Wade's World

2011-12-14T21:50:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Bryce-E

I'm still trying to figure out at what exact point in time a baby turns into a "big kid." Well, it's happened to my "baby" Bryce. It literally feels like a year ago, rather than four, that Aaron was driving me in a blizzard to the hospital to deliver my bundle of joy. "Joy" is truly what he is to me. He's such a sweet hearted little guy with a love for animals and babies, both alive and in toy form. He's an awesome brother and a wonderful son. Happy Birthday my Little Man, I love you!

Bryce-E got this crown at preschool today and insisted on wearing it everywhere. Even to AWANA!

Who knew a box of Cootie was so "heavy, heavy, heavy".

A new Fisher-Price iXL gaming system was the perfect gift for a big four year old.

Some of The Loot

Getting a little direction from Bubba on a few of the new iXL games.

2011-12-12T20:29:00.001-06:00

Blessed Beyond Measure

This is a very special Christmas this year. Emmy's first as a Wade and a U.S. Citizen as well as our first Christmas as a totally complete family. Blessed beyond measure and most thankful for the salvation we receive through Christ the King.

2011-10-27T23:10:00.001-05:00

Awana Nickle Carnival

Wednesday night we set out to the local YMCA with our pockets full of nickels! The kiddos had so much playing games and winning candy. Now, I just need to refrain myself from eating more of it than they do :0)

2011-10-26T22:56:00.000-05:00

Dangerous? Maybe. Adorable? YES!!!

2011-09-19T21:22:00.002-05:00

One year ago tonight . . .

We saw this beautiful face and experienced love at first sight. It's hard to believe it's been a year since our adoption agency matched us, yet ironically it feels like she's always been a part of our family. I suppose this is true as she was born in my heart long before we ever saw her precious face. Oh how blessed we are!

2011-08-29T21:29:00.000-05:00

I'm lacking motivation . . .

That is "Blogger Motivation." Anybody that knows me well knows I have a lot of passion. When I want something done I Get . . . It . . . Done . . . I figure out a way to make it work and it gets done. That's pretty much how I've gotten through life. Sometimes it totally drives my husband crazy because I almost become obsessed. Unfortunately there's only so much room to obsess in my life. I like to think that I try my hardest to do everything well, but I'm usually only obsessed about one or two things at a time. Of course my family is always an obsession, so that leaves only one more "obsession slot". The last 2.5 years my obsession has been the adoption. Part of my love for blogging was chronically that portion of my life. Now, I feel very, very content with where our family is in life. I have my 3 kiddos, my wonderful and loving hubby, and a house that feels like "home." Prior to starting our family my obsession was my education. I have a master's degree in speech-language pathology and I truly love my job. But, I'm ashamed to say I haven't taken a class (other than 1-2 day workshops) in several years. But, now that I'm feeling settled in my home life I'm feeling the pull to further my education. I'm not sure what this will do to my blogging efforts because I'm sure most of my time in front of the computer from now on will be doing homework rather than uploading pictures. But, I'm sure I'll check back in every once in a while. Especially during long vacations from work. Also, I PROMISE I will take some time this weekend and post pictures and updates from the last month or so. I hate this guilty feeling I get when I'm not blogging, but right now it's just not a huge priority. Please forgive me. I usually get about 3,000 views a month and I have a nagging feeling that I'm letting people down when I'm not blogging regularly. I've followed blogs before where I would check in daily and really enjoy reading about people and their adventures, or get great tips and ideas. It is disappointing when those people seem to fall off the face of the blogging earth. I don't want to be one of "those" people. So, to the people that follow my blog and like to check in regularly, please don't forget about me. I'll be back every once in a while and it's only a matter of time when the blog returns to a higher priority slot and you will see posts every couple of days. Anybody else out there ever lose their "blogger motivation" and just want to focus on other aspects of their life?

2011-08-10T11:25:00.000-05:00

Ignoring my Blog

It's been almost two weeks since I've blogged. I actually have material to write about and some great pictures. But, I've been down in the dumps with a thrown out back, a cold that is killing me, and an all around busy life. So, I've been ignoring my blog. Sorry :0( Hopefully I get around to getting some pictures up in a day or two. I've turned a year older, took a trip to Denver, and did some judging at the county fair. Teachers have to report back to work on Monday. I am SOOOOOOO ready to get back into my school routine. But, as much as I love my job . . . I love my kids a million times more. So, it's always a bitter sweet time of year. This year is going to be a bit different because my big boy, Cam-O, starts Kindergarten. He is just thrilled and can't wait to begin learning how to read (at least more than he already is). He'll actually come to work with me every morning and ride the bus over to his school. Bryce and Emmy will both be going to half-day preschool. They will be in the same building, but will go to age appropriate classrooms and have different teachers. I know some people think 2 is a bit too young for preschool. But, Emmy's classroom is actually a developmental classroom. She qualified to go technically as a English Language Learner. I am super excited to have her there and I'm a bit envious of all the activities she's going to get to experience without me. They will both be back with our awesome babysitter in the afternoons until I get off work. So, in a nutshell, I've been ignoring my blog and I'm sorry. But, life is still going on!

2011-07-30T13:06:00.001-05:00

A couple of "Firsts"!

My kids are growing up before my eyes! This week we had a few "firsts"! First of all Emmy has finally started calling me "Mama"! She's been with us 5 months and people wouldn't even believe that she never called me by my name in the past. She basically just didn't call me anything, but if she did point to my picture etc. she would say "Dada" almost in a joking manner. Every once in a while she would say "mama" if she was scared in the middle of the night. I'm not sure she was even addressing me when she did this. After all, her foster mother was "mama" way long than I have been. This did not hurt my feelings. I've done enough reading on attachment to know this is fairly normal. But, just this week she's started yelling "mama" when I walk in the door! YIPPEEEEEE!!!! Emmy also got her first American haircut! When we got her 5 months ago it was obvious she had a fresh haircut. It was a cute little bob that fit her well. But, I want to grow her hair out just to see what it looks like. It was getting a bit scraggly so I let her get a trim when the boys got their hair cut this last week.

Another first for Cam-O! His first sleep over at a friend's house. The boy's buddies live just three doors down and invited Cam to sleep over last night. He did great! The whole family went over for pizza and a movie, but when it was time to go Cam-O got to stay. Bryce-E wasn't too happy about not getting to stay over, but I just think he's a bit too young for such a big boy activity. Suprisingly he quickly obliged to leave Cam-O when I told him he could have a sleep over with Emmy in her room. I had to sneak into her room a few times just to make sure all was going OK. Here are some photos of the "firsts" this week!

She climbed up in that chair like she couldn't wait to get it done!!!

Her new trim looks pretty cute too.

All packed and ready to go to his first sleep over!

It's tough being the little brother sometimes.

Here he's pleading for me to believe that he's actually 5 instead of 3 because I told him 5 is old enough to sleep at a friend's house. LOL

He even has his own mode of transportation to the fun!

Woody, Buzz, and the Transformers.

A sleep over with a little sister is fun too.

I love this one!

2011-07-25T17:49:00.001-05:00

Random!

Here are some random photos I've taken recently!

Loving siblings (when they aren't fighting like cats and dogs!)

Here is Bryce and his beloved babies Cocoa Butter and Skateboard. He wouldn't dream of napping without one or both of them.

I'm not really sure how or why Bryce-E choses the names for his toys that he does. But, they are always original and he sticks with the name with little to no encouragement from us! These two babies are like family to him. He insists they are his sisters and Cocoa Butter is actually from China!

Milk shakes at the fountain. I'm sure going to miss Zesto when it closes for the season :0(

Face painting at Heritage Days.

Bryce had his wiped off before I had even paid for it! So typical of my little man!

This is the portrait of Emmy's panda that we woke up to the other day. Not bad for a 5 year old!

Here is the whistle Emmy got at the Heritage Days parade last weekend. They are shaped like lips and she figured it right away. Too bad she sprays anybody within a two foot radius! The dog is the only one brave enough to be near her when she's making her "music"!

2011-07-22T21:54:00.003-05:00

Door to Door Salesmen BEWARE!!!!

Aaron's been awfully creative lately and I just can't help share some of his columns! This is a true story, absolutely nothing has been added to increase the humor of this particular incident. But, I have to add that this same guy had been at our house just a few weeks earlier right at lunch time. He basically barged in the door without my consent and began his rambling that lasted about 30 minutes. I finally got rid of him by telling him I would not be making any decisions about buying his "product" without my husband's consent. I had a good mind to tell him off about being respectful of people's time when they are obviously busy trying to prepare lunch and getting tired children off to their naps. I wasn't so happy when I walked in the door a few weeks later and saw him sitting at my kitchen table AGAIN! Anyway, Aaron's much better at telling stories than I am. So, here's his recalling of the incident.

