Day 2 of Ian's Visit

Now its Monday and Ian and his family are still here.  The kids are at school so its just Micah & I and Ian and his family.  We started our day with Micah & Ian running a few errands together that Micah needed to get done.  Cathy, Jesse, Lee and I went down to the park.  Jesse is so sweet he took a hold of my hand and we were off.  He asked me to push him on the swing, I said I would but I wouldn't be wild like Kyle and go under the swing.  He was a little disappointed but got over it.  He did ask for Kyle several times, not understanding that he was at school.  Cathy and I had a chance to chat and get to know each other some.  Jesse enjoyed the play ground, and Lee enjoyed the warm sunshine on his little happy face.

Time we lunch.  Cathy use to live some where around the area (I don't remember where) and would frequent Flagstaff quite often.  It had been years since she'd be here and noticed how much it all has changed but she remembered one place that she wanted to go to lunch.  We went to the Beaver Street Brewery.  It was a neat place, I had never been and the food was quite yummy for our tummies :)

After lunch Cathy went to put the boys down for a nap at the hotel (they stayed at Little America) and Micah and Ian went for a short dirt bike ride.  It was great to see them together, they aren't very close.  Ian's only two years older than Micah but distance hasn't made it easy for them to be close.  They are so much a alike, they really can't say that they aren't brothers.  

Shortly after the kids got out of school we headed to Little America to go hang out at the pool, visit some more and enjoy pizza.  It was a nice relaxing evening.

Cathy talking to Micah

It was wonderful watching Karlee with the baby.  She is going to be a good mommy (many years from now)

Kyle was so sweet with baby Lee

silly girl

I love this picture....it speaks more than what I can say about it :)

its amazing how  a little one can bring everyone together

happy baby sees his mommy

sweet boy

Easter Afternoon

This year we enjoyed visiting with my husband's brother and his family.  They are from Cincinnati Ohio and they have two boys, 4 year old Jesse and 5 month old Lee.  We hadn't seen Ian and Cathy for two years so it was nice to see them again.  They came in the afternoon and we enjoyed the rest of the day together.  I had fixed a yummy roast, potatoes, carrots, green bean casserole, rolls, and salad.  For dessert there was cherry pie, apple pie, vanilla ice cream.

Little Jesse wasn't shy at all, he found his way around very quickly with Dillon and Kyle and kept quite busy.  Karlee and Sara were where ever the baby was. My kids were excited to have cousins, step cousins but who is really getting technical anyway.  I love it that they were such good cousins to their little cousins.  The whole visit was wonderful.

Jesse

The girls and Lee

got my baby fix

Proud Daddy and baby

Dillon & Jesse

two blondies in red shirts

watching Aladin

Micah (the little brother) & Ian (the big brother)

Kyle had so much fun with Jesse.  He took such good are of him.  Someone walking by us at the park noticed and said what a good job big brother was doing with little brother.  (we just smiled and kept walking without correcting)  I really did love watching Kyle interact with Jesse.  So sweet.

Kyle use to tell me that he wished Sara had been a boy....oh well (he's a good big brother to her)

Kyle said that we should have a baby and it should be a boy.  Well unless God decides we need a miracle then he can make that happen but I sort of took care of things so....

 

Uncle Ian & Sara with baby

what a cutie!

Dogs at the park

little girls at the park :)

That covers of Easter this year.  We were so blessed with a wonderful visit with family, thank you Lord.

Easter 2012

Easter morning before church I took a few moments to take pictures of the kids and I.  Micah was already at church since the choir was going to be singing at both services.  Dillon had slept over at a friend's house and wasn't home yet.  So I asked my kids to do me a favor...take a picture with me.  The girls jumped up quickly with excitement and said alright, while Kyle dragged along and said okay.  He doesn't like pictures, its always been difficult getting him to take any.  I remember once when he was two, I had to look around in my purse to give him something to hold and it was Tic Tacs.  He sat there very nicely with his Tic Tacs in his hand.  We joke about it but it doesn't have the same effect on him as it did back then.  I take the moments that "he allows" and snap away quickly.  Well after the first two pictures he had enough and went in the house.  Oh well I got what I could and the expression he made were interesting.  For some reason he wanted to do his hair "spiky"....gotta love them!

I'm not so sure

High-Tech Electronics have entered into my house and I'm not so sure about any of it!

Several months ago Dillon was given an iPod touch 3 from a friend.  He has had it taken away a couple of times for getting online and looking at things he shouldn't be.  We recently gave it back to him with conditions (plus we have a parental safe thing on it now too) and so far he has been good with it.

