I almost forgot...again

It just seems that I can't get it together and post everything I want at one time. Here are some videos that I took of Molly at her last swim class. I hope you enjoy!

It sure has been a busy week! I have been super confused because of Monday's holiday but I guess here we are at the weekend again which is always good. I posted a slideshow so that you can see what we have been up to this week. Wednesday night we went to mom's for supper and I caught Roz trying to have mulch as dessert...she is so hard to keep up with. I guess a little wood won't kill her.

Molly finished up with swimming lessons. She did so good and I hope that we can keep her in the water so that she stays familiar. She really enjoyed it and already looks forward to next year's lessons with Miss Haylee.

Thursday was Molly's last day of preschool:( We had a great experience at Promiseland and hope that next year at Calvary will be equally good. Her friends Lily and Jonah will be moving to Calvary too so that should help. Also Maddi is planning to attend there and a couple more kids from Church so it should be fun. I am anxious to see how 5 days a week will go but I guess they have to start sometime. At least it won't be full days, her hours will be 8:30 to 12:30. I just have to make it through the summer....

So anyway we went to the fountains on friday with the whole preschool to celebrate the end of school and beginning of summer. Molly had her last swim lesson right before so I am going to say that she was tired but it was typical...Roz had a blast and Molly klung to my hip the whole time. It is super frustrating sometimes. I should learn...that's just how it goes sometimes. And of course when we got in the car to leave she talked about how much fun it was.

Well I need to get busy finishing my bookwork before continuing another fun weekend. We are going to celebrate the end of swim lessons with the Steed's tonite and then hopefully regroup tomorrow before the another week begins.

Have a good one!!

Swim, swim, swim

Yesterday my mom took Molly and I out for lunch for my birthday and afterwards we set up the pool that she has been trying to get us to take now for months. I don't know why, I just didn't want the hassle but I finally gave in to the voices in my head telling me to just do it for the girls. Needless to say it was a huge hit. The only problem is that we have to keep the blinds pulled now because Roz stands at the window crying because she can't be in it every waking moment.

This last picture is of Roz when we made her get out because her lips were turning blue and her chin was quivering uncontrollably. She still through a fit and wanted back in. I am sure that the water will warm up quickly and that won't be an issue in a couple of days. Here's too a summer full of swimming....

Pictures as promised

Well here are the pictures that I promised. The first 2 are of Molly & Lily and then Roz & Ivy. The girls came over Thursday after swimming lessons and seemed to have a blast together.


Sunday after lunch we went to the library and grocery store to pick up a few things. The grocery checkout lady gave the girls coloring books and crayons and they just couldn't wait for the 5 minute car ride home to color. Here they are coloring in the backseat.


By the way, at the library I got that book Eat, Pray, Love (because of seeing it on Oprah) and I got no further than the 2nd chapter before it was referencing God as whoever you make it. I just can't believe the things that Oprah is endorsing these days...don't waste your time on the book, I will be returning it without reading it. Also, does anyone have any book suggestions? I really want a good book but don't know where to start.

This last picture is at my parent's cookout on Sunday. Shawn & Elise Schrock were there with their 10 day old baby Owen. He was so precious! His skin was flawless and he is very handsome. Molly was so intrigued. She just wanted to hold him the whole time. I have to admit that it made me sad that we won't have anymore babies. Holding babies like this one is definately bad for the "no more kids" philosophy. Maybe it was just the whole turning 30 thing too...whatever it was I am glad that I awoke this morning back to my old philosophy and can focus on raising the two wonderful girls that I have to the best of my abilities with God's direction and help. Ahhh...that was a close one.

Happy Memorial Day

I am so glad for the holiday weekend. We have done so much fun stuff already that I forget it extends into tomorrow. Ryan has to work tomorrow morning so we are planning a family cookout in the afternoon with hotdogs, hamburgers and potato salad...all a request from Ryan. Hopefully our grill will work well enough to cook everything...it needs a little maintenance that we have been putting off for about 2 years now.

