Too Much Fun? No Such Thing.

It was another wonderful weekend. We took off Friday morning for Omaha, where our caravan (Nana & Papa, Chris, Alisa, & Asher, and Us) met up with Erica, the girls, and their special guest Noah. The kids get so excited every single time they see each other. It never gets old.

We spent the afternoon swimming at the Coco Key Waterpark. It was loads of fun (too bad I forgot my camera to prove it!). There was a great little kid area where the three-year-olds and Layla played and played and played. The adults took turns watching kids, being with our own families, and doing our own fun slides and swimming as well. It worked splendid. Dallas and I even got to sit in the hot tub together, alone. Holler!

We ventured in the icky snow that evening to Mark and Erica's new home. It was great to see where they live and the community.

Saturday we went to the children's museum. It was super sweet! The kids, again, played for hours. We went for a little drive to check out Lincoln, then back to Mark and Erica's for game playing, supper, and hanging out.

The best part of the trip was Saturday evening. Erica, Alisa, and I went to Michael's until they closed the door, then to Carlos O'Kelley's until they, also, shut the door. They were vacuuming around us. We didn't care. It was a great night together, laughing so hard we were crying. We talked about childhood memories, our families, and on and on. I have many wonderful, wonderful friends. But there is nothing like time with my sisters.

We left Sunday morning, driving like banshees to get home in time to bring in the kids, feed Charlie boy, go potty, and leave for small group! It was hard to get there, and we felt completely burnt out. But as always, we were so glad we sucked it up and went. Small group evenings never fail to bless us and give us the boost we need into the week.

So here we are, a Monday. And have I mentioned how much I love Mondays? Strange, I know. After all the fun weekends bring, snuggling back in with the cubs and getting back into routine is always welcome.

What We've Been Up To.

We've had a great couple of days. They have been happily busy, but not overwhelmingly crazy. It's been lovely.

This weekend we got a movie from the library (love that!) and had our pals Noah and Asher over to eat popcorn with us. Saturday we spent the day working upstairs on the kids' rooms. We moved Layla into Maleah's room, and all.is.well. They love it! It's so sweet to listen to them chat and chat. We have learned a lot the past couple of nights.
1. It takes Layla much longer to fall asleep than Maleah. This came as a surprise to us!
2. Maleah is such a rule follower. This does not come as a surprise to us!
3. Maleah can understand Layla's language probably better than any of us.
4. Being sisters is so special, even when you are only two and three years old.

Saturday night we went to my mom and dad's house to celebrate my dad's birthday. While Dallas, Layla, and Charlie hung out with the crew, Maleah and I ran into church to volunteer and then to Sam's Club. Does the price on the receipt of Sam's not make your heart thump. But oh how I love the feeling of being stocked up. We went back to the rents and enjoyed fun times with aunts and uncles, grandma and grandpa. And enjoyed a Scratch cupcake. Holy smokes, they are so good.

Sunday morning we went to Kurt and Erica's church for Elena's baptism. Then over to their house for lunch and playing. We had plans for the evening, but after long naps leaving us all feeling like zombies, we ordered pizza and stayed in for the evening. It was fantastic.

This week has been: Layla's IA City appointment, watching Carson, Bible Study, chiropactor appointments, subbing for Kindermusik, and playing with friends.

Pictures to come soon. :)

Sweetness.

Check out my sweet peas. The girls will only sleep together. We have no idea what got this idea into their heads, but the idea will not get out! The great thing is that they are actually sleeping well. It takes them a longer time to fall asleep, but when I went up to scold them last night and found Maleah holding Layla, I decided to embrace the idea that they love each other, and while they still think it's awesome to be with each other, we're going to let it be. One day, all too soon, they will probably despise even the idea of sharing a room.



Our problem is that Layla fell out of the bed the other night. Holy canoli was that ever traumatic. And I really don't desire for her to have another broken arm. So, we are going to try to combine their rooms so they each have their own bed at least. This is our Saturday project. I am so super excited. There is something so refreshing about rearranging, no? If all else fails, back to their own room they go.

The third sweet pea, Charlie boy, still sleeps swaddled. I call it swaddled, others call it his straight jacket. He will be six months old in ten days, and I should probably let him have some freedom! However, I am all too worried about losing any sort of sleep. Laugh it up. Since the little guy is only in the 5% for his weight, he still looks just fine in that swaddle. He might be a little tall for it. But again, pretty soon he will be climbing up a ladder to get into bed. For now? I think I'll keep him confined as my little itty bitty baby.

Valentine's Day

That smile is all about the jello. He LOVED the jello. At first I think he didn't understand that it's to eat, not just wiggle around. He figured out how good it tasted very quickly.

