Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Everyone!
We had a fantastic day trick or treating! Both Adam and Aggie AKA Raggedy Ann and Andy really got into running from house to house for candy. It was really super cute. Now to figure out a way to control the Candy intake!!

The Wisconsin State Fair

A day at the fair always begins with the GIANT SLIDE! The picture doesn't do it justice.....It was SUPER fun! and if I had anything to say about it we would go up and down all day long! Going down the slide is such a great childhood memory for me and sharing it Adam and Aggie was really cool.


Next, you have to go see all the cows. About one million of them! However, whew! on a hot day it sure is stinky!



Food on a Stick is next in order. Yes, this is Chocolate covered Bacon on a stick....for the record, I thought is was pretty gross.



Next we tried the "jump-a-tron" (Not really sure what it was called). I was unsure if Adam would enjoy this experience. He was timid at first and then finally listened to mommy and daddy yell JUMP! THEN, he was flying high! My heart skipped a couple of beats when he really went soaring, but his face just beamed with sheer delight!








The day wouldn't be complete without a picture like this............


or a picture by a really huge tractor.......


And the day wrapped up with a video about POTTY POWER!



We watched it a 2nd time and I captured Lee really taking it all in...



Enjoy some Summer Time Fun Everyone!

Just for Fun!

Seriously, sometimes I just don't know WHAT she is thinking!!!







It must be Love!

Certificate of Citizenship

For those keeping tabs on time lines, we received both Adam and Aggie's Certificate of Citizenship today! It took about 90 days. I think our paper work stated about 45 days, however, we forgot you probably needed to multiply that times two! I think at this point we can now apply for social security numbers.

Just a couple of random pictures to share below. The first is a nature walk we took at a local park. If you look closely at the flower picture you will see a nice, pretty Bee smack dab in the middle. Mind you.....when I was taking the picture, my face was nearly touching the flower and I had NO idea there was a bee there! (I am deathly afraid of bees)
I was looking at the beautiful yellow color!!


Adam and Aggie walked pretty well.....for awhile, okay, maybe just 20 yards. Then we got tired, hot, needed a snack and turned around.

Brown Bear! Brown Bear! What do you see? I see a little boy staring at me!

I SWEAR Adam LIKES to Vacuum!

Many thanks need to be shouted from a mountain top for the Josten Family! Without the help of Jenni, Joanna, Julie, Minda and John, Lee and I would not have been able to enjoy the most wonderful steak dinner and solve the world's problems over a fabulous bottle of wine.

It was our second official date night and this time Adam and Aggie slept overnight at their cousins house. Lee and I slept in till 7am! YEAH!!! Yes, I am cheering about sleeping in till 7 am......Mark this as another one of those things we are still adjusting to!!! Have a great day everyone!

I just love a Parade!

I just love a Parade!

All the floats, candy, bands, cheering.....it's such a happy time and I just love it! Here are some pictures from Adam and Aggie's first 4th of July! We had a great weekend! ....and don't we ALL look so cute dressed up in Red,White, and Blue!







I think we started a new tradition this year! We joined my sister and her family to watch the Palatine Parade. The streets were packed with on lookers and every boy and girl had their bags ready...The candy given out was overwhelming! Sometimes we found ourselves shielding Adam and Aggie from flying candy bopping them on the head!



This picture has me in stitches! If Aggie doesn't have her shoes off her feet, then she has socks on her hands! What a goof!

I really hope that everyone had a great 4th of July!

We have been on the GO!

As I started to review our pictures from the last 2 weeks, I realized that we have really been on the GO! No wonder I am a bit tired this evening and no wonder Adam and Aggie took 3 hour naps on Sunday!

However, then I began to realize that this is our life and trying to manage all of our family, work, and community commitments can really be a struggle. We have been home 2 months, and quickly Lee and I have felt stretched to near capacity. Now, a lot of this is adjusting to our new routine and organization, but do I dare share the story about how I drove Adam and Aggie all the way to day care and Aggie didn't have any shoes on? Ugh, I was late to work on that day!! or how Adam walked around with a price tag still on a t-shirt he was wearing? Eeck! (although a really good buy at $1.99!) It's during times when dinner is burning, children are playing with dog food, juice is spilling on the carpeting, and socks are being thrown into the toilet that Lee and I start to recognize we are coming "un-glued", so to speak. But, recognizing is the key word and I am thankful that I have a husband who says "honey, I will finish up here." or I tell Lee "grab a beverage and go sit on the porch, I'll handle this". The two of us have decided that in order to stay "glued" we are awarding each other with a "night off". The individual with the night off gets the opportunity to do to whatever they want after work. My night was last night and with a little encouragement from Lee to enjoy myself I had a great chicken, artichoke, spinach, and tomato panini at Panera Bread and a delightful walk through the outlet mall. As I decompressed, I realized that I really missed my kids! Even though 24 hours prior I was thinking I needed at least a 2 week vacation from them I couldn't wait to get home and finish my evening routine of sneaking into their rooms and pulling their blankets up around their sleeping souls and kissing their foreheads. Yes.....we are on the GO, but we are GOING forward glued together. How do you stayed glued?

Cupcakes & More!

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Life has changed....Alot! All good change, but changed nonetheless. For example, Aggie fussed one night from 12-4am and when the alarm clock went off at 6:00am for church Lee and I just wanted to "Sleep in". There is no such thing as sleeping in any more. On an average, the dishwasher is loaded and unloaded at least twice per day whereas in the past it was used maybe once every 3 days. This past weekend, I did 8 loads of laundry!!

But in between all the new chaos, Lee and I have experienced some great Mommy & Daddy moments. Aggie & Adam's hugs are like no other.....their tiny arms wrap as tightly as possible around us and there is always a little "squeeze". One night Adam was weepy and the two of us just held each other for 20 minutes in silence. Aggie rolled her eyes at one of Daddy's corny jokes and I high-fived her! We had salmon, rice and steamed broccoli for dinner and Adam ate everything on his plate! Aggie runs to Daddy's arms and squeals with joy when he picks her up from day care. During a stormy night, Adam crawled into our bed and snuggled close.

What are your Mommy & Daddy moments?