Wordless Wednesday

Two Peas

Can you see the love in her eyes? Nick often asks to "Go get shissy? Shissy cwying mommy" when he hears her wake up from naps. We had to put a childproof knob on the outside doorknob of her room as a result of him sneaking in there...

I love sleeping babies. Nick has decided that his rocker and his floor are more comfortable places to sleep than his bed.

Flashback Friday-New York

Okay Ashli, I'm stealing this blogging idea too!

I'm a sentimental person, so FLASHING BACK to this time 7 years ago (holy cow), Jason and I were getting ready to move back from our two year stint in New York. What an experience that was! Jason and I chose to follow a calling to aid in the establishment of a church on the north shore of Long Island (Stony Brook)...about 45 minutes from Manhattan. Having no mortgage nor children, we decided to take off and experience a different area of our country. With all of our belongings and no jobs, we headed out in Sept. of 2000(we did eventually get jobs...Jason with Merill Lynch & I with Commack School District). We took advantage of every opportunity Long Island & New York City had available. We took weekend trips to the South Fork of Long Island through the Hamptons. We spent evenings after work at the beach. The Metropolitan Museum of Art was a favorite of ours...visiting at least a dozen times. We watched the amazing Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks on the banks of the Hudson river twice. We stood 6 hours in the freezing cold in Times Square outside MTV Studios just yards away as Muhammad Ali pushed the button that dropped the ball ushering in the year 2001. New Year's 2002, Jason froze along with other crazy spectators as I ran the New York Road Runners Midnight Run in Central Park (with champaign stops instead of water stops). He drove me to Central Park, Brooklyn and Queens for multiple road races. We went to events at Madison Square Garden and watched the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular....the list goes on and on. Sadly, we experienced 9/11 while there as well and saw first hand the impact it had on those who called NYC home.

We packed a lot of stuff into those two years and were amazed at how many of the native New Yorkers only experience a fraction of what is available at their doorstep living in one of the most culturally rich cities in the world.

...but once again, despite all that, nothing beats the good ol' Midwest. HOME.

Snippits of our week...

Having the privilige of being home with the kids this summer has been by far one of the most enjoyable yet most exhausting job's I have ever had. Now I know that having a 1 1/2 year old, 2 1/2 year old and almost 4 year old contributes to the exhaustion and difficulty of the job, but my hope is that things will only get better and easier in the coming years. I cherish this time when I am the one getting them up and dressed and fed in the mornings (I missed this with Nick and Kate during the school year as I had to leave too early)...I love watching the grin on Kate's face, hearing the squeal of the anticipation of freedom from her prison crib as I greet her in the morning. I love the hugs and cuddles from Nick as I open the door to his room after he's endlessly beckoned, "mommy, daddy; mommy, daddy; mommy, daddy......" I love how Jonathan is always the first one up greeting both Jason and I and how just the other morning after I returned from my run and finished my shower he asked, "mommy, I want you to get in your bed and cuddle with me". So I did.

Here are just a few pictures from our week ('cause you know I take a ton).

Nick and Kate fight over my jewelry.

She can play with the big boys...I caught her flinging herself off of the couch onto the cushions.

He's taken a fondness for my boots lately

Daddy's job is to rock and cuddle his baby girl to sleep every night.

Wordless Wednesday

Thunderstorms

One of the reasons I love the Midwest so much is because of the spring and summer thunderstorms. I'm typing this as I hear the roll of thunder in the background and see the occasional flicker of lightening bounce off the computer monitor from the window behind me. Now...I'm not so fond of tornado's that often accompany severe thunderstorm watches and warnings (and neither is my poor sister-in-law who has lost a lot of sleep due to the numerous watches we have been under lately....and I don't really blame her considering they had a trampoline go through the front window of their home last May).

