A Double Birthday Celebration!!

We had two very special birthdays to celebrate at the beginning of April!!

Our Lane Stevan turned 15 years old on April 2nd!!

And our Kayla Lauren turned 30 years old on April 8th!!

Lane requested fish tacos with all the fixings, fruit salad, zucchini bread, and chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for dessert!

We were SUPER glad to oblige to that delicious spread!

Tate helped with the food, and it was all hands on deck to wrap the gifts.

We made a super yummy radish salsa to go with those fish tacos and I want to remember to make it again!


There were gifts, of course!

In these next photos, please notice River’s face throughout, ha, ha!

Also pay attention to the card that Aspen picked out of her Mama’s card stash and gave to Lane.

SO funny!!!


We surprised Lane this year with a brand new bike!!

He was THRILLED!

What a joy to be able to get him something he will enjoy so much.


There were also gifts for Kayla!!

Some pretty things for her kitchen from Magnolia!

You have different dreams when you are thirty, am I right?


I made Kayla tell me what kind of dessert she (and the baby!) wanted for her birthday.

She finally said cheesecake!!

Addie Mae was happy to make all the birthday desserts, as always!!

We sang the most out of tune Happy Birthday song yet, and then enjoyed watching Lane try to blow out his trick candles!


What a GREAT way to spend a Saturday evening!!

It is so much fun to plan and celebrate someone’s birthday!

I hope we always keep these simple traditions alive!!

Lane Stevan, as I reflect on the day you were born, I remember one of the sweetest seasons of our life.

You are such a wonderful young man, and it is pure joy to watch you develop your interests as you continue to grow up.

Keep your eyes on the Lord, precious boy!!

He will guide the way!!

Kayla Lauren, yes, you are my daughter, but more than that you are one of my very best friends.

My twenty-something self never could have guessed how much sweeter each year with you would be.

You inspire me, encourage me, share your babies with me, AND I TREASURE YOU.

Continue on with the Lord as your help!!

You and David are building an amazing life for your family!

Lane Stevan and Kayla Lauren, Happy, happy birthday!!!

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!

Can You Believe It’s April?

March came flying up and flying by – so it seems, anyway, as I look back on it!

Blake and I were blessed to see our 34th anniversary come along on March 4th!

Of course we had Florida memories that celebrated that fact!

How about a quick blast from the past?

I love looking at old photos, don’t you??

I downloaded a few old photos the weekend of our anniversary – so I will include them here!!!


We had church at home the first Sunday in March, thanks to the return of that nasty eye infection for one poor soul.

We were not sure if it would go through everyone again or not, and did not want to share our germs!

I love Eliza’s doodling that she did that day!

She doodles often, and made the most special thank you cards for her birthday gifts!


We had some snow in March.

I was living in Florida in my mind still, and VERY ready for it to go away!!

But the snow keeps our cardinals coming to our restaurant daily, which is a great blessing!


The kids are always outside each day, snow or not!

I think they thought it would be warmer on this particular day – but it was FREEZING cold.

I got out the remainder of our hot cocoa ingredients when they came back inside!


We sure ate good in March.

But you already knew that, didn’t you?

Check out all this yummy food!


You know, as always, that all that food has to be bought and brought home.

A BIG JOB!!

I have been trying to do that only every two weeks.

I LOVE it on the week that I do not have to shop, ha, ha!

I always, always fill two carts when I go only every other week.

It will get a little easier to get grocery now that it is daylight so much earlier and warmer outside!

Except that I have to use coolers for our cold groceries because I stay in town so long, so loading the van is something to see.


We adore spending time with our favorites.

Sometimes you just have to go over on a Wednesday night and push everyone’s bedtime a little later because you are missing each other so much!

We also all climbed into David and Kay’s bus one afternoon and visited a library we don’t normally go to.

That was a FUN OUTING for us all!!

There is always NaiNai school to look forward to as well, which sometimes includes a sleep over!!

