Sunday, June 24, 2012

Sunday Fun Day

Why would two cute little girls be anxious to get into the cooler?


Because it's filled with this.......

and they are READY to throw 100+ balloons, can't you tell?


And they are off, busting every one of them in a minute flat. 



Thursday, June 21, 2012

Sometimes

Sometimes.... when your are doing home improvements you end up with a toilet in your backyard

And sometimes you get unflattering pictures of your husband scraping wallpaper off the 20 foot high hallway wall.
And sometimes the unfinished hallway ends up being a storage area for the "work equipment"
And sometimes all the projects get done and you are SUPER PROUD of all the hard work you've done!!! Maybe the next post will be pictures of the finished half bath, stairway and hallway :)

Saturday, June 16, 2012

The Importance of Jeff


I've been thinking more and more lately about when our sweet little girls get old enough to date, choose a husband and then get to live out their lives with this "chosen" man. Jeff thinks of it often too. :) It's hard not to when you have two beautiful little girls ( I know we're biased). We've heard "Dad better get his shot gun ready when they are older" quite a few times,  I'm sure every dad with daughters has heard that saying. It really has us thinking though. Are we setting a good enough example of what marriage should be? Is Jeff being the kind of dad and husband that he would want for his daughters and showing them through his actions what a man and dad is? I can answer this  ................ YES, yes he is.

I love this quote and I think it sums Jeff up well. My daughter's would agree.
"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.  ~Clarence Budington Kelland"



If my daughter's are lucky enough to find a man like Jeff to spend their lives with I would be elated. I feel extremely blessed to even be able to say that. I want my daughters to have the kind of marriage that I have. I want their children to have a dad like they have. Jeff has set the bar high and any man that is in our daughters lives will have big shoes to fill. I WANT it that way. The standard of how a husband should be has been set and will continue to be set as long as Jeff is alive. Thank God for that!! Is Jeff perfect?.....no he's not and I am far from perfect (further than Jeff) but is he the kind of man who treats his loved ones with respect, kindness, compassion, and makes them priority? YES HE IS. Family is important to him, to us. Marriage is important to him and to us and we hope that translates to our girls.

The importance of Jeff is something that weighs heavy on my mind today with Father's Day right around the corner. I want him to know how much he is loved, how much he is appreciated, how much he is NEEDED and how much of a influence he has on us. What he is and what he stands for is noticed everyday, we just often forget to tell him how special he is to us. We often take for granted what an amazing man he is.


1.)   He is the head of our family.
2.)   He knows how to fix everything including ouchies on little girls knees.
3.)   He is smart enough to say "no" but sweet enough to say "yes" anyway.
4.)   He puts us first and sacrifices his own wants for ours.
5.)   He isn't afraid of watching Disney movies, even for the 125th time.
6.)   He is our go to guy, for EVERYTHING.
7.)   He lets the girls paint his toenails
8.)   He cuddles with us every evening on the couch
9.)   He doesn't forget to tell the girls how beautiful they are EVERY day.
10.) When he messes up, he says he's sorry.
11.) Artwork, even if he doesn't know what it is, gets a ton of applause
12.) "Daddy, watch this" isn't ignored at this house.
13.) He will do anything in the name of having fun and........
14.) He's much more fun than mom.
15.) He works hard everyday to provide well for us.
16.) He poses for pictures even when he doesn't want to.
17.) He makes his girls his priority.
18.) Being silly comes naturally to him and the girls LOVE HIM for that.
19.) He knows how to do hair.......sorta
20.) He loves us.....unconditionally......for always and forever.

Jeff, I hope I have conveyed well enough what you mean to us. You are the most important person in our lives. You have set an example of what a MAN should be so well, so perfectly that no fault or mistake or error could ever lessen what you do. You are, for lack of better words, TOTALLY AWESOME DUDE!! We love you more than you will ever know, we appreciate you.....every single thing about you. Thank you for being a great dad to our little wonders. No one could do it better.





Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Outtakes

For every cute, beautiful picture I have, there are 20 bad ones. I tell the girls to say "CHEESE"..... Sometimes they don't even look, sometimes they look at me like they are going to choke me, sometimes they walk away, you get the idea....It's really a crap shoot. I may get that sweet moment or I may not. Anyway, it's a shame that some of these funny, not so great shots don't get seen. So here are some of our outtakes.

