The Great Escape

Tomorrow we're off to celebrate our 10-year anniversary!  So please excuse me while I take a little break from blogging to stay HERE.  With no children.  We might not come back.

I know we're gonna miss our babies, but my goodness am I ever excited to get a break from them!  And to get to spend days and days with my hunk of a husband.

I'll post pictures upon our return!

Cupcakes & Planting

Those of you who know us well know that we're kind of sugar nazis.  It's not that we don't ever give our kids sugar, we just limit it to a couple of times a week.

So imagine Emerson and Jax's surprise when Daddy brought them home from their last day of preschool a few weeks ago and I was waiting in the kitchen with a cupcake mix, assorted sprinkles, and some cute cupcake liners.  They were stoked!  The little bakers did a great job.

The following Saturday, we all stopped by a nursery after our workout, and I bought plants for the front and back pots.  I didn't do much last year, and I really regretted not putting in the effort.  So here is what my front pots look like... I have one on each side of the front step.

In the back, I have two pots that look like this.

My little pots have oregano, sweet basil, and rosemary.  Crossing my fingers that these herbs do well and I don't kill them!

I, of course, had GREAT helpers all weekend long!  

Inspecting for worms...

I love Jax's expression in this one.

Emerson's Dance Recital 2012

Our little spitfire took to the stage yesterday afternoon.  She has been looking forward to her recital since her first dance class back in August.  We have thoroughly enjoyed being at Miss Shelly's this year, and having Miss Shelly herself for a teacher has been divine.  This woman is more than a dance instructor... she pours into the hearts of these little ballerinas and teaches character, grace, and joy right along with the dance steps.  At the beginning of the recital, she had the graduating seniors come front and center, she read a hand-written letter highlighting their academic and extracurricular achievements, and she told them how proud she was of them.  Between her choking up at the end and the crocodile tears coming from many of the dancers, it was evident that she means the world to these girls.  I had to fight the tears, too, imagining my own girls up there someday, saying goodbye to a woman who will undoubtedly be such a mentor in their lives as they grow.  So Miss Shelly, don't you even think about retiring!

Here's the lil' dancer posing before heading to the recital.

We left Jax and Hayden at home with Gi-Gi and Sue-Sue.  It was nice not to have to entertain little ones during the entire recital, especially since it was smack dab in the middle of nap time.  Not pictured: Grandma and Pa-Pa Van.

Here's one tired girl ready to go home.

Dancin' it up!





My favorite part?  When she switches places with the girl in the back, she points to where the girl is supposed to stand.  Miss Take-Charge can't help herself.

Heard around here lately...

Going through my old maternity clothes to pass some along to my friend Leslie, Emerson was watching me pull out each piece.  I unfolded a pair of jeans, and she exclaimed, "Wow, those are ginormous!"

A few days ago I heard fussing upstairs, then Jax hollering, "Mommmaaaayyyy!"
Emerson: "Sorry Jax!  I was just joking!"
Jax: "No, joking is NOT FUN, EmerSON."

Jax calls a trampoline a "jumping-foline."  Precious.

When I call for Jax by saying, "Jaxeyboyyy," Hayden has started repeating, "Ja-ta-baaah-eeeey."

Hayden's newest vocab additions include "ta-too" for thank you, "haaa-hugh" for love you, and she's become obsessed with identifying eyes, mouth, nose, and ears.  She's also started saying "Daaa-eee" instead of da-da.  I love this age!

Springtime in Peoria

Here's a peek into the world of my sister as of late...

Their new house, just down the street from their old one.  Isn't it darling?!  It's amazing how she's cozied it up in just a few short months.

Miley and Avery in a field of dandelions.

Hudson and Eric - in their track jackets.  Cute!

Love this one - the lighting is perfect.

Looking at these pictures gets me really verklempt.  If any of you live 9 hours away from each of your siblings, you know what I'm talking about.  I never in a million years dreamed my brother and sister and I would be raising our babies miles apart.  Life has a funny way of taking over and you just adjust to the distance and live for the times you get to be together.  But when I really sit still, look at pictures of my niece and nephew growing and changing right before my very eyes without getting to give regular hugs and kisses, it's almost too much to think about.

I love you, sweet sister of mine, and I love your babies like they were my own.  God has gifted you with everything you need to be what they need.  Never forget that.  Enjoy your Mother's Day on Sunday.

Currently...

Inspired to do this post by my friend Amy...

Watching: The TV is off - and glad for the quiet.

Drinking: My water glass is on the kitchen counter, but I haven't actually taken a drink yet.  I'd better get on that...

Wearing: Gray v-neck tee and maroon shorts.  Very hot.  

Eating: Nothing yet.  But will have 2 eggs in about 30 minutes.  

Listening: to the kids playing upstairs before I call them down for some milk and a show.  

Avoiding: the pile of laundry on the laundry room floor until after Daddy finishes his shower.  

Wishing: that our anniversary trip wasn't still a few weeks away.  I'm ready NOW.  

Feeling:  pretty groggy.  For some reason, every spring I have a hard time getting out of bed, even with 7 hours of sleep.  It must be something allergy-related.  

Missing:  my brother and sister.  

Thankful: for healthy children.  A few days ago I was doing some filing in the office and realized I just have one file for each of the kids' medical paperwork since birth, and none of them are anywhere near full.  I told Jason that I can't imagine what it would be like to have to face health issues and how thankful I was for God's blessing of health on our family.  

Craving:  nothing at the moment.  But undoubtedly at some point today, a certain spoon may need to take a dip in a certain peanut butter jar.  

Wondering: when I'm going to find time to shop for our anniversary trip.  

Praying: for daily patience and a good attitude with my wee ones.

Needing: to create multiple spreadsheets for payroll and kind of dreading it.

Thinking: about the naked man in my shower right now.  I know... TMI... but that's how I roll.  

Dreaming: of our family vacay to Nashville this summer and having all of the cousins together again!

Loving: the Monday morning barbell strength class at the gym.  Even loving the soreness this morning because it means results.