our week with Mimi

Sunday, 3/17 through Saturday, 3/23/2013

All pictures compliments of Mimi's phone :) It was such an awesome week... and I have no idea what I would have done without her help! I keep thinking, "the next week can't be any busier..." but it always is... and I'm sure it will never slow down. Though maybe it will become less labor-intensive??? ;) I can only hope.

love these smiles :) Lydia 3-4mo, Lauren 7-11mo & Lindsay 6-7mo

Lovin' on Mimi :)

Maggie said Lydia & LeaAnn looked like twins here... I have to agree :)

As good as it gets for a group shot. I had to say, "Look Wiam, Craig's here!" I snapped this shot, she hopped off Mom's lap, walked over to the window and said, "where Kaig's truck?!?"

Tuesday while I was at work, Mimi had the little girls at home... Lydia 3-4mo & LeaAnn 2. I can't get over how old LeaAnn looks!

She took them to McElroys :) when they left Lydia said, "Now let's go to Fareway!" McElroy's has the BEST little-kid carts...

Thursday, Mom kept LeaAnn while I took Lydia, Lauren & Lindsay to the dentist and then to dance. I was happy she had some 1:1 time with this little monster ;) she's pretty fun when she's all on her own... very entertaining I should say ;)

this was before the dentist appointment

mom said, "open your eyes Lydia" :)

I love this series of pictures... so sweet. Reminds me very much of 1 & 2.... a long time ago.

They shared this seat all by themselves :)

Friday we had a Mom, Mimi & Lindsay shopping day! Was super fun and we found a ton of stuff for 1 & 2 at the consignment shop in Cedar Rapids :) That night, fish & fries at our house.  Thought about going out... super glad we didn't! Much more enjoyable to sit and coral kids at home ;)

That night we went to Winthrop to watch the ISU game and the girls entertained Mimi by playing Just Dance 4 :)

Thank you so much for everything Mom! I told her that she could move in permantly :) and that someday we would have a nice guest bedroom for her to sleep and stay in. Love you!!! xoxoxoxo... thanks for making the treck to Iowa :D

Happy St Patty's Day!

Sunday, 3/17/13

The day Mimi was to arrive (!) and the girls went upstairs and picked these shirts out to wear to church (they were a gift from Mimi ;) Lauren & Lindsay were all for it, they convinced Lydia & LeaAnn to join them in 'matching' and I knew I had to try and take a group shot :) WHY, I ask myself, did I not grab my big camera... I have no idea. The phone is easier... and the pics are good - but they all smiled. ALL of them! This was a first... as in, has never happened before. Honest. Oh well, first of many times I hope ;)

 How adorable is this?!?

Lauren 7-11mo, Lydia 3-4mo, LeaAnn 2 & Lindsay 6-7mo

They did so good!!! Could not get over how well LeaAnn cooperated ;) and so I had to keep and post them  all .. of course.

And just two short years ago... here we were... Lindsay 4-4mo, LeaAnn newborn, Lauren 5-11mo & Lydia 16-months! This was a few days short of LeaAnn & I's hospital stay for her RSV... we say it like a broken-record.... but I have to say it again.... it's just amazing how fast time goes.

EB Spring concert

Tuesday, 3/12/13

East Buchanan's theme for their spring concert this year was, "PBIS - Positive Behavioral Intervention & Support" - PBIS. The entire EB elementary uses this theory and it seems to be working out great. In a nutshell, you reinforce the positive behavior... individual, classroom, etc. The kids really love it. They earn tickets, receive prizes as a class, have monthly assemblies where students are rewarded individually and as classrooms. Very cool. Super happy that my girlies have an opportunity to be part of such a positive environment :) The songs all talked about all the things that PBIS stands for... very sweet songs.

Here is Lindsay's Kindergarten class...

love this picture of Laynee & Lindsay

Here are the specktators :) At first we did not think that Chris would be here to go to the concert.. but he was and girls were super pumped that he was :D

And Lauren's 2nd grade class. Wearing western wear was the option for this year's concert... the girls went right to the cowgirl hats that Aunt Jody got them at Christmas time, and planned their outfits around that :D

This coupled with a few Flicka movies from Netflix.... the girls have been playing horses non-stop ever since!

