Two Grandmas visit!

While Grandpa Jim and Great Grandpa Arnie were fishing in Canada, Grandma Marcia and Great Grandma Edie came to visit for a few days.  It was great to have some 4 generation time.  We did some shopping, took the kids to a restaurant or two, and even made it to Thursday night girls' night at the Pub.  Livi called Grandma Edie, "E," which was too cute.  I'm so happy my kids have so many opportunities to make memories with their grandparents and great grandparents. 

Sharpie

Found the missing Sharpie....

Father's Day Weekend

Father's Day weekend was pretty action packed this year.  Stacy and Camryn came up late on Thusday night and we got to spend some time with them.  The kids played together some on Friday and we headed to Holiday Acres that night.  We haven't seen them for a few months, so it was good to catch up!

Because of the chaos of everything going on lately, I asked my parents if they would want to meet us in Wausau on Saturday to celebrate Father's Day.  We met there mid-morning and had a great time walking around the downtown area and riding the train at the Marathon County Park.  And of course, we had to introduce my parents to the amazing wonder that is Sweet Lola's Bakery.  They have the most delicious desserts I have ever eaten.  SOOO yummy!!

After lunch at the Great Dane, we headed back to Rhinelander, hoping that the kids would nap on the way home.  Of course, Nolan was out before we were even out of Wausau, but that stubborn little girl of ours stayed wide awake until about the last ten minutes of our ride... So much for naptime..

When we got home, we were able to meet up with the Orys on the boat and the kids enjoyed getting the chance to swim.  Nolan was fearless swimming with Uncle Tom...that is, until Uncle Tom bounced him one too many times and Nolan puked up Blue Moon ice cream all over him...  Didn't seem to damper his spirits for too long though.

We headed to Steve and Patti's for dinner and had a nice time visiting with everyone while the kids played outside.  It was a fun - though insanely busy- day.

I feel so very fortunate that I've been surrounded by such wonderful examples of fatherhood throughout my life.  My own Dad is a man of great integrity and is one of the hardest workers I've ever met.  He's always believed in me and because of him, I'm a woman who can hitch up her own trailer (and back it up), who can run a chop saw, riding lawn mower, and a plethora of other power tools, and have pretty good aim (though not as good as his) when it comes to throwing hay bales off the wagon.  And when I get myself into a pickle that I just can't figure out on my own, my Dad is always there to help.  He is selfless and loving and I'm very blessed to call him Dad.

I also feel so very fortunate to have such a wonderful father-in-law.  Steve is truly one-of-a-kind and his hard work, charisma, and sense of humor bring so much to our family.  He is supportive and fun, and we love him very much.

One of my greatest joys of married life has been the opportunity to watch Eric become a father.  He is devoted, loving, and selfless.  He plays games with them, and snuggles them, and listens to music with them, and the after-bath dance parties are just awesome.  He spends all of his free time taking care of our family.  Our children will never once be able to doubt how much they are loved.  Happy Father's Day, Eric.  So glad to be doing this parenting thing with you.

Bundles of Joy

The last several weeks have been stressful.  With all the craziness of buying and selling our houses with no realtors, Eric being overseas, and the stress of packing up our house with two little children, I have been feeling pretty overwhelmed and anxious.  While I was perusing Facebook the other night, one of the charities I support was requesting Baby Kits for the Syrian refugees that are currently residing in Greece.  For some reason, the request for these simple and often taken-for-granted items really struck a chord with me.  They were asking for sleepers, hats, washcloths, blankets, and nail clippers for the tiny little babies in the refugee camps - nothing extravagant, just simple every day needs.  And here I was fretting over packing the boxes and boxes of *stuff* we have....more than we could ever need.  How unfair that because of the privilege of my birthplace, I have boxes and boxes of *stuff* that I don't even need and these poor mommies don't have basic essentials for their babies.  I can't even begin to imagine what that must feel like and that really humbled me.  The kids and I picked up the supplies for three little baby girls and all I can hope is that it makes the lives of three very special warrior mamas and their precious bundles' lives a little easier.

Cabbage Patch Kid

I love this little munchkin!  Here she is sporting Mommy's Cabbage Patch Kids outfit from 1985. Could she be any cuter?!

Build a Better World

Our library attendance hasn't quite been up to its usual standards with the crazy house selling/buying this summer, but we did make it to a few Storytimes and the annual Tom Pease concert.  The theme is "Build a Better World" and they're all set up with construction themed fun throughout the children's department.