I remember the two years we lived in New York and never experiencing thunderstorms the way we do here in the Missouri. I love the exhilarating energy, the ominous dark clouds in the distance, and the smell in the air when the thunderstorm approaches. I love the soft rumble heard in the distance indicating the impending rain. I love thunderstorms at night for the visual sensation they provide. I love it when lightening is closely followed by thunder which makes the whole house shake. I love the sound of the torrential rain or pellets of hail on the roof, followed by the soft rhythm of the rain drops and the return of hushed rumbles and intermittent lightening as the storm moves away...

Thunderstorms amaze me! I love seeing the awesome power of storms. It’s just another reminder of God’s awesome power.

Father's Day 2009-Afternoon at the KC Zoo!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY JASON!

You are so loved and appreciated!
Daddy with his brood.
Kate chillin' while the boys were on the train.

Looking at the Orangutan

Daddy & Nick on the Carousel

The frisky tigers

Atop the treehouse at Discovery Barn

Nick & Daddy looking at camels.

Kate's 1st carousel ride

Jason wanted to take his family to the KC Zoo for Father's Day...despite the 90+ degree weather, so off we went! (after sleeping in/breakfast in bed and Jonathan confusingly singing happy birthday while giving daddy his card). The Zoo was offereing FREE admission & lunch for dad's! We had a fabulous (and temper tantrum free) experience. We visited the Australia area this time...and we started off by viewing the very frisky Tigers. They were playing/fighting and ROARING very loudly. Jonathan thought it was funny, Nick kept flinching and Kate was screaming in TERROR. We were fascinated by this...usually these zoo animals are...well.................boring. We had never heard the roar of tigers so loud or seen them so active in person. It was a beautiful day in celebration of one amazing daddy!

Celebrating Birthdays/Father's Day

We had a great time today celebrating family birthdays (Grandpa Mac's, Tommy's as well as mine) and Father's Day. Nothing like a little Fiorella's Jack Stack BBQ, three birthday cakes, and one Father's Day cake (and yummy baklava courtesty of Nataliya's mom, Irena) to expand the waistline! Thanks to everyone for a great time!

Blurb Book

So I finally uploaded my blog to http://www.blurb.com/ and had a book printed of the last two years of blogging. I don't have time to scrap, but I'm glad I find time to blog (some times not as often as I would like), but at least I have printed documentation of our crazy lives!

It is in color...and came out better than expected!

Wordless Wednesday

Getting older, but it keeps getting better!

1. Sleeping in till 9am.
2. Waking up to birthday signs, balloons, party hats & a cake (even though it had four candles because Jason swore I was 34, not 33).
3. Cards from my little sweeties.
4. Running socks picked out specially from Jonathan.
5. A Salon Oasis Foot and Leg treatment from Jason...yes, my feet are really that bad.
6. A cookie cake (my favorite) from sis, Katie.
7. A fabulous babysitter (sis, again).
8. A night on the town with my big sweetie...movie (Star Trek...I'm not trekkie, but it was GOOD) & dinner (Abuelos).

A REALLY HAPPY & SPOILED BIRTHDAY!

Wordless Wednesday

Kate's Renal Scan-GET ME OUTTA HERE!

This photo pretty much says it all! It was not a pleasant experience for either of us...worse for her, I'm sure..but I was on the verge of tears myself! I have never seen my daughter as upset as she was when having to be catheterized. She had this same procedure done when she was a mere 3 months old, but this go around, it was necessary to sedate her, given her age, for the hour long procedure. So all together, we were there almost four hours from the time she had her IV, to the time she came to after the sedation started to wear off. She slept another 4 hours when we returned home. We won't know the results till the end of the week...but we are confident that any dilation is just a result of her wacky and unique right kidney that matches her wacky and unique demeanour!

Day out with Thomas

Our anniversary celebration ended early Saturday morning so we could rise and shine and head to Baldwin City, KS for the Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine. Apparently the boys didn't get a lot of sleep the night before...came as no surprise to us given the excitment of having a sleepover in cousin Austin's bed. So the boys were a little out of sorts...especially little Nicholas, so our time was cut short!