Here 'U' Go

Sponge Rollers

2010-03-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

About a month ago Eliza wanted curly hair. I told her when I was a little girl my mom would put my hair in rollers and I would sleep in them then wake-up curly. I must've said that we should get some. Well, she's been begging me since to buy her some. So, on Saturday we invested in sponge rollers! I put her hair up after her bath on Saturday night while she watched a movie. the results on Sunday morning were perfect!!!! :)

Happy #7 Samuel

2010-02-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

Sam had an extra fun birthday with the day off for President's Day! Eric took the day off, and Grandma & Anna were here for a visit. They went sledding, played Wii, watched movies, and had French Toast for breakfast! All his favorites!!

Sam really wanted a Star Wars t-shirt....he was so excited!

Last night we celebrated at Aunt Mary's with my family and all of his cousins. Such a fun night!!! Sam requested pitaschio cake....YUM!!! A true family favorite! We were all very excited that he chose it! :) And I loved making it!!!!

Valetine Day Parties!

2010-02-12T19:45:00.000-08:00

I had fun going to Ethan & Eliza's Valentine party at preschool, then to Sam's that afternoon!

Blog, what blog??? :)

2010-02-05T06:09:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I haven't posted for a LONG time. It kinda got to the point where I wasn't even sure where to start. Do I go back? Or do I just start from the here & now? I'm think the here & now! :)

SO, here is a picture that Sam took a few weeks ago of the kids...

first bike ride

2009-05-08T17:57:00.001-07:00

Caroline had her first bike ride tonight when we all went to DQ for ice cream after dinner. Sam rode his bike, and the twins rode in the bike trailer. I'm sure this will be the first of many bike rides this summer!!! She loved it!

Princess Caroline

2009-05-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

Eric decided to dress Caroline up this morning. She didn't seem to mind!

(Yes, she's playing Yahtzee...she's quite advanced! :))

Not sure what this face is all about, but it's funny!!!!

Caroline is 11 months now and has 12 teeth!! Only a few more weeks and we'll be having a birthday party for her! Crazy how fast this year has gone.

sam turns six

2009-02-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

This weekend we had a few birthday parties for Sam. A small friend party with a few kids from the neighborhood on Saturday morning, a party with my family today after church, then another tonight with Grandpa, Gramma, & Aunt Hope.

We had a "Donut Party" yesterday. Sam loves donuts from Tim's Bakery, and I was looking for a simple party theme. So, complete with "Pin the Donuthole on the Donut" game and the "Donuthole Toss" (aka, tossing little bean bags into a pool intertube), it was a very easy party!! Oh, and Uncle Ben did his famous balloon art....always a huge hit with kids!

For Sunday's party, Sam insisted that I make the same farm cake I made for his 3rd birthday. That was fine with me because that's a yummy cake from scratch, and very easy to decorate....actually, Sam & Lora were the ones to decorate it.

Happy #6 Sammers!!!!!!

toe jam

2009-01-30T18:49:00.001-08:00

Yes, you read it correctly......toe jam. Eliza is obsessed lately with her toe jam. And, if she sees any of us (including Caroline) without socks, she quickly tries to clean between our toes. Of course, I do NOT let her clean mine!!!!!!! YUCK!! The boys (including Eric) don't seem to mind. WEIRD!! A funny story for the future though! :)

Sam's loses his 1st tooth

2009-01-23T18:45:00.000-08:00

And, as you can see, the other one is more than halfway in already.

my creation for eliza

2008-12-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

A friend & I decided to try making these dresses for our girls. It was definitely a trial & error kinda project....no pattern, just the idea in our head. I think they turned out so cute! Now, if I can just make one for Caroline.

I'm in love...

2008-12-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

with the pictures that Traci took of Caroline!!!! My little girl is so sweet and brings so much joy to our family. Traci was able to capture her so well. I just love the pictures!!!

Check them out - http://tracifalderphotography.blogspot.com/2008/12/yes-shes-that-cute.html

Where has time gone?

2008-11-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

Well not sure where to begin so I will just post some pictures.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Molly will hopefully post soon. Anything will be better than this one.

August

2008-08-31T11:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time!!!!!!!! Here's a few pictures from August...

Sam started Kindergarten!! He hesitantly loves it! :)

Ethan is as goofy as ever, with a very contagious belly laugh!

Eliza, oh Eliza! Not even sure what to say. We love that girl!!!!!Caroline turned 3 months, and is such a happy baby! Her blue eyes and long eyelashes are sure to win everyone's heart!!!!
My mom, Caroline, & I were able to go see my Grandma Mary in Florida for 5 days! (Thanks to the help of Eric's mom and a few neighbors!) We had a wonderful time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No dishes

2008-07-29T05:18:00.000-07:00

Last night, while getting dinner, I was cutting up a watermelon. Well, the watermelon decided to roll and I sliced my finger instead. So, it was off to the doctor's office. It was decided right away that "it needs to be fixed." I've never had stitches before, and this isn't a great time for them. The doctor decided to do DermaBond instead - which is basically just super glue. Then, he also decided that I needed a tetanus shot. This morning my left index finger and my left arm are both VERY sore!!! (I'll spare you any pictures...it's not pretty!)

