Sadie & Mikenna

May 21-22:  

Mikenna is Sadie's "oldest" friends.  Her mom and I went to WIU together (although were just acquaintances), then got hired to teach in Streator at the same time.  We reconnected during our first year teaching and went though lots of big milestones together (buying a house, getting a dog and having our first babies!).  Sadie & Mikenna were born about 3 months apart and have been friends ever since.  Since we have moved from Streator, we still try to get the girls together a few times each year.  Mikenna invited Sadie for a weekend in May.  They had such a fun day hiking at Starved Rock! 

Dress Up Days

May, 2016:

Crazy Socks & Shades Day:

 

Hawaiian Day:

Field Day:

Mother's Day Weekend

May 7-8, 2016:  We had such a great Mother's Day Weekend.  We got to spend Mother's Day with BOTH of our Moms (first time this has happened!)  Marc's parents had planned to stay for the weekend and then my parents asked to come the same weekend.  We all had fun together.  Saturday morning started off with a couple of baseball games--we got ot watch Macey & Kinnick play.  We spent Saturday afternoon relaxing and Marc & I had an event to attend Saturday night.  My parents took the kids out to dinner and swimming at their hotel and Marc's parents helped get them to bed that evening.  It was fun having a night out and knowing our kids were getting spoiled by their grandparents! 

Once we know that both of our parents (and sisters) were coming, we called around to a few different places to see about getting reservations for brunch.  We couldn't find any place to accomodate our large group for a lunch-time meal so Marc offered to cook brunch for everybody.  He did an AMAZING job planning and executing this meal.  He wouldn't let me help at all.  (I eventaully talked him into letting me make a coffee cake to contribute to the feast!)  We enjoyed church, beautiful weather, and an incredible meal.  After brunch all  the parents took off.  Marc let me relax while he cleaned up everything.  Later in the afternoon we went to the forest preserve for some hiking/bike riding.  We ended our night with "supper" at TCBY (one of my favs!)  This worked out great since we were all still stuffed from brunch.  It wasn't our traditional Mother's Day of Starved Rock hiking and R Grotto pizza but it couldn't have been more perfect!

Baseball:

The kids decorated some extra cookies I had!

Swimming at Grandpa & Grandma's Hotel

Morning Star Mission Gala:

Mother's Day Pictures:

Aunt NeeNee

Aunt Kassie

Grandma & Grandpa Henry

Grandma & Grandpa Gorsch

Brunch:  Cinnamon Roll Waffles w/ Cream Cheese Icing, Strawberry Cream Cheese CoffeeCake, Cheesy Eggs w/ Peppers & Onions, Bacon, Spinach Salad, Watermelon, BBQ Ribs, Mac & Cheese, Cheesy Broccoli Casserole, Corn, & Party Potatoes

Chillin' with my Baby:

Hiking & TCBY:

Sadie surprised me with this cute earring holder--I love it!

Soccer Sundays 2016

April/May 2016:  We once again participated in "Soccer Sundays".  Macey & Kinnick both played.  Macey was in the pre-school cateogory (4's & 5's).  Kinnick moved up a level.  Marc and I helped coach the pre-schoolers (we rotated each week so one of us could hang with Carver).  The kids had fun and enjoyed playing with some of their friends...

Two 2-year Olds

April 14, 2016:  

Carver and I head to Ms. Pearl's most every Thursday... it's always an adventure and we never know exactly what to expect.  Sometimes I am super excited to go and sometimes I have so much "stuff" to do at home that it's hard to give up an entire day.  It's on these days that "I really don't want to..." that God often shows up the most.  He reminds me of why I serve and why I teach my kids to put others first.  He fills my heart so full of Joy that it naturally spills out to my family and friends.  I have seen again and again that when I trust him with my time and talents, it is never in vain.

On this particular Thursday in April, we took the kids for a walk to Wendy's to eat lunch--Carver especially loved his frosty.  As we were walking home, I had Carver's hand on one side and another sweet baby's hand on the other side.  The thought struck me that I was walking with two two-year-olds who lead very different lives.  My brain kept focusing on how different these two sweeties were--everything from where they lived to how they spend their time each day.  I began to wonder why some children get placed in loving families where they have every advantage to help them succeed in life and other children are placed in broken families where nothing is easy and they may go to bed hungry on any given night*.  This way of thinking can easily lead to feeling sad and hopeless; however, I felt God speaking to my heart in that moment.  I could hear Him whisper, "These children are more alike than they are different.  These children were made uniquely by ME and I cherish them both more than you can imagine."  I could feel a peace washing over me that was only from God.  I knew in that moment that although we live in a broken world, our God redeems brokenness.  Want to hear the best part?  If we are obedient; if we give generously-without an agenda-of our time and resources; if we seek to "offer our bodies as living sacrifices"; our GOD, in all his holiness, lets us be a part of His redeeming work.

*This statement is not a reference to the girl in this picture.

Stopping to sing for a man working outside in his garden.