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Ohhhhh Lord, how can my baby be three??? It's true my little girl is growing up so fast!
Have you done anything to help? If not...now is the time....be on your knees for the people of Haiti...get into your checkbooks for a people who need us.
DANIELLE
Tuesday and Wednesday of this week were just beautiful and very warm.....we spent LOTS of time outside..while we still have the chance. I was able to get an outside painting job done and still have time for some hanging out in the sunshine with the kids....
We started off our Monday with lots of tears. When we woke up we found our Butterscotch dog in the middle of road...dead....It was a very difficult day for us all.
To say that this little guy wanted to learn to ride a BIG boy bike, would be an understatement. Zach, being the youngest of three boys, always wants to do EVERYTHING his BIG bothers do. So a few weeks ago Justin worked with Zach for a couple of hours one night and he has now graduated to an official BIG BOY bike with NO training wheels!!
Well it is official, I am now THIRTY!!! Sounds funny to me, I still feel 18.....I think that is a good thing. If your interested in getting to know me a little more you can read my testimony here. That will bring you up to speed on what has made me who I am thus far in this journey called life. A few things I thought I might point out to see if anyone else can relate:
After 4 kids and 10 years (almost) of marriage, I think is obvious that some things have changed over the years for me. I have learned that is really is true that kids change your life forever.....I will never be able to go to the bathroom by myself for my children fear that I might need help, I will never be able to sleep in because they love be up EARLY....bummer...until they reach their teens, I will never have a clean house for more than 15 after they walk in the door, Being a referee is my part time job (on some days my FULL time job), I will never have a truly clean, non-smelly toilet because I live with 4 men in my house.
All that said I wouldn't have it any other way.....Well maybe I would prefer some things to be a tiny bit different.....but all those things let me know that I am just where I want to be in life. Being a Mom, Loving my Hubby, chasing dogs out of my flower beds, and canning enough food this time of year for a small army is JUST WHERE I WANT TO BE!!!
So I am thinking 30 is going to look pretty good on me if I do say so myself.
Hope you have a great weekend!
DANIELLE
I have to share a little conversation that took place this afternoon, it's totally blog worthy...not that I need an excuse......
We were stopped at a traffic light at an intersection where you can see Pizza Hut on the corner. Lance, my oldest, says "What day is it?" I said "Thursday" He then said "YESSSSS, today Pizza has .50 wings, that's cheap enough!" Caleb then says from the back seat, "WINGS...(as in angel wings) they really sell those!" I tried very hard not to loose it, then said "No buddy not those kind of wings..chicken wings." "OHHHHH I get it!" Caleb said.
Hope that little conversation brightened your day...it sure did mine!
Danielle
Julia and Aunt Christa...amongst everyone else had fun jumping on the trampoline while we hung out...what great weather we had to sit and visit and celebrate Julia's B-day!!!
Julia is helping me make her b-day dessert!!
Aunt Jess and Uncle Tedd gave Julia this cute little puppy that came with her own carrying bag....Julia named her Fifi, with Aunt Jess's help....she loves the "purse" as much as the dog!!
Grandma & Grandpa Gaerte got Julia her own little pink scooter...which Julia thinks is so great because all the boys have one too!!! Here daddy is helping her ride in the grass.....what a great daddy!!
I decided that I didn't want to make a third b-day cake in one month's time so we, Julia and I, made heart shaped brownie's....then everyone had their choice of topping; cool whip, butterscotch, caramel, hot fudge, or strawberry jam....served with vanilla ice cream...so again everyone could put the topping of their choice on...it worked out great I think...I just wish would've served the brownies nice and warm.....
This past Saturday we got to be in a parade!! Grandpa Gaerte built this really fun "train" last year and now we are taking it to some parades and letting the kiddos take a nice long ride.... Last fall we entered one parade and WON!!! So we wanted to see if we could make it Two for Two??? It rained all day and then stopped just in time for the parade...Thank You LORD!!
There are 10 "cars" in all!!
