Wounded

 Two boys with broken arms that Doctor Daddy had to fix.

 Faithful Nurse Layla by doctor's side to help out.

Brothers and Sisters

When You Give Birth At Home...

...your kids pretend to do the same!

Crazy Brothers

First Zoo Trip

My parents gave us a zoo membership this Christmas.  Good friends of ours also received the same gift, so even though it was a bit chilly, we bundled up our families and headed to the zoo a few weeks back.  It actually ended up being a beautiful day.  It was cold and sunny at first, but over time it warmed up into the 50's.  The animals were out and about since the weather was so crisp.  The kids loved seeing all the animals, but they really got a kick out of all the statues throughout the zoo.  The nice thing about the membership is there was no pressure to "see everything" and wear ourselves or the kids out.  We just left at a reasonable time knowing that we would be back soon.  By next fall, the zoo might seem like a second backyard to our family.  Thanks mom and dad for the gift!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day

Sorry this is late, but Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!  We were out of town the past two days because a family friend passed away this weekend.  She was 92 years-old, so not too much to be sad about.  She lived a long and wonderful life and now she is with her Lord and Savior. 

Layla was very cute about the whole thing.  As we were packing on Sunday she said, " I don't want to go to Marge's funeral."  I told her that most people don't want to go to funerals, but we do it to show care and respect for the family that has experienced the loss.  Last night as we returned home, Layla said that she was bummed we didn't have a huge Valentine's Day party.  She said instead we went to a funeral and had a small party.  The party was really just family getting together for dinner.  She said she really needed to celebrate another holiday that involved hearts.  I told her that maybe for our wedding anniversary later this month we could celebrate with hearts.  She seemed content with that.  I also told her it is rare to have to attend funerals on Valentine's Day.  That girl always makes me laugh!

Future Plans

Today at lunch, Layla and Julius had a conversation about what businesses they would own when they are adults.  I think Layla's was a cupcake company and Julius' was a restaurant.  They then agreed to faithfully bring meals to each other on days that they were closed for business.  How cute is that!

Ready

I think she's ready for a new baby :)

A Visit from Friends

Layla kept saying that she couldn't believe she was looking

at a "real baby girl."  You think this kid needs a sister?

My friend, Nicole, was very gracious in letting my little ones

 smother her baby girl, Mya.

Alexis kept sneaking upstairs.  What can you say.  She has no stairs

at her house, so she really needed to practice her climbing skills!

Don't Leave!

When Houghton Lake was over and we arrived safely home, the kids were bummed to hear that Uncle Gilbo was going home. No, he's not really their uncle, but we all affectionately call him that. Julius asked if he could spend the night. Sorry, bud. Gilbo has to go home and go to work.

Houghton Lake 2010

For the past four years, our family and a whole handful of other friend's families have been heading up to Houghton Lake for a long weekend of fun. Jen's father kindly lets us overrun his beautiful lake-front home for a few days, and he and his wife even prepare all our meals for our rowdy gang. Through the years, our numbers have multiplied due to some fertility issues, and now the children are close to outnumbering the adults. By next year I am pretty sure they will take over.

This year's weather left us all wanting, but we still managed to have a great time and even sneak in a bit of swimming and boating. The stars every year are corn hole and various board and card games. The kids had a blast, too, but all the parents were always pleased when the kids were tucked snug in their beds. We aren't the rowdy group we used to be. Craig, Jen's dad, said we drank about a 1/4th of what we have in years past. And he would know. He bags up all the cans! What can I say, we are all getting older with more responsibility! And maybe a bit more sense!

Thanks Craig and Marie for pampering us so well for the weekend. Thanks Dave, Jen, Kate and Dave for planning and preparing such a special weekend for us. Thanks to the rest of the gang who was up there. We had a blast! See ya next year!

Sister's Lakes

We had the privilege last weekend to head out to the Brady's home for some time of food, fellowship and teaching. The Brady's are the co-founders of Team and we always appreciate when we get to spend some time at their place. It is also such a great time to catch up with other people in our business as we eat a bunch of yummy food and play volleyball. We had beautiful weather with just enough breeze off the lake to keep the mosquitoes away. It was so good to get to sit and talk with some of my favorite ladies. As you can see I managed to steal Josh and Nicole's brand new baby! Too bad I had to hand Mya back to her parents when it was all over!

Long-Time Friends

Our family had the chance to visit last week with some friends that live about 5 hours away. Mary has been my best friend since first grade. We had the pleasure of going to school together all the way through high school. I miss her terribly, but we are both convinced that in order to see each other more often we would need to live on the same street! Maybe someday! That would be dreamy.

Our family, Mary, her husband, Matt, and their three children all met us at a local state park. We chowed on pizza while the kids ran around and got incredibly sweaty. Matt and Mary's kids are all about the same ages as ours, so they match up pretty good. I hadn't seen Mary in about a year and a half. It makes me sad to even write that. It is always great to see good friends, no matter how long it has been, because you always feel so comfortable around them. Thanks for the visit, Matt and Mary. Maybe we can head down your way sometime and invade your house!