Oh the Places We Go....

"You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!"

WOW... another long road trip behind us. It's always fun to count down the days until a vacation and the anticipation of a couple days of pure fun. But the coming back home..... not as much fun! The laundry, the long hours in a car, the swollen feet, the kinked neck from trying to sleep in the car, the "how many more minutes?", is not something to look forward too. It is like dragging feet to get everybody back in their car seats to sit for 12 hours. I don't blame them, do you?

But we made it home and now we have SO many memories to remember and make us smile even days, weeks, and months later. Who could ask for more of a paradise to vacation anyways? R said it best yesterday "Can I just stay at Grandma's forever?" I wish little girl.....
We have a family vacation planned every year, when all my brothers and sisters and their families get together at my parent's house in LaFollette, Tennessee. This year we had everyone there except my nephew Jacob who was on a life changing wildlife adventure in Canada. It is amazing to see how the nieces and nephews have grown since the last time I saw them. They just keep getting taller and smarter!!! Once you get to the house the plan of attack is rest and relaxation. You don't have to do anything you don't want to (except get your picture taken!! :-) and there are plenty of things to do!
Here are the guys knowing how to relax! Not a care in the world!!!
The sun was hot and intense the entire week. If it would rain, it blew over and the sun came out and we would be right back out in the water.

Quite the Crew!!!!
We take the boat out and cove up on the lake for some fun too! I went out with the family on Friday's boat excursion.... it wasn't without it's excitement! Here are my brothers using teamwork to try and get the anchor up from the bottom of the lake.... unfortunately it wasn't budging and we had to leave the anchor at the bottom of the lake.

Nothing better than just floating in the lake.... Our kids loved the water. in no time they were going from clinging onto Daddy to jumping off the dock. X even got to the point that he only wanted his life jacket on! He was like a little fish in the water.

We even made it to the pool a few times where they could touch where they even got more comfortable. R was dunking her head under the water and blowing bubbles and X was jumping off the sides doing front flips!!!

"Look at me!
Look at me!
Look at me NOW!
It is fun to have fun
But you have to know how."
— Dr. Seuss (The Cat in the Hat)

Blowing bubbles!!

Our sunset cruise

It was so relaxing to be out on the water as the sun came down.

Here is Uncle Dennis and G watching the sunset.

One night we took some family picture... since it is very rare we get the family together.

Here is mom and the girls... can you tell we are related??

Siblings

The grandkids.... this picture has changed alot in the last year... and will change again in 3 months... the grandkids just keep growing!!!

My Brother Dennis and his family (missing Jacob)

My brother Kurt and his family (they live in Tallahassee, FL)

And who are these cuties??

Here is Kurt and Will..... wow does will look like his daddy?!?!?
And here are the boys in the family .. just chillin'

And my sister Beth and her family which will grow by one come November!
I even got a little time to take some pictures of my beautiful nephew Lincoln. What a Cutie!!!

On Saturday we headed to my Uncle Jim and Aunt Carolyn's house who live just south of Knoxville, TN to have a family reunion. It had been a while since we have seen alot of the Blankemeyer family members. It was alot of fun!! The kids played in the pool for hours and we had excellent food and fun entertainment by way of a heated volleyball game. It was fun hearing stories of when my dad was younger and hearing what each family is up to. We couldn't have asked for better weather either!!

After the reunion, most of our family headed home but we got to spend another 2 days at the house with grandma, grandpa and Aunt Kathy. It was wonderful!!! None of us wanted to head home yet. On Monday we took the kids and grandma and grandpa to a marina to have lunch and fed the fish and ducks. They had a ball!!

It was a great vacation... and we can't wait to go back next year. But with baby coming I don't think we will be making that trip this year again! I think I took enough pictures for us to keep those memories alive for a few months!! :-)

Here is my little one giving the baby a kiss!

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep

because reality is finally better than your dreams."
— Dr. Seuss

(this quote is sooooo true!!! Our life is a fairytale!!!)

