Englerville USA

2010-01-12T08:14:00.001-06:00

Mason Joseph

2009-10-28T10:51:00.002-05:00

Thank goodness he's finally here! I don't think I would've lasted much longer ; ) !!!
He was born on the 21st at 4:23pm - 8lbs 15oz. - my biggest baby yet!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-27T12:06:00.002-05:00

This year we decided to try a new place, so we hit up Seigels Cottonwood Farm in Crest Hill. The kids had a BLAST! They got to ride the hayride out to pick a pumpkin, go down the inflatable slides, ride a little train and feed the animals in the petting zoo.

this goat was up on the metal roof! the kids thought this was the funniest thing in the world - Brian lifted Kaylin up to feed him a snack

2009-09-24T21:22:00.002-05:00

Brian went to the driving range with my sisters and my bro on his birthday, and brought Kaylin along - since then she had been begging to go again, so he cut down an old club to her size and she LOVES it! you gotta watch out though, if you are anywhere near her, you are in danger of loosing your head!

Isabella has finally made the 3 year old cut - she is going to her very own dance lessons! We found a new place right down the street, so hopefully it turns out to be great. So far, she is loving it!

Her she is all ready to go!

waiting in the "train" to go into the studio
dancing in a circle with her new teacher Ms. Amy

First day of Kindergarten/Preschool

here are the girls super excited about their first day of school!

It was looooong awaited - they had been begging me to start for numerous weeks ever since they saw their books arrive. So far it's going pretty good! The hardest part is timing it right. Matt doesn't do so good at playing on his own in the basement yet (unless he is following the girls around, but they are at the table, so he wants to be there too!), so we have been waiting for him to nap before we begin. Kaylin is learning how to write upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet on handwriting paper and Isabella is learning the alphabet and letter sounds, amongst many other things!

They also just began a storytime hour at the library and have been really enjoying that.

as for myself and Brian, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the latest Engler model. we are finally down to numbers in the teens! WHOOHOO! I am very (veryveryveryvery) ready to be "not pregnant" (what's that?!?)!!!

Soon, very soon : o )

She's on two wheels!

2009-09-14T22:32:00.003-05:00

now, she wouldn't be kaylin if she weren't wearing a fancy dress (with gym shoes no less!) while riding on two wheels all the way down the sidewalk for the first time! look at that grin : )

Matt's 1st Haircut!

2009-09-14T22:11:00.002-05:00

somehow, I always seems to have these come up in reverse order...

so go down to bottom, and go up!

"does it look good or bad?!?"
"AHHHH! MAKE IT STOP!"

"cool dad! this thing makes a neat sound... wait a minute, are you cutting my HAIR???"

pre-cut yikes! is that a girl or a boy?!?

what on earth have we been doing all spring/summer???

2009-08-16T16:02:00.003-05:00

enjoying summer night s'mores
trying to stop and smell the flowers ; )

campfires in the backyard

going to lansing parades with friends!

2009-08-16T15:37:00.003-05:00

Hard at work, mopping the floors!
going to many prenatal check-ups and having ice cream treats!

planting seeds in the spring to give as mothers day gifts!

going for walks and collecting "treasures"!

enjoying time with grandma and grandpa (and our cousins! L-R:Cannon,Kevin Jr., Isabella, Matt, Kaylin and Thor)

2009-04-05T19:18:00.002-05:00

The first prenatal!

Wasn't I just here, in this very room, a few months ago?!?

The kids were super excited to get to see Ms Gayle (my midwife) again - they LOVE helping her check the baby. Kaylin got to help find the baby's heartbeat and Isabella got to help measure my ever growing belly.

Avianna Marie Black - Amanda's birth went well, but I missed the baby being born by just a few minutes! Glad for Amanda though that she was going fast enough for me to miss it ; )

We made a deal with Isabella that if she worked very hard on telling us when she needed to go to the potty and being obedient to mommy and daddy that she would get to go to the pet store and pick out her very own fishy just like Kaylin got to. She chose this pretty one as the keeper (well... actually she chose a different one at first, but Auntie Heather and I swayed her a little since the first choice was a little nasty looking!).

The two fishies got to get a new home as well! A new bowl that has a divider in the middle, so they can share it. Since betta fish fight, there is a divider in the middle - you can slide out a piece that keeps them from seeing one another and soon as you do, they flare their gills and try to attack each other! It's kind of neat to see! But the whole time they can't see each other, they sit sadly close to the divider like they miss one another terribly. It's a love hate relationship ; )

kids..

2009-02-23T17:41:00.002-06:00

I got a cute little kids CD from the library with several christian kids songs. The kids have been playing it constantly! I just noticed today how Kaylin is singing the words "He is the vine and we are the britches, His banner over me is love..." I could hardly control my laughter! She's been singing it all day like that!

2009-02-23T09:38:00.002-06:00

While looking through all these old videos we found this little clip of Kaylin in her dance class in Dec. of 2007 and she wanted to post it for all to see! It was a special day where the parents got to sit in the room with the kids. She couldn't skip around the circle once without waving!

Testing 1 2 3

2009-02-23T09:00:00.002-06:00

If I actually did this right, this is a video of Kaylin's dance show back in December - next to her with the pigtails is my cousin Marie's daughter Sydney

Matt's 1st foods!

2009-02-20T09:59:00.002-06:00

he started out with a bit of whining that he was in the high chair... again! i always stick him in here when i am cleaning up the kitchen, which is pretty much all the time!
WHOA - SCORE! i don't care if i am in the chair now! these bananas are tasty!

chowing down!

wait, i am not sure if i really like this anymore...

2009-02-20T09:49:00.002-06:00

Our school for the day - watching the president being sworn in and talking about what a president is!
Kaylin discovered my drawer with things I used to use! Pretty tablecloths and placemats, etc. She was sooooo excited! She decided with Isabella to set up the table all "beautiful" for dinner time.

In the same drawer she had found my napkin rings (why do people think they need to register for these things?!?) which I have never used. Since I didn't really have any cloth napkins she put the napkin rings around all the clean kitchen towels and had them set up all around the kitchen. Look at how proud she was! She did a great job

Misc.

2009-02-20T09:33:00.002-06:00

These are some old pictures from last fall - thought I would just stick them in here for fun

Matt going in the bumbo seat for the first time - I love his adoring look at Kaylin! He still looks at her like this!
For a school field trip to go along with Five in a Row's "How to make an apple pie and see the world" we took the kids apple picking. I look terrible (I just had a baby, what can I say?!? at least I am not in PJ's!), but the kids look cute!

our growing little brood

L-R: Kaylin, Cheyenne, Isabella,Gabe,Dillon holding Matt and Moriah

So this is what I've been missing?!?!

