Fantastic Fathers & Headstrong Horses

Father's Day has come & gone again. We cannot believe we are nearing the halfway mark through the year! We were overjoyed to wake up on another special day without anyone being sick. We had some fun & busy plans for the afternoon & evening so we took the morning at a slow pace. It started with two little ladies jumping into our bed excited to share what they had made for their Daddy. Each of the girls was eager to answer our annual questions...

All about my Daddy

By char

What is Daddy’s name? Daddy, but I like to call him Rob

What does Daddy do for fun? He likes to take me to Chili's
What's your favorite thing to do with Daddy? Just talk with him alot & learn things
What does Daddy say a lot? "Holy Smokes" & "What the heck?"

What does Daddy do at work? He takes phone calls alot

What has Daddy taught you? How to obey & all about guns

How does Daddy take care of our family? Protects us from bad guys

What does Daddy call you? "my noodles" & Char

What's Daddy's favorite thing to eat? carrot & cucumber since those are my favorites

What makes Daddy laugh? Mommy. She definitely makes him laugh the hardest

How do you show Daddy you love him? by obeying, honoring & respecting him
What's your very favorite thing about Daddy? Just that I love him SO much!

All about my Daddy

By lolo 

What is Daddy’s name? Wob

How old is Daddy? 24

What does Daddy do for fun? He likes to play with girls 
What's your favorite thing to do with Daddy? Run around really fast like this 
What does Daddy say a lot? "Oh my goodness"

What does Daddy do at work? He plays on his computer like yours

What is Daddy’s favorite thing to do with you? Snuggle me a lot

Where is Daddy’s favorite place to go? Work & eat lunch

What does Daddy call you? Weezy, Elo-wheeze, Pancakes

What's Daddy's favorite thing to eat? my mashed potatoes

What makes Daddy laugh? When I say funny things like “tooter macgruder”

What makes Daddy sad? If I say “you’re rude!” or call him “rudely tudely”

What makes Daddy smile? When I say “sorry” & my dimples, those make daddy smile a lot

How does Daddy help you? He teaches me what to do & how to obey

How do you show Daddy you love him? With snuggles
What's your very favorite thing about Daddy? He’s a good snuggler

You can tell who our child with physical touch for their love language ; ) Eloise had colored this 3 inch by 3 inch square with blue & brown & had drawn some rectangles on it. She was SOOOO proud & nothing short of adorable when she pulled it out of her secret hiding place on my bookshelf & gave it to her favorite dad. 

Since Owen & Anson could only answer "small" to the question, "Is Daddy big or small?" I figured they weren't too reliable so I took it upon myself to draw a picture & write to him. 

I laughed out loud at my first rendition in which both boys looked like they had beards....like father, like son(s)! I decided to erase a bit & they ended up looking more like two year old's : )

We have been watching each of the Derby races & enjoyed the one in New York just a couple weeks ago. The girls could not believe their ears when Rob told them that there was a race track nearby & we could take a special trip to see the horses run. Jeannine found out that they had a race on Father's Day afternoon & we thought it would be a great way to celebrate two men that have enjoyed that together for years.

We didn't tell the girls till the night before & Charlotte kept saying, "Are you serious? Really?!" She could hardly sleep! We ate an early lunch then headed to the tracks. We arrived a bit early so these six went to check out where the horses would run "weally fast."

The next best place to visit was where the horses walked in & met their jockeys prior to the race. The girls did their homework & Charlotte was rooting for a horse named "Frio Flash" & she was pleased to see that it was a mare dressed in pink. Eloise's favorite was named "Go get'm Tiger" which she sometimes said with a little growl. Robby & I ordered Chinese food the night before & laughed when his fortune said "Focus in on the color yellow tomorrow for good luck!"  We also laughed about mine saying "This year your highest priority will be your family." Ha, those fortune cookie writers got that one right ; )

Robby rooted for yellow in the first race & it won. Too bad we didn't bet our savings account ; )

Daddy & Grandpa showed the kids around, even the two stinker pies that were wreaking havoc on our family & the grounds of Lone Star Park. It was our fault we were there for the entire nap time & were completely covered in sweat for choosing to go in the Texas heat ; ) They are pretty cute though with their feet in the exact same position. Our other mistake was letting the girls wear their new beloved flip flops....it was a complete flop. Their feet hurt & they were complaining & taking them off the entire time. Actually, Elo could barely keep them on in the first place & stopped to adjust about every 3 feet.

