Slumber Party w/Grandma and papa

This weekend I was supposed to head to XC Nationals in WI and Rob had a overnight event at church so we had made arrangements for my parents to come on Friday night and stay with the girls. The girls just look forward to these times so much. They kept asking if they could just stay one more night or a little longer. They had so much fun singing songs ("Deep and Wide"), playing hide-n-seek, but I think the thing they loved the most was sitting and playing play-doh.

Gracie holding up the rabbit that she cut out. She was so amazed that Papa could tack two rabbit heads turn them upside down and make a zebra out of them!!!

As soon as I got home the first things she told me was how good Papa is at Play-Doh. "Mom, he is so GREAT at play-doh! Look at all he made!"
My mom was pretty great this weekend too! She did my dishes and scooped the entire driveway! What a woman she is! I love being so close for this reason as specially so that my girls get to see my parents and they get to spend weekends and times like this together!

Fall from on high...

So Karys had her first mishap this week that required a trip to the ER. She was sitting up on our high barstools and lately has been having a hard time sitting still. Well this proved to be trouble as she took a spill from the chair to the floor. I felt incredibly bad b/c on the way over to pick her up I was thinking in my head, "I told you to sit still". but when I went to pick her up blood dripped to the floor and there was a small pool in her mouth. She opened her mouth a little and I sam the hold in her cheek. Not a hold all the way through but a definite puncture. Rob took her to the ER and the Dr decided not to give her stitches just b/c the cut was all on the cheek tissue on the inside and the mouth heals to quickly. It was so funny to listen to her continually saying "I'm done". I think she thought by saying that she wouldn't have to go to the Dr. or hold the ice pack on her cheek.

Things ended up turning out pretty well, the little girl definitely looked like she got in a fight...but fell asleep on the way home from the Dr and seemed like her normal self the rest of the day ;) What a tough cookie!

Dog Pile in the Kitchen

This last week while we were working on getting dinner ready Rob laid down on the floor, can't really remember why to be honest. It didn't take long for the girls to find the fun in it and pile on him. they took turns jumping on and being on top. this must have replaced our pre-dinner dancing that usually occurs ;) Karys looking over with her look of victoryAre you ready for this guys? Here I come!Gracie on top squishing Karys and Daddy...Karys did think the wrestling could carry over and be a reson to pile drive Gracie's head....
However, she was quick to console her and rub her back! We have definitely been loving really well lately but evvery now and then we fight with the best of sisters ;)

Murder in Vegas

Last weekend Saturday night we headed over to the Schuiteman's for a Murder Mystery dinner. I have seen ppls posts on going to these too lately. They are so fun. The one we did was like a Vegas wedding/casino theme. It is fun to watch everyone get all dressed up and into character and try and figure out "Who did it?" Ang always does such a GREAT job hosting. The decorations were so fun, the lights kept falling on our heads ;) But the mood was definitely set! We all chipped in and brought some of our wedding stuff. That basket on the table is the flower girl basket from my wedding. Lori even made a wedding cake for dessert! So fun!

Some of the action of ppl accusing/defending themselves. So much fun to watch all of the different dynamics.

The guys always get pretty into it, almost a little too much at times ;) Jesse's Elvis costume was so great!There was a wedding chapel sign that we all took pictures by. Rob and I ended up being characters that weren't suspects this time. I was a librarian in town for a book conference who won a million on a random pull of the slots. And Rob was a high roller who had no problem getting the ladies.
Jesse was a rockstar who had a big gambling debt with the dead guy, and Wendy was a show girl who had a son-whose daddy just happened to be the dead guy.

John was EZ Rider, the guy getting married to the dead man's daughter, and Rachel was Dee Vorst, the victims x-wife
Brent was a preacher, the one doing the wedding and an old friend of the victim. Lori and Wendy shared a part.

Dan was a preacher too and shared a part with Brent, and Brittany was the bride to be whose daddy was the victim.

Justin was a rocker too and shared the part with Jesse, and Ang was Dee Vorst's close friend.

Sarah's Birthday

Last week my sister got to come over on Friday and stay over night. Our original plan was to scrapbook after the girls went to bed and then most of the day Saturday. But Friday night we both fell asleep putting our girls to bed, then woke back up to "start". The only thing we ended up starting was a conversation. We caught up a little bit and got to spend a little QT together :) then we went to bed. The next day about the same thing happened...don't try to scrapbook with three toddlers, a husband who is busy doing amazing job with the yard work and football game on TV, and no clue where you should start b/c you are so far behind! However, it was so great to have she and Leah over and to get the chance to celebrate Sarah's b-day!