But, no dishes for a little while! :)

4th of July weekend

2008-07-09T05:23:00.000-07:00

We're still here, still in need of sleep, but surviving! Last weekend we were with my family for lots of activities. Here are the pictures...
I made raspberry pie....with 3 little helpers!

My Aunt Lee took the kids for a ride in her school bus. This was a huge hit!!

The kids loved playing outside at my sister's house, while Eric enjoyed taking pictures of them and the sunset. He's still trying to figure out our camera.

We celebrated Uncle Dick & Aunt Joan's 50th wedding anniversary.

Everyone loves fun Uncle Andy!!

My crazy Uncle Tom is always making us laugh with his false teeth!!!
This is one of my favorite outfits for Caroline, it's so cute!!!

Ethan loved to watch the fireworks, but didn't like the sound. Then, Eric captured this picture with the sparklers - isn't it fun!!!

Think before you speak!!!!

2008-06-30T17:27:00.003-07:00

Okay, so I haven't been great at posting...I'm a little busy and sleep-deprived! When there is time to blog, I'd rather take a nap! :) But, I had to use this to vent a little. (I promise to post pictures soon!)

Tonight we had a showing after dinner, so I decided before our quick trip to Sam's Club I would take advantage of the free Starbucks going on right now. Eric dropped me off while he and the kids went to get gas, and I was off (by myself!) to get my coffee. I was going to order a decaf iced coffee, but was informed that the iced coffee didn't come in decaf. Then, the guy behind the counter tried to talk me into getting it, saying it wasn't that much caffeine. I tried to explain that it really effects me, and I also have a 5 week old and want to go to sleep tonight when she does. He wasn't getting it at all, not sure if he didn't hear me or what. So, I just order a hot decaf coffee and went on. It was free, and I was happy!!!!! THEN, after he handed me my receipt, I stepped back from the counter to wait on my coffee. The guy looks at my belly and says, "Congratulations! That's why you didn't want the caffeine." Seriously?!?!??!!! I know I still look pregnant, it's all a part of having a baby. But, come on, doesn't he know that you don't say something like that to anyone!!! Besides, I'm a customer! I told Eric that it didn't really bother me (unfortunately, it's happened after all me kids and I'm over it), but I wanted to educate the guy and tell him that he might make some girl cry the next time. Instead, I just gave him a questioned look and hestitantly said "Thank you." I do have a precious baby girl, she's just not in my tummy anymore.

In the poor guys defense....I, like all the women in my family, carry my weight in my belly. I usually try to wear things that don't make me look pregnant - but, with feeding the kids a quick dinner and cleaning the house for our showing, I ran out in a t-shirt that is still a little on the tight side. However, people should really think before they speak!

First bottle

2008-06-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

(BC, this post is for you - I wanted to make sure you had something to read tonight! ha!!!)

Caroline will be 4 weeks tomorrow, and Eric gave her a bottle tonight. We were going to do this a week ago, but just haven't found the time until tonight. It's just so much faster to nurse her myself, but I also know that I want her to be able to take a bottle!!!! She didn't do too bad, I guess she just needs some more practice.

Happy 3rd Birthday Ethan & Eliza!!!

2008-06-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe it's been 3 years!!!!!!!!! Perhaps the most rewarding, yet mostly challenging 3 years of my life! :) Just 3 years ago Eric & I were trying to figure out how to handle 2 infants at the same time, getting no sleep, trying to give attention to Sam who was just 2, and overwhelmed with help from family and friends! We have most definitely learned so much from this experience! God has been so good to us! (And, now with only Caroline, one seems so easy!)

Ethan wanted Batman plates and napkins, with "brown cake and blue icing." Eliza was all about princess plates and napkins, with "pink cake and pink icing." It was so cute, we sang Happy Birthday to them separately this year and they were both so exicited as they were being sang to as individuals. And, Ethan was just beeming as he sang to Eliza. No one got it on video, what a bummer!!!

Here's a few pictures from our fun celebration at Aunt Mary's house. And, several pictures from our journey these past 3 years for you to enjoy.

Happy Birthday Ethan & Eliza!!!

Anna, our niece, got to join the fun. Always a treat for us to see her!!!

Dr. House & Baby Brooke

2008-05-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

We had a big day with 2 outings.

At one week old, Caroline got to meet Dr. House. (Yes, our family doctor's name really is Dr. House! Everyone asks that question.) He's been our doctor since before Sam was born, and we just love him. He's so great with our kids!! (And, he wanted to know where to find my blog, so I have to say this in case he is reading it! But, seriously, we do love him!!! Even though he went to Anderson University!)