Timing is everything

By Aaron Wade

Hemingford Ledger

I talk about my kids a lot in this column. With threepreschoolers I have little time to experience anything else. I’ve said itbefore but I will remind you that things are very chaotic around my house. Yes,I have my parental outbursts of “Knock it off!” and “Do you want to go totimeout?” But I’m getting used to the hectic pace of life.

It became apparent to me just how hectic our household isthe other night. We had just returned from a hurried dining experience (we haveto hurry and eat before we get kicked out of the restaurant), my wife went andran some errands and I threw the kids in the bathtub.

For Father’s Day, the kids got me an MP3 player, so whilethey were taking a bath, I was playing with my new gadget. I got the kids out,dried them off and began the process of putting on pajamas. This process iskind of like a branding. I wrangle the nearest kid and hold them down and applyclothing while the other two run to the far corners of the house to avoid beingnext. I usually aim for the smallest one first, because she is the easiest tocatch.

While I was doing so, one of the boys came in to her roomand said, “Dere is someone at da door.” With my headphones in, I hadn’t heardthe doorbell ring, so I peeked out the window and a gentleman was standing onour doorstep. I didn’t know who it was and I debated even answering it. But Inoticed that the door was already half ajar so there was no way to pretend thatwe weren’t home. Bryce had evidently opened the door in his birthday suit,foreshadowing what was to come for this guy.

I usually have empathy for salesmen. I work for a newspaperafter all and on a weekly basis, I am out pedaling advertising. Sometimesrejection isn’t easy to take. So I figure if a guy has enough guts to ring mydoorbell, I’ll at least be polite. But this couldn’t have been worse timing forthis salesman.

As I opened the door, three little sets of feet followed.Camden, my oldest greeted the guy warmly, even extending his hand for ahandshake to which the salesman didn’t reciprocate. Strike one.

The guy looked at me with huge eyes and asked, “How manykids do you have?” I replied that I wasn’t sure and I was still awaiting apaternity test on the oldest two.

He asked if he could come in and being the polite guy I am,I let him.

Now I would usually be horrified if my kids acted the waythey did when company was over, but in this case I had to keep myself fromlaughing. The guy laid out his paperwork on the kitchen table. I pulled up achair beside him as did my daughter. I actually think I saw smoke come out ofhis ears when she proceeded to get up out of her chair, walk across the tableand his paperwork and into my lap. She then got down and repeated the paththree times before I finally put an end to it.

Shortly after, my oldest son gets in the mix. He had foundmy tape measure (which I had been looking for by the way) and he came over withabout three feet of tape extended like a sword. He poked it inches away fromthe guy’s face as if he were one of the Three Musketeers issuing a challenge.Seeing the potential danger for eye-loss, I made Cam contract the tape measure.

Minutes later Camden was back, this time with wooden spoons.He was drumming on one of the chairs, then pretended the guy was a cymbal andsmacked him on the leg. Actually, the kid was just playing and it was more of adelicate thud. The salesman proceeded to grab the spoons from Camden’s hand andlay them on the table beside him. Strike two!

The guy asked me if it was like this every night or justbecause company was over. I said, “This is pretty much par for the course.” Hetold me he was going to go home and double check to make sure his wife hadtaken her birth control. Rude, but funny.

My wife had arrived home a little later. The final straw wasprobably a mixture of her bluntness and the fact that Bryce had stripped offhis pajamas and was gallivanting around the house. Regardless, I think the guygot the hint that it was time to go. Strike three, he’s out!

I usually don’t condone such behavior from my children, butif someone has the nerve to breakup our bedtime routine, there is no need forfalse pretenses. And if you have problems with solicitors, I’ll be happy torent my kids out to you. I won’t be liable for damages of course.

2011-07-21T09:35:00.000-05:00

Goats!!!!

As I've mentioned before, my hubby is actually the writer/photographer of the family. Here's a guest post by none other than Mr. Aaron Wade :0)

With temperatures in triple-digits on Monday, only one thing could get the kids out of Grandma and Granpa's house in Hemingford - Goats! Better yet, fainting goats. None of them actually fainted, though Emmy tried her hardest. Thanks to Daddy's friends Dave, LaRonda, Sally and Emily for allowing the kids to come out and have their personal petting zoo experience! Like Emmy does with all four legged creatures, she showed no fear and quickly established her dominance. She squatted down and got eye-to-eye/horn-to-horn with two kids (which made Daddy a little nervous) but proceeded to get a kick out of feeding and petting the strange creatures. Sally and Emily even caught a hen and one of her chicks for the kids to pet. The kids (as in Wades, not goats) had a ball. Cam and Bryce felt right at home with the goats. Why shouldn't they. They smell just like one.

2011-07-19T09:41:00.000-05:00

Flip-Flop Refashion!

With the move and everything I've had very little opportunity to be creative this summer. I was able to get some sewing done when I made all the window treatments for my house. But, that was more of a "chore" because it was something that just had to be done. I like fun, easy projects that can easily be completed in the 1.5 - 2 hours I have when the kiddos are resting. There's been little time for these projects this summer so the creative part of my sub-conscious has been feeling a bit rejected lately. Last week I finally decided I needed to do something . . . anything, as long as it was fun and semi-mindless. I was able to pop out both sets of these flip-flops during one nap time. The double bonus is that I was able to squeeze in an episode of Glee on Netflix while I worked on them :0) I followed THIS TUTORIA L and THIS TUTORIAL using some old flip-flops and scrap fabric I already had laying around the house. FUN FUN FUN!!!

2011-07-17T10:00:00.001-05:00

My Funny Kids

It's been an odd summer. The first month consisted of various appointments that I always cram into the summer. Eye Appointments, Dentist appointments, etc. The next few weeks after that we moved and we're just now feeling a bit settled. The last few weeks I've been trying to do as many "summer activities" as possible. We've hit the pool (a lot), go to the park several times a week, play tee-ball, watch movies at night, get ice cream, have had some play dates, and just hang out around the house. With three small kiddos sometimes even these fun and simple activities can be a bit stressful. There's quite a bit of bickering and whining going on around our house. About this time every summer I begin looking at the calendar and counting the days until I go back to work. This is a bittersweet thought because I really like my job and the beginning of the school year is just such a fun and exciting time to be a teacher (or a school based speech pathologist in my case). But, as much as I need a break about now I really do miss my kids when I go back to work. Even amongst all the fighting, bickering, whining and crazy activities I seriously thank the Lord at least three times a week for my babies. I truly, truly feel so blessed and I often wonder why I deserve to be living the American Dream with my wonderful family. I love these funny, quirky, little people so much!

2011-07-15T23:13:00.001-05:00

PW Buttered Rosemary Rolls

I made The Pioneer Women's Buttered Rosemary Rolls several weeks ago and they were A-W-E-S-O-M-E! You can't find an easier recipe. They're perfect to eat with pasta instead of bread sticks. I now keep all the ingredients on hand at all times . . . just in case I get a craving!

This is what they looked like straight out of the oven. (Yes, that is a pan of brownies right next to them. I must have been craving carbs that day :0)


This is what the batch looked like 10 minutes after I took them out of the oven. BTW, I was the only person in the kitchen within that 10 minute time frame. Notice the brownies haven't been touched. THAT'S how good these rolls taste!

OK, now go make yourself a batch! You'll be happy you did it!!

2011-07-13T16:19:00.002-05:00

300th Post and Iced Chai Tea!!!!

I started this blog almost 5 years ago and THIS is my 300th post!!! I decided to celebrate by featuring my very first tutorial. Some people can't live without their coffee or their chocolate. My husband needs a shot of caffeine in the form of Coke within 45 minutes of waking up. My drink of choice is Iced Chai Tea. I love it so much that I would gladly give up all other food and drink as long as I could always have my Iced Chai Tea. The problem is that they cost about 5 bucks a pop at your local coffee shop. My weekly food budget doesn't allow for that sort of frivolty. So, a few years ago I started watching very closely how the barista prepaired my drink of choice. Now I can have an Iced Chai Tea whenever I want for a fraction of the price.

Here's what you start with. A powder Chai Tea mix. I like Mystic Chai which can be found at Sam's Club in either Spiced or Vanilla flavors. I've also bought it off Amazon. You also need milk, whipped topping (optional), water and ice (not shown), and container. I found this container at Walmart and I like it because it has that gel stuff in it so you can freeze it in the freezer. I love my Iced Chai frigid, not just cold.

First thing is to fill a mug with 1-2 ounces of water.

Boil the water in the microwave. I just set mine for about a minute.

While your water is getting hot take a heaping scoop of your powder using the scoop provided in the can.

Pour it in your container.

Add enough of the hot water just to allow it to mix well. It will be more of a syrup consistency.