Hey girls, you look so sweet cuddled up in the chair together can you look over here and smile. No?? You can't?? 


Stop and smile

Grace are you enjoying Randi's Award Ceremony? 

How was your day at school Randi? 

Yes smile, but maybe not that much.... That smile looks like it hurts. 

Oh sweet Piper not you too! Make sure your eyes are open next time. 

Leo doesn't even try!! 

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

A Break

Today, on our family blog, there will be a break from the regularly scheduled program to bring some attention to this little boy.

I try hard to bring attention to things that plague my heart, and that sweet face is plaguing my heart.
His name is (not his real name but a name given to him to protect his identity) is "Carlton". Isn't he sweet!!! I can just imagine him in anyone one of my friends home, my family's home, even MY home. I can imagine him being friends with my little girls and their cousins. I can imagine him being a sweet sweet boy who is ornery and active and only interested in smashing cars together and getting plenty dirty in the back yard. I can see him getting sweet hugs from his mom and dad and being tucked in at night. He looks like a normal boy you would see anywhere right??

 
Except for one thing. He's in a orphanage in Eastern Europe with not a soul to love him. Not one single person he can call his family, not even one. Please imagine what that must feel like, what he must think, what that must do to his sweet innocent soul. This is not ok, this little boy does not deserve what is in store for him and what he has already endured.

You see, "Carlton" is smart!! Very smart. He is 4 years old and is studying at a 7-8 year old level, he has SO MUCH POTENTIAL!! My sweet little girls are not that smart (although I think they little genius's) and they are loved abundantly and have had every opportunity in the world. He has not and he is academically excelling!! But, because he is so smart, he also understands his situation.

Carlton's diagnosis is paraparesis of the lower extremities, his legs are partially paralyzed. He has undergone two surgeries for this and is doing awesome in physical therapy. See....

 He has SO MUCH POTENTIAL!!! Can you imagine what he could do if he had regular physical therapy, a loving family who cheered him on and fostered all his talent! He will be unstoppable. He is extremely smart, adorable and completely able to be someone amazing, he could have a very bright future! A woman who has met Carlton has this to say about him.

This adorable boy is not only extremely HANDSOME but also extremely SMART! I am totally in love with his personality: he was reciting very long poems for me , when I gave him the toys and candies he was so happy, he hugged me, he was smiling , he said Thank you. Very polite young man with a self-respect! He does not give any impression of an orphan child, I believe that the future parents will not have any attachment or discipline issues at all. The child is very friendly, tender, obedient, open for a dialogue, asks questions but at the same time he is not clinging and annoying. We were playing with a doll house and he impressed me so much with giving me ideas how to make the house cozy.  

Now, for a moment I want you to understand what WILL happen to this boy if he is not adopted. He will live for a short while longer at his current orphanage, still without hope or a family. Then, very soon, he will be transferred to an adult mental institution. This amazingly smart boy will be thrown into a whole new world of survival of the fittest. There will be no one to get him out of his bed, there will be no one to make sure he is taken care of, or eats or gets bathed. An adult mental institution is a form of hell on earth in Eastern Europe. You can read about it here  This boy will not make it there. He will die, he will rot and his little spirit will be broken the rest of the way down.

I am begging and pleading with you today to take action for Carlton. You have a magic button right at your finger tips. You have the ability to help him without spending a dime. It takes only a second and you could change his world, his future. PLEASE "SHARE" this post on facebook. Get it far and wide, help it reach his family who may not even know they have a son waiting for them. Help get this post to as many people who will read it. If you could do that for this sweet boy, I would be so thankful.

Here is his Reece's Rainbow profile. :)

http://reecesrainbow.org/?s=Carlton

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Backyard Fun

 We are super busy, but no so busy that we can't pause for some backyard fun!!



This is not a fair fight. The hose will always win over a water gun!!

Hi Grace!!! Watch out Dad is right behind ya!! 

Do you need to go to the bathroom?? 


 No??? Are you sure???

After a quick bathroom break, she's not so sure she wants to head back into the battlefield 

Randi lost the water gun and opted for the bowl instead.....still not a fair fight

Drink Break

Piper says "No thanks, water isn't my thing"