Caroline weighed 6 lbs 12 ozs, so not up to her birth weight just yet. Everything checked out great. She does have a small belly button hernia, but nothing serious.

Then, this evening we went to meet Brooke Anita. It will be fun for Beth & I to raise these girls together. Caroline & Brooke are sure to be friends!

Sweet Caroline

2008-05-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

...bomp, bomp, bomp
Are you singing the song yet? :)

Okay, so I'm FINALLY blogging about our baby #4 that is already 1 week old today. She didn't have a name for the first 48 hours of her life, so we called her "Lashes" because of her beautiful and very long eyelashes. Then, we decided on Caroline Louise - Caroline because we love it and Louise is my Grandma Mary's middle name.

Here are the stats - Born at 8:21 am on Friday, May 23rd, 7 pounds 1 ounce, and 19 3/4 inches long. (Ironically, she weighed the same as Ethan!)

Sam, Ethan, & Eliza are all so great with Caroline!!! It's rather cute! Of course, they also are learning not to swing her to hard and that we need to be very gentle. But, Caroline is definitely part of our family already - like she always belonged. Like one friend said - Two boys, two girls, too perfect!

Eric's Favorites from the Weekend

2008-05-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry - More to come from Molly about Caroline Louise.

She was born Friday morning on the 23rd.

7 lbs 1 oz ( same as Ethan)

19 3/4 inches long

Just some fun photos from the weekend. -E

just the 5 of us

2008-05-22T05:05:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day to ever be pregnant - I'm find myself being both sad and happy about that idea. Tomorrow the newest Uliczny joins our company, and the dynamics of our family will be changing. It's very exciting and scary all at the same time! To think that Eric & I will be responsible for yet another human is just crazy!!! But, God is good and will guide us through!

Here are a few pictures of us from this spring...

We'll try to post the news and a picture tomorrow afternoon.

Girls Night Out...

2008-05-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

in my honor!

Monday night our original playgroup girls (minus Alison) got together to throw me a little baby shower of sorts. Mel took pictures and posted them on her blog, so you'll have to look there. We had it at Beth D.'s big purple house, a very fun and relaxing night!!! These are girls that I see, but never seem to have the chance to talk to anymore. It seems like so long ago when were together once a week no matter what!

Traci's new adventure

2008-05-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

My friend Traci has decided to start photographing kids...mine included! :) I couldn't be more excited for her!!! Checkout her new website - http://www.tracifalderphotography.blogspot.com/ . There are even pictures of Sam, Ethan, & Eliza that she took on Saturday. Can't wait for her to photograph baby #4!!!

Mother's Day 2008

2008-05-12T06:36:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I went to a Mother's Day program at Sam's preschool. I tried to post a little video of them singing a silly song, but it just didn't work for some reason. So, here's a picture instead.

Then, on Sunday we went to my parent's house for a fun day. (Well, Eric & I took a detour to the hospital first because the baby hadn't been moving, but everything is great now! They just wanted me to come in just to make sure. Uncle Ben took the kids, which gave us a little break...so it wasn't so bad.)

Here's Ethan & Eliza "watering" Grammy's flowers...in the rain mind you! :)

New Ride

2008-05-08T06:17:00.000-07:00

With rising gas prices and the push for Americans to go ‘Green’, the Uliczny family has decided to do there part and switch to a new mode of transportation. We may have to modify it at first for the newest member, but I think it will work. Our Sunday trips to Grammy and Pappy's will take a little more planning. It will be slow at first but as soon as the kids start to build those leg muscles I think we will be able to move at a pretty good clip.

-Eric

Yay for May!!!!!

2008-05-06T18:01:00.001-07:00

I always enjoy the arrival of May, and can't wait to get to Handel's. Their Handel's Pop flavor of the month is strawberry, and I absolutely LOVE it!!!!!!!! The chocolate they use is imported, and is simply decadent! They have a different flavor every month, and although I enjoy almost all of them I'm partial to the strawberry. I just enjoyed one, and was little sad when it was all gone. Is that bad? (And, I took a picture of it so that I could blog about it...now that's love!)

Happy Birthday to Me!! :)

2008-04-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

Today I turned 34....seems like such a boring age, yet I'm so not bored!!!!!!!!!! My mom had Ben (child #4) when she was 34, now here I am doing to same thing. Wow! (And to think I sometimes thought of my parents as "older" in comparison to my friend's parents. YIKES!!!)

Here are a few pictures from going out to eat at the RAM with Eric, the kids, Penny, & Uncle Ben. That is the dessert they give you for free on your birthday! YUMMY!!!!

The day was pretty uneventful, lunch with my mom, the kids, & Eric, a nap, a wonderful pedicure (because I can't reach them and Eric won't trim my toenails and they were really long!), dinner out, then relaxing on the couch watching Desperate Housewives we missed on Sunday night. Notice that I didn't have to cook all day!!!! :)

Austin....2 weeks later!