Mix it up very well.

Like I said before, I love my Chai Tea frigid. So, I put mine back in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes to allow the syrup to get cold.

That last step is completely optional, but I find it helpful so the syrup doesn't get too watered down when you add the ice. So, next you want to add 3/4 - 1 cup of ice.

Pour in enough milk to your taste. I like about 1 1/2 cups or so.

Mix it all up well.

Top with some whipped topping.

Enjoy!

What a beautiful masterpiece!!!

Sometimes for a special treat my children even get to enjoy a taste. BTW, Chai tea is NOT coffee, so don't judge me here :0)

I think they like it as well as I do.

2011-07-08T09:00:00.004-05:00

Boys' Room!

My last post was about Emmy's new room. Here are some pictures of the boys' room. Just as a reminder, here is a link to the boys' room in the old house.

How does that little munchkin keep popping into my pictures?

I'm linking up again!

2011-07-06T21:58:00.002-05:00

Emmy's Room

The new house is coming along! I did the kids' rooms first because I thought having their personal space ready would help them get acclimated to the new house. You might remember Emmy's room at the old house looking like this. I used most of the same wall hangings etc., but we decided to try to make it more of a "big girl" room since she will be living in it for several years. So, rather than a pale pink we went a bit brighter. It might be kind of bold for some people, but my aversion for white walls makes me prefer this color over the pale pink! Check out my big girl's room!

Never mind the little munchkin rolling around on the bed in her jammies!

Another munchkin sighting!!!!

I'm linking up!!!

2011-07-05T11:36:00.000-05:00

Fourth of July (and funny faces)!

We've had a very busy and FUN 3-day weekend! It seems we had a get-together of some sort both noon and night all three days of this holiday weekend. There's nothing that makes you feel more loved and blessed than great times with family and friends! This Fourth of July was even more special as it was the first one we celebrated with Emmy. Her first Fourth of July as an American citizen too! I think we celebrated in style with lots of food, fun, and fireworks!! I think the funny faces document the spirit of the weekend well!

Grandpa and our niece, Vayda.

B-Ball with the cousins!

I think Emmy enjoys being an American citizen!

Mmmmmm, homemade ice-cream!

Playing with water is a rite of Summer!

Bryce-E says, "Happy Fourth of July!!!"

Patriotic hair style :0) I love having a girl!

Aaron's siblings and family.

My sister-in-law, Sarah, and niece, Vayda.

Here's Emmy's funny face she likes to do for the camera.

Cutie Patootie!

2011-07-01T14:36:00.000-05:00

We're moved!!!

After a very long few days we are finally all moved into the new house. Thank you to our awesome family for all your help. We could not have done it without you! Love to you all!!!! I still don't feel "settled" and probably wont until we're all unpacked and everything begins to feel "normal" again. But, I have the kitchen and all the kids' bedrooms put together. Those rooms were my first priority. I can't believe how well the kids are adjusting. They love the new house. Mainly because we have a TON of kids on this street. It seems every time we step outside an instant playmate appears. In fact, this has become so convenient that I think I'm going to have to put baby-proof knobs on the doors so the kids remember to come ask me for permission to play outside. There have already been a few instances that I've been setting up a room and realize the house is a bit too quite only to find the little monkey's on the sidewalk outside. I love that they want to play outside, but this is a busier neighborhood than we're used to and for safety reasons I need to know where they are at all times. Call me a Mama Bear if you want :0) Anyway, I don't have pictures of the house up yet because I don't want to share a room full of boxes! But, I should at least get a few pictures of the kids' rooms up in a few days. Until then, I'll post some pictures of a few of our new neighbors who are just a few houses down. We knew this family before we moved here because our kids go to Children's church and AWANA together. In fact I ended up babysitting for them a few weeks ago. The boys get along great as they are exactly the same age. In fact, Cam and Dylan will even be in the same Kindergarten class next Fall!

2011-06-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

Corn Dogs!

Please don't judge me for the lack of nutritional value in this particular meal I fed my children. Life's been busy, but I LOVE how my kids can find fun in the most simple things. For example, eating "Corn Dogs On The Cob" and insisting on consuming apple sauce with a straw!

Cam called this his "Corn Dog On The Cob"!!! That's when I knew I had to pull out the camera!

I love a gal who likes her broccoli more than her corn-dog!!!

Now, this boy can't even look at his broccoli without gagging, but he'll wolf down 2-3 corn-dogs in one sitting!

2011-06-25T05:30:00.000-05:00

Today's the Day!!!

Today is moving day. I've spent the last few weeks moving over as much as I can by myself. This is no easy feat with three rambunctious kiddos in tow! But, today we have help and will be moving all the furniture and what is left in the house. I'm praying it's successful and as stress-free as possible! I can't wait to be in my new house!!!! I love every inch of it!!!

2011-06-22T13:59:00.000-05:00

Hmmmm, so weird . . .

I had a garage sale last weekend and I sold quite a few things. I had two cribs for sale and I sold one right away before my sale "technically" even started. I thought my other one would also get snatched up right away. It's super nice and very cute. It converts from crib, to toddler bed, to full-size headboard and has the mattress included. But, then I remembered how "weird" I was as a young mother about second hand things being safe for my precious baby. So, I did a bit of research. This crib is not even four years old and still meets all safety requirements. It has never had a safety re-call. So, if you, or somebody you know is in the market for a crib give me a quick email! aaronwade@charter.net

2011-06-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

Shoppin'

My poor hubby! I think we've adopted a nice little shopping buddy for me! She's so good the whole time. She's loves the stores and hanging out just looking around. I'm envisioning some fun times ahead of us!

2011-06-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Kae-Kae!

My oldest niece is 10 today! Where does the time go? Happy Birthday Kae-Kae! We love you!

2011-06-19T07:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Father's Day

Guest Author

Most of you know my husband is actually the writer and photographer of the family. He really should be the blogger, not me. But, I guess it's just not his "thing." Regardless I ~~begged~~ asked him if I could post a story he wrote for his column last week. It's just so sweet and I want to share it with as many people as possible! Please take a few minutes to read his column below. Happy Father's day to my lovable hubby, my awesome dad, my totally great father-in-law, my handsome brother, my amazing brother-in-law and all the other important father's in my life

Just home from China.

Stinkers :0)

Sugar and a lot of spice
By Aaron Wade
Hemingford Ledger

Don’t forget Dad this Sunday. By the way kids, I’m registered at the bank.This Father’s Day is a little different for me. For the past five years it has been all boys in our household – 5-year-old boy, 3-year-old boy, boy dog, and I’m a boy (at least I was once). As you can imagine, the homestead is somewhat chaotic . . . and smelly. I always thought an added dose of estrogen would help with this, but . . . not so much.You know the old adage “Boys are made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails while girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice?” Our daughter got an extra dose of spice.I’ll make one thing clear, that I wouldn’t trade her for the world. But the BIG personality that Emmy emits from her little body isn’t what I expected. For those of you that don’t know, we adopted Emmy a few months ago and when I first met her she looked at me with her big brown eyes and didn’t utter a sound. There was a look of concern in those eyes, as if wondering, “Why are these funny-looking people holding me.” She didn’t make a fuss as long as we kept giving her snacks, but I could tell she was unsure of the whole situation.We took her back to our hotel and she was content to explore the new surroundings, but she was still quiet. I kept wondering how I was going to connect with this “delicate little princess.” I did the only think I knew how. When she had her back to me I tackled her and started tickling her. That is how I play with the boys. We have all-out pillow fights reminiscent of Royal Rumble ’89 if Big John Stud were blowing raspberries on Ted DiBiase’s tummy.What 5-year-old quotes Macho Man Randy Savage (God rest his soul) when landing elbow drops on their dad? Answer: Mine (“Oh yeah bwudder”).So not yet used to being the daddy of a little girl I started roughhousing. She started giggling and when I quit, she let me know that she was not finished. We soon developed a game where I would pick her up and jiggle her saying, “Never shake a baby!” Then I would spin her in circles and say, “Stir a baby.” Okay, I’m never writing a child rearing book, but my strange practices were effective. If I wasn’t her Daddy yet, I was at least her buddy. And there was a good balance. I resorted to buffoonery, while her Mommy bonded with her by painting her toenails and showing off her pretty, new wardrobe.It didn’t take long for us to realize that she was NOT the soft spoken little creature we first thought. She never sat still and though she didn’t speak English, she was very vocal when trying to get a point across.When we got home, she definitely influenced her brothers, but not by bringing them a sense of serenity like I had first hoped. No, instead they now play with Barbies. They had an influence on her too - all of their bad habits. Son No. 2 usually greets me at the door much like Dino greets Fred Flintstone. Now he has a tag team partner to land a head-butt at the back of my knees.That isn’t to say she doesn’t have her girly moments. She already tries to use her looks to get away with things. She is cute (I can say that because I didn’t have anything to do with it) and she knows it. Once she smacked her brother on the head with a wooden spoon, flashed him a smile and they were soon both giggling. If that had been his brother, World War III would have broken out in our house.And yes, she uses her tricks on me too. And yes, they work more often than not.But for the most part, being a dad to a little girl isn’t much different than being dad to a little boy. It’s chaotic and many times frustrating. But being greeted by a high-pitched yet boisterous “Dada” every night makes it worth it.

