things I’m lovin’ this weekend

…these came home in her diaper bag from Grandmas last week.
{I only wish they came in my size too}

…I cut this out of a magazine months ago, and I just found it in my purse. It will stay on my fridge where I pass by it everyday waiting for fall to come… It will be a happy day in this house when sweet potatoes fill my oven once again.
{it’s 134 days til Christmas if you were wondering… and I know you were (I saw it on TV this week, I swear I didn’t count myself)}

…spending the afternoon in the kitchen baking and getting dinner ready; listening to my 10 week (10 pound 9oz-whoa) baby talk and scream and ohh and coo in the living room.

…I just plain and simply love this child.
And these faces I found on my camera from the wedding we went to last weekend.

{there was no picture taken of this momentous occasion}
…we went on a grown-up date last night. (okay, so we met friends at the restaurant for dinner at 5:30, to go to the 6:30 movie… yes lamo.But still, it was a night out with adults + Steve Carell + buttery popcorn + no diapers or crying kids  … and it was awe-some)

… and last but not least.
drum roll please.
Mr. and Mrs. Wade & Alissa Kroeze own their very first brand spankin new appliance, and we must give her the moment of silence she is due.  

Up until this weekend, we did not own 1 single large appliance that was much less than 10 years old.
Wade hooked it up last night after we got home from the movie {and that is why we go to 6:30 movies}… and we both stood and watched in awe and amazement as it spun in complete silence. Who knew that we had the loudest, slowest, most wasteful washer in the whole world before this beautiful maker-of-clean-clothes entered our laundry room. I feel like we should throw her a birthday party or something simply for the fact that it senses the weight of the load of laundry, and fills just exactly enough water for that load all on it’s own.

If you need me, I will be watching my towels be washed (again), because there is a whole magic setting just for towels. Who knew…

wordless wednesday

Team Tiny Miracles

Several months ago I got an email.
It was from a mother who unfortunately shared an all too familiar story. Her baby girl had gone to Heaven just months before Jude had died. We connected through emails, sharing Caringbridge sites, and Facebook, promising each other that we understood what the other was going through, and that we would continue to pray for each other as we went on with life.   Jessica and I have never met face to face, but share one common bond.

Jessica’s twins were  born at just 24 weeks, each weighing 1 pound 6 ounces. Baby girl Kailey continues to thrive, and is going to be having her first birthday in about a month. Her twin sister Breley lived for 2 short days.

Kailey and her big sister Mya.

Jessica has put together a team for the Children’s Miracle Network half marathon/5K run/walk, and we would love for you to join us in running or walking for our tiny miracles. We receive the most wonderful care from the Sanford hospital in Sioux Falls when Jude’s condition was first diagnosed, and through out my pregnancy and are so excited to be able to give back.
 
The race/run is in Sioux Falls, SD on September 11th.

Registration is $25 for a single runner/walker… Register Here 

You can get more information about Team Tiny Miracles on Kailey’s CaringBridge page.

I would personally like to thank the person who planned this event for adding that “walk” part to the 5K and inviting couch potatoes like me to join in. I can’t run 5 blocks… So you now officially have no excuse not to join. Oke. See you there!

he liked it… so he put a ring on it

8 years ago these two told their friends they liked each other. And like most junior highers do, they had someone else go “ask them out” for them. Which meant nothing other than that they would sit next each other at the football games.  Their relationship grew, and continued… through junior high, high school, and now college.

weren’t they cute in high school…

Saturday afternoon he called me at 4:30pm, and said, I think I’m gonna ask her tonight. (ah, about freakin time… I was sick of waiting) and, an hour and half later… my littler sister is getting married to the man of her dreams.
 

Moral of the story is this… ladies (and gentleman), lock up your 13 year olds. They might go out and find someone to marry or something crazy like that.

Congrats you two… You have a love story most people could only dream of.
{p.s. Thanks for not running off to Vegas and getting married with out telling anyone like I always assumed you would probably do…I do love a good wedding}

the vaca

Well, of course I’ve fallen behind in keeping up with our lives again.
so, let’s play a little catch up shall we…

We vacationed with both of our families in 2 separate states, and had a visit with Larkin’s birth Mom all in 1 busy week. Wade, Larkin and I spent a total of 13 hours in the car together in those 7 days, and let me tell you… there was one point that Wade and I were both laughing so hard (about absolutely nothing) we almost peed our pants, and then argued the last 5 miles of the trip as to who would get the baby out of the car and who could run inside to use the bathroom first. That was a  looot of quality time for the 3 of us. Time where I think of every annoying question that you can ask your husband because he can’t turn on ESPN or walk away or fall asleep…

”When did you first know you loved me?”
“Are you still glad you married me?”
“If you won a million dollars tomorrow, what would be the first thing you would do?”
“Should we ask for money for Christmas this year and buy new bikes in the spring?”

Okay, you get the picture. anyway, the conversation ended with us both getting the giggles, and almost peeing our pants.  

Also, the first 5 days of this vaca were the hottest days you can imagine. ever. So, I sat inside with my baby… for way too much of the week. The heat index was 115 one day. Yes, redic I know. Gosh it’s lovely to sweat like 17 different times a day…

The kids at play. {notice the biggest kid on the right}

Larkin hangin with her peeps.

Taylor and I on the boat… trying to get a self portrait of us together. yep, they turned out fabulous. Gosh we’re photogenic.

No really, she totally is. 

*** Larkin did great on vacation, sleeping through the night almost every night we were gone! She’s kind of nice like that.

And then we got home for a day, and we were off with a running start to another crazy week. The week was ended with celebrating my friend Kate’s big day…

Kate loves Nate, and Nate loves Kate.
{oh I just had to}
They really do love each other, and it was such an honor to be standing behind her on her big day.

Some of my most fun memories from my whole life involve this witty, sarcastic, funny woman.  We have the kind of relationship that is full of inside jokes, and things that other people could never see the humor in the way we do. I have known Kate for almost 20 years, and I am so proud to be her friend.

We had a great night with friends we see everyday, and friends we haven’t seen in months. We left Larkin with my mom during the reception, and had our first real night away from her. And I know she cried inconsolably the whole time because missed me horribly. {okay well no she didn’t, but I was hoping she would}

We all survived our couple of busy weeks, and are very ready to settle back into the slower rhythm of everyday life. Being away from home, and on the run does make you appreciate the comfort of your own bed, a night on the couch watching TV, and a white space on the calendar that leaves room for spontaneity. {which these days only means we go to Culver’s for ice cream after dinner… yea, we are crazy fools like that}

July 2011

{1-2 months}

2 months

Today Larkin is 2 months old.

She is 9 pounds, 15 ounces, and 22 inches long. I told her over and over in our first days together that I would continue to feed her, but she was not allowed to grow. Rude I know… she is now 3 pounds over her birth weight. 

She is finally starting to outgrow her newborn clothes! 
Mommy bought waaay too many 0-3month clothes so I am excited to finally be putting those on her.  

Larkin is our little sleeper at night sleeping up to 10 hours straight, but has some days that she hardly sleeps at all. I’m not complaining, don’t worry. I know we are spoiled and it is probably just completely by God’s good grace because He knew I needed my sleep or I was cranky…

It seems like I can’t quite remember life with out her, and yet I can still just stare at her in disbelieve that she is really mine.