Phone Chat

I left the boys with Chloe for a short time the other day while I was running errands.....it was not long before I got a call on my cell - if you would have been in the other aisle of our local grocery store - this is what you would have heard (well, only my side of the conversation really, but I'll fill you in on the other side as well!!)

Hello?
Hi Mom, Chloe needs some STERN WORDS!
Ok, put her on.
Chloe?
Hi Mommy.
Are you being good for the boys?
Uh-huh.
Are you obeying them? (I am desperate this point - I've got to get her to be good or the boys will NEVER agree to watch her again!!!)
Yes.
Ok, well, you need to listen to them.
Otay Mommy (she's never gotten the OK right!!)
Ok, when I get home I want to hear that you were good.
Otay, I am being good.
I love you - see you soon.
Luv you Mommy.

I'm getting ready to close my cell phone when I hear

Mommy??
Yes, Chloe?
The boys are being bad.....

I think Mom's need unlimited phone minutes on their cell phones!!!!!

Four Months

It's a small celebration - we've been LID (Logged in in China) for 4 months now. Sad reality - we got Chloe's referral after waiting only 6 months - NOW??? Well, we could be waiting another year plus some.....I try not to feel sorry for us, but more for the little one that is waiting for a family. We'll just keep waiting!! We know it's worth it!

Game Review

I have not done a game post for sometime now, but we've been playing a fun game lately that I thought I would share.....

30 Second Mysteries for Kids by University Games is our new family favorite! This is a great travel game (or around the bonfire, our favorite!!). It's a book format and you choose the "Who", "What", "When", "Where", "Why", or "How" category. Once you have your category then you read to the others what is printed on the page - their task? To answer your riddle questions. It reminds me of the riddles that we used to ask each other as kids - the ones that had just enough missing information to keep you guessing. We are having so much fun with this game - and I'm thinking it would make a great game for in the van while we travel!!! Be sure to check it out - it's lots of fun!

Celebrity Look Alikes

Ok - I got suckered in - I just HAD to know!!!


Now you all got your laugh for the day!!! (Britney Spears!?!!? REALLY!!!!)

Favorite Photo Friday

Ok, NO LAUGHING - I know you will want to!!!

This is MANY years ago - pre-Chloe, but it makes me smile everytime!!! I think Joe and I look like we are shell shocked!!! (We were!!!)

Yep, we'd go out in public with our three little guys and we heard it all:

"Are you Catholic?" "Do you know how that happens??" "Don't you have cable tv?!!" "Don't you ever leave her alone??" We now know WHAT NOT to say to others!!!

Lurkers

There is a name for all of you blog readers that read everyday (or almost everyday!!) and yet never leave a comment - you are a lurker. AND, I like lurkers - you aren't BAD, but I'd love to know who you are. There is a well-kept (tee hee!!) secret that I'll let you in on - Bloggers LOVE comments!!!! :) So, when I saw Stef do a post and encourage her lurkers to come out and introduce themselves, I loved the idea and wanted to do it myself!!! So leave a comment today and I can figure out who all my blog readers are - that is what makes blogging fun!!! :) And don't be scared off - keep coming back - I won't always MAKE you comment!!!

Mr. Brian

I just can't help myself - For those of you who know Mr. Brian (and for those that don't!!), he is a great friend of ours and a fun blogger - you all must go say Hi!!! But Mr. Brian is also a professional Dutch Dancer and Joe captured some great shots of him on Saturday SO without further ado.....

Mr. Brian!!!

Tulip Festival Highlights

Well, it's over for another year - the three day long Tulip Festival is now history. We will soon have our quiet city back - but for now, I'll share some of the highlights - I'll spare you the gory sunburn on my body!!!!

Poffertjes













Mr. Brian!!!!
The Happy Dutchman!!!

AND.....Our Tulip Queen!!!

Favorite Photo Friday

I LOVE this one!!!

(This from the Daddy that was happy with all boys and didn't want daughters!)

Mom My Ride!

This pretty good - and I will be honest with you, don't be jealous but my van is already "mommed"!!!!!

AMEN!!

At dinner Chloe asked if she could pray and so Caleb said, "Sure Chloe, I'll help you. First tell Jesus thank you for your food." Chloe pipes up with her eyes squished tight and little hands folded in front of her, "You're welcome, Jesus." I had to laugh, I wonder how often Jesus is told You're Welcome!!! Guess we'll keep working on the praying thing!!

Proverbs 31 Woman

Now, I can't resist this story - we are sitting in church this past Sunday, right next to Mr. Brian (first mistake!!! Just picking, Mr. Brian!!!) and our pastor is preaching on the Proverbs 31 woman (Ugh, at first I was worried - a Mother's Day sermon on the Proverbs 31 woman!! But he did a super job on it and it was quite encouraging) ok, so here we are sitting in our row and our pastor says, "What makes a woman beautiful?" It was a rhetorical question - we WEREN'T supposed to answer but Mr. Brian leans over to our oldest (age 12) and says, "Makeup!!" At the time we were oblivious to this, but Micah brought it up at lunch - he was smiling and said, "Hey, you know what Mr. Brian said during church?" So, the lesson is - sit FAR, FAR AWAY from Mr. Brian during church - oh yes, and the second lesson?? Wear Makeup Girls!!! :)

Mothers

Now that I'm a mother I am figuring out what my mom was talking about all those years.....

