Healthy Living, Cancer, Scentsy, Grandma, Garages, Birthdays, Sports, Games and Diapers

I don't know how things are going for you, but life here seems busier than ever.

The other day I was thinking about how much I miss all of you. Thoughts of what to tell you run through my mind, but making time to sit down and share them has not been an option until today.

So, get your cup of coffee, find a comfy spot on the couch and let's catch up.

If you follow me on facebook at all, you may have seen that I recently started selling Scentsy. For those of you that have no clue what Scentsy is, it is a home fragrance line. We have everything from wax warmers to dish soap. In Septemberish of last year I had attended a party and learned of Scentsy. I had been using some plug-ins to make my house smell good for a while and was getting frustrated because the one scent that I liked, I could only find at Kroger occasionally. So, when I found several fragrances from Scentsy, I had to switch! In February, I decided to join the Scentsy team. It's been super fun so far. I have been extremely happy with the products as well as the customer support. Here is my website if you want to check it out.

Join me!

Through Scentsy, I found my healthy living motivation. Pretty much since August I have struggled once again with eating right and being active. Laziness is definitely a sin issue for me that I know the Lord is constantly chiseling away at. Molding and growing. In January, along with everyone else in the world, I made resolutions to get back at it and have failed miserably off and on since then. At the beginning of March, I received an email about Scentsy's Health Challenge and I knew I had to sign-up to participate. It started this week and I am dying. Haha. The hardest part is drinking 64 ounces of water every day. Before this week, I drank coffee and about 0 ounces of water. Yikes! So with 4 days in, I am feeling more motivated and that is such a great feeling. Onward! Oh and I signed up for my first race of the year which is in June. :)

Adam's game is officially in game stores. It's be so great to see him light up when sharing his game with others and hearing about people playing it. I still cannot beat him in a two-player game and when I do I will never play two-player again. Ha. You can check out more info here if you would like.

Other things going on here. Adam's sweet grandma has been in rehab so the girls and I have made efforts to see her every other week. It is such a delightful visit. The girls talk her ears off and it's even more so now that Charlotte has joined in.

Homeschooling has been going well for the most part. Kaylee is reading non-stop and loving it which makes me super excited! We have the occasional melt-down which can make some days hard. Overall though, I would say this year has gone well.

Kaylee just finished up her first season of basketball. It was awesome to see her make progress and to cheer her team on. I loved it and so did she. I am looking forward to her playing again.

Her ball goes in here. :)

Elanor just turned 5. She had a Barbie fashion party. My sister-in-law's, Grace and Kati, helped me give the girls makeovers and then they put dress-up clothes on and walked the runway. It was so cute! I think fun was had by all.

Charlotte has been spending a lot of her time running around naked lately. She may be ready to be potty trained, but I am not. Mainly because it requires being home for several days in a row and I just don't have that right now. Maybe once co-op is done. I am also not sure if I am ready for her to officially be out of the baby stage. It's hard to say that that phase in my life is done. I'll get there. Until then duct tape is the only way to keep her diaper on at bed time. There has been a time or two that even that didn't work.

Doesn't this look fun?

My momma has been having a rough go at things. The medications have all been messing with her leaving her weak and making it impossible for her to get around. I know a lot of you have been praying for her. Thank you for that. I get to go visit and help after her next chemo treatment which is this Thursday. Even though it is not a vacation visit of sorts, I am looking forward to being able to hug her and my dad. I hate living states away and not being able to help more often. Adam, friends, and family will have the girls while I am away. Please pray that my girls will be so good for everyone watching them. Thanks to all for helping.

Our garage. We were finally having one put on. It is so close to being done. It's been hard to park with all the construction going on, but I am excited to be able to park inside again. Especially on rainy days like today.

Beginning stages.

Softball for the girls and for Adam starts soon. In the meantime, I am enjoying the brief break from sports.

That catches you up on things here for the most part. How have you been? Anything new? I am so behind on everyone else's life. So, tell me. How are things? I hope you are doing well.

Friday

Friday. I love Friday.

