I almost forgot: fall photos

Okoboji

Every year growing up, my parents loaded all four of us girls into the Dust Bucket (ie: the family station wagon) and made the drive to Okoboji. My dad's parents owned a small house there so every summer we went and stayed for a few days. Every summer we posed - from youngest to oldest, naturally - on the front steps and indulged my mom her yearly picture. Basically every year is a slightly different version of embarrassing.

summer of 1995

Side note: Yes, we are all girls. 
Felicia just preferred a boy's haircut while wearing a t-shirt featuring Pocahontas and John Smith. Thanks Disney. 
Meanwhile I am rocking a one-piece number with a built in belt and skirt. 

We spent our days swimming, fishing, playing in our usual parks, mini-golfing, and eating Godfather's Pizza and DQ ice cream. At night we hauled the extra mattresses out of the closet and arranged them in the over-sized living room. All four of us slept on them together, after about an hour's worth of jumping back and forth.

We went every year, all the way up through high school. 
One year we wanted to take friends. My mom was not signing on for a "vacation" with at least four extra kids. My dad was just crazy enough to agree. 
And that is how our dad ended up spending a night by himself with nine girls.

What I remember most from the trip was that we made him drive us around while we listened to the Backstreet Boys. And he learned some words and sang along. 

My dad's always been cool like that.

Fast forward a good decade or more.

My grandparents still own the same small one-bedroom house, although minus that green carpet. 

And now I am the one with small children. And I would love for them to experience and enjoy the same wonderful things I did when I visited Okoboji as a kid. 

Yesterday we decided to make a little of that happen. 

We loaded our kids in our packed Honda Pilot (can't wait to see what our kids name it someday) and hit the same road my parents used to.

We picnicked at the same park we used to play at when I was a kid.

We swam and played in the sand at the same beach that we used to when I was a kid.

We drove around and noted what had changed - and what had stayed the same - since I was a kid.

The result was a day of smiles and laughs. 

Lots of cookie bars and lemonade.

Plenty of sun and definitely a lot of sand.

Our three came home exhausted, already asking when they can go back again. 

Independence Day 2014

My family has never done anything special on the 4th, and I am not exaggerating. Sure, we sometimes got together in the evenings with our two cousins and launched some fireworks, but nothing overly exciting. Unless you consider all those near-misses with battle tank rockets exciting.

Jared on the other hand grew up always having a fun 4th of July. As a kid in Colorado his mom had their friends and family over in the backyard every year for food, homemade hand-churned ice cream, and plentiful games. So to him the 4th of July was always a favorite holiday. 

Not so much for me. 

So this year we decided to make it a fun holiday by hosting a party in our own backyard.

We invited family, spruced up the backyard (did I mention how tired I am of constantly pulling weeds this summer?), brainstormed menu items, and prepared to cross some items off our summer bucket list. 
We love to have people over, so we were excited to host a party. 

No get-together in this family is complete without lots of food. 
And I don't know why, but color-themed food just seems like a prerequisite for a 4th of July party. And while there are no pictures of it, my husband makes absolutely amazing homemade ice cream: vanilla, double chocolate, and strawberry. It was a straight-up stampede into the kitchen to get a bowl.

The kids had fun splashing in the kiddie pool we set up and throwing some water balloons.

The adults also had their share of fun. I had picked up a $20 badminton/volleyball set from Target and we logged a few hours of competition. 

Clearly we take our badminton seriously. 

And of course the 4th of July isn't complete without fireworks, although we stuck with the sparklers and snakes.

We finished off the night at my parents' camper watching the fireworks show at Twin Lakes. Avery and Graham didn't make it past 8:30, but Bailey made it until 10 o'clock in order to see the show.

It was definitely the most fun 4th of July we have had in a long time. And if just for the ice cream alone, it will probably be an annual event. 

being a bad blogger

Summer has {basically} arrived and blogging has slipped to the bottom of my list. 
I think of things I want to blog about, I formulate ideas and sentences in my head, but they don't really come to fruition. In the past my usual blogging time took place during nap time or at night after Jared left for work, which is after 10 PM. 

But lately other things have taken precedence. 
I started back on the whole weight loss journey. (Yes, again...) At the beginning of April I started to work out 5-6 days a week without fail. I found a great fitness site on YouTube that I love, so it's easy to work out in the comfort of my own living room just by hooking up our Ipad to the TV. At the end of April I added in calorie counting along with the workouts. I use MyFitnessPal (MFP). I downloaded the app on the phone and it is a breeze to use. It was a bit of a shock to see what actual portions are, but I know I needed to learn that. After being all over the map weight-wise for the last 5 years due to the pregnancies and constant pumping/breastfeeding, it was time to rediscover what my body needs and get back in shape.