2009-02-18T12:17:00.000-06:00

we got a new computer!!! YEAH!!!! I cannot believe how easy it is to put pictures up here now! Something that used to take me several hours actually, I just did in about 20 minutes! Amazing!

So now my only excuse to not update is keeping busy with my kids ; )

We had a wonderful holiday season as i hope you all did as well. I included a few of the things that we did this season down below.

One of the best bits of news is that Tim and Angela are getting married! The wedding is set for September and our kids are already talking about how much fun we are going to have going on an adventure to Nebraska to be there!

Brian is doing really well at work - he got a promotion actually! He is all fancy in his very own office bossing people around now (that might be his favorite part!) ; ) So far, he is really enjoying the new resposibilities and all that comes with this position.

Matthew is getting big, but funny enough is super tiny! He is halfway to being able to sit up, he is teething (I think! drool everywhere...!) - although he haven't seen anything peek thru yet, and you have to watch it - you think the child can't move, but if you leave the room and come back he has somehow scooted somewhere new!

Isabella is really into imaginary play these days - she comes up with all sorts of friends and animals and places that she visits all day long and we haven't even left the house! She is learning how to color inside the lines and can now draw little "guys" - faces that is. They are pretty cute too, and every time she draws them, they are upside down! Of course she says " no he's not " - the girl is very rooted in her beliefs ; ) She also loves using scissors - she will sit at the table and snip scraps of paper for hours. She also loves dressing up and dancing like all little girls do!

Kaylin is into writing letters, spelling small words and family members names, and loves coloring. She is doing really well at her phonics and can read short stories! It's amazing to me that she can do this. She is my girly girl and would live in a ball gown with high heels if I let her! Her favorite thing to do these days is blast Taylor Swift from the rooftops all dolled up and dance like no one is watching...

As for me - I am just trying to keep peaceful! Learning to be content with all that we have been blessed with. I struggle daily with looking like I at least tried to take a shower and get dressed! Trying to make the house look like a bomb didn't just go off, and keeping at least a couple cups and plates clean ; ) It is truly amazing at how you can be "'working" in the home literally ALL DAY LONG - never sitting down, and the place looks always as if we have just been robbed...
I guess I just need to learn to live with it!
Especially seeing as there will be one more little person joining us in October ; )

randomness

2009-02-17T10:00:00.002-06:00

my mom's birthday lunch at our house (back in Jan.)

the girls helping her blow out her candles

playing princess tea party with the teaset they got from grandpa harms

sledding at erfert park in lansing with their aunties!

gianna,kaylin,heather,isabella and myself

2009-01-18T15:06:00.002-06:00

We stopped by my Dad's house on Christmas Day so he could visit with the girls and give them a gift. They got little tiny glass tea sets and they had a little tea party with Grandpa
our first Christmas dinner at home! since we celebrated Christmas with the Engler side the Sunday before, we got to have dinner at our own house for the very first time ever!!!
it was so nice, i made lasagna and cheesy garlic bread... sounds good right now actually!
it was super nice to be able to spend the whole morning and afternoon at home without having to rush the entire day.

the girls giving daddy the mousepads for his laptop they bought at IKEA

santa also brought all us girls the new Taylor Swift CD! we have all been wanting it and they spent alot of Christmas morning dancing along to it!

matt with his favorite gift, a football! he LOVES this thing! his whole body goes into sensory overload when he sees it!!!

2009-01-18T14:52:00.002-06:00

Isabella asked santa for the wall-e movie - she was so excited to receive it, i couldn't get a picture of her looking at me with it!
Kaylin's request from santa - this bolt book she saw at the store a few days prior. she was so sad to leave it behind in the store, but the look on her face christmas morning when she got it was priceless!

he came!!! he came!!!
she bolted out of bed in the morning ran in our room with a freaked out look screaming "MOMDAD!!!!he came!!! there's a present under our tree in our own room!!!!!" he had left them each an ornament for their little tree they have in their room!

our tree with all the presents from santa

pretty cousins in matching dresses!

Cannon and Isabella

photos

2009-01-17T15:37:00.002-06:00

Christmas at my moms (w/my aunts/uncles/cousins)

L-R: Isabella,Gianna,Kaylin,Carli,baby Ella,Cori,Bobby,Royce,Syd,Heather and Matt

Visiting Santa at the mall
Since you can't technically take photos w/santa, this is closest we got to a picture with him!

Making Christmas cookies

Matt enjoying his favorite gift of all... tissue paper!

Sledding at the hill in Lansing

2008-11-17T23:56:00.003-06:00

sweet laughterBrian's 30th birthday (unfortunately that means it was my 30th as well!)

Isabella's 1st Haircut!

FLOOD!!!

2008-11-17T23:33:00.003-06:00

Here is what the flood looked like in our neck of the woods!

This picture is across the street in my neighbors yard. The kids had a blast running through the water! There were about a million worms that had all floated up to the surface and that's what they are all looking for! L to R: Daisy (my neighbor Kenny's daughter) , Jackson (neighbor Kelli's son), Cheyenne, Miles (Kelli's cousin Rachel/also my good friend, son), Lili (Kelli's daughter), Zac (aka the love of Kaylins life! Kelli's son), and Kaylin.Zac and Kaylin (they are "married" don't ya know!). The girl has taste... he's a sweet sweet boy and cute to boot!

daddy and matt laughing about all that rain!

This is just a short distance from our house in Munster. This is the road that I take to go to Target and much to my surprise when I was on my way there that the entire store was pretty much under water as was the road to get there! this whole area had been evacuated. I had never seen anything like this in person before! It was like how you see on the news where the people row up to their houses in boats - crazy to see in person!

pointing out the disaster

hello 3 kids... goodbye blogging!

2008-11-17T23:06:00.004-06:00

trying to catch up again! it's a little busy with all these babies!

In September I signed up Kaylin for ballet school again - my cousins daughter is in the class also, and Amanda decided to send Cheyenne - The girls love it!

First day of school!
The second week in September we started preschool using Five In a Row. They are having a great time doing school (their favorite part is finding the countries and putting their story disks on the map, as you can see - ping is in the backround hanging out in China!). Kaylin is doing really well with phonics and has already started reading short stories! She's a bit proud of herself too ; )

Isabella "playing" with Matt - she lays all the little people on the boppy next to him "cause he likes 'em"!

One of the several races Brian participated in while the weather was still nice!
The Human Race in Chicago

Shortly after Matt was born Amanda had come over for a visit. The girls wanted to help me out by doing to dishes - they were soooo cute in their little aprons cleaning up!

Matthew John

2008-08-07T19:06:00.003-05:00

Alright, so I know I put up pictures without any words to go with them, but at least I put up something! Hey, I have 3 kids now - so that's my excuse!!!

