tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48543663280388605722024-03-05T17:17:26.253-06:00The EnlundsAbbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.comBlogger480125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-80564559414178403682013-03-17T19:14:00.000-05:002013-03-17T19:14:57.238-05:00the making of our swing-set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Grandpa and Nana came over on Saturday morning to start the ridiculously tedious process of putting together our new swing set. Now, what you should know is that when Chris and I started talking about swing sets a month ago we BOTH decided that paying to it delivered and assembled would be the way to go. To us a couple hundred bucks is worth avoiding the loss of a weekend and the huge headache of putting it together ourselves. And then we found the swing set at Sams, super cute, big enough for our girls to use for years and very affordable. But they don't have assembly as an option. Damn. Well, we thought for sure some pieces would be put together and it would come at least partially assembled. Not a chance! I am not kidding people every board, bolt, screw and piece of plastic was separate. We could not believe it! </div>
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Anyway, we got started. </div>
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Avery (and Sam at different times) had to test out the slide.<br />
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Avery also wanted to help sweep up our mess...<br />
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which apparently turned her into a witch!</div>
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Here is our progress after day one! </div>
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And here we are at 2:30 today!! I could not believe that Chris and I powered through it and got it done today. The girls could not have been more excited.<br />
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And I am one happy momma, knowing that once again I can open the door and send them out for hours of fresh air, imaginative play and exercise! </div>
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Next step...customize their little cottage to become the best mud kitchen ever!<br />
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Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-31438713080828668082013-03-04T15:43:00.001-06:002013-03-04T15:43:17.890-06:00i got a jobI am getting my foot in the door. I am doing something for me! Starting tomorrow I am a working mom, at least for three months. After a lot of randomly sending my resume out to people that seemed to have connections to environmental education in the Peoria area I actually peaked someone's interest! There was a part time biology lab technician position open at Bradley and they thought I might be interested in it. Now, it has been since my freshman year of undergrad that I have graced a biology lab but the professors in charge of the position said that what they really needed was someone for just three months (that is the time left on the grant funding for the position) with grant writing, publication writing, networking and administrative experience. And I have all of that! Plus, the two professors that are in charge of this position play pretty major roles at Bradley, one of them is the co-director of the STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics) Education Center at Bradley, which does a TON of great teacher education programs and outreach programs with the area public schools. I am honored to be able to work with both of them and show them what I can do. So, is this my dream job? Nope. BUT showing them what I am capable of may help me land an awesome job somewhere down the line at Bradley. This job is just from now until May 31st. That gives me three months to show them I am awesome and that they just <i>have</i> to hire me back for a teaching or program development position in the very near future!!<br />
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On the flip side...me going back to work means my girls are going into full time care two days a week. And then my amazing new neighbor will keep the girls for me on Fridays. That is three days a week that they are in the care of someone else. It is crazy that I have been praying, begging and striving to get a job for two months and now that I have one (and start tomorrow!) the mommy guilt is almost overwhelming. Why am I doing this to myself? Why for once can't I just be confident about my decision, know that my girls will be fine (better than fine probably) and this will be good for all of us? AHHH! Well, too late to turn back now.<br />
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Our life changes big time tomorrow!Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-17675976952398869672013-02-11T19:01:00.002-06:002013-02-11T19:01:46.785-06:00our saturday morning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It is kind of becoming the standard around here to get up on Saturday morning have a big breakfast and then find a new trail to tackle! We are finally all healthy which means we can really get out and enjoy some outside time. </div>
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There are so many reasons that we love our time on the trails. It is fun to watch our girl's personalities really come out. Sam loves to be the leader, to spot things that are coming up and help Avery down steep parts. Avery likes to take her time. She gets excited when I get excited about something and wants to learn about the things I point out. Chris gets a kick (or is totally embarrassed depending on the day!) out of my extreme excitement over little things. What, every mom doesn't burst with joy when you happen upon an owl pellet?<br />