2011-06-17T14:00:00.001-05:00

Fun In The Sun!

Earlier this week we had a blistery day with hardly any wind! When I drove by Clay and Micki's house on the way to our new house I noticed they had the slip-n-slide out. I took the opportunity to promptly invite ourselves over to cool off :0) Thanks for the hospitality Mick! The kids LOVE hanging out with their cousins.

Emmy is under the impression that swim suits are overrated. She reluctantly keeps the swim diaper on :0)

This is as close to boogy boarding as we get in Western Nebraska.

Kaitlyn's such an awesome big cousin! She's just so good with the littles!

Now this girl, Kaci, is a TOTAL crack-up! I pointed my camera at her and said, "Kaci, can I take your picture?" She promptly replied "NO!" So, Micki said, "Kaci, no what?" Meaning of course she should say "No, thank you." Without a second though Kaci says, "NO WAAAAYYYYYY!" All I could do was laugh and take the picture anyway :0)

Jenna always has a smile for the camera!

Shay-Pie

Dancing the Cotton-Eye-Joe in the baby pool!

I know I'm going to have to enforce a swim suit at the public pool, but I wont fight that battle until we I have to.

Always entertaining!

I keep using the term "little stinker" for this kid!


Another source of fun!

2011-06-15T14:08:00.001-05:00

Birthday Part 2!

We hosted our family at Pizza Hut to celebrate Emmy's 2nd birthday! Normally we'd have everybody over to our own house, but with the move and the small space we decided it would be best to meet some place else. As a disclaimer . . . the lighting is NOT great there. That in combination with my already crappy photography skills makes some of these shots less than desirable. However, the people in each picture makes them good as gold!

I saw a tutorial in my Family Fun magazine to make the cutest butterfly cupcake toppers using white chocolate and sprinkles. I used the same concept to make these crowns. They were fun and really tasty!

It was a tradition for both of boys to get their own miniature cake to ~~destroy~~ eat at their first birthday. Well, since we didn't get the pleasure of celebrating Emmy's first birthday with her she got her own cake at her second birthday!!!

Due to constant girly twirling, this was the best picture I could get of Emmy in her birthday outfit. I love having a girly-girl!

Who cares about pizza when mom lets you have Root Beer?!?!?

I'm not sure why she's glaring at the balloons, but it was the best picture I could get of her blowing out the candle.

This was the first thing she did with that mini-cake. It was hilarious! Unfortunately she wasn't too big of a fan over it. Even at home I couldn't get her to eat much of it. I think she's still not a huge fan of sweets. But, we have trained her to dig into a bowl of ice-cream!!!

Here's my grandma and her sweet boyfriend, Klause. Aren't they cute?!?!

Bryce and cousin Jenna.

Miss Kaci! Almost exactly 6 months older than Emmy. I can't wait to watch these two grow up together.

Did I mention the words "girly-girl" earlier? She literally SQUEEEELS when she sees cute clothes!

It was my mom's birthday the day we had the party. So, of course we had to sing Happy Birthday to Nana too!

LOL, this is what we get when we try to get all 7 cousins in a picture.

My mom tied these balloons into Emmy's hair bow. It was hilarious.

She finally realized they were there.

My niece Shaylee. She's such a witty little thing. Love her to death!

A picture to make a mama proud (little stinker).

Isn't Jenna the sweetest?!?!? LOVE HER!!!

My oldest niece, Kaitlyn, will be TEN this weekend!!! Where does the time go? As far as I'm concerned the kids I love should never be allowed to grow past the age of 7 or 8.


Static!

2011-06-14T22:46:00.000-05:00

Emmy's Birthday Part 1

Emmy's birthday was two weeks ago. I assure you we celebrated thoroughly even though it's taking me this long to post some pictures! Her actual birthday was on a Wednesday and we had party the next Saturday. So, here are some pictures from home. Check back tomorrow for part 2!!!!!!

Please ignore the mismatched jammies. It was one of those crazy nights. Who cares about finding matching tops and bottoms when there's a pile of presents waiting to be ripped open!

And so begins the Barbie extravaganza! Even the boys are hooked to a few movies!

I'm so excited to see their faces when they find the four foot tall Barbie house waiting for them in the new house!!!

2011-06-12T21:00:00.003-05:00

While Mom's away!

Last week my mom and I took Emmy to Denver for a doctor's appointment and the boys sure had some fun while we were away! The circus was in town, so Aaron braved taking them alone. Afterwards they had a cook-out at Grandma and Grandpa's house. They were having so much fun that I'm not sure they even realized I was gone. When we got back into town we met them all at the softball field because Cam had a tee-ball game that night. Both boys were just OVERJOYED to see . . . their sister. Yep, they both ran screaming towards Emmy for a hug and a smooch. I was a second thought and eventually got my hug and kiss after Emmy was thoroughly mauled!

Be still my heart . . . that's my baby (second from the front) on top of that HUGE animal.

Bryce-E was so excited to ride an elephant . . . until he saw how BIG it was! He told me he was just sure he was going to fall off "that thing" and decided to skip the ride all together. I think his ride was compensated with some cotton candy :0)

Roasting hot-dogs on a Summer evening. Is there anything better?!?!?

I love this picture because it's just so typical Bryce-E. It's great when a picture captures personality!

I can't believe how big this kid is getting. I'm not so sure I'm ready to send him off to Kindergarten next fall, but he's more than ready! I'm not sure that huge elephant he was riding could even stop him from entering that school in August!

2011-06-11T21:43:00.001-05:00

Moving . . . Busy . . . Tired!

So, this isn't an actual picture of my house, but it resembles it very closely! This week I've basically been organizing all my closets and storage spaces. I've got quite a pile for a garage sale next weekend! I actually really enjoy organizing. The problem is that everyday life still goes on around me. Sometimes it seems I just get a project going and I have to stop for one reason or another. Feed the kids lunch, break up a fight, find a favorite toy. You know how it goes! So, I usually set goals like I want to get a certain number of closest organized before it's time to fix the kids lunch. Then while they're resting (or sleeping depending on the child) I'll usually try to get some boxes packed up. I can't imagine what it would be like if I didn't have my kids here to keep me grounded. It's a good thing they're here to keep me living life! We're hoping to close on the new house on June 27th, but the current owner is nice enough to let us get all moved in before that date since the people buying our house are also closing on that date. So, the next few weeks will be crazy and busy! But, I'm excited for the move! Blogging hasn't been on the top of my list of priorities, but I hope to at least get a few batches of pictures out in a few days. I NEED to chronicle Emmy's birthday party and the boys trip to the circus. So, check back soon!

2011-06-08T22:47:00.000-05:00

Happy 9th anniversary to my awesome hubby!!!

It's hard to believe we've been together 13 years! Four years dating and nine years of marriage!

2011-06-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

It's Tee-Ball Time Again!

It's going much better this year. Click here for a recap of last year's season :0) Shortly after that post we decided to forego the rest of the season. So far this year he's having some fun. He did fein exhaustion one time and pretend to fall asleep on the field. Aaron had to carry him from 2nd to 3rd and I'm STILL laughing out loud about it! But, for the most part he's having fun and if anything he provides some entertainment for others.

Bryce-E is just beside himself with wanting to play. Poor kid has to wait one more year until he's old enough!

Cam and his buddy Kaz.

Aaron in the background dreaming of the future and hoping for a star baseball player :0)

Well, I just realized these last three pictures are in backward order. Am I going to fix that? NO :0)

Emmy loves being out in the sun and running in the grass while Cam plays. If we don't keep our eye on her she'll wander onto the field just to say hi to her brother and daddy.

This looks like a sweet picture, but in reality I think Bryce is trying to boss her around.

These two really are getting along so much better! They hug, kiss, and wrestle like I always knew they would.

But Bryce still isn't willing to share his cap.

SWIIIIIINNNNNGGGG Batter!!!

Posing because she knows she's cute. I love her so!

2011-06-05T09:40:00.005-05:00

At The Fountain!

