Flashback Fridays; Growing up

This past week the kids started school.  Cody started 2nd grade and Hailey started Pre-k 4.  Both kids  are attending St.Lucy's this year.  It is hard to believe that I am a mom of a 2nd grader.  It seem just like yesterday that I was pregnant with Cody.  Where does time go!!!  What is even more bothersome is my niece Marissa started her  8th grade year this week also.  I can't believe my little Rissy has one more year till she is in high school.  Rissy was my first baby, I was still living at home when my sister Jen had Marissa.  My mom babysat Marissa every Monday.  So I spent alot of time with Rissy when she was little.  We took many naps together, played many games together and spent 8hrs together every Monday.  She was and still will be my first princess.  I would love shopping for Rissy. Glitter shoes, shirts, anything that sparkled  had Rissy's name on it.  Rissy has turned into a beautiful young lady.  I am so proud to call her my niece.  However what really makes Marissa  truly special is the way she treats Hailey.  Hailey and Marissa are BFF's just ask Hailey.  She will show you the BFF necklace that Marissa gave her.  When we picked out nail polish  for Marissa's birthday we had to buy Hailey the same color because BFF's must have the same nail color!!!  Every time we go to Aunt Jenny's house Marissa will sit down and play dolls with Hailey even though I am sure she would rather be texting her real BFF.  However Marissa never lets on she would rather be doing something else.  So to Marissa I am proud of the smart , beautiful, caring, kind young lady you have turned into.  Thanks for being a great role model to one little princess who looks up to her big cousin Rissa.  I would be thrilled if Hailey turned out just like her big cousin. .  So here are some of pictures of Marissa for Flashback Fridays

This is a picture when we took Marissa to the Milwaukee zoo, she was a little freaked out by the butterfly exhibit.  She held on to Steve for dear life

This is one of my favorite pictures.  Marissa lost her first tooth and was sooo excited she made a sign to wear letting everyone know she lost her first tooth and how!

Wearing Auntie Mel's sunglasses.   Marissa could do no wrong back than and now in my eyes.  We don't call her St.  Marissa for nothing.  I can see Jen rolling her eyes right now!!

Spending the day with Aunt Mel!!

BFF's now and forever

Cousins are forever friends!!!

Flashback Friday; Simple Joys

Yesterday was a bad day at  work.  99.9% of the time I love my job, But 1% of the time I wish I had a different job.  Sometimes in this job you have to be part of someone's life in their most intimate moments of pain, grief and suffering.  It is something you never want to witness and it is something you will never forget.    And sometimes these moments happen to the nicest, sweetest caring people who do not deserve to have these moments and it makes it even worse, if that is even possible.  Yesterday I came home with a heavy heart and a question of why certain things happen to nice people.  I have no answer to that and my heart is still sad.  Someone asked me how do you do it?  Some days are easier than others, I get through it knowing that I did my best today to make someone else pain a little bit easier.  I wish I could make it go away,  I struggle to find the words to make things better, I think the hardest part is most the time there are no words to make things better.  I guess I just get peace knowing if  it was my family in the situation,  I treat them how I would want my own family treated.  A simple hug, and someone to hold them up and be strong for them at their most vulnerable moment.   Than I come home and hug my husband and kids and  sometimes cry a little.  Today I want you all to hug your loves and tell them you love them.  Never take for granted they know.  We all need to hear it.  I want you to look  around and enjoy the simple things in your life.  I wish it did not take other peoples sorrows to make you see the happiness in your own life but I know today I am especially thankful for my family and the simple pleasures I have been blessed with.  So this weeks flashback Fridays is filled with pictures of some of my  simple pleasures in life that I sometimes take for granted;
Spending time with cousins, summer nights catching lightning bugs, beach filled days jumping waves, smiling babies, swinging on first spring day, giggles, sweet kisses, and sweet children's face.   So here is to simple pleasures, take the time to enjoy them in your life and see how special they are

Flashback Fridays :Summer Vacations

As Summer is coming to a end and school starts, Summer can not be officially over until we take a family Summer Vacation.  In a few weeks with the van packed to the brim, we will be spending a week in Eagle River.  While I am not looking forward to the 5 hr drive with the kids, it brings me back to my childhood Vacation.  I have sooo many great memories growing up, going up North to the Cabins.  I remember driving up before Megan was born and Jenny and I laying the long way in the back seat and being so excited to get there.  I remember the  "green Cabin"  making Christmas ornaments at the craft house, the year we had bats in the dining room and could not use that room,  I remember swimming all day long and walking to the store and getting ice cream sandwiches at night.  One of my favorite memories was singing the You can't get to heaven song around the campfire and poking fun at everyone while eating gooey smores.   So as I am packing my whole house and getting crabby trying to get ready,  I know it will be worth it for the memories my kids will have.  So this weeks flashback Friday  is dedicated to up north  vacations of the past