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And now that our girls are big enough and can be ahead of us on the trail, Chris and I really get some great time to chat and be together.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvqA7bs42SoOnODIfq3dLSYZtF9tf_QEX4Ztr2mKa-jSB7IHSOW4XUanvyVdr2VXmZo1aLJHNV_m9bFzEjyQ9o2ZWzqvm_oxmFysusJ3Z6IdUlPWB92y-5l41ZgvISE3SIDE0gani8dMp/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvqA7bs42SoOnODIfq3dLSYZtF9tf_QEX4Ztr2mKa-jSB7IHSOW4XUanvyVdr2VXmZo1aLJHNV_m9bFzEjyQ9o2ZWzqvm_oxmFysusJ3Z6IdUlPWB92y-5l41ZgvISE3SIDE0gani8dMp/s320/004.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
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But the thing I love the most about the fact that we hit the trails so often is what we are teaching our girls. A lot of people would not think of central Illinois as a naturally beautiful place. It probably isn't most people's favorite place to go for a hike or go camping. But my girls are learning to find natural beauty EVERYWHERE! They can spot hawks and song birds in our subdivision backyard. A simple stream with a little bit of ice is as exciting as a rushing river. The little things to them are beautiful, fascinating and wild! I love that I get excited about tracks, bird songs, scat and other simple things while we hike, and I hope that my girls can hang on to that excitement as adults as well.<br />
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And when hiking with little kids it never hurts to have a brightly colored surprise waiting for them at the end! Can you spot the playground? Because my kids did!! </div>
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Through her teeth Sam was saying "get closer, get closer"! So here she is up CLOSE!<br />
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Happy family time!Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-80257060846789832302013-02-05T15:36:00.000-06:002013-02-05T15:36:00.726-06:00a winter hikeWe all just needed to get outside. Cold temps with no snow (snow always makes it more fun to be outside in the cold) and illness plaguing me and Avery for almost a month now has kept us indoors way too much this winter.<br />
Saturday we decided that we just didn't care anymore. We were going hiking! Chris looked on the map and found a spot to explore that was not too far away but looked like it had some neat stuff to check out.<br />
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We are very excited to have found this park! The trail that we hiked followed a creek and crossed over it with fun bridges an incredible number of times. Are bridges fun for all kids or is it just mine that go crazy every time they see one? It was an easy hike but still had lots to look at and having a playground at the end is always a plus!<br />
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We had just watched the kid's movie "Gruffalo" and "Gruffalo's Child" which are books we love. So while we were on the hike we kept taking turns pretending to be the big scary Gruffalo that was chasing the rest of us around. Makes for a fun game on the trail.<br />
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Some parts were steep and Sam was glad she had her snow pants on so she could just slide down the hills.<br />
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Even with not much snow there were still lots of new tracks to find and some really great icicles along the creek.<br />
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Yippee another bridge!<br />
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Someone left some Valentine art along the trail! The girls loved discovering this and adding their own hearts to the tree trunk.<br />
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Picture is not great but there were some neat icicles in there! Man do I need a zoom on my camera or what?!<br />
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Who doesn't love an old fashioned teeter-totter?!<br />
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The adventure was really great and much needed by all of us. There is just something about family time spent outside exploring. Well, for me there is nothing better!<br />
<br />Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-80309149016929095542013-02-04T15:17:00.000-06:002013-02-04T15:17:07.554-06:00bird dayI got inspired last week by <a href="http://prudentbaby.com/2010/08/baby-kid/birds-binoculars-breakfast-trail-mix-2/">this mom</a> to have a full out Bird Day! So the night before I did a little prep and then the next morning my girls were surprised with all kinds of bird fun.<br />
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We started out by eating like birds. I talked with the girls about how birds eat lots of different things (insects, seeds, nuts, berries, worms, etc.) and how they have to find only the things that they like even though there might be lots of food to choose from in a prairie, forest or even at a bird feeder. Then I handed them their morning snack.<br />
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I mixed together craisins, raisins, cheerios, peanuts and Chow Mein noodles. I even had the little chinese take out boxes to put it in (but a baggie or bowl would work just fine too).<br />
Then I gave them each their own set of binoculars and explained that they were going on an indoor bird scavenger hunt. I used all Illinois birds (many of which we see at our backyard feeders) but you could find pictures of any kind of bird you wanted. I gave them a check list sheet and then cut out bigger pictures of the same birds and taped those up around the house.<br />
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The big bird pictures were taped in low spots and high spots! The girls had a really great time with this and had be re-hide the birds several times that day.<br />