Can you believe we actually made a B O Y! We didn't think we could do it, but it happened! Matthew John, born August 3rd, 7:32pm, 8lbs. He was born at West Suburban birthing center in Oak Park. My biggest fear was that I wouldn't make it to the place in time. It takes approx. an hour to get there from our house. My worry was that I would have to wait for Brian to come home to get me first (so that would be 2 hrs. min.), but it couldn't have worked out any better. We were actually at Brian's Grandma's surprise 75th b-day party (started at 3:00pm). I was having contractions (not too terribly different than I had been having the whole week) and feeling very uncomfortable (just being outside, trying to chat w/everyone), so finally around 5:15 or so I told Brian I really wanted to go home. We stopped to get gas on the way home and started timing the contractions just to see if they were a certain time frame apart or not. They were almost exactly 5 minutes apart. So I said, you know, maybe we should just drive up there just in case, since it's so far. Worst case we just took a nice long sunday drive. When we got there they were getting a bit stronger, so I said, alright - I better go in and get checked, just in case. Good thing I did, cause I was already at 7! I got into the tub and about 15 minutes later he was born into the water!

(this is my midwife)

2008-08-07T18:51:00.003-05:00

pictures from the birthday party

2008-08-01T23:38:00.004-05:00

Kaylin

Ruthie (My friend Gina's daughter) and Cannon (my niece)

Isabella (and yes, her tongue is blue!)

Royce (my cousin's son)

Sydney (my cousin's daughter) and Ashlee (our family friend, Jill's, grandaughter)

2008-03-01T09:56:00.003-06:00

Christmas Pix

Dominick (my brother) tickling Kaylin - she was eatin' the attention up!

Kaylin, Isabelaa and Thor peering through the railing at Great Grandma Marion's on Christmas Day

We also stopped by my Granmothers house on Christmas Day - It's rare that we have a photo opportunity of all the grandkids with her - Myself, Brian, Isabella, Brian, Kaylin, Dominick (my bro.), My Grandma Grace, Gianna (my sis.) Don (my bro.), and Heather (my sis.). She is doing pretty well as of right now, but that day, she didn't look so hot... I am so glad she's better now!

Grandma Cathy finding out she's going to have another grandbaby - we wrapped up some yarn with a note that said "better get crackin' you've only got until August!".

To tell my mom, we wrapped up a Christmas Ornament that had the girls names on them + baby. Took a second, but this is when she figured it out!

2008-03-01T09:34:00.004-06:00

This picture is from the first time we went sledding (beg. of Jan. I think). It cracks me up everytime I look at this, she was so ticked off that she could barely fit in her seat with all her sledding stuff on, she would just glare at us all... !

The kids sipping "champagne" on new years eve. We did our countdown and celebrating ringing in the new year that night a little early (around 8:45 or so!) - the thought of keeping the kids up until midnight sounded like torture!

For their birthday/christmas gifts, I got my sisters tickets to see Blue Man group the weekend after Christmas. It was alot of fun - and I think this was the first time ever that we all went out as sisters, without the kids!

trying to catch up

2008-02-24T22:34:00.003-06:00

Sledding day at Plum Creek with Heather and Gianna

The kids giddy with joy at the indoor pool

I must have looked for about 10 minutes for Isabella before I finally found her - she silently waited "hiding" in the baby doll bed! Too bad I wasn't playing hide and seek - she had me a little freaked out for a few minutes! I am getting payback, I did this to my grandmother when I was little - but I was much worse, she actually had to call the police on me!!!

Joe Cool waiting to get her first teeth cleaning and Kaylin showing off her sparkly clean teeth (they put these little glasses on the kids so that the light doesn't bother their eyes, the kids LOVE it!)

trying to do picture catch up

2008-02-23T17:14:00.006-06:00

On Thursday my sisters came over to watch the girls while I was at work and Gianna spent the night to go swimming with us at our fitness center. The kids had a lot of fun and decided to play "Sleeping Beauty" - can you tell who is the sleeping princess?!? Pretty hysterical how she just lay there with her eyes closed waiting to be kissed holding her construction paper flower! Excuse Kaylin's hands... her suit is about 3 sizes to small!!!

Painting with Auntie Gianna - this is only the beginning of the paint mess she made

On Sunday we went over to Mom and Dad Engler's for lunch and visiting - the kids all got themselves in here on their own and were all laying on top of each other "sleeping"! Of course by the time I got the camera they had awoken. (Thor, Cannon, Isabella and Kaylin)

On Saturday Homewood had their annual Chocolate fest - we joined my brother Don, my sisters and my mom for brunch at Blueberry Hill before we ate our weight in samples!

The kids had so much chocolate that they were running in circles over and over and over...

Recent News

2008-01-24T14:02:00.000-06:00

So it's been a pretty busy couple of weeks...

Last Sunday night (the 13th) was the night before my sisters 16th birthday. She and I decided to go out for the last practice drive before she took her D.L. test the next day. We went driving in her car, so by the time we got back my van was freezing - I pulled it into the driveway, went in to get Kaylin and when I came out my van (along with my purse!) was N O W H E R E to be seen! At first I thought that it was a joke, because my mom is always ragging on my to not do that - but nope, it was seriously gone. So I called the police and then it was a waiting game. I was really hoping that they wouldn't find it to be honest, I am kind of creeped out to even get in it since it was "stolen" - who knows who or what they did in it!!! But early the following Sunday morning I got a message from the police saying that they found my van on the side of the road in Chicago Heights. So we went early Monday morning and picked it up from the tow lot (which sounds alot easier then it actually was!). The van itself was in the exact condition it was taken in, but all our stuff was pretty much gone. Kaylin's car seat, tons of clothes from Gina, some Christmas gifts we had to exchange, all mine and the kids c.d.'s : ( , my purse, our house keys (creepy!), and they tore everything up - there was papers everywhere, and they even ate the life cereal I had in there for the kids to snack on! how gross! some people just disgust me...
But I am very very thankful that the kids weren't in it and that no one was hurt. Stuff is just stuff, but it's still a little sad - I had alot of memories in some of those c.d.'s! oh well.

Other than that things are fine - my sister got her license, so all of our driving hours paid off! Kaylin is really enjoying her dance class, she can't wait for everyone to see her in the recital in the summer. Isabella is really growing up alot lately - she's not a baby anymore that's for sure! They are both getting cabin fever (so am I) - we are all really longing for another one of those unlikely 50/60 degree days where can just get out and run! Brian's doing really well at work too, lots of meetings and busy-ness for him : ) I think he's ready for a good game of golf though!

My Baby @ 12 weeks (kind of gross, but kind of cool at the same time!)