2008-04-20T16:55:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I've been unable to find the time to post lately. Life seems crazy. My "To Do" list is very long, and keeps getting longer - what is up with that???

Anyway, Eric & I had a GREAT weekend in Austin visiting Jeff & Paula! Matt, Beth, and Carrie were also there, making the weekend even more special!! Here's our weekend in Austin in a few pictures.

And, the kids had fun time at Grandma's house in Toledo!!! Thanks Grandma!!!!!

Happy Easter!!!

2008-03-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

Our Easter weekend began with a night out with my family (no kids!) going to St. Elmo's in downtown Indy....YUM!!!My brother-in-law, Wes, asked for a "coffee to-go"...I guess fancy restaurants don't have to-go cups, they give coffee in deli containers! We had a good laugh at this one!!

We went to the Egg Hunt at our church on Saturday morning, but didn't really get a lot of pictures. So, here are a few from Easter morning.

After church, it was off to my sister's for an Easter celebration with my family. The kids all had a great time hunting for eggs!!! Sam tripped and dumped his eggs...oops!

Millie & Ethan lovin' on Aunt Mary's lamb. We then made a stop at Uncle Andy's, where we were greeted by a few of his Great Danes. Ethan made himself right at home watching TV on Uncle Andy & Aunt Lorie's bed! (BTW, the dog that Eliza & Sam is petting, Hazel, is still just a puppy!!)

We had a wonderful, yet tiring Easter weekend.

Green bagels!!!

2008-03-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Sam and I enjoyed green bagels for St. Patrick's Day!!!
(Then we were off to the doctor to find out that Sam has a double ear infection....I thought by age 5 he would finally be done with these!)

John Deere Hats

2008-03-01T06:15:00.001-08:00

...okay, all but Eliza's!

Gabe & Addie came over to play yesterday. They kids definitely had a great time together! Which gave Mel & me a chance to actually talk!!

In need of prayer...

2008-02-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Please take a moment to checkout this blog. Leslie and her family are really in need of our prayers!!!

Showings

2008-02-29T05:42:00.000-08:00

I never knew that showing your house with 3 little kids could be so stressful!!! I'm somewhat of a cluttery person, so this has been such a challenge. The worst part of it all is that I feel like I'm constantly yelling at my kids to help me keep it clean by picking up their toys, clothes, papers, shoes, etc. Then, not only am I stressed about showing the house, I feel like a horrible mom for yelling at them for doing regular kid things.

I shouldn't really complain too much, at least we are having a good amount of showings during this hard time to sell a house.

We'll just keep praying! :)

Fun Birthday Weekend

2008-02-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

I was horrible about taking pictures this weekend! Aunt Michelle, Uncle John, & Anna (along with Grandma that went home early sick) stayed with us Saturday-Monday morning. It was so much fun hanging out with them!!! And, Anna is at a fun age to watch her explore! Here's all the kids together.
We also finally had Christmas with them! They got Sam Legos, which were the biggest hit of the weekend for all the boys. Sam also got some for his birthday, so we have enough Legos to build a house...or so it seems. Not sure who like playing with the Legos more - Eric, John, Sam, or Ethan!!!!! Wish I would've gotten a picture of this! :)

Michelle is taking a cake decorating class and made Sam a birthday cake. He loved his John Deere cake!!!! And, this is what she can do just after 1 class!
Before taking the class, Michelle made Anna's birthday cake last October. Although she would say otherwise, I thought it looked amazing!! It was like a HUGE cupcake. Very fun!

Happy 5th Birthday Sam!!!

2008-02-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that Sam is already 5!!!! Wow! We had a really fun day celebrating his big day. It started with him getting his presents from us - the big one being a betta fish that he has named Rocco.

Then, we were off to the BounceZone for an all boy party. Very fun!!! Now I just need to find places for all the new toys....I'm sure some old ones will go into storage until we move. (My kids are going to think they it's Christmas when we finally do move and get out all their "old" toys!!)

Last night we went to Sapporo's (a Japenese restaurant) for dinner. The kids loved watching their meal cooked in front of them, Sam smiled and laughed a lot while Ethan & Eliza sat with their jaws dropped most of the time.
We then finished the day swimming at Grandma's hotel. I didn't get any pictures of this, but I assure you this was another highlight of their day! They'll swim some more in the morning.

Happy Birthday Sam!!!!!!!

Cowan mini reunion

2008-02-10T19:41:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a little get together with the 5 of us that were close friends my senior year of high school - Sam, Kara, me, Julie, & Brandon (order of how we are pictured here). It's so fun to see all of them, and especially have our kids play together! Almost 16 years has passed since we graduated, and we've still remained close!! I get the see Sam, Kara, & Julie on a semi-regular basis. It had been a long time since I had seen Brandon, so I was excited to see him. Sam & Brandon were without their spouses last night, hopefully Julie & Amy can join us next time.

Here are all the kids sitting on the couch....for just a few seconds! :) The 8 kids range from almost 5 to 18 months! (2 kids are missing.)