Yesterday was a super fun one.

The day started with my 6am wake-up call. I spent time talking to God and then got busy working. Can't do that without my coffee.

Once 8 rolled around it was time to get the girls ready for the day and for gymnastics. (After a FaceTime call from my parents.)

The day wouldn't be complete if I didn't have to give Charlotte a complete wardrobe change right when we are supposed to be walking out the door.

Finally got everyone loaded into the car.

And to gymnastics.

After gymnastics, we ran to Wal-Mart to pick up some pictures I needed for Charlotte's scrapbook and then went home and ate lunch.

I vacuumed the carpets and then put the girls down for naps.

While they napped, I worked on Charlotte's book and folded laundry.

After naps, we had dinner with Annie, Jeremy, and Paige and then Annie and I ran to Wal-Mart to pick up a different picture that I had printed. (Yes, I went to two different Wal-Marts on the same day because I didn't realize that I was printing pictures at the wrong one until it was too late.) Once we were back, the girls were all put to bed and then we played Jeremy's pick of Takenoko and Adam's pick of Smash Up. (Picture is of Takenoko.)

When they left, I finished folding laundry and watched some Doctor Who. (Such a great show!)

What did you do yesterday?

Kaylee's Kidbits and Ella's Endeavors

It has been over a year since I wrote one of my blogs on Kaylee and Ella. Can you believe it? Over a year!

They have changed so much!

Ella talks our heads off. Seriously. The child does not know what silence is. She doesn't even have to be talking to anyone in particular.

Kaylee loves to write. Even in places that she isn't supposed to write. Like the table. And the wall. But hey at least she is a pretty good artist.

Ella is a night owl. Loves to sneak up and play in her room. Sometimes I go to bed at 11 and her light is on and she is still up playing in her bed. She, like me, is not a morning person. She needs her space when she wakes up.

Kaylee is such a huge helper. She does a ton around the house to help now. She sweeps and puts away dishes. She folds all of the girl's laundry and then she puts it away. (Ella puts her own away as well.) She even makes breakfast and lunch for herself and Ella with a little help.

Ella helps too. Like I said, she puts away laundry. She also helps with silverware when unloading the dishwasher. She helps dust the furniture. Keeps her room clean.

Kaylee loves Legos, Barbies, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. And all things Frozen. She is so imaginative and creative. I love watching her play.

Ella is a cuddle bear. She likes to sit on our laps and snuggle. She is so loving in that she constantly interrupts conversations and movies to say, "I wuv you, Mom." Makes my heart melt.

Kaylee has also become more affectionate. She gives hugs and cuddles and says I love you much more than she used to. She usually likes her space so I am really enjoying her recent change.

Ella loves dresses and accessories. She wears dresses everyday if possible.

Kaylee played t-ball in the spring and loved it. She seemed to get a little bored with being outfield, but loved to hit and run the bases.

Kaylee and Ella both love Charlotte. They dote on her all day every day. Sometimes it is overwhelming because they are always in her face. They help me with her. Kaylee will feed her her food and Ella will help feed her her bottle. It is so sweet to watch them with her though.

Both girls have grown up so much. My Kaylee will be 5 soon. I can't believe it. Until I talk to her and hear her grown up response. And I think, "when did you get so big?" 5 going on 15.

Unglued

My best friend Meggan gave me a book called Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst probably 3 years ago. I am not certain of the time frame, but that is my guess. Honestly, I am not sure why I never read the book. Maybe I was little offended that she thought I needed the book? I started reading it at some point because I had a spot marked where I left off, but hadn't gotten very far. Blah, blah, blah. Haha. The point is that I am finally reading it.

So far, it has been super interesting. I am learning so much about myself and the way that I respond to others in situations. She has you take this little quiz to determine what kind of reaction type you are and with who. The who makes a difference in how you respond. So for me, when it comes to Adam, most family, and probably friends, I tend to internally process and internally suppress which makes me a stuffer that builds barriers. However, with my girls, I am the exact opposite. I externally process and externally express which makes me an exploder that blames others. With Adam, I tend to keep my frustrations to myself and with my girls I tend to get so frustrated that I explode. I yell. And I hate both reactions.

