Help

I don't know if anyone can help me! I am having issues with the back ground on my blog! What is supposed to be at the top is for some reasy on the bottom! If you can help please let me know! So frustrated! Been trying to fix it for a long time!

Pictures and Updates

I thought I would give a little update on our family and post pictures that I should have posted the other day! For some reason even though we don't have a lot planned for this summer it still seems super busy! I think I just want to try to fit everything in!
Brad had his last council meeting Monday night! Woo Hoo!! It was a great experience for him but being so busy with a lot of other things it will be nice to cross this off of the list! Besides Brad's full-time job he started doing hog chores every night. They don't take long but it is just an extra thing to fill up time. He is on the fire department so he has that meeting once a month and the various calls that they get. Living in a small town there aren't too many thank goodness! Brad likes to stay busy!
On to me! Between trying to keep the house clean, watching children during the day and taking care of my own kids there isn't much time for a whole lot! I love reading but I am even having a hard time doing that unless it is a children's book! I am staying very busy with daycare which is great but sometimes a little over whelming! Thankfully this summer I don't have too many kids and not every day which is great! I have a whole list of projects I would love to get done this summer but not sure that they will all get done!
Abby keeps us on our toes! She is a typical 3 year old (I think). My sister always said that she thought 3 was worse than 2! I would have to say I agree! Sometimes I think Abby is 3 going on 13. Oh the things she says during the day! Like yesterday for instance I was talking to her about something,  I don't remember what but she says to me "Mom, stop talking to me." I just looked at her with I'm guessing a surprised look on my face and said "what did you just say to me?" She didn't want to repeat it! Oh the joys! She loves to talk! She will talk about anything and everything. She always says "remember when......." That's usually how her sentences start out! So cute! She is a lot of fun and is starting to like to pick on her baby brother! He just laughs so I haven't gotten too mad but there are times she gets a little rough!
Benjamin is 6 months old already! Crazy how time flies! We just got him moved into his own room! He has been waking up during the night so now we just let him cry! I feel horrible but we have too or he will never learn! Last night it worked wonderful! We got a whole night of sleep and so did Benjamin after crying for a while! Hopefully that will lessen as the nights go on! He gets to the toys he wants by rolling across the floor! It is crazy what he can get at without crawling! I think we are in trouble once he figures out the crawling thing! He is a lot of fun and  definitely a mommy's boy. He always has to have mom in eyesight!
That is an update on the family! We are hoping to go on a vacation this summer! We were going to go to Wisconsin Dells but I think we changed our minds! It now looks like we are going to go the Black Hills. We figured we could do Wisconsin Dells when the kids are a little older and will get more from it! Ok, enough of my rambling and onto pictures!

                                                           Ben playing on the floor

                            In the van getting ready to go to Grandpa and Grandma's house to shingle

                                                                       All ready to go

                                                                       Brad shingling

                                Abby and her cousins playing at Grandpa and Grandma's house

                                                      Ben before getting his tubes in his ears

                  He was so happy that morning. Before the tubes afterwards was a different story

                                               Ben's first time camping. He did great and loved it

                                                                    

                                                                 Watching the parade

                 Abby and her cousin James picking up the candy during the parade! They had a lot of fun

     This was this morning. Ben was playing on the floor and the next time I looked at him he was sleeping!

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Where to Begin

It has been a while since I have posted anything. I feel like summer is slipping away from me! It is already June and I haven't accomplished anything I said I was going to get done this summer! We have just been so busy!
Memorial day weekend we spent at my parents house shingling. For my parents Christmas present this last year we gave them a letter that said if they buy the shingles we would do the labor (mostly the guys but the girls helped a little bit too.) It was a very fun weekend.
This past weekend we went camping with friends and enjoyed Sioux Center's summer celebration. I have pictures but will post them a little later. It was a great weekend and we really enjoyed our time with friends.
This week Brad was gone from Tuesday until Friday on a fishing trip with his mom's side of the family. It was a long week with out him but we made it! He said he had a lot of fun which I am glad. He deserves to have fun because he works so hard. The kids and I are really glad to have him back though! Abby even told him yesterday that she just missded him!
We are still trying to plan our family vacation for this summer. It's getting a little late, I know! We just haven't had a lot of time to sit and talk about it. We are pretty sure we are going to the Wisconsin Dells we just need to find a hotel to stay at. Anyone have any recommendations on where to stay?
I am really hoping life calms down a bit so that we can enjoy summer but also get some things done around the house!

Tulip Festival

This last weekend we went to to the Tulip Festival in Orange City. I grew up in Orange City and me and my husband are both 100% dutch so we never miss it! I was a little bummed this year though because the weather was rainy so we only went 1 out of the 3 days. Normally we are there everyday!

The events start with ride night on Wednesday night! You buy a bracelet and you can go on all of the rides. Abby had so much fun going on all of the rides. It was fun to watch how much she enjoyed it!

 Every time Abby rode the carasoul she said she was a prince and her and her horse were running so fast! Then before we could get off the ride she had to say good bye to her horse. It was so funny!

After going on some rides we got a snack and ate by the tulips. Benjamin thought the tulips were fascinating!

On Saturday (the only nice day) we watched dutch dancing, the mode show (people model costumes from all of the different provinces), street scrubbing and then the parade. It was a lot of fun. My cousins and their families from Minnesota came to enjoy the festivities!