The girls giving Sarah her b-day presents...the best part of this picture is the priceless look on Karys' face!Leah was pretty occupied eating her supper while all the action was going on...but still looking really cute!Karys wanted to get a closer look at the bracelet we bought for her
The girls took a pic with Sarah...this was the first of three...This one was definitely the best

This was the last of the three! PRICELESS!!! I love Karys' face!

God is good...All the Time...And that is His Nature!

That is what our pastor says..."God is good, All the time, And that is His nature." I have seen that work in my life over the course of the past couple weeks. And to be completely honest I didn't know if He was gonna be able to. I just thought I had to wait it out...the hormones would settle, Rob and I would find our groove again, I would be passionate again and excited about things...but God met me in all of that. Over the course of waking up at 4am to pray and meet with him, seeking to love those around me and be His heart to them, and today...today has been quite the day ;) God has truly shown me His love for me and his providence in my life.

Today was the final celebration and commitment service for our church. Through the past several weeks we have been on the journey called "Open Doors". ANd while it was a building campaign for the new church we are seeking to build, the staff has done such an amazing job of making it so much more than that. It has truly been a journey, and self-seeking journey to embark with God down a road of discovering what it is He has for us and learning to listen for the knocks along the way, knocks on doors God has for us to open up and let Him in and knocks that resonate on the doors that we need to open up that walk through ourselves to find where God is leading us on the other side. I lack self discipline, I guess that is why i run marathons on strict schedules ;) But this journey has been amazing...at first I was resentful towards the whole campaign. Hard to admit but true...mostly b/c of how passionate Rob has been about it, how excted he has been to talk about it....mostly b/c I am selfish I guess. But as I look back on the sermons that were preached during that time, the conversations that I have had, and the sacrifices I have seen ppl make I am blown away by the power and movement of the Holy Spirit.

As we sat in church this morning, Rob passed me a tiny note. On it was three figures and these descriptions-doable, stretch, big stretch. Those were the words he was using to describe the gift that we as a family were going to give. In the novel, as he called it, I wrote back to him one clear theme stuck out in my mind...I said to him "I know you think that I THINK money grows on trees, but I KNOW that God will provide." Wow...I realized this even more tonight when I was processing with a group of our leadership students. We were talking about 10 things that God loves about you. One of the things that came to my mind was that I trust God to provide....but tonight as I process all of this I realize that I didn't. Yeah I trust God to provide for me monetarily...I have seen him do it so many times not to ;) But I didn't trust that God would provide for all my needs...my need to feel sane and not so crazy from my hormones, my need for my spouse despite my desire to push him away, and my need for Jesus to feel safe and controlled when everything was spiraling out of control. So no more need to say the open door I am walking through in my daily life huh?

Rob and I also both shed quite a few tears in church this am...one of our worship directors is just out of college, got married this last summer and his wife and younger sister are actually still in college. This morning he wasn't in church. His dad, a pastor, had been battling cancer for a while now and at 2:30 this morning went home to meet Jesus' welcoming embrace. On a day of celebration, no more pain...open doors...there was yet a sadness for the family and all that they lost. I have never experience true loss...death has always happened when I was too young to know better...but death is inevitable and life is short. We are always told that...but trusting God to provide, living everyday with the intent of allowing everyone we encounter to encounter Jesus, and walking the road with God opening the doors to which there are knocks on....

Crayon Castle Spooktacular!

Gracie has really started to develop into a little girl who loves school! It is still taking her a little while to warm up to other kids and she definitely won't be getting in trouble for talking too much yet ;) But she is growing, learning and really coming out of her shell a little. Rob and I were just talking the other night how it is just fun to sit back and watch her think...you can just see the wheels turning sometimes and her rationalizing and processing things and new and different ways. She is learning letters and numbers, not even really at school but I just think in her eagerness to know and learn more. She can recite entire books word for word, so she sits and "reads" to Karys often. It is so cool b/c that is teaching Karys to sit with her babies and make up the words to stories so she can read to them.

We had a great time at her preschool Halloween party. She was so pumped to go back to school for a celebration and couldn't stop asking all day when we got to go back. There was tons of snacks, a craft, and all of her friends and teachers were there in costumes as well! We have been really pleased with her preschool experience so far! Glad it is turning the curve and taking a positive note!Daddy and Gracie working on the scarecrow make and take at the party. Gracie working on her scarecrow and saying hi/hanging with her friend JulieGracie loves art! She loves to color, loves making things, loves to create! So fun to watch!!!

The chicken, ladybug, and thier mommy pose for a quick pic at the Spooktacular!Smile for the camera mom!

Karys making a silly face before loading it up and heading home...too much sugar b4 supper ;)Gracie proudly displaying the AWESOME trick or treat bag that she made. There was a little boy who was sick the day they made these and she made one for him too!