our new house...

here's a little sneak peak...I sorta forgot about taking pictures that would show what it actually looks like, so you'll just sorta have to guess for a while ;) (sorry) :) 

the kids were so excited to go for a ride on the "tractor" and it's actually a good thing that they all like riding on it...I'm fairly certain it's going to take Korey at least a couple of hours to mow it and it'll be a good break for all of us ;) 

(I actually went out and mowed the lawn at the rental tonight, after bedtime and it was a great break) :)

 the house is a ranch- 4 bedrooms, 1 full bath and 2 half baths- with an open concept kitchen, dining and living room. It's very "old style" and will definitely need some updating- specifically the kitchen and dining room- you can see the "beautiful" flooring in one picture- it does have a swingset, but we're going to sell that and put up our own. My personal favorite part of the whole house is the screened in porch- it's perfect and beautiful and overlooks the gorgeous backyard! the house is on 7 acres and the yard does take up a good portion of that- it's not a full 7 acres or anything- but it's definitely big and has a lot of flowerbeds- the previous owner was a master gardener, so I'll have a lot to live up to :) It also has a HUGE garden that Korey and his mom will be planting tomorrow...yay for fresh veggies :) we'll definitely be kept busy keeping up with the yard work, so it's good that our kids love to play outside so much :)

I'm fairly certain the kids favorite part is a little ride on toy that the couple left- it goes perfectly down the ramp that's built on the back and they screamed and shrieked and begged for turns :) It definitely kept them busy for quite a long time- that and chasing the neighbors guinea hens around the yard :) (apparently they enjoy roaming all over...I think that will be Allie's favorite part) :) 

so, in short...that's a little bit about our new house!! I'm hoping to sleep there soon, but we shall see. Taking four kids, a dog to a new house is nothing to sneeze at...definitely something that'll take some prep work and will probably hinge on how much energy I have tomorrow :) 

fishing fun

A few days ago we went fishing with some friends and it was great- the kiddos all LOVED it- ok, Maysen and Maelle weren't that thrilled by the fact that after almost loosing them in the water a few times I made them stay in their stroller, but Hailey and Jackson loved it!! Hailey even figured out how to cast and reel in the fish all by herself and Mommy figured out how to bait a hook and take a fish off the hook- a first for both of us!! :) Jackson loved to hold the fish and was always begging to "pet" them after we got them off the hook. It was the most precious thing ever to see them just loving it. It was even better when our friends got there and Jake could help with Hailey and Jack. It was a little rough for poor Korey before they all got the hang of it...there were hooks flying all over the place, worms being flung all around, and a little boy who had a hard time reeling in the fish- twisting himself all up in the fishing line more than once ;) 

I think there will be many more fishing ventures for our family in the near future...as soon as we get all moved into our house- we move next weekend :) 

we think Jake, Nikki and Drew had fun, too ;) Drew even learned a few things from Jack :) (or was it the other way around...I can't remember who taught who) :)

Identical??!!

we know that the girls are identical twins...they shared a placenta, they have to be...but, sometimes I just don't think they look at all alike. Maybe it's because they don't often dress the same or they don't often weigh the same...I don't know what it is, but I just don't always see it- today I do. What do you think- do they look identical, in their cute matching jean jumpers?? ;)

Happy Memorial Day!

We took in the annual Mosinee Memorial Day parade...but, nothing could compare to having the swat team, in full gear, numerous police cars, a van full of fully geared up men, and an ambulance preparing for who knows what outside of our front door this morning!! After that, seeing a fire truck and an ambulance in the parade seemed like small potatoes ;) Good thing we went to see Bob and Karen after taking in the parade or it may have been a bust!! ;) 

On our way to Mosinee this morning I told the kids a little bit about Memorial Day...

as Jack hopped out of the car, Bob was there to get him and the first words out of Jack's mouth were:

"thank you for fighting for our country, Bob"  

Yes, thank you for fighting for our country, Bob...and Will and to all 3 of my grandfather's. I'm proud to say that we come from a long legacy of men who gave up their time and put their lives on the line and on hold to fight for our country! 

