hello elliot!

Taylor’s new buddy arrived tonight and she couldn’t wait to take him for a test drive!

Elliot is a 16 year old thoroughbred, he’s 16.1 hh and I think Taylor’s going to love him like crazy!

Click here for a few more photos.

a budding artist

Wynter drew this for me this morning.  She proudly handed it to me and announced this was ME when I was a baby.  Now, I’d have to verify with my mom, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t have that much hair, or the ability to use “jazz hands” at that early age!

good-bye kindermusik

Hunter and I are done with music class for this semester.  It was so much fun seeing her dance around and sing and ask for instruments.

At the beginning of each class we say hello to each child by singing to them ... they get to pick what activity they want to do ... Hunter’s favorite was to bounce.  Such a joy to see the transition from not saying anything, to the end of the semester when she actually said wanted to “bounce.”

Sing with me ... “it’s our time to bounce to hunter, our time to bounce to hunter, our time to bounce to hunter, bounce hello, hello ...”

We’ll see you again in the fall ...

mother's day

We took the girls out of school early on Friday to get down to Chicago in time for dinner.  A tad crazy for the six of us to find seats on the train, so Curt and I ended up sitting on the floor.  We had a great “snack guy” that was entertaining the kids ... so between him and movies on the ipod, we made it down in no time!

When we arrived, we went straight to dinner for some deep dish pizza.  45 minutes later the pizza arrived the kids were pretty much no longer interested in “the food that Chicago is most famous for.”  We made it to the hotel way past bedtime, but had some popcorn and movies anyway.  Dad agreed to put the little girls to bed while Taylor and I hit Michigan Ave for some shopping!

Curt spoiled us with a great suite at the Peninsula and really comfy beds!  The next morning we woke and went to breakfast at the hotel restaurant and then got ready for a day of touring the city.

First we went to the aquarium ... always a good time.  Although, newly aged teenager said it was boring!  She kept busy texting with her friends.  We saw all the fun fish stuff and then got super excited when we saw the sign for the 4D Sponge Bob show.  Which was not recommended for kids under 4.  I needed to ask and make sure I saw that correctly ... yes, highly recommended that kids under 4 do not see this show.  I was told they’ve seen many a 2 year old immediately leave the theatre after the show had started.  But I was certain MY two year old wouldn’t apply.  This is the same girl that watches SpyKids 3D!  What’s an upgrade to 4D have to do with it?!?  Well ... I didn’t exactly think that a stick would come out of the back of your chair and poke you, or water squirt in your face from the chair back in front of you, or the whole seat would shake you around, or air would blow from behind you and freak you out!  Sure enough, the show hadn’t been on for more than 2 minutes and my two year old was demanding to leave the theater.  Mine and ten others, whose parents obviously thought they weren’t raising wimps either!

After our Sponge Bob experience, we made our way to lunch ... a cute little restaurant where we were seated out on a balcony and overlooked part of the aquarium and we even had a bowl of goldfish to munch on!

We went back to the hotel for Hunter’s nap and some down time.  Then off to the Planetarium ... it was a quick stop, as I think we were all a little tired and not too interested in the skies over Africa (but in a really boring way).  Poor Piper was devastated when we were leaving, as she thought it was daddy’s favorite thing ever and that he would be sad we were leaving.

After that, we had dinner (YUM) at the Grand Luxe.  A quick walk and souvenir at the Disney Store and then a horse carriage ride around a few blocks of the city.

Sunday morning we woke up and were supposed to have brunch at the hotel restaurant at 10:30.  We usually eat breakfast at 7, so 10:30 was quite a stretch for us.  What was I thinking?  We ordered a quick room service meal of fruit and cereal, and as we were eating I asked who wanted to go home ... turns out we all did.  We quickly checked the train schedule, found out we needed to pack up and high-tail it to Union Station and hop our train home.  We made it home around 11:30 and somehow in time for lunch.  Taylor and I went to Mequon to look at a new horse for her (long story!!) and then met Curt at his sister’s house for a mother’s day dinner with his family.