Sometimes (OK often) I get annoyed with the little town we live in. I love the people, I love the schools, I love my family, but there's not much for shopping/eating out etc. There are many times I need a particular ingredient or craft material that can not be found without driving an hour to another town. However, I have to say we have some really great ammenities in our little neighborhood for families. Nice parks, a great pool, an awesome library, and an attraction my kids adore . . . THE FOUNTAIN! Bryce stares at it mournfully in the winter and constantly inquires when it will be up and running again. So, we knew we had to go for a visit as soon as he realized they had it going again. It was Emmy's first time there and she loved it too!

Bryce-E running with a big stick . . . very safe :0)

Love It!!!

Cam-O showing Em-Em how to blow dandelion seeds. It's all A-OK, as long as she doesn't do it in our own lawn :0)


Daddy taking pictures. Most of these pix of from him and he's a much better photographer than me.

2011-06-04T11:08:00.000-05:00

20 Acre Farm

Last week my friend, Gracie, and I took my kids to visit another friend, Natalie, who owns several acres of land just outside of town. I consider it a goat and chicken farm! Basically whatever animal her children would like to show in 4-H is what they have. The kids had a ball! Thanks Nat! We'll have to do it again soon!

Emmy was intrigued with the chickens!

Bryce is proud of his find!

The boys were so happy that Natalie gave them a "job" of feeding the chickens. They thought they were pretty important!

"Gracie the Goat Whisperer"! Sorry for the excessive amount of pictures of her holding the goat's leashes. She's just such a good sport and babysat the goals while the boys had fun with the chickens!

Look how cute Gracie is!!!!

Emmy got her chance at feeding too! Those were some well fed chickens. I bet the eggs they produced that day were especially healthy!

Natalie hatched chicks in an incubator in her classroom this spring. They hatched on Cam birthday, so the first chick was named in honor of him. Here is Cam-O looking at Cam-O the chicken! (he refused to touch it, silly kid)

Emmy didn't mind petting Cam-O!

2011-06-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

Constant Crafting

Does anybody else have children who feel the need to constantly cut, color, deconstruct, and construct during all waking moments? I'm sorry, but I really am getting tired of sweeping up tiny, little scraps of paper. We can't even finish a box of cereal without one or more children asking to "recreate" the box into something unidentifiable. I love my kiddos at this age, but I can't wait until they actually make something besides a huge mess with their creative genius :0)

2011-06-02T14:06:00.001-05:00

A Conversation with my hubby . . .

First of all, let me set the scene. We have a lot of these

and these

a couple of these

a bunch of these

and yep, even a few of these around our house.

It seems like every room we walk into there is a set of blocks strewn about with half constructed buildings and roads right in your path. So, the other day Aaron and I had a conversation that went something like this:

Aaron: "I've decided I'm throwing all the blocks in this house away."

Me: "Aaron you can't just throw toys away because you're tired of picking them up. Especially if the kids love playing with them."

Aaron: "Yes, I can . . . and I will." (he was obviously trying to establish some sort of authority here)

Me (deciding to take another approach): "Aaron, blocks are good developmentally for children of all ages."

Aaron: "Well, our children are developed enough, I'm throwing the blocks away."

That's why he's the newspaper editor and I'm the educator :0) (BTW, no blocks were harmed in the making of this blog post.)

2011-06-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Emmy!

Emmy turns two today and I just can't imagine my life without her. She truly has completed our family and I thank the Lord for her each and every day. Happy birthday my beautiful little girl!

2011-05-31T22:02:00.000-05:00

Gnomes and More Food

Wooo Hoooo! I'm back in the internet world!!!! These pictures were taken a few days ago. I can't help but document a few of the casualties we have in our house. Anybody see "Gnomeo and Juliet"? Aaron loves these two little garden gnomes of his and I actually think the chipped hat gives them character, but he doesn't agree :0)

Here's the perpetrator

Here's the perpetrator offering two innocent gnomes a lift on her trike.

The victim! Still cute right?!?!? A little "character" never hurt anyone.

Here's my own little Bryce-E Gnome.

So after the "mis-hap" we came inside to get our stir-fry started. Emmy couldn't wait for the food to be cooked before she wanted to dig in. You know her love of raw food that no other toddler will touch with a 10 foot pole. (please don't judge me on the canned mushrooms, they were a last minute judgement call and turned out to be pretty darn tasty :0)

Nothing says "delicious" like raw mushrooms from a can.

Mmmm, mmmmm broccoli!

What can I say, the girl likes her green veggies! She's one after my own heart for sure!

2011-05-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

SOOOOOOO frusterated!!!!

I am so ashamed to realize how obsessed, addicted, in-love-with, and dependent I am on the World Wide Web. We're having "issues" at home and I've been without my computer (and the internet service) since Tuesday. Luckily I had several blog posts written and scheduled to post automatically so I didn't have to sacrifice my Wade's World marathon. I'm hoping to get the issues resolved soon, but I've been a bit "cranky" lately having to scrounge around at the library and other people's houses to do what I consider "necessary web surfing." My fingers are itching to type in my favorite sites: Facebook, China Adopt Talk, The Pioneer Woman, Wade's World . . . the list goes on and on. I wont even tell you how I'm about ready to hyperventilate over all the posts I'm missing from my favorite blogs. I'll never catch up :0( I didn't even realize how dependent I am on Google to find a simple phone number. For Pete's Sake! I even have most of my favorite RECIPES bookmarked on Firefox. I'm hoping for my own mental stability that it's all up and running within a few days.

2011-05-28T22:23:00.001-05:00

End of Year Party

Each year the elementary school I work at has an end of the year celebration where we honor those retiring (or not coming back the next school year) and anybody that got married or added to their family. So, this was Emmy's celebration! Of course I had to bring her along and show her off to all my fellow employees. We had a blast. Emmy loves being the center of attention and put on quite a show while standing on the stage and opening gifts. Thank you to the wonderful people that planned the party and to everybody that helped us celebrate!

All the people being honored.

My girl just can't keep her shoes on :0)

Emmy's decided cake isn't such a bad thing!

Yum Yum!

Tissue paper flying everywhere!

Emmy was totally enamored by this ruffly swim suit! Thanks Diane!

Gotta have the swim diaper to go with!

Oooh, Aaah she's has such amazing gift opening skills!

She's practicing for the birthday she has coming up next week!

She's also more than willing to climb on absolutely everything she can find!

When we got home she planted herself in front of the CD player. She LOVES The Wiggles "Going Bananas" CD.

She can't even take her eyes off the CD player to smile for a picture.

2011-05-27T11:20:00.000-05:00

Preschool Graduation

OK, so I have to apologize that these pictures are in a very random order and for some reason I like to continue the "bad bloggy mommy" theme I have going on here by NOT putting them in order. I'm funny like that some times :0) Anyway, just to clarify, first we stood around and talked, then we watched the program. After that the kiddo's received their "diplomas" and then they finally got to play some games. Clear as mud! But as always, I have to give a HUGE shout out and a MASSIVE thank you to Miss Jill and all the amazing Little Angel's staff. You are all such wonderful people and have instilled a love of learning and adventure into Cam-O. I feel very certain he is more than ready for kindergarten, but he is sure going to miss you all.

Bryce-E-O-Saurus

Cam receiving his "diploma"

Cam-O-Saurus

Emmy-O-Saurus! I could hardly believe she was able to do this and do it as well as she did! In fact, she was able to do this longer than Bryce-E! Everybody was in awe :0)

My niece, Jenna, receiving her "diploma".

Just hanging out with Mom.

This picture cracks me up. Aunt Micki was just thrilled that Emmy went to her so well. But, she kept her eye on Uncle Clay just to make sure he wasn't going to try to hold her. It was a good laugh.

She did allow him to stand next to her, but she doesn't look so happy about it :0) Don't worry Uncle Clay, she will love you soon enough. (especially when we move in across the street hee hee)

The "streak" in the background is my babysitters little guy. He's only about 6 months older than Emmy and they get along really well. But, it was really pointless even trying to get all three of them in a decent picture together.

More Cam-O-Saurus

More Emmy-O-Saurus

More Bryce-O-Saurus (sorry for the redundancy)

The Whole Crew (three classes put together)

2011-05-25T18:01:00.001-05:00

Mother's Day

This was my first Mother's Day as a mom of three. It was great! After church we met my parents and Clay, Micki, and the girls for a picnic at the park. There's nothing like fried chicken and sunshine to make you love your life and family.

My little cutie is wearing an shirt I made by following this tutorial.

I'm not sure why, but I love this picture!

Gotta have "Bug Juice" on a picnic!

This boy loves him some chicken legs!

He's always had this adorable crooked smile.

Enjoying the cousins company.

This girl is a CARNIVORE! Any type of meat is A-OK with her. She walked around and took bites of everybody's chicken.

Mom and Dad had bought all the grandkids M&M shirts at M&M world in New York City when they were there last Fall. We've waited since then to get a "Cousins Picture." Unfortunately, Cam-O decided to be a pain in the rear and refused to be in the group.

