The EX

Explain to me again why we are so excited to go to the Ex each year?

Having children this year we were very excited to experience the Ex. Take them on rides, food, petting zoo - you know family fun!

Well believe it or not the absolute best part of the Ex was getting caught in the rain storm. All of us soaked right down to the skin giggling & having fun in the puddles. Even Sadie loved it. Family isn't where you go or the things you pay for. It's the time together. Enjoying whatever life sends your way!

Note how Skylar picked the absolute best time to go on a ride. When the downpour happened on the rest of us!

Could She Be Any Cuter?????

Today Miss Sadie woke up with an amazing bed head. This is not uncommon for our little angel. She often has some amazing peaks & swirls & wings come morning. Today was no exception. I tried as best I could to wet it down & to no avail. So I thought let's see if we can do a little "do".

Well after many a tries I finally got a clip in her hair & have to admit she is the cutest thing in the whole world.

The first pic is an example of her common bed head issues & voila - a viable solution in pic #2.

Happy Fathers Day!

D'Arcy had his first Fathers Day & got to share it with 2 daughters! We had a family day of breakfast, swimming and a whole lot of fun.

To the Best Daddy in the World - D'Arcy - Sure do love you handsome!

Ride Home - Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Silence!

Tinkerbell Extravaganza!

Today we ventured out to Rosenort to Grandma & Grandpa Siemens for Skylar's birthday party with her friends from school. The theme was Tinkerbell & we went all out. Tinkerbell cake, bags, napkins, cups, piniata, treat bags, balloons, and on & on.

The party began with the girls decorating crowns & fairy wands. We then had some fun on the trampoline as all fairies do. Hot Dogs for lunch with a yummy Tinkerbell cake (thank-you Mom Janae). Some beating on the Tinkerbell Piniata (Daddy D'Arcy had to kill it after the gentle little fairies had many a turns), some games & of course nail painting. Can any little girls get together in a group without breaking out the nailpolish?

The party was a success & we returned home a little bit more rosy, much more tired & blessed by many a little fairies.

A wonderful day!

Why Oh Why Don't You Listen!

Yep - how many times have I said "She just ate - you shouldn't play with her like that". Today - sweet revenge. Muaaaahhhhhaaaaa

One Can Never Have Too Many Grandmas!

Here is a pic of Skylar's Grandma's at her Birthday Party.

Grandma Siemens (Skylar's Birth Grandma) - Grandma Murchison (my Mom) - Grandma Lussier (D'Arcy's Mom)

Just for info too - Grandma Siemens is holding her granddaughter Kylee & my Mom is holding Sadie.

Gotta love the water gun art on my house hey? I am hoping it is a flower.

Birthday Fun!

All weekend I prayed for sun. I couldn't imagine having 25 people in our little house but God is in control & thankfully he sent Skylar an early birthday present of Sunshine & Swimming weather!

I started this year thinking the very first birthday party I would plan for my child would be on July 21st - when Sadie turned one. But again God is in control & we celebrated our first childs birthday on June 13th (her birthday is actually June 16th). Skylar turned 8 and we couldn't be more thankful for God's plan to bring her to our family.

We had over Lussier Family - Siemens Family (Skylar's & Sadies Birth family) - Murchison Family & dear friends of ours. It was a day of swimming, cupcakes & lots of presents given with much love. I was so impressed with all of our family and friends who embraced Skylar with so much love and generosity. I was teary eyed several times. I know that as a mom I have fallen deeply in lovee with Skylar & can honestly say that I have loved her since the day I met her. I couldn't imagine life without her here. But for friends and family to show such devotion to her really showed me how amazing each of them are. We are blessed in so many ways!

Skylar had an amazing day & today I got to do crafts, crafts, crafts - (thank you to all you mothers who bought her crafts. Just remember your children have birthdays coming!). She read her birthday cards over & over and was thrilled that 90% of them were home made.

Next Saturday we are having another birthday party out at Grandma Siemens in Rosenort. This is for all of Skylar's girl friends at school. I am excited to meet all her friends & see her interact with them. I know she is excited to show her friends her new Mom & Dad & also introduce them to her little sister Sadie. Tinkerbell is the theme & we have gone all out. Did you know they make Tinkerbell Pinatas? So stay tuned for the Tinkerbell Birthday Extravaganza Update!