18 months

1/2 way...that's right...our babies are 1/2 way between 1 and 2...tomorrow they'll be closer to 2 than 1.
wow. that was fast.
should I cry? I'm not sure. Korey "accused" me of enjoying snuggling them while they were sick and I think it's true- I was enjoying the snuggles, because I know how soon those snuggles are going to give way to temper tantrums and naughtiness and squabbles and potty training and all the not so fun things that go along with parenting. these girls are growing up and they're doing it WAY TOO FAST!!!
here's a little rundown of what they're up to:
Maysen-
wearing size 5 shoe
weighing 22lbs
wearing 18 month clothing (woohoo- finally caught up to their age) :)
running. climbing. dancing. starting to try and jump.
loves to eat...but getting pickier about what she'll eat. been turning her nose up at certain things and screeching and screeching for more of what she likes.
can say, "ma" "hi daddy" "please" "allie" "up" "hey" (for hailey) and a few other things, but often chooses not to
loves to push her sister in the little car
will get her own shoes and socks out and try to put them on
loves to dance, when I start singing she often breaks out the dance moves
only has 4 teeth left to get
loves to sit and play puzzles in her pack 'n play for room time- as long as maelle is in hers, too

Maelle-
wearing size 5 shoe
weighing almost 22lbs
wearing 18 month clothing, but can wear 12 month
running everywhere. climbing on everything. jumping and twirling to music.
loves to snuggle and cuddle
will mimic most anything you say...unless you really want her to, then she acts like a mute :)
loves to wear shoes- especially her pretty black "clicky ones"
have 5 teeth left to go
will eat anything, but not too much of it
loves to steal her brother's milk or juice...as long as it's his :)
favorite pastime is "jumping" off her brother's bed
hates "room time" and whines and cries the whole time


slow down, little girls, slow down...growing up isn't a race :)

sick again?!

Sometimes when your kids are sick they wanna cuddle, snuggle and be held. Sometimes they fall asleep 3 times in a day, just laying on the couch. Sometimes they spend a whole day laying on the couch. Sometimes it's rather precious to hold them, snuggle them and cuddle with them. Sometimes it's nice when your kids take turns being sick. Sometimes it's not so overwhelming to just have 1 or 2 sick at a time. But...sometimes you have other kids. Sometimes your other kids aren't sick. Sometimes the un-sick kids require a lot of time and attention. Sometimes the "other" kids need to eat. Sometimes they need to have their diapers changed, their butts wiped and their faces washed. Sometimes they aren't content to just let you sit and snuggle their sick siblings. Sometimes they choose to be naughty- to color on walls, floors, the bed and themselves- for attention. Sometimes they throw fits and scream and cry when they can't sit on your lap.  
We've been sick over here and there have been some sweet snuggly moments, but plenty of the "other" kind of moments! 

And, it was when I was frustrated, overwhelmed and at my whit's end that I need a good reminder about keeping the peace in my heart...a reminder like this one that I found on biblegateway.com. This is what they had to say about Proverbs 17:27b 
"a man of understanding is of a calm spirit":

"A man of understanding is of an excellent spirit, a precious spirit; he is one that looks well to his spirit, that it be as it should be, and so keeps it in an even frame, easy to himself and pleasant to others. A gracious spirit is a precious spirit, and renders a man amiable and more excellent than his neighbour. He is of a cool spirit, not heated with passion but even and stayed. A cool head with a warm heart." 

"A cool head with a warm heart" is definitely what a mom of sick kiddos needs. Today, as I sat and held my oldest daughter's head in my lap and rubbed her feverish little face...surrounded by the mounds of laundry needing folding, floors needing vacuuming, toys needing to be picked up, dinner needing to be made...but, there I was just sitting and watching the same shows over and over and in that moment I felt God's gentle hand on my heart and His gentle whisper to my soul as the words of Isaiah 8:17,18a came to my mind...

And I will wait on the Lord...And I will hope in Him. Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me.

I'm so thankful for the precious gift of my children. I'm so thankful for the hope that I have in the Lord- the hope that even on the rough days- the exhausting days- the wearying days- I can hope and trust in the Lord. If I wait on Him and use His strength I will be able to mount up with wings as eagles...

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

It is a great blessing, at times, to have rough days that God uses to teach us patience. love. endurance. and kindness. But, I wish I learned these lessons better and didn't need rough days...maybe someday, huh?! :) 

Macy Ann

Macy's got a new "sleeping buddy" :) 

we went to our new house on Saturday and they were having a garage sale and Macy found a little dolly. She carried it all around and played with it the whole time we were there, so the lady just gave it to her :) She definitely seems to be the doll-lover of the two and has been enjoying her little dolly a lot, even snuggling with it when she wasn't feeling well! I just love babies and dolls!! 

love is...

a daddy doing his little girl's hair!

as a dad of 3 girls Korey has decided he needs to learn to brush hair and do ponytails :)

apparently sticking your daughter's (full of food) hair into a spike and cutting your son's hair into a mohawk can only go so far...at some point you just have to learn the finer arts of hair preparation!

