3 Girls, 1 Guy and a Zoo!: July 2015

Friday, July 31, 2015

On the way home...

We didn't book it back half as fast as we headed down. It was really nice to stop and take breaks. We all needed it! The whole trip home, the girls were driving. You read that right! We were being "pulled" by 3 horses and a mule and they were driving them. So when we stopped for dinner, naturally the horses and mule needed to be cared for as well! ;)

I LOVE their imagination! I hope they never loose it!

All tied up safe and able to enjoy some dinner and rest up a bit before they had to continue home.

This was our set up :)

Beats having to eat out! I'm so thankful for that little grill. It has come in so handy in times like this!

After dinner the sillies started in...

I'm thankful that we had this time together as a family!

Thursday, July 30, 2015

A stop in Virginia...

On the way home, we stopped in to see Caleb, Cristale, Casen and Arya! We almost thought we were going to have to continue on. Our "normal" campground was packed right up and there was nothing with openings around. But Caleb offered for us to hook into the house and park in front of the house. Worked out great! We weren't able to stay too long, but the kids had a blast for the amount of time that we were there. They have gotten so big!

I'm not sure what they were playing, but I know they had bases and weapons and they meant business! LOL Arya tried so hard to be apart, but we ended up reading most of the time!

And off they go! LOL

I wish the kids could get together more often...they really get along great!

Hopefully we'll be able to get together again soon.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Goodbyes are never easy...

We had an awesome visit, which always makes leaving that much worse! I hate that my family is so spread out and we are stuck with the every 6 months or so schedule for seeing each other! I won't get to see this little man again until he is almost 6 months old! Insane to think about...

I was playing with camera settings that morning, but it made for some cute pictures!

LOL

Getting one last game in...the card version of Monopoly...I can't remember what its called, but apparently it was a hit! Doug and the girls all had a lot of fun!

I think he is comfy ;)

Our final goodbyes...

There is no picture of me holding Seth because you wouldn't want to see it! LOL

Thank you Jeremy and Chelsea for asking us to come and for being such awesome hosts! We very much enjoyed our trip!

Monday, July 27, 2015

"Sweet Frog"

One night while in South Carolina, we had a craving for Sweet Frog. I really can't remember if it was too far, or if we just didn't feel like going, but anyhow, Chelsea and Jeremy stopped on their way from an appointment and picked up "Sweet Frog". It was really fun and the girls really enjoyed it. I'm still not sure they realize that it wasn't actually sweet frog and was just a bunch of fixings and a tub of ice cream! They came home saying the "Sweet Frog" at Aunt Chelsea's was the best!

It might have had something to do with the fact that Aunt Chelsea made a rule for the girls that they HAD to put on 7 toppings. There was no complaining! ;)

Their poor eyes from swinging underwater in the pool with their eyes open...I promise no tears were shed prior to these pictures!

We were setting up for this family shot and Seth, who was sleeping in his room, started squawking...He wanted to be in the picture too!

Friday, July 24, 2015

A day at the park...

While Chelsea and Jeremy took Seth to his doctor's appointment, we headed to this cool park. Our intention was to see some dolphins, but that didn't happen! Oh well....the park itself was super cool though! All around the park, there were a ton of horse drawn carriages that were giving tours.

Madalyn has been obsessed with Mules since this.

They had this wall remembering the people that died on a boat that crashed. The rocks that you stood one had the states where they were all from written on them.

Missing this handsome man!

Great family picture!

Look at this awesome tree!

So we found out later after finding a sign that we weren't suppose to get on the trees, but we didn't know a the time...made for a super cute picture anyhow!

So cute!

LOL

Madalyn...being Madalyn

So sweet!

Haha!

Look at all the marble!

When we got back, the girls headed to the pool for a bit. They LOVED having unlimited access to the pool. I'm glad their Daddy loves to swim. They could live in one if you let them!

If you were to ask me where I would see myself in 10 years, I never would have guessed that I would be here. However, I couldn't be happier! I'm very happily married to the love of my life and have two girls. We have begun our journey towards adoption and I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for us over the next couple of years. I'm a stay at home mom who home-schools. I enjoy researching and finding things out for myself. This blog allows me to share with others my passions and keep in touch with family that I wouldn't normally be able to keep in such close touch with.

Daddy is such a blessing to me. We met in college and became best friends. About one and a half years after we met we were dating. The rest is history. Together we have grown in the Lord and learned many lessons even in our few years together. Things haven't always been smooth, but together and with the Lord's help we can accomplish anything. He is the love of my life and my true soul mate. He is 100% committed to his family and the Lord. He is currently working for Dairy One in Ithaca. He loves to ski, ride dirt bikes, tinker on things, mow the lawn :) and spend time with his girls.