Not to forget about Lydia.. she ALSO plays horses with the big girls. This was Sunday, 3/25.. she rode 'my horse Flicka' down the stairs and proceded around the living room :D Notice the hat?? She said today (3/26) while riding in to sign up for 3-yr-old-preschool, "Lauren I'm a big girl right? I can chew gum, but LeaAnn can't... b/c I'm a big girl like you." :) If you ask her how old she will turn on her next birthday... she will tell you six... and somedays I believe her ;)

Here was the finale, the entire K through 5th grades

I love this side profile shot...

Don't they all look adorable?? Awesome concert as usual! I MUST write Mr. Brown a thank-you.. he does an amazing job with all of these students.

girls week

Monday, 3/4 through Friday, 3/8

And so our lives transformed 2-years ago in March when Ms. Wiam was born (3 to 4 - big jump (!) for us)... and it transformed again this March. Chris (& I ;) took a leap of faith, and ventured into a new job. Not a whole-career-change (as this job is in the feed industry), but none-the-less, a new, untraveled, somewhat scary & unknown path. We both have faith that this was/is 'it'... this was the change that needed to happen. And the circumstances of how the job appeared seemed more than happenstance. (Much the same as how we met I think :) New Balance Commodities is the name of the company -  New Balance Commodities - and after meeting his supervisor this week, I am more in love with the company than I was before. Small, young CEO (40!), his wife works within the company as well, non-corporate, they care about all of their employees equally from the sales force to their office support... it's amazing.

However, that being said... this job also required him to be 'away' for what we thought was going to be three weeks! It ended up being one full week and a few days (whew!) but none-the-less, it was a great challenge for the girls and I ... and we did it! We were super proud of ourselves as Friday rolled around, the house was in-tact (fairly clean too), laundry done, homework done, everyone in one piece :) And that's b/c we all worked together. Well, maybe not Wiam ;) but everyone else did for sure. Lydia at one point even said, "Mom... princesses don't have to pick up!" 

Chris did say when I talked to him on Tuesday, "this wasn't part of the deal... snow days were not supposed to happen in March." :) But it happened all-right. In fact we've had TWO now in March... 

Monday, 3/4 we were at school and it started to snow, a LOT. And they let us out early. I was a bit nervous about the driveway... but look what we came home too! Craig had already been down to rescue us :)

Was pretty sure the snow day was inevitable... here we are entertaining ourselves on Tuesday. :) Sent this to dad on his phone... he 'officially' has a smart-phone now! :D

Then we headed outside! Holy cow there was a lot of snow. It was one of those days where I walked outside, looked around, and thought, "this is Iowa???" No wind, beautiful-big-snowflakes falling, mild temperatures (I didn't have gloves on!)... it was amazing. Gorgeous... EXCEPT it was March 4th :(

I had fun taking pictures... I had this grand plan of trying to get a gorgeous/coordinated one of all four of them... well, not so much ;)

Still, they are pretty pictures.  They had tons of fun finding and eating icicles.

Pretty girl :) like Lindsay lounging in the background?

There's my one-tooth girl ;) Just found out this week (after perfect check-ups at the dentist for all three!) that her front tooth is on it's way down :)

Yup... plenty of deep snow... neat.

They had fun on the swings, jumping into the snow.

complete with the tongue out! :D

super-high!

Adorable. Wouldn't these hats on all four made an adorable pic?? Maybe next year ;)

We actually had an over-night at the Peck's which helped pass the time, new tires on the van (wow!!! who knew how much new tires would help with driving on snow ;), dance on Thursday, 9-miles w/Maggie on Friday... and then Dad came home!!! Here is the result :)

Look at that... four-blonde-blue-eyed-beautiful-girls... oh we feel SO blessed. On so many levels.

It's been a great ride so far... can't wait to see what this next phase on our journey will bring us (mom's hoping for a new house! ;)