It's a toss up between the next two pictures in the "favorite photo of the day" competition.

I LOVE the girls arms draped on their Daddy. I got a similar shot when they were three & one that might be my favorite photo ever...pictured below.  

My oh my they have gotten so big! That picture was taken about a week before finding out about the double addition to our family. What a sweet time! 

Talk about getting big, I couldn't stop thinking about those long, skinny legs dangling from our almost six year old. She was by far the best behaved out of the bunch & could have made it through hours of races. Sadly, the rest of us couldn't survive taking care of the least behaved (you pick two special) & we headed home after the third race. 

These guys were happiest sitting in front of Grammy eating their snack. They can be so serious sometimes! You may notice there are zero pictures of us ladies....we were busy ; )

Serious as he may be, it's not too hard to get a grin out of this cheeseball!

We packed multiple bags & somehow the sunscreen was in the one left in the car....bummer. I was feeling guilty as I watched everyone's cheeks get red but considering the walk back to the car with my throbbing legs I made the call to allow a little sunburn : ( The funny thing was that I was the ONLY one that ended up red! Everyone else's redness faded once the AC was on & I was left with super red shoulders that made me want to punch every person that touched them for the next couple days. I'm glad they got more of Rob's skin tone than mine! We stopped at Race Trac gas station, just to stick with the theme of the day & topped off sippy cups with lemon lime Gatorade which the kids thought was an extremely special treat. We headed to the Valentine's to relax & eat dinner together.

The chitlins enjoyed running around in the sprinkler. The adults loved watching until Owen got ahold of the hose.  At least Char was brave enough to retrieve it keeping the rest of us mostly dry.

You could tell the little guys were worn out & also that they had difficulty keeping their suits in the proper place ; ) 

Poor Owee & his black eye. It actually looks a hundred times better than it did when it was almost swollen shut just days before . He was a sleepy boy too. 

Talk about stinker pies, the look on Eloise's face is one we have seen a billion times. She is excitement & trouble wrapped up into one extremely adorable little girl.

We scarfed down burgers, bathed the kids & then I collapsed on the recliner. I think it was the tiredest I have been this whole pregnancy....must have been the heat. Jeannine was SO very kind & energetic to play with the kids for an hour while I snoozed & the dad's talked on the back porch. Our ride home was quiet & bedtime was a breeze for all six of us!

What a great day to celebrate two fathers we love dearly. We can't wait to get to Kingwood this weekend & see that third father we love just as much ; ) 

G Grans Outdoor Diner

A couple weeks ago, the kids & I loaded up on a Saturday morning to spend the day with G Gran. I was imagining our typical day spent there playing, resting & enjoying lunch together before goodbye hugs but when we arrived we realized it was all of those things to the max!

She had the picnic table set up with her homemade sign & a big pot with a bag of potting soil & some flowers that needed a new home. Oh what fun the day held for these four & me too : ) 

With so very many helpful hands, there might have been just as much potting soil on the concrete as there was in the pot but G Gran didn't mind at all. She is much more laid back than me probably because she raised her own four girls, has seven grown grandchildren & seven (soon to be nine) great grandchildren. Maybe after all that, I can relax a little bit too ; ) My guess is she has seen it all & there is nothing to let your blood pressure sky rocket from.

With all that soil covering hands & feet, she let the super soaker hose come out. It was a little difficult to help the buys understand how to hold the nozzle in the correct direction so we were wet too but it felt amazing since it was a sunshine filled day! Eloise spent a good 20 minutes watering all of G Grans flowers by her porch. She loves "special" jobs that she can do well. 