Those were our events this weekend, of which I am very thankful.  But I would also like to thank God for the blessings he’s given to me.  My four girls ... and even my fifth baby girl that isn’t with us (but that I pray we will meet someday).  I thank God for Curt ... for what an awesome father and husband he is.  I thank God for the opportunities He’s given me ... the bad and the good.  And I thank God that I’ve been able to open my eyes to be aware of all the blessings around me.

I am blessed ...

Click here to view photos of our weekend.

a night at the musuem

The Prairie School works hard on a museum project each year.  This year’s theme was “Books Alive!”

Piper and Wynter each worked so hard on their respective projects with their class and it was awesome to see the fruits of their hard, creative labor.

Piper’s class had a Dr. Seuss theme working and had all kinds of things they did.  Piper loves creating so it was right up her alley.  She was even a docent for a short time that evening.

Wynter worked especially hard on a construction project with her third grade buddy, Olivia.  I can’t remember the book they created their house from, but it was a “dark” plot and no wonder Wynter hasn’t been sleeping!

Daddy had a Board dinner and Taylor was riding.  They sure missed a good time!

Pardon the blurry photo above, one of Wynter’s teachers took it for us, so I wasn’t going to complain.  Click here to see more photos from the night.

birthday flight

Happy 53rd Birthday Curt!!  He said he had a good one ... his day started with a routine jog, followed by his birthday present (a portrait painting of Piper & I).  When the girls woke up they gave him their presents and then we were all off to start our days, while Curt spent a peaceful day working from home with the doggies.

After school we took dad to his fav of all time eateries ... McDonald’s!  And then headed to the airport for our final flight in the Carnauba.  The plane will be decommissioned on May 12th, so he wanted to take the girls up for one last ride.

Click here to see photos.

another first

This past Friday night, we took Hunter (and girls) to her first movie (moO-e, as she says).  I realize this isn’t the best photo, taken with my phone, but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to catch this moment forever.  If you could have seen her slippery, buttery, dimpled little hands ... greasy little face ... the way she was absolutely mesmerized by Horton and the little village of Whoville.  She laughed on cue and said “oh-oh” at just the right times.  What does this mean?  My baby is growing up.  I’m actually tearing as I write this.

I suppose I’m emotional after reading about Audrey Caroline’s story (click here).  And realizing we only have these children, we have been given these children for as long, or short as the Lord chooses.  We need to make the most of these moments, every moment.  Every butter-filled, spaghetti-faced, milk-spilled moment!  These are gifts we have been given and we need to serve them well.

Some cute happenings this past week ... well actually, first is not so cute ... Let’s just say tick season is in FULL bloom!  Now if the trees would take note!  Okay, so the other night I’m getting Hunter undressed (Curt was at a late meeting, so no help there) and whoa ... a tick!!  In my best ‘don’t freak out mode’ I do my best to recall the lessons that Curt has taught me about pulling ticks off our children.  Yes ... there have been lessons!  The secret is to make sure you get the head of it, and unfortunately the head is where it starts to bury first.  So I grab it’s wiggly little body and pull ever so gently.  Not freaking out, not freaking baby out ... so far, so good.  Another firm tug and yep! I’ve got it.  It’s even got a little piece of Hunter’s skin in it’s grip, so I can chalk this one up to success.  I go tell the girls ... they want to see it and we all celebrate as we flush it down the toilet.

Next day, Hunter has another tick.  Fortunately, I’m not home for this one and Curt has the honors.  Next person is Wynter ... I get the honors.  Spike (dog) was next and I think Curt had a couple in there too.  Then last night, Curt and I were out ... when we got home, the babysitter told me a story of how she was playing a game with the girls and they started whispering to each other (afraid the babysitter would freak out) that she had a tick.  Theresa thought they were joking, they assured her they weren’t and that it was crawling up her arm.  Yep! there it was.  Fortunately, it hadn’t lodged itself yet and Theresa didn’t freak out.  This morning I was combing Piper’s hair for church and just by chance decided to do a side pony tail, so I parted it on the side and started brushing ... what’s hidden in there?  A tick!  I call Curt in, he gets the honors and Piper’s left with a small hole where the tick took part of her scalp!

