Day 88 - Easter Baskets

Each Wednesday night we got to Bible Study at our church.  Recently, my sister-in-law Stephanie and another lady in our church have started taking the kids out on Wednesday nights into their own Kids Church.  Usually they sing songs and do a craft with a story, etc.  Tonight the kids came back into the sanctuary when they were done holding these super cute Easter baskets.  Carsten was smiling from ear to ear as he came and showed me his! 

Alexis rummaged around through hers and found this silly Bunny Tooth gummy and put it on!  We laughed and laughed about it!

Day 88 - Spring has arrived!

So my kids are on spring break this week.  It's been fun to just move at the pace we want, vs the pace that school dictates for us.  Today we spent a lot of time at my friend Rebecca's house.  The weather was PERFECT and the kids all just played outside on the bikes and playhouses and we sat inside and scrapped all afternoon!  So fun.  It was a simply gorgeous day... and considering the date, we feel mighty lucky to have had it!

Day 87 - New Glasses

We were trying to remember when Josh last got new glasses, and decided that Alexis (who is now 6) must have been a baby!  Needless to say, he was very over-due for new ones!  We went today and picked out some new, stylish glasses for him.  While we were waiting, the kids thought it was great fun trying on funny frames...

Day 86 - Josh's 30th Birthday!

I asked my mother-in-law last night what time of the day it was when Josh was born and at the moment she couldn't remember - so all we know is that at some point today, Josh turned 30.  :)  Tyrus went to bed last night with a super high fever, so Josh graciously agreed to stay home this morning from church to sit with him.  Tonight, Tyrus was doing a lot better and so we all went to church.  It was a fun day over all...

Happy Birthday, babe!  We love you!

Day 85 - Kumo

So Josh turns 30 tomorrow and since tomorrow is church and jam packed already, we decided to celebrate today.  A few weeks ago, we went to Kumo Hibachi before we went to Chicago for our anniversary trip and Josh really loved it.  So today we went back.  What's not to love about someone cooking food right in front of you, and making it fun at that? 

After we ate, they brought out these big gongs and banged them while we sang an off-key version of Happy Birthday.  It was fun.

After we ate, everyone came over to have cake, ice cream and play games.  It was fun!

Day 84 - Tulips & Hyacinths

Last fall, my dear friend Jen gave me some hyacinth bulbs to plant.  I also ordered some tulip bulbs from one of the kids' school fundraisers.  One warm fall day, Carsten and I planted the blubs in front of our house... I told him that when the snow was done, the flowers would come up.  We don't have flowers yet, but it won't be much longer now! 

Day 83 - Sick

Carsten is sick.  He's got this really deep throaty cough and a low-grade fever.  Tonight, I met my sister and her husband Rey at the church to decorate our classroom (we teach the preschool class).  Afterwards, we went to Culver's to get some dinner, and poor Carsten was just tired and ready to go home.  Not suprisingly, he fell asleep on the way home and I put him straight into his bed.  Hopefully he'll feel better and more like himself tomorrow.

Day 82 - Cupboard Houses

For some reason, my kids think it's so exciting to hide in the cabinets while I'm cooking dinner.  They move all the cereal boxes and pots and pans around and "camp out" in their "houses."  Every once in awhile, they will all burst the doors open and start singing Happy Birthday to me.  :)  They don't seem to care that I tell them my birthday isn't until May.  :)

Day 81 - Sorry!

One thing we try to do as often as possible in our family is play games.  We love getting together with big groups of people and playing all sorts of fun games.  It's also very cool to play them with just our 5 also.  Last night we pulled out Sorry! and played that for awhile.  Somehow I ended up being the winner even though I had to pull Carsten out for an emergency bathroom break!

Day 80 - Laughter is the best medicine

This has been a rough couple of days for my family.  It's been a lot of tears and hugs and prayers.  This morning was the funeral for a great lady and it was hard to see my family, and especially my kids so broken up about losing the great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother that they so dearly loved. 

After the funeral, we headed over to the dining hall and had a great lunch put on by the church.   We needed that time to relax and let down our guard a bit and laugh.  And really, no one can goof off and laugh like my family.  :)

Here is my sister-in-law Stephanie, Alexis, and my father-in-law, Dennis

Carsten and me

The best in-laws God could give a girl

My husband, Josh, not liking being the center of the camera's attention

Grandpa and Tyrus goofing around

Carsten being the life of the party, as usual

Day 79 - A Lifetime of Memories

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Day 78 - Lovely Flowers

My sweet mother in law asked me to take some pictures tonight of the flowers and plants families sent in remembrance of Grandma Great.  I told her I was more than willing to...  Here are just a few of them.

Such lovely flowers for such a beautiful lady.

Day 77 - My New Nephew Rocks!

Tonight, my church held a baby shower for my sister Dana, who is expecting her first little guy in May.  I didn't know if I was going to be able to make it or not, because I wasn't sure when we were going to have to head up to the funeral and wake, but it worked out well that I could make it. 

Thanks to the great ladies at our church for making the occasion so special for Dana.  I know she felt loved and appreciated, and in turn, I did too. 

Here's a little shirt I picked up for the new guy!

Day 76 - Sad

So I really don't have it in me tonight to put a perky post up.  I feel too sad.  We lost my sweet husband's grandmother today, B. Sally Ciaciuch.  She was always so very kind to me and my kids, and I feel totally sad that she's gone.  It's too soon.  We weren't ready. 

I did go through my pictures in preparation for the funeral and viewing services to see if I could find any good ones of her... and I did find quite a few.  Hopefully no one will be too upset that these pictures aren't new from today... but instead can see the love she had for us, and us for her.  Here are a few of the ones I found...

We love you Grandma Sally.  May you rest in peace.

Day 75 - St. Patty's Day

Considering the fact that both me and my husband are total mutts when it comes to heritiage, neither of us have any Irish in us.  That fact aside however, we still choose to celebrate the fun that comes along with St. Patrick's day - namely, wearing green and Shamrock Shakes from McDonald's (thanks babe for bringing those home!).  :)

I thought Alexis looked so cute today in her little Shamrock shirt and pretty barrettes, and I was trying to get a decent picture of her!  But she was being a Stink and this is what I got.

Um hum.  Love that look.  NOT.  I knew there was more in her, so I kept saying "don't smile, Alexis!  Don't smile...!"  And she started to come out of it a bit!

Finally, I got this.  Perfect, lovely smile for a lovely girl!

After dinner, the kids were playing around so I snapped a few more...

And finally, Carsten, so he's not left out -

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!