Violet's first haircut and parties

We got a zoo pass this year and I am so excited to use it. It was $64 for a family pass and we already have made up the cost. Now we just need to learn how to pace ourselves when we go. It's hard because I want to do it all every time! Here's some pics:

The "spitting" frogs.


Lunchtime!


The Wiebes had us over for a party. Violet did the slip n slide for the first time. She didn't like it. Good thing we're going to another indoor water park next week. I assume I will get to hold her the whole time while she curls up and sucks her fingers.


Ava really liked it.

The person who liked it the most was daddy though :)


Then it was time for a haircut. Ava's hair has been out of control and getting really long. My goal was to take one inch off overall then do an a-line layer. Ambitious, I know. Especially because I am not good with girl hair. Guy hair, bring it on. Girl hair, scary! I would give my efforts a 60%. The layer in the back looks really uneven, but Ava was so excited she kept moving her head around. I also didn't have any suckers this time. I think the suckers are the key to getting her to stay still.



Then it was Violet's turn. This is Violet's first real haircut. Not because it was long, just that it was so fine on the ends (baby hair!) it was constantly getting tangled and knotted. It's kind of fun to cut really curly hair. Especially when you can't tell if it's even or not. In fact, with really curly hair, I think it's an advantage to have it a little uneven.



This speaks for itself.

Ciao!

Moved In

We're moved in to the in-laws as of last Monday. We've had a really good time so far ... maybe too much fun? Always having an aunt, uncles, and grandma and grandpa around is probably spoiling all of us. The movers were supposed to show up to get all our house stuff today, but they didn't show. Hopefully they'll show tomorrow. Here are some highlights:

Playing Mr. Potato Head




Hanging outside.

This is when Ava was making bird nests with Audrey. We've been taking long walks, runs and have enjoyed being outdoors a lot. It's different living in the country. No busy roads or even paved roads for that matter. It's so nice to just walk and listen to nature and be quiet for a minute. It also smells really good. This is the front yard.

Aunt Audrey with her favorite girls.


Without a house to maintain, Tyler decided to plant a garden. Not just any garden, a 15' x 30' garden. If you know Tyler this may make you laugh. Complete with just about every vegetable you can think of. I'm particularly curious if the pumpkins and watermelon grow because they have never grown at our house. Today they made a fence around the garden so the deer won't eat all the plants. I'll take a pic of that later. But it's taller than Tyler. Deer are a real problem when it comes to gardens in Mi.


The plan.

I'm making dinner twice a week for 10 people and it's interesting. No more just throwing things together, I have to actually plan to make it appear as if I know what I'm doing as a wife and cook. HA I think I have them fooled. Last night I made baked chicken nuggets, broccoli and cauliflower, and banana pudding. It took 12 chicken breasts, half a huge container of italian seasoned breadcrumbs, two sticks of butter and four baking pans.

I don't know what I'm going to cook tomorrow night, any suggestions? It feels good to cook for a lot of people though. I can't wait until our family is at the point where it doesn't matter if a friend or two show up because I have to make so much food it doesn't even matter. :) Sigh...

"New" Family Pictures

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To the best mom I know

This afternoon when driving home from church I was thinking about mothers and motherhood. I was also thinking how my view of motherhood has changed as I have gotten older.

When I was little a mom was simply the one who made dinner and provided for the family. You set the tone for holidays, birthdays and any sort of gathering with friends. But most importantly you set the tone for everyday family life and gave me the standard with which I will raise my own children and begin my own home.

You taught me that home was a place that evoked a special feeling. Home was also a place that people had to work hard to maintain. I know you worked hard to give us money so we could go school shopping, go to a private school and go on field trips. You worked hard so we could go on vacations and have nice Christmases and birthdays. You worked hard so we could have enough space to grow and live comfortably. You valued a clean house, and although we struggled making it clean, I grew up knowing that a clean house meant that people were generally happier, healthier and more peaceful. Maybe most importantly though you worked hard so I could have a good example of what it meant to be an adult. I know now, as I did not know then, that by working hard you can truly have a fulfilling life. Doors will open and the world can become a beautiful place.

I remember you getting ready to entertain. The smells, sounds and general feel of the house was always fun. Now I realize that it was stressful, but as a child I loved it. It was exciting to see all the fancy dishes with the fancy food and hear the doorbell ring. I loved seeing what you were going to wear and what the weather was going to be outside. I remember you laughing and talking with friends and family. Those were really good memories that at this precise moment I can't imagine drumming up the energy myself to duplicate. Although I can imagine having friends over, the fanciness of it all seems a little out of reach!

As a teenager my view of you began to change as I realized you were a real person. Imagine, my mom was a real person with real feelings. I loved going through your yearbooks and reading what people wrote, and looking at your pictures amongst faces of people I didn't know. I loved thinking about what you had been like before you got married. Were you a hippie? A nerd? Did you have a boyfriend? Were you pretty? Were you popular? Of course I thought you were beautiful, smart, AND popular. With a boyfriend who was a wrestler, wasn't he? I guess in a way I tried to duplicate what I thought you were. I realized that you had unique opinions and interests. Different from other families and moms. I thought all moms were teachers and all dads were engineers. Then I realized some moms stayed home, some dads did things children didn't understand, some moms were executives, and some dads were doctors, dentists, or out of work. That was like a whole new world. When it came time to go to high school, surprisingly enough you encouraged me to set my own path. Other moms said, "You should go here," or, "You should go do this." You didn't. I had to motivate myself, and choose my own path.

Every day I realize I'm more and more like you. I listen to talk radio, which as a child I couldn't stand. I love to read and write. I love my friends, and learning and doing new things only to discover something else a few months later. I love to browse and use words like cute. I touch everything in the store. I like shoes. I like a clean house. I enjoy using my creative side. I like puzzles. I'm either 'all in' or 'all out' of whatever it is I'm doing.

Becoming a mother and learning all that entails, then combining it with all that I've learned from you has really opened doors and made my world a beautiful place of endless possibilities. My daughters can be doctors, teachers, lawyers or stay at home moms. They can be whatever they want to be. Because YOU (mom and grandma) have given me (mom) the tools to show them how the world works and how to get to where one wants to be. Being a mother is much more than a name, or a birthright, it's a state of being, a state of mind, a calling, a divine heritage, a preordination and the best gift one can receive. I love the words "mother heart" that we have used at church a lot in the past couple years. Because having a mother heart is a feeling that is really indescribable and it's not simply having children. Any woman can have a mother heart toward any person around her that is searching. All women have divine gifts that they can use to benefit others, especially children. Now as I see the little children around me toddle, walk and then run, I feel such a deep love for them I would do anything to make them safe and happy. This is the priceless gift you have given me as your daughter. I love you and am so thankful for your example and all that you have taught me.

Happy Mother's Day,

Sarah