This book was/is definitely something I needed. (Good call, Meggan.)

One thing that I love about it so far is her thought of "imperfect progress" because when you are trying to change something about yourself it is difficult to see that you actually are changing. It's such a slow a grueling process and it is not perfect in any way. But at least it is progress.

Take her assessment online. It's not the same as the one in the book, but it gave me the same result.

What kind of reaction type are you and who do you react that way to?

Want to make imperfect progress? Read the book.

Tea Party Song

At preschool I have been teaching music to the 2-5 year old kids. We recently had a grandmother's tea where the 3-5 year olds sang "I'm a Little Tea Pot" and "Tea Party!", which is a song that I found on You Tube.

Kaylee loves the "Tea Party!" song.  Here is the You Tube version.

What I love about Kaylee's version below is that she mimics the guy in the beginning. So, you don't have to watch either video all the way through. Just enjoy Kaylee's rendition of the first 30 seconds or so. :) 

A Renewed Kind of Love

Recently I have tried something new. In the midst of whatever kind of day I am having, I pick up the closest of my little girls and simply whisper "I love you very much" to them. Their response is one that ultimately brings tears to my eyes. They give me a HUGE smile, wrap their arms around me, and give me a bear hug.

As I stood in the kitchen holding my almost 5 year old Kaylee, I contemplated the miracles that each of my children are. 

I loved my girls before they were ever born. Through 9 months of carrying them. Feeling them move. Seeing and hearing their hearts beat. Delivering them. Seeing them for the first time. I did not think my love could be greater than that.

Until we lost sweet baby D.

My love for my children, which can sometimes be skewed by my own sinful nature and by their bad behavior, was renewed. And so much more than I could ever imagine.

And I am reminded that life is such a miracle. And should not be taken for granted. 

So, try it. Pick up one of your children. Tell them you love them. When they least expect it.  Let their response bring joy to your day. Save their response in your heart.

Titus

Today we are saying good-bye to Titus. In 2007 Adam and I moved to Indiana. After deciding to wait to get a house until 2008, we agreed on getting a cat to hopefully hold off my baby fever. I went online and found Titus on the humane society website. When we arrived I could not find him and I was extremely discouraged because I really wanted an orange short haired tabby. Adam suggested walking through and looking one last time and thankfully I found him. He was resting in the back of his cage which is why we had missed him the first time.

Titus has been a very good cat. He has had a few accidents over the years, but they all revolve around big changes such as moving and babies being born. It was never a huge problem though because we had hardwood floors so he would pee on something that we left on the floor, like a towel.


Titus loves the girls. It never ceases to amaze me the things that he lets Kaylee and Ella do to him, yet he still comes back for more. They run with him. They jump with him. They dance with him. They play chase and hide and seek. I know they will miss him.

He has seen me through some of my most difficult moments. From wanting a baby to finding out I was pregnant. From hating my job to finding out that I got a new one. From finding out my Momma had cancer to finding out that her surgery was a success. From losing the baby last year to finding out I was pregnant with Charlotte. From quiet times in the morning to playing with the girls in the loud moments of the day. These are times when he has climbed up into my lap and just let me cry or laugh. He has been a very good friend over the years.

Good-bye old friend.

Real Fear

A story about a time you were very afraid.

Fear has played a part in my life in tides. The tide comes and with it comes fear, but slowly it releases and falls back and is no longer present.

When my best friend's sister died, I became very aware of death and it's presence in my life. So for a good long while after that, I was paralyzed with fear every time Adam was late getting home or I could not get someone on the phone. Slowly, the fear faded, but every now and then it appears again. Especially once we had the girls.

When my Mom was diagnosed with cancer, fear came once more. Fear of losing my Mom. Fear of living daily without without her calls and her opinions. Fear that Mom's surgery would not go as planned. Or that they would find more cancer. With each reassuring MRI, the fear passes.