They all sat down to eat, and it was a relatively peaceful meal!

Adrian's Baby Shower

2008-02-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

Today we had a baby shower for my friend Adrian. It's a HUGE miracle that she is even pregnant, so we wanted to be sure and celebrate. Stories like her make you realize that God has a plan far greater than our's, and that He really is in control.

And, my friend Karen made her amazing sugar cookies. Not only are they very tasty, but they are so cute we decided to make them a centerpiece! :)

horsytails

2008-01-30T08:17:00.000-08:00

Instead of calling them pigtails, Millie calls these horsytails!!! So, both girls wanted horsytails this morning. :)

Crazy kids!!!

2008-01-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

We have my niece Millie for 3 full days, and boy is our house loud....I mean louder than usual! :) She's only 6 months older than Ethan & Eliza, so we've had a few sharing issues. They've all 3 just recently potty trained and they tend to fight over who gets to go potty first. It's a little crazy!!! But, all that said, the cousins are having fun together! I even conquered a trip to Target with all 4 kids. I must admit, I'm tired!

It's a....

2008-01-24T06:48:00.000-08:00

Surprise! Eric & I have decided not to find out what this little one will be - a boy? or a girl? We were able to find out that everything is going extremely well, and that it appears to be a very healthy baby. What a blessing to receive this news!! Seeing God's miracle on that screen never ceases to amaze me!!!

Although it's fun not knowing, I must admit that it was hard when the ultrasound tech knew. Eric definitely didn't want to find out - we were surprised with Sam, and in hindsight he always says he wishes we wouldn't have found out with the twins. For this one I could go either way, I have no preference. However, it would be nice to purge what we don't need! And, since we're having such a hard time with names, it would easier to element a gender for the name search.

The last picture is of the baby's fist up under it's chin, so cute!!! Tiny Baby U #4 even gave us a little wave right before this shot. Isn't that amazing! It help to subside my reservations of having a 4th, since it's been hard to swallow the thought since we found out. I'm sure it will melt my heart once it arrives!

Foil-Pack Taco Chicken

2008-01-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

This is a simple, yet good recipe that our entire family really liked! Thought I'd share...

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/recipedetail.htm?recipe_id=75567

I didn't follow it exactly - like we used plain potatoes and not red, and I didn't have any Mexican cheese so we put a little chedar and a little mozzarella on each piece. We also did't have any sour cream. But, there is no mess to clean-up!!! I did read online that some people said the potatoes didn't get done for them. Our's were fine, but I did cut them very thin - kinda like the picture.

Going Away Party for Tim

2008-01-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Our friend Tim is joining the FBI and starts training on Monday. The training will go for 20 weeks, so tonight we went to a little farewell party for him. He'll be back for visits during training, but more than likely he & Mel will have to move once training is over. We'll miss having Tim around!!! And, it will be VERY sad to say good-bye to all of them...but we won't think about that until we have to.

Donuts!!!

2008-01-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, so you might think I'm crazy, but I've never been a big fan of donuts.....until I discovered Tim's Bakery!!! Eric worked late last night at a 2nd job of sorts (it's a once a month thing he does for a friend), and didn't get home until 3:30 am. In an effort to let him sleep in a little, the kids & I went to get donuts this morning. I just love this place!!! I still don't like donuts, unless they come from here! They are so YUMMY!!!! If you're ever near McCordsville, Indiana you must try them out!

Success!!

2008-01-18T07:04:00.000-08:00

It's only been one week since the potty training began, and I can't believe how AMAZING both Ethan & Eliza are doing!!! They both go completely unprompted and completely by themselves! WOW!!!! We've been staying home all week, so the real test will be when we are out. Today Eliza has a doctor's appointment, then we'll head to McD's for lunch....with underwear on, no pull-ups. I'm a little nervous, but with only 1 accident this week (Ethan on Monday) I think it'll go great.

I would highly recommend the book I used - Toilet Training in Less Than a Day by Azrin & Foxx. It was written in the early 70s, so it's a bit old school. But, if followed exactly, I'm here to say that it really worked for us!! I didn't use this with Sam, and he was MUCH harder.

What a great feeling!!!! I was dreading this so much. It's awful enough to train one kid, but two at the same time I just didn't think I could handle. To know that it's done is such a relief. Now, let's just pray they won't digress when we move or when the baby comes! :)

Potty Training

2008-01-13T16:54:00.000-08:00

...is my least favorite thing about parenting!!! (So far anyway, I'm sure the teenage years will change this!) And, training 2 kids at the same time is simply for the birds! Although they really are doing okay at it, it's still no fun!!!!! I feel like I can't leave my home for a few weeks while I really work on this - that alone is not a great feeling.

This, combined with keeping the house clean in case we have a showing, being pregnant, and doing all the regular things of caring for 3 kids and doing normal house stuff (cooking, laundry, etc.), is about to send me over the edge.

