Family Pictures

Here is a sampling of the pictures we had taken while home in Indiana. My friend, Amber Zimmerman, took them. If you want info on how to have her take your pictures, just let me know.

I love each of the girls' expressions

Talk about candid!

A Tender Moment

This is my favorite! I think they look like models. :)

And So it Begins

"A" is for Analise in All day kindergarten! We were so excited she could go to school on the first morning. In the past, school began on a Thursday, so they would have a back to school openhouse the night before. This year they started on a Monday, so that meant an openhouse that morning from 8-9. Talk about torture on the moms! If it had been the night before, I could have been so excited and happy the whole time. I knew Monday morning would be hard on me. I didn't let myself down. :) Sunday evening I look at old photo albums to take a walk down memory lane...kind of hoping I would get emotional then instead of the morning. Didn't do the trick. Monday morning came, and she was up bright and early! Unfortunately, that also meant Maisie was up early, but she doesn't wake up so bright. Grandma was kind enough to come over so Brandon and I could take Analise together, and we didn't have to get the other girls ready. We drove over and she showed Brandon where her classroom is. She was so excited. We found her locker, her seat, and she began coloring. I did some parent things by signing up for stuff. I was good to go. And then at 8:30 the teacher announced she was going to get started. Parents were welcome to stay or leave. I knew then I needed to get out of there. I didn't want Analise to see my tears. We asked if she was ready for us to go, and she said yes. I gave her a quick I love you and quickly left the room. Walking down the sidewalk, Brandon asked me if I had noticed that we were the only parents who left. Now I felt bad and cried more. (We found out later that other parents did leave when we did.) He took me home, gave me the hugs I needed and then headed to work.
The girls and I had to get out that morning so we went and got some groceries. She was only there in the morning, and I was ready to pich her up. She was excited to see us, and she loved telling me she had fun. I asked her if she missed me. She looked kind of puzzled and said, "No." I guess that's the way it should be.

Last week as we know it

After we got home from our great vacation, we had to hit the ground running. It was the last week of our official summer vacation. The countdown was on for Analise to start kindergarten. We tried to pack it with fun. Monday we had her buddy, E, come over to play. She asked throughout the summer, and it never was good timing. She asked Monday morning if he could come over. I thought, "Why not?" They enjoyed a couple of hours together.
Tuesday morning she went to exercise with me (where she saw more friends) and then in the afternoon she got to go with her cousins to a house on a little lake. She was pumped! She and A played in the water and had a blast!
Weds. night she and I went school supply shopping. We had fun together. She was a good, patient daughter as I saw many people I knew and enjoyed visiting with most of them! :) At one point she put the shopping basket on the ground and sat in it. We went to three stores and got everything she needed...and for good prices. Yeah!
Thursday we met friends at the children's museum for one last hurrah before school began. We got home from there, and she went on a lunch date with her daddy. Shortly after her cousin A came over to play. We packed in a fun day!
Friday she went on a donut date with grandma. Always a treat. Later in the afternoon, our day took an unexpected turn. We were getting ready to run errands when Analise told me her right cheek hurt when she touched it. My loving resonse was, "Well, then don't touch it." However, as we drove around, she would say things like, "Mommy, it hurts when I do this..." When we got home I looked at it and could tell it was a little swollen. I called grandma and got her opinion. Just 20 minutes later, it was really swollen, and she was in a lot of pain. At that point I knew we would be going to urgent care. We ate an early supper, Brandon got home, and we left shortly after. We saw a really nice doctor who was honestly quite taken with what he was seeing. He's seen maybe 5 cases like this in the 11 years he's been a doctor. It was classic symptoms for mumps, though we were pretty confident it wasn't that since she's had all her vaccines. We went home thinking it was a viral infection in her pirada (salivary) gland. Instructions were to treat with Tylenol and come back in the morning.
Saturday Brandon was going to go fishing, but being the great man he is, he spent the day with us. Analise and I were back to the clinic at 8:30 where this time was saw a pediatrician. We were there a total of two hours - blood work twice and seeing the doctor. She was so kind and glad we came in. The doc from the night before popped in, so he was able to see the difference from the night before. I was very thankful. Her face was still really swollen, but it was a more general swelling where the night before was more specific to the gland. The bloodwork this time indicated a bacterial infection. We got some strong meds and knew we had to watch this really closely. If this spread elsewhere, we'd be on IV meds for 10 days. School on Monday was looking slim. She spent the day at home relaxing. Poor thing had to miss family birthday celebrations (like she did last May.) Brandon spent the night at home with her. They ate dinner in the living room and watched a movie. She was a good sport about it.
Sunday she had to stay home from church, but the good news was the swelling looked better, and her temp was way down! I took her into the clinic that afternoon and saw another doc. Thankfully he already knew about us. :) He was encouraged that she was looking better and the fever seemed to be gone. In his opinion, he thought she could go to school! PTL! What a rare thing to have this infected. Scary at times, but we are thankful for those who prayed and a God who answered!

