Cruising Together!

"Lets go on a cruise!"-Tessa Ella kicks her legs in delight.... We open all the windows, and the sunroof. Play a fun song, kids music, or oldies songs! We giggle, let our hair fly in the wind, and smile from ear to ear, eye sparkling in the sunshine!! They both dance, wiggle and giggle until it hurts.... Good Stuff I tell you!!!

Taking it slow in the country!

What a great morning....Wake up, cook a big country style breakfast (minus the veggie sausage that pleasantly surprised everyone) ... Then, we played out back, and went fishing! It has been fun having Rich "Uncle Richy" in town for the weekend! Tess and Ella have made sure he is right in the mix....playing follow the leader, drawing, coloring, and playing outside.

Wonderful weekends in the country....it is fun to put the make -up aside, put the high heels on the shelf, work clothes on the hanger and relax! Time at home with the girls....family time at its best!

We have become quite the fishing family. It has been very interesting to watch what started off as tiny little fish that we stocked the pond with 3 years ago are growing up... Better yet, hot dogs have been working out better then the worms! Here are some recent fishing photos....

Re-decorating Diva!

I had to stay out of the room for a few minutes because Tessa had a surprise for me....She had "redecorated her room" she was SO proud of herself. She is such a little organizer! I had to peek at her a couple times. She was talking to her herself and her imaginary friend Ava was the to! It took her a few tries to decide where it all should go, and the best part was how proud she was of her decorating. I love to watch her creativity just run free!

Supersized Sandbox!

The land has been cleared and the sand dumped....The barn will be coming....The girls are just as thrilled with their super sized sandbox! They both look so little when we are out there! Tessa said, "It is like a big beach in our backyard".... they are loving it! It should be an exciting fall while we "Raise the Barn"!!

First Days....

It is my 10th year of teaching...WOW! and I still get butterflies as the bell rings in the morning.... I am excited like a little kid. I suppose this is a sure sign that I love what I do and where I teach. The kids have such an exciting sparkle in the eyes as they come in, even as 6th graders. I'm certain to greet them and know their names in the first few minutes. It was a good day, a quick day and an enjoyable day. I am still adjusting to not being with the girls constantly, I just love our little peanuts! But as I dear friend Jamie assures me, I am showing them an example of a caring working mother, I love how she and my family always seem to remind me of all the positives life holds!! Thank you Mom and Dad for the Beautiful sunflower Bouquet you sent they are beautiful. Before I received them I had printed a sunshine on my lesson plan book and the quote that ~Family and Friends are the Sunshine of our lives...... SO True. Many prayers for a wonderful school year of learning and enjoyment!

Summer List

Summer has SO many perks! It was hard to narrow the list down to 20 things that I love about summer! I could have added many more, or 10 more with a photo of my toes as well....however, my toes aren't nearly as cute as the girls!

• Time with Kevin and the girls
• Sleeping in, and cuddling with the girls...
• Time at the park ~ splash pad
• Playing in the water
• Traveling....Niagara Falls, Louisville, Indianapolis, Lake Michigan
• Working in the yard....I heart landscaping and flowers
• Grilling out
• Extra time with friends
• Long weekend visits at Mom & Dad's House
• Picnics
• Reunion with my college roomies and dear friends
• Time at the beach
• Finishing the basement kitchen....It looks Awesome Kevin, you are my handy man
• Did I mention time with the girls....I thought I would mention it again....AWESOME times!
• Library Story Hour and Craft Time
• Seeing Tessa learn so many new things
• Hearing at least two new words from Ella each day
• Swimming
• The smell of sunscreen and summer rains
• Walks in the evening

Summer Snuggles

The last week of summer....how can it be....it has been a WONDERFUL summer full of joys! I am so thankful for the special opportunity of my career, which I love, to be able to spend the entire summer with our family! We have had the opportunity to do so many simple, exciting, and special things this summer. As the first day of school approaches I look forward to another school year of teaching 6th grade. I am thankful for the fun of the summer! It will be an adjustment as always... for days to come. All part of the journey...and I know that the fact that I cried after taking the girls to Lorene this morning is just part of that adjustment as well. We are SO blessed that she is in our lives and that she not only takes care of the girls but that their entire family loves them! Tess and Ella gain many special experiences while there! We are blessed in many ways...

