That Wasn't So Bad

Our little camping trip went remarkably well. Sure, I forgot the camera at home, we got a late start and almost didn't get to the campground in time to get the key for our little cabin. Thankfully I had my phone and Ben managed to grab the girl at the camp store before she left for the night, so all's well that ends well.

Here's our little cabin in the woods. (Except not so much in the woods, so more like our little cabin by an unmowed field)





We arrived pretty late the first night, so we didn't do much more than unpack and go to sleep.



The next day was jam packed with action.

We did a little playing on the playground.




Visited the lake (the girls first time ever seeing any body of water larger than a pond)



Went to the beach.


Played in the sand.


Swam like little fish.


Played in the sand some more.

Had some friends over for dinner.


We, of course, had a gigantic thunderstorm our second night there. Apparently, if you want it to rain, just tell us to go camping. Thanks to our little cabin, we stayed perfectly dry. I do have to admit that I was more than a little nervous about Adelae sleeping in the top bunk inches away from the canvas roof as the wind howled, rain pelted and lightening flashed. So, I woke her up, tucked her in bed with her Daddy and attempted to fall back asleep.

The next day we decided to head home early. Our original plan was to head to the zoo, but with Brinna's fear of everything that moves, we thought it might not be such a good idea. We headed back to the beach to collect some shells and take some more pictures before we headed home.

The Joys of Summer

When I was a kid I LOVED summer. I loved the hot weather. I couldn't wait to get out of bed and go hand out with my friends. To me, summer was swimming, bike riding, sleep overs and swinging. I miss those simple little joys.




As an adult, I often feel like I have way to many responsibilities to just let go and have fun. There's always something that has to be done. Now that I'm working, there's even more that has to be done in a shorter amount of time. I miss swinging and swimming and laughing so hard my cheeks hurt. I miss playing with wild abandon, not caring how I look or how others perceive me.



So, I've made a decision. I will play like a child. I will relish every single moment I get to spend with my kids. I give so many underdogs and power pushes that my arms are sore. I will run, jump, scream and play. I will laugh until my stomach hurts. I will enjoy the joys of summer, just like I'm a child.




Even if I have to do it between loads of laundry.



*The two other little girls in the pictures are my nieces, Makayla and Alayna, respectively. The pictures, except for the swing picture, were taken by Stacy Thomas.*

You want to do WHAT?

Adelae has been asking for a few months to have her hair cut short. I was VERY much against her having it cut. I figured it would eventually blow over. Not so much the case. Ben had a hair cut scheduled and he was going to take Adelae along for a quick trim. She begged and begged and begged me to let her have her hair cut short. I figured since she'd been asking for so long, I might as well let her do it. Again, THIS WAS NOT MY IDEA! She'd NEVER had a real hair cut. Sure, we'd done trims here and there, but never more than a couple of inches. I kept asking her "Are you SURE you want to do this? You know it's going to take a REALLY long time to grow back." She kept saying that she wanted it short, so I let her. I mean, it IS her hair after all.

This is the before picture. (You'll have to excuse the poor quality.I took all of these pictures with my phone.)



And (GULP!) the after. Where did all of her hair go?



But she likes it and that's all that matters :)


She was so excited that washing, combing and drying her hair only took a few minutes. She was ecstatic about the lack of tangles. Not to mention that she could eat dinner with out her hair pulled back. It's a super cute cut, I have to admit. But, WOW does it maker her look older!

What the what? It's been a MONTH?!

Has it really been over a month since I blogged? Geez! Time sure does fly! We've been so incredibly busy the last few months, I've barely had time to catch my breath!


Adelae turned 4 in February. Her obsession with Rapunzel is alive and well.



Brinna got a new doll baby WITH HAIR that she absolutely adores. We call the baby Baby Nana. I'm not sure why, other than that's what Brinna decided to name her. The hope was that this would help her to stop playing with my hair as she falls asleep. Sadly, it hasn't worked. But, she loves the baby and carries it with her everywhere she goes.


We were able to take advantage of some very spring like weather with some outside time.


