Hi daddy,

We're making some new friends and having fun playing with our friends and their toys!Sometimes we even fall asleep in the car because we've had so much fun at all the places we go.We miss you daddy and wish you could hang out with us in Wisconsin. We hope you're learning a lot in St. Louis and we can't wait to see you when we get home!
Love,
Naomi and Micah

I made these felt cookies a while ago but never posted a photo of them. I thought that since I was giving them to Aly with the apples that I should post of photo. That way I'll remember what I made and what they looked like. Aly really liked the felt apples and called the cookies, pancakes with strawberry syrup....so cute. I hope to make more of these in the future and of course I need to make some more so Naomi can have her very own set...I keep giving hers away!

It's so fun to come home and to watch my kids play with the toys that I played with as a little girl. It's kind of funny though because now when Naomi finds anything of mine she asks if it's from when I was little. I've been taking some photos of the toys and items from my childhood because I do remember them and having photos of them will help me remember them even longer and when we're not here playing with them.

I know that some of the toys were originally mine but I also know that some were my sisters and brothers before I got to play with them. It's funny how a little toy can bring back so many memories. How many of these toys or similar ones did you play with. Can you recognize all the toys or items?

Well, the kids and I made it safely to Wisconsin! The flights went pretty well and our layover was made shorter by getting and eating food and talking with the people who were headed to WI. It was nice to be able to trust those people enough for a short period of time so I could leave the stroller and carseat while I took the kids to the bathroom. We made it work. We got in on Sunday around 1:45 to lots of rain and chilly weather. Shortly after we got home I headed over to the Silver Spring Country Club to join my parents, sister and bro-in-law and about 200 other people for Grace's Auction. Tracey had asked me to take some photos of the event and I was happy to do so. A few of my cousins were there as well and my aunt and uncle. It was great to see some old friends from church and reconnect with some of my favorite teachers whom I haven't seen in a long time. My favorite teacher from highschool just recently joined Grace so it was great to see him and catch up a little bit. The auction went great and was a lot of fun. Thanks so much for watching my kids Casey!

We had a busy week last week but it was a totally fun week! Monday we spent most of the day cleaning as I mentioned earlier and it felt good to really get the whole house cleaned. No more piles! For a few days at least...well, more like two weeks since we won't really be home much. Here's a little tour via photos of the house a little bit cleaner and updated.
Thursday afternoon our friends Brian and Erin and their sweet little lady Micaiah came to hang out. Okay, they didn't really come JUST to see us but we're so glad they decided to stay with us. The kids had fun trying to hang all over Micaiah but she just wanted her space...can't say I blame her one bit! Once the kids were in bed the guys talked shop with a cold homebrew in hand and Erin and I solved all the worlds problems in our own way! It was SO awesome to just sit and talk and not have to be someone else...just being me was great. Thanks for the great conversation Erin. Then we played Apples to Apples...love that game.

Friday was an early morning and then we went to Crown of Life to help Kari set up for the wedding. Not sure if I was any help but it was great to finally meet Anna and for Naomi and Aly to get to play together for a bit. They had a great time. Brian and I took the kiddos back to our house for naps, while Erin stayed to help decorate and Greg went to pick up my Aunt Rosalie for a quick visit. Uncle Timm wasn't feeling well so opted to sleep and hopefully feel better. They were in San Antonio for PLI and we're so glad we were able to catch up with Aunt Rosalie and she even stayed and had dinner with us! It was great. Brian, Erin and Micaiah headed out for the rehearsal and dinner so we had time to pack (without feeling like we were ignoring our friends) after we took Aunt Rosalie back to her hotel.


Saturday, I made some awesome pancakes if I may say so myself. I found the recipe here. It was a little more involved than our normal pancakes but totally worth it. We got to hang out some more and Erin went to get her hair done for the wedding. The kids took good naps, which was a huge bonus. Jason and Karla came over to watch our kids while we went to the wedding. The wedding was beautiful. Jason and Kari got married at the foot of the cross at Crown of Life Lutheran church. It was a little windy but the weather was gorgeous. They had their reception at the church as well and it was decorated so beautifully. Greg and I kept marveling at the fact that we did not feel like we were in a church gym. The reception was awesome too and we had a great time making new friends...and catching up with old friends. What great memories!

My friend Kari is getting married on Saturday...so EXCITED! She asked me to make her veil. No pressure right? It's not like I'm altering the dress. It's not like I'm the caterer. It's not like I'm the wedding photographer right? I've had that pressure before. I'm just making the veil and really if it's not that great she can always decide to not wear one right? Well, all that being said, I think for my first veil it turned out okay. I'm not sure if it's exactly what Kari envisioned but I think it's close. I hope she likes it. I'll make sure to get a photo of it in all its glory adorning the head of the beautiful bride on Saturday. But she'll be beautiful even without the veil, so it's really not a big deal. Just check one more thing off the "I can do it" list.
To this: