18 months

*update*

Indulge me...i did some cropping this morning and although the boys looking at the tree looked a bit CHEESY (yep, mom's amateur posing!) I love Anna's dreamy stare. So this is her 18 months pic TAKE TWO!

and yes, it continues...

she's a year and a half and I can't believe it! We are loving this holiday season so far. She giggles at the lights and has learned to say tree. When we go outside she looks at us and shivers and says "co-o-o-ld." She's just a bundle of fun.

Celebrating!

...another year of life...

We always do a big b-day party with Mike's family on our vacation together. We spanned June through September this party. So here are, of course, 3 of my sweet 6 gifts!

Sporting her new pink tutu! She wears it well.

Idependance Day 2013

We got to celebrate the 4th with my family in Ohio. We took the kiddos to King's Island and had fun going on the big rides! We hardly spent any time in the kiddy area. They are just growing up so fast. We stayed with my brother and had a nice afternoon in their pool.

Christmas Time!

Tree up, stockings hung, nativity placed, Rudoff and Frosty on tv...now for the cookies and fudge!! Can't wait to have some down time with the Fam! Merry Christmas ALL...

Wow, it's been so long since I've posted...moving will do that!! We are enjoying the new place...still unpacking boxes, but hoping to get back into the swing of things soon.

A lil' bit o' Christmas

(The new football jerseys!)

Didn't want to pass up on a couple cute pics of my boys from Christmas.  I know it's long overdue!  I've gotten really behind at posting, life just gets too busy somedays.  We had Christmas with my mom and brothers at our house and then headed to Michigan for Christmas day.  My dad also came over to spend a short day with us.  We were actually home for New Years - first time in 5 years!  We even had an extra little guy with us.  We watched our friends son so they could help chaperone our churches jr. high retreat.  Our boys just loved having him follow them around!

(with Grandma!)

(The grandkids + a few significant others = 29)

(Ringin' in the new year...2010...in case you didn't get the hand gestures.)

(Drew playing cars with our guest...they played cars alot!)

(Trent gave great sled rides!)

Thanksgiving...

We traveled to "Misery" as named by the GPS Missouri to spend Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family.  My grandparents live there and it was great to see some other extended family.  What a godly heritage!  I'm so thankful for them.  I found them both asleep in their recliners in front of the tv one evening with their hands like this...

My mom and 2 of my brothers

Busy cookin'

The boys enjoyed playing with my cousin and 2nd cousin.  They went fishing, hiking, and of course did some Wii-ing!!

I enjoyed taking some pictures of my aunt, uncle, and cousin.  The weather was beautiful, sunny, and warm!

...B-L-I-T-Z!!...

On the way home we stopped to see the St. Louis Arch.  We wanted to go up, but the lines were just way to long!!

On the road again...

Wild for Turkeys!

Trent and Drew went to my friend's house and all the kids got to work! They made some pretty Thankful Turkeys! {Thanks for being so creative with my kids, J!! Her post is here.}

HALLOWEEN

Well, our costume choices were EASY this year.  The boys wanted to be the same thing as last year.
So, again, Drew was spiderman...although this year he actually wore the face mask! Progress!  Trent dressed up as his father's favoirte team and his mother actually let is happen...again...what?  GO BUCKEYES!!

Here's the familiar duo... from October 2008.

Labor Day Weekend...

...we headed up to Michigan to visit friends and family. We got to hang out with a friend of mine from high school in the Philippines. It was great fun, and I laughed...A LOT! Drew hit it off with M, my friends daughter. We laughed some more about how alike they are, those two! (We are really in for it when they get older, E! Glad we can share our mortifying stories together!)

(I snapped a few pics with my totally disfunctional camera!! It only works when it wants to...sigh...I know, it's blurry...but, you get the picture...)

Then we had another family BIRTHDAY PARTY. We celebrated Drew's b-day and he was so excited to rip open his gift and find Spiderman golf clubs!! Now he can get in on the golf action that Mike and Trent have enjoyed together. He also got a fishing pole and walkie-talkies :)

Ready...

...get set...

...S-W-I-N-G!...

On Monday, while the boys went golfing, I headed out to the beach with some of my nieces. It was fun to walk across the warm sand, indulge in reading a book while soaking in some rays, play a "lively" game of cards, and walk out on the pier. Thanks for including your "old" aunt girls! It was a blast!

Happy Anniversary!

Today Mike and I celebrate 9 years of marriage! I can't believe it's been that long, it's gone so fast. Mike, you'd better make sure you've started saving for the big cruise next year I'm looking forward to a quiet dinner out!

I got out our wedding album this morning and reminisced about OUR day...our prayer...
Col. 2:2-3 "...that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Here are a few pics I scanned into the computer - not the greatest quality but they'll do.


Mike,
Thank you for 9 great years! I'm so glad we said "I do!" I love your servants heart and I appreciate all that you do to bless me as your partner. Thank you for being understanding, patient, and kind. (I know that's not always easy with me and all we have faced these last 2 1/2 years) I see you striving to be more Christ-like and I'm so grateful for your leadership as we raise our family. I love you, and I hope we have many more years to celebrate together!
Love,
Me

Memorial Day!

We enjoyed a weekend away from the norm and visited Mike's family in Michigan. It was nice to spend time with family.

We went to visit Mike's dad's grave. Our boys had never been there but had been asking what it looked like, so we loaded up in the van and had a nice time remembering and sharing with our boys. He fought in Korea, and was honored by the Boy Scouts with a flag by his grave.

We headed to the parade at noon. The boys huddled under a blanket with their cousins. It was so windy, but they still had a great time (and managed to grab a few tootsie rolls :)).
Then we headed back to grandma's for a cookout and a serious game of wiffle ball. It was so fun...to watch :)

Please keep our niece Rachel in your prayers. On Tuesday she began the bone marrow transplant process. She has been fighting leukemia for about a year now (she is 13 years old). Tue began 5 days of full body radiation, then comes a big dose of chemo, then the transfusion of bone marrow from her younger sister. Then at least 21 days in isolation while they wait for the grafting to take. It will not be a fun or easy road! Pray for no side-effects, and that her body will not reject the donor marrow.

Holidaze

I wanted to post a few pictures of all our holiday fun. We had such a great time with family!! We traveled a lot, but our visits were well worth the miles logged. We hope your Christmas season was filled with joy at the birth of our Savior, and many blessing for this new year, too!