Painting, tiling and more painting

I'm meeting my parents half way today and they are going to take the kids back to Kansas with them for a few days. My job, to come back and paint the majority of the interior of the house and Micah is going to tile both bathroom floors and help paint as he can in the evenings. We are hoping to sell our house next spring/early summer so trying to do some updates now to help but also so we can enjoy for a little bit! Not sure how likely it will be to get it all done but we are going to try in the midst of bible study, small group and few other things I have to be at in the next few days.

I haven't posted pics in awhile so here are a few. Kayla has been very into taking pictures lately and I was cracking up when I saw all the pics she took. Here are some of my favorites.

My sweet little boy LOVES to dress up with Kayla's stuff, especially her princess shoes. Honestly we rarely get through a day without him wearing her dress up shoes or his other favorite is my shoes especially ones with heels.

We went to Kansas over Memorial weekend for Micah's sister's college graduation. His brother, wife and their little girl Emma also flew out so it was a fun family weekend. The cousins had a lot of fun together. Wish we all lived closer!

travels

Thank you to all of you who have sent prayers and sentiments our way! I appreciate it! We finally have all of our arrangements made and tuesday very early morning my parents, micah, kids, my sister (her dog) and I are packing into our car and heading out to Bismarck, North Dakota for the funeral. The funeral is Wednesday at 1:00pm and then we will all head back Thursday. Please pray for travels and that the kids will roll with the 10-11 hour drive and a very messed up sleep schedule! Lord may your light shine to all that need to see you!

Praise & Prayer

Yes, so I am once again blog deliquent. I just can't keep up with everything. I don't know how you faithful bloggers do it! I've been struggling and have a heavy heart for so many reasons so maybe that's why I haven't felt motivated to blog, I don't know. I am rambling.


Some very happy news is that my brother and he and his wife and 3 month old Luke decided to move back to Kansas from Ohio beginning of June. I am SUPER excited to have them closer and for Kayla and Ethan to actually have a cousin close to play with - sad when 5 hours is close but I'll take it!!!!


Most of you know but I just ask you to continue praying for our friends Simeon and Jennie. He has a rare blood cancer and just after Easter was given a grim prognosis of weeks to live. They recently moved from Omaha back to be close to his family. They have a 2 year old son. They are both so young and have had their life just flipped - they are believers and as difficult as the human body can grasp this they trust God's will for their lives and future.



My Aunt Marian hasn't been well and doctors were unable to fully diagnosis the problem and she passed away yesterday. Please pray for my Uncle Chuck (her husband) and my Aunt Gloria that they can find the Lord through this journey. They live in North Dakota so I'm hoping to go to the funeral.


At church our pastor is currently going through a series of other religions. So that has been heavy on my heart that there is so much non-biblical teaching out there. There is ONE God and He wants to be center and focus in our life. I pray that you ask Jesus to come into your life and shine through you. We are only on earth temporarily and then you will only go to heaven through a RELATIONSHIP through Jesus and no other way. It's not about good works, or that you are a good person or that you go to church each week. Jesus loves you and died on the cross just for you so you could have a relationship with God and be forgiven of all sins. We are human and we will sin but it's through God's grace that he accepts us for who we are.

Sweet Girl

I always say I should write down the cute things that kids say or do but I always forget. :( So, figured since I'm thinking about it I'll note this one. I was at Jazzercise the other day and one of the routines was to "All the single ladies" by Beyonce and the song was stuck in my head the rest of the day and didn't realize I had been singing it aloud. Later in the day I was playing with the kids and all of the sudden Kayla busted out singing "all the single ladies, all the single ladies" and was dancing. I just cracked up laughing and she got embarrased and started crying. It was just to funny.

Yesterday Kayla was looking in the mirror and kept saying something about wrinkles on her nose. I kept saying no, you don't have wrinkles on your nose and she kept insisting that she did. I finally figured out that she was saying "Frinkles" and that she was talking about the freckles on her nose. I love kids made up words - they are so fun!

Kentucky

Some how about 2 1/2 years have passed since I've seen my best friend Kendra. We were roommates in college and have become even closer friends as the years have passed. She just had her first baby Stanley John beginning of January so I've been dying to get out to see her and finally was able to 2 weeks ago. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law offered to stay with the kids so I didn't have to take them and could just enjoy some good quality friend time - THANK YOU Vera and Traci!!!!! :) You know you are awesome friends when 2 1/2 years have passed and it felt like we had just seen each other last week - we do chat on the phone a lot! :)

Stanley was about 10 weeks old when I was there.

Awesome mommy and her cute baby boy!

Oh did I have so much fun holding and snuggling this sweet baby boy!

Stanley has the best hair ever - seriously check him out! :) Eric (Kendra's husband) and I were having some fun with him - so stinkin cute!

At the airport saying good-bye - sniff sniff - it was so much fun. We have plans to meet in St. Louis this summer so glad I have that to look forward to!

Happy 4th Birthday Kayla

How is it possible that our little girl is 4 today. All those seasoned mothers that told me to enjoy every minute because it flies by is 100% right! None of our family was able to be here this weekend to celebrate so we decided to have a friend party yesterday - pics of that to come. Kayla and I were looking through pics of her at each birthday mark and it was so fun. (okay probably more fun for us but amuse me and check out the pics)

March 22, 2005 - Welcome to our family!

1 year birthday - we celebrated in Kansas at Papa and Mimi's house.

1 year old

2 years old - I believe this was Easter Sunday

I'm 2!

Summer fun - 3 years old

Big 3 - Cinderella party in Kansas at Uncle Brett & Aunt Traci's house

After church today we went out for lunch and Kayla got quite the birthday treat!

4 years old!!!!!!!!!!





A little birthday song from my sister and I to Kayla! :)

Vacation....from blogging too

Okay, so we have been home for a couple weeks now and I can't get caught up with everything. We had an AWESOME time - how could we not I know. Pictures will come eventually. I got sick that week we got back and just taking me awhile to now recover from everything.

Some exciting news is my brother and sister-in-law had their first baby on Feb. 27th (again, i know i'm so behind). We all thought for sure it was going to be a girl but it was a beautiful baby boy. Welcome Luke Thomas!!!! I can not wait to hold my handsome nephew!!!! When I told Kayla and Ethan that they had a new cousin Kayla's response was, "I wanted a girl cousin." She does have a girl cousin on Micah's side of the family and she has come around and is very excited about her boy cousin now, I think. Love to Chad, Sondra and Luke!