When we were in the process of losing baby #3, I was faced with a new fear that I never had with Kaylee and Ella. The days of waiting for me to actually lose the baby were brutal. And then struggling through the days of losing him or her and becoming aware of the gigantic hole in my heart. Fear that my baby will be forgotten. As if he or she never existed. As excited as I was about becoming pregnant with baby #4, losing baby #3 gave me so much fear for the new little life in my womb. Fear that the ultrasound technician would not find the heartbeat. Fear that I would not make it to the end and come home with a baby. Even now with 9 weeks left, this fear sometimes sneaks up on me.

The thing about fear though is that I can let it eat at me constantly or I can make good use of it. What I mean is, instead of letting it be a burden, I let it be used for good. For instance, the fears I have mentioned above all have to do with my love for those in my life. If I find myself bombarded by one of these fears, I find time for those people. So, if I am frantic about Adam being late, then I spend extra time with him when he walks in the door. if I need to see my Mom, then I go see my Mom. If I am struggling with a fear about the baby, I talk to the baby and celebrate the moments that I have right now. Simply - I make those people a priority. It's not always easy. But thanks to technology I can facetime my family even when I am too pregnant to travel to see them or if money is tight at the time.

These are times I have been very afraid. And I simply choose to use my experiences for good rather than letting them get the best of me.

Nutella

This morning after the girls came in for our usual morning cuddles, they quickly disappeared to the kitchen to "help me" get ready for breakfast. Kaylee likes to get the spoons and cereal out.

It takes me a few minutes to roll out of bed, but I noticed that it was unusually quiet in my house which is never a good sign with a 2 and 4 year old.

I called out, "Girls, what are you doing?"

Silence.

"Girls, answer me."

More silence.

I hopped out of bed as quick as my pregnant self can move and walked into the kitchen to see two little chocolate covered faces. Kaylee was holding the open jar of Nutella. 4 little hands were smothered in the chocolate hazelnut spread.

Quickly I handed them wet paper towels to wash up while I put away the morning snack of choice. They threw the paper towels away and I immediately was wishing I had gotten a picture of their faces before they cleaned up. Thankfully, when I turned around, they were still a little messy so I quickly snapped a picture of their naughty little selves.

Enjoy.

House Selling Stress

If you follow my blog even just a little bit, you have probably noticed that I have been unusually quiet as of late. It's not that there aren't things to share with you. It is actually opposite of that. There is so much going on here that I have been completely stressed out.

Remember about a month ago when I posted about selling our house?

Well, within 7 days of having it listed, we had a buyer. And with the house selling process comes so much paper work and so much work in general that I have been exhausted. "What? You are coming to my house for the inspection and it could take a couple of hours? Sure! I can find something to do for 2 hours with a 2 and 4 year old. Oh, an appraisal? Another couple of hours on a different day?" *sigh You get my drift. It is a lot. To top it off the buyer's lender keeps switching up the closing date and I am just ready to be done.

Oh did I mention that we are trying to buy another house in the process? And are dealing with the same paper work etc for that house.

It is a lot.

I don't ever want to move again.

Seriously. I am not sure how my parents moved so much when we were growing up. It makes me want to barf any time I think about doing it again or starting over.

So that is where I have been. Stressed out completely.

With the buyer moving the closing date we had to cancel on my brother-in-law, Caleb, and his wife, Lindsey. We were going to go stay with Lindsey's grandma for a weekend at her house. Since we were free all of a sudden this weekend, Caleb asked if we wanted to join them since we couldn't on the original date planned.

Going into it, I had a bad attitude. I pictured everyone else having a good time and me wrangling the kids all weekend because Adam just kept mentioning all of the fishing that he was going to be doing. And since most grandma's houses are full of things they don't want children touching, I pictured myself stressed out even more because I was chasing the girls trying to keep them out of things.

Thankfully, I went.

In spite of my bad attitude.

This grandma's house rocks. And she was so awesome, sweet, and laid back.

Her back porch was huge. AND gated. So, the girls played out there with their toys while we were in the house. And her house was very kid friendly. There really wasn't anything for them to get in to.