Yesterday was a great day! I had a morning race on the beach. It was gorgeous out there! The wind was blowing enough to make it not too hot and the waves were crashing. I don't know how anyone can deny there is a God when witnessing that. It was supposed to start at 7:30 a.m. but was delayed 30 minutes because the sea turtles were blocking the route. Ryan and the girls came out to cheer me on and ended up making for the start instead of just the finish. They ended up re-routing the course and no turtles were harmed. I had my best 5K time at 24:29. I was rather proud of myself because the sand can be quite a challenge to run in.

Then after work we went shopping for a little while before coming home for nap time. We got the kids up and headed to grandma's to drop off the kidos so that Ryan and I could have a nice dinner at Stonewood Grill. It was so good and it is nice to spend time alone with Ryan...I most of the time have to fight 2 other girls for his attention. After dinner it was movie time at the dollar theatre. We seen the 'bucket list' and it was pretty good. We haven't seen a really good movie in a long time and have a horrible track record at picking bad ones so this was a nice change. When we got home G'ma & G'pa had the kids bathed & sleeping in there beds which was awesome! What a day!

Did I mention that Sunday is my 30th b-day? I guess that is the cause for all the fun stuff. I was completly terrified of turning the big 3 0 at the beginning of the year but have decided to embrace the decade instead. I look forward to it as possibly the best years of my life. I am so much more comfortable with myself now than I was in my early 20's that it has to make for a smoother period of life...right?!?!

I also have a huge praise report. Ryan and I are now debt free (except for our mortgage of course). We have been working really hard since mid-february and have sent our last payment out to become debt free once again. God has been so good to us and increased our faith tremendously through this whole experience. It is has been such a faith-builder and a lesson that if we are faithful with what we are given we will be returned it several times over.

I guess that is all for now. I will try and take some pics today and tomorrow so that I have some to post tomorrow. Have a great weekend!

Molly's Program

Molly had her first preschool program monday night. It was so cute and of course we got the whole thing on video but I have been trying since tuesday to upload it with many problems. I will continue to work on it and hopefully be able to post it soon. Just a warning before you get to view it though...you may want to take some motion sickness medication, it is looong, and she does pick her nose at one point. We are still so proud of her! This is a pic of her and her best pal Lily.

Molly & Lily also started her swimming lessons on Monday. She had so much fun and was actually going under and swimming after the first lesson. If you know Molly then you know this was nothing short of a miracle. She had been afraid of water in her face for almost her whole life and just like that the teacher turned that around. I am so glad that we decided to do the lessons as it will be well worth the money!

I am also posting some pics of the girls at the park on Sunday. They love to play at the park and so we met G'ma Dee Dee, Papaw Kevin, & Maddi on Sunday afternoon for some playtime. It was really nice under the tree but the girls were still sweating when we left.

I got our bikes in working order and on tuesday evening after dinner the whole famdamily went for a bike ride. It was really fun and the girls seemed to enjoy it. Hopefully we will make that an event that happens often. It was cooler because of the wind but we were all still sweaty when we got home. We went into a really nice area down the road with alot of ponds and we even spotted an alligator! Molly was a little bit scared because we could get so close (it had nothing to do with all of the teasing coming from her dad...ha, ha) but it really was cool to see him just swimming around out there in the lake. I don't know if Roz seen him or not. She was too busy singing away.

We went to mom's for dinner last night and Roz had her first ear of corn on the cob. I had forgot my camera but mom got a couple of good pics. I will post them as soon as I get copies.

One last photo from Roz. She loves the remote and here she had stole it and was 'lounging' on the chair.

I almost forgot

I almost forgot that I wanted to post the card that I made for Marcy on her birthday. Digital scrapbooking has definatly got me hooked. I just wish I had more time to play!

Another Week Gone...