Now how are they getting these ticks?  They are blessed to have a father that loves to take them on adventures.  He has taught them a true appreciation of the outdoors and creepy crawly things.  No ... they don’t seek out the ticks, the ticks are just a by product of the adventure.  You get the good with the bad, I guess.

This has gotten incredibly long, but I wanted to mention two other things that I’ve been meaning to jot down in a notebook and just haven’t.  The whole primary school at Prairie went on a field trip this past week.  Wynter and Piper are both part of the primary school.  They went to the Golden Rondelle in Racine to learn about sustainability.  When I picked them up from school, I asked how the field trip was and what they learned.

Wynter blurts out “we learned that with (she hasn’t learned to say ‘if’ yet) you eat a cheesebooger (yes, booger) you get big feet.”  Say what?!?  Um yeah, she was pretty confident in what she learned and was sticking to it.  I talked to the teacher the next day joking about what Wynter learned and she looked at Wynter amazed and said she was right!  She couldn’t believe that Wynter took that away.  The translation is, that eating a cheeseburger leaves a larger footprint on the earth.  Humbly I admit that I needed to ask Curt what this meant.  Second translation ... because of all the processes involved in getting a burger, you take away more of the natural parts of the earth, therefore leaving a larger footprint then say if you would have eaten fruit or fresh vegetables.  Whew ... a lesson for us all ... but a deeper lesson for me to realize my children “get it.”

Two more things I want to note ... yesterday I finished with baths late afternoon and I’m getting Wynter’s pj’s on or helping her with something and we’re sitting there and she randomly says “dude, let’s get the band back together.”  Did that make you chuckle?  It sure gave me a laugh!  She heard it on a cartoon, but still ... so random to hear a sentence like that come out of your four year olds mouth!

Lastly ... Curt and I had our school’s annual fundraiser/auction to go to last night.  I wore a full-length, green, strapless dress.  When I was all ready and came out of my bedroom ... the girls thought I was a beautiful princess.  I glowed all night!  And let me mention that my husband teases that this function is like “Racine’s prom” ... so what does he do?  He gets me a big bouquet of flowers, a corsage, and rents a lamborghini!!  It was a great night!

I am blessed!

spring picnic

It was a beautiful afternoon, so we set up a tent and had dinner outside!  Dinner, of course, was McDonalds.  Curt and I just got back from Chicago and after being gone for two days, he was going into MD’s withdrawal!

Hunter missed the photo because she had already moved over to the playground.  And the girls were a little freaky in this photo because the sun was too bright.

guess who?

This weekend was a busy one ... also Taylor’s birthday weekend, which is officially tomorrow.

Taylor and I started out on Friday morning with Terrie and drove up to Appleton for the Unlimited Women’s conference that was through my church.  Candace Cameron and Lisa Bevere were the speakers.  It was afabulous conference!  I was so happy to have Taylor there with me.  Sue drove up after school with Ana, Kirsten, and Christina.  They arrived in time for dinner and the evening service on Friday.  We celebrated Taylor’s birthday that night with cupcakes and balloons in their hotel room.

Saturday morning we had some workshops and then the morning service with Candace.  Unfortunately, Terrie, Sue, Christina, and Kirsten needed to head back to Racine for soccer games.  Taylor, Ana and I went to lunch and the afternoon service before heading to the Dells for a night at the waterpark.

My mom, and my aunt were also at the conference and we were able to have dinner with them on Friday and lunch on Saturday ... it was fun to spend time with them too.

hunter's party

We had Hunter’s family party today.  She sure caught on to this birthday thing quickly!  So excited for the balloons, the cake ... in fact, I caught her on top of the table getting into her cake before the party started.

Our family came over for a nice celebration.  She loved her bikes ... one from Granny and one from Trishie (and respective family members), and books from Grandgene.

She was the cutest thing ever trying to blow the candles out on her cake.

The party ended perfectly with the birthday girl in her birthday suit!

Click here for more photos from her birthday(s).  And clickhere to read how she spent her actual birthday day.

when did these girls grow up?!?

Taylor went to a dance last night.  A girl from school was having her birthday party, and celebrated with a dance at the country club.  Taylor and Ana got ready at our house, and then we went to pick up Kirsten & Christina, who were getting ready at Christina’s house.