See, this is when I look at the timing of events and think that God worked out this timing just for me. He knew I would need to relax. Spend time just being. And not stressing out over all that needs to be done.

Last night I had some time alone. The girls were in bed. Katie and Hannah were both showering. Adam and Caleb were fishing. And Lindsey and her grandma went to pick them up off the river.

So I sat out on the deck over looking the lake. And instead of reading a book or finding something else to do, I simply sat there. And felt God pour over me. "Be still," whispered among the trees. I sang a few choruses and read a couple of passages from my Bible. And had a few minutes to thank the Lord for knowing exactly what I needed. And for providing it in such an unexpected manner.

The moment of alone time ended. But God made himself known the rest of the night. First through a rainbow that arched over the lake and second through the most magnificent sunset.

God is so good to me.

Into the lake

There are times as a parent that I feel the pressure to do something that I don't want to do.

This week I felt that pressure.

We went down to Arkansas for my Nanny's 80th Birthday and while we were down there we stayed with my parents in their camper. We went thinking that at some point we would take the girls swimming, but when Adam had to leave to go back home to get back to work I knew that we most likely would not end up going down to the lake.

Kaylee kept asking to go swimming "with the fish in the lake" and so the parental pressure was on. Let me provide you with a little background. I absolutely hate swimming in lakes in general. The bottom feels disgusting and overall the experience grosses me out.

But since Kaylee really wanted to go, I took her and Elanor down to the lake for a quick swim. And honestly hated every minute of the actual swim which was more of a wade (on painful rocks) with 2 clinging children.

But I am so glad I took them.

They learned more about trusting me and that they can let go a little and know that I will still catch them. (and in this case not let them drown) I was able to see their excitement about going into the water and see them go from not trusting at all to relinquishing complete control over to me. They both had so much fear in the beginning, but by the end had complete faith in my ability to keep them safe.

This is such a beautiful reminder to me of how I am with God at times. I go in excited but completely lacking in faith and come out of it trusting and completely willing to give my control of the situation over to Him.

Boy or Girl

Tomorrow we find out the sex of the baby.

To say I am anxious would be an understatement.

Elanor wants another sister. Kaylee wants a brother like her friends Anelise, Leah, and Addison.

I love my girls. They are best friends. And a bond that I never had with my brother. Sisters.

If this baby is another girl, I will be happy for her that she and her sisters will grow up close and have that sisterly bond. Clothes will not be an issue because we are swimming in girl clothes.

But I would be lying if I said that I didn't hope this baby is a boy. A boy that Adam can take hunting and fishing. A boy that he can wrestle with. A boy that can carry on the family name. A boy to play in the dirt and collect sticks.

When Adam and I first got married, he always said he wanted 5 boys. Right now we are on target for 5 girls.

If you know me, you know I will be happy no matter the outcome of tomorrow's ultrasound. I simply want a beautiful healthy growing baby. I am so thankful that we are finally at this point in the pregnancy.

Until tomorrow.

No More Sippy Cups. No More Diapers.

It has been about 2 weeks since I washed a sippy cup. I know that we are not finished with sippy cups and that they will return when the baby is old enough for them, but it still makes me face a difficult reality.

My girls are growing up.

We are still working on potty training. Someone asked me the other day how long I potty trained Kaylee for and I told them it took a year. At least that is what it felt like. A year to be accident free. Elanor is much more stubborn than Kaylee (Didn't know that was possible!!!) and so some days she has only 1 accident. Other days, she refuses to go in the toilet even with all the rewards and bribes. It will be interesting to see how long it actually takes her to finally choose to consistently use the toilet. Either way, I feel like there will be a short amount of time before this baby arrives where our house is diaper free.

I am looking forward to going through it all one last time. With the mindset of firsts being lasts.

It is crazy to think that my girls are both almost to the point where they are independent little beings.

Before I know it, they will be fighting over clothes instead of Barbies.

Kaylee's Kidbits and Ella's Endeavors

It has been a while since I have updated you on the girls so instead of writing separate blogs for them, I am doing them together this time around.

