The Fighter's

1) Olivia now has a tooth! Her first one! Lower left tooth finally poked through. 2) Katelyn rode a big girl bike almost the whole way around the block. I was amazed. Every 5 seconds she would yell out from beneath her princess helmet..."I'm doing it mom! I'm doing it Ava!". She was SO absolutely proud of herself...and so excited that she was no longer in the stroller for the walks around the block, but following right behind her big sis on her very own. It made my heart so happy to hear how proud she was of herself:-) She did fall twice, but we brushed it off and she got back on. 3) Olivia crawled for the first time today! Yay! I was cleaning up the kitchen, looked over...and she was crawling towards the package of wipes! For the last month she's been rocking and scooting and rolling to get to where she wants to go...now it's a whole new world for us. Time to baby proof the house! I so LOVE my girls! Watching them grow and learn is one of my absolute favorite...

I never knew what people were talking about..."terrible two's" when Ava was two/three (and before I write any more...I'm going to preface this...I absolutely love all my girls for their unique growth and personalities...they all bring me joy in different ways. I wouldn't change a single thing about any of them). If we told Ava "no" or not to touch something or do something...generally...she listened and followed through. Sweet little Kate however is very different. She is curious, determined differently than Ava, and knows what she wants. I could tell her 100 times not to do something, and she'll still do it. I never trust her alone...if she's quiet I know she's up to something (and she usually knows she's up to something too as she hides...but continues to do it anyways). This has all been challenging to say the very least, but consistency has been key, and we're working through it! Combine normal two year old antics with a wit that ...

Is so much fun! I love this little guy...and so do the girls! They love to slather their little cuz with love and think it's a hoot having a boy in the mix. These pictures just make me smile. Olivia (7.5 months) & Jet (3.5 months) & Katelyn (2.5 years) Kate singing a sleeping beauty song to Jet...I'm sure Uncle Rob would love this. Oooh...what's that? (They were both fascinated with a toy!!)

Play time festivities that I have found amusing lately... Ava and Kate have been putting on concerts to the birds in our backyard. Here they are singing " Rockin ' Robin" to the birds. Other songs in their repertoire ...Chipmunk's version of "Single Ladies", Sleeping Beauty's "Once Upon a Dream" and "This Little Light of Mine" complete with motions. As you can see they are very diverse in their genre! Kate & Olivia...playing peek a-boo/fort. Kate takes this blanket and says "Olivia...get in my fort with me" (like Olivia has a choice). Olivia squeals the whole time...kicking her arms and legs (see them sticking out in picture) and Katelyn has conversations with Olivia as if her little sis knows exactly what she's saying. Kitchen puzzle time. Ava has always loved puzzles, but now she's trying to teach Kate & Olivia how to put them together. She takes them through the steps just as a teacher would.

We got a swing set! But first we have to put it together. Some cute shots of my two engineers sculpting out a game plan. They are two peas in a pod... Kate on the other hand preferred to sit on the side lines...

So...I have been slacking majorly in updating my blog...but I have a good excuse. I am trying to finish up our 2009 Blog Book and made a pact with myself...no new posts until our 2009 book is finished. The main reason I keep this blog is to chronicle our family's adventures so I can then create an annual sort of "yearbook". It's my way of scrap booking (and...I don't have to print off lots of digital prints that I'll just stuff into a box somewhere...they all go into the book). My mom has made beautiful scrapbooks for my brother's and I...but I unfortunately don't have the time to do that right now. So electronic blogging is my version of scrap booking . And...I can order a copy of the blog book for each of the girls (so they all have copies one day). If you need a good "publisher"...I use Blurb. com's "Book Smart" software. You have to download the software (for free), create an account...then blurb.com takes care of "s...

With all I have on my plate these days - hubby, kids, work, house, dinner, laundry to name a few, I often get so busy and caught up in the details of life that I lose perspective. This Holy week, I made it a point to try and slow down a little, to re-focus on who it is I'm living for and try and live my days with my priorities in place. In working on this, I popped in one of my favorite singer's Cd's (Natalie Grant). She sings this amazing song - "In Christ Alone" - and I just could not get enough of it this week. In a short few paragraphs it sums up how He became one of us, died for our sins, but in the end was victorious - all on my behalf. God is greater than every circumstance happy or sad, every problem, every joy and every disappointment . There is nothing that can separate us from His love. Sometimes I have trouble grasping His greatness, but thankfully even that inability to grasp won't break His greatness. He is in control, He is Great, and He is my...