After a thorough "talking to" we finally got a picture of all of them.

But, by that time all the others had lost their picture gusto. Maybe we'll try again next time we're all together. Sometimes I wish Cam wasn't so stubborn, but I'm holding on to hope thinking it will help him go far in life some day :0)

2011-05-24T15:00:00.000-05:00

Awana Graduation

Camden has officially graduated from being a "Cubby" and will soon be a "Sparky." Where does the time go? Bryce was not "officially" in Awana this year, but the amazing leaders had offered to let him come as a (permanent) visitor the last few months since he was three years old. Because of this they presented him with a special visitor award. He's looking forward to being a real member when Awana starts back up next fall. I am never able to get really good pictures when the kids are on a stage with my little point-n-shoot. I think it's because my flash doesn't carry that far. But, I DID get some cute ones of Emmy because she was sitting right next to me!

Cam and Bryce up on stage. It's really cute that Cam is as excited as Bryce is about having him up there with him.

Showing off Bryce's special visitor award. Next year he'll get the vest!!

Emmy was quite the handful that night. The kids and excitement really wound her up.

This was a good way to keep her still and quiet.

We don't mind sharing germs and such in our family :0)

Duh, bad Bloggy Mommy didn't even get a picture of Cam in his vest. I think Aaron has some more pictures on his camera. I'll have to try to beg him for some.

2011-05-23T19:00:00.002-05:00

Easter

This is day 2 of my Wade's World marathon. Well, this post with secure that I do NOT deserve bloggy mommy of the year :0( It appears I have only four measly pictures of Easter day. It appears I even missed getting a good picture of Emmy in her dress. Luckily, she wore the same outfit that she got pictures in several weeks ago. So, this is basically what she looked like on Easter morning. Bad bloggy mommy, bad.

This bunny's a pretty cool dude!

Nothing like mouthfuls of candy before a church service!

2011-05-22T21:46:00.000-05:00

Our Chuck-E-Cheese Road Trip

OK, I think I'm back into the bloggy world! I'm feeling inclined to have a bit of a Wade's World marathon where I will post everyday until I get caught up on all the events I've neglected to post about. So, the next few days I should be updating about Cam's Awana graduation and his preschool graduation as well as Easter, Mother's Day and the end of the school year party they had at the elementary school where I work. So, keep checking back! But, for today I want to highlight the mini-vaca we took over the weekend. Ever since we got back from China Bryce has been wanting Aaron to sleep with him in his bed. He'll go to sleep just fine on his own, but sometime in the middle of the night he will wake up and want some company. So, we started a Chuck-E-Cheese chart for sleeping in his own bed. Essentially he was able to fill one square with stickers every time he slept by himself all night. He was allowed to get up and go to the bathroom (of course) and Mommy or Daddy would tuck him back in, but then he'd have to stay in there by himself the rest of the night. It took him 3 months to FINALLY get 25 squares filled up! We decided to make the Chuck-E-Cheese trip into a mini-vacation with shopping and a stay in a hotel with an indoor water park. Check it out!

The chart is FINALLY filled!

Bryce-E's brother and sister were lucky enough to reap from his hard work of staying in bed by himself!

"Hurry up and eat your breakfast! Chuck-E is waiting!!!

ROADTRIP!!!!!

Exhaustion from the anticipation finally set in for Bryce about half way into our 2 1/2 hour trip.

After a mandatory stop at Kohl's (LOVE IT!!) we finally headed in to meet the mouse!

Aaron's thrilled to be there! Can't you tell?!?!?!?!?

This guy really IS thrilled to be there!

"Say Chuck-E-CHEEEEEEEEEEESE!"

This is how poor Em spent much of the time :0(

When she finally grumbled awake she was more interested in the pizza than the games.

Although the picture hanging behind our booth did catch her attention.

Well, a little ride with Barney doesn't sound SO bad :0)

Even better! Chuck-E's car has all sorts of cool buttons and takes your pictures.

My favorite action shot of the year!

Next we headed to the mall and Aaron and I took turns going into our favorite stores while the kiddos played.

I love seeing her face with each and every new experience.

Man, I just LOVE this kid!

Giddy-Up horsey, uh, I mean caterpillar!

Cam-O is always making new friends. Every where we go he latches on to some kid that is usually 2-3 years older than him. Seriously . . . EVERYWHERE we go he makes a friend! Here's his mall BFF that he insisted HAD to be in the picture, he later made a swim-park BFF! Tomorrow he'll make a Jiffy-Lube BFF and the next day it will be a Dairy Queen BFF. I hope he keeps this trait the rest of his life. But, I also hope he has a really well working "character monitor" naturally engrained into his body :0)

See you tomorrow where I hope to highlight the few pictures I have of Easter.

2011-05-19T21:22:00.003-05:00

There's always something to learn!

I've received a lesson on . . . cinnamon toast. Yes you read that right . . . cinnamon toast. Last night I was surfing The Pioneer Women and came across this post. I immediately knew we'd be having "brinner" (breakfast for dinner) tonight. Scrambled eggs, oven fried potatoes, and the most delicious cinnamon toast I've ever had. I wont even try to contemplate the number calories I consumed eating just one piece of this toast. OK, now that's I've given The Pioneer Women two shout outs in a row on my blog I better be winning the Kitchen Aid mixer or the weekend retreat to her lodge that she is giving away to one of followers :0)

2011-05-14T22:23:00.000-05:00

Please don't forget about me!!!

Even though I haven't had a decent post in A LONG TIME I still come to my blog page several times a day. I like to check out my favorite blogs daily and I have them listed along the side bar. But, every time I check in I feel pangs of guilt about my poor neglected blog. The bad thing is that I do have pictures to share, I just have no desire to go through the effort of uploading them to my computer and then posting them. Again, I'm a bad, bad blogger right now. So, I BEG you . . . PLEASE don't forget about me! School is out in less than a week (I'm doing the happy dance as I type)! So, I should have more time to check in and post. However, just to put out a disclaimer . . . this summer is going to be WAY busy! We sold our house a few weeks ago and have since bought another. So, June is going to mainly consist of packing, unpacking, and settling in to our new house (another happy dance). With this change I have a prayer request. Emmy has been doing wonderful fitting into our family and I literally see a change in her comfort level every single day. But, I'm worried this move may disrupt things a bit. All the adoption experts will warn you about a major life change like this the first year or two you're home with your newly adopted child. But, the timing has just worked out for this move, so we're going with it. She seems very well adjusted and at least I'll be home with her everyday and not working during this transition, so we do have that going for us. Still, I'm expecting to see a bit of a back slide. On a side note, I HAVE to share with you all one of my absolute favorite blogs. Many of you have probably already checked out Ree Drummond - The Pioneer Women, but I wanted to post a link for those that maybe haven't. I LOVE her and her blog puts me into my "Happy Place"! I think growing up on a ranch makes me really appreciate her life. She has beautiful photography, wonderful recipes, and a great sense of humor. She's a city girl who became a ranch wife. She describes herself as "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" and I find her very interesting. So, if you have a few minutes to spare I highly suggest you check out her blog and maybe even become a Facebook fan! OH, again, PLEASE DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME AND MY LITTLE BLOG. Thanks!

2011-05-04T21:59:00.000-05:00

Bad, Bad Blogger!

Oh I feel so guilty. Pictures are piling up to be blogged. We've had several "blog worthy" events and it really just comes down to being to busy to put any effort into it. I'm a bad, bad blogger. I hope to pick back up on a more regular basis soon . . . I promise!!! But, these photos are too cute to put on hold (plus, my dear husband was kind enough to upload the pictures on to the computer for me). Cam's preschool class went to the local FFA Ag Day today and Aaron went for the fun of it too. I can't believe my Cam-O is going to kindergarten next year. This is one of the last hoorah's he'll have in preschool and boy did he enjoy it! Thanks to Miss Jill, Little Angel's Preschool, and the amazing helpers that my boy loves so much! You all ROCK!!! Cam-O's going to miss you like crazy, but you don't get rid of our family so easily because Bryce is more than ready to step up and take his big brother's place and become a "Little Angel" (which, I warn you, will be quite a challenge for him)!

"Elmo" the calf!

A miniature calf. Aaron says he's never seen anything like it. It probably weighed about 10 pounds and resembled a baby deer. You don't see these on Messersmith Ranch!

Cam talks about this buddy of his all the time. Don't you LOVE this picture?!?!?

VERY excited about this tractor!

I don't know why, but this picture just cracks me up!

Here are all the "angels" together. Graduation is next week and then they are off to kindergarten and even more adventures together!

2011-04-29T23:01:00.000-05:00

Two Months a Wade!

We love finally having our family complete!