Kaylee is so grown up. She just looks like a big kid. Some of it is that she has always been on the tall side, but sometimes she just comes over and says things and Adam and I are just in shock at how old she seems.

Elanor is also tall and seeming big as of late. Her vocabulary has grown and we can almost understand everything she says. My favorite words she says right now are flip-flops and vitamin. I just like the way she says them. It is pretty cute.

Kaylee is taking gymnastics and I feel like it has been such a good experience for her. She loves to practice her tumbles and warm-ups at home. I love watching her.

Elanor is finally jumping. She has been trying for months and this morning I finally saw her feet come off of the ground together.

Kaylee is finally alright with sleeping with her door closed and we no longer leave the bathroom light on for her. This is leaps and bounds from where we started when she moved into her room before Ella was born.

Elanor is starting to potty train. I am hoping the process is quicker with her since she has Kaylee to help coach her and encourage her along side of me. She also has never been fond of diapers so I am hoping that helps as well.

Both girls love playing together. Kaylee is a much more introverted and likes to play by herself at least once a day, but overall they can play together nicely for hours. (As long as I don't have anything important to do like make phone calls.)

They are both very fascinated by the baby. Kaylee understands that the baby is growing in my belly and loves to know as much as possible about the baby. Ella just loves babies in general and so she loves to hear about the baby even though I don't think she understands that we are having another baby.

The girls are growing up so fast and sometimes it is hard to keep up. It is one of those things I don't think you ever get used to as a parent. Time just flies once you have children!
         

What ifs...

Last night while I was rocking Elanor, I had a major break down. Above Ella's changing table is a picture of when I was pregnant with Kaylee. It hit me that Ella could be my last "baby". My last time being pregnant.

And then the what ifs started.

What if:
-I never have a rainbow baby*?
-I never heal completely from my loss?
-God wants our family to be complete?

I know the what if game is not good to play, but I couldn't stop it. It was unexpected. Started too quickly for me to logically talk myself out of playing.

Running to my bed, I cried out to God and hid under the covers from any scary truths that might loom around the bend.

Adam found me. Listened to my heart. And held my hand as I sobbed.

The truth is I do not know what is to come. I do not see the big picture. I do trust God in spite of not understanding. But is my heart prepared for the outcome? I am not sure.

The number one thing that losing the baby has taught me... I am NOT in control. God is.

I love control. Control over schedule. Control over cleaning. Control over menu. Control gives me the reigns and lets me make decisions and keep things steady and only changing when I am ready and want it.

But God is in control. And I trust Him. He will get me through this.


* "A "rainbow baby" is a baby that is born following a miscarriage or still birth.

In the real world, a beautiful and bright rainbow follows a storm and gives hope of things getting better. The rainbow is more appreciated having just experienced the storm in comparison.

The storm (pregnancy loss) has already happened and nothing can change that experience. Storm-clouds might still be overhead as the family continue to cope with the loss, but something colourful and bright has emerged from the darkness and misery."  (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Rainbow%20baby)

"Good" Guy vs. "Good Guy"

Lately I have been thinking about the difference between what the world considers a good guy and what I consider a good guy. And I think it has everything to do with where you put the emphasis.

A good guy by the world's standards is someone that has a good heart. Maybe he is sensitive to the needs of others. He listens and gives good advice. He genuinely cares about others. He is a "good" guy.

A good guy by my standard is actually also by God's standard. He is someone that leads me in my walk with God. He challenges me to be a better person not only in the way I live, but also in the condition of my heart. A man who is worthy of respect. He saves his body for me. He has his own personal relationship with the living God and follows Him daily with his own life. He is a "good guy".

As my girls start to grow and develop, I want to help them understand that there is such a huge difference. The man I desire for their life is a "good guy" and they may stumble upon "good" guys that seem worthy of their attention. But I pray that they will be able to discern the difference for themselves and look for a Godly man to love and cherish them. That they see their Daddy and want a man just like him. And they see our marriage as one that they hope to some day have their marriage reflect.

