my baby...

A mismatch scrap book view of Bella baby faces taken over the past 5 years... What a happy 5 years it's been. Can't believe Friday will mark 5 years since she came into the world! It seems like yesterday!

The Best Daddy in the world...

There's something like

a line of gold thread

running through a man's words

when he talks to his daughter,

and gradually over the years

it gets to be long enough for you to

pick up in your hands and weave

into a cloth that feels like love itself.

~John Gregory Brown, Decorations in a Ruined Cemetery, 1994

What kind of Dad spends his father's day weekend putting up swing sets and doing yard work to get ready for little ones birthday? A selfless one. One that cares more about hearing the laughter and joy of his children than his own. Honey, you are the best father to our children that I could ever dream for. You are hands on, loving, fun, and always there when they need you. We love you more than you could ever know! Even though you spent your weekend building, hauling dirt and bark, weeding, pruning, and all of those other things that make it called... yard "work", I really hope you know that today and everyday we appreciate you, and are so thankful that you are ours! Happy Father's Day.

my dad

There are people in our lives that weigh more heavily on you than others. Their opinions are somehow more important, you listen and tend to remember their words as you walk through life. My dad is one of those people to me. He is the first man that taught me how every other should treat me. He showed me what respect is. He has always made me feel special, loved, and important. Throughout my life I never remember a time he wouldn't do anything he could for my happiness. Whether it was taking me for a "special date" or coming to eat school lunch when I was a little girl, or helping me remodel my house as I'm a grown up. There are very few people ever so selfless, that they give to you without ever looking back. But, he is one of those people. He was there when I learned how to walk, there when I learned how to ride a bike, there when I learned how to drive a car, there as I gave another man my heart, there when I gave birth to my babies, and continues to be there as an important and critical part of my life. I feel thankful each and every day that I have been so lucky to have had so much love in my life. My dad has taught me what true love is. I am also so thankful for the love that he gives my girls. There is nothing so important in a young girls life than strong relationships with the male role models in their lives. My girls are lucky enough to have two! As we are almost at Fathers Day, I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to my dad... You go above and beyond the duties of Dad and Papa. You always do things for all of us with love, and for that and every other thing you've ever done or taught me I thank you, and love you for it, from the bottom of my heart! Happy Father's Day Dad... XOXO

Morning Hair

My Girls

Hand and Heart Shall Never Part,

When this you see Remember Me.

Sweet is the Song of the Birds, but Sweeter still the Song of those we Love.

I see the Moon and the Moon sees Me, God Bless the Moon, and God Bless Me.

Write it in your Heart that the ones you Love our Lifes most Precious Gifts.

Farewell to Preschool Days

Yesterday we said goodbye to preschool. Hard to believe Miss Bella will start kindergarten in the fall, but it is exciting too! She is excited, and some of her friends she's made from preschool will follow with her to Kindergarten, it will be fun to keep watching her grow and change!

Answered Prayers!

Just wanted to say a thank you to those of you that kept me in your prayers yesterday, it must have worked because the surgery was a great success!!! Here we are a little more than 24 hours since the actual surgery, and other than a bit of bruising within the eye, and dryness, I am doing wonderfully! My vision is great, and they say I can only expect that to get even better with time. I have to sleep in some goofy goggles for the week, and have to take many eye drops every hour, but it is all well worth it! The first 6 hours after surgery were the roughest, but once you get past that all seems to be smooth sailing! If Lasik is something you have thought about, I highly recommend finding out more and consulting your doctor! Just wanted to report that I am doing well, and that I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your well wishes!

