Meaning of a Mom...

1. Loves you the moment she finds out about you

2. Dreams of your future when she feels you kick from inside

3. Knows what kind of child you will be by how active you are in her womb

4. Is the first one who gets to hold you close to her heart

5. Feeds and nurtures you from the very beginning

6. Takes care and snuggles with you when you get the sickies

7. Tucks you in at night, even if you are in high school

8. Is proud of every accomplishment, small and big

9. Shares her dessert with you, even though she was hiding it from all her kids

10. Scratches your arm while watching Thorn Birds

11. Gives the best advice, even if it doesn't sink in right away

12. Makes the best tacos and frozen pepsi's

13. Takes you on adventure you will never forget

14. Works hard and still manages to keep it all together

15. Helps with homework, even after a 12 hour work day

16. Makes you laugh when she says, Ni-Ten-Do

17. When you know what a wonderful daughter she is

18. Teaches you how to drive and tells you it's okay, we won't tell dad you almost took of the mirror

19. Calls you Boogie, because you are her very last baby

20. Teaches you that you love with your whole heart and do it, unconditionally

Happy Mother's Day Mom.  Love and miss you so much.

And Happy Mother's Day to all my bloggy mom friends.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with all things beautiful.

Ft. Myers 2013

Trying to get back into the groove of every day life after an amazing trip is no easy task!  But, we are slowly getting there.  Unpacked, clothes washed, and beach pictures ordered.  If I didn't do it the second we got home, it would never get done.

Willsy of course, is my water baby through and through.  He loves the beach, pool and fishing with daddy.  He also wanted to save every piece of marine life he saw.  Sand crabs, Hermit crabs, Star fish, Sand Dollars and the little shiners daddy would use as bait.  He would pick it up and put it back in the ocean.  Because it needed the water.  Totally melted my heart.  The only fish that was eaten, was a sea trout.  The boys catch and release everything.  I asked Willsy if he was going to become a marine biologist and he told me he still wants to be a paleontologist, so he can dig up dino bones.

*One of many star fishes saved by willsy, love that smile, and the only catch that was eaten

*Mommy and Willsy having some time together on the beach, making silly faces

*Another star fish saved, making peace with the trout, and getting close

Baby boy Eli was not as fond of the beach/water.  He loved it the first day, then quickly changed his mind.  If you went in the ocean, he wanted to be held.  If you let him go on the beach, he would run everywhere!  Needless to say, when he was on the beach, we were always on the move.  He did like the pool but would go from the pool to dipping his feet into the hot tub.  At one point, I put him in his stroller and just walked around the pool because, he was just so hard to handle.  Hoping next year he will enjoy it a little more, and make my life a little easier.

*last night on the sand, tuckered out with thomas, always checking something out on the beach
*selfies with mommy, baby boy is getting some serious teeth lately, love him
*touching the sand for the first time, literally fell asleep at the lunch table, loving the ocean on day 1

*Daddy and Willsy making a trail of sand castles, digging a giant hole because that's what you do, one of many fishes they caught together, matching shorts and toys..love my boys

All the pictures from this vacation were taken with my iphone because someone stole our camera one morning when Lew was fishing on the beach.  We were totally shocked!  It had two days worth of pictures on it that hadn't been downloaded yet...boo!

Tell next year, Ft. Myers!

Long Over Due...

This post and this trip were and are long over due.  Does that make sense?  Being able to go on a road trip with your sister and kids was something for the memory book.  Being able to be on that road trip to Nebraska to visit my maternal grandparents, was simply amazing.

I have to get it all down before our next adventure, which is happening in just 3 days!  We are headed to the beautiful, Ft. Myers Beach in Florida.  So exited!

1.baby running main st 2. with the grandparents at the cheesecake factory, they were slightly overwhelmed 3. lilly taking baby eli for a ride on grandpa's 3 wheeler 4. baby eli sitting in grandma's chair/he was quite demanding of her attention when we were there, so sweet 5. grandma, jj and myself doing duck lips, too funny 6. lilly was in nebraska and iowa at the same time 7. grandma with baby eli 8. giving grandpa a smoochie...love him 9. will and lilly riding the 3 wheeler, it was pure entertainment for a good hour

1. will at the hotel taking a little swim 2. mommy on the 3 wheeler taking baby eli for a ride 3. swim suit is just a bit too big there eli, total water baby. don't look at my hair. total bed head friz mess! 4. baby model as we now like to call him. at the photo shoot in detroit for vw's summer catalog 4. lilly and will, up to no good 5. see...hours of entertainment on said 3 wheeler 6. will getting his modeling on 7. trying to control baby model 8. eli entertained by the $165 car...yeah i know, ridiculous!