Lance sat in the first car...which holds an important responsibility...he is in charge of ringing the little bell while traveling through the parade.....he did it just perfect!!
Here is Zach!! Look how excited he is.....He had his little hand held wooden train whistle that he blew throughout the whole parade....he thought he was really important...I thought he just might pass out before the end of the parade...he didn't!
Julia just thought the whole thing was great...getting such a long ride and all...I had to keep adjusting her hat, it wanted to fall over her eyes...and my MIL had already put darts in the hats to make them smaller.....
Even with his eyes closed....Caleb managed to give me the traditional "thumbs up" for his pic!!
And Justin and I were two of the three proud walkers (my sil was the other)...We got to throw candy to the kids....unless you were Justin then you threw the candy AT the kids.....this was his first parade to walk to I had to school him a bit on how to deliver the candy......Don't we just look great in our hats??
And this is our caboose to the train....... 
My baby is TWO!!! AHHHHHH!!! I may need a moment here people!!!
I am thankful EVERY day for this little blessing in my life!!!!
Here she is at Christmas time in her "to big pj's grandma made....she'll grow into!!
A not so happy face one morning before church...still looks cute in those pig tails!!
Julia loves to rock her babies..I love teaching her how to do it, and how to hold and care for the babies...There is just something so amazing to me that I get to raise " a little mommy"
Julia showing off her newly painted toes and soccor last week!! I love painting her toes for her...she thinks it is so neat to have paint "like mommy"
I caught Julia and Justin in a cute little conversation one week at Lance's soccor practice....ahhh what a daddy little girl moment!!
We used the curling iron on her hair a few months back just to see what it would do...she thought she was big stuff...her hair is so straight the curl just fell right out!
So a few days ago I sent Julia with Justin upstairs to get some PJ's on for bed and this green bathing suit is what she returned in....Here is how the conversation went;Well as you know, my Lance turned 8yrs old on Tuesday and he requested that he have a friend party instead of the traditional all family party....so that is what we did this year....So Saturday was the big day!!
He was able to invite three friends....after some hard deliberating he invited (L to R) Eli, Ridley, Lance, Austin, and then Caleb is at the bottom....The first thing they did was jump on the trampoline and then Dad came up with this game....If they got hit with the a ball from the gun they were out.....They usually had two boys shooting at a time.
Then they played another game..they were playing tag, but they were not allowed to touch the ground or they were automatically it...no tag back either.....They had a ball!!
Austin, Eli, Lance, Ridley, and Caleb proudly sitting on top of the swing set!!! (Dad's idea, not mine) Looking at this pic just makes me smile at "boys and their fun"
This pic of "boy and their fun" makes me gasp....oh PLEASE no body fall down.....I don't want to take anyone to the ER with broken bones, or worse!! (notice Dad in the background being so non-chalant about what is going on!)
Well Dad decided to get in on some fun with all the boys.....The boys goal??? To get Justin down and hold him for 3 seconds.....I'm not sure if that ended up happening or not.....it might depend on who you ask....but they had a good time trying anyhow!
The next order of business...a scavenger hunt.....They were split into 2 team (Yellow team, and the White team) Justin had posted clues all over the property leading to the next clue...then at the end we had little party favors for the boys to take home...
Although the race to the finish was very close this team won...which meant they got served cake and ice cream first... 
Here are the teams scouting their clues!!
Then it was supper time....Tator Tot Casserole was on the menu....Here is the recipe in case you have never made it
Then I served up our favorite cake, Jello Cake! Also a very easy fix, which is what I LOVE to make.....Here is the recipe for that as well....
Here are the troop enjoying the eats... 
So what' a girl to do with 3 EXTRA boys around??? Hang close to mom and play with the kittens!!
What little boys doesn't like "Pop-Its???" Remember these things that you throw down on the ground and they pop?? Our boys LOVE them!!
A little pocket game I got a Walgreens with my Register Rewards Bucks..Shh don't tell Lance!! He also got 4 little Lego creation sets to put together.... 
