The Girl Can Pump!

An yes I'm beyond giddy! :)

We Love The Loaf!

We are so glad that Tillamook cheese has started a tour, "Bringing tasty cheese to the people."



And yes, if you are thinking it sounds familiar...almost exactly two years ago I posted about getting some of this cheese in the mail! :)

Tillamook cheese and I go way back to high school when I was able to take a trip with Amanda and her family to Oregon. Tillamook, Oregon to be exact! :) Her Aunt and Uncle live there so we enjoyed quite a few days touring the Oregon coast, including the ice cream and cheese factory in Tillamook. It was such an amazing trip with wonderful memories, and one we plan to take when the kids are a bit older! I was quite disappointed that they didn't have it on the East coast (although today they said Trader Joes does...not that Melissa will need to know that ;) ) and thrilled that we are able to buy it in Texas.

Amanda let me know that they were coming our way, so the calendar was marked. I debated about going as Lorelei is still iffy on how she is feeling, but she was going to be terribly disappointed if we didn't go, so out we went. Brad even went along on his lunch break! We got coupons and buttons and recipes and it was fun talking to them about the tour they are doing. The picture of the kids inside is the one the lady took with her ipad and put on their website...if you can tell it isn't to my standards but trying to get them both to look was crazy...probably since it wasn't a camera! :)

And oh how nice it was to get out of the house! :)

The Lone Survivor

Thankfully Makin was except from the SECOND nasty cold bug to go around our house. Despite our best efforts the other three of us came down with some nasty fevers and coughs this week. Still waiting for it to be done, but it is slowly movin' out.

A Boy And His Raisens

Not sure if I have accurately described how much this guy loves raisins, but I have to pry them away from him like they are candy. :) They also ended up on the bottom shelf of the pantry when I organized it, which I may have to re-evaluate.

As I was taking some time for Lorelei to work on some Easter crafts (we were beyond tired of tv on day two being sick and getting antsy) I went to get the camera and stumbled upon Mr. Content sitting there eating his raisins. Then when I went to help Lorelei, he decided to move his snack into the trunk of the tree. I definitely don't allow raisins all over the house, but had to catch him being his usual laid-back-rasin-lovin self. :) After I got those away, he proceeded to contentedly dump out the box of fruit snack packages, play with them, and then put them all back and put the box back into the pantry without me saying a word about it. Love my little neat-freak. :)

Last Gymnastics

Lorelei had her last class this morning and had a great time. I am actually not as bummed about being done as I thought I would be. While I know she LOVED her class. She also LOVES the park, the pool, the sandbox...and a million other things we do every week. And yes, she needs to work on following instruction and all of that, but I think that will be worked on MUCH MORE and plenty when she goes to school next year. I am so glad we had her do this just for the experience, but am more than happy to wait a few more years for these kind of extracurriculars. :) And like this girl needs more exercise anyway right? ;)

Ah at least it improved her confidence on the balance beam! :)

Almost forgot to mention that Brad took an early and long lunch break so that he could check out her class. It was great he got to see her in action! :)

A few shots I got on the phone the week before (which explains the quality...see what I get for trying not to take my camera in attempt to take less pictures!?) which are blurry, but thought you could still see what she was doing. She was so proud!

Sunny Sunday Afternoon

We broke out the sprinkler Sunday afternoon to have some fun in the sun. The kids are getting a kick out of filling up buckets with the spraying water, as well as turning it up and down themselves. Lorelei is still hesitant to run through it, so Brad held her hand. She actually had fun...just looks a little horrified in the picture. :)

And then Brad grilled our supper and we ate it out on the patio. Yummy! They added just a little bit of water to the sand so Lorelei was proud to show off the "cast" she put on Makin's leg.



Then Brad decided to give the front yard a quick mowing before bathtime. (The backyard was too wet of course, along with not enough time.) The kids were loving watching him, and then had to join in with their own mower. I kept trying to get them to go back and play some more while he mowed but they would have none of it. They love their daddy!

Great way to end the weekend. :)

Out Shopping and Breakfast Send Off

Mom and I enjoyed shopping and lunch just the two of us after pictures on Saturday. So much fun to go and has been way too long!











We made our fancy french toast for breakfast Sunday morning before Mom headed home. Thanks so much for coming! We love you and miss you already!