They all looked beautiful and grown up.  In the car discussing who they would be dancing with, who would be there and all the excited talk I remember when going to dances ... what?  just a few years ago, wasn’t it?

They finished the night with a sleepover at Christina’s house.  Staying up way too late and now we moms get to pay the price today!

I strongly suggest you click here to see photos of these ladies when they were much easier to handle!

our baby turned two!!

Hunter’s actually trying to smile in this picture ...

I took off work and kept her home from school today.  I also kept Wynter home from school, which left Taylor and Piper claiming how unfair life is ... Get used to it ladies!!

The reason I kept Wynter home?  Before she started school, I had Tuesday and Thursday’s off of work.  Tuesday we had kindermusik classes, but Thursday’s we always took a “field trip” (and then with Hunter once she was born).  We often visited the museums in Milwaukee ... the children’s museum, public museum, and discovery world.  So when I told Hunter we were going to the museum for her birthday (which has been a birthday tradition with the girls), Wynter innocently asked “can I go to the museum?”  It tugged on my heart strings, so I gave in and brought her along.

Piper had a field trip today at school (and saddled daddy into going along), so she had a nice day planned anyway.  And Taylor ... she gets off plenty for stuff (i.e., upcoming Rolex event in Kentucky!).  So no feeling sorry for them, ya hear?

We took everyone to Stonefire Pizza this evening and had a fun time.  Her family party is on Saturday, so she’ll get another celebration.

Click here for photos ....

Happy Birthday my littlest blessing!

do-gooder

In lieu of gifts at her birthday party this year, Piper asked for a book that she would donate to her school library.

It took a tad bit of convincing to get her to do this, but actually not as much as I would have thought.  Piper loves presents, getting presents and had already started counting down how many “sleeps” until her birthday back in January!  I didn’t think it would be as easy as it was.  And I’m very proud of her for it.

Today she presented her books to the school’s librarian (also her good friend Anabelle’s dad!) as shown in the above photo.  She also presented them to the school’s headmaster (but this photo was a cuter one of Piper!).

The book she’s handing to Mr. Yan is the one she’s decided to check out on the next library day.

She is getting to be a very grown up little girl!

it's jasper time

Taylor could NOT wait to get home to see her buddy!  And with spring finally here, it was the perfect day for a trail ride ... well, minus the muddy trails ... she stayed on our property so it’s all good.

I’ve said it before, but it’s just so cool to have her give a call that she’s coming down the driveway.

She had a great ride and it was a perfect day for both of them to get out.

what a day!

Hunter is finally a beach baby!!  She loved it and we couldn’t get her out.  The tide was low and she walked from one beach to the other.

We all walked over to the other beach and when we got there, Kirsten & Terrie found something suspect in the water.  They touched it with a shell and it “inked.”  Then we couldn’t find it again.  Just as we were leaving, they found it.  Curt was playing around with it trying to figure out what it was and it inked again ... purple everywhere!  I wish I could get more than one photo on the blog ... Turns out it was a sea cucumber.  The kids had a great time with that one!

After lunch, the ladies went over to the Four Seasons for some spa treatments .... ahhhhhh ...

While I was “relaxing” in the relaxation room, I get a weird call from Taylor.  I asked if they were staying out of trouble.  Kind of was the reply, but she would tell me later.  We drove home and were met with pretty much everyone at the front step waiting to tell us what happened.

Turns out Curt was taking some of the kids down to the beach to fly a GIANT nemo kite (pix to come later).  He had Piper, Taylor, Hunter, Ana, Kirsten, Christina & Emily in the trunk of the van, still parked in the garage.  The kids left the trunk open and as Curt was backing out of the garage, the trunk hit the top of the garage door and shattered the glass everywhere on top of the kids.  Most were basically okay.  Piper was freaking out, but she really got the worse of it.  She has one gouge that is pretty deep and then a bunch of little cuts all over her legs.  Ana protected the baby, so she barely has any.  The other girls have scrapes and cuts over their legs.

I think the baby may be a bit traumatized ... every time we walk past the area, she takes my hand, says “c’mon mama” and whispers “glass.”

Yikes!  Any stress that was massaged away, came back in an instant ....

Click here for vacation photos.