California

We just returned from our family vacation.... what a wonderful vacation it was!!
Last year, we went to the Dakota's with Nate's family to visit his uncles and their families. So this year we turned the tables and visited my family.
Our family and my Mom & Dad all flew out to California to visit my Aunt & Uncle in Half Moon Bay. I am eternally grateful to my parents for footing the bill for the travel arrangements. If it weren't for this fabulous gift, we could not have afforded this vacation this year. So, Mom & Dad, Thank You!!!!
We left on Saturday, April 2 and flew from Chicago to San Fransisco. We had a great flight and all my fears about flying with the girls were washed away when Jada dozed off while we were still taxiing down the runway and Eden was full of giggles as the plane took off. She kept squealing with delight, "we fwying on a airpane, we fwying on a airpane!!"
After gathering our luggage and picking up the rental car, we were off to Half Moon Bay. We arrived around 12am. We stayed up and chatted for about an hour then decided we should probably get to bed since it was 4am our time and the girls were still awake!! :)
Sunday we just spent a lazy day on the ranch so we could recuperate from the long day of travel on Saturday. We got a tour of the ranch, met some of the neighbors and some of the animals and then headed to the pool to take a swim. It didn't take the girls long at all to become little fish in the water!!
Monday was forecast to be a beautiful day, so we took that opportunity to head to San Fransisco to be tourists for a day. We drove up and down hills for awhile until we came across the park where the opening credits of 'Full House' were shot. So we took our obligatory pictures of the row houses, walked around to stretch our legs for a bit, then headed off to the Golden Gate Bridge. Everyone I had talked to that had been here before warned me that 'it's just a bridge.' They were right... I've seen more magnificent things in my life, but there is still something to be said about seeing 'that' bridge with your own eyes. Nate and I wanted to take on the bridge with our own two feet, so I chose to walk it and Nate ran it (3 times, to be exact). I got lots of pictures and now at least I can say I did it. After the bridge, we headed to Pier 39 for lunch/dinner and to hit up some gifty shops. We had a great time, but we cut our time in the city a little short so we could rush home to see Butler get mangled in the NCAA final game.
Tuesday was another relaxing day spent on the ranch. We visited some areas we didn't get to see on Sunday. Nate decided to take the girls on a wagon ride up the the Fogg House. It may look like a nice fun walk from a distance, but the hills on that ranch have no mercy. I helped him push/pull for awhile, but I'm not going to lie... when the opportunity came to hitch a ride in the van the rest of the way up, I didn't think twice!!! I tried to convince Nate it was the thing to do, but he wasn't about to cave. When we got to the top, I came face-to-face -- or should I say spur-to-calf with the world's most evil rooster. That stinkin' thing attacked me twice and I have the markings to prove it!! After heading to town for a late lunch, we came back to the house early again to watch yet another Indiana team (ND girls) take a beating in the finals.
Wednesday we did a driving tour of the coast and through some redwoods.
Thursday we got to go to San Jose to visit Adriane. It was so good to see her again and nice to finally see where she is living. While we were in town, we went to the San Jose Children's Museum. That place was so much fun! I'm pretty sure I would go back again even if I didn't have any children with me. :) The high points for the girls were the bubble room and the water room. I'm not gonna try to hide it... they were my favorites, too!
Friday was our last full day in California. Nate wanted to do his run down on the ocean trail, so Aunt Jean drove him down and the rest of us met them down there after his run. Since we were planning on going into town to do some shopping, I told Nate he should take a dip in the ocean so he wouldn't be so sweaty and stinky. He took me up on my challenge!! Apparently his feet went numb as soon as the water touched them but the rest of his body didn't feel so bad.... :) After spending a little time on the beach, we headed out. Next stop was a store called 'Twice as Nice'. The best way I can describe it is like a 'Big Lots' -- only much cooler! Nate and I got a little wrapped up in the bargain hunting and once the final bill was totaled, we were wondering if it was really such a great deal.... but we got lots of nice stuff and still spent much less than we would have else where on the same stuff!
Overall, the week was great. It's been a long time since I've felt so relaxed and refreshed. Even Nate - who doesn't know how to vacation - had a great time and didn't miss work at all. The girls really enjoyed themselves. Eden is still talking about Aunt Jean and White Cat and if you ask Jada if she misses California, she'll answer with a confident "Yeah."
Before we went, I didn't understand what my parents meant when they said they could go out there and spend the whole week never leaving the ranch. Now I get it. It is a fantastic getaway and I can't wait to go back and visit again!!

things you don't want to forget....