The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

yes, it's true

2008-01-03T11:10:00.000-06:00

Can I possibly be pregnant.... AGAIN?!?! It looks like I am, otherwise I am really getting fat for no reason (which wouldn't be entirely out of the question!).
This little one should be joining us sometime in the second weeks of August. How many of you are betting it's another girl???
Brian already has plenty of girlyness surrounding him, what's one more right?

Week Nine
Baby has begun movement - While still too small for you to feel, your little one is wriggling, shifting, and dancing already! Makes you almost wish for a window to peek in whenever you want!
Most joints are formed now - and trust that your little one is practicing bending and flexing.
Fetus will curve its fingers around an object placed in the palm of its hand - This is amazing to see! At only nine weeks, if you happen to have an ultrasound, you may observe your infant fascinated by everything he or she can lay their fingers on (mainly other fingers, toes, ears and nose!
Fingerprints are already evident in the skin
Average size this week -- length 0.9 inch (2.3cm), weight 0.07 ounce (2gm)

the latest word

2007-11-28T23:32:00.000-06:00

I swear, I have been trying, but it's just no use...
I tried over and over and over on Brian's laptop to get the latest pictures up but the camera just refused to upload! For a while, I thought I was doing something wrong, but alas Brian confirmed that it is actually his port that is broke!
So I guess my writing blog will have to tide you over for now (it's like poetry isn't it?).
The latest word from our side of the world:
Several weeks ago my grandmother had a mild heart attack. Even though it was mild, it's still pretty serious since she's 98 (I think???). She was in St. James Hospital for the first couple weeks, then they transfered her to a nursing home in Beecher for rehab. Since she had been laying in a bed for that long, she basically needs to learn how to walk, get her own food and go to the washroom on her own, things like that. The first couple of weeks she was there she did not look well. I don't think that anyone (at all) was working with her. She could barely lean over laying in the bed to talk to us. I helped her out of bed and into the wheelchair so she could sit up the first time we visited her there and it was not easy, let me tell you! I guess my dad had a meeting with some of the staff last week and they set a date as a goal to get her out of there (it's Dec. 7 as of now). She is supposed to walk to and from all of her meals - which is kind of far. Her room is the last on the far right wing and the dining hall is on the far left. Tonight I took the kids up there to take her on a little "walk" and I am amazed at the difference! She walked all the around the entire place at least 5 times (3x pushing Isabella in the wheelchair! 1x with a walked and the last time with nothing!), she is even able to go to the washroom on her own! I am really excited for her to come home. She said to me tonight that she has to get home for Christmas because she is "gonna dance around the tree and probably knock it over"! Pretty funny : )
Her mental health seems well - although tonight she did repeat herself a few times and she thought that Isabella was boy. So that worries me - not a ton, but a bit. Overall though, I think she is doing really well and hopefully she will make in home in the next few weeks!
Another fun tidbit is that I had to have a tooth pulled a few weeks ago. I was pretty freaked out to get knocked out - but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I made a dumb mistake telling Brian to go to the Original pancake house immediately after so we could all get breakfast (none of us had eaten anything). Everything looked and smelled sooooo good. But as soon as they put the food on the table I had to run out to the car. If I would have waited another few seconds, I think I would have lost it... Brian says that feeling like you are going to throw up after you get put to sleep is common. Guess I should've know that before I sat down to eggs. But I had a nice sleep in the car while they ate, so it worked out well. I didn't realize what an extensive procedure this will be though. He said in about 4 months when it heals, I would go back and get the post put in - but what I didn't realize is that I would have to wait ANOTHER 4 months before the actual crown can be attached to it! An entire year -Yuck.
Everything else is pretty much life as usual. Last week Brian was in Vegas for a business conference for 4 days - then he was home for 4 days and he had to fly to Colombia again! Really awesome that he has these opportunities and is doing so great at his job - but we miss him TERRIBLE! He will be home soon - and it worked out good as I will be out of coffee tomorrow morning and did not want to buy another bag (it's so expensive! but man it's good...)! He should be arriving with a nice suitcase full of coffee beans ; )
Kids are doing well - Isabella chatters up a storm (she mimics everything!). She loves to follow behind Kaylin carrying her bitty baby and feeding it whatever drink she has ("bebe milk me?" or "juice me you?") I love how she strings sentences together! "Colin share me you?" (translation:Kaylin will you share with me?). The other thing she does that Brian and I think is hysterical is she says "yeah... can" to everything. like if you ask her any question "Isabella, are you cute?" "yeah... can" she'll answer! it's so funny! I think she got that from me asking Kaylin questions or to do things, because she'll answer me with yeah, I can momma.
Kaylin's newest thing is she is drawing actual little people when she colors! They are so cute!!! She'll draw all of us, then she'll draw hair and ears and teeth. When I can, I'll put a picture up of one. She is also writing letters (she can draw an "O", "T", "X" and a number "7" really great!
They are getting so big...

Butterfly Release

2007-11-16T23:20:00.000-06:00

Grandma Cathy got this really neat gift for Kaylin - you get caterpillers in the mail, you let them eat and grow in this little jar for a couple of weeks. Then they crawl to the top of the jar and turn into cocoons, - then you transfer them into this "habitat", until they crawl out! It's really neat. This was the day she "set them free"! It was really neat when they crawled onto her finger, hesitated and then flew off! They came back all summer long to "say hello" to her as she says!

The kids riding in their cars down the sidewalk

life is so short

2007-10-11T16:05:00.000-05:00

I am sitting here at work, doing just usual stuff - filing, paying some bills, etc.
Just thinking in my head how much stuff I have to do at home (nothing new right?!?) enjoying my coffee, it's a little cold, so I just walked over to the microwave to heat it up. As you know, I do bookeeping for a funeral home - so sometimes things are a little different here then they would be in a "normal" office environment. But as a I walk to heat up my coffee, I have to walk by what they call the "prep. room" here at the funeral home. Usually the door is closed completely (everyone here knows that I am not the usual funeral home employee, so they take a little more care to keep things concealed for me!) - but this time, it's ever so slightly open a crack. Of course, how can you just walk by and not notice? So I glanced in as I walked back - not even thinking, and there is someone lying on one of the cots, covered in a sheet of course. The door really was only open a small crack, so I really only saw their feet with a sheet on top. But I couldn't help but just sit here and think about it...
That person lying in there - man or woman, I don't know. But I do know that someone in this world loved him or her. Someone is grieving right now about this loss of life - or celebrating their new life for them. Someone held them close, someone let them go. Did they enjoy life? I hope so...
It's hard not to sit here and think about it. How short life is.

