Happy Anniversary!

Five years ago today I married an amazing guy! Happy Anniversary Mike!

We love you!

You are a wonderful husband and an amazing father. I love the passion that you have for serving the Lord and how excited you get when you get to do it! I would never have imagined we would be where we are today with two children and a fun-filled life, but I would never change any of it. Here's to many more years together!


I walked downstairs this morning to see a bouquet of my favorite flowers and a card with the sweetest things in side. He is always so very thoughtful.

Tonight we went to one of my favorite restaurants The Cheesecake Factory. We ordered amazing meals and very good cheesecake to celebrate!

I'm extremely excited for tomorrow. My sweet husband has reservations at a steakhouse he has wanted to try called Texas de Brazil followed by a night at the Avenue Hotel in Chicago. Super excited for a night on the town!

A few oldies

My friend Rowie has become the kids personal photographer. If she's there, she has her camera which is good because I probably don't. Last week she gave us a bunch of pictures that date back since we first knew her (July 06). I thought I would post a few of them in the next couple of posts. Enjoy!

Baby Avery August 2007

Fall 2008

Happy baby Avery, April 2008

Asher June 2006
He has curly hair that we have to now keep tame. :)



Asher making his "racing face."

My Little Rule Follower

Asher loves soccer. So when we watched my little brother Josiah play two games this weekend, he was lovin' it! He jumped right in to cheer the players on including this:

(After the goalie got a save)

A very worried Ash: Mom, you can't use your hands in soccer!
Me: It's okay buddy, he's the goalie.

To which Ash turns an yells at the goalie:

"NO HANDS IN SOCCER, DUDE!"

Yep, my son heckled the goalie and called him a dude.

We may have problems this fall when we start soccer. :)

Never say never

So I've always prided myself on being a good driver. I've never been pulled over (or should I say I've never received a ticket), never been in an accident and never run out of gas. My husband has done two of the three, so I have always been so proud that my record was spotless, to say the least.

Until recently.

That's changed.

A few weeks ago my sister asked me to play softball up in Milwaukee with them. They have a co-ed team made of doctors and their wives (appropriately named "Scrubs"). They were short a few players, so I decide why not...I don't know any of them, so I can make a fool of myself.

Needless to say, I got two hits, was on base several times, and actually played okay. Pat on the back for me. So the following week I decided to go back for another round. I was now their star female player and could make any play in right field. Right.

*Side note* Didn't have the best game that week (and the coach...my BIL...has not asked me back. Wonder why?).

The reason I didn't have a good game is all blamed on what happened beforehand. I had a little bit of a stressful day and was going to be getting on the road a little late. My Honda had 1/4 of a tank left...plenty to get to Milwaukee.

On the way up I called our sitter for next year. We can talk and talk when we get started. Love her! So I got her started on some conversation and I was just listening when my car started to jerk funny. That's odd. Mike and I had just been talking about "cash for clunkers" and thinking how we should ditch both our 1998's. I pulled to the side of 294 just in time for my car to die. Great.

Said a little pray (while still on the phone) and thankfully it started. Alrighty then. Kristy was still talking away when less then 2 minutes later the same thing happened. Mind you, I had a 1/4 of a tank and no gas light!

Long story short, after a good freak out, about 40 calls to my sister who was not answering the phone, and 50 crying to my husband. Jan and Ry came to rescue me!

Thankfully, it was just needing gas and not something else. If only I could get over the embarrassment.

Lesson learned: Always keep your tank ABOVE the half way mark.

How about you? Any embarrassing things happen to you lately?

Crackin' Down

It's been a little brutal around here to say the least. I think my kids are having a hard transition to mommy (a.k.a the enforcer) being home. I'm crackin' down on the fighting and fits that I might have let slide while I was in school. Time outs are our new best friend; well mine at least. You can easily tell if you walk in my house who is used to them. My sensitive little man Ash cries everytime (maybe once a week) he gets in trouble. Sass-master Ave just sits and dutifully puts her time in since it is multiple times a day. I think she doesn't mind time outs since she had fun getting there. I'll need LOTS of prayer in 13 years!

I'm doing it!!!

Well, we have had two major accomplishments from my kids in the past few weeks. One of which I knew, another I did not.

I am a very, very happy mommy when I say that Asher is potty trained! He finally caught on after a week and has only had two accidents (because pants just get in the way sometimes). We've had NO bed wetting yet, but I might have just jinxed it by actually saying it out loud! Now if I can only get him to stop shouting "I'm doing it" everytime he goes (regardless of where he is), I will truly be thrilled.

Avery gave me a little surprise yesterday when she randomly started counting to ten. I was counting to three for her to do something and she looked at me and innocently counted to ten for me! I was baffled. I didn't know that she could do that! I wonder if she can secretly read or cook or do the laundry. I should test her on that.

Easily Distracted

I'm having one of those days today. We all have them, I'm sure. Some just more than others. You know the day...where nothing goes right regardless of what you do. I've somewhat given up on salvaging the day and I'm blogging to avoid homework. Imagine that.

I guess getting up at 5:00 is finally starting to wear me down. I feel exhausted! I am definitely NOT a morning person. I envy all you morning people. The problem is I'm not a night person either. Go figure.

Out the door by 5:45 to miss rush hour traffic. On the south side by 7:30. Quick nap in the car since I almost fell asleep driving. Not good. It didn't help that my favorite radio show is off this week! Classes actually did go well today and I was brave enough to volunteer to conduct in front of the class. I must have started the day well...

I have a hard time focusing once I get home to and need to do my homework. Asher and Avery need my attention (and I want to give it to them 100%). The house needs tending to, the dog needs walking, and dinner needs cooking. Needless to say, when Ash asking to go to Culver's for dinner, I didn't fight him. I'll justify it as a potty reward. Culvers was another story considering I spilled my drink and had a little mental break down.

Now babies are sleeping and I'm working on the master's project revising, revising, revising. Okay, now I'm blogging, but I'll be back at work on the project. Then arranging, then choir reflection paper....then BED! Oh pillow, my head can not hit you soon enough.

Sorry for the complaining. At least the weather was BEAUTIFUL today. Praise the Lord for giving us gorgeous weather!