While the kiddos were still getting wet, G Gran called each one over to place their lunch order for her outdoor diner. Her menu (also hand drawn) could not have been any cuter & they loved picking out everything that looked yummy which ended up being some of every fruit & a main dish & a half. If you notice in the picture below, she even had the shirt on to prove that the owner is also the chef. It was pretty darn good service & soon enough lunch was being served.

The Fab Four was so impressed with the service & 2 juice boxes each they decided to repay G Gran by sweeping her patio. My children are OBSESSED with brooms....at least these three are...

After our busy few hours outside, the sweeper team crashed for some good long naps. G Gran & Char snuggled up together to enjoy a movie & their Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies that are a staple item in the pantry we have become accustomed to in the past year. I made the quick trip over to Schlotzsky's to pick up some sandwiches for us grown ups. I LOVE that place or rather I love their Angus beef & cheddar sandwich with mayo & shredded lettuce on a sourdough bun followed by a sugar cookie. I have been abiding with the "pregnancy law" of eating deli meat only if it has been heated & this restaurant offers my favorite heated sandwich. I got one in May when Bob, my father-in-law took me by to get one. He could not stop laughing when he realized I ate the entire sandwich in about 5 minutes after getting in the car before saying I could eat another. He expected that I would wait till we got home. They are that good! After lunch, I even got to go to the grocery store alone before laying down on the couch to put my feet up.

It was a wonderful day spending time with a woman we love, enjoying a nest that I enjoyed as a child & heading home with stinky, smelly kids that required baths. That in itself is a sign of a good day.

How "The Valentine Nest" got it's name

Over six years of blogging, I have never actually taken the time to share about why I chose "The Valentine Nest" as the title back in 2009 so, here we go.... 

There was a favorite book that was read to me time & time again by both my grandmother & my mother called "The Best Nest" by P.D. Eastman. It is the story of Mr. & Mrs. Bird looking for a "better" nest. While in the process, they find all sorts of wrong places & end up back where they started. Throughout the book there is a song...

"I love my house, I love my nest, in all the world my nest is best"

My grandmother & my mother have always sung it to the same tune & I in turn have continued to sing those same notes to my little ones. At the time I was beginning to record life with little baby Charlotte, I was reading that book & singing the beloved song to her in the birdie themed nursery we prepared before her arrival. The word "nest" was on the brain. As we waited for God to bring children into our arms I dreamed of a home focused on nurturing the little ones in our care & began to think about the way a mother bird prepares a nest before laying her eggs.  I had experienced the "nesting" that most pregnant women do & it struck me eight months into being a mother myself, that Robby & I had made our own nest & were able to nurture a sweet baby girl the way we had longed for. 

"The Valentine Nest" seemed like the perfect title & so it began, Soon our nest was filled to the brim with our own little brood & we were learning more about nurturing than we had ever imagined! Building & maintaining a "nest" goes far beyond the physical sense & is rooted in God's calling to parents to bring their children up in the discipline & instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). In starting our nest we desired (and still do) 

• a home full of laughter, joy & peace as we vowed to each other on our wedding day  
• to know Jesus & make him known & help our children do the same
• for our children to grow up learning about the world through the lens that God made all things to reveal his own glory
• to nurture our children in a way that they feel loved, encouraged, protected & trained well to leave our nest as a young adult feeling confident about who they are in Christ

Six years later, we are still learning about nurturing not only our little babies but those who are becoming more independent (in small ways) but hey, independence is independence...even if you are only four & almost six years old right?! The past year has offered much time for contemplating the effects of picking up & moving our family from one state to another. Most anyone that has spent time with Rob & me over the past year has received the honest answer "it has been rough" to the question "How has it been being back in Texas?" I was NOT expecting it to be a challenge at all mostly because I considered Dallas "home" for Robby & me. It was "home" considering it is where we spent our early married life together, bought & sold our first house, welcomed two puppies into our lives, enjoyed time with nearby family & established friendships & community through a nearby church. 