B-day and Fathers Day

2007-10-06T21:53:00.001-05:00

Kaylin "sharing" Isabella's gift from mommy and daddy

Daddy enjoying his babies on Fathers Day

I think Kaylin was much more excited then Brian to receive this Slurpee Maker!

Kaylin and Cannon on Fathers Day

Fathers Day Fathers

Isabella's first birthday - June 15

2007-10-06T21:24:00.000-05:00

For Isabella's birthday we went to the splash pad at Wicker Park (in Indiana). They had soooo much fun! Kaylin was running in circles for the first 20 minutes just shrieking with glee! Kaylin must have asked every day for at least a few weeks when we were going back again!

Isabella at this age, would pretty much "nurse" everything, and this photo is a good representation of that!

A special gift from mommy and daddy - an add-a-pearl necklace (you add a pearl for each birthday, then they can wear the necklace on their wedding day, or other special occasion)

2007-10-06T20:53:00.001-05:00

Ascher's 1st Birthday Party

(out at a forest preserve near Lisa and Immer's)

Isabella winning over Uncle Ed : )

hmmm, how can you always think of a new title for up here?

2007-09-23T21:01:00.000-05:00

Not to much has been going on around here. Just trying to enjoy the last few days this amazing weather we have been having!
Last week I tried to spend as much time outside with the kids as I could - going to the park, walks, bike rides and the like. It's been nice - I think sometimes I just don't do that enough with them...
This past week was Brian's dad's birthday and our (Brian and myself) birthdays are this coming up week, so today we had a nice little gathering over at Mom and Dad Englers. Saturday night we went over to Joan and Billie's for an outdoor "movie night" - it was really great to see them!
I hadn't seen Joan in several years. It was fun to see our kids play together (the movie night was more of a "play" night - I think we saw maybe 30 seconds of the movie!!!). The kids had a blast and it looks like Brian found a new golf buddy!
The last few weekends we (well... Brian) has spent trying to finish up the little patio area we are adding to our backyard. We have a small paved area just large enough for the grill and a table, so we doubled it by laying pavers - it's looking really really great! Brian is doing a splendid job and getting a good workout as well! It's taken numerous (10 maybe?) trips to the Home Depot to get the crushed rock, bags of sand and the pavers (the rock/sand is like 40 lbs/bag and the pavers are about 20lbs/ea.! it's really heavy). Something we thought would be pretty quick has taken a few weekends more then we thought it would! But I think it will be worth it next summer! So maybe by this time next year we will actually be ready to have company??? hmmm, maybe. We will probably have something else ripped apart by then I am sure!
We also had another garage sale last weekend. It's seeming to become annual - by September of every year, Gina and I seem to acquire enough crap that we can't stand it anymore, then we get rid of it all, only to pile it up again over the next 11 months and do it all over again. But you all know that neither of us is going to stop garage sale-ing! All the fun is in the hunt ; )
In the quest to better my life by clearing my house of junk I am trying to do the same to myself. I have been trying to eat better and spend more time exercising (and by that I mean dance around the house with the kids with children's music blasting! It's the improvised "mommy workout"!). I actually sat and read a book about eating better - and in the process, decided that at least for right now, I am swearing off meat. I wouldn't necessarily call myself a "vegetarian" - but just the thought of meat makes me sick. Maybe it's for good, maybe it's not - we shall see how I feel in time. I have never been much of a meat eater anyway, but I haven't had any for about a week or so now, and I actually feel pretty good. I am surprised at how much better I feel really. I was reading about how horribly the animals are treated and what is actually in the meat - well, it was enough for me to stop it. I wouldn't say that I am gung-ho for animal rights or anything like that, and I obviously know that they have to kill the animal in order for us to eat it, but I was really (really, really) sickened at how many horrid things they did to these animals to kill it. Not to mention the disgusting things that are in the meat and how many chemicals and nasty things I have been consuming in all these processed foods. I am an eater for sure. I LOVE food - especially food that is not good for you. But I HATE how these things make me feel after I eat them - so I am glad that I was so disgusted in "educating" myself about the foods I was eating, to want to not eat it anymore. While I was searching for vegetarian information, I ran across this video. It was hard for me to watch actually (and I do not agree with the part about you being gross for eating meat, seeing as I just ate it last week...), but I thought that I would share it.
Send me a shout out (is that from 1995 or what?!?) if you are a non-meat-eater, I would love to hear how you feel about it.

Please be warned - do NOT watch this video with your kids - it is very graphic on the treatment of animals at slaughterhouses.

Watch more videos at PETA.org

3 and 1 Year Pictures

2007-09-20T23:31:00.001-05:00

I finally got the kids 3 year and 1 year pictures taken (at least they are only 3 months late right?!?)
They did pretty good I think, besides the fact that Kaylin's bangs are in her eyes (growing them out) and Isabella's hair is all wacked out - but I kinda like it that way, it's "her" and I love it!

2007-09-20T23:12:00.001-05:00

The many faces of a lil' stinker!

2007-09-03T23:11:00.001-05:00

I love this picture of Isabella, this totally captures her sweet little grinning face!

Every now and again, this little 5 minute show comes on between 2 shows that Kaylin likes. It's called "Go Baby" and it's kind of creepy actually! It's a real baby's face and sounds, but put into some sort of computer animation type thing. Anyways, she LOVES this show!!! As soon as she hears the music, she whips her head around and runs over to the TV making this hysterical laugh and saying "ohhhh, bebeeee!!!"

These next two pictures crack me up! She is making the silliest faces! She is sooo much like Brian, and these capture a little taste of that!

Since Uncle Tim travels often, the kids receive lots of wonderful postcards from all over the world! When I brought the mail in one day, Isabella had gotten one that day and I said "wow! look Isabella, you got a postcard from Tio Tim!" She ooh-ed and aahhh-ed over it for quite some time!

Summer Fun

2007-09-03T22:52:00.000-05:00

Kaylin has really been into catching worms this summer. Since catching the very first one months ago in the spring, she has been looking for her "friends" in the dirt every time I went outside to work. Since finding out that they don't bite, she would walk around with them all day - in her pockets, in jars, in her sandbox - you name it! Here she is with her friends - one of their names was Socky and I can't think of the other...

A day when Amanda and Gina came over to play. L to R: Kaylin, Cheyenne, Dillon, Gabriel, Jack and Ruthie.
I still can't believe how many kids we all have when we get together...
They had a blast playing in the little pool and digging in the rocks.

After all the kids left, my babies passed out cold within a few minutes on the couch!

For our wedding anniversary, Brian got to choose a gas grill for the new "patio" we were going to be working on this summer. This is the night he was attempting to put it together.