Marissa is our oldest. She was born in May 2005. She is 100% Daddy's girl. She is a home body and usually isn't away from home for long and she is asking to go back to our house. She always claims a job and sticks with it till its done. She is very quick and catches on fast. You have to be careful what you show her, because before you know it she is going to be attempting it herself. Madalyn is her best friend. She loves church and loves learning and singing about Jesus. Marissa is now is school and she is doing great. She loves to read and do projects. She LOVES animals and has decided that she wants to be a Veterinarian when she grows up!

Madalyn is our youngest. She is 100% Mommy's girl (nice of them that they split us up so that one isn't quite so overwhelmed isn't it?). Madalyn knows what she wants and goes for it. She has no fear and is usually the leader of my two even though she is younger. She does love to shadow her older sister though. She is my girly girl, but also my one that is always getting messy. She loves her hair done, to get dressed up, and shoes! We are in trouble with this one! She loves school and is super smart. She has decided she wants to be a "snow plow driver" when she grows up. She is also going to build a house RIGHT next to us and live there so she can still see us every day ;)

Case was actually our "oldest child". Sadly we said goodbye to him on October 29th, 2013. He was a black lab/ red-tick coonhound. He loved to roam the fields, swim, play ball, catch frisbees, go hiking and spend time at the barn. He also very much enjoyed those black and white cats that roam in the dark and have stripes down their backs...or he must have because he kept getting sprayed! He hated to be abandoned by his family and preferred us to all be in the house by 9pm or he started pacing. His biggest dislike was winter. He hated the cold and would rather hold his potty all day long than to go out and pee. Even when he did go out he barely makes it out the door and he was starting to go! Haha He was our "little boy in a doggie suit" as my aunt says. We love him and miss him like crazy.

Cali is our first cat together as a married couple. Sadly we said goodbye to her on October 8th, 2014. We got her from the barn shortly after we moved. She had to be one of the softest cats you had ever felt and of course one of the best looking calicos. LOL She was a great mouser and spent alot of her time in the basement hunting. She had a funny quirk. When she got ready to settle down and sleep, she parted the hair on her tail so only a few hairs were sticking up and then she proceeded to suck on those hairs.

Beaker is a litter mate to Cali. She is a great mouser. She loves to sneak outside when she gets the chance but if you say her name she quickly darts back in. She is VERY attached to Doug and is always coming up to him purring just as loud as can be begging to be picked up. Beaker of course never does this to me. She doesn't like change and isn't fond of strange dogs, although she has gotten much better with the dogs. She will still swat at Molly but it's not angry, it's almost like she is playing.

Sid was our Marshall Ferret. We said goodbye to him in 2012. He was amazing! Great with kids and other animals, but a total goofball. He definitely lived up to the typical ferret personality and a total thief! Sid's favorite thing to steal was pacifiers. He would take them right out of a baby's mouth if given the opportunity and then take off running! He always hid everything in the same place, so at least we knew where to find them, but of course they were always ruined. Anything rubber was in danger of ending up in the said spot. We definitely miss having him around.

Chloe is Cairn Terrier. She is a blast to have around and I'm definitely sold on the terrier family! She is great with the kids and loves spending time outside. She is a great woodchuck hunter and will sit at an occupied hole all day till she catches one. Even in the winter time she will spend forever out there and come back looking like a snowman. She loves to swim and will swim in any temperature water. She loves to mother other animals. Whether it be kittens from the barn, Case, or her own litter of puppies, she is a great mother! We have since fixed her. Although I'm sad there won't be another litter, it's for the best with the probability of us moving and having to find a new vet.

Meet Molly, our newest dog addition :) After taking some time to heal after losing Case, we decided that our household wasn't the same without a big dog around and we were missing something. So we took the plunge and went full out this time. Molly is a purebred, mis-marked mantle, Great Dane :) She has grown into one good looking pup! I'm still in love with this old picture though, so I'm not changing it! She stands about 31 inches at the shoulder and weighs over 100lbs (although honestly I'm not sure how much over because I can't lift her anymore!) She is great with the kids and loves to cuddle. She shares our bed and is the biggest baby ever. She is very protective and does not like when anyone is pinned down. She is right there to break up the "fight" LOL We love her to pieces!

When Doug's sister and her husband started breeding rabbits, I had a feeling deep down that it was only a matter of time....Here she is! Peterette started out as "Peter". When Madalyn realized "he" was actually a "she", she settled with Peterette. :) Peterette is a flemish giant, which according to what I have read is the Great Dane breed in the bunny world! Figures right? She is super sweet, very laid back and loves to be cuddled and pet. She'll stick her nose out of her cage when you enter the room just so you will scratch it!