We uprooted & took off to the Sunshine State after being in Dallas for almost three years & for some reason, when moving back to Texas I had forgotten what the process of assimilating to a new city with only a few familiar faces is like. It's hard, even when you know the Lord has gone before you & remains with you providing vast opportunities to be thankful & content in all circumstances & in all places. Robby & I have had too many conversations to count reminding each other of the length of time it took to establish close friendships in Orlando. It is encouraging & discouraging at the same time. There is one major difference in the two "stages" or rather FOUR little differences....soon to be five. We were free anytime we wanted to be about 6 years ago & now our life both naturally & out of necessity revolves around our little Nest. 

God has surrounded us with people here who care deeply for us & we are thankful. That being said, we are still adjusting to life back in the Lone Star State. All of this thinking has led me back to the word "nest" & the goal of sharing about our family through this blog.

If you haven't read The Best Nest, you should add it to your library & read it to your own children, someone else's child or maybe just to yourself. As Robby & I talked about the idea of a "nest" on a recent date night, I brought up the "theme" song, "I love my house, I love my nest, in all the world my nest is best" & said I thought it seemed like it was boastful & I didn't want to boast about our nest being better than anyone else's. He brought up a good point though in saying "but don't you want our children to feel like it is the best "nest" for them?" Of course I do. Looking back at the points elaborating on what we desire for our nest, we pray God will bring all of those to fruition over the course of time & that our children will grow to value the same things making our nest their favorite.

Robby had me read the entire book to him once we were discussing this topic & we had some good laughs. It starts with Mr. Bird being so happy with their nest & singing his song until his grumpy wife says "I'm tired of this old place, let's look for a new one!" He does some looking around finding all the wrong places & she has the audacity to say "you make too many mistakes, I am going to pick out the next house!" Yikes! Once she is in charge, she finds a church bell tower & Mr. Bird comments that it may be too big but she said she loved the big place & it was perfect. Another chuckle... I can SO see myself thinking big, beautiful, new & nice = perfect ; )

I love the next part describing all the things they collected to build their nest which included hay, mattress stuffing, soda straws, broom straws & even man hair with a picture of a creepy man on a bench (Rob's favorite to laugh at). They work so hard to make their nest just right but once the bell is rung, it all comes crashing down & Mrs. Bird fearfully takes off.

Considering the building part though, we can clearly see that every family chooses to build a physical "nest" in a unique way resulting in nests that differ in location, size & decor. Similarly, families build their nests according to their values, or biblical callings & even if these are the same as the "nest-door-neighbor" if you will, it could look entirely different than your own. Community with other Christians, if their family includes only a husband & wife or a house full of foster & adopted children, how they choose to educate those children, how they spend their time & a thousand other things will not & should not line up exactly with how your nest functions. God places these other nests around us to find encouragement from as we press on & be challenged to find our satisfaction in Him alone. When I consider our little brood & their differences in personality at such young ages, I can't help but imagine what they will be like when they are ready to leave our nest. They may join their life with another & build a new nest that will be one of a kind. It will likely be some combination of the nests that each spouse grew up in plus plenty that is all their own. How exciting. When all those kids "spread their wings & fly" we will have an empty nest & again, life will look entirely different. Tonight I cannot even imagine what that would be like as I am finished with day 1 of potty training two rambunctious two year old boys. Empty Nest syndrome is the farthest thing from my mind.