Here is a picture of me up north when I was around 3 or 4

Here is another from our first trip up North with Kids.  We went to the Yogi bear park in Tomah WI with Cody and I was about 5 or 6 months pregnant with Hailey

Here are some pictures from last years adventure up North.  I had to included a year with some pictures of little B man

You will notice in this picture, Yes Hailey and Maren are in a bar.  We are from Wisconsin and it was a rainy day, so what else would we do.  Yup Hang out at the bar with the kids, drink a few drinks, place some video games and eat greasy bar food.  So here is to making memories.  Have a great week

Brotherly love

Funny as it is to believe as much as I begged ,pleaded and  maybe even shed a few tears to have a 3^rd child, when I found out I was pregnant something unexpected happened,  I panicked.   Actually I went into a full blown panic attack.  I know it sounds crazy, till this day I still can’t explain it.  It was something I wanted so bad, I felt terrible for feeling scared of having another baby again.  I am thankful for my close friends that calmed me down during several sobbing phone calls.   Thanks for not calling me crazy , even know I am sure you thought it.  I guess as much as I wanted another baby there was the stress of so many unknowns.  How will this change the dynamics of what I know as our family, will this put too much stress on my marriage, will it be possible to work full time and raise 3 children, the worries were many.   If I was not stressed enough, when I told Cody he cried.  Not the reaction I was expecting.  However till this day he denies crying and tells me all the time he prayed for Brennan and that is how we got another baby.  He can keep thinking that as long as he wants!!!    In the mist of this stress the one thought that calmed me down was thinking  maybe I would have another girl and Hailey would  have a sister.  I have two wonderful sisters and can’t imagine not having them.  I wanted Hailey to have that.  So I kept thinking and  hoping I was having another girl  and I was at peace with being pregnant again.  For those of you that do not know we did not find out the sex of  Cody or Hailey before they were born.   However having one of each I decide with this baby to find out the sex so I could get rid of stuff I did not need to hang on to.  SO I could “de-clutter”.   Can hear my hubby laughing at that word “de-clutter”  He does not think that is ever possible for me to do.  So we decide to find out during that ultrasound if we were having a little Brennan or a Mackenzie.    Well much to my surprise my little baby sister was now a little brother.    After seeing that beautiful baby boy growing inside of me I no longer feared what was to come.  I was immediately in awe of this gift from God .  I could not wait to for what was  to come and the unknown chaos that would soon be my new normal .    However part of me grieved a little for the little sister I had created in my mind for Hailey.   Maybe it was because I never had a brother, I guess I did not get that whole dynamic of a brother/sister  relationship.  All I knew about having brothers was I never knew anything about football,Lego's and star wars because there were no brothers in our house. I also thought it would be cool to have a big brother to meet all his hot friends and enlarge my dating pool!!!  What else would a brother be good for.  I wanted that sister for Hailey so bad.  Hailey also cried when we told her we were having a boy.  She kept saying I wanted a sister.    However as Hailey , Cody and Brennan have grown I have realized there was nothing to grieve.  The dynamic of their relationships has  awed me on more occasions than I can count.  In typically big brother form Cody is Hailey’s protector.  As much as those two fight someday.  Cody is the first one to take care of Hailey and comfort her.  As  you know  night times at our house to say it nicely is crazy when I am not there.  When I stop home  for my dinner break, about half the time Hailey melts down completely when I have to leave.   As much as I hate to see her like that, it amazes me when I have to go it is her “CO-CO” she wants.  That is her nickname for Cody,  She only calls him that when she needs him.  Before I leave she will say “I need Co-Co to sit by me on the couch and watch a movie with me”  As much as Cody likes to torture his little sister he never refuse to sit by her when she is upset.  He always takes care of her and calms her down as much as she can be.  I am so proud of my Cody boy.

 He also does things for Hailey just because they are important to her.  This month Hailey had a princess play date at our house with all her princess friends.   He helped out and organized a game of pillow musical chairs for all her friends.  He happily chased all the princess around the back yard in Princess Tag.  He genuinely wanted her princess party to be fun because he knew how excited she was to have it.   I have no doubt in my mind he will always be there making sure she is OK and hopefully kicking any boys butt that causes her tears!.