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I also hung up this piece of paper by the window that faces all of our feeders. I told them that for each bird they spotted outside they could put one more sticker on the paper. It was great to see how often they came back to check the feeders! I love finding ways to encourage them to bird watch.<br />
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We made owl masks too! Which of course lead to a lot of running (or flying) around pretending to be owls.<br />
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We read a lot of bird books that day as well! I don't do fully planned days like this very often but when I do the girls always get so into each activity. I love that. I think an animal day might be on our agenda very soon.<br />
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Happy Monday!Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-35589799999905257252013-01-28T17:18:00.001-06:002013-01-28T17:18:43.794-06:00dinner prepSometimes dinner prep looks like this at our house...<br />
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Where I have to fight for counter space just to get the meal made!<br />
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But tonight, with both girls still not feeling great (Avery has this cough and congestion that just won't leave!) all they wanted to do was make a pretend bed on the floor and read books. Too cute.<br />
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Happy Monday!Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-28453607488077332382013-01-23T18:03:00.000-06:002013-01-23T18:03:15.640-06:00my daysMy life is my kids. Wow...that is a statement that the 20 year old Abbie would have NEVER thought would happen. In fact, back then I told almost everyone I met that I didn't think I would ever have kids.<br />
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11 years sure changes a person. Or does it?<br />
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I love my kids. Period. But I don't think being a stay at home mom is what He put me here to do. I know there is more to my story, more in my future and other challenges that lie ahead. But for now I am being challenged to take on this role of stay at home mom. A role that so many people (you online blogging moms know who you are!) make look so easy. A job that I struggle to survive on a daily basis. But we get through each day, Sam, Avery and I. We grow together, we learn, we laugh, we fight and we love everyday.<br />
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Once again being in a new town with no friends and no support system makes this stay at home mom job even that much harder. And while I was really feeling like I had a handle on all of it back in Waunakee, now, here in this unfamiliar place I am floundering again. I am struggling.<br />
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SO, I am trying my best to dive head first into my job as mom. If this is what I am meant to do right now, then let me do it with my WHOLE self. The girls are not in school right now so we fill our days with some interesting stuff. We have swim lessons, a science class and a library program that help get us out of the house. But most of the time we are here at home.<br />
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And here is what that looks like!<br />
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My girls love workbooks. We spend quite a lot of time at the kitchen counter doing "school work".<br />
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And crafting is a must, which means my dining room table is more often used like this than for eating.<br />
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Reading is a daily (maybe hourly?) thing. There are books in every room but the front room is our "library".<br />
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The basement is reserved for the times when they are bouncing off the walls and need to run (or ride or scooter) off some energy. I kind of love having this huge unfinished space right now.<br />
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We play princesses A LOT! The princess castle is always crowded with creatures of all kinds. It doesn't really matter what size or kind, anyone is welcome at a party at the castle.<br />
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And no Ariel is not hanging herself...Sam made a swing in the ballroom!<br />
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We play "school" (shhh...my kids haven't caught on that they are really learning and not just pretending! ha!) with our new magnet board.<br />
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And we do projects! </div>
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Lots and lots...</div>
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of projects. </div>
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All of that fills our days, teaches my girls, keeps them happy, growing and playing. But it doesn't fulfill me. Keeping them happy, fed and in a clean house doesn't make me feel happy.<br />
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Sam will start full time kindergarten in the Fall and Avery will go to preschool at least part time. I am hoping at that point to go back to work full time. Which means I have seven months. And I need to enjoy these seven months. I need to soak up every minute of this time with my girls. They are little and won't be for much longer.<br />
But I just can't get my heart and attitude to match with what my head knows I <i>should</i> do. I just can't be happy in the <b>here</b> and the <b>now. </b>As my parents use to tell me quite often growing up, I need an attitude adjustment! If only I knew how to do that...Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-69123150367086640782013-01-16T07:18:00.000-06:002013-01-16T07:18:01.331-06:00our god-daughter We are honored and blessed to be a part of this little lady's life!<br />