It's been almost two months and I have happy to report I have lost 9 pounds. 
Yep, that sounds like not much.
And most days it feels like not much, too. 
But I feel stronger and am making better decisions when it comes to food. I am not super strict about my diet, but by using MFP, I can see what extra work it takes for that brownie or a night spent drinking a few beers with friends. I am not a person who is going to severely restrict calories - I love food! - so working out regularly and counting calories is what I'm going with. 

But by making working out a priority, other things take the back burner - like blogging. 
And the dishes. 
And the huge mess that is our living room by the time afternoon naps roll around. 
So now instead of blogging or doing the dishes during that hour or so of peace, I am jumping and pressing and lunging my butt off... hopefully in a literal sense. 
If any of you out there use MFP, feel free to add me as a friend. It's nice to have friends for support and encouragement and vise- versa.

Also distracting me from blogging is the call of the outdoors. There is weeding to do and the lawn has needed mowed about every 4 days or so lately. We have outside projects we are working on and kids are constantly outside doing something.
Plus it seems like every summer we want to cram in tons of fun stuff into three short months - hence the Summer Bucket List.

This past Friday was the Omaha Zoo.
We have gone every year since Bailey was born.

The Omaha aunts came along and made the day more fun.
Plus it's always nice to take shifts with those bulky, weighed-down strollers.

summer bucket list 2014

Summer is quickly approaching and I don't know about you, but we have had warm weather thoughts on the brain for weeks. We have lots of things we want to do this summer. Some we have done before or do every year (spend week at the cabins with family, boating) and some are things we want to do for the first time (visit Okoboji, host a 4th of July get-together). 

Two years ago I saw the idea to create a seasonal family bucket list so I made one of my own. I have done a couple others, but it always seems like summer and fall are the times when I have more items on our fun to-do list.

Yesterday I did a short brainstorming session and came up with a few ideas for our Summer Bucket List board. I wanted to pick things that we wouldn't be doing by default like we do every year - like watching a parade or swimming at the lake. I am hoping some fun ideas of things to do will help us not waste a free day or even just an afternoon; instead we can go about checking an item off our list.

Most of them are easily do-able, even if a little planning is involved. 

The "spend a night in a camper" one is the one I am feeling a little doubtful about. 

I can't imagine a night in a camper with three young children will be very restful. 

Or even fun. 

Probably memorable... just maybe not in a good way!

But I am willing to try since Jared is all for it.

The girls are already excited for a few of the activities. They have already started asking when we can go have a picnic at a park. And Avery will be receiving a kite for her birthday, so I know that kite-flying will be a frequent feature in the upcoming weeks. Now that our kids are another year older and we aren't slaves to nap times and routine quite as much, I hope that we can do even more fun things together. 

I have two blank spots. 

Any fun activities I didn't think of?

Please feel free to share any ideas in the comments. :)

Fall Bucket List

 

I finally got around to finishing our Fall Bucket List. I bought the cute leaf shapes a month ago, but when I went back to Hobby Lobby to buy another package, of course they no longer carried them. So what resulted is a lot of orange as I improvised and cut out some gourd/pumpkin shapes instead.

 

Our list seems a bit small, especially compared to this summer's.

 

But things like "visit a pumpkin patch" will take up the better part of a day and will hopefully include lots of other activities too. I read some other people's lists to get ideas, but there was no way "watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade" was making the list. Watching a parade - any parade - on TV? I would rather stab my own eyes out.

 

And we already have the girls' Halloween costumes, so that is another item already checked off way in advance. We have been practicing around the house with our plastic orange pumpkin buckets. These girls are ready for all that candy collecting!

 

And seeing as Baby #3 should be making his or her appearance sometime in {late} November, I didn't get overzealous. It will be enough work to drag my butt to twice weekly appointments - which start in two weeks.

Hopefully along the way I will think of some more ideas.

Feel free to share any good ones that I might be missing.

{Just don't bother trying to change my mind on the whole parade watching thing.}

Fall is here

Or at least it feels like fall.

And I am pretty happy about it.  I love opening up the windows and letting the crisp air blow on in. It beats using the air conditioner any day. Add in a nice mulled cider candle and the mood is set. 

I like decorating for fall. I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and found all sorts of things I just couldn't live without. I managed to walk out with only about a fourth of those must-haves though. Seriously, that place is dangerous for our bank account.

Our bench seat in the dining room has proved to be a nice little area for some decorations.

 Now if only the girls would actually leave them there...

Fall hasn't ever been my favorite season in the past, but it is starting to grow on me. Jared has always loved fall - leaves, carving pumpkins, apple cider, all that autumn-y stuff.