I love this man...he's so cute!

(shhh...don't tell him I took a picture of him practicing on Hailey's hair...it'll be our little secret) :)

Peaceful days

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope  by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) 

Peace at our house has been characterized by having hope- hope that God is in control of our lives, hope that God will never leave us or forsake us, hope that there are "better days ahead", hope that regardless of the circumstance we can have joy in our hearts, hope that this life isn't all there is to offer, hope that God gives grace and wisdom when needed, hope that God isn't done with any of us, hope that eventually tired kids will fall asleep, hope that teething doesn't last forever, hope that someday our kiddos will be able to buckle their own car seats, tie their own shoes, go potty on the toilet by themselves and get their own milk, hope that does not disappoint. :) 

Some practical ways that I've been achieving "peace" in our house, lately, are what I call my "unwritten rules":

1) never take all 4 kids to the grocery store when they're tired, cranky or hungry

2) always be home by 12/12:30 so the babies can get to sleep on time and Jack can watch a little show before going down for his nap- having a routine for him helps make it easier to get him to sleep, without any frustration. 

3) set times for snacks and dinner...it cuts down on the frustration of hearing the kiddos beg for snacks and treats all day long. I just point to the clock and tell them it's not time yet :)

4) picking up all the toys before we go outside, eat lunch, dinner or go to bed...it means that I at least get to look at a 1/2 way cleaned up house a few times a day, which definitely makes my heart a lot more peace-filled :) 

5) making beds makes a room look nicer- we try to make all of our beds each morning

These unwritten rules are definitely broken a few times- generally with dastardly awful results- but they're not written in stone. :) 

I think the biggest change to the peace I've felt in our home, lately, is my attitude. I've been trying to slow down more, not expect too much of my children and enjoy each little moment. We've been telling more stories- reading less. I've been trying to strike the balance between being scheduled and keeping a tight reign on my home versus being flexible and relaxed and able to go with the flow. Still definitely working on that part- that'll be my goal for next few months...while we're packing, moving, unpacking and getting all settled into our new house...I think I'll get a lot of good practice in the patience department ;) 

I'm linking up with Melanie at  Only a Breath this month

little toughie

Our little Macy quite possibly may be the toughest baby ever...she and Maelle are often fairly tough and can fall and get up- no problem. They both have been known to come to me with blood coming out of their mouths, without even so much as a peep. But Maysen blew us away today. Her brother slammed the lid of a wooden chest down on her hand and there was tons of blood- immediate bruising- a very swollen finger and two deep little cuts and the little bugger screamed when it happened and then whimpered onto my chest for a few minutes, but then got down and acted like nothing happened. The rest of us seemed to have a harder time with it than she did. Hailey was so intrigued and upset (quite possibly more intrigued than upset) that she didn't make it to the bathroom in time and Korey made fun of me for freaking out and wanting to take her to the ER, but I'm fairly certain that had he not been home I may have dialed 911 (ok, I'm certain I wouldn't have done that- we only live a few minutes from the hospital, we could probably drive there before they could get here) :) 

At least Maelle and Jackson were un-phased by it all...in fact, Maelle used her time incredibly wisely and decided to help Daddy with the trim that he was painting- decorating both herself and the door...and Jack thought it would be a good idea to continue slamming the door of the chest over and over again- apparently he felt he needed more practice ;) 

Happy Mother's Day!

5 years ago on Mother's Day I was crying into my husband's shoulder as I lamented the fact that I had no children...1 year ago on Mother's Day I was crying into my husband's shoulder as I lamented the fact that being a mom was a lot harder than I had envisioned. This Mother's Day I'm rejoicing! Rejoicing over what God gave me- 4 beautiful blessings, 2 amazing mothers, and a whole handful of wonderful mom's that I call friends. He's been with me every step of the way. He's given me godly and gracious mom's to watch and follow after. He's given me a godly man to walk with. He's given me His gracious counsel and arms to cry in.  God has been so faithful to me, so good to me and so gracious to me. I don't deserve any of it- in fact, I know that I am the least deserving mom around- yet God saw fit to bless my socks off- to give to me above and beyond what I asked of Him- above and beyond what I would have ever dreamed of asking!