Back to the book as we are coming to a close. Once the "perfect" nest was built & then destroyed by that clanging bell, Mr. Bird could not find Mrs. Bird. In the midst of a storm he crashes into his old nest only to step inside & find Mrs. Bird singing "I love my house, I love my nest, in all the world my nest is best."   I'm sure he was shocked to hear those words come out of her mouth (or beak) after all her negativity & was then even more surprised when she said "there is no nest like an old nest for a brand new bird!" We will soon have a brand new bird & although we are not back in a physical "old nest," Dallas in many ways feels like that.  There are many things that are familiar but with the life change we experienced in going from a newlyweds to soon to be a family of seven we are building a new nest in an old location. We trust that the Lone Star State is the best place for this brand new bird because it is where the Lord has us right now. We hope that like the book says "and when the baby bird hatched, he thought so too" will ring true for baby number five.

The other emotional roller coaster I have been on the past month is hearing from two Orlando families that are making big moves this summer. The Ziel family that we spent countless hours with took off west to Colorado just a couple weeks ago & our own family, Steve, Jenny & our precious nieces & nephew should be on a plane to Poland by the end of the summer. In many ways it feels like yesterday when we loaded up the truck & left our Florida "nest." I could still cry at the drop of a hat thinking about all the emotions leading up to & following our move. Considering our adventure & the adventures for both of these families, I am clinging to the fact that a nest is something you can rebuild anywhere & with anything. Florida looks different than Texas, Colorado & definitely Poland but each of our families is rebuilding or soon will be, a place to nurture those in our care. It may resemble an old nest but it will always be different than it was. In the grand scheme of things, our earthly nests, lovely as they may be are temporary. Eternity with God in the new heavens & the new earth will be infinitely better than the physical provisions, security & care that we have worked so hard to provide in this broken world. Life in the presence of our Savior will not be temporary like our earthly nests and will be far beyond "the best" place to call home. 

Past the halfway mark with #5!

I was planning to write this after my 18 week visit but here we are with a fast approaching week 22! The nausea is finally subsiding & I am mostly energetic, at least enough to mop the floor today for the first time in forever (not to quote Frozen). I went into a nesting frenzy the week after we found out it was a boy. I was quite productive as I sped through bins of clothes for both boys & girls packaging up what would not be used whether due to opposite seasons or if they were extremely well loved. This turned into going through all the toys as well. Final result, multiple things to pass onto friends with new babies or growing girls + a good amount to drop off at a nearby donation site. I am feeling refreshed just looking in closets : ) 

I was finally forced switched a portion of my closet over to maternity clothes. It is so strange how body shape changes over time through pregnancies & breastfeeding. I have only gained 6 pounds so far but as of a few weeks ago, could not fit into ANY regular pants or shorts. It also made me laugh thinking back to the super speedy weight gain with the twins & how awkward it felt.... by about week 12. Rob encouraged me to do a little bit of shopping to spruce up my seven year old wardrobe which was about half the size since I passed many things along thinking there was no way we would do this again. It was fun to look around & get some new things. The girls think the stretchy part of the pants that goes over the belly is hilarious & cool. Charlotte wants to try on just about everything I have convinced something will eventually fit. I for one really appreciate the bagginess of things that assure me they will not be too snug come September. 

Baby boy is growing too & measured around the 70% percentile in height & weight! Here we are at 20 weeks....

We were looking forward to the anatomy scan at 18 weeks in order to rule out cleft lip or palate since that is a risk with the seizure medication I am taking. We were so thankful to see that he was perfectly formed & quite curled up! I don't think any of our babies ever touched their toes to their forehead during an ultrasound...haha! Flexibility will be great quality to have at the Nest whether physically as he wrestles with his twin brothers or emotionally as he brings the headcount up to seven around here! Sweet Johnny number five....

At the Women's Clinic where I volunteer, I welcomed a quick little peek a few weeks ago & we got a great 3D picture of his face, arms & hands. He reminds us of how Owen looked in the womb....maybe because he is so tiny ; )

I just referred to him as Johnny number five but as previously mentioned, that will remain on the nickname list. Boys are SO challenging for us in the naming category.We have finally decided on a first name that we love. An official "announcement" will come when we decide on the middle name...who knows when that will be ; )

As always, our little brood has been keeping Rob & I busy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! They are thrilled that there is a baby growing in mommy's belly & can hardly wait for October to arrive. When the little guys & Lolo woke up from a nap yesterday we went to the freezer for an afternoon Popsicle (or Popstible as Eloise says) that we had talked about ALL day long. Excited screams quickly turned into two girls with tears in their eyes & two boys lying on the ground in true two year old fashion when only one measly little Popsicle was found. I was kind of sad too.