Saturday night my dad recruited us to ride on the Unity float. It was the alumni night. Brad of course did not ride on the float but road in the pick up with my dad. Brad is a Western graduate and I am a Unity graduate! Guess where are kids will be going to school?? Yup, Western! It's ok, I am finally coming to terms with it. Right when the parade was done Saturday night it started to rain so we ran back to my parents got all of our stuff and went to my sisters house with all of the cousins and hung out awhile while it stormed a little bit.

We had a lot of fun! Now we are preparing for another busy weekend full of shingling my parents house!! There will be a post next Monday about that excitement!

Super-Mom

Lately I have been feeling like super-mom or super daycare lady or something along those lines! I feel like I am working 24 hours a day. Between doing daycare in my home, taking care of my kids at night, cooking supper, doing laundry and finding time to clean there is hardly ever a break! I'm not complaining I love my life! I wouldn't trade my husband or kids for anything! Lately Brad has been super busy with meetings for church, fire fighting, doing hog chores and his full time job. There are days we don't see each other until we are in bed. Those are the hardest days for me! I tend to be crabby and a little emotional! I try to remember that he does all these things for the benefit of our family. He wants us to be able to live comfortably and have a good future! Sometimes I ask myself if the stress is really worth it! I wont lie, sometimes I love the feeling of being super mom. It makes me say "hey, I just watched 6 kids today and I got that done. Wow that is amazing!" Even if it is just cleaning the bathroom or emptying the dishwasher. Sometimes I hate it! I would love for my house to be clean 24/7 so that I can play with my kids, read a book and just enjoy a clean stress free home! I love my husband and thank him for all he does for us and this post is not complaining! Just writing about what I have been thinking about lately! If you would come to my house today I would be a little embarrassed! It is a disaster! But I love my life and my kids and cleaning can get done sometime.

I thank God daily or all of the blessings in my life. I have an amazing husband who works so hard for our family so that I am able to have the job I have and care for our children full time but still make a little income to help out with bills. I have amazing kids who make me laugh and we have so much fun together. I have great daycare families who are so understanding when I need a day off and they allow me to care for their kids! I love their kids like they are my own! I am just so thankful for everything and everyone in my life!

Some days do you feel like super-mom? How do you manage to get things accomplished? Any tips would be wonderful! I am falling so far behind on house stuff!

Happy Mother's Day

I had no clue that being a mom was such hard work but yet so rewarding until I had my 2 children. I love being a mom! I feel horrible when I have to discipline or get mad. Some days being a mom is tough! There is stress that the house isn't clean, you have crabby kids or the stress of life in general! I always try to remind myself that God forgives us for our wrongdoings and gives us a second chance so I need to do that with my children and not get so angry because they are still learning.

The love a mother has for her children is so strong. I get tears in my eyes every time I think of my kids growing up. As hard as it is to be a mother to a 5 month old and a 3 year old I would never trade it for anything. They make me smile and laugh everyday. If I am crabby they can cheer me up.

I get sad when I think of the world they have to grow up in and I always ask myself why can't there just be peace in the world and why can't everyone believe in God so there is no evil. Silly, huh? I just want to protect my kids and all of the kids from what is out there. I also need to trust that God will help me and my husband teach our kids everything they need to know about God. We need to be good role models and watch what we do or say in front of our kids. I love that Abby is starting to grasp Gods love. She loves to sing Bible songs. It is so adorable!

Even though being a mom is hard work I LOVE it!!!

Happy Mother's day to all of the amazing moms out there! I know it is hard work but the years are flying by so enjoy every minute you have with your precious children!!

Fun Weekend Getaway

Brad and I had a great weekend away in Sioux Falls! We left Friday around 6:30. Later that night we were going to sit in the hot tub at the hotel. While we were sitting in it a pool worker came over to us and said that we couldn't sit in the hot tub because it was lightening outside and that is why the pool area was empty. We looked at him like are you serious? Ugghh!! Is that not why we are at a hotel with an indoor pool? We kinda made jokes about it all weekend. Saturday we slept in and then shopped the day away. We looked at stuff for our bathroom which will hopefully be remodeled in the near future. I will post before and after pictures! We ate supper at Red Lobster which was delicious but almost too much Sea food at one time! After eating we went and sat in the hot tub because it was NOT lightening. There was a lady walking around the hotel selling roses and my sweet husband bought me one! What a nice romantic guy! After that we went to our room and read our books until we couldn't keep our eyes open. Sunday morning we slept in again and than had breakfast and headed home to pick up our kids from Grandpa and Grandmas!

The kids had a blast with Grandpa and Grandma and on Saturday Abby got to play with her cousin James. She hates having to leave Grandpa and Grandma's house! She loves sleeping in the big pink bed! I think she might get a little spoiled there!

Last night we were at Brad's parents house and I just looked at facebook on my phone and everyone had posted that Osama Bin Laden was dead! Woo Hoo!! I know it is sad that a man lost his life especially when we know that he is not in Heaven but he was such a horrible man. I pray that Al Quida will subside and maybe there can be some peace. I have my doubts. I have fears that this will bring more anger towards the United States and more horrible things will continue to happen but I trust God. He holds the whole world in his hands and has each event planned already! I thank God for our troops who are willing to put there lives in danger for our freedom! There are not enough thanks you can give all of those great men and women!

What did you do this last weekend? What are your thoughts on Bin Laden dying? I am just curious what everyone thinks about this event!