Bluebonnets!!! Not The Margarine...;)

Just had to add that when my mom told my grandma we were taking bluebonnet pictures she was a little concerned we were taking pictures with margarine. ;)

We were thrilled to see so many gorgeous bluebonnets along the roads and everywhere. Thankfully I found out a perfect location with gobs of them, just a little under 20 minutes away. We were also excited that Mom got to be there for some pictures as well! I had planned to go back in the evening since we had a major melt-down from Lorelei, (Skipping nap the day before gave us a very rough Saturday) but Brads allergies seem to have kicked in, so we just called it good for this spring. Next year we hope to go around sunset! :)

Okay...had a little too much fun editing with Picasa this time. :)










Makin was not a fan of the dewy bluebonnets. He eventually got used to it okay though.







Brad attempted to get her calmed down by taking a walk all the way to the top of the hill. They had fun, but didn't work when they got back. :) At least it made for a good photo op. :)


And the trigger for the meltdown of course? A dog. :) It was his 1 year birthday. :) Both kids were thrilled to get to pet him before getting to the car.

The Fort Worth Zoo

We had lots of fun taking a trip the zoo on Friday. It was absolutely perfect weather and so much fun to get out and do something special.

The animals were quite lively and we got a chance to see a few things I had not seen before. We especially loved a close-up look at the kangaroos and getting to see one hop quite a bit. The kids also loved the Meerkats that came right up to them. The other big thrill was feeding the birds. Lorelei and Nana went in and got to feed them and Makin and I got some fun views from outside. He wasn't phased by not going in himself. And this little guy kept his shades on most of the trip, and this is how he liked to chill out and watch the animals. :) One of us propping him up comfy along the side. We also had our picnic lunch right on a bench watching the giraffes, who also had fish and a swan to keep them company.




We loved getting an ice cream treat! :)



















They have a barn play area in the old fashioned Texas town that is lots of fun. Last year we went with Auntie Di and Clarissa. Clarissa had to drag Lorelei up through each little "hole" to get to the top and it was even an effort to get her to go down the tunnel slide. This year she flew up with no problem...wow those extra inches in height helped! Then she went down and was bummed that she had not gone through the rope tunnel that she could see up high. I told her she had to go find it when she got up there. So up she went again and told me "I'll just ask somebody how to get there." :) And then sure enough, when she found it, she started to go and said about three times to herself, "I can do this." :)


And what zoo trip is complete without riding the train at the end? (This is a tradition from visiting my grandma and our trip to Milwaukee Zoo, which is amazing by-the-way. Cannot wait to bring our kids there.) Both kids were elated to ride the train. While we waited in line Makin kept saying "ain! ain!" :) Then when it stopped and told him it was time to go he kept telling us he wanted to ride it again and shaking his head that he did not want to get off. And of course love the look of wonderment on Lorelei's face through the tunnel. :)


Such a fun day and great memories!

Nana Is Here!

Mom was able to make a trip up to visit during her spring break. We still ran out of time to do all the things we would like, but we are looking forward to at least a full week sometime this summer! :) But this is the longest visit we have had in a long time and it was great!

Of course, the kids had her busy right away and loved some of the special things she brought with her, like books, a bug catcher and an ice cream apron! :)


Our first day was still rainy and chilly, so we didn't get out much other than a quick errand...and of course they got a couple of fun toys from that trip...the hopping chick and bunny were so much fun for them. :)

New Flip Flops

Not quite as hilarious as his reaction to tennis shoes, but humorous just the same. You can imagine how long our trip for about 4 items at Kroger took this morning. Had me cracking up so much. Amazingly when I let him choose his shoes between these and the tennis shoes, he chose these. :) Guess he has a new challenge for himself...how to not walk like a penguin in flip flops! :)

Sorry for the long video, didn't want to wait for Brad to edit for me. :) And Lorelei was driving a kids cart behind while I was taping...if you can't tell. :) And did you hear him say "op" for stop at her? :) More words every day! Woo hoo!

"M"

Not sure he can really pick out from all the other letters all the time, but isn't it so cute anyway? :)



He has also started saying a few new words, including "ing" (swing), and his version of daddy is something like "yayee" along with becoming a big fan of the sh sound...also super cute! :)

Happy Spring

We have been working at a few spring crafts, books and breaking out the Easter decorations. Nice to add some color and a little fun to our days. :) Cannot wait for the beautiful weather coming up!

And who doesn't wear their shades in the house? Totally instigated by the little man.

Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah

Brad and I attempted to make some good progress on the master closet now that we got a filing cabinet from clist...and this is just one of many things that entertained the kiddos while we worked! :)

They are dancing to this song about twice in the video. How can you not dance and jump to this song!? :) Love it! Also love that my husband is a video editing stud! :)

Consignment Sale and St. Pats Weekend

Brad got a taste of being a full time daddy Friday and Saturday afternoon and evenings. Our huge consignment sale was this weekend. I volunteered Friday and shopped Saturday. It was amazing, as always. The best part is that Brad does such a good job while I'm busy shopping and I love hearing about the fun they have together! Friday they even broke out the sprinkler for a while in the backyard. Saturday Brad said they did a lot of golfing and played outside much of the afternoon. And I am very happy to have almost all of our Spring/Summer shopping done. I hardly had to get anything for Makin except pjs and swimming trunks thanks to Chase and Karter's hand-me-downs. I was very excited to find some wonderful educational toys as well as a few things to stash away for later. :) Soooo thankful that they have this sale! Here is a video to show you what it is like there!



Lorelei woke up Sunday morning and told me she missed me with a big hug. :) Then she said "Whatdya get me!?" :) After tackling the educational toys I was so thrilled about, I showed her the clothes and had minimal reaction. She even went so far as to say, "You shouldn't have gotten me that, it makes me want ice cream...to go to the zoo...go to the ocean..." because there was ice cream, elephant, mermaids on the shirt...you get the idea. :) Just not appreciated around here. ;) Still thankful she wears pretty much anything I pick out...I know all-too-soon I will have her with me picking out some Hannah Montana shirt or something! :)






We had a minimal St. Patricks celebration. I did have cookies we have been eating the last few days, and we used a few clover stickers to have a little fun. That was pretty much it! :)












Just an idea I thought some of you might like that I read somewhere...cut up pipe-cleaners and put them in a jar...great magnet activity! :)

Sweet Hugs

And yes, I'm having lots of fun with Picassa's (the free photo editing we have on the computer) new fancy editing on my pictures...who knows what will come up next! :)

Dave and Busters Date

For our date night out this month we decided to try out Dave and Busters, which is an arcade more geared towards adults. There were plenty of families there with kids (probably because of spring break) but it was still a lot of fun. We enjoyed some good food, and played basketball, skeet-ball, and of course our favorite, air hockey, among a few other games. So great to get out and have some kid-free fun!

Very happy that Mom and Dad had enough tickets for a whopping two kazoos. :)

The Butterfly House

Lorelei has been asking to go to a butterfly house for about a year and a half now. She still remembers visiting the one at the Gardens in Norfolk, just before Makin was born. So you can imagine how delighted I was to find one that is open year-round! And of course, even more happy Mary is up for taking field trips with us! :) So, again we packed up the kids and headed into Dallas. They had a WONDERFUL time and it was absolutely beautiful.

Before the butterflies...From top and middle left, clockwise...there were also crafts going on this week because of spring break, so they enjoyed some markers and tissue paper to make their own picture with flowers. The guy working the craft seemed to think Makin needed some help. :) Our two cuties on one of the benches. :), running around in the garden area they loved exploring, in front of the sign for the building, and then the older girls looking at the sign saying which butterfly they were most excited to see. Behind them is the butterfly house. It is all part of State Fair Park (if you can see the Ferris wheel) and there are other museums there as well, so we will probably be back in the future to check out some more, especially the train museum! :)

The room with the butterflies was huge. Two levels...and so many amazing flowers and butterflies to see. The entrance is at the top floor and you go down the ramp to see all of it. Sooo many close butterflies to see and so many different kinds. Lorelei was very sure she could sit still long enough for one to land on her. As we were going down, she said that one did land on her shoulder for a minute...whether it landed or just came really close, she was super-excited. We even wore a bright shirt and sprayed her hair with smelly-good stuff to help! :)




As you can see, there was a container that the chrysallys were in that the children could look at (and fight over the ONE stool of course) and then every day at noon they release the butterflies that are ready to fly. The lady talked about the butterflies and answered questions. Can you see our two older girls front and center? :) Only about three flew out right away. They wait for them to fly out when they are ready so that they are happier during their roughly two-week life span. We went back through the very hot and humid butterfly house a second time before heading home, and just happened to time it right to see about three more butterflies that decided they were ready to fly out at that time, so they were all very glad to see that up close. The picture of Lorelei and Aubrey looking depressed is actually them trying to sit really still for a butterfly to land on them. Did you know it was such a sad job? :)

We brought a picnic lunch and enjoyed it back out in the gardens on the benches. Then they all stayed at the little pond for quite a while checking out some fish (and possibly tadpoles...according to Lorelei). And yes, I was worried she was going to fall in head-first. :)

Soooo much fun! :)

"Yissa!"

