The girls...

Kate's first experience with a sucker...



Anne's first experience with painting her nails...

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Our favorite dad and husband turns THIRTY TWO today!
I love his birthday because the jokes about me being two years older (for a whole month) end!
I hope your day is wonderful, Bud!
We love you!

~Chat soon!

Sausage Fest...

*disclaimer, if you don't like meat, or meat processing...you have come the wrong post today.*

Okay, in the beginning of the month, Adam went Boar hunting in Texas. They successfully bagged several large hogs.
The meat was brought home in large packages and placed directly into our already bulging deep freeze.
I never really asked what exactly we would be doing with the meat until early last week. In casual conversation I asked Adam what we were going to do with ALL THAT PIG MEAT?! He smiled and said, 'make bratwurst....this weekend.'
NICE!

And that my friends is what we did.
It was messy, tough, and kind of disgusting, but oddly enjoyable all at the same time.
I told you we aren't really text book city folk, we just pretend to be on t.v.! :)

~Chat soon!

2002

The beginning of the best years of my life...

8 years and counting...
here is to another 80!


~Chat soon!

Oh What Fun...

Daddy owns a promotional products company... :)
How boring would it be otherwise?
*sorry for the red eye... a little lazy today...
~Chat soon!

A Fairy is coming...

...Tooth Fairy that is!

Yesterday, we discovered Anne has a loose tooth. Possibly TWO but it's hard to tell!

I can't believe it...Just can't believe it!

Have I told you I think loose teeth are kind of gross??
I guess I have a long row to hoe with that! :)
Breathe in, breathe out...

~Chat soon!

miscellaneous

I had a religion teacher in high school named Rev. Labore.
He was a hoot.
We would walk in, especially on Friday's and he would announce it was "Misallaney Day".
Meaning, we would discuss things that weren't necessarily on the plans, take care of business etc.

Today I have deemed MISALLANEY DAY!

I'm home because sweet Katherine decided to up-chuck all over the back of my car last night.
She isn't a puker, so I assumed she was sick, called in to work for today, and proceeded to Walgreens for latex gloves, pedialite, Lysol, and disinfecting wipes. I stopped short of buying a mask, thought it may scare her.
I never said I wasn't a freak.
I HATE puke.
Luckily, we are not professional vomit-ers in my house/family, so it is only under rare circumstances that we have to go into this mode.
Kate being the 'corker' that she is...hasn't produced on more ounce of yuck since. I'm not complaning...just sayin'.

Today is Ash Wednesday.
I have never been one to 'give up' something on Ash Wednesday. As a Lutheran, we were never forced into that. I'm not sure why, a definite time for reflection...but my family did not give up things.
This year is slightly different.
I am giving up 'stuff'.
I am challenging myself (and Adam) to do 40 bags in 40 days. That means each day of Lent I/we have to toss a bag. Goodwill, trash, blessing someone else, I don't care, but it ain't staying here. I got the idea from this post. I don't know much about it, or if there is a process to it, but I thought that it is quite simple, yet painstaking all in the same breath. We'll see how that goes.

Going to try a little action with my sewing machine. Have acquired a pattern for some dresses that I am going to dabble with. I hope it works. If it doesn't, oh well, I'll get to go to the fabric store and pick out something pretty and try again! :0)

I can't wait for our new niece or nephew to arrive...just a few more weeks!
Told you it was MISALLANEY DAY! Don't like to disappoint!

Happy Wednesday!
~Chat soon!

Wishing...

Even the babes are missing the warmth...
Come quick, spring!
We miss you!

~Chat soon!

The little lady's party...

the little banner i made for Anne didn't photograph well, but it was cute-or I thought so at least. I got the idea from here, her's is MUCH cuter, but I forgot about it until Saturday morning...so time was not on my side. therefore quality was not so much. Found the ladybug cake on Family Fun. Great site/magazine for anything you want to make...My new go-to spot. (probably, will NOT be continuing with cake baking, not so good at it...handing the icing bag back over to LUCY! :) )
Our favorite cousin Annie, is getting married to our soon to be favorite cousin-in-law, Jason in August. Annie asked Anne to be the flower girl in their wedding by reading a sweet book. Anne didn't know what to think at first (well, really, she just wanted to open her presents, but since then, has been practicing how she will 'look'. )

Just birthday fun!

Momma and Kate. Adam's Aunt Pat, me, and Kate

(is it just me or does Kate look like a b.i.g. kid here?)

~chat soon!

always in the shadows...