I am a.....

Lately, I have been sporting many different looks....I look like, nail polish, a lawnmower, a shoe, a purse,....

Let me explain....

Ella's language explosion is in full force with her exploration of saying words. However, she associates people, particularly Kevin, Tessa and I with items that we use or have. She will point to her painted toes and say "Mommy toes" because I painted them. She points to the truck and trailer and says "Dere Daddy", my shoes and says "Mommy"...

So, the other day Tess inquired about this and we had to explain that she is putting our names with the items she sees use with. So Tessa then asks, "Why does Ella point to the toilet and say Tessa Potty?" It is not because you are a potty, but because you use on.... "Oh, I get it now, she assumes?" ... Yes, I guess that is what you could call it Tess.! ...Never a dull moment, you just have to laugh and smile!

things I Don't want to forget

I can't help not wanting to miss a thing with our girls....We jsut were talking the other day that they a growing up so healthy, so happy, such a blessing...yet going so quickly....Just some recent reflections of things I love right now!!

Tessa-

• How she looks holding her teddy bear when she comes to our room or use the potty in the middle of the night, she sits him up on the sink.
• "Can Papa come down from heaven, is he still sick?" No, he is safe with Jesus", "I am glad about that Mommy"
• Telling a secret "I love Jesus all the time"
• "You smell so good Mommy"
• Wild morning hair while eating her breakfast

Ella-

• How she looks when she is holding her bottle, her blanket, teddy bear and with her binky in her mouth all at the same time.
• Momma....Pulls my ear and whispers "pppst, pppst,...." then she giggles
• She bit her sister today then kissed it ....
• "Ouee, kisses a band-aid on Tessa
• How she holds her feet in her carseat and pulls them up in the air
• Her pout....lips out, tilts her head down and looks up at you!

TO DO for the Day!

If you know me at all, you know that I an a fan of TO DO lists. It is a joy for me to write down the tasks ahead and feel the joys of completing them. Kevin seems to enjoy this as well when it comes to projects around the house! Well, Tessa has joined in the fun, with a little help from Daddy she came up with a wonderful first ever TO DO list....

1. Eat breakfast
2. Make my bed
3. Pick up clothes
4. Brush my hair
5. Learn how to make a ponytail
6. Help Daddy
7. Feed fish in the pond
8. Get ice cream

She was SO into it and made sure that she crossed off things as she completed them. She talked about it all day and really looked forward to RUNNING into the kitchen to the list on the refrigerator and checking things off. Kevin numbered the list so she knew what each one said. She even said "Come on Ella, you can help me with this then we can cross it off the list!" Such a little helper bee! We were really proud of her and the sense of accomplishment she felt! Tess is certainly one that likes to be busy and be complimented when she has done a job well done....we all have a little bit of this in us, don't we?

We are proud of her and the fact that she was all geared up to make another list of things to work on for the day!

Hug...A....Bunch

So, I always said I wanted to enjoy and experience the "sister-bond" that is such a gift from God. I know now he knew what he was doing....I just had to be patience and experience it through my own eyes as I watch our dear girls. He also has given me some dear "Sister-Like" friends along the way....such a blessing.

It is a sincere and special joy to see our girls be sisters in every since of the word....they laugh, giggle, tease, antagonize, love, hug, play, did I mention laugh!! Kevin and I find joy in the many experiences of raising Tessa and Ella! Just tonight we looked at each other and gave a look of thankfulness as we were watching them play and tackle one another....all part of the fun!

I know the challenges of two girls will be part of the journey....but I don't want to miss even the challenges (I am getting this in print now, so someone dear to me can show it to us when the girls are 14 and 16 years old....) Seriously....All part of the journey! Loving our "huggy" girls....ALL the time!

Country Girls!

A country girls at heart.....Need I say more? Gotta Love it!