Our Aweful Beautiful Life

She was sooo excited! And then brother had to join in the fun! Must cover up. Getting situated. Enjoying this new freedom! Special thanks to Gram Hall for taking time to repaint Em's headboard and for delivering for her first night. Thanks to Paps for helping Daddy tear down my crib!

What a fun find! We've had the opportunity to camp several places over the last few years, but we're always up for a new location. Seth googled "Indiana Campgrounds" and we're sure glad this one came to the top of the list. He scouted it out, and I'm fairly certainly we'll be making a return trip. It made a typical weekend feel like a long weekend, there was so much to do. The kids and adults both loved it! Here are the highlights: 1.) They have a giant jumping pillow, playground and little tykes playground for the kiddos. Right at the main entrance. Perfect. 2.) They have a lake with a huge water trampoline, gyroball, and climbing wall. Again, the kids AND adults both loved it! Even Emmalyn! 3.) They had activities all day long for the kids - so family friendly. They had face painting (for free, mind you!), tye-die shirt making, a "glow to go" hayride and free sumo-wrestling suits (since it was Sumo Wrestling weekend!). We didn't take adv...

As with everything Emmalyn, her second birthday was truly an adventure! We kicked off her birthday weekend by going to the doctor because I was just SURE she had an ear infection. She, of course, checked out fine and we were sent on our way. Grandma & Grandpa Stockment came down to help Dad in the barn, so Em and I grabbed Take and Bake pizzas for a 2nd birthday pre-celebration! Grandma Jacki helping EM to blow out the candless. Windbags thought he could help better! :))  Em played fine all evening, but woke up Saturday to some vomit in her bed and a grouchy, runny diaper little girl. We got her cleaned up and she feel back to sleep. After a little rest, she was running around playing, which is the hard part about toddlers....are they really sick, or did something just strike them? Do we keep the party going or cancel the party? After two good naps, and some time playing outside, and none of the rest of us feeling badly, we decided to proceed to party. Everyone was t...

Tonight, I'm sitting on my front porch, relishing the peace and quiet of the country. I've got my feet propped up in a porch chair and am watching the sunset behind the trees to the west. I hear the occasional movement from the cows as the find a place to rest for the night. Ava's propped up right in front of me, doing her job -- making sure that all in our home are protected and safe. It's funny -- in the last two years, I haven't taken time to stop and "smell the roses". I haven't taken 15 minutes to sit down, enjoy this view and realize just how much God has blessed us with. Tonight...I'm counting those blessings. We have two beautiful, happy, (fairly) well behaved, healthy kids. They would rather play outside than watch TV. They love climbing on the mower and being in the barn with their Dad. Going to the creek and fishing for "creek chubs" is an exciting adventure. Eating on the porch or in the back of pick up out in the barn a...

It's kind of surreal to realize I get to celebrate Mother's day. Honestly, I'm just happy that I've still got a mother I can share this special day with and thank her for all the things she's taught me over the years. She's still the one I want to talk to when I'm in a bad mood (unless she's brutally honest, then I'd rather just talk to Dad!), the one I lean on for sound advice, and the one I call first when the kids are sick to see if it warrants a call to the doctors office. I'm pretty sure I'll be one lost puppy when she's gone...but for now, we're soaking it up together. I can honestly say I couldn't ask for a better Mom/best friend. It's true what they say about girls growing into women and their mom's having a dual role later in life. I'm pretty darn pleased with the dual role woman I got placed in my life. And I'm hopeful that someday I get to share in that same dual role with my daughter. She completed my...

Well, after two months of fighting illness and decline, we had to make the tough decision to put Murphy down today. It wasn't easy -- but we'd seen steady decline and you have to consider the dogs health vs. our own need/want to have the pet in our life. We have had Murphy for nearly 7 years -- since he was 8 1/2 weeks old. Our first baby, if you will. I know that sounds cliche, and trust me, having grown up on a busy road out on the farm, we weren't used to having a dog as a pet for more than a few months, maybe years, at a time. They'd run away. They'd get hit. Whatever the case, they didn't seem to stick around long. And aside from Heidi and now Rocky, I don't quite recall a love this strong for a pet. Well, aside from my pigs...I loved them each summer, but that was different. When I was two, (I think) my Grandpa Hall gave me my first dog - Heidi. She was a beautiful beagle and she hung out with us until I was in late elementary school, perhaps 6th gra...

Most kids would flinch when given a lemon to suck on or a shot of lemon juice. Not our kids. They walk around the dining room sucking on a bottle of lime juice. HAHAHA :) We're normal. Really. We are.