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Quinn Harper Grabski was baptized this past weekend and we are her God parents. Which means the world to me!<br />
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We have known Brandon and Traci from the first day that they met and they are (and forever will be!) some of our closest friends.<br />
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We had a really great time celebrating Quinn and just relaxing in their new house (they recently moved too, which meant we spent a lot of the weekend venting and comparing move notes!). Sam could not get enough of Quinn, she and I were pretty much fighting over who got to hold her all weekend.<br />
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Being a Godmother is a big deal to me. My sister and I had really great godparents growing up. They always sent us cards, were at all the big moments in our lives and were there for us whenever we needed someone. I am excited that I get to play that role for Quinn.<br />
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<br />Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-56075519469805486642013-01-07T13:21:00.000-06:002013-01-07T13:21:32.176-06:00my baby turned 3I don't know how it is even possible that I have a three year old. It really does feel like I was driving down University Ave on the way to the hospital to give birth just a few days ago. But she is a strong, independent and creative three year old. She still has a little bit of baby in her (refusing to potty train all the way, her addiction to her pacifier and lots of cuddle time still required) which I know some of it needs to go away very soon. But for now we are just loving every little bit of her.<br />
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This year we celebrated her birthday with my parents and cousins. I started her birthday off with a birthday surprise on her door.<br />
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I used saran-wrap and painters tape to fill the space in front of her door with balloons. Then when she opened the door the balloons would fall into her room on top of her. Now there is currently so much static in our house that the balloons did not fall on her quite the way I hoped they would but she was still super surprised and excited by all the balloons.<br />
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There was lots of outdoor play time over the weekend in the little bit of snow that we had left.<br />
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And then of course there were presents and cake!<br />
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This present was from Avery's cousin Bailey. It is a "color your own puzzle" puzzle. And Bailey clearly spent a lot of time working on this gift. Avery and Sam have both done this puzzle probably a dozen times. It is truly a very special gift.<br />
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One thing we got Avery is a tiger umbrella. She loved it and Parker was so happy for her! I just love the look on Parker's face!<br />
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A happy little birthday girl!!</div>
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My baby is growing up way too fast! Every birthday I really get a great reminder of just how fast they grow and how I need to treasure and enjoy every day that I have with them while they are still young. Hold them more, cuddle more, tickle and laugh more, play more and read more. I need to yell less, be stressed and in a hurry less and have more patience with my little ones. I need to be their biggest cheerleader, their best teacher and the mom they can't get enough of!<br />
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Happy Third Birthday Avery. I love you very much!Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-60464781661728260112013-01-01T14:09:00.000-06:002013-01-01T14:09:00.136-06:00a little winter hikingHappy New Year!!<br />
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Cold temps and snow do not stop us from getting out on the trail to explore. I saw a weather report that had temps in the 30s and knew that we had to get outside!<br />
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And we had a great time. Throwing sticks off of bridges and listening for the sound they made when they hit the bottom. Finding a stream with beautiful ice frozen in some places and water flowing in other places.<br />
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And we found a very fun "bouncy" log. The girls pushed it down and watched as it bounced back up for quite a while. Then they tried to see if they could push it all the way to the ground. Avery didn't get the memo from Sam that it was time to let go and move back. And poor Avery caught the "bouncy" log in the nose! Tears faded more quickly then the red nose did!<br />
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I love hiking with my girls at this age. Is their whining and very slow walking at times? Yes. But they are also so excited about the smallest things. It is also really fun to see their personalities come out on the trail.<br />
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Here is my leader...blazing the trail and seeing just how far away from mom and Avery she can get.<br />
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And then there is Avery. My slow mover, my stops to look at everything and picks up everything girl. There is not anything on the trail that she isn't interested in exploring!<br />
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And she still loves to hold my hand while we hike...which I love and am enjoying for as long as it lasts.<br />