A Weekend @ Home

Wow .... it is amazing what a weekend at home can feel like. We have had a very low-key fun weekend with just the family. Saturday daddy had to work in the morning so me and the kids played outside and got some yard work done. R actually loved to help mommy pull weeds and woke up this morning asking if she could do it again! She loves to anything mommy is doing. When dad got home the whole family took an afternoon nap. After nap me and the kids finished up raking the grass (our mower actually needs a baler attached to it with as long as our grass gets before we can cut it!!) We even looked at the garden and saw that the carrots were ready! Earlier in the week we had picked some of our sugar snap peas, and the kids helped shell them and saute them on the stove. They were yummy!!!

The kids ate as many raw peas as they shelled!! When they saw that the carrots were ready they were so excited to eat them. G even held onto the carrot for about 20 minutes playing with it and taking it down the slide and swinging on the swing with it. I pulled just enough carrots for us to eat for supper. We want to keep some of the others to bring with us to Tennessee to share with the family.
Nate made supper on the grill. He made bacon wrapped Anaheim peppers and brats, then we had the carrots for a side dish. For dessert, R made a special treat..... Easy Bake Oven Confetti Cake. It was delicious and made with love.

After dinner, it seemed that the afternoon nap helped give mommy some energy so we decided to take a bike ride. We got the bikes out and put on the helmets and headed out. X, G, and I made it around the small block and R was still ready to ride, so her and daddy went around the BIG block. She did great!!

Needless to say the kids went to sleep without a peep and mommy didn't stay up much later. We woke up this morning all ready to go and got ready for church. Then after church we ran some errands while it was raining outside. By the time we got home it was time for naps again and mommy was ready to lay down as well, so the whole family took a nap AGAIN!! I could get used to this. Then after nap the sun had come up and the rain had gone away. Daddy took the kids outside to play and Mommy worked on cleaning the house a little bit. Daddy started pulling the weeds in the back (this area has been so soggy with all the rain that this was one of the few times that you didn't sink in to the mud). He let the kids run around with the gator and even used them to bring the weeds to the curb!!

Before coming inside, Daddy wanted to cut X's hair since it was getting a little long. He got a little creative!!

He went upstairs to see daddy's masterpiece and we could hear him giggling from downstairs!! He loves it!! We are bringing the clippers to TN this week so we can cut it off even before family pictures.

The kids even discovered a frog on the siding. What an uneventful weekend!! I could take days like this forever!!!

Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

Okay the next 4 days are supposed to be the following:
Day 25: Your day, in great detail
Day 26: Your week, in great detail
Day 27: This month, in great detail
Day 28: This year, in great detail
I look at these days... and don't have the energy to detail everything. And I think over the last 30 days you had heard quite enough from me about all the goings ons of this household. Whether you wanted to or not! I have had fun making myself blog though for the last 30 days. It has forced me to journal more about me and focus on something other than kids for a minute. Don't get me wrong... I love talking about my kids and bragging about how smart, cute, adorable and amazing they are. But it isn't the only thing I like to talk about it. Sometime I just like to have a little adult conversation or listen to something intellectual instead of Alvin and the Chipmunks on the radio. That is why the satellite radio in the new van has been such a big hit. The kids have wireless headphones to watch a movie in quiet in the van and mommy and daddy can listen to Talk Radio and hear what is going on in the world. (even though it is never good and sometimes gets me worked up!)

So I have come to the conclusion of the 30 days of me. Yes, some days I skipped (either i didn't have the energy or couldn't think of anything to write) but I posted at least 30 posts in the last 30 days some were just about random stuff going on. I hope I keep blogging regularly and don't go weeks without posting again, but I can't hold any promises!! And on that note I thought I would post the second to last day --
Day 29: Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
I hope to in the next 365 days......

• to blog regularly, pictures of the kids and updates on the family
• to change my attitude some days when Nate comes home from work and I am overwhelmed, I will try to not to take it out on him, when he did nothing wrong but walk in the door
• to be more understanding to R and to drop everything to listen to her (to keep developing that bond that we have worked sooo hard to create)
• to continue to take pictures of everyday moments, I look back on the last years pictures and am so blessed to have captured special moments such as: a kiss between brother and sister, riding bikes, hugging the puppies, sitting on dad's lap reading a book... the BEST moments in the world.
• to be a better housekeeper -- in some areas of the house I have been neglecting and not doing as much cleaning as I should be doing. I am home everyday, I should be able to have the house somewhat in an acceptable condition.
• to scrapbook -- to have a little "me" time to go in my dungeon and get lost in all the pictures and memoriablia and record those memories for years to come
• to lose the baby weight -- it's not fair that I am having the baby in October right before halloween candy, thanksgiving feast, christmas goodies... it's not fair. All I have to say is "willpower"
• to dwell on all the great things that have happened in my life and not think about what "might" or "could" happen -- remembering everyday “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give
  you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:11-12 NIV

My dreams for the next 365 days....