Any great tips on what worked for your kids with potty training would be greatly appreciated!!! When I trained Sam the twins were 3 1/2 months old, so it's somewhat of a blur. (Although I remember saying over and over that it was the most challenging 2 weeks of my life!!!)

Christmas 2007 Pictures

2007-12-31T07:11:00.000-08:00

Finally....pictures from our fun, yet busy Christmas in Toledo, Fishers, and Muncie.

The kids with Grandma....always a challenge to get them to all look!

Sam & his new sled.

Eliza in her princess dress and on her princess cell phone...she hasn't stopped talking on it since Christmas!

Ethan is a real Grandpa's boy!!! Grandpa & Eliza on their phones. A fun visit with Eric's grandpa. We were surprised to find that a lot of the cousins decided to visit at the same time we were there. It was very fun to see them all and for all our kids to play! Just wish I would've gotten some pictures. Eric is the only grandson, and there are 11 granddaughters!
Christmas morning at our house!
My entire family decided to go caroling at a local nursing home on Christmas evening. A great experience for all of us!!
And, my little peasant girl at Grammy's house.

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-25T05:33:00.000-08:00

After seeing that another friend posted a picture of her card, thought I'd do the same. My friend Heather designed our Christmas card and does such a GREAT job with this and many other things on her online business - Little Piggle Wiggle!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas day! We sang Happy Birthday to Jesus many times, what a great way to celebrate! Pictures will come later...

Shrimp Garden

2007-12-17T06:54:00.000-08:00

Last night I fixed a version of Shrimp Scampi for dinner - this is one of Sam's favorite meals! He loves shrimp!!! After he finished his plate (the 3rd helping!) he says,

"I have a good idea, let's put a shrimp garden in our back yard! We can go to the store and buy Shrimp Seeds and plant them. Then, we can have as much shrimp as we want!"

He was sad to hear it doesn't work that way!

John Deere Santa

2007-12-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

Santa came to the John Deere store. John Deere & Santa in the same place...a BIG treat for our kids!!! Eliza loved the PINK Gator!!!

Grandma's Visit

2007-12-14T06:45:00.000-08:00

Eric's mom came for a quick visit to see Sam in the Christmas program at school. She really wanted to get a picture of all 3 in front of the tree. I took 24 pictures, and I'm sure she took a ton. What did we do before digital cameras? I guess that I'm glad I didn't have small children then!! :) Here's the best one...
Then we went to Sam's program. He was suppose to do hand motions with his part, but I guess he'd rather have his hands in his pockets! Weird thing is he doesn't ever put his hands in his pockets.
We then decided to get Ethan & Eliza in their matching snowman hats. These were from Aunt Mary last year, so they barely fit them.

first snow of the season...

2007-12-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

Stuck!

2007-12-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

At first Ethan thought this was a very funny thing he had accomplished. Then, when he realized he was stuck, the potty seat became scary. Of course, like any good mom, I grabbed the camera!

This is what happens when a mom turns her head for a few minutes!

Before and After

2007-11-29T18:19:00.000-08:00

So, today I got my haircut! I'm going to be sending in my old ponytail for Pantene Beautiful Lengths. Kinda neat to think that I've helped someone who is struggling with cancer by giving her my hair.

Not sure what I'm going to do without a ponytail!!! My security blanket is gone! :)

Where to begin?

2007-11-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

First of all, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!! We are so blessed and have so much to be thankful for!!

So much has happen in these last few months....hence the reason for not blogging. Here are just a few highlights.

1 - Baby #4 is coming in May! Making me VERY sick!!!

2 - Eric & I celebrated our 10th anniversary in Newport, Rhode Island and had a wonderful time together. (The grandmas took care of the kids!)

3 - Sam got to ride in the combine with Pappy & Uncle Andy. This is one of his favorite things!

4 - Mary, my sister, turned 40 and we had a fun day of celebrating her.

5 - We celebrated many birthdays in October, but one that stands out was our niece, Anna, turned 1. Such a sweet age!

6 - Eric drove himself to the emergency room for one of several gallbladder attacks. Having 2 sick parents in the house is not a good thing!!!!

7 - Ethan pooped in the potty!

8 - Eric had his gallbladder removed! :)

9 - Oh, and I almost forgot, our house is for sale!!! (Try keeping a clean house with 3 little kids, a mom that's puking, and a dad that's doubled-over in pain...not fun!)

Here are a few pictures...

Eric right before surgery. (He's not happy about me posting this one!)

The kids are inEric's shirts....and I think they are "smiling" for me.

Ty, Superman, and Ladybug

2007-11-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here's all 3 in their costumes. A very fun night!

Any guesses???

2007-10-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

Sam was creative this year on what he wanted to be for Halloween. See if you can guess...

snuggling on the couch

2007-10-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

This morning they all wanted to watch tv for a few minutes under the blanket. This doesn't happen often without arguing, so I grabbed the camera.

Happy Birthday Gracie!!!