One of my favorite pictures from the trip and of all time.  I love seeing the kids in the back, the endless side walk, the yard that I played in many a times as a child, and sitting on the front steps where I am sure my mom had.  So many memories there as a child, that are hard for me to remember without my older siblings.  Truly blessed to have amazing, loving grandparents and wonderful siblings to share these memories with.



Hoping to be more present on here after we get back from Florida.  With the move, spring break, and getting settled, it's been a challenge to get back in the groove.

Pre trip Pre easter Pre bloggy break

We have been on a bit of a break.  Home schooling.  Oh the joys... Moving.  Unpacking.  Many Target trips thrown in the mix for mindless things.  Decorating.  Making our new house, a home. 

A fun day of crafting thrown in the mix, to put smiles on all of our faces.

There is nothing like your smiles.  Will and Eli, you make my world so much brighter.  Thank you for the giggles, the brotherly love, the hugs and smooches (from Will).  And Eli, thank you for the warm, and sweet snuggles.



Big milestone happened today.  We signed you up for Kindergarten today, Will.  Didn't mean much to you, but my heart warmed and tears filled my eyes.  You are amazing. You taught me how to be the mommy I am today. Thank you.

Best Surprise EVER!

Ok.  So this past weekend was a kid's consignment sale that I have been looking forward to since we moved here.  You know in the past that I have always gone to the one back home in Annapolis, which is huge and I absolutely love.  (side note..I am totally bummed that I can't go to the one back home which is next weekend and there are over 600 consignors this year!) 

 

Anyway..all week I was telling my sister about it because we consignment buddies.  We love finding great quality clothes, at great prices for our kiddos.  Fast forward to Friday and my day really was starting off awful, I was texting my sister and telling her about it and told her she should come here and go to the sale with me.  She was in Detroit on a business trip and it would be so easy to do.  She told me to come pick her up.  I was like not with two little ones on short notice.  She was like make sure you take pictures, so I can see your finds.  And that was that.

 

Come lunch time, Lew texts me and asks me if I want to go out to dinner.  Umm...yeah!  I told him it could not have come at a better time, because my day wasn't going so well.  He said, I have training tell 5 and then I will have to come home and switch cars because I have to go deliver something to a customer. Very believable because his car is too small for anything.  So...he comes home gets the car and said he should be back in about an hour or so. 

 

After about the second hour, I was kind of getting worried and called him to see where he was at.  He said he was on his way back but was stuck in horrible traffic.  Fast forward to almost 9pm...and believe me, I had been texting him for the last hour or so.  I was beyond starving and starting to get cranky!

 

I told him once I heard the garage, I would come right out so we could at least go grab a bite to eat somewhere.

 

Garage door opens, and I see him walking towards me and I start going off on him about how long it took.  When my sister pops out from around the corner and yells...SURPRISE!  Holy cow was I surprised as ever.

 

I haven't seen her since Christmas so, it was an amazing surprise that Lew and her both pulled off.  We went out and got Mexican food and had margaritas.  It was awesome people.

 

I am still in shock, because my sister is not very spontaneous and changed her travel plans just to go to this consignment sale with me.  Literally she was here for 24 hours.  We had a great time at the sale and got some amazing finds.

 

The quality was definitely better than the sale back home, but they didn't have as much.  My sister rocked and found a Burberry shirt for Eli for $10.  Retails for $130!  He will be sporting that this Easter.

 

It was sad to take her back to the airport but I will see her in two weeks.  The boys and I are driving to Detroit to do a photo shoot for one of her marketing campaigns.  Then we are on spring break and heading to Nebraska to visit my grandparents, who have never met the boys.  So...so...excited. 

 

Oh...and we are outta here, by here I mean the mil's on Wednesday!  These next couple of weeks are going to be wonderful.

 

 

Not a big haul...but quality!  Mini Boden, Gap, Janie and Jack, and Gymboree



 

 

Holding up our numbers with our game faces on!  Ready to get some deals.  I look so tired!

 





Happy week friends!

It's Finally Happening...



After 4 long and I mean super long months, we have finally found a place to live!  Over the moon excited cannot even express my joy and happiness!  We are moving to a small little burb near the water, which we love.  Good school district, a Target that is somewhat close, 8.3 miles to be exact.  I'll take it!  We get the keys this week and plan on moving small things in for the moment and then next week we will get everything out of storage.