Just a nice afternoon in the pool one day

Playing Catch Up

2007-09-03T22:30:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth's Graduation Party
(Brian's cousin)
I cannot believe it, but when I looked through my photos, I didn't get one shot with her in it!
Here's everyone enjoying the celebration.

Rachel and Kaylin on the see-saw swing

Kaylin and Thor on the same swing (Brian and Isabella in the background

Brian holding Cannon and Isabella

Daddy and Isabella on the swing

A Few random things

2007-08-02T21:53:00.000-05:00

So I forgot to mention the best part of our trip... right when we got off the plane, literally - we saw this cart ride up. We looked and saw who else but - you guessed it, Hulk and Brooke Hogan. Too funny! That's me in the left corner just acting "nonchalant" about them being there, just tending to the kids.

I probably wouldn't have thought that it was that interesting, except for the fact that last year I was secretly watching Hogan Knows Best. I almost wanted to walk up to Brooke and ask her how the CD was going (even though we all know it's not "going" anywhere...). I know, I know - L.O.S.E.R.

In the beginning of the summer, Isabella was not all that happy about grass + feet! she would do this hovering foot trick whenever you sat her in it!
Me and my babies on Mothers Day at the Engler BBQ
Brian's "perfectly colored" Beer Can Chicken (Mothers Day)
Kaylin giving her performance of "Tomorrow" from the movie Annie - Tune in soon for her fall schedule (you wouldn't know it, but there was about 20 people viewing this song! Wish I would've thought to get it on a video clip - she is very good and very brave!) (Mothers Day)

More stuff from NC

2007-07-30T00:20:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of more pictures from our trip to North Carolina. Brian uploaded the last few - we finally figured out to upload from Brian's laptop! Works a LOT better! It's his computer for work and sometimes he brings it home, so we just hadn't really thought about putting personal photos on it till just recently.
Can't remember if it was written or not - but we went to NC to attend Brian's friend Deen's wedding. Kaylin is STILL talking about how beautiful Wendi looked and she is regularly pretending that I am Deen (and Wendi on occasion!) and she "flies on an airplane" to visit me at my "wedding", with her actual luggage in tow - filled with toys and clothes behind her! That girl has some imagination...

2007-07-29T23:29:00.003-05:00

Isabella and I by the Ocean

The blessed event! WOW was it beautiful! It was right on the riverdeck - as most of you who know me, know I used to love Dawson's Creek. Well, I had said to Brian "this looks exactly like the set of Dawsons Creek!" They actually filmed there - no wonder it looked just like it! ; )

Uncle Tim and Isabella

Our little party animal (far left) dancing with some new friends and the Bride

They had a photo show going on behind us on the wall being projected from the computer and Kaylin kept trying to hit the "play" button on the wall! It was pretty amusing to all near us!

2007-07-29T23:09:00.001-05:00

Isabella, Brian, Tim and Kaylin in front of the Dixie Grill - a tasty place we had brunch at; Kaylin in front of the Alligators at the Fort Fisher Aquarium; Kaylin and I on a ferry boat that went from the riverdeck to the USS North Carolina, but we just went on it cause Kaylin thought it would be fun to go on a boat ride - so we did! Nick and Uncle Tim joined us as well; and last, a photo I love, is Brian walking with Kaylin on the Beach

Dinner with the Schers

2007-07-23T20:12:00.000-05:00

Dinner in Calabash, NC. We met up with the Schers for dinner the day before our return flight. I had a great seafood platter and we got the chance to meet our fairly new cousin-in-law Mike.

Kaylin also got to see a lot of crabs walking in the shallow waters.

First flight for my babies

2007-07-23T20:06:00.001-05:00

Brian, Isabella and Kaylin (from L to R).

It was fitting for us to fly to the state that started it all. Thanks to the Wright brothers we were able to remain sane for the majority of the trip.

Based on the success of this adventure and the positive experience for the girls I think this was the first of many flights.

Pictures

2007-07-23T19:22:00.000-05:00

All of us in Wilmington, NC. We were there for my friend Deen's wedding. This was Kaylin and Isabella's first time seeing the Atlantic Ocean.

Back for Business

2007-07-23T14:41:00.001-05:00

Hello to everyone, we're back in a big way. Things have changed quite a bit since May 17th, we now have a 3 year old in the family. Isabella is 1 and not quite walking (standing and stepping, but we need 6 steps with no assistance to give her walking status).

so much to do, so little time...

2007-05-17T15:20:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's already been a month since my last post! how time flies...
I have tried to post a few pictures, although it didn't work, so I guess that doesn't really count huh?
It's been pretty busy the last few weeks:

I've still been working - although i changed my schedule around a bit. I now work from 1:30 to 5:30 4 days a week. MUCH better! It was really really hard to do the 9:30-3:30 (with an hour break in between to take care of the kids) I was leaving at 8:45am and not getting home until 5:30pm. I always ended up staying at least an hour over and then I had to feed the kids a snack, etc. - it was pretty much working full time, when I was only supposed to work 5 hrs. So by taking out the break and working in the afternoon, it's only 4 hrs and I get home pretty much at the same time as I did when I left at 8:45! Crazy. But it's going pretty good.

Brian had another successful trip to Colombia back in March. He was gone for almost a whole week! Over the weekend that he was gone, we attended Abby's (Brian's cousin) baby shower - while we were there, I got a call from Brian, which I let Kaylin answer. She just kept going on and on about how much she missed him, and where we were, and this and that, well - you get the picture. Finally I took the phone back, and on the other end Brian was frantic - he got pick-pocketed! He was trying to call and tell me to cancel the credit cards and Kaylin was just jabbering away! Funny in retrospect, but no so much at the time!
Thank goodness he didn't have a huge wad of cash on him (you know, since we usually do)! They just got a little cash and that was it - nothing was purchased on the cards. I think I cancelled them too fast for them to even get into a store! Pretty crappy, but at least they only got his wallet and he wasn't harmed in any way.
Other then that, he had a great trip - Tio Tim actually met him out there for some weekend site-seeing, and I know they had a great time visiting with some of the local colombian folk.

Kaylin and Isabella are both doing great - all smiles (most) of the time!

Kaylin is really into dressing up, singing, dancing and acting these days. Maybe, if I get real fancy-like, I could actually get some action on here for you to get a little taste. She actually just put on a really great performance the other day for mothers day, but I didn't think to get a video clip, until it was over. I did get a photo of it though. She performed "Tomorrow" from the movie Annie.
I think she knows every word (well, what she thinks the word is anyway!) to every song in every movie she has ever seen. She's a performer, that's for sure!

Isabella all over the place! She crawls mad fast to where she wants to go, puts everything and I mean EVERYTHING into her mouth (besides food of course), pulls herself up on the furniture, screeches at Kaylin to get her point across and says a few words - mama, daddee, beebee(baby), and golf club. The last one - trust me, she can say it. It's a little hard to get at first, but once you get her on a roll...!

