spring is here...almost

Feels like I am always playing catch up, but I guess that is the life of a parent.  We've been busy trying to bring on spring here.  Chicago is completely different from Annapolis.  By now in MD it would be hot and humid, flowers all in bloom.  Here things just started blooming, and it's only 55 today!  Crazy. 

We planted flowers, raspberry and blueberry bushes.  So far, the raspberry bush is doing wonderful but the blueberry is lacking.  Probably because the temps.

Will is signed up for camp and swim lessons, we are signed up at our pool.  Unfortunately, it's a little too cold to go.  Never thought I would say that.

We have trips coming up and a new addition coming to our family!  No, not a baby.  I have my hands full with two boys!  We are going to get a puppy!  I am so excited.  I keep telling Lew, that being here will finally feel like home, once we have a puppy.  He just laughed. We are going to get a Rottweiler again.  We just love the breed and it's all about how you raise them.  Our Ella was amazing, such a sweet girl who loved the boys and was such a great protector.  Plus, I get to name her.  I am thinking Hartley Grace.  

As for the trips, the boys and I are going to VA for my sister's birthday in June.  Then in July we are headed to Door County, Wisconsin.  Lew grew up going there in the summers, and it is something that we want the boys to experience.  So...we are going to be busy!

1.boys at daddy's favorite restaurant on my mom's birthday. 2.wondering if I look like my mom. 3.someone is not too fond of his bike helmet, safety first, buddy. 4.getting into mischief and getting so big. 5. a little luigi's mansion with daddy. 6.getting good at writing his abc's. 7. sunny day wagon ride 8. oreo cookie mistake? nope. 9. bike ride with the boys, hoping willsy is brave enough to lose the training wheels this summer.

1.baby boy loves the slide! 2.evening walk with some bubble fun 3. slide racing, he won. 4.dare devil running  down the hill, yes he did end up face first, but got up smiling. 5.chasing big brother=one tired baby 6.hill rolling and of course getting all itchy. 7.boys play dress up too, just in cute puppy dog forms 8.who can make it to mommy the quickest? 9.after dinner binki walk, the only one to do it.

Happy weekend friends!

Meaning of a Mom...

1. Loves you the moment she finds out about you

2. Dreams of your future when she feels you kick from inside

3. Knows what kind of child you will be by how active you are in her womb

4. Is the first one who gets to hold you close to her heart

5. Feeds and nurtures you from the very beginning

6. Takes care and snuggles with you when you get the sickies

7. Tucks you in at night, even if you are in high school

8. Is proud of every accomplishment, small and big

9. Shares her dessert with you, even though she was hiding it from all her kids

10. Scratches your arm while watching Thorn Birds

11. Gives the best advice, even if it doesn't sink in right away

12. Makes the best tacos and frozen pepsi's

13. Takes you on adventure you will never forget

14. Works hard and still manages to keep it all together

15. Helps with homework, even after a 12 hour work day

16. Makes you laugh when she says, Ni-Ten-Do

17. When you know what a wonderful daughter she is

18. Teaches you how to drive and tells you it's okay, we won't tell dad you almost took of the mirror

19. Calls you Boogie, because you are her very last baby

20. Teaches you that you love with your whole heart and do it, unconditionally

Happy Mother's Day Mom.  Love and miss you so much.

And Happy Mother's Day to all my bloggy mom friends.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with all things beautiful.

Ft. Myers 2013

Trying to get back into the groove of every day life after an amazing trip is no easy task!  But, we are slowly getting there.  Unpacked, clothes washed, and beach pictures ordered.  If I didn't do it the second we got home, it would never get done.

Willsy of course, is my water baby through and through.  He loves the beach, pool and fishing with daddy.  He also wanted to save every piece of marine life he saw.  Sand crabs, Hermit crabs, Star fish, Sand Dollars and the little shiners daddy would use as bait.  He would pick it up and put it back in the ocean.  Because it needed the water.  Totally melted my heart.  The only fish that was eaten, was a sea trout.  The boys catch and release everything.  I asked Willsy if he was going to become a marine biologist and he told me he still wants to be a paleontologist, so he can dig up dino bones.