Well this week came and went like a whirlwind as usual. It seems that when people are here visiting time just seems to fly by. We had a really good week and we hate to see them go but it will be good to get back to a normal routine...especially diet wise. We really let our healthy eating habits go out the window when Grandma Marcy is here. She is always offering cookies and treats and to be real honest we just can't resist. I guess everyone needs a little something sweet every once in a while right?!?! Ryan always labels the week after they leave as detox (ha, ha), as it is always hard to get back to fruits and veggies. We sure do enjoy the break that G'ma Marcy brings though! Thanks Marcy.

The humidity arrived with a bang this morning! I left to run around 6:30 and it felt like a brick wall when I opened the door. I think the temp was around 78 but the humidity was at 85%. I still had a decent run. I am practicing for a 5k next Saturday. My boss said that if I would like to run that he would sponsor me and I sure couldn't pass up that opportunity. It will be at Siesta Key on the beach so I am anxious to see what running in the sand does to my time. I am sure that it will be a challenge but I am really excited. Running is one of life's pleasures for me.

I have to mention my great luck on tuesday. Mom called to say that her neighbor set out 2 matching bikes for trash, and being the eagle eye that she is for that, stuff she snatched them up. She gave them to us and they are perfect. We will need to get some new seats but other than that they ride perfectly. On top of that she said that we could borrow her child carrier so that we now have 2 and can take the whole fam for rides. I can't wait!

So after dinner we were trying out the bikes and my neighbor was walking her dog. I asked her about a wicker furniture set that she had sitting outside her side garage door and she said that if I wanted it I could have it. Apparently it was her daughters and they were going to sell it at a yard sale but she told me to take it if I wanted it. I couldn't believe it! It is in great shape and much nicer than the set that I currently have. I made a deal with Renita that if she would buy the paint for me to repaint the new set that she could have my old set for her condo and she agreed! So of course I got right on that and now have a new, freshly painted, set of wicker furniture for the lania. It was a great day.

An finally a pic to cap things off. Roz was playing after lunch on Wednesday with the toys in the baskets under the tv table. She emptied all the toys and crawled into the basket before realizing that once in she couldn't get out. It was just so funny.

Molly starts swimming lessons on monday night. It should be fun and I look forward to her being able to swim better. It is just such a job to take both kids to the pool maybe this will help!

Until next time!

Molly & Roz are having so much fun with all of our company! Aunt Kay Kay is a real hit and today Molly asked me at breakfast why Uncle Kenny didn't come. I guess that she thinks that everyone should come visit her. We sure like having them around. The extra babysitters are super nice and I just enjoy being with family...especially when I get to cook and entertain!
We had to water/fertilize our flowers this morning and the girls had fun playing outside. Molly picked up my scraps to give to Grandma Marcy, Aunt Kay & Renita for Renita's condo. She said that it would make their place look "beautiful". Roz just enjoyed riding her toy and playing in the water that overflowed.


I went to run this morning early and the smoke smell from the wildfires buring here in Florida made me nausous. It is sooo dry here and they are not calling for rain anytime soon. They think that they might have caught the arsonist but the damage is already being done. It is horrible. Pray that we will get some rain soon.

Monday we went to an Irish restaurant in Venice for Marcy's birthday. It was really nice and the food was great. We took pictures but they are on Marcy's camera so I will try and post them this week.

Until next time.....

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope that everyone had as wonderful a mother's day as I did. It all started when Molly brought me breakfast in bed with my special gift that she made at preschool. She is so good about gift and giving. She looks so forward to any reason to celebrate! Then for lunch we had my mom, dad, heather, maddi, marcy, kay, renita and all of us at our house. It is a lot of fun for me to cook for everyone. It is actually a huge enjoyment to get to do that on mother's day for me. Everything went well and then the girls went to sleep and marcy, renita, kay and I headed to the nail salon for pedicures! What a treat! When we got home we ate leftovers and headed to the beach for a walk that turned into a swim for the girls. We seldom go to the beach because Roz just wants to eat the sand but she did really good this time. We had trouble getting her out of the water but it was fun. Here are some pics...