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Now that we have moved further south I am excited to have more days during the winter months that we can still get out for long hikes and outdoor exploring. <br />
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<br />Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-7352205535669006872012-12-31T13:29:00.000-06:002012-12-31T13:29:37.323-06:00a little glitter goes a long way!Some very special people will have a handmade card coming there way in the next week or so.<br />
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The girls and I started working on our Christmas present thank you cards. I am not sure if other parents still have their kids send thank you cards but I grew up doing them and think it is an important lesson for my kiddos. So, we got to work making some cute, crafty thank you notes to send to family and friends.<br />
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We started by making snow flakes.<br />
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Then glued the snowflakes onto a piece of folded over construction paper. We mixed glue and glitter together and "painted" the snowflakes with the glitter/glue mixture. This was definitely the girls favorite part.<br />
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They loved the finished covers. Now I just have to sit down with them and get them (I say them but really Sam will have to do all the writing!) to write the little thank you note on the inside. Not sure they will be as excited about this part!<br />
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Do you have your kids do thank you notes? Or is this completely old fashioned?<br />
<br />Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-64206893851236682862012-12-26T19:28:00.001-06:002012-12-26T19:28:56.638-06:00The Pieces of our ChristmasAs always there are pieces missing because I am not always great about remembering the camera. So not pictured are our wonderful Christmas celebration with Nana and Grandpa (hoping Grandpa will share his photos!!), a full family picture all dressed up for Christmas Eve, pictures of our great night out looking at Christmas lights in St. Louis and pictures of the girls delivering cookies to our new neighbors. But here are the pieces of our Christmas that I did capture.<br />
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Our Tree<br />
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Christmas cookie making. Sam was <i>actually</i> a big help this year!<br />
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Hanging with the cousins.<br />
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A snowflake project that became great decorations for Grandma's door.<br />
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Eve eve with LOTS of extended family!<br />
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Christmas morning. Santa did not disappoint! Doll wardrobe for Sam and a shopping cart for Avery.<br />
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Then Christmas morning with the cousins, Pawpaw and Grandma.<br />
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Pawpaw got a guitar!</div>
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We are settling back at home with all the new toys. We had a busy and fun holiday season! Hope you all did too. And be on the look out for our "Christmas Card" coming to your house sometime in January!!Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-38264622256233907222012-12-19T14:22:00.000-06:002012-12-19T14:22:00.657-06:00some fun recent photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-68753581425778375952012-12-18T14:07:00.000-06:002012-12-18T14:07:19.786-06:00settled?People keep asking if we are settled yet or settled into the new house yet. But honestly...I am not sure how to answer that. I love our new house. Our stuff is mostly unpacked. A few of my things are hung on walls and the girls are having a great time rediscovering their toys. The neighborhood seems filled with young kids and young families. But is all that what it takes to feel settled? When all of your things are in order and unpacked have you created a home?<br />
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I just don't think so. I think I need friends. A church. Friends for my kids. And a community that I know my way around. It's all that stuff that fills my heart with love and makes a new place feel like home. We had that in Stevens Point and more quickly than I ever expected we had all of that in Waunakee. I know I will find it again in Peoria but it takes time.<br />
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So, I guess to answer the question "are we settled in yet?" I would say "I am working on it and probably will be for quite some time".<br />
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If you are totally lost with what I am talking about (since I have not been on here since September!) let me fill you in a bit!<br />
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July - Chris took a new job in Peoria, IL<br />
August - Chris left WI and during the week lived out of his parents house commuting to work an hour each way to Peoria, IL. The girls and I stayed in WI to sell our home.<br />
September - Girls went to school, Chris worked and our house didn't sell.<br />
October - Girls went to school, Chris worked and our house didn't sell.<br />
November - Girls went to school, Chris worked, OUR HOUSE SOLD, we became homeless, found a new home and took a vacation to Cabo.<br />
December - We moved into our new home in Dunlap, IL.<br />
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Now you are all caught up! Enough for today but I have decided to be back at this space a bit more regularly. So hopefully I will have recent photos and updates coming soon.Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-71899350790481487302012-09-04T10:06:00.001-05:002012-09-04T10:06:28.808-05:00first day of schoolSam started 4K (which is four year old kindergarten) today and Avery started preschool today! Both girls are in school!!! Woohoo! <br />