*One of many star fishes saved by willsy, love that smile, and the only catch that was eaten

*Mommy and Willsy having some time together on the beach, making silly faces

*Another star fish saved, making peace with the trout, and getting close

Baby boy Eli was not as fond of the beach/water.  He loved it the first day, then quickly changed his mind.  If you went in the ocean, he wanted to be held.  If you let him go on the beach, he would run everywhere!  Needless to say, when he was on the beach, we were always on the move.  He did like the pool but would go from the pool to dipping his feet into the hot tub.  At one point, I put him in his stroller and just walked around the pool because, he was just so hard to handle.  Hoping next year he will enjoy it a little more, and make my life a little easier.

*last night on the sand, tuckered out with thomas, always checking something out on the beach
*selfies with mommy, baby boy is getting some serious teeth lately, love him
*touching the sand for the first time, literally fell asleep at the lunch table, loving the ocean on day 1

*Daddy and Willsy making a trail of sand castles, digging a giant hole because that's what you do, one of many fishes they caught together, matching shorts and toys..love my boys

All the pictures from this vacation were taken with my iphone because someone stole our camera one morning when Lew was fishing on the beach.  We were totally shocked!  It had two days worth of pictures on it that hadn't been downloaded yet...boo!

Tell next year, Ft. Myers!

Long Over Due...

This post and this trip were and are long over due.  Does that make sense?  Being able to go on a road trip with your sister and kids was something for the memory book.  Being able to be on that road trip to Nebraska to visit my maternal grandparents, was simply amazing.

I have to get it all down before our next adventure, which is happening in just 3 days!  We are headed to the beautiful, Ft. Myers Beach in Florida.  So exited!

1.baby running main st 2. with the grandparents at the cheesecake factory, they were slightly overwhelmed 3. lilly taking baby eli for a ride on grandpa's 3 wheeler 4. baby eli sitting in grandma's chair/he was quite demanding of her attention when we were there, so sweet 5. grandma, jj and myself doing duck lips, too funny 6. lilly was in nebraska and iowa at the same time 7. grandma with baby eli 8. giving grandpa a smoochie...love him 9. will and lilly riding the 3 wheeler, it was pure entertainment for a good hour

1. will at the hotel taking a little swim 2. mommy on the 3 wheeler taking baby eli for a ride 3. swim suit is just a bit too big there eli, total water baby. don't look at my hair. total bed head friz mess! 4. baby model as we now like to call him. at the photo shoot in detroit for vw's summer catalog 4. lilly and will, up to no good 5. see...hours of entertainment on said 3 wheeler 6. will getting his modeling on 7. trying to control baby model 8. eli entertained by the $165 car...yeah i know, ridiculous!

One of my favorite pictures from the trip and of all time.  I love seeing the kids in the back, the endless side walk, the yard that I played in many a times as a child, and sitting on the front steps where I am sure my mom had.  So many memories there as a child, that are hard for me to remember without my older siblings.  Truly blessed to have amazing, loving grandparents and wonderful siblings to share these memories with.



Hoping to be more present on here after we get back from Florida.  With the move, spring break, and getting settled, it's been a challenge to get back in the groove.

Pre trip Pre easter Pre bloggy break

We have been on a bit of a break.  Home schooling.  Oh the joys... Moving.  Unpacking.  Many Target trips thrown in the mix for mindless things.  Decorating.  Making our new house, a home. 

A fun day of crafting thrown in the mix, to put smiles on all of our faces.

There is nothing like your smiles.  Will and Eli, you make my world so much brighter.  Thank you for the giggles, the brotherly love, the hugs and smooches (from Will).  And Eli, thank you for the warm, and sweet snuggles.



Big milestone happened today.  We signed you up for Kindergarten today, Will.  Didn't mean much to you, but my heart warmed and tears filled my eyes.  You are amazing. You taught me how to be the mommy I am today. Thank you.

Best Surprise EVER!

Ok.  So this past weekend was a kid's consignment sale that I have been looking forward to since we moved here.  You know in the past that I have always gone to the one back home in Annapolis, which is huge and I absolutely love.  (side note..I am totally bummed that I can't go to the one back home which is next weekend and there are over 600 consignors this year!) 