Prayer Request

Tomorrow morning I go in for Lasik eye surgery, and would very much appreciate your prayers as I go! It has been a long time since I have been able to see. (in fact I'm not sure I ever remember a time) I have worn glasses since I was 8, and even before that I probably needed them. I was the kid that always sat in the front row at school, not because I was the teachers pet, but because it was the only way I could see the black board. In middle school I didn't want to be the "nerd" so I didn't wear my glasses, I would hide them.... Eventually I got contacts. In the last couple of years my eyes have started to basically reject my contacts, I've had eye irritation, infections, abrasions, etc. Needless to say the eye doctor said I was a great candidate for the surgery, and that it maybe the only way to really have a good quality of life where it comes to my eyes. So, here I go...... I am nervous and excited all rolled into one. I can't even begin to wrap by brain around waking up and looking around and seeing. It's almost emotional to think about. It will be a miracle, that is certain. As of January when the Doctor told me I needed to think of the surgery, we were unsure how to make it happen right now financially. God had a bigger plan because that week we were in the process of refinancing our home due to some remodeling work we were doing. Our home happened to appraise higher than anticipated, so we were able to take some extra out to pay for this surgery. So it is with faith that God has paved the way so far for this to happen. And it is with faith that God will be watching over me tomorrow as I go, but knowing that I have your prayers also, will give me comfort! I will let you know how it goes.

the sweetness of a long weekend...

What a great three-day weekend! The weather didn't cooperate as much as we may have liked, but anytime to be home as a family is all right by me! On Saturday we bought 4lbs of the most delicious cherries, a little more than 24 hours later... GONE. How do three people eat 4lbs of cherries in one day? They were just so good... I think we'll go get more this week!

Hoping you had a wonderful holiday weekend doing something equally as sweet!

Counting Down to # 5

In less than a month my (first) baby will be 5 years old. Where has the time flown? Here I am once again, a bit nostalgic, a bit in disbelief, and a bit teary eyed that time goes so quick... Counting down to #5!

Miss B's 4th Birthday

4 is so much fun...

3rd Birthday face

#2 was sweet

First Birthday Girl

First Birthday Cake

Our sweet girl on her very first day...

What a fun 5 years it's been!

I'll be sure to post Birthday #5 faces and delights.

what a day

Do you ever have those days that you wish you could rewind back to when you woke up and start all over again? Do you ever wonder why some days everything clicks, and somedays everything seems to be broken? What is it exactly that can alter a day so much? Will tomorrow be any better? Probably. The chances are good, not much room to go down, plenty of room to go up! I find myself at a weird phase of life.... I can't quite put my finger on it. My whole world revolves around other people, mostly two little people that although their size may be small, their impact upon the given mood, is quite large. Some days it seems that all the giving of myself catches up with me. I can't seem to hear my own thoughts anymore, happiness is a stretch, and patience is hard to come by. I talked about looking for the balance in my life around new years. I have been working, and praying towards that goal daily since, but some days I tell you it's a stretch. I have to remind myself to enjoy the now, not the later. It's a hard lesson to learn. Here's what I've found... Organization, Routine, and Structure is KEY! Those 3 things hinge my kids on whether they will unravel that day or be happy, healthy, kids. I struggle with having to have every detail of my life orderly, planned, and structured. I would much rather fly by the seat of my pants and see where the day would lead me; but I no longer lead only myself. So, tomorrow I will try to start my day with organization, routine, and structure, and see if that makes a difference on whether the day will click or clack!

my mom...

Is there any one in your life that is your constant? You know... the person you can always count on even when the chips are down? The person that knows how to comfort you when there seems to be no comfort in the world. The person that pretty much knows what your thinking before you are thinking it. A person so true to you that they are your hero? That would be my mom for me. While at times I don't always understand her, I always respect her. She has depth I'm not sure she even knows she has. I admire her patients, and calming way, her faith, and ability to sit and listen to God, when it's not the easiest thing to do. She is my go to person, the one I always know will be there for me, my comforter, and my friend. With mothers day coming up it's got me thinking... about the kind of mom I want to be, about how special my mom is to me, and how I don't say thank you to her nearly enough. So, let me take this opportunity to say thank you, mom, for all that you do, all that you are, and just for being you. Mom, you are an amazing person, I wish you knew how amazing you are. I know we have a different situation than most, spending so much time together, which at times leads us to take advantage of one another, but at the end of the day if you know nothing else know that I love you, admire you, thank you, and appreciate you for all that you are and all that you do! Happy Mothers Day, I wish you all of the things in life that make your heart happy.

happy birthday!

This is how I spent my Birthday weekend, how lovely to be at the beach! Sorry to bombard you with so many pictures... but what's a girl to do? Hoping you too had a glorious weekend!