Pretty soon we will all be jumping in the pool together and I CANNOT WAIT!!!


When we are apart more than our liking – which for me is pretty much a daily thing, ha, ha – Kay and I will talk on video chat.

I LOVE spending our afternoons and evenings like that!


School work continued on for our trio as well!

We are enjoying our book work very much.

The kiddos have almost finished their current books, so I spent some time getting new school books ordered, for Tate and Eliza anyway.

Note to myself!

I need to order Lane’s new books!


I am usually flying around this place we call home doing too many things at once, ha, ha!

Most often I am wearing my good tennis shoes and my apron, and drinking an iced coffee with LOTS of ice.

Since we returned home from Florida, though, I have been a rebel and been wearing my sandals a lot pretending it is not winter here still.

My days are full and wonderful and busy and FULL!!


Actually, we all keep ourselves busy here.

The kiddos are so purposeful to find good things to do with their time!

Between chores that need done, school work, piano lessons, library jobs – there is still free time where they choose things to do!


Lane’s library job is going GREAT!!

The very first time Lane and I spent a Saturday morning there, I had not planned well.

I had Blake bring me my lap top, and an iced coffee, of course!

SO funny though – because when Blake got a back pack down off our closet shelf to bring things to me – he found it FULL of birthday presents for Eliza THAT I HAD COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT.

DUH.

Thankfully that was the day before her birthday party, so I wrapped them up and gave them to her along with everything else!

There are perks to having a Mama whose brain is too full!!

Anyway – back to the library job – it is AWESOME and we are enjoying it!!!

Lane works on Friday afternoons for an hour and a half, and then he and I work one Saturday a month.

It was more than that at first, but this is the schedule we have settled in to.


The time changed in March.

I would like to have a face-to-face conversation with whoever is in charge of that whole thing, thank you very much!!

It would never be a mother’s choice, just saying!

It gave me some very sleepy kiddos, and we had a week of mornings with a late start.

The blessing of home schooling though, right?

We could start late, get them the sleep that they needed, and adjust more slowly to that crazy time change.

My early morning coffee always felt several sips short that week!


Blake and I managed to squeeze in a couple of impromptu dates in March!

I LOVE dating that guy.

Dates are WAY better last minute!!!

We went to a movie and out to dinner one night.

Our other date was unfortunately to the ER and then emergently to the doctor early the next morning….that’s a whole story, good grief!!

I had a terrible day with my right eye, and was diagnosed with a significant posterior vitreous detachment.

I’m just so thankful that my retina did not tear or become detached, because then I would have needed immediate surgery!

It was super scary, but all is well at the moment.


Oh my goodness, this is getting long!!

Hang on – we are almost to the sky photos!

Did you notice that I got new glasses?

I think I was two prescriptions behind what my newest prescription was.

Not wise, friends!!

Wow, can I see now!!!


Chad has a new job!!!

I am sure you are aware that being a realtor is not easy in this economy today.

He LOVES his new job and I LOVE when he stops by home while at work!!!


Hymn Sing was wonderful in March, as usual!!

It is coming up again this Saturday night, and I CANNOT WAIT!!!

Our sweetest friends host it every month, and it truly is one of my favorite places to be.


Family night is slowing down a bit….but I am honestly ok with that!

There will always be a warm meal, dessert, and opportunity to hang with the fam every Thursday night!!

Having it be a more relaxed thing for this busy work season is still a blessing!!

Eliza did plan an awesome scavenger hunt one Thursday night that had teams running all over this house!

It was super fun!!!


Lane is still participating in a robotics association.

He LOVES it!!

He entered a competition where you had to submit a computer aided design for a robot with clear instructions so that it could be sold as a kit for kids to build.

I KNOW.

Guess what????

He won FIRST PLACE!!!!

I know!!!!

He now has free admission to all of the MRCA events the next year AND they are paying for the next robot he is building!!!

