1st Day of School

July 24, 2013

Saela 1st Grade

Mrs. Posch

 Asher Pre-K

Ms. Powers

The kids started school today.  I know, seems weird in July - but their school runs on a modified year round schedule, so their summers are shorter.  Saela is now officially a 1st grader - um, how did that happen?  ...and my Baby is in Pre-K.  What?!  They both have fabulous teachers and had a great first day. 

April 30th

I am not really sure how it got to be April 30, 2013.  Did that sneak up on anybody else?  I mean April has come and gone, I feel, literally in the blink of an eye.  Sometimes, do you feel that life is just passing you by?  I have felt like that sometimes lately, like I am just going through the motions at times: get-up, workout, get kids ready, school drop off, work, home, dinner, bath, books and bedtime.  Rinse and repeat.  I'll be honest, sometimes, I don't even rinse. 

I have even wondered am I enjoying life enough, the kids enough, Steve enough?  I suppose that everybody feels that way now and again.  I just don't want to wake up one day and realize the kids have moved out and I did not enjoy them enough.  I mean, I realize that raising kids is not all puppy dogs and rainbows and that there are going to be times that they make me want to tear my hair out because parenting is HARD stuff.  The in between times though, the times when we are all cohabiting peacefully or outside playing in the yard - do I recognize how wonderful those times are, do I relish them enough, have I committed them to memory?  Sometimes, I just don't know.  Sometimes my mind is in too many other places. 

What I can say is I am a work in progress...and I pray daily for grace, peace of mind and guidance from God our Savior.

Date Night

Alan Jackson Concert

at the Ryman 3.20.13

We have become concert junkies  - lovin' Nashville!

Sad & Happy

Grandma T was just here for a visit...happy to have her and sad to see her leave.  We hope to see you again soon and wish you an early Happy Birthday for next week!  We love you!

St. Patty's Day 2013

Green Waffles

For some reason - Asher didn't eat them.

A belated shout out to our St. Patty's Day Birthdays...

Grandpa Ellwein

Sir Spartan Jax Green

Gwen

We hope you all had a great day!!

Happy Birthday Jax & Jilly

Jilly 2006

Jax & Jilly 2013

Jax 2005

Birthday Celebration

It is hard to believe that our first babies are getting on in years...dog years anyway!  Jilly will turn SEVEN tomorrow and Jax will turn EIGHT on 3.17.13.  I still remember when they were wee pups.  Jax is still as energetic as ever and Jilly is, well, Jilly - as cuddly as stuffed furry bunny or aloof and minding her own business.  Really, who am I kidding, she is never minding her own business.  You could rub two feathers together and if she thinks you were petting Jax she would be across the house in 5 seconds flat to get herself in on the action.  We are so grateful that they have been such great additions to our family.  Tonight they got a rare treat...pig ears while the rest of us had "chocolate cupcake" pudding and a Pirouette french vanilla wafer.  Happy Birthday to our Fur-babies!!  We love you!

Is It Spring Yet?

Well February has come and gone in literally the blink of an eye or the blow of a snotty nose.  We have had a number of ailments over the last month.  Saela - bronchitis and strep again with a trip to the ED for dehydration.  She was such a trooper since they had to stick her four times to finally get an IV.  Asher - confirmed influenza A.  Every time Asher coughed he said, "It's no fun to be sick."  Then when he was better and Saela was sick again he said, "It's no fair, Saela got 'two sicks' and I only got one."  Steve - upper respiratory infection.  Me - unconfirmed flu and a cold.  Jax - another seizure and med change.  Jilly - a case of nausea due to dining on trail mix and sour patch kids with a trip to the emergency vet - where they, free of charge, clipped her unsightly long front nails.  That was awesome and supremely embarrassing all at the same time.

Steve and I did make it to a couple of concerts - the group Fun and country singer Luke Bryan which were both very entertaining.  Saela had a fantastic conference at school and is doing really well with both reading and math!  Her listening skills at home are also improving which is just so nice!  Asher is singing new songs every day including "Sally the Camel" (I swear I learned Alice the Camel...) and "You Are My Sunshine."  I asked him to sing "You Are My Sunshine" one morning and he said..."You are MY Sunshine, Mom." What a way to start the day!  Well, that's February in a nutshell.

Here's to SPRING!

We Do...

...Like Each Other

...well most of the time

...some of the time?

...ok, we tolerate each other when it is convenient and in our 

best interests or when Mom wants a picture.

Mmmm...chocolate!

Silliness and chocolate mousse!

Golfing? in January?

