One more.......

So I thought I would just show a little cuteness too......


She is just cute. Don't know how she is going to steal our hearts yet, as she is purely getting by on cuteness to this point!!!!
Brynlee......
To be continued...................................

Eyes that melt your heart.....

Ahhh, my little C-dude.....

Now, I think I am on to this little man. Look at those eyes, Look deep....Deeper....Ok, in love yet? Should be. Anyway, I am on to him. This little man is WAY to smart for his britches. I have always said, he is going to be the master mind of A LOT of trouble. He will not be the one to pull it off, but he will be in the background laughing his arse off! He always looks like he is deep in thought. He is quiet to start off with, but man give him a minute or two and he will talk your ear off. I love having him with us. He doesn't give away hugs for free. If you get one from him, man it feels like you just won the lottery! He sinks right in and melts into your arms. This little man has a big big heart. Knows what he wants to do, when he wants to do it, and most of the time it will be in his undies and boots. Get over it, that is how he is going to be dressed, but lets face it. If we really had the choice, wouldn't we all?
Cohen is a super hero at heart, he is here to save the world, and if given enough time and enough clean pairs of super hero undies, he will!
Cohen my man, keep on planning. Keep us on our toes and make us think. This world is yours for the taking!! Go get it little man.

Best day of her life.....

I am getting a little off on my posts here. But I had to share this little ditty with you guys. So those of you who know my Izzy, know she is almost always happy. Now don't get me wrong, I can make this girl crabby in the blink of an eye. However, by the next blink she is sharing a story with me about something else. I have never in my life met someone who can let things roll off her so easily. She does NOT get that from me, I am however, trying to get that from her.
The other day we were driving out to church and this song was playing and she was singing along and just had this happy glow about her. I asked if this was one of her "jams". Yep. She said, This song is a great song to start the day with. Its always a new day and each day should be the best day of your life. Sometimes my kids blow me away, well frankly they blow me away often.
So make this the best of your life.

P Diddy........

Now you may get sick of me saying stuff like....Ray of Sunshine, They are like sunshine, but you are just going to have to stick with me here. Or not, your choice.
But this next little person, who I love so dearly, is truly a Ray of Sunshine.....

Seriously, Can you even stand to look at that face and not smile??? Wowza! Parker, what to say about this little guy? Well, everything that is good in the world is what this little boy is made of. Now don't get me wrong, I am sure there are puppy dog tails and all the things the poem says, but mixed in with it is the ability to live life to the fullest. He is non-stop action. And the fun kind at that. He makes you stop and smell the roses, slow down and look. And his heart. I mean really for being 3 years old, he knows how to love. He is always there with a hug or a kiss. And of course an I love you. My hope for you my sweet Parker, is that you never loose your sense of adventure. Because life can get pretty boring if you do. Keep exploring my sweet child, your roadmaps are written in the stars, just like the ones in your eyes!

This little ray of Sunshine.....

NEXT!!!!
This little sunshine didn't come to us by "blood", she came to us as a package deal, and boy, what a deal did we get!!!

Miss Aubrie. I can remember the very first time we met her. We were up at Sherwood for our annual Chap family Camping trip. Out of the car got this sweet shy little girl. So polite, little quiet, maybe a little nervous, and then she saw all the other kids. And off she was! She fit in like she had been coming to every Chap camping from day 1. I saw her today at the Chap family Christmas, and she was running by me, slams on the breaks, backs up and gives me a hug...Hi Jesse....and off she was again. Now, I think you probably know by now, that its those hugs that get to me! Holy Moly do I love them.
Aubrie, she is just a good kid. She loves to play, and the sparkle in her eyes, well, they will light the darkest days. She is one of the hardest working kids I know. I love going out to there house and seeing the mud boots lined up!
Aubrie, I love you, I am so glad you let us be part of your family. You make us very lucky people. Keep those eyes sparkling, you never know who's day you are making brighter.
-Auntie

My first niece.....

So being the oldest, and having the first Grandchildren, I can remember the day this little lady came into the world!

Oh my goodness, you had your Auntie Mel and Auntie Jesse just melting! You were so stinkin cute! Miss Kyleah, well she is turning into quite the little lady. I still see a little girl when I look at her, and I am having a hard time wrapping my head around that little girl not being there. My all time favorite memory of Ky was when she was about 1 1/2 or 2 years old. Jeremy and I were watching her over night. There was some star showers or something happening that night, and we set out alarm for 2 am. Well we ended up waking Ky up too, so we had a blanket laid on the grass outside and laid her in between us and were watching the stars. All she kept doing was hitting Jeremy and I, STARS, STARS, I see stars.......I think Jeremy and I were at that point more amused by this 2 year olds amusement then the stars themselves. It was truly one of those seeing something with the eyes of a 2 year old moments! It is also one of those moments that will forever be in my heart.
Ky, you will have to forgive me, but when I see you, I see a 2 year old. You will always be my Ky-burger. ALWAYS! 
Love you to the stars Miss Ky,
Keep seeing all the wonders in this world, you see things we forget as adults, just reminding us to keep seeing!