#4?!?!

2007-04-19T10:44:00.000-05:00

Holy cow, Amanda and Scott just had baby #4!

Moriah Sage
born this morning - and if memory serves me correct, this is the smallest one yet!
7lbs 9oz

Just something cute

2007-03-11T00:49:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was putting socks on Kaylin before heading outside and I said to her "you have such cute little toes, God made you cute little toes didn't He?" and she looked at me like I was crazy, thought a second and then said "no He didn't!!! He didn't make 'em!", so I said "well, if God didn't make 'em, who did?!?" then she says "GRANDPA you silly!"

Also, the reason for no new pix? the digital camera is dead. Sad. I know how you all come on here, looking and checking, looking and checking and then nothing. So, at least I have a real reason this time! I keep trying to find some old pictures I could share with you - so maybe you'll get lucky with something amazing one of these days. But don't count on it ; )

Busy, Busy, Busy

2007-02-25T14:46:00.000-06:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks, hence the no update.
A couple of weeks ago a friend of the family found out about a possible job opening at a Montessori school and called to see if I might be interested. I was - I had just recently been checking out Montessori schools to see what they were all about and I was also trying to think of possible positions that I might be interested in doing.
To make it short - the Montessori school was calling my references and one of them happened to be Sandy Ryan (she's a friend and I also clean her house, I used to watch her son, etc.) - she and her husband own the Ryan Funeral Home in Homewood, and they just recently aquired Tews Funeral Home in Homewood as well. So she got the phone call about the school and obviously found out I was looking for a job - and she called up and offered me a position at the funeral homes. I was really looking forward to working at the Mon. School - but the pay was a bit low (although I am hoping that maybe sometime in the future things might work out there one day - I really loved it and the gal who runs it!). And this position payed more and was a bit more flexible with the nursing baby issue. So I get to work 2 1/2 hrs. go home, feed the young'uns and put them to bed, then go back and work another 2 1/2 hrs and I don't work on Wednesday's or the weekends either. I think it works out pretty good - the kids really only notice me being gone for the first 2 1/2 hours and then they sleep for the majority of the remainder.
On Tuesday, Kaylin kept complaining of there being something in her eye to my mom - I checked and didn't see anything, so I just assumed it meant that it was time to trim her bangs again! Wed. morning she was a little runny nosed, but nothing to think of really. Same on Thursday - but when she woke up from her nap, it looked like she had been out all night drinking it was so bloodshot. Of course my first thought was she had pink eye - I did a little research online and looked at it a little closer and I don't think that's what it is - I think the cold just spread to her eye. Pink eye is usually in the inner part of the eye (or so it seems) and this is on the outer part. Plus today it looks almost totally gone. But she's been pretty congested and yucky feeling the last few days, so my first week at work, wasn't really a whole week cause I kept her home on Friday just in case! I am going to keep her home tomorrow too just to be sure everything is "all clear". I am so glad that they have known me for so long otherwise I am sure the job would've been in jeopardy!

Today Brian and I were talking about when Kaylin's birthday was (I keep trying to teach her the date) and I said to her "it's on June 22nd right?" and she replies with "YEAH! that's right! I think we gonna go there and there's gonna be sprinkles and cake and candles and everything!" - I think she's looking forward to her party! Pretty sweet : ) I wish we could just "go there" to June 22nd today - it's kind of a slushy day today...

2007-02-11T20:52:00.000-06:00

2007-02-11T20:37:00.000-06:00

2007-02-11T20:35:00.000-06:00

2007-02-11T20:33:00.000-06:00

2007-02-11T20:07:00.000-06:00

2007-02-11T20:04:00.000-06:00

Sittin' Pretty

2007-02-10T09:58:00.000-06:00

2007-02-05T11:17:00.000-06:00

the "I can't get UUUUP!!!" from a Christmas Story performance

2007-02-05T11:12:00.000-06:00

2007-02-04T11:42:00.000-06:00

ALRIGHT ALREADY

2007-01-29T15:40:00.000-06:00

okay, so I'm not very good at keeping up with the typing - but at least I am TRYING right? Isn't that what really counts? right...
It just get's a little tricky with these two. Soon as you think you have a couple of minutes to sit and type - something happens. Like right now. Here I thought "what is my problem, if I just really try to make time to do these things, it will really only take a minute, and they'll be fine!" But Isabella would have to say otherwise. She is crying at me like I haven't fed or held her in weeks and oh the sad sob look! So terrible.

Nothing really in recent news -
spent the week between Christmas at New Years around the house (Brian took off that week), would've been great except for everyone (except me) had a pretty nasty cough.
Rang in the new year at my moms house - Kaylin had so much fun! Jill, Christine and Ashlee were there (for all you homeschoolers that remember them, Ashlee is Mike Callards little girl), along with Marie, Syd and Royce, Aunt Lolita, Don and of course my mom and sisters (hope I didn't forget anyone!). Although they had more fun ringing in New York's new year (on TV) - they were getting so "ready" for our time thinking they had an extra minute, when all of a sudden it was over! So they faked it and rang it in themselves a few minutes later! It was pretty funny.
First week in January when we finally got our snow, Kaylin was ELATED to go out and play in it! She was so excited about making snow people and snow angels and she wanted to fall on the ground and cry "I can't get up, I CAN'T get up!!!" just like in a Christmas Story - she's been talking about it for months. So to finally get to do it was pretty exciting for her. That was, until she got her mittens off. She kept asking me over and over if she could take them off - finally after the millionth time of me telling her that her hands would be freezing if she did, I told her to go ahead and take them off so she could see. That's when the screaming began and the snow fun ended.
I also decided that maybe it was time for Isabella to try some food - since she seems so intent on putting everything in sight into her mouth. I gave her some mushed up cooked carrots and she almost had a heart attack of excitment when she saw it, until she got it into her mouth, as you can see from the photos below! She'll still try things, just making awful faces the whole time! Pretty hysterical!!!
We also decided to repaint the living room a more "light" color, since it's so dark in our house. It does lighten up the room alot - even though I loved the colors we had in there before (green and gray), this is much more pratical and warms up the living room alot.
Well, more on our exciting lives to come...

2007-01-22T17:32:00.000-06:00

2007-01-22T17:28:00.000-06:00

2007-01-22T10:42:00.000-06:00

Isabella trying her first food

2007-01-22T10:39:00.000-06:00

2007-01-22T10:34:00.000-06:00

Isabella with her Great Aunt Lolita

2007-01-22T10:31:00.000-06:00

Pictures from ringing in the new year at Tammy's Mom's house

2007-01-20T10:05:00.000-06:00

2007-01-17T20:23:00.000-06:00

2007-01-17T19:41:00.000-06:00

2007-01-17T19:40:00.000-06:00

2007-01-08T23:31:00.000-06:00

pooped out - in the cinderella pj's and blanket from Grandma

ARGGHH!