Friday Vacation

Analise picked all these berries

The golfers
A great place for busy Maisie!

Analise had fun at the playground

Last day...so sad. We were wanting to take the girls to the splash park again, but it was too cool to go. So mom and I decided to go blueberry picking instead. Analise went along, too, and we had a great time! The bushes were just the right size for Analise, and they still had lots of berries on them. We spent about an hour and got almost 10 lbs. We went home and loaded everyone up for a park/picnic. We went to a new playground, and it was amazing! I've never seen anything like it before. The girls had a blast for as along as we allowed them.

After we put the younger two down for naps, Dad, Brandon, Analise and I went golfing. My first time out this summer! I like to golf, but it's hard to find the time and money to go. Analise loves to go ride/drive the cart. She rode with Brandon, and I rode with my dad. Special times and some good laughs. My dad is very patient and that's good when you golf with us. :) One of these days when the girls are older, I would love to do this more with Brandon. We enjoy it together.

We went home for a home cooked meal and the girls got one last bath in the jetted tub. After they were in bed, we began the packing process. It was much more fun packing to come rather than leave.

I forgot to mention in Weds. post that my parents also took all the girls to Meijer to get some groceries. Analise and Maisie rode in the cart that played a movie. Only something grandparents would do. :)

Thursday Vacation

A shopping we will go...again. Today was the day to use my Kohl's cash. We headed to another one, and I spent time picking out new picture frames for the family photos. I will admit it might not have been the wisest thing to get having not seen the pictures first, but I thought it was a good way to spend that money. We had several frames laid on the floor trying to figure out the arrangement we want. We all agreed and moved on.
From there we went to Dick's. We needed to get Analise some new Nikes since she's almost outgrown her others. She tried on a couple of pair, ran around their little track (with Maisie chasing her), and we found a cute pair with Velcro!
While Analise was trying on shoes, I gave antsy Maisie one of those panty hose samples. She played with it, and then I put it on her head. Talk about funny! Here is a shot with both girls wearing hose on their heads...

For supper we headed to Chucky Cheese's. This was where we took Analise for her 3rd birthday, so we wanted to take Maisie as well. It was great outnumbering the children! Both girls had lots of fun. Analise rode some of the rides, but she also enjoyed playing some games. Maisie was up for anything. My dad and I competed in skee ball (always my fave) and some hoop shooting. Sadie just hung out in the stroller watching all the activity go by.

Fast and Furious

Maisie's method of playing skee ball. :)