I am so grateful I have a "good guy".

TOP 10 REASONS I LOVE BEING A MOMMA

Skimming my old instagram pictures prompted me to think about how much I LOVE being a Mom. Sure, it has it's ups and downs just like everything else in life, but overall I would not trade it for anything else in the world. Here is my TOP 10 REASONS I LOVE BEING A MOMMA:

1. Snuggles - Let's face it, nobody snuggles like a child. Those little pudgy arms wrapped around your neck, squeezing as if life depended on it. Their head rested on your chest and their heart pumping slowly because they are so secure at that very moment in your arms.

2. Compliments - Since words of affirmation is my love language, I gladly will take a compliment any day. My Kaylee is an awesome compliment giver. "Thanks for dinner, Momma, I loved it!" "Good job on going potty, Mom!" Ella's compliments are usually full of grunting and then followed by a giant hug.

3. Hugs and Kisses - From their first slobbery kisses to their big smooches on my cheek once they learn how to do it the right way. From the "I have a boo-boo hug" to the big bear hug. I love them all.

4. Teaching New Things - It is so fascinating how quickly that they learn and grow. Kaylee's vocabulary grows daily and Elanor amazes me in how grown up she plays. It is fun when they pick up on new things. (Unfortunately, they pick up on not so good behaviors as well.)

5. Play Time - I love watching the girls play. They run around the house making messes and pulling out toys I forgot we even owned. They hold hands and run down the hall together. They are sweet friends and I love to see that!

6. Dance Parties - Dancing around the house used to be pretty boring when I was working the moves by myself while Adam was at work. Now I have two little buddies to dance around with me. Our favorite dance is The Interlude. One of my friends thinks it is pretty lame, but she hasn't seen my girls do it. They make it the coolest dance on the planet. Hands down. Here is the original video if you have never heard of it before.

7. Singing - Singing with and to my girls is one the many highlights of the day. It really goes hand in hand with the dancing because when we start singing, we start dancing. I know I have told you to check out For King and Country before and that you might be tired of hearing about them, but they are awesome. And I love that the girls sing along and ask for specific songs by name.

8. Cooking - My girls love to cook! Anytime I start getting bowls and pans out, I hear little feet running to the kitchen to see if they can help. It is so much more fun to have little helping hands!  

9. Clothes - Who knew getting dressed was so much fun? I really enjoy picking clothes out for the girls which is funny because I have never really cared much about clothes for myself as long as I am comfy. But with my girls, they are like having LIVE Barbies. SOOOO FUN! :0)

10. Reading - I have always enjoyed reading.  It relaxes me and gives me an escape. While we tend to read the same books over and over, I enjoy every second of reading to my girls. I love when they get their books and come climb up on the couch with me and we all read our own books. Such a blast!

What are some of your favorite things about being a Momma/Daddy?

Kaylee's Kidbits

Miss Independent.She loves to do things by herself. If you start helping her, she will quickly say, "I would like to do it by myself please." If something is sitting out she will help herself to whatever it is without asking, not because she is being naughty, but because she thinks she is a big girl and does not need permission. (I am so glad our fridge is too hard for her to open.)

Her favorite band right now is For King and Country. If you have not heard of them, you should check them out because they are pretty fabulous. When we get into the van she wants to listen to her favorite songs in a special order. Fine Fine Life. Let it go. People Change. Right now. (Note - these might not be their official names. This is just how Kaylee would say them.)

Tangled has finally moved to the back burner, while Lion King has taken over as favorite movie. The music is great in both movies, so no complaints here.

Curious George is her favorite show.

She lives for routine. She wants to know everything we are doing during the day and she asks over and over if she forgets.

Can you believe she is old enough to be in Cubbies already? Cubbies just started up and she is learning Bible verses and the Cubbies motto. So grown up.

Blue is still at the top for favorite color.

Kaylee loves her sister. They play really well together and she is always trying to get Ella to come to her room with her to play.

She loves to facetime, skype, and talk on the phone.

I still think her love language is words of affirmation. She loves getting told that she is doing a great job. (Who doesn't - Right?!)