2007-10-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season for birthdays in my family!

Happy Birthday Mae!!!

2007-09-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Ben!!!

2007-09-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

Spontaneous trip to Greenville

2007-09-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday morning Eric asks Ethan (Sam's at my parent's) if he would like to go to a football game. I'm thinking, what football game??? Then, I realize that he's talking about going to Greenville, IL to watch Greenville vs. Taylor. Greenville is where Eric Hehman is headcoach, and Eric wanted to go see the game....we just hadn't talked about it. So, we get Eric & Ethan ready to go and they are pulling out of the garage when Eric decides that Eliza & I should go also - mind you, we're still in our PJs and I need a shower. Nonetheless, we get ready in a hurry (no time for a shower!) and are out the door for our 3 1/2 hours in the car to watch a football game. Kinda crazy, but we had LOTS of fun!!!! Mike & Traci were also there, so all the kids played together.

Since we're going to support Eric H., we dressed the kids in orange and we even cheered for Greenville! Unfortunately, Taylor won at the last minute. A big bummer for Coach Hehman!!!

Here's Liz in the last minutes of the game....a slightly stressed wife of the coach! Too cute!!!

The Music Playhouse

2007-09-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

While Sam is at preschool on Tuesdays, I decided to enroll Ethan & Eliza in a music class a few other friends are taking. THEY LOVE IT!!!!! It's so cute! Miss Diane is the teacher, and she is wonderful with the kids. Today everyone had lots of fun with the drums. Here are a picture of Ethan & Eliza, and their friends Max, Ellie, & Katie (and Adrian made the picture with Eliza!).

Mary had a little lamb...

2007-09-10T04:35:00.000-07:00

My sister is approaching her 40th birthday next month, and Mom & I couldn't wait until then to give her this lamb. Mary has always collected antique lambs, so this concrete one goes perfect in her peony garden. She saw one just like this a few years ago and has talked about it since. I guess they are hard to find. Mom & Dad happen to find this one about 6 weeks ago in Ohio, it's been sitting in their garage and we couldn't wait anymore!! It goes so perfect with her beautiful old brick home!

An extra BIG day for Sam

2007-09-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

Not only did he start preschool today, but he also learned to ride his bike without training wheels tonight. He did great! This is the first time for him to ever try it and his first shot at it was almost a go, by the end of the evening he was doing great. A little more practice and he's got it!

Sam's in preschool

2007-09-05T10:51:00.001-07:00

Sam was very excited to go to preschool today. The first day they have a parent come with them for an hour. This morning he told me that I didn't need to come, that he just wanted to go by himself. I think he's more than ready!

He loved it and can't wait for tomorrow. They have "show'n'tell" and he's going to take a tractor...imagine that!!!!

Weekend for birthdays!

2007-09-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Youngstown for the Harrell's twins, Kate & Lucy's 1st birthday party on Saturday. Then on Sunday we celebrated Benjamin Harrell's 3rd birthday in the morning, only then to get in the car and visit Eric's sister, Michelle, to celebrate her birthday on the way home. So, 6 hours in the car on both Saturday and Sunday make for a long weekend. BUT, it was a fun trip overall!!!! The kids all took great naps today and were in bed early.

Here are a few pictures...

Glares

2007-08-29T15:09:00.001-07:00

This morning I met a friend for donuts (something I'll blog about later!) with our kids. Ethan was being very difficult, so much so that I ended up needing to take him outside for a few minutes. When we came back in Ethan starting screaming a little and there were these 2 older women GLARING at me. I wanted so bad to look at them and ask if they could remember what this was like. I was trying to control my child, but they were making it even worse. I already feel like I'm a monster of a mom, then they are making me feel like I should correct him even more than I am. Having 2 kids going through the "Terrible Twos" at the same time is really difficult at times! Other times it's very rewarding....okay, mostly difficult but I'm trying to find the positive right now! :)

On the other hand, last week a similar thing happened with Ethan at Starbucks in Upland. (There seems to be a pattern with Ethan.) We were on our way to pick-up Sam in Toledo and I stopped there to go to the bathroom and let the kids get out of the car for a few minutes. Apparently it was the same day the freshman were starting at Taylor. So, instead of glares I got this from the 2 women sitting next to us - "It's okay, we've all been there. Try to enjoy it, before you know it you'll be dropping them off at college."

I guess it's all about perspective. The women today probably aren't use to being around little ones, nor do they want to be. The women last week yearn for the day they were changing diapers now that they are saying their goodbyes.

Okay, so now I'm crying at the thought of them leaving...yet I want a break from them right now. Is this what being a mom is all about???? :)

Indianpolis Air Show

2007-08-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the Indianapolis Air Show (thanks to free tickets from Tim & Mel!). It was lots of fun!! We really enjoyed the Blue Angels. Those guys are daring!