Wednesday Vacation

A day with my hubbie! Hip hip hooray! My parents were so excited to take care of the girls so Brandon and I could get away. It's hard for them to be so far from the girls (hard on me, too), so it wasn't hard for me to say goodbye. When I told Analise what we were doing, and that she would be staying home with Grandmom and Pops, she said, "Yeah! Now we can do whatever we want...with Grandmom and Pops." :)
Brandon and I left around 9:30 for Indianapolis. I hadn't been downtown in years and never with Brandon. He's more of a country guy, but I knew we'd have fun down there. Our first stop was Dunkin Donuts. Got to have donuts when traveling early. :) The trip down went fast while we talked and laughed. Our first outing was at Circle Center Mall. It's a fun place to walk around and do some shopping. I wasn't really looking for anything in particular, but it was pleasant walking around with him and talking without interruptions. I did get a Colts shirt, and I found pants and a shirt at Eddie Bauer marked down. I think I paid 1/3 of the original price.
We ate lunch at PF Changs...again not Brandon's first choice, but I love it. Mmmm, good. We were told that we could tour the Colts new arena on Weds. afternoons, so we planned on doing that. I was so excited! We walked to the arena a few blocks away to find out they'd been canceled for the day. Bummer. We then had to come up with plan B. So we drove over to the Indy Speedway to look around and take a tour around the track. We enjoyed that, too. Brandon had never been there before.
We then drove across town (thanks, GPS) and met some friends at Uno's. Uno's was one of the main reasons we went to Indy. Brandon loves their pizza! My dearest college friend, S, and her husband live there, and they were kind enough to meet us for supper. Again it was SO nice to enjoy a meal with friends. No one else's food to cut! Before we knew it, we had to head home. The day away went too quickly, but we enjoyed it all. Mom and dad, thanks for watching my beloved daughters! If we were closer, I know you would have and enjoy them so much more.

While we were away, my parents were busy keeping the girls busy. I thought the girls might wear them out, but instead I think it was the other way around.
Shortly after we left, they took the girls out for donuts. From there they went to a big, fun playground. After the girls were finished playing there, they moved on to a splash park. The girls LOVED it! Analise was the only kid running around wearing goggles. :) They asked Analise if she wanted lunch at McDonald's. She said she would because she never gets to eat there. That's true. They ate lunch and then played on their outdoor playground!
Time for naps...when they got up they went to another local, huge playground for the girls to play once again. For dinner they grilled hot dogs and ate that along with mac and cheese. The girls love this meal. I think after that they took Minnie for a walk. Phew, I'm worn out just thinking about it.
They invest so much time/energy into the girls. It not only means the world to the girls, but also to me as well. My love language it quality time, so when they spend time with the girls, I also feel loved. Wish we could do it more often, mom and dad!

Tuesday Vacation

Ugh...this is the second time I've typed this. I got a failure the first time. Round two:

If you have learned anything about me, it's that I love to reminisce, recall found memories, and I love relationships. Tuesday brought a combination of them all. I thought it would be fun to show Analise where I went to school and let her see my kdg. classroom. I called a childhood friend who now works up at the school/church, and she agreed to show us around. Brandon and Analise were troopers as we walked around the school. It brought back a lot of fond memories for me! I know my parents made big sacrifices to send me to a Christian school, and I am so thankful for that! I hadn't been in the building for almost 10 years, and I even got to see my 5th grade teacher. We laughed at the memories we had. Analise liked seeing my kdg. classroom, and she even climbed up into the loft that I used when I was five. I love every minute of it!
After the school, we made a quick stop at Meijer. I didn't realize how much I would miss that store until I had to shop at Walmart. Analise got a pair of flip flops - something she has wanted all summer. Nothing like early August to get her some. :)
We headed home, and Brandon went to meet a college friend for lunch. After my mom and I put the girls down for naps, we headed out.
I have so been looking forward to school clothes shopping for Analise. We've been abundantly blessed with great hand me downs, but we've reached the point that she needed some new clothes. My folks are only 40 minutes from an outlet mall, so we headed there to do our damage. We contributed to the economy at Carter's, Osh Kosh and The Children's Place. Analise was a good sport about trying everything on. We learned that she needed size 6 pants and size 5 shirts. The only mishap was when she accidentally knocked over a mannequin. :) Thanks also to my mom for contributing to the clothing! I don't claim to have any fashion mind, but I think she will be one cute kindergartener! I think this would be a great tradition to start. :)
We got home in time to go out for supper. We ate at my favorite Mexican place. The quesadillas are scrumptious! I sat between Maisie and Sadie, so it wasn't really relaxing, but it was worth it for the food.
When we got home we went for a walk around the pond with Minnie, of course.
After the girls were in bed, we watched "We are Marshal." I really enjoyed it. It was a great way to end a great day!