Kyle was given an iPod touch 4 by a friend whose mom just bought him and iPhone.  His friend decided that he no longer needed the iPod touch and chose to give it away.  (I personally would have tried selling in on Craigslist)

Its crazy both boys were given these expensive electronic things....its like a throw away thing.  Parents get these kids around here something "better" and now what they have is no good and its time to get rid of it.  Crazy!

Micah and I have had many conversations about how we didn't want these things in the house and that the kids should earn them, and that they would appreciate things more etc....   Well they had a funny way of sneaking into the house.  It doesn't help none when my husband wanted an I pad 3 and ordered himself one.  He bought me a kindle fire.  I wasn't too sure about it but I really like and have enjoyed it.  He has been enjoying his I pad.

Sara, I'm so proud of her, she had been saving her Christmas money and birthday money for so long trying to decide what she wanted to spend it on.  She had decided long before Kyle got his iPod and during the time Dillon had his taken away that she wanted an iPod touch.  Two of her friends had gotten one for Christmas.  Micah had found a good deal on a used one online on eBay.   Sara is proud of herself that she bought it herself.

Karlee doesn't have one.  At first she thought she would save for a Kindle Fire like mine but now I think she wants an iPod touch also.  Karlee is having a hard time with it all but I share my Kindle with her and that helps for now.  She finds it harder to save since she is always doing things with her friends, shopping, movies, skating etc.  She has been earning her own money with babysitting at the church but things have slowed down now.

My fear is that we all will distance ourselves from each other.  But so far everyone has been good about it and we have a rule of no electronics after 8 p.m. during the school week.

As much as we tried to avoid it, it is what it is and we are working thru it and doing the best we can to control what we can for our children.   I don't know really what else to do...

All in my head

Lately has been a little frustrating.  I've started so many blog posts in my head and then I don't get them written then another comes to mind and each day keeps going.  I don't really know where to start.  I think this post won't be anything deep, just sort of an update on the things that have me going in all directions lately.  I guess I will pick up from after spring break.  I have to go look at my calender first to jog my memory......

OH that's right the quick Spring Winter Storm of 2012.  Yep to end spring break we ended it with snow!  I know snow after the beautiful week we had but this is Flagstaff AZ.

I went outside bare footed at midnight and took pictures from my front door and each balcony.

Moving on from the storm, it came in quickly and melted away quickly then we were back to beautiful spring like weather.  Dillon got a fever and wasn't feeling well and turns out that he had a bladder infection.  Its odd for boys to get them so they did some testing to make sure there wasn't any serious causes.  There wasn't it was just his luck to get one.  He's better now.

Kyle had his follow up check up with his back on March 23rd and was very bummed out walking out of the office.  He has a stress fracture in his lower back, probably from skate boarding.  The bad news is that the only way to heal is to do nothing but rest and do no physically activities of any sort.  Guess what is starting now and he can't do for 4 weeks....baseball.  He's really struggling with not doing anything and has a bunch of energy that gets built up....I'm not sure I will survive him during this time.

Sara had a tooth pulled and was so cute in her little school play called Geology Rocks.

She was a sedimentary rock

Well that gets you current, I think.  Upcoming for the weekend we are having company come into town.  Micah's brother and family will be visiting us on Sunday thru Tuesday.  He has a two boys a 4 years old and a baby (not a year yet).  We are looking forward to their visit.

Thank You Lord

Lord you are an awesome all knowing God.  You know who to place in my path when needed.  I went to babysit at church the other day.  I was surrounded by very active little people.  I left very tired but I also felt comforted, encouraged...like I wasn't the only one in the boat I'm in.  Feeling like you are the only one at times is tough and hard.  Knowing that you are not the only is such a comfort in an odd way...since neither one wants to be where they may at "together".  Yes, we watched the children and ran after them but there were moments that God allowed for us to share with each other.  I felt like God spoke through this person to me, saying what I needed to hear in the way I needed too.  Thank you Lord for placing her in my path and I look forward to exploring this new friendship with you beside us both.

Awaken

This morning I walked the dogs and I looked around at how quickly the snow that we had is gone. (still some in some places)  Amazed at how quickly it left and now everything has seemed to awaken.  This morning had the feel of Spring all around me even inside of me.  I feel like I've been awaken.  Awaken to a new mood inside and out.  Thank you Lord. 

I enjoyed taking it all in as I walked the dogs and I could hear God whisper in my heart as I silently lifted up a prayer to him.  Things may not be perfect in my life but they never will be, they will only be "God Perfect" according to his plan and in the mean time I've been awaken to His amazing and powerful love as I look up to Him and all around at his creation.  Awaken