Fun with Friends

 

Today was so much fun!  Aaron & Maria (friends from college) had their son Andrew (2 1/2) baptized today and then had a big cookout afterward.  They live near Toledo, OH.  Angela and I drove down together with the girls.  (Jonathan wasn't able to make it because he started a job at La-Z-Boy yesterday and had to work today).  And our friend Sarah M. (she lives in IN) came, too.  It was so much fun to hang out with some of my best friends from college (and still awesome friends today).  Liberty had a blast playing with all the kids there, and I had a wonderful time catching up with my friends.  I decided these get-togethers must happen more often!  I really miss hanging out with my college friends.  Here are some pictures from my fun day (I'll warn you that there are a lot!).

Liberty loved this water table Leila enjoying the grass

Liberty & Andrew Angela, Me, Sarah & Maria Libbs and Nancy (??)Cutie pie Andrew

  She was soaked and so dirty! Thought this turned out cool Sarah, Libbs, Andrew

Wagon ride from Maria Leila and Sarah Leila & Angela Sharing Andrew Leila inched along the table a bit He's saying, "hi little baby" Maria & Leila Sarah & Leila All tuckered out

Counting My Blessings

1.  my husband.  i love him.  even though we haven't had much money since he hasn't been working much, i have loved the time we've been having together.  i know i'm really going to miss it when he goes back to work full time.  he's so good to me and our girls.  i'm proud of him and so thankful that we have grown together through these trials rather than apart.

2.  strawberry pie.  yum!  i had never made it before, but my mom got a bunch of strawberries this week and i decided to try it.  it turned out so great!  the pic is kind of blurry, but the taste was fabulous!

3.  walking around the mall with my family.  seriously, it's a good way to get out of the house on rainy days.  and libbs loves the play area.

4.  outside time.  it seems like i'm always saying this lately, but it's so great!  i love the sunshine and fresh air, and the girls do, too.

5.  the girls have been going down for naps and bed time much much better lately.  i so appreciate the prayers sent our way, and the support and encouragement.  libbs is rarely making her irritating noise, and leila has calmed down in the screaming department.  this is a huge huge relief.  it's amazing what a little perspective and lots of detailed praying will do! 

6.  another movie day with my dad.  this time we watched "national treasure: book of secrets."  it's a good movie, and it was a good time with my dad.

7.  lots of crafting.  i've been working on some matching dresses for the girls...just have to do the finishing touches on those and i will post some pictures.  i also just finished a birthday present liberty's little friend from MOPS.  i'm particularly proud of this one because i didn't have a pattern to go by...just figured something out myself.  ben (the bday boy) loves music & instruments, so i found some fun fabric at joann's and made him a cape and mask.  i think it turned out pretty good...let's hope ben likes it, too!

8.  mcdonald's playland.  my sister and i took the kids to play this week and they loved it.  i love to watch them play.  i actually climbed in there myself to help a scared little boy whose grandma couldn't climb in to help.  liberty thought that was great.  i, however, have realized i'm just getting too old for that kind of play! :)  and boy is it ever hot in those tunnels!

9.  the girls playing with their dolls together.  i know i say this a lot, but i love to watch them interact nicely together.  it's such a beautiful thing.  and i have to admit i always hoped i would someday have a daughter(s) who loves dolls as much as i did as a little girl.  i'm loving it!

10.  leila is standing at the coffee table (or whatever other object she can hang on to).  she's not getting into the standing position on her own yet, but she loves when we stand her up to the table and let go.  she can stand there for quite a while.  libbs thinks it's fun to have leila stand with her, too!

11.  liberty's smile.  it's so hard for me to capture it on camera anymore because she's too distracted by the camera itself.

12.  libbs and memaw (that's my mom).  i'm proud of my mom and the memaw she has become.  honestly, i am surprised at what a wonderful memaw she is to the kids as she has never really been a kid person (despite having 2 of her own!).  and liberty loves her memaw (and all of her other grandparents, for that matter!).