CRAZY COOL.


I had an opportunity to share at our monthly women’s event at church in March.

It was a blessing to be a part of!!

I am not worthy to sit next to those amazing ladies up there!


I have been taking a Sunday morning photos of the crew that rides in our van on the way to church.

They are KEEPERS.


On Sunday evenings it is usually just Blake, myself, Tate and Eliza.

The bigger kids play volleyball on Sunday evenings – and they have a BLAST.

I cannot believe we have such a small crew sometimes!

It is a new dynamic for sure.

We usually watch something together while having popcorn and chunky monkey smoothies.

When I say “watch something” please note that some of us, usually including me, might miss the show a bit, ha, ha!!


Ok, then.

Are you ready for some March skies?!!

OH, how I love the sky!!


One more just to throw you off!

But I just want to end this extremely long catch up post with these words:

I LOVE WHERE WE LIVE.

God has been so very kind to us and we live in the most beautiful amazing place.


And there went March!!

With ALL those awesome memories!!

April is flying by too!!

We had some birthdays already!!

And Easter!!

And we are about to travel again!!

Lots more great memories coming up!!

STAY TUNED!!

Happy Birthday, Eliza Claire!!!

Please, sit down.

I have shocking news.

Our BABY turned ELEVEN on March 12th!!

Time, please stop torchering Mom’s everywhere, thank you very much!

Eliza was SO excited about her birthday!

So were we!!

We celebrated on her actual birthday since it was on a Sunday this year.

Eliza asked for brunch for her meal of choice and a confetti cake for her dessert.

We were happy to oblige!!


There were gifts, of course!

Girls are fun to buy gifts for, just saying!!!

Blake and I gifted Eliza with the promise of a scheduled horse lesson and ride at a local horse stable on April 1st!


Addie Mae out did herself with the cake, as always!

Eliza was very pleased!

We sang to our beautiful baby girl and she blew out all of those candles with one try!!


Three weeks after Eliza’s birthday, the day FINALLY arrived for her horse lesson!

Of course we included Tate in her special day and he got to be a part of all of it too!

We headed to West Salem early on Saturday morning to Wild Winds Ranch horse stables.

What an incredible experience!!

We had a whole hour one-on-one with a horse trainer.

Tate and Eliza got to brush, clean the hooves, saddle, and ride a horse named Velvet!

It was a SUPER fun morning and we hope to do it again!


Do you see those smiles??

I think Eliza’s birthday gift brought her great joy!!

Memories made and now memories kept!!

Eliza Claire, you will always be our baby, but you are growing up SO fast!

How I love the funny things you say, how much you love animals, how you love all things girly but also how you can run with the boys and keep up with all they do any time of any day!

I love your love for books, words, school and paper and pencils!!

I love your competitive side, and your cuddly side!!

Most of all, I JUST LOVE YOU!!! SO MUCH!!!!

What a privilege to be your mama.

Happy, happy birthday, Zi!!!

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

Getting Closer

Well, it’s true, I am getting closer to being all caught up here!

Let me keep the rest of our memories from February – which seems like so long ago now – especially since it is 54 degrees today!

Let’s start with February’s BEST NEWS!!!!!

This beautiful girl, in her star pajamas, asked the Lord Jesus to forgive her sins and live in her heart.

Yes, I cried.

It was the sweetest prayer EVER!

And we are so privileged to get to watch the fruit of living with Jesus blossom in Eliza’s life!!!

REJOICE WITH US!!


I’m hungry, so let’s now go to some other important stuff.

FOOD!

I really enjoy looking back at our food photos!!

It reminds me to make things again!


Excuse me while I go make some avocado toast and have some of that Pickle de Gallo!!

God is so kind to give us delicious food.

Moving on…

We had a NaiNai school day with the boys that filled my heart to overflowing!

They are A BLAST.

We had a little library time that day, and I ALWAYS make cookies when my grandchildren are here for the day!