2011-04-23T22:09:00.000-05:00

Getting Dirty, Getting Clean

We're gearing up for Easter Sunday tomorrow. Right now I'm upholding my Easter tradition of watching "The Ten Commandments" on TV. We're worshiping our Savior in the morning and heading to the ranch for some good food, fun, and family! Oh, we're also hoping for a visit from "The Bunny" before sunlight comes. Until then, here are some pictures from our day. It turned out to be pretty nice outside and Aaron always gets excited about getting out into the yard about the end of April. But, by the end of July he's usually tired of yard work :0) Go figure.

Checking out a worm she discovered.

"Feeding" the worm to Daddy (GAG)!

She wants to help in any way she can.

Cleaning off his hands in the bird bath LOL!

You can literally see the slime and grime in this photo.

I LOVE this boy :0)

There's no other way to dye eggs than shirtless.

Well, I guess you can keep your underwear and hair bow.

Goofballs

This turned into a LONG bath. But, we were also trying to just kill time until dinner, so it served two purposes. I can't wait until these kiddos can splash and play in the pool in a few months.

We've labeled her "Miss Destruction"!

2011-04-20T21:46:00.000-05:00

Easter Egg Hunt

Every year our local hospital has an Easter Egg hunt for the children in the community. Usually it occurs with snow on the ground, but this year it snowed the night before and had melted in time for the ground to be soft and mushy. The "hunt" is basically a whole bunch of kids crowded onto the lawn of the hospital standing in a large circle around hundreds of plastic eggs. The kids listen to the signal for the hunt to begin. It lasts a total of 3 minutes before every candy filled egg is snatched up. I had a meeting after school this year, so Aaron had the pleasure of taking the kiddos alone. He did well and I'm proud of him for keeping his patience throughout the whole ordeal. Usually you need to get there 30 minutes early just to park within a decent walking distance for your small children to trudge to the hospital. Then you must contain them and bribe them not to begin grabbing the eggs before the signal. Basically, it's a lot of work for a 3 minute "hunt". It might be a bit of a stressful situation for the parents, but seeing sheer joy on your child's face for that 3 minutes really does make up for it!

The boys' "hats"!

So much for pastel short-sleeved dresses. In our neck of the woods you wear your winter coats to the Easter egg hunts.

The boys had fun showing Emmy the way to do it.

Well, someone had to stay calm among the chaos!!

2011-04-19T21:44:00.000-05:00

Hard Boiled Eggs!

Well, I've already established here that Emmy has a "different" like of food than most toddler's living in America. But, I literally had to CUT - HER - OFF from the hard-boiled eggs I was chopping up for egg-salad sandwiches. Ironically we DID get her to eat some ice-cream this weekend at Cam's b-day party :-)

On another note here's just a couple more random pictures of my goofballs. I love pictures that actually depict my kiddos personalities.

2011-04-17T15:55:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Cam-O!!!

It's hard to believe my oldest baby turned FIVE last Wednesday. But, he made sure anybody and everybody that crossed his path knew exactly what day it was and how old he is. He's been looking forward to this birthday for so long because he is just soooooo excited to go to Kindergarten and he knows he has to be at least five to go. As it turns out, the day after his birthday was Kindergarten Round-Up, so he's officially registered! His birthday was celebrated multiple times the last couple of days. He brought treats to preschool and later to Awana that night. We also had a mini celebration with just the 5 of us before Awana. Yesterday was his birthday party. We kept a bit low-key with just family and pizza at home since he had the big Dino Bash last year :0)

Big 5 year old!

Always excited for a new Leapster Explorer game.

Not as excited for clothes, but Mom sure is!!

Yeah for a new scooter! Now he doesn't have to keep borrowing his cousin's pink Barbie scooter!!

Very excited over this one!!!

Emmy's getting more and more brave on the play set!

Cousin Shaylee

I love this picture of Jenna!

Cousin's in the fort!

Kaci Rae

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Camden, Happy Birthday to you!!!"

Let's see if his wish comes true!

Chaos before the cake!!!

2011-04-15T22:28:00.000-05:00

This is what happens . . .

when the children are left home alone with Daddy!!!

Bryce was my date last night and accompanied me to my niece's music program. So, Cam and Emmy stayed home with Aaron to take a bath and play "Whack-a-Mole." I'm not sure if the game or the bath was more fun!

2011-04-12T21:51:00.000-05:00

I wish I had some better pictures to share . . .

Wow, it's pretty obvious I've gone back to work as evidenced by my lack of pictures :0) Actually, I'm pretty mad at myself for forgetting my camera at some events we've attended this week. But, here are a few to share!

These two haven't quite meshed as well as Cam and Emmy, but my little Bryce-E has the most generous and loving spirit. They finally began to bond over a homemade Popsicle! I love how his tongue is sticking out like he's showing her how to lick it for the first time!

This girl is NOT a morning person. Now that I'm back to work the waking up early is as hard on her as it is me. We're still having some pretty bad sleep issues, but I'm hoping she settles down in the middle of the night now that we're successfully treating her for an ear/sinus infection combo. She's been a pretty miserable little girl the last week or so. Also, her nose hasn't stopped running since we got home from China. I'm thinking we need to look into the possibility of allergies here.

2011-04-08T23:11:00.001-05:00

It's a hit!!!

Anything Italian goes over pretty well in this house. Most of you know for preschoolers half the fun of eating pasta with tomato sauce is making the mess while eating the delicious food. It's these evenings that I am so happy with the dinner time agreement I have my awesome hubby. I cook and Aaron cleans up while I get the kids ready for bed. I'm glad I'm not the one scrubbing the floors under the kitchen table on pasta night! Then again, I am the one scrubbing the kids off on pasta night :0)

2011-04-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

Black and White Wednesday.

Our Emmy

2011-04-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Picture Day!

The kids got pictures taken on Friday. I tried to give them a little practice posing at home and all it turned into was a 3-way wrestling match on my kitchen table in their nice clothes. Yes, this IS what my life is like!

More cheese factor.

I've said it before and I'll say it again . . . two peas in a pod!

2011-04-03T15:00:00.005-05:00

Hi Ho, Hi Ho . . .

It's back to work I go. Tomorrow is VERY bitter sweet because my paid sick days are up and I have to go back to work. Although I do feel ready to get back to what I call my "other life" I am really not ready to leave Emmy for the better part of the day. The calendar says it time to go back, but my heart's making me feel very guilty. I love my job. I miss my co-workers, my students, my "normal" schedule. But, Emmy has only had us in her life for 5 weeks, so of course I feel bad about feeling a bit excited to step back into that school. I just keep telling myself that I have WONDERFUL daycare and both the boys will be with her. She's met my babysitter numerous times and has had the opportunity to have play-dates with her children. We've done a trial visit and she did great. It's also only for 5 weeks until the school year is over and I'll be home for the summer. But, it's still hard to leave my baby. Prayers please.

2011-04-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

RAW ONIONS!

Aaron decided to take the boys with him to his office for a few hours Friday afternoon. That left Emmy and me to make supper without the big boys to entertain :0) We decided on meatloaf and green bean casserole. These ingredients made for some interesting snacking choices! (please ignore the crazy hair)

What you see are diced onions that Emmy kept begging to taste.

So, I decided to let her have a taste. She couldn't get enough RAW ONION and she LOVED it. This is the same girl we can't even force feed ice-cream!

When I finally cut her off of the raw onion she decided her new favorite could keep her entertained for the rest of the meal preparation.

I seriously can't get enough of this girl!

2011-04-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

Hanging Out in the Kitchen!

They say every home has a “heart,” well the heart of our home is probably the kitchen (with the family room as a close second). It seems 75% of the pictures I take of the kids in the cooler seasons take place in our kitchen. I really like to cook, bake, and create in the kitchen and my kids are young enough that they still like to hang out with me. So, it seems that every time I’m in the kitchen I’m multitasking by cooking as well as trying to constantly entertain them. Often that entertainment means they get to “help” me do whatever I’m doing. I can’t ever remember a time when my mom didn’t include me in her work in the kitchen. She trusted me at a young age to explore in the kitchen on my own (as long as I cleaned up after myself :0) I was baking cookies and preparing whole meals for the “hay crew” (people working in our hay field) way before most children were even using their Easy Bake ovens on their own. I’m doing the same for my kids and I hope it creates a sense of responsibility in the kitchen and a love for cooking.

This little stinker is notorious for jumping into what is intended to be other people's shots.

This messy boy usually ends up shirtless while eating.

Cam loves to draw, color, and LEARN! So, an easy way to entertain him while I prepare a meal is to give him a workbook of sorts. Mom gave him a workbook titled "101 things every Kindergartener should know." He's in love and would work on it endlessly. Here's a picture he drew about the letter "A" where he was instructed to draw an animal eating an apple. I'm fairly smitten with this cute little giraffe eating an apple off a tree.