Monday Vacation

Monday was zoo day, and I could hardly wait. I love zoos! I don't even pretend that I go to zoos because of my children. This is a top rated zoo, and I was thrilled to see the new and improved African Safari. The weather was perfect. We had two strollers, but I hardly pushed either one. Grandparents who don't get to see their granddaughters very often enjoy pushing strollers. :) The highlights were seeing the sea lions fed and perform a little show. Analise, Brandon and I took the new sky tram ride over the Safari. It was nice, but I don't think we will do it again. Analise and I fed a giraffe! We bought a lettuce leaf, and the giraffe grabbed it with his really long tongue. To be that close was amazing. The girls loved riding the train with Pops. I have fond memories of that train ride, too. We also got to witness one tortoise giving another tortoise a "piggy back ride." At least that is what we told the girls. I found this so funny simply because fours years ago at the Phoenix Zoo, I saw the same thing. Really, what are the odds of witnessing this twice?
After the zoo we are lunch at the park close by. The girls loved all the play equipment!
By the time we got home, it was definitely nap time!

Sadie was a real trooper riding in the stroller all morning.

Three Little Monkeys...

A close up to the lion who never did turn around


Did you know Brandon is taller than a giraffe? :)

The giraffe wasn't licking Maisie, though it looks like it

Got to love the train ride with Pops!

Maisie chased the goats, and Analise didn't want near them

Monday evening we enjoyed a yummy dinner, and then my dear friend, K, picked me up for a girl's night out. (While I was gone, Analise and Maisie enjoyed a bubble bath in Grandmom's big jetted tub...always a favorite!)

Anyway, K and I had several hours together, so we hit the mall first. We only went into one store, but we had fun. We then went to see S, Rachel's husband. I had taken home lots of clothes to pass down to their youngest daughter. I couldn't think of a better way to pass them along. There was no need for them to sit in totes, and I didn't want to sell them. We've been blessed with hand-me-downs, and I wanted to bless someone else that way, too. K and I went over to give S the clothes. We ended up talking with him for a couple of hours. We pitched in and helped give the oldest two baths and helped put them to bed. It was a good night, but it was a hard night. I won't share details, but I will ask you to continue to pray for the family. It's been four months since Rachel's home going. Hard, hard, hard.
K and I then headed to Starbucks. We only got to visit there for 35 minutes since they close at 11:00. So we then sat in her van for the next two hours and talked. I sure wish we could have coffee chats much more often! I love ya, K!

Sunday Vacation

Sunday was a full day. We went to church with my parents, and I always enjoy seeing friends there. I put Sadie in the nursery, but the other girls stayed with us. I am so thankful for Color Wonder Markers! After church we headed straight to the mall. We met up with my sister there, and the guys took off for golf. When Analise was home for her 3rd birthday, Aunt Peg took her to Build A Bear Workshop. Since we were home the so close to Maisie's 3rd birthday, A. Peg wanted to carry on the tradition. We went to B. A. B. and let Maisie do some damage. We let her pick the animal, after we did some weeding out of our own. She chose a Jack Russell puppy. Kind of fitting, when you think about it. Maisie had so much fun, and Analise was a good sport through it all. Maisie's puppy has two hearts, and she picked out a cute outfit and pink sandals. She named her puppy, "Puppy." :)
We went home for lunch and put the girls down for naps. It wasn't much later, and we were waking the girls up. It was family pictures time!
I had arranged my dear friend, A, to take pictures for us. I don't have them yet, so I will have to post them another time. The golfers got back just in time to change quick and away we went. We went out to my friends, R and M's, new house in the country. They had a nice pond that made a nice backdrop. We started with the whole family picture first. It's been two years since the last family picture, and we figured it was time to add Sadie. :) Oh, the girls did okay. Actually two of them did well. Analise knew well enough to smile and cooperate. Sadie was happy, and Maisie well, she was just moody. She woke up on the wrong side of the bed. We'll see if she is smiling in any of the pictures. After many poses there, we went to a small nearby "town" for a more urban look. I fed the girls snacks on the way there, but honestly, they were done. The backdrops were great, the girls were darling, and their moods were on to something else. I do have confidence in A to come up with something good. :)
We drove home for a family dinner with P and D. One the way home Brandon spotted a garage sale. He turned the van around so I could go shop. We got another sit -n- spin, since our one wasn't enough (hah!) and the game Hungry, Hungry Hippos. Dirt cheap toys!
Dinner was fun, and we enjoyed the short time we had with P and D. They had to head home after dinner, and we gave the girls baths and put them to bed early. The peace and quiet was very welcoming after such a busy day.