Charlotte was so concerned & said very seriously "What are we going to do about this?" I helped the boys up & explained the situation in greater detail before saying "What are we going to to do? We have to go straight to the store & get another box of Popsicles!" They could not believe it & one of the first things that came to mind is the decrease in spontaneity when you have a newborn to care for. So, for the time being I am going to try to be fun, spontaneous & welcoming ideas from the kids that may have to be turned down come October. It is still quite the ordeal to just buckle children into carseats & I do dream about the day when there are more booster seats than 5 point harnesses to fasten but for now, I just plan for an extra 10 minutes or more depending on mood. That sounds absurd but sometimes it takes that long considering there is a mud pit next the car that someone always steps in, I have to contort my pregnant body to buckle the person in the middle seat in the back row & passengers are not always compliant with my wishes ; )

A few things I want to remember at 22 weeks:

• how obsessed the boys are with my outtie belly button. They press on my belly button then Anson yells "Oh no! Baby come out right here!"
• that Eloise was the first in the whole family to feel him move the weekend of her birthday
• how Owen respositions himself about 6 times while attempting to snuggle on my lap before giving up & saying "mommy, belly, so big"
• that Charlotte always seems to be briefing everyone on how they can help me once the baby is here....keep it up mini mama!
• how many wiggles I feel when I lay down in the evening & anytime I get up to use the bathroom during the night
• that Eloise can't help but ask everyday if she can carry the baby on the tile since she is SO big
• how much Rob & I are enjoying our late night dates at the kitchen table with Central Market queso & a bag of tortilla chips
• that I should probably trim down on the amount of chocolate ice cream I am eating IN MY BED every night...never in my life have I eaten in my bed
• how at some point everyday I look down to see eight little hands on my belly waiting to feel a kick & my heart swells with joy
• that Charlotte says "I just really wish the baby could be here today, I'm so excited!"
• how scared I feel imagining having so many little people to take care of this fall
• that God continues to remind me that He is with me, that he knew what every day of my life would hold before I was even born, that He sustains me, that what I'm doing has value & that there is grace when I fail

What a whirlwind of physical, emotional & spiritual growth for all in the Nest! I can't believe it's June & there are things on the calendar through July. It seems as though we will blink & there will be a baby boy snuggled on the couch with us! 

Eloise turns FOUR!

This sweet thing turned four on May 30th! Eloise Hope- she is never dull, usually grinning & always up for a snuggle. She was delighted to be celebrated all week long!

We had plans to spend time with the Ellis family at my Aunt Deb & Uncle Joe's house so instead of a regular get together, we decided to make it a mini celebration for the birthday girl. Debbie LOVES to celebrate anyone & everyone for ANY occasion so she did her best & far exceeded my ideas of making Eloise feel like a queen. 

In true Eloise style, she surprised us with some random requests of a robot cake then changed her mind to a skateboard cake & then decided to go with a snowman cake instead. I was as happy as I could be since the final decision was the simplest of designs. It was chocolate on the inside...glad that's her favorite since it's mine too! Since we went with the snowman theme (in May) we opted for some Frozen decorations & some festive snowman decor that must have been pulled out of a Christmas box. It was such a lovely setting!

I love how the girls are sharing a smile leading up to the birthday song.

Auntie Deb quickly became Anson's favorite since she has a hard time saying no to sharing her cake.

The girls have been OBSESSED with wanting hula hoops ever since I demonstrated my ultra cool hula hooping moves in the toy aisle at Target a few weeks prior to Lolo's birthday. I was a cheapskate & refused to pay $6.99 for one so my mom found some for a couple dollars at the grocery store & brought them to the party. The hoops & all the hula hoopers provided many laughs throughout the afternoon. Eloise could only keep it going around her neck & as you can see, it was pretty intense...