I am blessed, indeed! 

Happy Mother's Day to all you blessed Mom's, Grandma's, Aunts and Uncles...especially the ones that have touched my life and been a blessing to me- I love and appreciate you all!! 

haircut time!

sometimes it's just easier being a boy :) 

Jack got a little haircut this afternoon and Korey gave him a mohawk. It was pretty adorable and I think he was milking it for all it was worth...he even said to me, "please, oh please can I have a snack, I'm the cutest boy ever" ;) definitely milking it for all it's worth! We just may have to keep this cut for a while. 

"wherever you are. be all there"

that quote by Jim Elliot has been re-viving my life! I have been trying to live each moment- all there and just a few days ago my sister posted a quote on facebook by Paul David Tripp that's gotten me thinking even more:

You and I don't live in big, grand moments. We don't do very many significant things with our lives. 

We only make 3 or 4 big decisions. Most of us won't be written up in history books; several decades after you die, the people you leave behind will struggle to remember the events of your life. Sorry- it's true. You live in the mundane, and what characterizes your mundane, characterizes your life. 

The character of a life isn't set in 2 or 3 big moments- the character of a life is set in ten thousand little moments.
On the days that there are a lot of cute moments, a lot of snuggles, cuddles, sunshine, giggles and fun- it's easy to enjoy the moments, to live in the moment and be all there. On the other days...the days when it's hard, when the "crankies" threaten to over take us all, when the twin are cutting their eye teeth, when naps are few and short, when the washing machine breaks down, when there is more potty on the floor and couch than in the toilet...on those days, when the moments aren't so pretty or so enjoyable- it's hard. It's hard to live in the moment and enjoy them all. It's hard to be all there- when the "there" isn't quite so awesome! It's on the "those" days, that I need these reminders. When I need God to whisper to my heart, "come to Me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me. For I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light" Matthew 11:28-30.
In those hard moments I need to remember that what God asks of me isn't hard or difficult- although, He's not saying that my life will be completely easy. That I won't have to clean up pee or wipe noses and tears, that my washing machine won't break down- what He asks of me is to live the little moments of my life with joy in my heart. And that is not burdensome or hard. God's blessings shine in the little moments- whether it's sitting on the chair, cuddling my babies and telling my made up "George the Wolf" stories over and over, listening to my twinnies screeching and giggling in their beds at 5:30 am, or carrying a wonderful craigslist found washing machine down the stairs at 8 o'clock at night- it's all the little moments of life that build character into a life and take my trust of God to a deeper level. It is definitely in those moments that I grow and mature the most.  That's why I hope those moments don't ever stop happening- I need those reminders. I need those rough days. I need to keep finding the joy in the little moments- even the rough ones! And if I don't get practice, how will I ever learn, right?! ;)  

best $ spent...

I love garage sales...actually, I love to shop, but I love to save money more- so garage sales are like heaven for me- I can shop to my heart's content, but know that I'm saving money :) But, garage sales with 4 kids are pretty much only something a crazy lady would take on...and, while I often act fairly crazy, even I'm not crazy enough to do that! Too much in and out of carseats for me! (it gets to be a long, tedious process, that always involves me crawling over a kid and into the backseat of the van)         But, Saturday morning Korey was turkey hunting, we were gonna meet him later to pick up our swingset and move it to our new house, and I had heard about 2 garage sales that were in a school and a church (perfect for me- enclosed space that the kids can run in and filled with kind and nice people) :) So, we decided to leave a little early and hit up some sales on our way! It turned out to be a good and fun way to spend a Saturday morning!  Best part...I happened upon a friend while shopping at the school and upon our neighbor's at the church! 

At the first garage sale I picked up this great little "find"- a whole tote full of polly pockets and little houses. Maysen and Maelle just LOVE them. (and the tote, maybe that was a better deal than the polly pockets) Definitely the best money spent in a long while...and DEFINITELY better than the annoying electric guitar Hailey talked Bob into buying for her!! 

only in Wisconsin

can you go from sunshine, wearing short sleeves and getting a sunburn...

to sleet, icesicles hanging off the toys and having to wear your winter coats under your rain coats to play outside in the muddy puddles...

Yikes is this year throwing us all for a loop!! Just as we were getting used to the sunshine and warmth it gets all cold and snowy on us again...sigh! The good news is- staying inside gives me a chance to work on getting caught up on the laundry and all the "inside" chores that I'd been neglecting while we played and enjoyed the outdoors :)