Florida Trip

We are home from being gone 3 weeks to Florida! We have been home a week now, but it has taken me that long to get somewhat caught up with the traveling. I loved being in Florida with family, but 3 weeks was a long time to be gone, especially for the kids who appreciate routine.

The first week was for Exponential Conference that Steve and I go to every year. It has always been one of my favorite conferences to go to, this year was the first I had a kid in tow (as Presley was only 2 months old and I am her source of food), it was a different experience with a kid attached to me, needless to say, looking forward to next year when I am kid free again. I did have a great time with one of our staff's wife Chelsea and her little guy as we hung out most of the time while the men where in the conference able to pay attention. My SIL was there for MOPS as well, so I got good time with her and my new nephew (2 weeks young than Presley). 

The second week we hung around in Orlando with mom and grandma. Steve had flown back to KC to work and my dad was traveling the whole week.

The highlight of the trip was week number 3 when we once again spent a whole week with the Wiens family all under one roof. I say it every year (past years 2012, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 - no blog yet) but it is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Since I don't live near my family and only see my brothers and their families when I visit Florida (which is now about once a year) I love the time we get to spend together. We had a great time, just hanging out.

Get ready for some picture overload....

 

Payton went crabbing with "the Larry daddy hunts with" (Steve hunts in TX with this Larry)

Lil brother's shark

My dad's catch

Cousins Presley is 2 weeks older than Isaac

Great-grandma at 91 had baby duty

Uncle Colin was giving Colton a haircut

Baby duty again

Colin and Cayla (little brother)

Sunset from our rooftop balcony

First few days were really windy and rough waves

Presley's view of the beach in carrier

My 2 nephews (Anderson and Isaac)

Flying a kite

This was Colton's new scary action (along with a growl) to scare all the birds away

Isaac had similar view as Presley

Burying Uncle Jordan

Colton getting burried

Action shot of Colton burying daddy

My brothers hard work

My mom and dad

We mostly cook at home, but the whole crew ventured out for dinner one night

Jordan (older bro), Jaime, Jodie and Anderson (Isaac asleep in carseat)

All 15 of us

We had a blast! Can't wait for next year!

There will be a day when...

There will be a day when...

My husband comes home from work and we can sit and talk uniterrupted

I will be able to take as long as I want to get dressed

I won't be woken up at night for feedings, diapers or nightmares

My house will be clean

My laundry will be caught up (well that might one might not happen)

I can make dinner without tripping over toys or children

I won't feel like a servant cooking and cleaning up ALL day long

I can decorate how I want without worrying which 2 hands will see this as an object to throw

My kitchen floors won't be covered in crumbs (only reason I want a dog)

I won't hear the arguing in the back seat

I won't be the mom of "that child" having the public meltdown

I won't have to dress little bodies, tie shoes and carry a bunch of coats in the winter

I can run errands whenever I want without figuring out how to keep multiple little bodies near me or who can watch them

I will be able to sit and read a book or magazine without interruption

I won't have a closet full of different size clothes that fluctuate with my body weight from babies

I can exercise without having to work around feeding schedules so I don't have full boobs knocking me out while I run/move

I will have an actual waist again

I won't have to referee the hair pulling

I can have a date night with my husband without the logistics of who watches the kids

My day won't revolve around nap schedules

But there will be a day I miss...

Little hands holding mine

Big eyes on sweet faces that think I know everything

Afternoons watching them run free at the park

Excitement all over their faces

Contagious laughter

Watching my uninhibited children using their imagination for all sorts of things

Sweetly rocking my baby to sleep

Nurturing a body on breast milk alone

Cuddling and reading books together

Having the ability to heal boo boo's with kisses and hugs alone

Them wanting to be near me at all times

Feeling my unborn child move inside me

Watching them play and make up games together

Watching them defend each other to other kids

Them thinking I am cool

My husband and I sitting on the couch watching them play

Watching my 2-year-old be a BOY 

Laughing inside as my 4-year-old tries to use words she has heard but doesn't know the meaning of

Feeling like I can still protect them from this world

Listening to their innocent prayers and view of God

There are seasons of life. 

Every season has it's good days and bad.

Today I feel like I can't catch up with life.

This is my reminder that this season doesn't last forever and I am so thankful for the wonderful things I experience now.

Easter

Easter Sunday

We had a great Easter, amazing church service, yummy dinner with friends and absolutely gorgeous weather. Palm Sunday we had 10 inches of snow on the ground, Easter Sunday kids were barefoot, what a difference a week makes (especially living in the Midwest). Steve preached Easter morning, he BROUGHT the message. You can listen to it HERE

On the way to church Palm Sunday

We had our Spring Fest on Palm Sunday, needless to say it wasn't very well attended as people stayed home and didn't venture out in the snow. Our kids got up and sang with Rockin Rob, I was impressed Payton did this as she usually doesn't like attention. Buster on the other hand, will most likely be our class clown. He got up later in the morning all by himself and sang in front of the whole crowd. 

Steve preaching

Kids table

Kids ready for egg hunt, can you tell my 2 were making sure neither one of them started early

Ava Bell finding her egg

Reese

Mike and Lillian Maysen

Kids hunting eggs

The McNeil family

The McAtee family

The Zimmers

Our new Youth Pastor Trent and his wife Jess, Easter was their first Sunday here, they moved from GA and we are so excited to have them.

We had a few more friends who I didn't get a picture of. Easter used to be so hard for me because it felt like everyone else had family besides us, so I started hosting Easter for those who don't have family here and we have a great time every year. I would love to live near my family, but that isn't our reality, so we enjoy our "family" here.