Charlotte really got the hang of it as long as she kept her tongue sticking outside of her mouth & moved it back & forth as the hoop went round & round. SO cute.

I will refrain from posting any photos or video clips of the rest of the adults that attempted to show off but I will comment on how impressed we were with Kyle who could hula the longest & Scott who used it like a jump rope even though he is over 6ft tall & the hoop was about 3 feet in diameter. I'm still laughing just thinking about it. Kyle & I could have been a circus act when we figured out we could pass the hoop from my leg to his & back. In order to do this with my pregnant belly I had to lean on the couch & let me tell you, I had one super sore half of my body the following day! My arms were also sore from my double hooping. I think I'm out of shape ; ) The hula hoops didn't hold up so well & my mom confessed to accidentally running over them with her car...that makes me laugh outloud too! End of the story, I replaced one with the oh so pricey one at Target & it has flashing lights & it sturdy. I haven't tested it's strength against a Ford Expedition though.

As far as adults participating in the fun, I will share a picture of the uncles preparing to pin the nose on Olaf. Eloise specifically requested to play this game & we are pretty sure she had some mischievous eyes under the blindfold because she had perfect placement every time.

We spent some time watching the three monkeys climb a tree....both brothers with my cousin Zak. Also entertaining haha! 

There are always a bunch of people piled on this couch although they look like they are partied out & having no fun. That was certainly not the case, I just caught them at a bad moment.

Gift opening was fun as expected when considering a four year old & wrapping paper. She received some new games, play dough, books & an incredible Rapunzel gown & wig made completely by her Gaga paired with some fancy heels. What a talented woman & a happy girl!  She was beaming as you can see.....

The party concluded (for our little family) with a massive rainstorm before we headed home for the night. We were all zonked & went to sleep as fast as possible.

One week later, it was the official birthday of our little lady. I was SO teary the day before when we were out & about. I was looking in the rear view mirror as she was quiet & looking out the window. She asked me some questions & had some stories to share with me from the back seat. I was just staring at her thinking "how does this happen?" & remembering that around 6pm on the evening of the 29th was when it all began. We went to the hospital not even knowing her & within a few hours she went from inside the womb into our arms & a whole new world began in getting to know this precious little person. I am pretty sure these emotions were added onto the ones from less than two weeks earlier when I sent my mom a text on the eve of my birthday that said "Think about me around midnight tonight. May 17, 1983 was the start of a great friendship & the leading example in my life of how to be an incredible mama. You have lots to celebrate." I just love the relationship she & I have with one another & pray that God would develop that kind of bond between me & my girls over the years. Birthdays have become so much more special since I became a mom.

On the morning of Elo's birthday, she woke up to a blueberry muffin breakfast complete with gifts & a surprise visit by Uncle Kyle who crashed at our house the night before.

These four were making me laugh....

She was thrilled to get a princess book from her sister & her very own Ladybug rolling suitcase. After things calmed down, Robby & I took the birthday girl on a special date. We went to Old Navy & let her wander around as long as she liked before picking out something. She is drawn like a magnet to the puppy mannequin at the entrance. She talks to it & also gives it some scratches....makes me laugh. We were looking for one new dress which turned into four since she is four. Let's just say her Daddy smiled at me & whispered "it's her birthday" so I smiled back & headed to the checkout with one happy four year old. We went from there to BJ's Brewhouse for lunch where she ordered her very own mini pizza and a chocolate chip pazookie. I was hoping she would be more generous with the bite she shared with me ; ) 

Once we were home, Grammy, Papa & GGran all joined us as the celebration continued. GGran helped me cook the requested dinner of lasagna, Cesar salad & garlic bread.  Eloise had been talking about it for weeks & we had to laugh when it was served & she completely lost it. She was saying "I hate that! I'm not eating it!" over & over. I think she ate a half piece of garlic bread for her dinner & topped it off with a cookie for desert. 

