Thank you, Florida

I would like to take a moment and thank the great state of Florida, especially the specific cities of Pensacola and Panama City of being at their best last week. We could hardly contain our excitement as we were able to dip our toes in the warm emerald water on the white sand beaches. It was fabulous and beautiful! Grant couldn't get enough of the water and Katelee liked it as long as she stayed away from the wiggles (waves) that would "take her away forever."Brenna just liked sticking her tongue out to taste that salty sea air. She enjoyed the dolphins on our boat ride to Shell Island, feeling the sand and showing off her gut in her bathing suit!

I would like to thank the wonderful laundry fairies who reside in Florida, who magically pick up all of our dirty clothes and have it freshly washed when we return from any outings. That wonderful service has not followed us to our home, so I guess it is exclusive to that location.

A great thanks to Dave's family who hosted and cooked and were our own private hotel. The kids loved seeing an aunt, uncle, cousins (we are counting Droopie dog), grandparents and a great grandpa as well. We loved the Naval Air Station, the seafood restaurants on the beach and were so glad it wasn't too hot!

Thank you to all who were patient with us as we traveled on the plane...from Katelee yelling out to a nice lady sporting a cowboy hat "Hello cowboy Girl!" to the other passengers in our row who chuckled as Grant exclaimed he could see the whole world! Katelee explained she just could view Africa.

Ahh, Florida....we will see you again!

A Shout out and the Baker

Grant starting calling Brenna 'the Baker' when she was sporting this hat...I think the name is appropriate. Brenna, and the rest of the family would like to give kudos to Dave for his triumphant finish in the half marathon he ran Saturday. He shaved off his time from last year's half by 10 min, and he did it all in snow and freezing temperatures, without gloves and a head phone ear piece. We are all so proud! Dave claims he runs half marathon yearly so that he can eat what he wants throughout the year, train and run to loose the extra pounds. We have some interesting food issues at our house...I just love food...Grant, usually likes everything. Although, he has been tricky lately. Dave and/or I have walked into the bathroom by the kitchen to find partially chewed spinach or carrots in the little garbage can. He is going to have to be a little more stealthy to get away with that! Katelee has serious eating problems. The other day I asked her to eat a blueberry. She sweetly picked it up, clasped it between her hands in a prayer pose, and in a princess voice whispered, "I wish with all of my heart for this to break!" Alas, the blueberry was still there when she opened her hands and she had to consume the dreaded berry! I asked her to eat something else another day to which she replied, "I can't mom, because there is a stop sign in my mouth!"

Here the kids are helping Dave deliver breakfast for his CPA partners at work...they gladly ate a doughnut! I guess we all have our food battles!

Blessing

We recently blessed Brenna at our church and it turned out to be a really nice day. We had great family support and good food was enjoyed by all. The baby's dress was finished with a day to spare so she didn't have to go in just a onesie and I felt good about that!
Dave did a great job on the blessing and told our little sweetie that she has made so many people happy in her short time here and it is so true! I wasn't too worried about her survival around the housewith her older siblings, thinking Katelee would be sweet and motherly (which has been true with one exception when she smacked her stomach with super strength), and I thought surely Grant will have out grown his dangerous habits he had when Katelee was new. Well, there have been no intentional homicidal attempts on his part; however, he is still constantly told to stay away from the baby because he is always in her face, making her punch herself, putting diapers on her head, face, etc, trying to carry her. She tenses when he gets close but we are working on it!

At the conclusion of the day, we asked Brenna how she felt everything went and this is what she had to say:

Down the Road...

Someday, in the future, I can have nice things again. My children seem to like to ruin or at least break in new items that I had dreams of keeping up. For instance, we bought a new vehicle a few months back to make room for the new baby. Well, what happens the first day we bring it home? Katelee has an accident on the back seat! I think she was just cementing in our minds that this was a family car, to be experienced and used by all members of such! This week we hosted a dinner for Easter. There weren't enough chairs at our table for everyone, so we told Katelee she could sit in the new high chair. Katelee has an aversion to food, well backup, a dislike for all things healthy. She would gladly eat chicken nuggets, cheese, chocolate etc... I mean what kid wouldn't? But, she has been nothing but challenging when it comes to eating fruits and veggies. We have to feed her and coax her through each bite, reassuring her that she won't throw up. She begins the dry heaves before the fork even touches her mouth. Well, we had not told Kate's cousin the routine as he fed her some Easter dinner and she puked...all over our new high chair. Yes, that is easy to clean, yes it is durable, but I just shake my head and think "really? all things new must be broken in with bodily fluids?"

I know down the road I will get to work out in the mornings..but then I wouldn't get to lay in bed and read books with all of my kids. Someday I will not have pirate ships and army guys blocking my door way or jammed into my antique camera ...but then when I get to that place in the road I won't have first smiles, or my little 3 year old grabbing my face in her hands before bed and saying, " Mom, do you want to play tomorrow?!" I wouldn't trade this place in my road and while I longingly think of full nights sleep, I think I will try to enjoy each moment because I know I will look back and wish for these days! (Except the potty accidents, I can really do without those!!)

Dreamin'

Around our house we are just dreaming

(in the middle of the hall...or in the center of the floor)
of warm days where we can go to the beach
and jump off a real diving board into real water, not just a couch pretending the blue blanket on the floor is a pool! Warm weather is coming soon and we are all happy!!