so happy together.

 

 Happy anniversary to my dad and step-mom! They have been married now for 10 years!!! They really are a true match and it has been great seeing them happy and thriving. They are spouses, parents, grandparents and friends. I know there will be many more milestones in their relationship. Love you both!! 

flashback favorite.

I love this old picture of Ethnie CHOWING down on her burger at Red Robin. Her favorite thing to order when we go out. So cute. Love you, doll!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

the power of example.

About a week ago, I started noticing that Emmett bows his head and tries to fold his arms when we say prayers as a family. It is the cutest thing. I'd love to take a picture of him doing it sometime, but that probably won't happen. We have never actually talked to Emmett about what we do while we say prayer; he just started following us. He actually stays quiet the entire time too! Such a reverent little sweet boy. Sometimes, I'll peek at him during prayers and he will have his head down but will be looking around at the rest of us. When the prayer is over he tries to say 'Amen' too. It makes me realize how important it is to be a good example. I believe that is the best way I can teach my children. I always try to be on my best behavior around them and I think it's paying off. Sometimes as a mother I feel like I work so hard but don't see a positive result of that hard work. Maybe I should start paying better attention because I am seeing positive things coming from my children every day. 

the past week. in photos.

winner winner, chicken dinner! i won this scratch-off at my friend Kate's baby shower and won. first time! because i buy soooo many of these... ;)

playing together

daily walks

emmett caught a cold this week. he was watching a show on the laptop while I was making dinner and I found him like this...

swimming lessons started again this week! here's ethnie with her good friend, ella.

here's ethnie jumping into the pool by herself for the first time.

family night at the science museum. the Pirates exhibit was fascinating! 

I didn't take any pictures over the weekend, but it was nice. Ethnie had ballet and I got to go to my good friend, Ashley's bridal shower. Congrats, Ash!

friday already?

We didn't have too much going on this week, but it still flew by. Ethnie started swimming lessons again last night. This time our neighbor's daughter is in the class too. It's so great because they are good friends and we can carpool! Ethnie had a great lesson and seems much more confident. She'll be treading water in a few short weeks; I can tell!
This week was especially chilly and rainy. Days like these I am grateful to be home in the comfort of my favorite sweats. And hot tea. However, it's hard to keep Emmett entertained. I took a couple pictures of him playing in his tent:

Have a great weekend!!!

easter weekend.

We started out Easter weekend out on Saturday with an egg hunt in our yard. It poured most of the day so we had to wait until evening to have it. The kids were really excited! Matt had to help Emmett find some eggs. He didn't quite understand what he was suppose to do. 

 

running away, as usual.

on a mission

found one!

all finished

 

 

Emmett's grump face. I could NOT get him to smile.

This was Easter afternoon flying out the door to get to church. The Service was so uplifting. The talks were great and the choir sounded beautiful. Easter is such a special holiday and it makes me realize how blessed I am and how grateful I am to know that Christ lives and that he suffered and died for me so that I can some day live again.

After church we came home and had some of Matt's family over and had a lesson for the kids about the Resurrection. I used Easter eggs to put key pieces of my lesson in them and the kids went and opened them one by one. It went pretty well, although I'm not sure how much of it they will remember. Ethnie knows that Easter is about Jesus, but that's about it. I have decided doing this lesson is going to be a tradition in our home.

We were also able to celebrate my mother-in-law's 60th birthday. We had cake and a nice visit. My mother-in-law, Meg, does not look like she is 60. I will have you know, I cannot find one wrinkle on her beautiful face. I'm serious! No fine lines, sun spots, acne scars, nada! She has totally motivated me to take better care of my skin, especially my face. I hope you had a lovely birthday, Meg! Love you!  

our week.

 This week I stayed pretty busy because both kids caught strep. Emmett was miserable last weekend and Ethnie had a fever so we took both of them to the pediatrician on Monday and tested positive for strep throat. Ethnie had to miss two days of school. So we did a lot of cuddling, watching movies and resting this week. They are both feeling like their normal selves again. While Ethnie was home from school, she and Emmett played really well together. She still gets annoyed with him off and on, but he IS a little brother.... I love watching them play together. It's definitely one of the best sights to see.

Ethnie is doing really well in ballet. She has made new friends and loves the 'free dance' time during her lesson where her teacher puts on some classical music and the girls get to dance around the studio however they'd like. She looks so cute when she dances. A couple photos:

 

Ethnie will be dancing in the MN Music Festival on Friday, May 4th at the Fitzgerald Theater!! Let me know if you'd like to come!

 Ethnie is also pumped for swimming lessons again. Her instructors recommended she repeat level 1 because she still is not comfortable treading water. Lessons start again next Thursday.

 

Have a wonderful weekend and a spirit-filled Easter! 

he's my full-time boy.

 

dear emmett,

you are now 21 months old and I can't take my eye off of you for a moment! you are definitely a stereotypical terrible-two, into everything, full-time toddler. now, I don't mean this negatively. It's just that your sister was not like this at all when she was your age so I am dealing with it as a first-timer. if you are inside, you are making the biggest mess possible and I constantly feel like I'm following your trail of 'breadcrumbs' (i.e. toys, bottles, snacks, ziploc baggies you pull one by one out of the drawer). when we are outside, you are off like one of your toy cars that you pull back until it clicks then let go. gone! this especially happens when we are out in public and you want to get out of the cart. I feel as if I'm going to have an anxiety attack on a daily basis. you just love being out and about all the time and are your happiest when you can walk around on your own. I have had to come to the realization that it's okay to put one of those kid harnesses on you with an attached leash. It's only for your safety. you seem to like it okay. don't worry; you can stop wearing it as soon as you are ready to walk by my side.

on a different note, you are talking like crazy; both in English and in your own language. you are getting a little better at communicating. there aren't really any new words to report, just that you are getting better at saying the ones you already know.

I love you to death, mister.

love- mom