Aunt Peg, Puppy and Maisie

Saturday Vacation

Saturday we got up with a mission in mind: Kohl's. :) I have wanted some new shorts all summer long. Once upon a time I was going to shop for clothes while in CO, but that trip never happened. I have a hard time buying clothes for myself. I don't mind spending money on the girls or Brandon, but I do for myself. So this trip to Kohl's was important...coupons, a husband there to nod his approval when I came out of the dressing room, and grandparents to entertain the girls. We were there for quite a while, but I hit the jackpot! I got some new shirts and shorts, and I shopped in peace. I think my folks took the girls up and down the escalator about 30 times. :) One thing I love about Kohl's is seeing how much money I saved. I actually saved more money than I spent, and I got $30 in Kohl's cash! A shopping high...
We went home for a quick lunch and packed for the lake. Our friends B and G have a lake home about 45 minutes away. I grew up coming here each summer, but it had been 9 years since I was last there. It was a very relaxing afternoon. It was kind of cloudy and cool, bit I still enjoyed a ride on the pontoon. Brandon rode the jet ski with their son C. They had a BLAST! I loved seeing Brandon enjoy this time on the water. Believe it or not, Analise also love the jet ski! C was a very careful driver with her on, and she couldn't get enough. When she got off the last time she asked me, "Mom, can we buy a jet ski?" I guess a boat isn't enough. :) We ate dinner there and enjoyed time with friends.

Our afternoon water fun

Analise is still talking about that jet ski!

Maisie liked wearing these slippers

Friday

Friday dawned a beautiful day. The girls slept well, and I love that when they get up they go downstairs to find my parents and the dog. They let me rest in peace. :) However, I still get up to help with them...don't worry. After breakfast we decided to drive over to Shmucker's...it's a locally owned Amish produce store. I grew up going there every summer, so I like to go back. The girls had fun, too. We got some yummy, fresh fruits and veggies. We also walked back behind the horse barn to see the work horses. They are huge! A couple of older foals came over to see us. They wouldn't let us pet their velvety noses, but we liked having them close. We then took the drive back home. One of the things I love about my home town is you are in the city, but we drive a couple of minutes, and we're back in the country. Simplicity.
After lunch, the girls took naps, and I relaxed while my dad and Brandon went to the driving range. After Analise was done with her rest time, she helped my mom in the kitchen. She loves that. They made their traditional ranch mix (like chex mix), and she helped cut up fruit.

The girls enjoy a table their size.
Analise is so happy to be helping Grandmom!

A favorite...walking Minnie

Sadie's favorite...climbing the stairs.

Friday evening we had some family friends come over for dinner (B and G). They are my parent's best friends, and they are like family to me. We enjoyed dinner and visiting. We even took Minnie for a walk around the pond. It was a great ending to a great day!