We had our newest little Valentine, Carson, here to celebrate. And let me just tell you, thank you Lord for your provision! Our small group is doing a 21 day "fast." Because Charlie would starve to death if I gave up food, I decided that I would not buy anything but food for 21 days. While I know it's not the biggest deal in the world to have Valentine's day presents, I am a momma and was so bummed that my kids would be getting nothing special.
Why ever doubt that the good Lord will pull through? Of course Papa & Nana and Grandma & Grandpa spoiled the kids, and then on Valentine's morning when Carson showed up, he came bearing gifts and gifts and gifts. We felt so incredibly blessed! The girls have been carrying their baskets and presents around. They felt special and loved.

I went and woke up Maleah from her nap and said, "Mommy wants to make cookies with you!" This was going to be an activity for everyone. But you can imagine how it would have gone with a 3 year old, 2 year old, 16 month old, and 5 months old. Yup, it was totally worth waking up just Maleah. She was beside herself in giddiness. We made goody packages for our friends.

And here's our lunch. Heart jello jigglers, heart pancakes, and Valentine's cupcakes. The favorite part? The special napkin. Easily pleased.

That evening we had Kindermusik class and then the kids went to Papa and Nana's while Dallas and I got to go on a date! Yahoo! We laughed and laughed about our first Valentine's Day, TEN years ago. That's a long time when you're only 25 years old. Yes, I was only 15. And the only thing I would do differently is have another 10 years behind us. I can't imagine my life without my favorite person in the world.
It's safe to say we are still absolutely crazy about each other.
He still makes my heart flutter.
He still impresses me every single day.
I am constantly reminded why I chose him.
And I am ever so grateful that the Lord gave him to me.
He is my most treasured possession on this earth.
I can't wait to see where we are ten years from now.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Vacation Continued

For some stinky reason, I am not able to upload the rest of the vacation pictures. That is so unfortunate, because let me tell you, they are cute (a picture of Layla coming down the slide and Charlie in his trunks, ahem, adorable!)!!

If ever you got sick of the swimming part, there was a place in the lodge that had puzzles, games, coloring, and even "projects" you could pay to do (paint pottery, etc.). And if ever you got sick of the project part, you could venture over to the climbing nets and slides. Three stories worth. And for the older kids, there was a place called "Magic Quest." Magic Quest is a big scavenger hunt. You purchase a wand and do certain things to get your clues and complete the hunt. Combine all of these things, and you have one heck of a family vacation getaway!

And who would forget the 8:00 Pajama Party! Every evening, all the kiddos venture to the lobby in their jammies. The animals and people in the cabin come alive and tell a story with song. Then the children get a chance to meet Wiley the Wolf, or Violet the Lady Wolf. The kids love this part. But I have to admit that I LOVED the music! I loved it so much so I drove my husband and vacation companions nutty by singing it all day and night. The story was c-u-t-e.

We hope to make the Great Wolf Lodge an annual happening. I sure hope you all get there someday too! It's just that great!

Vacation.

We had a great little getaway to Wisconsin Dells, where we stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge. It was such a neat place! So great that we extended our stay. The kids did awesome on the ride up. We decided we weren't even going to allow for movies because the drive was so pretty. The girls loved looking at the "big rock walls" entering Wisconsin. And all the barns we saw on the windy roads were so beautiful. Do you think anyone napped on the way? Nope! When we got to the lodge and saw our wonderful room and fun waterpark, everyone was so excited! Of course having great friends made the energy level rise too! It was too.much.fun!! Let me tell you about it through pictures...

Maleah was so brave. She has been saying her favorite thing was the "white slide." Here it is.

Are they not so cute? This is in the wave pool. Another hit.

Josh was a wonderful sport! All the kids were aiming at the daddies. They giggled and giggled. It was too precious.

This little pool was SO warm. Maleah really grew to trust the life jacket and would just float around the pool. And don't let Charlie's face fib you. He LOVED this pool!


*There is more to come!! I am not able to upload any more photos. Got more to show though! Will update this afternoon with the second round.*

Catch Up Part 2.

1. Maleah has been taking naps every single day without any kind of fight. I have no idea what turned this around, beings she hasn't consistently napped for almost a year! This is so heavenly!

2. Carson is doing AWESOME. He has been so good and it's been an all around great experience having him! You can tell he is getting more comfortable here. He is exploring more (opening drawers, dumping laundry, etc.). He's also been more vocal and expressive. It's been fun to watch the girls with our little guest. Layla brought him a pot today, touched it very lightly and told him, "No touch...get owie." Well Layla, you DO listen!

3. A lot of questions came up with Grandpa's passing. Watching Maleah process everything was so interesting, and lightened things up a bit. When I explained to her that Grandpa is in heaven with Jesus, she went and got her nativity book. You could tell she was trying to piece things together. When my parents brought the girls to the visitation, Maleah came up to me and asked where Mary was. You know, Jesus' mommy, Mary. :)

4. Along with that, my parents were so wonderful and willing to help with the kids during all the funeral festivities. They were in the nursery at the church and watched a handful of kids, some who did NOT want to be there, and did so with a smile on their face. They are the best.