2007-01-08T23:25:00.000-06:00

Kaylin thinks that Auntie Heather and Auntie Gianna look like lions when they wear their coats with the hoods up - so here she is being a "lion"!

Dress Up with Grandma

2007-01-06T01:47:00.000-06:00

Grandma helping Kaylin into her new PJ's and dress up Cinderella shoes

Christmas Day at Mom and Dad Engler's

2007-01-06T01:44:00.000-06:00

Brian and Tim

2007-01-06T01:38:00.000-06:00

Kinda' blury - but this is Daddy setting up the dollhouse that Santa brought Kaylin

2006-12-29T15:48:00.000-06:00

Christmas morning at our house, Kaylin opening her stocking

2006-12-29T15:46:00.000-06:00

He Came! He Came!
Our tree with all the presents from Santa on Christmas Morning

2006-12-29T15:43:00.000-06:00

Momma and Isabella opening her 1st Christmas gift on Christmas Eve (at my moms)

2006-12-29T15:39:00.000-06:00

Kaylin with her decorated Gingerbread cookies - she did a really good job : )

2006-12-29T15:35:00.000-06:00

mmmm, gingerbread cookies. I never thought I liked these,
but I snatched up a mix at Target that was on clearance just for
Kaylin to have fun decorating them, and they were really tasty! She liked them too!

2006-12-29T15:31:00.000-06:00

The Jump-Up seat is Isabella's MOST favorite place to be!
She will sit in this seat for hours on end, bouncing away, sucking
on her hands or whatever else she can find

2006-12-29T15:28:00.000-06:00

Heather, Gianna and Kaylin making ornaments for presents

Making Santa Cookies

2006-12-29T14:02:00.000-06:00

Kaylin, Marie and Sydney

Christmas Party at Amanda's

2006-12-29T13:50:00.000-06:00

I love this shot! L to R: Jack is trying to cover his ears, Gabriel is trying to escape the madness, Dillon and Baby Aiden are the only ones sitting nicely and smiling, Ruthie is checking out Isabella who has just about had enough and Cheyenne and Kaylin are chuckling about how funny this is! Cracks me up!

Isabella: Branch Inspector

2006-12-29T13:06:00.000-06:00

Kaylin the tree topping queen

2006-12-28T01:03:00.000-06:00

Enough already

2006-12-28T00:50:00.000-06:00

Alright, alright, I know it's been a while. But in order to have something to put on here, we gotta live a little bit right?!? Christmas has come and gone again. And so here we are on the verge of a new year. Still weird that we are in the "2000's", let alone that 2007 is only a few days away! Holy crap, life flies by...
We have been pretty busy doing the "usual" holiday things like making cookies, decorating the tree, buying and giving gifts, all that good stuff.
We had a pretty wonderful Christmas - spent alot of time with both sides of our families. I'll give a little recap of what the month of December has been like:

Well, actually I'll start with the day after Thanksgiving - every single year (well, since we have been married anyways) I beg Brian to go cut down a Christmas tree so we put it up, decorate it and the house a bit, all while humming along to the 24/7 Christmas music on 93.9 and sipping hot chocolate (I know, it's picture perfect isn't it?!?) And every year he's been kinda grinchy about it, wanting to wait until at least December. Well, this year, we actually did it! Why you ask was this year different? Last year after buying the crappiest $10 tree we could find at Home Depot and it fell over on little Kaylin and a pregnant me, he ran out and bought a fake tree at Target (hmm, feeling a little guilty I think... ; ) ) - so no more begging! The tree will forever now go up the day after Thanksgiving : ).
The first week of December, we celebrated my brother Don's 35th Birthday (he thought he was turning 34, so he was a little bummed!), and had a little Christmas party with Amanda and Gina for all our kids at Amanda's house. The kids had a blast, making little candy canes out beads/pipe cleaner and decorating cookies.
The second week, we had our annual trip to White Fence Farm for some delicious corn fritters and chicken, went to see Heather and Gianna dance in their church's Christmas program and also in their dance show at the mall, made santa cookies at Sydney, Royce and Marie's, and went to visit Santa. Kaylin did pretty good with Santa. She wasn't keen on the idea of sitting on his lap, so I held her and Isabella sat on his lap. After a few minutes of chit chat with Santa and Mrs. Claus, she was warming up to him and telling them all about her baby sister.
The third weekend, Heather and Gianna came over to spend the night (which actually turned out to be 2 nights) and we all made snowman ornaments and several different food-related craft/goodies for the holidays.
Christmas Eve's Eve, Isabella started feeling sick. Then of course on Christmas Eve, she was totally out of it. It wasn't horrible, but she was not at all her normal smiling, bouncy self by any means. Not sick once her entire life, but Christmas Eve and Christmas day, go figure! Anyways, Christmas Eve we went to a candlight service at the Homewood Church, then back to my mom's for dinner/gift exchange. Christmas morning Kaylin was delighted to find out the Santa had indeed came, and "he ate the cookies and nilk!!! he did!!!" (mind you, this was after she woke up at 12:30 in the afternoon!!! she was sooo excited she didn't fall asleep until almost 2:00am!). That day we had dinner at mom and dad's, dessert at Grandma C's, and gift exchanges at both plus at my mom's - seriously, I wish I would've taken a photo of what the living room/dining room/play room looked like after we brought everything inside. It looked like we just won the lottery and went on a shopping spree. It was unbelievable - I thought we had a heap last year, but with 2 kids - holy crap! It took me the ENTIRE following day to go through everything, take it out of the packing, put it together (well, this was mostly Brian!) and get all the trash out. How blessed we all are to have such a caring family to want to give so many nice thoughtful gifts to each of us!
Kaylin has been having such a blast! She put on these cute Cinderella PJ's Grandma Cathy got for her, and she does NOT want to take them off! She's making tea and having a fruit stand sale, and bouncing on the pony and coloring and making tea again, and reading up a storm! It's fun to see her play like that : ) Hopefully the pictures will go up alright and you'll see what I mean.
Well, since I wrote so much here, I guess I'm good for about a month or so ; )

Royce, Isabella and Robert

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Thanksgiving at my mom's

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The "after" photo

myself and Isabella (5 months), Shanna and Robert (about 3 months), Marie and Royce (about 5 weeks). I love this shot cause Royce looks bigger then Robert!

Cannon

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Thanksgiving at Grandma C's

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Yogurt Face

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