It’s the stuff NaiNai’s do.


It was 43 degrees that day, which is why all these crazy Wisconsin children are in short sleeves playing soccer on the deck.

Because wearing short sleeves and playing soccer in the snow that was still on the ground would be even crazier, right?

Deck soccer is a real thing here at Twin Oaks.

We have been doing it since we moved here!

This first photo was taken that day.

The next photo was taken last November.

Please make them stop growing.

Thank you.


We had a valentine party the Monday before Valentine’s Day.

Since we had just returned home from Indy the evening before, I was totally prepared, ha, ha.

Thankfully, this is Addie Mae’s gift to her siblings, nieces, and nephews each year!

She makes fun treats, they all exchange Valentine’s, and their mama (and NaiNai!) gives them Valentine’s too.

Hence the reason I was hiding in my closet an hour before everyone was supposed to arrive wrapping gifts and writing love notes!


In case you are wondering, those glasses stick around for awhile!

Even in public, ha, ha!


Thursday night Family Night’s in February were good ones!

We had a bingo night with prizes, thanks to my fun hubby.

We also had a “draw a question” night, and did some unusual fruit tasting afterward!

I love that cup of questions and that one needs to be done again!

When I was in charge, I asked Kay if we could bring the crazy over there and have family night at the farm.

It ALL was awesome, as usual!


We are plugging away at our school work amidst all of this crazy crazy.

Our trio enjoys their school work!

Seriously, they are disappointed when we miss things – which is super cute and very motivating for their mama.

I LOVE learning with them!!!


We always find things to do when our book work is done.

They love to be outside and we are excited for spring!


Sometime back in January, I believe, I received a call from the director of our local library.

She was wondering if Lane would like a job at the library one Saturday morning a month!

She also said they were looking for adult volunteers to be with the kids they were hiring for this rotating Saturday job.

I asked a lot of questions, and then asked if I could be the adult volunteer – to which she said YES.

I did not answer right away until I talked to Blake and prayed about it, but ultimately we decided to do it.

It has been SO WONDERFUL!

We love the library, we love books, and we love opportunities for our children!!

I have taken Tate and Eliza with while Lane did all of his training to get ready to work those Saturdays.


I, of course, am still managing our home beyond just the school work.

It is a big job that I love to tackle, organize, and keep everything running smoothly!

We have our rhythms which help so much with all of that!!

Friday is still my biggest day of all the extra things, with a very early departure from home to get grocery, run errands, go workout with my trainer, and come back home to clean our home and do laundry.

Friday’s are working for us!

We have used Friday like this for years upon years now!


Blake and I try to sneak away for dates here and there.

First, I will share a snapshot of what texts look like before you are leaving on a trip to Florida, ha, ha!

I love dates.

I need to text Blake right now and ask for one!


I also got to have a date with Addie Mae right after we returned from Florida!

She is a fun one to shop with, but she walks really fast, just saying.


Chad had a date with Lane while we were in Indy.

They would NOT like that I called it a date!

So, they had an outing and went to Cabela’s.

I LOVE that they purpose time together!


In case you are wondering if we are still enjoying that new little den here in our home, we are.

So is Ruby Jane, clearly.

It is a sweet spot though!!


You see that sky photo below and are thinking “Phew!!! She’s almost done with this long post!!!”

Ha, ha, sky photos are my signature at the end!!

We get some beautiful skies here at Twin Oaks!

They are worth sharing!!


Saw one more photo – you are not off the hook yet!!

It made me think of how I need to take those snowflakes down off those windows!

They are in an effort to save birds lives though – so, hmmmm.

The bird restaurant is still up, so I think the snowflakes will have to stay up too!


I am pretty sure there will still be more snow – we live in Wisconsin after all!

Spring is coming though!!!

Is it for you too??

I hope you all are getting glimpses of it where you are!

Enjoy the seasons – they are SUCH A GIFT FROM GOD!!!

Until next time!!