5. Let's be honest. One of the best parts of getting ready for a trip is planning the food and snacks! Maleah and I will be running into Parkersburg tonight to pick up juice boxes and lunchables. We are so excited for a few days of nothing but fun!

Catch Up Part 1.

Maleah & her snowman PB&J.

The cookie-cutter scavenger hunt.

1. I bought these cookie cutters a month ago and pulled them out today. Any mom who is home all day with her little tikes during the winter understands the need to make simple items go much further than its initial use. We need to kill time, folks! Therefore, Momma initiated the cookie-cutter scavenger hunt. The girls LOVED it! I had Layla find red ones, or pick out two. Maleah started out finding certain animals, letters, etc. Then I extended it to finding what certain names start with. (P for Papa, etc.) This wonderful activity lasted 45 minutes! At the end I had her chose something that meant winter for our sandwiches today. And voila - you have the snowman peanut butter and jelly up above.

2. Then there's this cutie-patootie, Carson. He will be spending lots of time with us as we are going to be watching him a few days a week while his normal caregiver is on maternity leave. Today has gone amazingly well. All four kids are even sleeping at the same time! He is such a good boy, and you can about imagine how much the girls love having a little "baby" who walks and plays! He is 15 months old, and quickly reminding me about all that comes with that age. For example - I put a plate of lunch on his high chair, and well...the first thing he did was dump the plate. I'm excited to get to know him better.

3. Last week was a whirlwind. Between visitation, funeral, and having our guests here, the week seemed crazy! The great thing about funerals (wish it was a wedding!), is how it draws family together. Dallas's cousin and her family stayed here all week. They have two little kids who got along so well with ours. We played cards every night and stayed up way too late talking and laughing and laughing and laughing. It was a blast!

4. All the kids have been fighting the sniffles. Within the last hour, I've felt the waterworks coming through my nose too. Lovely.

5. We are going to the Dells Thursday and Friday with our dear friends for some much needed time away. I can.not.wait!!

6. Lastly (for this edition of catch-up), I love Mondays! Everyone seems happy to be home with nowhere to go.

Grandpa Wessels.

Our dear Grandpa Wessels. A man Dallas admired so incredibly much. Someone who never called you by the right name (even though he knew it darn well). A grandpa who did everything he could to help anyone. A fellow everybody in the community knew. A great grandpa who would play along with the little ones. A man after God's own heart. Someone we were so fortunate to know.

Two weeks ago, we found out Grandpa had cancer that was beyond treatment. He came home to get settled in and comfortable, and one week later, went to his heavenly home. When Grandpa gets something in his head, you can consider it done. And this was no different. He had his eternal home in mind, and was not about to waste anymore time getting there. 3-6 months worth of living with cancer turned into one week. It was very fast.

Dallas was sure to spend a lot of time with his Grandpa last week. The kids saw him one last time, and I got there with Dallas when I could. Saturday night, we sat with Grandpa for two hours before he passed. Dallas on one side, me on the other, holding each of his hands. It was scary and sad. But what a privilege. Grandpa was somebody who stood beside Dallas in everything he did, and now it was our turn to stand by him. The emotions were overwhelming watching him struggle for life. We told Grandpa goodbye, that it was okay to go see Jesus, and that we love him. We came home and our hearts felt so heavy. Dying looked scary. He didn't look like Grandpa. We didn't want the pain for him.

Two hours later, we got the call that he was gone. The relief that swept over us was unreal. Finally, Grandpa was in heaven, the place he had yearned for for so many years. He was before his Lord and Savior, hearing "Well done, good and faithful servant." And we could just imagine him singing in the choir. No more suffering. A new body. A healed Grandpa.

We talked and talked into the middle of the night, laughing and crying. Dallas felt he had a very special bond with his grandpa. He chose to name Charlton William after him. We can't wait to tell Charlie about his grandpa and how unashamed he was of his love for Christ. Thankfully, Dallas and his grandpa took a nine hour trip only weeks before his passing. They had the opportunity to talk and share about life. Grandpa wants nothing more than his family to know the Lord, and live for Him daily. I will never forget him praying at our wedding. He felt so honored, but we were really the ones who were blessed. He said before he prayed how proud he was of Dallas; that whatever he does, he does to the best of his ability. I completely agree, Grandpa! Thank you for always recognizing Dallas's hard work.

Grandpa isn't here anymore. And we will miss him. To see your husband cry in sadness is so hard. But, on the way home from the funeral, Dallas told me that he sat in the front pew and cried and cried not out of sadness anymore, but out of such appreciation. He loved his grandpa so much. And I am forever thankful to his grandpa for the love and care he showed my husband throughout the years. He always made Dallas feel so special.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFrdJ2V3r7Y

This song was played at his funeral. It is exactly how we feel. Thank you. Thank you.