  It’s funny cause up until about a year and half ago, they would sleep together every night.  I know Cody will  never admit it but he need her there as much as she wanted to sleep with him.  I have to admit it broke my heart a little bit the day that he said he wanted his room to be his own and Hailey needed to sleep in her own bed.  Don’t worry she has found a little brother to share a bed with and boy does that little brother love his big sis.

 He thinks she is the funniest thing around.  He is the only one that enjoys Hailey nonstop chatter.  He smiles every time she walks into the room.  He loves watching her dance shows as she skips and turns around the living room.  One of his favorite show is Jake and the Never land pirates because it is her favorite show.  Hailey absolutely adores Brennan, sometimes a little too much.  On numerous occasion she squeezes his little chubby arms and tells him how much she loves him.  The only problem is she squeezes him a little too hard and  has left a few bruises!    We are still working on that.   I know the relationship between them will continue to grow as Brennan gets older.   I know there will be a time when Hailey wishes she could trade her two brother for two sister who she can swap clothes with or complain about  friends and boyfriends to but  I think those days will be few and far between due to the fact she has two brothers that she adores and that adore her back. 

FlashBack Friday:Vegas

It has been  well over a year since we have been to our favorite vacation destination.  In fact it has been 18 months but who is counting!!!! My husband that is who.   We try to go to Vegas once a year for 3 days just to get away.  However after having each new baby, we have to wait approx 2 years before we can get away again due to the fact my mom's back is not up to watching and carrying a baby that much and second I can't get my crazy kids weaned before than.  However I am really starting to feel that itch to get away for a few days and  have some alone time with Steve , sleep 8 straight hours and  without having a little person in the middle and maybe even have a uninterrupted meal and read a book by the pool.  Wow sounds like Heaven

So  Since it will probably be a another 6 months before we go, I have been really thinking about getting away.  So this weeks flashback Friday is a trip of Vegas from the  past  I think this was in 2009.  I don't have many pictures of our  Vegas Vacation since  we are usually to busy at the casino for pictures but here is a few from the pool and the Hotel at Paris in Vegas.  Wow I really want to go.  The last picture is of Me with carrot top.  When we were out to dinner one night during this trip and I may have had a few to many cocktails!!  We ran in to Carrot top and I proceeded to drunk call everyone I know telling them we saw carrot top.  Why I was so impressed with carrot top, I am not sure but I guess being away from the kids and a few Malibu's and diets makes me giddy.  A good friend had this picture waiting for me when I got back from vacation.   Anyone up for a trip to Vegas I am going to start planning one for June 2012, our 10 year anniversary.  Let me know Have a great week!!!!

FLASHBACK FRIDAYS; Best Buddies

It is flashback friday again, WOW where does the weeks go.  While it seems like the days are flying by, somethings never change.  Hailey and Brennan are still giving me or should I say Steve  major problems the nights I work 2nd shift.  I try to tell Hailey how lucky she is that mom only works 2nd shift two nights a week  and when Cody was little before she was born Mom worked 5 nights a week on second shift.  She is amazed that Cody had to sleep at our good friends 2 nights a week.  She loves hearing stories of how I had to wake him up and bring him home at 10:15pm and what songs we listen to on the way home to our house to help him stay sleeping .  We were so lucky and our still lucky to have great friends and family taking care of our children while we work.  Not sure what we would do with out great friends and family who help us out.  Sure makes it easier to go to work knowing your kids are well loved and taken care of.  This weeks flashback friday is of Cody and Hunter.  Cody went to Hunter's house while I worked back than.  Rachel watched cody from 14 week till Hailey was born.    To this day Cody and Hunter are great friends.  I was lucky that Hunter's mom  would take photo's while I was working and send them to me.  These two were best buds from the start.  Have a great week.  P.S I promise to finally update the blog this week.  I

FlashBack Friday,

I did not get a chance to blog this week I was enjoying my summer days off with the kid.  We went to the drive in, we went to the beach and we did the annual doll buggy parade and and after party .  It felt like the perfect summer week.    The weather could have cooperated a little bit more yesterday for our after party but the kids still had fun.    This week's flashback pictures are from the doll buggy parade when Cody was about 18 months. Can you tell how much time I had back than, check out my wagon  Funny I thought I was busy than..  You will also notice a picture of all the kids on my grandma's porch.  We take that same picture every year of all the kids that go to the parade. Its amazing looking at the picture now and seeing how everyone has grown    Hope you have a good week