Lorelei was ecstatic that I asked Alysa to babysit on Wednesday. She is only 11, so not quite old enough for me to feel ok leaving her alone with the kids, but I had plenty I could get done stowed away in my room with her watching them. Since this week is their spring break, we decided it was a good time to have her over. I only asked her to stay a couple of hours, and she ended up staying all day because she was having so much fun and didn't want to leave. (Apparently we are more fun than her older brother and Dad's supper leftovers. ;) ) Makin actually fell in love with her too, so now she has two huge fans. He actually wanted her instead of me a few times that afternoon! They are very excited to see her again at church on Sunday!

18 Month Check Up, Evening Guests and Cooler Jammies

We had Makin's 18 month check up today. He did great! Height: 33 3/4 in (85%) (Grew 1 inch in 3 months)
Weight: 27 lbs 1 oz (65%) (Only gained 1/4 lb in 3 mo)
Head: 19 in (55%)
We also need to look into making our first dentist visit, start taking one chewy vitamin each day, and cross our fingers he will start saying his D's by June. If not, we are just going to go ahead and have him evaluated to see what the speech professionals think. Better to get it started early than have to worry about speech when he is older! :) There are free programs that come into your home to work with you, so it will be no problem for us! Other than that he is on track with speech for his age. Woo hoo! :)






There is a park right across the street from the pediatrician, so we went there afterwards and had a great time. So nice to have the happiness of a park to dampen the bummer of a doctors visit!













Tonight was the Hughes date night for the month, so we had lots of fun with Aubrey and Morgan.


The kids loved playing the game with the see-saw swing and ball. Aubrey has a good arm so they are a great team...even got it to the roof a few times! :) Makin had to try it with Morgan too when the big girls took a break. Yes, they are all voting for a BIGGER sandbox! :) After Patrick and Mary got back he played a fun game of Simon Says that had them all laughing. :) Each child took a turn being Simon too, and although Makin just stood watching through everyone else's turn, he marched right up there determined get his turn as Simon as well. :)

Gone are the footsies...perhaps for the season! 80ish degrees and we have the windows open, not to mention the humidity because of all the rain in the forecast! The kids had to have cooler pajamas for the night. So cute! Luckily Makin had a couple pairs from Chase for spring (the sale is this weekend) and Lorelei just used the John Deere shirt from Papa that is a bit too big for now. She was super excited to wear it. Yep, pajamas are on the top of my shopping list! :)

Love Each Other

This was actually taken a week and a half or so ago, but kept thinking I was going to use it somewhere else. Just had to share it. :) Love how much fun they are having with each other lately. The other day they were wrestling and Lorelei looked up and said, "Little brothers are fun!" :)

Surprise Lunch

Brad surprised us today by bringing home lunch from McDonald's! The kids were elated to have their own kids meals and we had a nice family lunch on the patio getting some sun.

After work we had lots of fun in the backyard with Brad too. He and I even fit in some Frisbee, and didn't hit the kids too many times! ;) Having a feeling this whole lighter-for-longer and beautiful weather is going to make it rough to head in for bedtime for a while! :)

She's Baaaaack

As promised, Heather came back this weekend to help put some more finishing touches on the tree. Her long-time friend, Tyler (along with his friend, Mike) was stopping by her place Friday on their way to a wedding in Dallas, so they let her catch a ride with them! We were very glad to get some extra Heather hours for our weekend!

The kids had a total blast playing with her. Lots of giggles and play-time.

And a few of the jobs along the way...putting the owls together...with some help.

Drawing a sketch of what she was going to add to the tree. Along with yummy Pink Truck wine and music.

Mike showing the kids something on his phone. They were able to join us for lunch on Sunday and hung out a bit afterwards.

Sisters
(Can you tell we know our best sides? ;) )

The playroom has come quite a ways. Brad and I decided we needed the archway to be painted as the tan-to-blue looked off. Brad also discovered that it is not easy to do detailed paint on textured walls...so he has some finishing touches to do after he can go and get some special painters tape he found recommended online...so yet another thing on the still-to-be-done list. Heather added a lot to the tree. We may ad some more finishing touches here and there and work on the trunk a bit more, but it is done with the major paint job. We finally got some of the toys moved back in Sunday afternoon and just coming up with how we want it arranged. Still on the top of the list: putting a light in the tree trunk, paint the ladder and hutch red, paint Little People shelves, quotes on the walls, wall to display art work...yeah still much to do. :) And lets just say Brad and I may be looking into finding someone cheap to paint the kids rooms after this adventure! :) But more than likely we just need time to let us forget about it and then we will think we can do it again. ;)

Tree/Playroom Progress

Big thanks to the Stahls and Heather for making my awesome kids tree dream come true!!! :)