Adelae and I were fortunate enough to go see Disney Princesses on Ice. It was a wonderful show and I highly recommend it to anyone with girls obsessed with Princesses. It was so nice to be able to spend some one-on-one time with my big girl!



And last, but certainly not least, we were able to spend a few days at Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, Ohio. The girls had an absolute blast playing all the water. Hmm..I think I'll have to get some more pictures posted from that trip. It was awesome!


As always, the kids are growing like weeds. Brinna changes more and more every day. She's really developing her own personality. Adelae is getting more and more opinionated every single day. She made her very first big girl decision, she decided to have her hair cut short! I'll post pictures in another blog, along with all the feelings that came with that decision.

So,that's what we've been up to. Not to mention the regular daily grind. I keep thinking that our schedule is going to calm down at some point. Then I think "Wouldn't that be boring?!" There are a lot more fantastic outings to come as well. So far we have a trip to see some of my friends in PA in June, a camping trip in July, Brinna's 2nd birthday in July as well, and a few other things. I'm excited for warm weather and summer!

3 down!!

Happy Anniversary, babe! I love you :D








Don't forget to check out 5 Minutes For Mom for more Wordless Wednesday.

Adelae goes to school..part 1

Today was Adelae's first day of pre-school. She was SO excited to go! She couldn't even sleep last night. I, on the other hand, was a whole bag of emotions. Nervous, scared, proud, anxious and excited about sum it up. I knew she'd be ok, but it's the realization that she's growing up and this is the start of her independence. But, I'm so very proud of her for not being scared to tackle this brand new experience.

Doesn't she look so big?


Every girl needs a pink back pack with her name on it.


Away she goes!


And this is how I left her, playing ponies with her new friends.


Stay tuned for Adelae's report on how her first day of school went.

At least it's not bed bugs

Am I the only person that's totally freaked out by the bed bug epidemic? I'm petrified I check our mattresses about 3 times a day, just to make sure. So, you can imagine how freaked out I was when Brinna had three little red bumps on her cheek. I stripped the beds, flipped the mattresses and had a mini freak out session. No signs of bed bugs. Whew! Then I found more bumps. I kept telling Ben "It's bed bugs. I just know it's bed bugs." I made him re-check all the beds...twice. (It was the day after my surgery and I wasn't suppose to be doing anything.) Still no bed bugs. Yet the rash continued to spread. It's probably a good thing I was taking my Lortab (Vicodin) or I probably would have been having panic attacks. In case you don't know this about me..I HATE BUGS!
Anyway...the rash continued to spread. I thought "Hmm..chicken pox?" So I asked my stepmom. She said "chicken pox." So, I called the doctor. The phone nurse said "Not chicken pox since Brinna's been vaccinated." Fabulous. So now I'm back to bed bugs.
I can't take the not knowing, so I made an appointment for her. It took the doctor all of five minutes to make a diagnosis. Not bed bugs.
It's hand, foot and mouth. (Not to be confused with Hoof and Mouth or Mad Cow Disease.) Basically, she has a virus. There's really nothing we can do except to give her Tylenol or Motrin for her sore throat. At least it's not bed bugs!

The Proper Way to Eat a Cake

A Year of Firsts

**Warning**This post is VERY picture heavy


To My Sweet Baby Brinna:

Now that you're a year old, it's time for Mommy to get a little sentimental and look at all of your "firsts." It amazes me how much you've grown and changed in 12 short months.

The first time I saw you. You cried and cried and cried, until they brought you over to me.


The first time you officially met your big sister. She loved you immediately and couldn't wait to hold you.


Your first bath was NOT a success. In fact you hated it.


Your first real smile. Your little grin still makes Mommy's heart melt.


Your first family nap.


The first time you sucked your thumb.


Your first Halloween.


Your first Christmas.


The first time you sat up all by yourself.


Crawling for the first time.


The first time you stood.


Your first Easter.


Our first vacation to Kalahari.


The first time you decided you were a monkey instead of a baby.


And finally....

Your first 4th of July.


I love you, my sweet baby girl! I can't wait to see what the next year brings!