And I can't forget to tell you about Molly's Diva Day! She went with Grandma Dee Dee and Maddi to a fund raiser at Abundant Life Chruch and came home a complete diva! She had such a good time getting her hair done, a pedicure & manicure and temporary tattoos. She is definately all girl!

Have a great week!

Pictures to Share!

Well what is a post without pics right? I felt bad about posting last night without putting any pics on so here I am again. This is Roz's new hairstyle. Really though, her hair is at that really akward stage and we don't know what to do with it most times. The next pic I put it in a rubberband and Ryan was not real crazy about it. What do guys know anyway....

She loves to play in the pack in play not so much because she can't get out but because Molly can't get in. They do so good together most of the time but Roz really enjoys her own space once in a while. Molly is in to coloring. Aunt Shawna and Allison sent her the huge coloring book for her birthday and she only has a few pictures left to color in it. Everyone that walks in the door she asks them to color with her.

I guess that is the girl coming out! She loves to wear dresses and skirts and rarely puts on a pair of shorts or pants. I don't mind...I think it looks great. By the way, she didn't have that horrible of a night and I think that the cold is subsiding already...Praise God! Rozlyn discovered that toilet paper is on a roll now and all she wants to do is unroll it. I have caught her 3 times since last night. I couldn't resist the picture though.

Aren't they just precious! And this is my last picture so here goes...Molly has found it really fun lately (I'm sure because of her own birthday) to throw birthday parties for all of her dolls and animals. Here is a picture of her and her dad at Sheila's (the stuffed cat) party.

She is going to be a great mommy one day. Her dad is an awesome dad too...what a sport. I have to give him credit for all of the 'girly' things that he does in order to spend time with our kids. I do have to mention though that Molly would rather 'wrestle' with her dad than do just about anything else, and Roz is coming along with the same ideas. What a dad!!! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and Happy Mother's Day to all!!!!

I am so excited about Mandy Ash helping me to set up a new looking blog. She is so good! I just love all the ones that she helped to set up! Maybe someday I will be able to do one myself...ha, ha! Well we have had a good run of health but Molly has got a cold from somewhere. It really stinks when your kids are sick! I hate it that she doesn't feel good and just wish that it was me. I also hate it that no one gets any sleep! Well I guess that is a good indication that I should be in bed rather than doing this. One last thing...Molly's seeds have sprouted! Bless her heart she was so excited. I hope they grow into beautiful flowers before too long.

Well I have to admit that I am hooked. I think this blogging is awesome but I can't quite figure out how to redo my site. Hopefully I can get some help in the next few days. Everything is pretty good here in sunny florida. It is getting warmer everyday and my morning jogs are getting a lighter and hotter everyday. I sure won't complain though as I do love the weather here. Molly and I planted some seeds that aunt Karla sent her today. Hopefully they will sprout before our company is comes next week. Grandma Marcy, Aunt Kay and Aunt Renita will be arriving late on Saturday night and staying for a week. We look forward to seeing them all! Roz is walking everywhere now although she is still somewhat unsteady. It is just so cute to watch her. Boy it does go so quickly. I also posted a picture of our house since so many of our friends and family have never had a chance to visit. It is cozy and all that we need for this period in our lives. Until next time......

Roz is finally walking! She still forgets and crawls from time to time so we have to remind her by saying "Roz, stand up and walk" and she will. She is such a stinker. I think that she has been mad at me all week for leaving her last weekend while Ryan, Molly and I went to Disney. She had a great time with Grandma Dee Dee but was mad at me none-the-less. Molly had a wonderful time at Disney. She got to meet all of the princesses, be a part of the play for storytime with Belle and all the other fun things for 4 year olds to do at Disney. It was a lot of fun for Ryan and I as well since neither one of us had been there before. Our hotel was super nice too and Molly said several times that it was the most wonderful birthday ever! I am so glad she enjoyed it.