a week and a half before I found out I was pregnant that I had a baby in my tummy! She knew. :) We hadn't told her anything, but she came to an ultrasound with me at about 10 1/2 weeks, and as soon as she saw the screen she said "Mommy, you have a baby in your tummy! That's so special!" She asked if she could hold the baby, when it would come out of my tummy, and so many other questions about her "baby sister." She was so, super excited. For the last few weeks she's been lifting up my shirt and saying "Mommy, look...your baby's growing!"

My very first thought as I realized what was happening on Friday night was "Oh dear God, this is going to break her heart..." I felt awful for all of us, but especially for Taylor and our baby who she already loved so much.

We knew if this happened again we wanted answers. So, we made the gut-wrenching decision to try to save what we could and take it in for testing. We were successful...and it was awful. We kept our tiny, perfect, beautiful little baby wrapped up until the next morning when we took it to the hospital...and I'm so glad we did. A wonderful L&D nurse took us into a room, unwrapped our special little package, and let us take a look...and say good-bye. She took tiny little footprints that I will cherish forever. I have a picture in my mind of those ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes. And we're not sure, but she thinks it was a baby boy.

It feels a little easier this time...maybe because I feel like there was something tangible this time, something to hold on to and remember our sweet babe. Or maybe it's just because we've been down this road four times now...and we're getting used to the scenery.

The hardest part for me right now, is coming to the realization that our babies were healthy. They were living, and my body rejected and betrayed them. It betrayed me, and Matt and Taylor..and quite frankly, I'd get rid of it if I could. Trade it in for a newer model. One that doesn't need progesterone injections every day, and one that doesn't make me sick every day. One that doesn't need constant poking and prodding and surgery and medicine and just knows what it's supposed to do. Because this one...I just don't trust it with my babies' lives anymore.

But...we're gonna be ok. We have amazing friends and family who are always here, no matter what...and that is something so special! My house is full of flowers, my fridge is full of food, and my heart is so full of love and support from all the prayers, calls, texts, cards and visits.

Thank you for lifting us up!

We know these are the times we need to lean on God the most, and having people standing strong with us and believing in our dreams with us means everything.

We are so blessed by you, and you know who you are. :)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Dotty!

2011-03-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

Just ordered the March Warmer and Scent of the Month and I had to share them with you!!

Isn't it just the cutest?!

And, they're both 10% off through the month of March!

{Don't forget, the new Spring/Summer catalog is now available with some super cute new warmers and awesome new scents! Check it out at http://caragrube.scentsy.us/ or hit me up for more info!}

MSP

2011-02-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

That's Minneapolis, for you non-airline people. ;)

Taylor and I flew into MSP last Wednesday night, checked ourselves into our hotel, had some dinner, took a swim in the pool, and then hit the sack for what was sure to be a busy and fun-filled weekend. And, it was!

But, before I get to that, let's back up a bit...

Matt had left early Tuesday morning for a conference in Indianapolis, so Taylor and I were flying to Minneapolis for a few days to hang out with his parents {who drove in from WI to meet us} until he met up with us on Friday when his conference was done. Then we were spending the rest of the weekend with friends in MSP. So, we were on our own with our bags, the airport, our flight, etc. Anyone who's ever traveled with a child knows that even with just one, it's no easy feat. Well, picture this...I have my roller bag in one hand with my carry-on strapped on top of it, Taylor's bag over my shoulder with her carry-on strapped to it, her lunch bag with snacks for the airplane in my other hand, along with her 17lb carseat, and her Pillow Pet tucked under my arm. Don't forget we also our heavy jackets since the temps in MSP were around 20 below {so we needed them when we got off the airplane} and my pinkie finger sticking out from my roller bag so Taylor could hold my hand, too. Phew! Well, it was a lot of work, but it actually wasn't as bad as it sounds. I was surprised at just how easy everything ended up being! Checking the carseat and roller bag was a big relief. Security was my next concern...but it was a breeze, as well. And the flight...well, I've said it before, but my girl is one of the best little travelers out there...she did so good!

Like I said, we spent the first evening at the hotel by ourselves and had a really fun time, just us girls! :)
The next day Matt's parents met us at the hotel and we spent the afternoon and evening at the Mall of America. We walked through a really cool underground aquarium where you basically walk down an arched hallway that's built into the middle of the tanks...the fish can go from one side to the other by swimming over your head! It was pretty neat. :)

After the aquarium, and after Taylor spend a good half-hour on an indoor big-toy type thing, we walked around the mall a bit and then hit The Rain Forest Cafe for dinner.

The next day {Friday}, Matt flew in from Indy and met us at our hotel early in the morning, we all had breakfast, and then it was back to The MOA for Nickelodeon Universe! SO. COOL!!