On the Road

Originally we were going to make the 13 hour trip in one day. However, thanks to my dear husband who supports my friendships, and knows how important they are to me, agreed we could leave a night earlier than scheduled. Before all the plan changes, I had visited with a childhood/high school friend who was home from Paris for a couple of months. We had scheduled to get some other child/high school friends together on Thursday evening for dinner. I was so excited!! I did some thinking Weds. night as I lay in bed and realized we would have to be on the road no later than 9:00. We were meeting for dinner at 7:00, and my goal was to be home by 6:00. Wouldn't you know it...we did it! We pulled on to the interstate at 9:00. Of course that meant I was up at 6:45 getting ready, but it was worth the sleep. The girls do really well traveling. We are so blessed! I packed each of them a backpack with things to do, and we also have a DVD player that helps pass the time. We vary what we do in the van. We stopped at a rest area for lunch. The girls had started eating their lunch in the van. Two reasons why: it helped pass time, and they got more running around time. The rest area even had a playground...it was great! Brandon and I ate quickly while the girls played. Analise loved the "teeter saw." :) I think that stop was 45 minutes. It was then declared nap time once we were back on the road. Easier said than done. I was tired, and I wanted the girls to sleep. They eventually did fall asleep. While the little ones napped, Analise listened to an Adventures in Oddessy on my ipod. The biggest challenge in our journey is always Chicago. What will it be like? Praise God we timed it right and got right through. Though I will admit. I always have Brandon drive this leg. We made a couple more quick potty breaks, and we pulled in my parent's drive at 6:20! PTL!

Maisie listening to the movie through the head phones. That's her little pillow between her head and head phones. She looked so funny!
Analise is also tuned in. This way Brandon and I could listen to our own music while they watched movies.

Sadie was a happy traveler, even though she couldn't see the screen.

I had just enough time at home to help unpack, get the girls "settled", hug my parents and change before meeting my friends. We met at one of my favorite home town Italian places. There were five of us. I've known most of these friends since I was little! I loved visiting with them, going back into time and memories with them, and I am so thankful they are all following the Lord.

After dinner we met up with another friend at Starbucks. We sat outside (I got eaten alive!) and talked until midnight. Ahhh...the joys of friendship. All thanks to a husband who was willing to spend the money on a hotel and leave early.

Much to Say

Goodness! It's been so long since I have blogged that I didn't type in the right password. :) I have been posting in my head about our vacation, and I hope to get it written this afternoon. Analise is away playing with her cousins. If the other girls cooperate and sleep well, I just might get it done.
Our vacation to Indiana (my first home) got bumped back a week, and for awhile we were in a holding pattern of when we were going to leave. Thankfully my parents were very flexible. Brandon had some training at work that he could not miss, and then he was needed there some the week after to make sure things were going well enough for him to leave. Thus, we left later. However, the good news was that we got more time. Looking back, I am so thankful for those extra couple of days.
Anyone who has packed for a long trip and has to pack for herself and three young children know what it's like....hard! I feel like I packed for 2 days straight. With that I include the last minute errands, making sure bills are paid, etc. One morning I had all these "in and out errands" that are anything but in and out with three small kids. I decided to call a 14 year old and asked her to ride along with me. She was willing, and it saved me a lot of time! She hung out in the van with the girls while I zipped in and out of places. So nice! I also got help with my mom in law. She let the girls sleep there one afternoon so I could have a couple of hours by myself with access to all the house. What a blessing! One of the things the girls and I did to help Brandon was take it through a car wash. He likes a clean car when we leave.
Brandon got home from work a little after 5:00, we ate dinner quick while he loaded the van (which we are so thankful for the hitch and travel bag!) and we were on the road by 6:30. Of course, it was sprinkling when we left...clean van didn't last long! I had the girls in their jammies already. We made a quick stop two hours away for bathroom and gas (that sounds kind of funny together. Makes me think of my favorite billboard in IN: Stop. Eat. Get Gas.) We then drove in more peace and quiet until we got to our hotel at 11:40. And that reminds me, God blessed me with that hotel. The lady I talked with there came down over $20 on their lowest price so we could stay there. Yeah! We arrived and unloaded as quickly as we could. We've gotten wiser in our packing over the years. The girls all awoke and were wild and crazy until we tucked them in at midnight. Brandon and I crashed about the same time. Vacation had begun.