We attended the Tom Pease concert and man, is he crazy and full of energy! The kids love him.  I was so proud of Nolan this year.  He was enthusiastically waving his arm in the air, volunteering to go up front as a special helper, and danced and sang along with the songs.  A year ago, he was sitting on my lap, hiding, with his ears covered.  Wow - what a difference a year makes!  Livi liked the music, too and danced and clapped along.  We're glad our library offers these special programs and hope we can attend more throughout the summer.

While Daddy's Away

Aside from the craziness of selling the house while Eric was in Sweden, the kids and I did squeeze in some fun.  Here are a few pictures from our week:

Big changes coming soon!

It seems like ages ago since I last posted, and so much has happened since then!  The big news? We're moving!  For the past year or so, Eric and I have started to come to the realization that we are outgrowing our house.  We didn't really anticipate a big move for at least a few years, but the perfect situation came our way and we couldn't pass it up.  Our family friend, Greg Reinke's mom is downsizing and is moving to an apartment.  Her home, located on Timber Heights Dr, was going on the market.  We knew it was in one of the best family neighborhoods in town and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to go take a look.  

It is a spacious ranch house with three bedrooms all on the same floor, as well as two and a half big bathrooms.  There is a place for a playroom for the kids as well as a piano studio and guest room.  It is set on a huge lot and has an attached garage.  Plus, the price was something we could afford and we would be moving across the street from some of our best friends in town, with many neighborhood kids to play with.  With all of the perks, we just couldn't walk away.  

So last weekend, our parents came and we tackled the list of repairs and sprucing up that needed to happen before we could list our house for sale.  Patti took the kids and the rest of us got to work painting and fixing.  The amount of work we got done was absolutely unbelievable - we all worked so hard!  We also took some time to celebrate Mom and Dad's 34th wedding anniversary on Sunday with a dinner at Steve and Patti's house.  How blessed are we to have parents that spend their free time helping us, even in the midst of their celebration weekend?!

I spent the next week cleaning and sorting and organizing and getting the house ready to show.  Eric brought the enclosed trailer and he and Tom filled it with all our extra furniture and clutter.  I got flowers planted and Eric cleaned up the yard.  And by Friday, the house looked great.  Knowing that Eric was going to be leaving for Sweden on Sunday, and not wanting to list with the realtor until he was here to sign, I went ahead and posted a For Sale by Owner ad on Facebook Friday night, expecting to maybe get one or two showings.  Well, the flood gates opened and in five days we had shown the house six times and had our first offer.  By Day Six, we were under contract.  And, I did it all on my own!  (Minus some help with childcare and some advice about negotiations.)  It was not an easy week in the least, since all this happened while Eric was in Sweden, but I am beyond happy to know our house is sold.  When we bought it in 2012, it was on the market for almost 2 years.  It makes me feel good that the work we've done here has made it more marketable.  

Though I am very excited about the upcoming change and the many perks in our new house, I will miss our charming first home; the home I brought my babies home to, the home where we've hosted many friends and family members, the home that Eric and I moved to when it was still just the two of us.  I will miss the beautiful sunsets over the lake, the park across the street, and the character of our first home.  But, we will take the memories with us and make new ones along the way, because being home is really just being with each other.

Art on the Courthouse Lawn

Today, Patti and I took to the kids to the Art Fair on the Courthouse lawn.  There were tons of vendors, each with unique and beautiful crafts and designs to peruse.  The Rhinelander Community Band played and the kids had a great time listening to the music, checking out the handmade toys, and eating ice cream.  It was nice to see so many community members turn out for it - it was packed! I'm glad our town offers fun family events like this! 

Happy Camper

Today Nolan decided that he was going to go camping with Grandpa Steve in a tent that night.  So, he found his cute little monkey backpack and starting packing the essentials: pajamas, underwear, an ankylosaurus, a flashlight, and two HotWheels cars.  Look at that face! How do I break it to him that he's not sleeping in a tent tonight?!

Sprinkler Fun

We've finally had a stretch of warmer weather and per Nolan's constant requesting, I pulled out the sprinkler.  Nolan was in his glory, running full speed through it, giggling nonstop.  

Olivia shares her mother's affinity for water...

She preferred to sit on the sidelines and had no interest in going anywhere near the sprinkler.  She didn't want Nolan to be by it either and after wrapping herself in her towel, she kept demanding, "No-ann!!  Tah-w" (Nolan, towel!) to try to get him to come dry off.  In the end, we did get her to go put her hand in the water, albeit reluctantly, and she did have a good time splashing a bit.  I don't think Nolan liked the sprinkler much at this age either - maybe she'll like it more when she's older...