It's a HUGE Nickelodeon indoor theme park, complete with kiddie and adult rides, and we pretty much spent the entire day taking full advantage of the $35 we paid for our 3 year old to get in. Luckily, a chaperon could go on the rides with her at no cost, so it actually wasn't that bad. She rode coasters, drove bumper cars, did the mini-Extreme Scream, rode the Dora bus, fast cars, a SpongeBob bounce house {that looked like a huge pineapple!}, and so much more! We all had so much fun watching and smiling and laughing with her...it really was a great way to spend a cold afternoon! :)

Friday night, and the remainder of the weekend, we spent with our friends, Sam and Emilie. They have a little girl Delia who just turned one, and this is the first time Taylor and I got to meet her! We had a great time relaxing and hanging out with them all weekend, catching up with a few more friends, and just enjoying the time away from home. {Sadly, neither Emilie or I got our cameras out once all weekend, so I have NO pictures of any of us, or the girls together. SO sad!}

All in all, it was a really fun little trip! I have to say though, I think the best part was Taylor getting to spend some time with her Grandpa Dave and Grandma Nettie, who she hasn't seen since last Christmas...she was just over 2 years old then! She wasn't shy at all, and took no time warming up to them...infact, when they knocked on the door to our hotel room, she ran and opened it and greeted them both with great, big hugs. I don't think any of us could have asked for things to start off any better than that! ♥

Sweet Victory!

2011-02-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a game!!

Super Bowl XLV certainly did not disappoint for Packer fans!

In case you haven't heard, they're the

We had a great time watching the game with good friends and family...and of course celebrating a big Packer win at the end of the night!!

There were pre-game jitters, a little yelling {and maybe a little swearing at one point or another}, lots of cheers, some pacing, lots of laughs, yummy food, and a lot of high-fives!

Oh, and a champagne bath for Matt after the game!! :)

Congrats, Packer fans!! You're world champs!!!

So many birthdays, and so much more!

2011-01-31T22:49:00.000-08:00

What a crazy month January turned out to be!

It usually is, but this one seemed especially jam-packed.

There was no shortage of fun, and we have the pictures to prove it! :)

Here's a little peek at what we've been up to for the last few weeks...

Painting toes...Taylor picked two colors to alternate so her "big ones" would be different. :)

Sledding with the Remferts! It wasn't the longest trip, but it was a blast and well worth the drive to spend the day with our friends!!

Taylor and Jakey had so much fun together!

And so did Matt and Jayson! :)

And me and Crystal, too!

Taylor got a Seahawks tattoo! Yes, you read that right, a SEAHAWKS tattoo!!

{All she had to do was say "please, daddy?!" and he melted like butter.}

These two love taking bubble baths together!

{I'm sure Matt's gonna love me for this one! Sorry, babe...love ya!}

Abbie started basketball this year, and we got to watch a few of her games...so fun!

{Jake's playing again, too, and he's SO good...but sadly, I forgot to take my camera to his game. Boo.}

Definitely the cutest one on the team! :)

We spent a fun afternoon at a Princess party for our friend Makenzie's 3rd birthday!

She needed some help with the candles. :)

We also celebrated a few VERY special birthdays in our family...

my Grandma turned 85 this year!

She is the heart and soul of our family and I am so truly thankful for the blessing and constant presence that she has always been in my life. She has literally been right next door for most of my life, and there was no shortage of love and fun to be had with her {and my Grandpa!}. She truly is the best Grandma {and Great Grandma} anyone could ever want!♥

And today...{drumroll please}...is my dad's 60th birthday!!

This year was especially sweet celebrating another year in his life.

And I'm telling you right now, we'll be doing this for many more years.

If anyone's gonna give cancer a run for it's money, it's this guy!

His courage, strength, faith and sense of humor never cease to amaze me.

My dad is one cool guy.

He makes everyone around him feel special...because he really thinks that everyone is special. Whether you're family, or meeting him for the very first time, you'll always get a big smile, a warm "hello" and probably a great big hug from him!

Love you, Dad.

You're my hero.

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday!

And here's to 60 more!!!

A few more fun things we've done this month?!

*celebrated my brother's 39th birthday. No pictures. :(

*dinner and fun nights in with our neighbors...in our sweats. No pictures. :)

*playdates with friends :)

*said good-bye to our good friend, Tim Jones...he's moving to Florida. Great for him...sad for us. :(

*Scentsy parties! :)

*Girls night out at The Melting Pot...yummm!! :)

*Cheered on the Packers to win the NFC Championship! Stay tuned for Super Bowl XLV pictures next week!!! GO PACK GO! :)