...stupid diabetes. always lurking. sits quiet and then pokes it's ugly head around the corner. today it had nothing to do with me or dad. it deals with anne. DON'T FREAK-she doesn't have it.

when she was born, we put her in a study that tested to see if she has the genetic makeup for type 1 diabetes. they called several weeks after she was born to tell me she does indeed carry the not-so-glamorous-gene of diabetes (or the big D-what we call it around our parts!) the study is called TRIGR and it is great. they are working feverishly to figure out what it is that makes the gene activate or mutate or whatever scientific term it is that makes the person have diabetes. the team we work with is awesome. for the first several months we had to go and get her blood drawn, then it was every 3 months, then once a year for the first 10 years of her life. her chances of being diagnosed with D is less then 5% chance prior to the age of 10. chances unknown after the age of 10-just found that out today...

today i had to take anne to Children's hospital to get her labs done (blood shot as she called it). she was so terribly brave. squawked a tad when the stuck the needle in, but after it was all said and done, she jumped off and stood at attention, waiting for her sucker. :) the blood work is looked at to see what her average blood sugar is. it is always perfect. its just a nail biter until the 24 hours pass and they let you know that it is A-OKAY!

today on the way to the hospital, anne asked me why she had to get a 'blood shot'. i said, that it was to see if she needed a pump like me. (didn't know how else to explain it..) she didn't miss a beat and said. "but your pump makes you special and i think that's great". had to take a double take and make sure i picked up the right 5 year old and not a 15 year old by mistake. :)

who really knows what is in the cards. i don't know, adam doesn't know, the doc's don't know, the blood work can't predict. it is that weirdo feeling of being completely out of control. luckily, i only have to think this over, once a year when i take her for her blood work. :) whatever comes of it, one thing is for sure. GOD is in control, and as usual would carry us through-although, i wouldn't mind if he gave us a get out of jail free card on this instance! :)

i hate it. did i ever tell you that? it stinks. but it could always be worse. always, always, always. sometimes i kick myself for ever allowing anne to be in the study. would i think differently if i wouldn't know that she carried the gene, or would i worry MORE? i watch what her liquid intake is from time to time, if i think she is getting to skinny (if you know Anne, that isn't really a rationale thought! :) )...every time she gets sick, i ponder if this will be the time her immune system says I GIVE and diabetes comes into play. it truly is always in the shadows. ...stupid D.
*don't forget the walk to cure diabetes is in september...join me!*
~chat soon!

Tuesday

So today we were greeted with this...

Which resulted in a day off of work. YEAH!

No rest for the weary because I was then greeted with this... boo...

We decided to do this, since we had the chance.
I was hysterical. Really wishing I had worn a belt because the old back side was a little chilly! In all the pictures, Adam looked like he was in pain, or yelling. Made me laugh!
Kate wasn't a fan of sledding
Anne thought it was the coolest thing EVER!

And now, I am closing out Tuesday, with this. :)
*just got the word that tomorrow is another snow day. maybe i'll have another!*


~Chat soon!

Kisses

Totally going out on a limb and entering this picture into a contest on IHEARTFACES.com Great website for ideas and helpful hints. Check out the other darling kissy faces by clicking on the camera.

~Chat soon!

Birthday Festivites...

So Anne's birthday was this weekend.

We are not really into big birthday bashes for our kids. Or ourselves, for that matter.

Intimate gatherings, closest family, maybe a few friends is good for us.

We maybe scaring our children, I don't know, but it works for us.

It makes me not sweat and at any given time, that is a marked success in my book! :)

I sometimes envy those families that have the big knock out parties at Bounce U or Chuck-E-Cheese (barf!) because the kids have the time of their lives.

But on the other hand, in 20 years when you ask them what they did for their 5th birthday will they remember, who knows?

I digress...

So, for Anne's birthday-

We had Miss Katy and Julie (my forever friend) over for a project play date. (the chicks loved it) and the moms did too BECAUSE we talked NON STOP, and I mean NONSTOP while our kids made stuff. Too cool.

Happy Birthday...

Our sweet Anne Clara turns 5 today.
We have always referred to her as 'Baby Anne'. Maybe we need to change that.
Where did the time go?
Seriously, where on earth did the time go?
I used to think only old people said that.
It is so true.
It feels like yesterday, when we saw her for the very first time.
Scared out of our shorts, yet so excited we couldn't stand it.
I hope the memories are always so fresh.
SHE has taught US so much.
I think back to the way I 'used to be' and just laugh.
Laugh out right!
She's so great. I never in a million years realized what a blessing she would be. A little bit of me, a little bit of Adam, and a whole lot of her own being=one great gal! :)
We couldn't ask for anything better.
I wonder what the next 5 years will bring...
She will always be our 'Baby Anne'...
~chat soon!
Who would have thought that little sumo wrestler (10lbs 12oz) would have turned out so dang cute?!