Mom, you were right when you said.....

...You will wish you'd never stopped taking piano lessons.
...As a mom, you give you family 110%.
...You never stop being a parent.
...Even when your friends let you down, you always have family - keep that bond strong.
...It's hard to watch your kids hurt.
...There is enough love in a mom for more than one child.
...Mom's don't enjoy spanking!! :)
...Mom's aren't making you be a slave - they are just helping to teach you responsibility.
...I would wish I had cooked more than Hamburger Helper on my cooking night!!
...Be thankful when all the neighbor kids come to your house to play - at least your kids are home.
...Let the little things go - don't dwell on them.
...Shop for sales!! Don't buy it at full price!!
...When you are tempted to worry, ask yourself, "What is the worst thing that could happen?"
...Clip coupons - they do help!
...Enjoy your kids - they grow too fast!
...When you are tempted to think it all looks too overwhelming, take it one day at a time.
...Enjoy every moment with your little ones ~ I saw that in you as you stayed home with us everyday ~ not sure I ever said Thanks for that!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Thanks for all you taught me and still continue to teach me. I only hope my kids look back on me like I look back on my time with you. I love you.

Favorite Photo Friday

We have gotten together a few times now with our new friend, Caeleigh. Ok, I'll admit, they are 2 and they don't really "play" together when they are together but this was a rare moment - a tea party!!! (For those of you that don't remember, our pastor and his wife just brought Caeleigh home from China about one month ago!) We can't wait to watch them get to be even better friends!!

Got Gas???

You all are gonna thank me for this........

Go Here to find the lowest gas prices in your area.

Told ya, you would thank me!!

Too Much Dora

We are getting ready to leave and I hear our precocious two year old singing, "Come on Vamanos, Everybody let's go, Come on let's get to it, I know that we can do it!! Where are we going? *Clap, clap, clap* The Grocery Store!! Where are we going? *Clap, clap, clap* The Grocery Store!!!" Then she yells, "Everybody sing with me!!" We look at each other and chuckle!! Hmmm, can you say, "Too Much Dora?!?!?"

What in the World??

Joe read this to me tonight - to be honest, it makes me mad, but it scares me too - what is this world coming to???? The scariest quote from the article??

The effect on the planet of having one child less is an order of magnitude greater than all these other things we might do, such as switching off lights.

It makes me think of China - how long will it be before they restrict how many children we can have??? And for us it will be all in the name of the environment - I love the Earth, all that God put in it, I do want to take care of it, but I think that above all of that, God cherishes MORE the lives of the people on the earth - I can't speak for Him, but Wow - I must think this makes Him sad.

She's One Year Old!!!!

One Year Ago Today - I had my first post. Here we are today - 293 posts later ~ Some days more interesting than others!!! Thanks for reading AND commenting - that makes my day!!

My Momma's Purse

I saw this on another blog and thought, "I've got to do it!!" It's earth-shattering, look out!! Yep, I must have hit an all-time blogging lull!! Something you've all ALWAYS wanted to know!! So here it is - my purse and it's contents!! (Oh yes, the best part??? When my boys said, "Why are you taking pictures of your purse?" I responded, "For the blog, of course!!!" THAT was worth every minute of this post!!!!)

My favorite invention ever - the KEY HOLDER!! The hand cleaner, Palm - CAN'T be without my calendar!!, Cell Phone, Clinique face powder (because a girl shouldn't glisten!!), Orbit - sweet mint (my favorite gum), and mints.....

The wallet and checkbook - now we can't leave home without them, can we?!?

Alright - here's where it gets messy - a girl's got to have options SO we've got gloss with mint (thanks to Sara!!), shimmer gloss with color, plain old chap stick and three Clinique favorites - plumper (yes, Stef, I wasn't kidding!!), my favorite gloss that you CAN'T buy anymore, and lipstick with moisturizer. Hmmm, now which one should I use?!?!?

Ibuprofen and Pepcid (we won't go there), Handcream, Contact re-wetting drops, and a trial size of Happy perfume - just in case I don't smell as well as I'd hoped!!
And lastly, the "bottom contents" - two first-aid necessities - band aids, a notepad for when I'm in the bookstore and have to write down titles for the library, two crayons to keep Chloe occupied in restaurants, shot records for the kids (I mean really, you all have those in your purse too, right?!?!), a CLEAN Kleenex - it's really NOT used, I promise, and three gum wrappers - good thing I did this - I needed to clean out my purse!! OK - now it's everyone else's turn!!! Let's see what's in your purses!!! (Oh, and steal my graphic if you want to play along!!!)

Favorite Photo Friday

One of my recent favorites!! Except poor Aaron can't stand that bright sun!!!

Our Grandma's Having A Birthday

We had all these pictures of Grandma and we HAD to post them!!! So we built a collage and want to say, "Have a Great Birthday - and eat LOTS of frosting for us!!! We love you Grandma!!"

(as usual - if you want to see it larger, just double click!)

Happy May Day!!

Just wishing you all a Happy May Day!!