Last night after dinner, Eden says this about her daddy: "I yuv him so much in my whole wide world!!"
True feelings from a child's heart.

buttons.

it's the little things.... a couple days ago, i noticed eden very focused on her buttons on her p.j.'s. she was absolutely determined to get those things buttoned up. she was unsuccessful that time around, but it was a huge moment for me. just another sign that my little girl is growing up and yearning and learning to be a big, big girl. so, i weeped a little inside and then just bucked up and helped her button up. and she immediately started trying to unbutton them. always trying something new....
every day i miss the 'baby' in her, but i rejoice in the 'big girl' she's becoming.
i love being a mom.

UPDATE:: as of May 16, 2011 the button has been conquered! a note to any other closure devices out there -- watch out, this kid is a woman on a mission and you just may be next!!! :)

We're going on a date! We're going on a date! We're going on a date!!!

This is the chant that heard over and over again on the way to Fort Wayne last Saturday. No... it wasn't Nate. He doesn't tend to get that excited about going out with me! :)
It was Eden. I decided it had been far too long since her and I spent one-on-one time together, so I left Jada with Nate, and Eden and I took off.
First stop... Build-a-Bear! I'm pretty sure at some point in my life I swore I would never take a child into that store, but sometimes I don't think before I speak. I figured it would be fun and just this one time I could justify spending slightly too much on a teddy bear.... ("slightly too much": understatement of the year)
This is how that store went, in Eden's words: "We pick out my monkey then we give it a heart then we give her a bath then I brush her hair!!" If Mommy could add just one more sentence, it would be this: "Then we spend $35 dollars on accessories for that cute little monkey. I don't remember the last time I spent $35 on accessories for MYSELF!!" But, honestly, I have to admit it was a pretty fun experience. And if I had a money tree growing in my backyard, I would go back. Often. So we left the store with Libby the Monkey in her stunning ballerina outfit, hello kitty panties and, of course, pink rockstar sunglasses.
Next stop... the double-decker carousal. I was pretty stoked when my brave little girl picked the top level to ride on. And for the first time, she held on all by herself and didn't need me hanging on to her with a death grip. Why do kids grow up so fast??? And why did I wish that someone would have been holding on to me?? Seriously... I was so nauseous by the end of the ride I was almost embarrassed! We did a little more shopping then decided it was time for lunch.
Where else does a three year old what to go when she can eat where ever she wants???? McDonalds!!! Or, as we call it in our house, IckDonalds. It was chicken nuggets, french fries, and apple pies for everyone (even Libby).
After that, we went to Target to look for a dress. Because she really wanted a new dress. Well, by the time we got to the dress department, she was totally over it. After finding a pair of Dora socks at the dollar spot, who needs a new dress??! I didn't complain. I'll never turn down an excuse to hang out at Target for awhile.
We had a great time and I can't wait to do it again. In the hustle and bustle of life, it's nice to just take a few hours every once in a while to leave everything behind and just be a kid with your kid. I certainly don't do that enough!!!!

What is cute at 1pm is not so cute at 1pm

So, yesterday as the girls were napping upstairs, snuggled all cozy in their beds, I ventured downstairs to do some laundry. I was minding my own business, and as I walked out of the laundry room I was greeted by a super smiley 1-year-old. 'Awww... how sweet,' I thought, 'she got out of bed and came to find me... I love that little girl!!'
.....Fast-Forward approximately 12 hours.....
Now mommy is snuggled all cozy in her bed (ok, who am I kidding, these girls have been getting up way too often for me to get too awfully snuggly recently) and here comes that same adorable 1-year-old waddling down the hallway, screaming, looking for a friendly face. So I took her back to bed. And she ventured out again. So, I took my blankie and cozied into the glider in her room to make sure she stayed put. It was not meant to be. After several warnings to get back to bed and lay down, I was just too stinkin' tired to care. So, she got up, stood in the middle of the room sucking her thumb, and analyzed her situation. Then she decided to read some books and play with her games. After awhile, I think she realized that I was not interested in playing, so she shimmied right back over to her bed, climbed back in, and fell asleep....
I wonder how long this phase will last??!?