She does not wear diapers anymore. She still has accidents at night occasionally. We are working on that. So proud of her.

Shopping buddy. She loves going anywhere and is pretty good for the most part.

Naptimes are getting fewer and far between, but I still make her stay in her room and be quiet for some down time.

Kaylee is growing up too fast most days and not fast enough on others.

She makes me laugh a lot. She is silly and just full of energy.

I love that girl.

Toothpaste and Sunscreen

When we were in Kansas for our college reunion a couple of months ago we had a situation with Kaylee and Ella involving sunscreen that was not fun to clean up. (Ella's outfit from that day still smells like sunscreen.)

And maybe you are one of my few wonderful followers that remembers this post from not long before that.

Well, that is not the end of Kaylee's little mess making nap times.

Last week we were in South Carolina for Adam's brother's wedding. We put the girls down for naps and turned on the monitor. Small noises here and there including some singing and laughing, but all somewhat harmless sounds when the girls are in the same room napping together. Adam's Mom graciously held down the monitor for us so that Adam and I could go play in the ocean for a short bit. When we came back, we rinsed off the sand in the back yard and as we were coming around to the front Kaylee started opening the door to our side of the beach house. She was covered in something white as well as wearing her pajamas. (She was dressed before the nap began.) As I push her back to survey the room, I am astonished to see the mess she has made. (Talk about having a flash forward to 14 years from now.) Both toy bags were dumped and toys were scattered everywhere. Both things of sunscreen are open and strewn about with the toys. WHITE STUFF WAS EVERYWHERE! The entire floor. The bed. The couch. Kaylee. The packnplay. Ella. And then there was a lone tube of toothpaste, empty. (was brand new)

Adam took Kaylee next door to deal with her while I cleaned up the mess. I don't have a picture of the over all mess because I did not think of taking a picture until I was finally able to make it over to Ella. Who looked so sweet as she was sleeping. Among the mess.

In the packnplay with Ella are some stale veggie straws, toys, sippy cup, pacis, her bear and blanket, and if you look closely under the food and toys you can see the stain from the Dr Pepper that I had leftover that was also dumped in there.

You can't see Ella's head from that picture so here is the view from when she was awake.

Thankfully, the white stuff was not the sunscreen but the toothpaste. It was surprisingly a lot easier to clean up than the baby sunscreen was. And it smelled better too.

Kaylee definitely keeps us on our toes.

Moment's Like These

Seasoned parents always tell us new parents that later on we will miss these days when our children are young. At these moments I want to laugh and say, "uh, yeah right!?!" Endless diapers, whining, and "NO!". Constant dependence on me. It is tiring.

But. 

Then there are moments like these:

-Ella carries her bear over to me, backs up towards me, and sits on my lap cuddling her bear and bouncing her feet.

-Kaylee crawls up on to my lap, wraps her arms around me, lays her head on my chest, and simply holds me.

-Ella starts giggling like crazy about nothing.

-Kaylee sings about what she is playing with.

-They fall asleep in the van.

-Ella spins around in circles.

-Kaylee gives Ella hugs and kisses for no reason.

-Ella smiles at me when I look at her.

-Kaylee wakes up afraid and needs me.

-They play together.

-Ella wants me to cuddle with her.

-Kaylee wants to help me cook.

-Ella signs "please" when she wants to sit on the couch with me.

-Kaylee wants me to paint her nails.

-They dance together.

-Ella gives me a big hug and kiss.

-Kaylee wants me to hold her hand in the van.

-Ella holding her hand out to me because she doesn't like that it is dirty.

-Kaylee making faces back and forth with me.

-They laugh and laugh for long periods of time.

These are the moment's that make me say, "Oh yes. I know. I will definitely miss these days." These are the moments that I cherish and know that they will be gone in a blink on an eye. With every stage, I am sure there are moments like these. Special moments that one day I will miss as a parent and other moments that I will be glad are over. In the mean time, I will savor the good things in this stage and enjoy them while I can. Because some day I will miss them.