 

I cannot wait to be in my own bed, see all my stuff, get the boys settled, and of course Will cannot wait to see all his toys.  The boys are going to actually have a play area other than their room, which will be all sorts of amazing.  I might not see Will for a whole day because he will be amongst all his books and things.  Anxiety about being here, is slowly fading because we will be in our own place and space.

 

Unfortunately, the move is about 35 minutes from Will's school.  So, this is his last week there.  I never thought I would be doing this, but I am going to be home schooling him for the last two months of his preschool career.  I have done a lot of research, by that I mean pinning amazing ideas from pinterest to do with Will.  We will continue the writing and coloring daily, which he is starting to get into.  But, I thought I would make it specialized to his interests.  So..we will do a unit on dinosaurs, which I found some wonderful crafts on and marine life as well.  And as far as the socialization goes we are going to enroll him in  a couple classes through parks and recreation.  Lew and I just felt that putting him into another school would be too much on him emotionally.  I see trips into the city, visiting bloggy friends at museums, and lots of good things in store for us.

 

Today...we are getting lots of snow, I'm with my babies, Lew is going to come home early, and packing has begun.  There is a lot to be grateful for.

 

 



 baby toes

 

 



 warm fuzzy hats and an awesome sweater from their favorite auntie

 

 

 a giant snowman that you can climb on

 

 

 sledding on a 99cent saucer sled courtesy of our old target then warming up with hot cocoa, check mix and some vintage game boy

 

 

 snuggling with our stuffed dog lew, named after daddy

 

 

 brotherly love that really is lovely

 

 

 snow angel and snowmen with awesome daddy

 

 

watching the snow and the plow truck....

bits and pieces...

• Will is two stickers away from getting a prize out of the treasure box at school. to say the least, he is over the moon excited.  It took him a while to understand why his friends were getting stuff.  Having to explain waiting and patience to a 5 year old is somewhat impossible.
• Eli got his third hair cut.  His hair grows so fast, exactly like his name sake, my pape. We are keeping it somewhat long because, he just has the most beautiful hair!
• Will got a big boy bike and decided he wanted to try it without training wheels, in the rain.  Umm...let's say we didn't get far.  I was running around holding the back of the seat and trying to keep him balanced.  Brings me back to when I first learned.  My brother taught me.  He was so proud, that he had me do a grand entrance onto our street past our house.  My mom, pape, sisters and of course my brother were watching me zoom, wobbly down the street with the look of determination.  From there on out, they all called me the wicked witch because of that look on my face, slightly hunched over my bike....I can totally hear that Wizard of Oz song in my head now.  It's quite amazing what things we choose to remember, I guess the smile on my family's faces said it all.
• Eli knows three words.  Well one, since the the pediatrician said mom and dad don't count...what?  His third word, Einstein.  As in Baby Einstein.  I know!  Not Willsy, not milk, not drink, not bye bye.  Einstein.  My sister said, he just knows what he likes.  When he's an adult, I am sure he will get a kick out of it.
• Less pressure=a Willsy that is actually wanting to learn.  We are finding creative ways to spark his interest in letters and numbers.  It definitely seems to be helping.  As far as the coloring and drawing goes....I have bought a ton of coloring books that he liked and he is actually sitting down for longer than 5 minutes.  I have to tell myself, boys are just different.
• As soon as we get into the grocery store, Eli expects to have his bagel.  I might have created a bad habit, but he is so good throughout the grocery shop!  He usually will just kind of chew on it but, it's his special little treat. He actually whines if I don't head to the bakery first!  A boy who knows what he wants.
• Will and I took a yoga class about a month ago.  He didn't really get into it, but it got me thinking how I needed some zen in my life.  So...I took up hot yoga, also known as Bikram.  Only two classes in, but there is something kind of amazingly addicting about it.  Yes.  It's hot.  About 110 degrees hot.  But, in the first 5 minutes your body acclimates to it.  I have never had this much stretching and lengthening in my fitness career.  They say you burn about 500-1000 calories, which I can totally believe.  It has tons of health benefits, supporting the immune system, clearing sinuses, helping with allergies and your metabolism.  You come out of there feeling like you just went through a cleanse, its amazing.  Kind of wish I had someone to go with me, but its nice to have my own time too.
• Snow.  It's coming.  Looks like on and off for three days.  I love it, but I don't love driving in it.  They don't cancel school unless there is like a foot or more on the ground.  Kind of hoping there is a foot or more.

Good night friends...Namaste.  (the zen in me had to come out)