 

Anyway..all week I was telling my sister about it because we consignment buddies.  We love finding great quality clothes, at great prices for our kiddos.  Fast forward to Friday and my day really was starting off awful, I was texting my sister and telling her about it and told her she should come here and go to the sale with me.  She was in Detroit on a business trip and it would be so easy to do.  She told me to come pick her up.  I was like not with two little ones on short notice.  She was like make sure you take pictures, so I can see your finds.  And that was that.

 

Come lunch time, Lew texts me and asks me if I want to go out to dinner.  Umm...yeah!  I told him it could not have come at a better time, because my day wasn't going so well.  He said, I have training tell 5 and then I will have to come home and switch cars because I have to go deliver something to a customer. Very believable because his car is too small for anything.  So...he comes home gets the car and said he should be back in about an hour or so. 

 

After about the second hour, I was kind of getting worried and called him to see where he was at.  He said he was on his way back but was stuck in horrible traffic.  Fast forward to almost 9pm...and believe me, I had been texting him for the last hour or so.  I was beyond starving and starting to get cranky!

 

I told him once I heard the garage, I would come right out so we could at least go grab a bite to eat somewhere.

 

Garage door opens, and I see him walking towards me and I start going off on him about how long it took.  When my sister pops out from around the corner and yells...SURPRISE!  Holy cow was I surprised as ever.

 

I haven't seen her since Christmas so, it was an amazing surprise that Lew and her both pulled off.  We went out and got Mexican food and had margaritas.  It was awesome people.

 

I am still in shock, because my sister is not very spontaneous and changed her travel plans just to go to this consignment sale with me.  Literally she was here for 24 hours.  We had a great time at the sale and got some amazing finds.

 

The quality was definitely better than the sale back home, but they didn't have as much.  My sister rocked and found a Burberry shirt for Eli for $10.  Retails for $130!  He will be sporting that this Easter.

 

It was sad to take her back to the airport but I will see her in two weeks.  The boys and I are driving to Detroit to do a photo shoot for one of her marketing campaigns.  Then we are on spring break and heading to Nebraska to visit my grandparents, who have never met the boys.  So...so...excited. 

 

Oh...and we are outta here, by here I mean the mil's on Wednesday!  These next couple of weeks are going to be wonderful.

 

 

Not a big haul...but quality!  Mini Boden, Gap, Janie and Jack, and Gymboree



 

 

Holding up our numbers with our game faces on!  Ready to get some deals.  I look so tired!

 





Happy week friends!

It's Finally Happening...



After 4 long and I mean super long months, we have finally found a place to live!  Over the moon excited cannot even express my joy and happiness!  We are moving to a small little burb near the water, which we love.  Good school district, a Target that is somewhat close, 8.3 miles to be exact.  I'll take it!  We get the keys this week and plan on moving small things in for the moment and then next week we will get everything out of storage.

 

I cannot wait to be in my own bed, see all my stuff, get the boys settled, and of course Will cannot wait to see all his toys.  The boys are going to actually have a play area other than their room, which will be all sorts of amazing.  I might not see Will for a whole day because he will be amongst all his books and things.  Anxiety about being here, is slowly fading because we will be in our own place and space.

 

Unfortunately, the move is about 35 minutes from Will's school.  So, this is his last week there.  I never thought I would be doing this, but I am going to be home schooling him for the last two months of his preschool career.  I have done a lot of research, by that I mean pinning amazing ideas from pinterest to do with Will.  We will continue the writing and coloring daily, which he is starting to get into.  But, I thought I would make it specialized to his interests.  So..we will do a unit on dinosaurs, which I found some wonderful crafts on and marine life as well.  And as far as the socialization goes we are going to enroll him in  a couple classes through parks and recreation.  Lew and I just felt that putting him into another school would be too much on him emotionally.  I see trips into the city, visiting bloggy friends at museums, and lots of good things in store for us.

 

Today...we are getting lots of snow, I'm with my babies, Lew is going to come home early, and packing has begun.  There is a lot to be grateful for.

 

 



 baby toes

 

 



 warm fuzzy hats and an awesome sweater from their favorite auntie

 

 

 a giant snowman that you can climb on

 

 

 sledding on a 99cent saucer sled courtesy of our old target then warming up with hot cocoa, check mix and some vintage game boy

 

 

 snuggling with our stuffed dog lew, named after daddy

 

 

 brotherly love that really is lovely

 

 

 snow angel and snowmen with awesome daddy

 

 

watching the snow and the plow truck....