These next few pictures are what I call the "Cheese Factor." Emmy has learned to say "cheeeeeeese" whenever the camera is pointed at her and it makes for some pretty silly faces!

Cheesing it up while baking cookies.

Cheesing it up with Big Brother Bryce.

Cheesing it up with Nana. Emmy's also shirtless after her fair share of chocolate-chip cookie dough.

My precious boy, I love him so! Every time I see him I can't help but smooch on him. Most pictures I have of him remind me of Eeyore, so I LOVE it when I get a good, natural smile out of him.

2011-03-30T07:00:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday to some special people.

March 30th is a day for birthdays in our little family. My niece turns 8 today. I remember the day she was born. I thought it was so cool that she was born on 03-30-03! Below are some pictures from her swim party last weekend. I wish I had gotten more pictures, especially of the kids in the pool. But, I was in the pool most of the time they were in, so it just didn't happen. Oh well! Happy b-day Shay-Pie, we love you. My grandma's boyfriend also celebrates his birthday today. Happy birthday, Klaus! Last, but certainly not least, my brother-in-law Kyle gets to celebrate on this day too. Happy birthday Kyle.

Grandma and Klaus

The Birthday Buddies! Shaylee is so sweet. Every year she insists on putting Klaus's name on her cake too.

The best I could do :0) Someday I'll actually get one of them smiling and looking at the camera. Most of the problem in my photography skills as well as a slow flash.

Hmmm, cake isn't so bad! This is the first time we've gotten her to try anything this sweet.

It helped that big brothers were scarfing it down faster than fast!

That's my friend Steph's sweet daughter, Casey, helping Cam-O out.

These boys are sooooo ready for Big Blue Bay this summer! I think Emmy's going to LOVE the pool as well!

2011-03-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

She has 'em eating out of her hand . . . literally!

Harley's not a real "kid-friendly" dog, but he and Emmy have a mutual agreement. He allows her to smooch on him within reason, and he knows not to bite the hand that feeds him. Wiley gets to reap the benefits from this agreement every once in a while!

2011-03-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Proof!

One month ago today the daughter of my dreams was placed in my arms. SHE is living proof of answered prayers on so many different levels. How did I get so blessed?!?!

Isaiah 43:5 ~~ Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

2011-03-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Sibs!

Here are a few random picture of the sibling! I know that sometimes my cheery little blog makes it seem like life is perfect. It's not perfect, but life IS good. We all have our struggles and woes, but I choose to try to highlight the good aspects of our adventures. However, keep in mind, Emmy is a newly adopted TODDLER! Some of these pictures prove her age all to much! I love her so much, tantrums and all!

Borrowing Cam-O's backpack, just to feel special!

First time eating fruit snacks! They are a hit!


I have a feeling it will be near impossible to get a picture of all three of them looking at the camera at the same time and smiling. One of our local photographers will get a chance at it next week! (prayer please :0)

Who cares if they're looking at the camera when they're having so much fun together!

This boy melts my heart!

I love that smile! BTW, that's his precious "Yokie" in the picture with him!

Yep, that's a true-blue toddler temper tantrum! You might think it's demented I even took a picture, but I'll be honest. I am just enamored by this girl and even when she does this I love her to pieces. You know it's love when tears and snot are adorable to you LOL!

The sad thing is that this is usually caused by a miscommunication. I can't wait until we all understand each other. But, on the other hand, a few tantrums have begun because she just isn't getting her way. I am continually amazed at how developmentally on track she is. A friend told me while we were in China that you know your child is really starting to feel comfortable with you when they begin to misbehave. It's good to know Miss Amelia is so comfortable with us!

2011-03-24T14:53:00.000-05:00

For Wuhan Kid Parents!

I had posted a picture during our travels of the Wuhan City Orphanage. You can see it from the top of Yellow Crane Tower and our guide pointed it out to us. However, the best picture I could get on my little point-n-shoot wasn't very good. So, here's one from my hubby's camera. It's (obviously) the large structure with the bright red roof.

2011-03-23T15:11:00.000-05:00

Nice!

This is what happens when you leave a 3 year old and an (almost) 5 year old unattended to play "quietly" while you clean the bathroom.

Here's the culprit and the conversation I had with him immediately after I discovered the incident.

Me: Cam, why did you draw all over your brother's face with marker?

Culprit: Because he's just so cute.

Me: You know markers are for paper and crafts ONLY, it is not appropriate to draw on people or other objects that are not paper OR mommy-approved crafts.

Culprit: OK Mom. Can I have a cookie?

Me: No

Culprit: Can I have TWO cookies?

Me: No, Camden.

Culprit: I'll give you a dollar.

Me: (after just a few second of serious consideration) No, Camden, nice try though.

She's just along for the ride with these two and hoping she's not the next victim of random acts of cuteness.

2011-03-22T15:17:00.000-05:00

"King Rock" has found it's Queen!

The boys have a favorite rock in the park they have named “King Rock” because if it’s several nooks and crannies that are the perfect size for preschool behinds :0) They think of them as thrones and those two are the kings of the world! If you’ve been following our little story long you may remember this post from last Fall. Well, last Sunday was officially the first day of Spring and it was a BEAUTIFUL day! So, naturally we headed to the park where the boys declared “King Rock has found it’s Queen”! Check it out!

Perfect throne for a toddler queen!

It's good for climbing too!

The queen and her loyal subjects.

Her "chariot" awaits.

WE LOVE SPRING!!!!

This bench is good to go fishin'

He couldn't be more proud he climbed up all by himself.

She leads her people with grace :0)

Checking out her new territory. Little does she know we spend hours upon hours here in the warm weather of Summer.

This boy can find treasures everywhere.

This type of weather is good for a shoulder ride too.

2011-03-21T19:00:00.002-05:00

Fun with cousins: compliments of Aunt Micki!

Uncle Clay and Emmy

Baby Kaci is no longer the "baby" of the family, but she's only 6 months older than Emmy.

The two oldest cousins with the youngest: Shaylee (8), Emmy (21 months), and Kaitlyn (almost 10)

Oh . . . what is he thinking riding on the hood?!?!? Mom said that is DANGEROUS!

Three peas in a pod!

Lovin' the outdoors.

Emmy's decided Kaitlyn's A-OK!

2011-03-20T13:00:00.001-05:00

Back home on the ranch!

From a city of over 9 million people in China to a 3800 acre cattle ranch in the middle of Nebraska! On Friday I decided this little girl needed to get some dirt under her pretty little fingernails. So, we headed out to my mom and dad's to fill our day. It was fun taking Emmy to the house I grew up in. When we got there the boys jumped out of the van and I realized they are so comfortable there that they act like they own the place. It's probably just a matter of time until Emmy acts the same way. But, until then it's so fun to see her experience things for the first time. She seems very intrigued with animals and I'm quite certain she's never been up close and personal with many animals before. After Cam-O had is big boy alone time with Pops feeding one bunch of cows, I went with Emmy and Bryce in the pick-up to feed the bulls and another bunch. This is one of Bryce's favorite things in the whole world. I think he likes to pretend he's the rancher taking care of his livestock. The whole time he weaves stories about imaginary cows and horses, tractors, and all the repairs he does on "his" land. Emmy proved to be fearless even with the largest of beasts. The whole experience took me back to when Cam was just Emmy's age and Bryce was a small baby. Cam also enjoyed scouting out the land with Pops. If you're into nostalgia you can check out one of those experiences by clicking here.

This is Vinny the Maincoon cat that weighs almost as much as Emmy. She thought he was great, but Vinny was less than thrilled with her.

Harley and Wiley. Wiley is just soooo good with all the grandkids, but I'm wondering if Emmy will be the "straw that broke the camels" back with him. She really needs to learn her boundaries with animals :0)

Seeing a bull for the first time.

Never mind the towel. Her nose was running so bad I ditched the tissue and went for a heavy-duty back-up. It's also good for teething toddlers.

Now onto feeding the cows and calves. Don't you love the Nebraska prairie in the background?

Fearless! She kept trying to get the cow to eat out of her hand. They're all gentle, but Pops kept a tight hold on her nonetheless.

Bryce-E the pro cowboy wearing athletic gear :0)

The babies are just so precious!

She wasn't really ready to leave and insisted on hanging out the window as far as I would let her to wave bye-bye to the cows and calves.

That's what I call a "forced smile." He's still having some mommy issues and pretends he's sad most of the time. I'm trying my hardest to dole out my quality time between the three of them, but Bryce-E is the best at making me feel guilty :0)

This little goof ball has proven to be the BEST big bro. He adores his sister and thanks me daily for bringing her home to him.

This "Tough Guy" can be a "Silly Guy" too.

2011-03-19T12:30:00.000-05:00

This is seriously hilarious!