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Sam will be in school everyday in the mornings and Avery will go two mornings a week. I will have six hours a week with no kids! That is amazing.<br />
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Anyway, wanted to show off the girls this morning.<br />
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First day of school breakfast. </div>
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Avery did not want to open her eyes.</div>
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And my choice in spot to take the photo was not so great because of the shadows, bummer. </div>
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Outside their school, ready to go!</div>
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My girls are at school right now and hopefully doing great! Can't wait to hear all the stories about their first day.Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-69739680206467691572012-08-27T19:45:00.001-05:002012-08-27T19:45:45.380-05:00her new hairBoth girls were suppose to get haircuts today but Avery squirmed a bit too much and was not so happy. So I gave up on cutting that much of her hair. But she doesn't really have that much hair, so oh well.<br />
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Sam on the other hand has A LOT of hair and has wanted it cut short for a long time. Today she got her wish! And was super excited to show it off for the camera.<br />
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And now she can't wait for school to start and show off her new look to all her friends! </div>
Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-18964809885133932642012-08-21T16:52:00.002-05:002012-08-21T16:52:55.560-05:00we miss you daddy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Just a few photos from our day to show Chris what the girls are up to! </div>
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Happy Tuesday! </div>
Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-21089236307941302402012-08-19T19:55:00.000-05:002012-08-19T19:55:41.051-05:00some old pics and updates about me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Catching up on posting some photos here...yay its been quite a few months since I stopped by. But lots of changes are happening in our life and I want to start blogging personal stuff again and not so much the environmental education stuff that I have been blogging over at Greening Sam and Avery. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sam getting her cast off at the beginning of August! </span></div>
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Tonight is my first night with no Chris. He took a job in IL and has moved down there already. The girls and I are staying up in WI to take care of the house and keep their lives as stable as we can for now. Not sure how long we are going to do the long distance thing with Chris. He is living during the week with his parents and driving each day about an hour (each way) to get to work. Then on the weekend either he will come up here or we will go down there. </div>
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I am NOT excited about being apart. And neither are the girls. It took quite a while to calm them both down today when he left and they have asked lots of questions tonight about where he is, why he is gone and when he is coming home. They are just so little and are not understanding the big changes that are going to be happening soon.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Super dark cause I had to hold Sam's hand and keep her calm, so I must have messed something up in the settings. But this is the only shot I have of her getting the cast cut off. Tilt your screen around to see the image!)</span></div>
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Of course I will miss Chris while he is gone during the week and not having help in the evenings will suck for sure, but I think the hardest part is going to be trying to explain all of this to the girls. Even though we have completely explained the whole situation to Sam she still asks everyday some random question about the move, the new house, the new town, etc. And she makes statements about her future at her school and with friends here that make me think she still doesn't really get that we are leaving. I feel like they forget that we are leaving and then when I have to remind them, we relive the pain and sadness they feel all over again each time. And now they are missing their dad on top of that.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Avery was shocked and speechless when she watched the saw take the cast off of Sam's arm!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Poor Sam was left with a horrible rash and a few larger open sores caused by her waterproof cast. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A happy Sam was very ready to throw that cast away! I even tried to convince her to keep it but she refused. </span></div>
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It is only the first night of no Chris but I am already feeling the frustration. It is what we have to do right now and I know we will survive and get past it soon enough...but it doesn't mean I have to like it! </div>
Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-28183343438546156772012-05-22T20:31:00.000-05:002012-05-22T20:31:15.994-05:00laying out her clothesSo each morning Sam asks me to lay out her clothes so she can see how her outfit will look. Totally ridiculous but it takes less than a minute so it isn't worth a fight and most mornings I lay her clothes out to create "make a Sam on the floor".<br />
