Our Trip to Green Bay

Well, the kids and I headed to Green Bay this last weekend

to help get the house ready for Papa's recovery from hip surgery.

Despite the driving conditions, the trip went fairly well.

Car rides are always a little stressful with three kids especially when Dad isn't there.

I think we stopped for a few more potty breaks

 than we would have if Dad was in the truck.

 We had such a great time though and we happy to come and help.

And of course, we had to go sledding.

I don't know who had more fun...

the kids or Nana and me.

There was one time that I was laughing so hard I was crying.

It's so neat taking your kids to a place that you enjoyed so much as a kid...

I know I spent hours on the hill in front of my parents house.

And it helped get some of that energy out from all the "treats" Nana was dishing out.

P.S. Nana, next time no ice cream before 12:00pm!

That's the last time I take a shower with Nana downstairs with the kids without Papa.

Papa's hip was a little sore so he had to lay down, but had a buddy with him the whole time.

My big girl couldn't get enough of Papa!

Well, so much for rest. Papa became an indoor jungle gym.

We had a great time back in Green Bay

and hope to have helped a little in getting the recovery set.

Since the trip, Papa had a successful hip surgery and is recovering well.

Please continue to keep him in your prayers, thank you.

This picture is unrelated to the trip to Green Bay.  

I made this cake for my knitting night that I host at my house.

It's called Cafe Latte Turtle Cake.

Oh, how I love knitting night! 

My Little Princess' Birthday

Well, my little princess requested pink cupcakes and ice cream for her birthday.

She walked around the house all day long

singing the 'Happy Birthday' song to herself. 

She blew out her candles one at a time, it was very cute.

My kitchen looked like pepto-bismol,

but it was worth it.

She was ecstatic!

Here's my big girl being a little crazy as usual.
She never eats her whole cupcake only the top:)

My little princess opened her present from her sister and brother...

a backpack and lunch box for school next year.

This was a last minute decision and the best one I made for her presents.

I ordered this princess dress and was really surprised at the quality, especially for the price!
If you are looking for any dress up/role play costumes try the Melissa and Doug brand,

I am (as well as my little princess of course) very pleased.

The kids are playing on my little princess' final gift I've been working on for too long...a quilt for her bed.

Advice to any quilters out there...

don't wait for 4 years to complete a project

because you will end up having to redesign it

(my skill level has improved since I designed the old one)

and fabrics might be discontinued if you need p;purchase more for your new pattern. 

Well, she loved it anyway and that's what matters.

Happy 5th Birthday,

My Little Princess!

Just a little elbow grease...

Well, Zach had the weekend off with only a few side jobs to do here and there,

he found himself asking, what are we going to do this weekend...

my answer,"let's put in the hallway to the library and I'll paint the kitchen:)"

All the things we've been talking about for the last year and

haven't done because he's been so busy with other projects.

After about a year of talking about this,

 it only took four hours to actually put the hallway in.

We still need trim and paint,

but we have full access to the library from upstairs now.

The kids have already used the library more now than they ever have.

This picture is of Zach standing in the library,

knocking down the hallway entrance. 

A picture of cutting the doorway from the library side.

This is the picture of the hallway right now. 

We need to paint and also get a lighting fixture in here soon.

Of course, the girls were wanting their pictures in here too.

Another project that I began this last weekend was painting the kitchen.

I have been in need of a little something different.

We will be also painting all of my existing cabinets white in the weeks to come.

I decided on the color 'Fog of London'.

Who couldn't fall in love with that name?

Anyhow, when the paint was mixed it turned out lighter than the sample

and ended up a periwinkle.

So I will be painting another, hopefully darker, coat on the walls,

but for now it's enough of a change.

This process has been a whirlwind so far

and I can't wait to continue.

Here is my big girl who was right in the action the whole time.

It scared me a little when her favorite part of the process

was Zach doing the demolition. 

I have to keep a closer eye on this one.

It snowed!

It snowed...finally!

The kids were anxious to use their Christmas gifts(new sleds)!

My carpet is also saying thank you

because I was allowing the kids push each other inside on the carpet out of guilt.

Wow, the excitement was contagious.

Mom and the kids bundled up to enjoy a few rides down the back hill.

Anyone who has been to our house, knows our land goes down hill in almost all directions.

So I went to make sure my little daredevils didn't go the wrong way,

which means I needed to start a path so their sleds would follow.

My eldest has the fast sled out of the bunch.

I took a trip on it and I felt like Clark in National Lampoon's Christmas vacation.

My eldest helping out my little princess. 

My big girl and I headed in after taking many trips down hill

and me hauling her back up in the sled.

How did she talk me into that?

All the races, all the laughter, all the fun...

I'm happy to be a Midwesterner!

Lord of the Dance...

One of my favorite activities that our family does on a regular basis,

is to declare right before bedtime a dance night.

A dance night includes:

 -music(quite an array, if I might say so myself)

-kids (and sometimes mom) hitting the 'dance floor' and showing off their moves

-two parents almost in hysterics by the end of the night because of said moves

They all enjoy group or couples dancing and

 it's fun to see the routines they come up with.

My eldest usually looks like he is doing karate.

My little princess looks like a ballerina.

And my big girl usually comes alive whenever hip hop, rap,

or rock comes on and she dances to the beat.

I've said it once and I'll say it again...she's the one to keep an eye on!

Oh, this picture makes me laugh.

Thank goodness for dance nights.

The Hit of the Year

Well, this present came all the way from a Alaska and was a huge hit!

I was asked to immediately open it and set it up. 

I knew the only way my big girl was going to be 'let' in to my princess' tower

was by bringing her cupcake and tea set so I unwrapped those as well. 

There is no more entrance fee.

The two girls are playing happily in their tower.

I love hearing them role play.

You can tell the family has been sick for a while because the girls

were taking care of their babies and all of a sudden I hear,

"your baby is throwing up all over my baby,

you need to take her home and put her in bed,

oh no, now MY baby is throwing up."

The girls were cleaning up the 'mess' there babies were making.

Hopefully, all of the sickness is gone for awhile, real and imagined.