Ethan kept saying "Uncle Ben, it's too loud!" Followed by "Here dey come" and "Daddy, it's cool." We had our own commentator with us. Needlesstosay, the boys loved it all!! Eliza just wanted to wander off to see what the people around us were doing.

Visit to Toledo

2007-08-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

Ethan, Eliza, and I went to Toledo Friday & Saturday to pick-up Sam and to see Eric's family. It was a short, but fun trip to see everyone. Here's all the grandparents except Eric's mom...the only picture I got of her and the kids didn't turn out.

Dale Hollow Houseboat Trip

2007-08-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Dale Hollow where we rented a houseboat with 6 other couples for 4 days. Always a GREAT time!!!!!

The guys decided it would be fun to slide down the waterslide and see if they could land on their feet on this water tube. Needlesstosay, no one was successful. But, it was very entertaining to watch!

Indiana State Fair

2007-08-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we enjoyed Farmer's Day at the State Fair, we never miss Farmer's Day! We were joined by my parents (although we never saw my Dad!), my sister & Millie, and Eric's mom. Here are a few pictures from a day of fun!!

As you can tell, we were experimenting with the camera. I had a hard time figuring out how to switch it back to regular....therefore, all the pictures in sepia! :)

Ben is off to Africa...again!

2007-08-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

For those of you that know my younger brother, Ben, he is quite the world traveler. He's off to Rwanda for the second time in less than 5 months...and with only a weeks notice. The purpose of this trip is to help work on a proposal to initiate the possibility of setting up a seed development business. What a great opportunity for Ben to see what God might have in store for him and for him to explore the world! Pray that he will have safe travels, that he is productive while there, and that God will give him a clear direction for his role in the future of this project.

I don't think he was thrilled with me taking a picture for my blog!

NOTE: Ben is single if you know of a great Christian girl!!! :)

Popsicles on the Farm

2007-08-07T04:23:00.000-07:00

We met our friend Traci and her 2 kids, Jonah & Lydia, at my parent's house yesterday. Jonah & Sam had lots of fun running around the farm, playing on tractors, taking a ride in the Model A, playing on the merry-go-round, etc. Then, right before Jonah left we caught them all sitting on the steps to eat their popsicles. A very hot, yet fun, day!!!

"I want Grammy!"

2007-08-02T05:11:00.000-07:00

Having 3 grandchildren of the same age often ends in a competition of who gets Grammy's lap! Especially when they are all tired! Somehow she is able to hold them all....amazing!

Life with 2!

2007-07-31T16:56:00.000-07:00

Sam is at my parent's house for the day. It's definitely a different dynamic with just 2! We played on our new tricycles from Grandma, got a ride from Daddy when he got home, Ethan got a haircut, they both took a bath, played in Mom & Dad's bed pillows, and Penny was here to enjoy it all! :)

Happy 60th Birthday Grandpa!

2007-07-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today the kids had a great time meeting their Grandpa in Fort Wayne to celebrate his birthday!!! It was a long day in the car, but well worth it. Everyone had lots of fun! (Thanks Grandpa, Grandma, & Aunt Hope for meeting us halfway!!!)

Playtime after naptime!

2007-07-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

Ethan & Eliza often wake-up very happy from their nap. Usually Ethan wakes-up first, then yells "Eliza" until she wakes-up. I have this habit of letting them play in their cribs for up to an hour before I go get them. This free fall thing is Eliza's favorite thing lately.

What a difference a year makes!

2007-07-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

We went to the park today with our friends Mindy & Jack. There were only 2 toddler swings, and 3 toddlers. So, I thought I'd see if my trick from last summer would work.....it did for only a few minutes. Last summer they would sit like this the entire time we were at the park!

Check out the difference in the picture from today and the picture from a year ago!

Dad's 10th Year!

2007-07-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

10 years ago tonight was my Dad's aneursym in his aorta. So, we went to dinner tonight to celebrate his life. What a blessing it really is that he made it through that night! If you know the story of how my dad was able to get to the hospital in time for surgery you know that God was truly with him!!! And, if you don't know the story, I'll share it with you someday....or, just ask my dad if you have an hour or 2! :)

Our busy weekend

2007-07-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend was full of fun! Saturday we were able to visit Mosie - which was great! Sam actually cried when we left. Then I took the kids to my parent's for the day so that Eric could fix our patio that was caving.

Sam was very happy to help Pappy bale some straw!!!

Then, we ended with Lora's birthday party. And fireworks....$5 worth!! :)

Am I really blogging???

2007-07-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

I'm going to give this a go. Although I'm sure that my kids will look back and laugh at this some day, I'm doing it more for family and friends. I want them to be able to see Sam, Ethan, & Eliza grow on a daily basis! Okay, so maybe the word daily is a bit much....we'll see how often I'm really able to post.

This sums up my life at this point...the first year after the twins I was mental, the second a monster, and I'm predicting the third year I'll be the referee! But, all that said, we are extremely blessed to have these guys to drive us crazy!!!!

Here 'U' go... :)