Today when I was done putting the girls down for nap and cleaning up the kitchen I found this on the floor in the family room.<br />
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Complete with a crown, earrings and ring! She laid out her post-nap outfit.<br />
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This is a moment I don't ever want to forget because I have a feeling this will be a phase that will pass quickly. And it is adorable!Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-44493756013186399502012-05-06T18:26:00.002-05:002012-05-06T18:26:43.320-05:00a little more from our family weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think we made it through the four days without Chris with only one major tantrum (Sam, not Avery), which for us right now is pretty incredible. Sam really loved being "helpful" with Chester and just couldn't get enough of seeing him smile and laugh. Pretty sure she drove her Aunt Lori nuts asking over and over again if she could hold him. Lots of cuddles, laughs, good catching up and watching the cousins play. Uncle Chris and Daddy Chris were both missed a lot. We can't wait till we can all be together again.<br />
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Chris has an exam coming up on Thursday so please keep him in your thoughts and prayers this week.<br />
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Hope you all had a great weekend!Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-7199890069571355242012-05-04T22:14:00.001-05:002012-05-04T22:14:05.503-05:00cousin ChesterWe got to spend some time with the girl's cousin Chester today. Oh how I have missed this little man!<br />
I hate that we live half a country away. The girls really loved <strike>tormenting</strike> playing with him. It was really sweet to see how much Sam wanted to play with him and be near him. She thought he was so much fun and went to bed tonight telling me all about what she couldn't wait to do with him tomorrow.<br />
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Here are a few shots that I got from today.<br />
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<br />Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-21291472016011017872012-05-03T21:56:00.001-05:002012-05-03T21:56:39.796-05:00the hot tubHanging out in the hot tub at Nana and Grandpa's house.<br />
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She swam around in it just like a little pool!Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-87651142818869111122012-05-01T20:12:00.000-05:002012-05-01T20:12:16.030-05:00EasterWell, it's only May! That means that Easter was...well a long time ago. Oops.<br />
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But better late than never I suppose.<br />
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We played,<br />
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decorated eggs,<br />
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found Easter baskets,<br />
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got new cubbies hats,<br />
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hunted for Easter eggs,<br />
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and wore our Easter best!<br />
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We had a great time hiking, playing and celebrating with Nana and Grandpa.<br />
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Hope you all had a great Easter weekend.<br />
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<br />Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-66431615090860865262012-04-02T20:59:00.000-05:002012-04-02T20:59:29.952-05:00The Princess PartySam turned four! And I was the best mom in the world making her little princess dreams come true with a completely store bought Princess birthday party. I fought all my urges to try and do something outside, something that involved hiking or a picnic. And instead we played princess games, dress up like princesses and ran around the house playing with balloons.<br />
Sam loved every minute of it!!<br />
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First, the decorations. I didn't buy all the decorations that the store had to offer, instead I decided to decorate the main party rooms with all of the princess stuff that we already had. (Thanks to my sister for this idea. She did something similar, but in a much cuter way with horses for my niece!)<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">This is where the ice cream sundae bar was located.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQtutkHA5qsk9f59GG5vHSU_VdEqaLcNRTmmeBNwUH2iyB8A5CWvlEzJOz-5JFTopyZ_dchzKdIBK9I853FSCuTnrlLTyoaiC0c9aGY4OcIJdRpNdztb10V7-5ftUfNFQa3gffy2vflg/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQtutkHA5qsk9f59GG5vHSU_VdEqaLcNRTmmeBNwUH2iyB8A5CWvlEzJOz-5JFTopyZ_dchzKdIBK9I853FSCuTnrlLTyoaiC0c9aGY4OcIJdRpNdztb10V7-5ftUfNFQa3gffy2vflg/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48dNX5_uiO5ENXIhS0pJuRFnzY2ilrNn8QKUZd74PBcZISDzaU6LTLihAv5NpeJOR5i4imt2_2M9GMMscuIyFwbD4UJvOXEBv7CjTQ_mkHhy7fbKJbBs2ho06dWUnMy9FjmNs-WMznJA/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48dNX5_uiO5ENXIhS0pJuRFnzY2ilrNn8QKUZd74PBcZISDzaU6LTLihAv5NpeJOR5i4imt2_2M9GMMscuIyFwbD4UJvOXEBv7CjTQ_mkHhy7fbKJbBs2ho06dWUnMy9FjmNs-WMznJA/s320/009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQXrgpET3dSE-_EcFI91WfkPZjKi9629ydHFiYbUq_N87CZg3b2DliEEvyPvU4RNdEr3xTvIjR-lk8ezF4z3CQiYqmmzojimWSRRd30A-5Nzy3rYZuVvI8kM-kC2nJL2ltUGatuC5kMY/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQXrgpET3dSE-_EcFI91WfkPZjKi9629ydHFiYbUq_N87CZg3b2DliEEvyPvU4RNdEr3xTvIjR-lk8ezF4z3CQiYqmmzojimWSRRd30A-5Nzy3rYZuVvI8kM-kC2nJL2ltUGatuC5kMY/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The Big Four Year Old Birthday Girl!