This Little Lady

How do I love thee,

let me count the ways....

1.Those sweet dimples on your cheek.

2. The way you say HI Jesse.

3. The way your face lights up with joy when you see Izzy.

4. Your sweet little voice.

5. The curl in the back of your hair.

6. The way you love your Mommy and Daddy.

7. You are SO considerate of other people.

Miss Madi, I could keep going and going. You have always been our peanut, small and quiet. But you have the biggest loudest heart of any child I know. If only you can stay this way forever, the world WILL be a better place.

Thank you for letting me be your Auntie!

Love

So I was laying in bed the other night, thinking I just started blogging again. And I hadn't posted in a while and I wanted to keep posting. I have lots of things to say, but never stop to say them. I decided that I was going to blog about Love. Not the mushy, I love you Big Daddy kind. I mean, I love you Big Daddy. But the other kind of love. The one that makes my heart melt. The one that would stop me cold and turn me into a puddle. The kind of love a mother feels for her kids, OR her nieces and nephews. So over the next couple of weeks I will post my love to each one of them.
                                                                      Up First.......
                                                                     This Guy!!!!!
                                                                         Nick

We are at church on Sunday and he is looking at me, and then he feels my hair. And he is staring at it. I say what's up buddy?

Well, your hair is kind of red. Its a little bit like mine. Red you know. I said; yeah, you should see it if I don't dye it. Then it really looks red. And he says, could you not dye it for a little bit so you can match me.

Yep.

 

This little man has had me from the moment I met him. He is FULL of life. What's next? Lets play. What can we build, where can we explore. So for all of that, I can never wait to hear what he comes up with next. Because it is him. Its not what he is "suppose" to say, its what he is thinking, and I tell you what. I want to hear what he is thinking!!!

But that's not the only reason, The reason he melts my heart is, I will see him at either church or Awana. And I always put my arm out for a half hug, but do I get a half hug? NOPE, I get a arms around the neck and a kiss on the cheek. MELTS. MY. HEART!

I know that full hug and kiss on the cheek are going to be gone soon. But I have everyone of them numbered in my heart.

Nick my man. Keep smiling that big smile. Keep loving with all your heart. Keep exploring until you need to find new land to explore. This world is yours for the taking. Keep being you. Cause I love that you!

<3 auntie="" p="">

Been a while

 

I am not even sure where to start! Last blog I wrote was that we were on to the phase of our lives that included college visits. Oh how time has gone fast. Of the two schools we visited, Amanda ended up at University of Minnesota Mankato!

 Move in day was August 22. Now that I am 3 weeks away from it, I can think of it and not cry. Now most of you know me and know that I am a cry baby by nature. I am cool with it. I have grown into it. We got her room all set up and got her settled in. And then the afternoon became this anxiety ridden day of dread. The dread that I had to leave. And at the point that we just were all making small talk, both her and I with tears in our eyes, I knew it was time to pull the band aide off. The walk from her dorm room to our car felt.....well, I don't have a word for it. All I know is that I cried, tears rolling, snot coming out the nose, I cant breath cry. I wanted to hold on to her forever as we stood by the car. I just wanted to rewind everything. I would take back every sleep less night, every cold, every teething session, I would even clean up vomit......
But I cant. I have to let her go live her life. As Jeremy reminded me, my favorite saying is.



And I had to let her use those wings.....Young Moms out there, screw this saying keep them Mamas boys and girls.....
Ok No. Back on track. Phew....
Its true. I raise the kids to have minds of their own. Letting them know that its ok to be your own people. You will always have a home base, and no matter where life takes you. I will be here, cheering you on.
I am doing much better with her being gone. Its the moments before I go to sleep, when I am saying my prayers, and mentally retucking everyone into bed that it still gets to me. I have never been one to be able to sleep well if all my kids are not under my roof. So she gets an extra prayer. And a kiss blown through the air.
 I read a book for book club once, and there was a saying in there....Now forgive me, because I didn't write it down, so I only kind of remember it, but it was something like....
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please help me bridge the gap between what I had time to teach her and what she needs to learn yet.
Amen.......