• that this pregnancy goes as planned and nothing out of the ordinary happens
• that when the kids all start school this fall, it will go smoothly and without to many tears and tantrums (some tears may come from mom since they are growing up WAY to fast!)
• I dream of the first moment I hold this little bundle in our arms and finally get to see her face
• I dream of the smiles and surprised looks on the kid's faces when they meet their little sister in the hospital and hold her for the first time
• I dream about the next years holidays with all of our kids like Halloween, Christmas, birthdays, Easter..... how yes it will be chaotic with one more in the household - but I try to think of all the laughter and joy of it all.

Plans for the next 365 days....

July -- family vacation in TN, Blankemeyer family reunion (reconnect with cousins I haven't seen in years), get baby room cleaned up so there is a place to put baby stuff from baby shower in Ohio, teaching R how to ride a bike without training wheels

August -- Kid's baptism back in Ohio, enjoy a week in Kalida spending time with family and friends, go shopping for back to school stuff, 4D ultrasound, First Day of School

September -- 3 day weekend Labor Day (do something around here with the family), stop traveling and get house ready for baby (kids will be in school so afternoons hope to be productive!), watch lots of Buckeye Football, campfires with smores and hotdogs

October -- go pick pumpkins, pick out fun Halloween costumes for the kids, greet our little girl, visits from family and friends (we have a guest room!)

November -- lots of new adventures with 4 little children in the household, start putting Christmas decorations up (oh yes need to put them up in Nov so you can enjoy them even longer!!), Thanksgiving, baptism for our little girl and little niece/nephew, R's 6th birthday (I can hardly believe it!!)

December -- preparing for Christmas (gift buying, decorating, cookie making, Christmas parties, lots of fun things!!), watching our girls in their first dance recital, someone turns the BIG 3-0 UGH!!, a chaotic Christmas :-) , and a week to enjoy daddy with no work

January -- snowball fights, lots of hot cocoa!!!, shoveling the driveway, snow days snuggled together on the couch

February -- making valentines for R, X, and G's classmates, more shoveling the driveway

March -- start planning our summer (where to go, who to see, what fun we will have!), Friday fish frys

April-- celebrating 6 months with the baby, April showers, picking out Easter dresses for my girls,

May -- May Flowers, going to the nurseries and buying flowers to beautify my yard, taking baby on stroller rides in the afternoon, being amazed at all the wonderful things that my kids bring home from school -- can't wait to see what they have learned after a year in school, school field trips,

June -- the start of the summer!! hopefully lots of adventures -- everyday ones like picnics and butterfly catching and Big adventures like family vacations!!

I have no clue what the next 365 days have in store for us but I plan on making the most of everyday and spending them hugging my children and kissing my husband. Everything else is just the icing on the cake!!

Happy Birthday Grandma Judy!!

Happy Birthday to My Awesome Mom! You are the best mom and grandma a girl could ask for. You are there when I need you and always the best advice or words of wisdom for me when I am in need.

Once I was your little girl and you cared for me. You gave me love and tenderness, and taught me who to be. I understand this even more now being a mom to three little children. The patience you showed me as a child and the love is such a great example to follow. (very hard steps to follow as a mother when you had such a great mom like mine!) You watched me grow and learn, and picked me up when I fell, encouraged me to do my best, proud, even when I didn't do well. And now that I'm a woman you still are there for me, Supporting me in all I do, yet allowing me to be free. The love I have for you no words could ever say, You've made me everything I am, and I am thankful every day.

I love this picture of my mom. When you meet her she is such a reserved woman and gentle that you would never picture her as a woman who loves speed and adventure. She isn't scared of anything..... except mice!! :-) We can't wait to celebrate with you and our whole big family on vacation. I hope you get to have a great dinner and a glass of wine to sip on this special day.

Happy Birthday!!!