I am starting to come around. I don't think any farm kids really would pick fall as their favorite season. Fall to me - even with my birthday in October - just spelled b-o-r-i-n-g. Lots of afternoons and nights in the house; another casserole for supper. Your parents are working hard in the field to get the crops in while the weather cooperates. There are no visits to apple orchards or pumpkin patches. I think we carved pumpkins once. And I know for a fact that I had the same Halloween costume for 3 years in a row.  (However, despite these slight disadvantages, there is no shortage of learning in the swear-word department. Just hang around and watch the Ellis men "discuss" broken-down equipment.) 

But seeing as neither one of us depends on farming for our livelihood, we get to actually enjoy this season. I am excited to take the girls to a local pumpkin patch this year. I plan on at least one game-day where we can sit around playing board games and drinking apple cider to our hearts' content. (Love me some apple cider.) I am sure that an apple pie will be baked. 

I am currently working on this season's Bucket List. We didn't do so hot with our summer list. With trips out of state and most of Jared's days off in July and August dedicated to moving our stuff into our new house, we just didn't get as much accomplished. I have confidence that we are going to do better this time around.

While at Hobby Lobby I scored some cute foam cut-out leaves to use instead of paper for our board.

Under a dollar. Can't beat that.

I still need another package and then our fall bucket list will be ready to go.

Tomorrow we are headed to Omaha for Bailey's first appointment with her new pediatric dentist.

And yes, we have to drive all the way to Omaha for her to have a 10 minute appointment. 

I quickly learned once we moved that our only choices for pediatric dentists are between Sioux City, Des Moines, and Omaha - the closest being 1 1/2 hours away. So since we use the Boy's Town Cleft Team out of Omaha, it makes sense to keep it all in the same town. Hopefully once March rolls around, we can sync up her 6 month dental appointment and her yearly Cleft Team appointment and just make one trip. And while seeing the pediatric specialist isn't a big deal at this stage in the game, it will be in a few short years. It will just be easier to find someone we love and stick with them for the long haul.

But we always have a good excuse to go to Omaha anyway. Bailey and Avery both love seeing their Aunt FeFe and Aunt Beaner and it will be good to go for a visit. Plus, Costco will be getting a nice chunk of change from us as usual. I hope to hit up some 2nd-hand kids' clothing stores and find a cheap Halloween costume or two. I am not sure if we can find one that beats last year's costume, but we can try.

I am looking forward to a day on the road tomorrow with Jared and the kids. Annnnnd some unhealthy food from restaurants I haven't seen in way too long.



Sun and Sand

Earlier this week we took the girls for their first swim at Twin Lakes.
Or at least the first swim of the season.

There is a certain cuteness that comes with babies covered in sand.

A sweetness in watching them scoop it up with their tiny shovels and pour it in and out of their pails.

Hearing giggles as little waves wash over their sand-covered, chubby feet.

{I just love fat little baby toes...}

And with this quick trip we were able to star another item on our Happy Family Movement bucket list for summer. {Click here if you are wondering what in the heck I am talking about.}
I need to load up on popsicles and sidewalk chalk and find a couple free afternoons so we can start accomplishing more on our list.

the small things

It's what life is all about.


It's the wonder of watching cows, even though you see the same exact ones every time you visit Papa and Gamma's house.

Even better if your aunt watches them with you.

It's putting some mileage on your new kick-ass shoes, courtesy of Aunt Fe.

It's pushing your own child on the same tire swing you swung on all those years ago.

It's laughs in the water.

It's the new-found love of jumping off the pool's edge into Daddy's waiting arms.

It's aunts who appreciate any excuse to put on a swimsuit and soak up some rays.

It's all the small moments that add up to the big picture.
Life goes by way too fast. It's important to make those tiny pieces of time matter.
Do something fun.
Try something new.
Make time for the little stuff.


This summer I heard of something called The Happy Family Movement. The whole idea is to take whatever time you have to do something fun with your kids, your family. To make memories, whether it's something big or something that takes 5 minutes. I saw a post by a fellow blogger and friend (click here) and decided it was a good idea. It's a "bucket list" of sorts. You just jot down things you want to do with your kids and then make the time to do them. The idea is that when your kids get older, they can help come up with fun things they want to do too. It's definitely nothing fancy, just a visual reminder to not waste that extra 30 minutes watching another episode of House Hunters. {Because, as we all just heard, it's fake anyway!}

So here is our 2012 Summer Bucket List. And even though Jared quietly rolled his eyes while I made it, I am excited to have a little list of fun things to do with the girls.

And I'm going to try my best to accomplish the things on our list.