Rebecca is...

...having a bit of a breakdown today.  Seriously...it's not a good idea for a 2 year old and a 7 month old to share a room.  We actually don't have a choice for that right now as all 4 of us have to share a room.  Let me tell you, it's not fun!  Today it was time to put the girls down for a nap...I put Leila down first because Libbs was watching Jonathan drive away out the window.  By the time I brought Libbs in the room to lay her down, Leila was asleep.  I put Libbs in bed and left the room.  Minutes later I hear Liberty yelling out that obnoxious sound I told you about a few blogs ago (the one that makes Leila cry).  At first Leila continued to sleep through it, when suddenly Liberty yelled it out as long and as loud as she could.  Of course Leila woke up screaming and crying.  I went in there after a while to deal with Liberty and this noise she makes.  She cried.  I left.  She continued to make the awful noise, which meant Leila just kept crying and screaming, which meant the noise continued, which meant Leila kept crying...you get the picture.  This happens on a daily basis.  Seriously!  And you'd think since Leila's nap times are so interrupted and short in the day time she would be knocked out for the night, but you'd be wrong!  She has been having awful nights...waking up several times, sometimes not going back to sleep right away.  I'm not sure how much more of this I can handle.  I know it doesn't help that we are all in the same room, but it's not optional.  I would relish some advice is any has any!!!  Thanks for taking the time to read my venting thoughts.

Counting My Blessings

1.  mother's day...and the girls who are my reason for celebrating differently these days!

2.  a mother's day cookout at my gram's.  It was fun to get together with some of the family and just hang out. 

3.  matching dresses for the girls.  i love it!

4.  the precious drawing my nephews and niece sent me for mother's day...and the sweet card jonathan's sister and her husband sent.

5.  time at the park with my cousin jenni and her sons alex & aj.

6.  kisses from liberty.  she has this way of doing it lately...she grabs my face and turns it to her and plants a kiss on my lips.  so sweet.

7.  a walk and a good visit with my sister and her boys.  i love hanging out with my sister, and the kids love it, too!

8.  a dinner and movie night with my dad.  he's been asking us over for dinner more often lately, which is nice.  this last week he rented a movie, too.  i like hanging out with my dad, and i know the girls love being with their poppo.

9.  dinner out at a chinese buffet..yum!  this was thanks to a gift certificate my dad gave me for mother's day.

10.  homemade laundry soap.  i haven't actually made and used it yet b/c i'm using up the rest of my store bought stuff.  i can't wait to try it, though.  it's a lot cheaper and i hear it cleans clothes so well.  i'll let you know when i try it!

11.  liberty's crazy obsession with her aunt ashlee.  everywhere we go she'll see either the kind of car my sister drives, or a red car, and she'll get excited and yell out aunt ashlee several times. 

12.  leila's smiles.  i don't think i need to explain that, except to say she has been rather cranky lately, so i appreciate them even more! :)

13.  dresses from poppy & gree.  i love these cute dresses.  thanks!

14.  sisters...oh so sweet...especially when they are playing together.  oh how i love to watch them interact!

15.  "ee-uh dit you!"  that's liberty saying, "leila get you!" and it means she wants jonathan or i to pick up leila and make her (leila) chase liberty around the house.  both girls giggle and smile every time!

16.  eye kiss.  libbs has this new thing where she makes her eyes kiss things (like her baby dolls).  not sure where she got that from, but it's cute.

17.  marker face.  this morning liberty decided to try to cover her lips with a marker...and colored her chin instead.  silly girl!

18.  every morning liberty says to leila, "morning puny" and gives her a kiss.  such sweetness.  (puny is a nickname we call leila).

19.  my first bouquet of "flowers" picked by my libbs. 

20.  liberty wearing a dress that my gram made for me when i was a little girl.  how fun and sweet!!