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJZXKV6oe0Uo5FIaabj1B6LlOQu1NXSyOJcJ3x7nLd9vS0NY9uzTKaF99-F1irc1b3fn8SJgNeN1oLWjQfsNxIRdPlHh2i-REcZMG3f2Lsp9_E2CHuTHPQLS8G38igfVY63hbZr2HBG0/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJZXKV6oe0Uo5FIaabj1B6LlOQu1NXSyOJcJ3x7nLd9vS0NY9uzTKaF99-F1irc1b3fn8SJgNeN1oLWjQfsNxIRdPlHh2i-REcZMG3f2Lsp9_E2CHuTHPQLS8G38igfVY63hbZr2HBG0/s320/011.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Her good friend Madison.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUij7SRD59hRzaTK5yDFDG8KI2mWDVTunGgivBmwe41kPCVp8irT3-Qq9PEG62UrTbuzFNrvk3RpfxYnnAh4BZwmJcolzEWji431jE8F4W_LK4_EjZby8qKdYaX0qcoz3wjjXGVh3Y-YQ/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUij7SRD59hRzaTK5yDFDG8KI2mWDVTunGgivBmwe41kPCVp8irT3-Qq9PEG62UrTbuzFNrvk3RpfxYnnAh4BZwmJcolzEWji431jE8F4W_LK4_EjZby8qKdYaX0qcoz3wjjXGVh3Y-YQ/s320/014.JPG" width="212" /></a>Av</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Taylor, who is really Avery's friend. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYwjfEc1Pof2DBIN_mYH05hg9USn6K82y0TG4dk-3AIBfHmrwLHZLUHuEAQOD8UfpMch0y7SOYo-l8BlFSbQ41rr6GtxHInP8MT8j5ycHl2xVQG1965bkw5aOgSjwe0HXJmvkha4YZEM/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYwjfEc1Pof2DBIN_mYH05hg9USn6K82y0TG4dk-3AIBfHmrwLHZLUHuEAQOD8UfpMch0y7SOYo-l8BlFSbQ41rr6GtxHInP8MT8j5ycHl2xVQG1965bkw5aOgSjwe0HXJmvkha4YZEM/s320/015.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> All the princesses and one prince!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTBJPKMpWOt_A2hD_mkO3mXGDvFhgbisZdXog2mo_l5Qr1sHPHNJIh1orCfudGa2cndyUS_LFZew8_ZrC1XkLHFpXxoNfiAESb6ZTWJfmu8XfCSBobEH9tzYJBGbVkAQboOyeBiG6gYg/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTBJPKMpWOt_A2hD_mkO3mXGDvFhgbisZdXog2mo_l5Qr1sHPHNJIh1orCfudGa2cndyUS_LFZew8_ZrC1XkLHFpXxoNfiAESb6ZTWJfmu8XfCSBobEH9tzYJBGbVkAQboOyeBiG6gYg/s320/016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisd_Qy82VnAbIZcGsKwhPQHOG7_BuqYK864iuV4s-Fllt-btNt6Vhi4gOucTZ2gYK0bUSxMlEZ71CkzWDSVdYEHB3bxzFmRR-AgKhZeNWf5HozY71v5TDRO0aimqKxboSk4b8N2Ak1Jno/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisd_Qy82VnAbIZcGsKwhPQHOG7_BuqYK864iuV4s-Fllt-btNt6Vhi4gOucTZ2gYK0bUSxMlEZ71CkzWDSVdYEHB3bxzFmRR-AgKhZeNWf5HozY71v5TDRO0aimqKxboSk4b8N2Ak1Jno/s320/019.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPyG1JKfjc35Mm63CMhGzO-ROQMET-faqJGBL-pckIBD3hebh5rVEfp1A1AJFBoHSSzuQGnCaoUN_LRf7mKFlPsmOlr5lmKjlSFvuLnV4Vud8lhPKmlyuzJDUpboZWZ1yYj_q_lvwR7E/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPyG1JKfjc35Mm63CMhGzO-ROQMET-faqJGBL-pckIBD3hebh5rVEfp1A1AJFBoHSSzuQGnCaoUN_LRf7mKFlPsmOlr5lmKjlSFvuLnV4Vud8lhPKmlyuzJDUpboZWZ1yYj_q_lvwR7E/s320/021.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I couldn't believe it actually worked out that Sam got the ribbon that opened up the pinata. And even better that before that every kid had a chance to pull one ribbon off!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6f-rJTJxsPWB5lGaCe278K96jcMkjQkMYXtFWdCKgElxHt8PrpsbVWstbwNy4rMdawPOyKbc8HfuP1Cy6hpZpfLGxBGwqqtGEL9ByvbTzLnNsyhvlLsLh7P8way7X58uWhsrvAEPzrA/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6f-rJTJxsPWB5lGaCe278K96jcMkjQkMYXtFWdCKgElxHt8PrpsbVWstbwNy4rMdawPOyKbc8HfuP1Cy6hpZpfLGxBGwqqtGEL9ByvbTzLnNsyhvlLsLh7P8way7X58uWhsrvAEPzrA/s320/022.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnG3OHWyWAKM7Xvgk1Ul0hp7fuDeiZSRYwYskLhKMdODT4eejC5BWbjr5UdkKoZA877-JDbChcm0oylX6yAdrKPifwJj7gAXzq9MR4tlWdoEofZ5GroAoFWV9SzCRHnWayemuAV17zvpM/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnG3OHWyWAKM7Xvgk1Ul0hp7fuDeiZSRYwYskLhKMdODT4eejC5BWbjr5UdkKoZA877-JDbChcm0oylX6yAdrKPifwJj7gAXzq9MR4tlWdoEofZ5GroAoFWV9SzCRHnWayemuAV17zvpM/s320/024.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The ice cream was a big hit!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihty5sE1sAh4I0PpuMczEsNLhfEIfyl1hYwm3RXlf9hy1Aq68CbUo_Ktsm7fqagVw7rQs3n270aJ0sByl1FFoE8ZWsPuQwetCULQ3Lu9To99gFpyyDYOCwXWbuiwgPjmzvZ-FvXJehzmM/s1600/028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihty5sE1sAh4I0PpuMczEsNLhfEIfyl1hYwm3RXlf9hy1Aq68CbUo_Ktsm7fqagVw7rQs3n270aJ0sByl1FFoE8ZWsPuQwetCULQ3Lu9To99gFpyyDYOCwXWbuiwgPjmzvZ-FvXJehzmM/s320/028.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>I was not the best mom with the camera at her party. I failed to get that many pictures of her and her friends and have no pictures of her opening gifts. But she had a great time, all the kids seemed to have fun and the house was not completely destroyed. So, I say it was a success.<br />
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But next year I might convince her to try and do something a little less "store bought"!Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4854366328038860572.post-15412086190564172492012-03-20T19:37:00.000-05:002012-03-20T19:37:38.750-05:00Happy 4th Birthday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just a few photos from Sam's birthday evening. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghRo57YS0Y2GruQUVl35oxjlO1vuZnFbyN6NWc-X9LRp07ys4QxIYuQjxIxEjB090y6Kam7-7OCbdGte-Mdb6PbgPBgUYRi_njl1ysjKa0J43X8Ysy1n1LbURM4PEAP1GcPwlt6ZC1s8/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghRo57YS0Y2GruQUVl35oxjlO1vuZnFbyN6NWc-X9LRp07ys4QxIYuQjxIxEjB090y6Kam7-7OCbdGte-Mdb6PbgPBgUYRi_njl1ysjKa0J43X8Ysy1n1LbURM4PEAP1GcPwlt6ZC1s8/s320/012.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdNm9bDsZb2EAN8K2uJT0zxGFcwak52o3UBmJm4Vncqg0eBia01Wq9hkvK-dbsndUzaeXSZ6dFFFNHOEzqY4SfC6jSHMaYh5WcgzjBsGQbEb-Ii7muHzxft9Dvt0jjHcA2iU2zMPsO3I/s1600/034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdNm9bDsZb2EAN8K2uJT0zxGFcwak52o3UBmJm4Vncqg0eBia01Wq9hkvK-dbsndUzaeXSZ6dFFFNHOEzqY4SfC6jSHMaYh5WcgzjBsGQbEb-Ii7muHzxft9Dvt0jjHcA2iU2zMPsO3I/s320/034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy girls with tummies full of birthday cake! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">My little girl is growing up way too fast!!</div>Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00929044773485661344noreply@blogger.com0