Happy Birthday, Eden Elaine!

EE --
You are 3 years old!! Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday the doctor was placing you in my arms and I was taking my first look at my tiny little baby... (ok, ok, you weren't tiny, but, still....) and now you are a walking, talking, running, jumping, singing, dancing, laughing, imagining, playful little girl. In your own words, you're "a yittle bit big." You will always be my baby, but you are right -- you are a little bit big. And I feel like every time I turn my back for just a second, you get a little bit bigger. What a joy to watch you grow into such a wonderful little girl. You are so loving and compassionate. Some things you've told me in the past few weeks that remind me just how much you love those around you:

• "Mommy, I not like when Jada cries. It make me sad." You are always so concerned with the well being of your little sister. You are always the first one to hear her cry and you make sure we all know that there is something wrong with her. You can hardly wait for her to wake up in the morning so you can give her a hug and a kiss.
• "It nice to share!" So nice, in fact, that you couldn't stand the fact that yesterday was your birthday and nobody else's. I tried to convince you that this was a good thing... you got to have this birthday all to yourself. But you weren't convinced. So you shared your birthday party with Grandpa. (I'm sure he loved the princess cake!)
• "I need to buy Macie gloves at the grocery store." Macie already has gloves, but you think she should have pink ones... since she likes pink as much as you do. (and, as a side note here, you buy everything at the grocery store!! I guess this is what WalMart has done to your generation... you pretty much can buy everything at the grocery store!)
• "I love you, Mommy!" You never hold back on telling others how much you love them. What a wonderful quality!! Don't ever stop telling people how much you like and love them. People need to hear those things!!

I must admit, you are not "sugary-sweet" all the time, but you do have a personality that a mother can not help but love. You sometimes get a bit bossy and stubborn, but that is only because you know what you want and you are determined to get it. Once your mind is made up, it is not easily changed. Daddy says you get that from me.... I'm just going to take that as a compliment and not question him any further! :) At times your personality 'quirks' make you a bit hard to mother, but I know in the long run your determination will take you far!
In the past couple months, your imagination as really taken flight!! You're favorite game to play right now is "mommy, daddy, baby." And mommy, daddy and baby do so many fun things together. We play, have tea parties, go to church, dance, sing, take naps and watch movies.
Eden, I strongly believe that you are a natural born performer. You love to sing and dance. Your favorite songs include Glory to God, ABCs, Go Tell it on the Mountain, Old McDonald, Jesus Loves Me, and Jesus Loves the Little Children, among others. Last week as Daddy and I were watching the Super Bowl, you brought out a little stage and grabbed a microphone (aka a mini-maglite) and showed us what a great half-time show should look like. You gave a great show and I was thankful for all the encore performances.
Your favorite thing to do right now is watch movies. I don't let you watch as many as you would like, but it is kind of fun to watch you get wrapped up in the lives of your favorite characters. Thankfully, you have broadened your horizons past Dora, so we now get to watch Mickey, Strawberry Shortcake, Einsteins, Care Bears, and anything that has to do with princesses!! I've even been able to convince you to watch a few things on PBS from time to time.
Some of your other favorite things right now: Noodles, Moose Tracks ice cream, dancing shoes, dress-up, Grammie, drawing, and "pretending."
Eden, you have filled my life with such unending joy... I don't even remember what life was like before I changed my name to "mom." I am so blessed by your sweet spirit and I can not wait to watch you grow and see who you begin to become in the next year.
Love you, sweet girl!

Peer pressure made me do it...

OK... so I'm going to try this bloggin' thing out... I'm not expecting much from myself, so I hope you don't either!
And if you expect this blog to be about anything other than my adorable little girls and the wonderful and hilarious things they do, you may just want to find a different blog to read. I know they are cuter and funnier to me than they are to anyone else, but I just need to start doing better about documenting all the crazy stuff they do. I figure if I'm writing it anyway, I might as well let you read it. If nothing else, their mama and grandmas will enjoy it!! :)
So, welcome to my blog!