On Friday, January 11, 2013...it was 70 degrees outside.  In January.  We took advantage of the spring like weather and did a little driveway golfing.  I selfishly hope that my kids will like golfing as it is something that we can do as a family in the future.  Based on the way they were swinging, I will need to dust off my clubs and start practicing - or they will whoop me on the course.

Low-Key Weekend...

 My Sweet Girl has been sick this weekend. :(  She started with a fever and sore throat on Friday. Strep and flu tests were negative, so we are riding out a virus.  She was pretty out of sorts yesterday but seems to have perked up today.  No fever today...but she is still talking like her tonsils are the size of golf balls.  I remember what that is like to feel that way...it is SO MUCH HARDER to hear/watch your baby feel that way when there's not much you can do for her.  She really has been in pretty good spirits despite feeling miserable.  Of course, she has gotten to watch hours of TV - and eat popsicles, so maybe that has something to do with it?!?  Since she was fever free today - we'll make a judgement call on school tomorrow...she really wants to go!

Asher, thus far, has shown no signs or symptoms of illness.  We sure hope it stays that way.  He has just been telling Saela, "Don't touch me, I don't want to get sick!"  For something special for him, we decided to let him keep the Christmas tree in his room sans the ornaments for an undisclosed amount of time.  He really did not want to take down Christmas and asked if he could have it in there.  For all the times I've said no to something...both Steve and I said why not?!?  So, he's got the tree with twinkling lights.  I have to say - it looks kind of nice.  Perhaps it will be there until next November. :)

Happy New Year 2013

Happy New Year 2013!

 Asher and Saela enjoying strawberry/chocolate chip pancakes...

...for lunch AND dinner.  (I actually made them twice!)

Celebrating our 13th Christmas/New Years together!

Well all - here we are - another year come and gone.  I think every year I ask where does the time go and how does it go so fast?  I am happy to report we spent this Christmas/New Years in the same house in the same city that we were in last year!!  We were blessed to see all of our parents in the month of December with trips by my parents to see us and one trip to Michigan to see Steve's parents (and Kenny Rogers - the singer - and two Spartan basketball games.) 

Asher is in his second year at his Montessori pre-school and is growing leaps and bounds in every way.  He can write his name and knows quite a few letters.  He is also doing really well with numbers and counting.  He is so sweet and kind, he shares well (most of the time) and his teachers adore him.  He can also get into some mischief and continues to have some bedtime issues and a small repetoire of food he will eat...but these things are improving and I am sure someday he will be eating us out of house and home.  Every night I tell him he is my best boy and he says I am the best Mama.  Tonight I was the best "maker" and Mama.  The "maker" was in reference to being a pancake maker.  His "Ls" still sound like "Ws" and some of his "Ts" like "F"s...this I know he will grow out of and I think I will be a little sad when he has "things" and not "fings" and says I "love" you too instead of I "wuv" you too.  He smothers me with cuddles and hugs and we couldn't love him more.

Saela started kindergarten this year.  KINDERGARTEN!  Wow!  She is doing so well.  Her school uses a phonics system for reading and she is rocking it out!  We love reading her take home books - and SHE is doing the reading.  It is totally awesome!  She has also made new friends and is looking forward to going back to school tomorrow.  She is also in gymnastics on Tuesdays and is thinking about trying karate with her brother.  She loves playing with her new dolls and coloring. We had some sassy attitude in the fall - and she can still have her moments - but overall, she has really matured in the last couple of months and it is so nice to have my sweet girl smiling at me instead of scowling.  She likes to snuggle and get her back rubbed - just like I did when I was a little girl!  She melts me with her laugh and will always be our sweet baby girl!

Jax and Jilly keep plugging away.  We have had some trouble controlling Jax's seizures over the last year but hopefully have him on the right medication combination now.  For 6 and 7 years old - they still have tons of energy and give us unconditional love.  They are the sweetest dogs and we love them.

Steve and I are doing well in our respective jobs and feel that we made a good choice in moving to TN.  We celebrated our 8th anniversary in September and followed that up with our first family trip to Disney in late September/early October.  Minus a few meltdowns by the kids and me - we had a great time and thank Steve's Mom for coming and giving us a night out on our own!  We ran a 1/2 marathon in November (Steve's 2nd and my 1st) and are currently doing our second round of Insanity together in the mornings.  It really is nice to have a partner that shares health and fitness goals and it definitely makes it easier to get up at 5 am to workout when you don't have to do it alone!

Well folks - that's the quick recap. I think I said it last year - but I am going to try and be more organized with pictures and the blog this year. I feel like I am off to a good start - LOL! We wish you all love, happiness, health, joy and memories to last a lifetime in 2013. Peace out - the Greens.

Unicorn Beauty and Fierce Dragon

Disney 2012