With Doug off chaperoning a youth group trip to a concert, the girls and I decided to call a girls night out. And I think it may have been my favorite night with them yet! Complete with Wendy's, Old Navy, Baby's R Us and Target (man my Friday nights have changed:-)). Highlights of the night: Ava calling me " klutzy " after I accidentally knocked down part of a display at baby's r us. Her words: "Mom...you're klutzy just like Miss Karen (her preschool teacher). She always drops things and knocks stuff down like you." I about lost it (she was giggling while saying this...and if only I could have recorded her tone!)! Where does this maturity come from? I didn't even know she knew the word klutzy. Next...at target...I look over, and unfortunately see Kate kissing the handle of the cart (they were in one of those 3 seater carts). I told her to stop putting her mouth on the cart and her response was a loud one..."I'm going to marry the sho...

Doug and I shipped the kids off to Grandma & Grandpa's and were able to escape for a long wonderful weekend to Vail, Colorado! We had an absolute blast. Here are some highlights from our trip... Day 1: Started at 5AM with a trip to the airport. We arrived in Denver around noon, hopped in our rental car and started driving towards the mountains. First stop: Food of course! We split some sushi rolls (one of them was a Toledo roll - ha!) and had a beer (at lunch)...I love vacation! After a quick pit-stop at Target (we can't get away from that place) we started on our 2 hour trek towards Vail. It was our first time driving through the Rocky Mountains. Can I just say...it was stunning...and fun. The mountains are majestic to say the least...and us Midwesterners aren't used to those kinds of hills so the twists and turns, ups and downs made the drive a fun adventure for us. There are so many places on this earth that make me stop and say Wow! Thanks God! And this was defini...

After dinner Kate says to Ava: "Ava...you make my heart SUPER happy." Ava replies back..."Kate...you make my heart super happy." really...does it get any better than that as a mother? How I love my girls and watching them love each other. They make my heart SUPER happy!!

We love winter but are anxious for spring to arrive. The sun has been out this week and we are loving it! Katelyn had her first ride on her tricycle down to the corner and back (last year her legs were too short to peddle!), chalked on the driveway...and the girls spent a big chunk of the day playing out back in the melting snow. We also embarked on a birdhouse project. I bought one when Olivia was born to paint and hang in her room ...but had not gotten around to it until today. So...the girls needed one to paint as well. They love arts and crafts and had so much fun decorating their bird houses (or bird nests as Katelyn calls them). Maybe they'll lure spring in a little bit faster:-)

The Easter Bunny's interior decoraters stopped by our house. Or maybe the girls and I went to Hobby Lobby and went a little crazy buying Easter decorations that were 40% off:-) Nonetheless, we're feeling festive here in Fighter-land preparing during this season of Lent for Easter! Ava informed me very matter of factly that she was the big blue bunny because she's the oldest and her favorite color is blue, Katelyn is the pink bunny because her favorite color is pink and she likes princesses, and Olivia is the yellow bunny because she's the smallest:-)

Jet came over for a visit. We tried to snatch a few pictures of the two munchkins but as you can see they weren't very cooperative:-) Jet was focused on the TV stand (takes after his father) and Olivia was upset because I dressed her in an outfit that had pandas on the feet. I love these two little ones...

We took a trip down to Grandpa Fighter's this weekend. The girls had a ball...feeding ducks with Grandpa F, playing with the gardening kits he picked out for them and ransacking his place:-) Katelyn can't quite say "Fighter" yet...so she calls him Grandpa "Fire" (much like Ava did when she was little!). It was such a fun visit! So thankful the girls get to experience these fun memories with all their grandparents!

It seems like yesterday Rob, Pat and I were young, watching Smurfs together Saturday mornings on the couch. So when I get glimpses of my little brother as a dad...it just blows me away. I have always been a very protective (and they may say bossy) older sister. I have never had trouble sharing my opinions with them on what I feel they should/should not be doing. For some reason I have always worried and thought about them...almost as much as a mom does her own children. Must be the oldest child thing. But as I see them forming their own lives...and as we've been given the opportunity to experience "grown up" life together...it has been so much fun realizing what great guys my little brothers have turned into. I guess I can let go of that oldest child syndrome a bit. They both have picked amazing girls, they are hard workers, kind hearted, thoughtful, loving and fun...and I couldn't have asked for better. And now...to watch my brother as a dad with his son. It just war...

Came for a visit...and the girls couldn't get enough of him!