Water

What is it that excites kids so much? Water! Something so simple - so natural. Skylars eyes light up with the talk of water balloons, pools, water guns, water fights . . . .

She lays in the itty bitty pool - full of smiles & thoroughly enjoying herself. Such a simple pleasure. But that is generally it isn't it? The simple things are the things that we all love so much we just get distracted with all the "clutter" of life.

I remember hours of fun that me & my Lakie cousins had at my Grandma & Grandpa Lakies house. They had a sand box at the side of their house. They had a bucket full of little pots & pans. We were happy to play with the sand & bucket of treasures. But often Grandpa would fill our day with bliss by allowing us to use the water tap at the side of the house too. We would get soaked filling up items & mixing sand, washing things off and doing it all over again.

I am looking forward to more sunny days of simple pleasures with my girls! Hooray for summer. Hooray for water!

Hmpf

Life sure changes when little adorable girls enter your home. There was a time when D'Arcy would return from a business trip & bring me chocolates, flowers or Bath & Body Works goodies. But no more.

Alas today it all changed. D'Arcy returned home & granted when us three girls met him at the airport to pick him up I did get the first kiss. But in the gift department - I was left dry.

Skylar lucked out with a Hippopotamus T-Shirt - there of course is an adorable story as to why he got it - an inside joke between Skylar & D'Arcy. And as I peered into the suitcase I noticed my gift was a bunch of dirty laundry. Hmpf.

Spring Concert

My niece & nephews school in Kleefeld had their Spring Concert tonight so my mom & Sadie & I took the trek to Kleefeld & watched the play. It was absolutely adorable! I love it when teachers keep it short & sweet. The kids had cute costumes & the singing was fun & light & it was finished in 21 minutes. FABULOUS!

Now being Sadies first concert she was a bit taken aback when the lights went down - she began looking around & pointing at the lights. Only to be shocked into attention when the kids began to sang. At which point she seemed to think she was part of the choir & began screaming at the top of her lungs at every lull in the song. Now to me - adorable. To the others surrounding us not so cute.

My sister in her infinite wisdom decided a box of smarties might keep her quiet & occupied. Suddenly Sadie was also the accompaniment & vocal screamer in the play. Although I must say she thoroughly enjoyed singing along & watching the kids in their adorable costumes.

As all good plays must come to an end - so did the Spring Concert. Unfortunately Sadie also experienced her first round of appreciation clapped & nodded no through each round.

All in all I was quite proud that she lasted a few hours after her bedtime & that she got to see the other kids in their play & by my standards (not necessarily the grandma's or other mom's surrounding us) was very good. She loved seeing Chloe as a Turtle. Mind you she would have loved to see Chloe as absolutely anything as long as she was up on stage & accompanied by music!

My Gorgeous Girls!

Hmmmmmmm

Life is truly a journey! For 10 years we had tried for a family & had failures all along the way. Fast forward to year 11 & I now have two little girls. Sadie - 11 months & Skylar - 7 years old. They journey has been challenging but the end result is AMAZING.

D'Arcy and I are truly smitten with our girls. We often look at eachother & ask one another if this is real. How can we be so blessed! We cherish our time with our girls and can't remember what life was like without them. Home feel just right now. Can't explain it but it is just right.

Sadie has mastered the word "no" and jabbering constantly. She is beyond adorable and one smart cookie. We are thinking she is a genius but you know that is only our humble opinion. Naturally she is absolutely in love with Skylar. All she does is watch her big sister bop around the house.

Skylar is with us on weekends and we miss her terribly during the week. She will be with us forever in July. We can hardly wait. She is our little performer, singer and is absolutely beautiful. She is truly my daughter - she tidies constantly. She is great with Sadie but can't understand why she is always staring at her.

D'Arcy is in heaven in his new "pink" world. He is surrounded by girls & is loving every minute. It is so true that daughters have their Daddy's wrapped around their fingers! He is whipped by our girls. He is banned from going to a toy store alone. I have stopped even mentioning toys that might be nice or good because the next time he goes out he comes home with it. I love seeing him with them. It warms my heart to know how lucky our girls are to have such an amazing Daddy.

I am thoroughly enjoying just being at home & being a Mommy. I have waited a very long time & I am going to savour every single moment! I am loving dressing my girls & decorating their rooms. Planning birthday parties and hearing their dreams. Life is sooooooooooooooooo good.

Well that is my life. It may sound simple & blah but to me it is paradise.