The picture below perfectly captures one of the reasons I love being in Dallas just a mere 20 minutes from this lovely grandmother & great grandmother. Our bunch has become quite attached to her over the past year & greatly look forward to time together. I enjoy it too. 

We are all about "birthday week" in this family & were jumping for joy that we were all healthy. Anson almost pushed me over the edge the night before during dinner when he choked & threw up part of his mac & cheese. I cleaned him up, looked at Rob & he jokingly said "is that a tear I see rolling down your cheek?" I think the tears would have started flowing had it happened again! It's been a rough go around for celebrations this year!

We have said "it's hard to be three" quite often the past year & are hoping that it is not hard to be four! We love sharing life with this lively lady & look forward to many more years of celebrating as she grows.

The busier the better- time with those Florida Valentines

Well I guess I am returning from an unplanned hiatus in blogging! Let's just say, life has been enjoyable for the most part leaving less than a smidgen of time to write. I've still been snapping photos though! 

We kicked the month off with a bang hosting Steve, Jenny, Karis, Isaac & Olivia for four nights during their two week stay in Dallas. A few days prior, we took a trip to the park & loved watching these seven cousins spend some quality time with one another....

the ladies & the gents....

Owen & Anson actually really like Isaac or I-Gee as we call him but their faces say otherwise ha! The boys were obsessed with Olivia who turned one in February. In fact, we were all pretty smitten with her!

You could tell she was the youngest sibling by the way she tolerated all the attention & unwanted snuggles.

As anyone who grew up with cousins nearby might remember, things aren't always rosy ; ) There was a lot of togetherness 24/7 & the kids were trying really hard to like each other but I think Elo might have been experiencing one of those tough moments....

During our visit we spent lots of time just playing at the house, letting the littlest ones nap on their regular schedule. That seems to benefit all involved! My favorite evening by far was made up of these items....


We bought a fire pit last fall & only used it a couple times before it got too chilly. It happened to be perfect weather, no mosquitoes (yet) & happy kids, at least when we started ; ) The guys were getting ready to start smoking brisket & pork at midnight so we figured we might as well all stink like smoke. I HATE that smell unless I am camping but I love s'mores & these wonderful people.

It's amazing how much more responsible an almost 6 year old is near a fire versus a younger sibling who had not turned four yet....I won't mention any names.

The kids started out happy & then it turned completely into meltdown city when Jenny & I were giving baths & tucking them into beds. I think it may have been the loudest 30 minutes I have experienced in quite sometime. Quite possibly since the last time we had a four day sleepover last September ; )

Here are some of the crazy cousins, Charlotte-5, Karis-4, Eloise-almost 4, Isaac-3, Owen & Anson-2 & Olivia-1. We have staggered just right so Bob & Jeannine had to come to Florida every year to help with a new baby, haha.

Uncle Steve & Lolo spent some time together on "Donut Day" where he showed her how to make sure she got every sprinkle of sugar into her mouth. I was so thankful he could teach her that since what this child needs in life is MORE sugar! It was an adorable moment though & we will think of Uncle Steve anytime we finish our donuts.

Back to that darling Livi-Lou. Uncle Rob enjoyed some cuddles from her on the last afternoon together. I did too but there aren't any pictures to prove it.

As many of you know, this precious family will be Poland bound at the end of the summer once they reach 100% support. They are SO close at 85%, it seems to be just around the corner. This visit was so special knowing it would be the last time the kids would see each other for potentially four years unless one of our families is taking a LONG trip.  Robby & I are looking forward to spending some time with them in Celebration in mid July without our crew. It will be my second chance to get some pictures with the little ones ; ) 

Please take a moment to read in more detail about where the Lord is leading them, pray for them & consider financially supporting them as they take the good news of Jesus to a faraway place. 

We love them dearly & are sad to see them go but thrilled for what is ahead.