Easter, Birthday, and 3 months (well almost any way)

Well Easter is over but we had a good time. We decorated Easter eggs, we had an egg hunt AND we had Mom and Terry down for Easter lunch. It was fun times. The girls got metal “baskets” this year I think when it comes time to go to the beach it will be nice to have the nice sturdy ones. They really enjoyed doing the stickers on the Easter eggs that was probably their FAVORITE part. They spent way more time putting the stickers in there rather than coloring them. Of course when you only get one dipper it makes it difficult for them to be patient and share. It was great having my parents down and making lunch for them. We had deviled eggs (of course because we boiled eggs the day before for coloring), ham, cheese potatoes, and rolls, it was yummy. I told Tait that I want to find another one of those hams so b/c it was TASTY!

Girls getting ready to decorate

Hard at Work Stickers are VERY important

Materpieces I tell you!

Easter Morning


We also got a trampoline while I was on maternity leave, I can’t remember if I mentioned that before or not. But I figured that I could mention it again. It is GREAT for the kids to go out and release some energy and get well rested… it makes them sleep SOOOO much better. Or if they have a major sugar fix we can send them in the netting to “run its course” which is nice b/c then by the time the crash happens they are ready for a nap.

Yes go ahead and wear you little legs out... yes yes good idea jump harder

Lehna flying high

my two jumping beans
So my grandmother had her 75th Birthday party last weekend and we traveled down to Indiana for some much needed extend family time. It was really a very cool time. I got to see so many people that I haven’t seen in years. It’s kind of a strange thing really. When you grow up with so many of the cousins and such that when you are around each other older it’s a different experience. It’s like trying to relearn them all over again. I think grandma really liked seeing as much of her family as that could be there. We took a HUGE family picture, which was really fun, and turned out really well.

Swimming! (this was before we had the pizza party)
We came down early Friday morning to see Tait’s side of the family since so many of them have not seen Nikolai yet so we wanted them to see him. It was good being able to see them. And I think Tait liked being able to show off his boy  so Friday night we were in Peru and had a pizza party and went swimming. I kind of felt like I was a fish in an aquarium b/c there were people all around the pool watching us swim…. It was a different experience. Lehna and Maya got to spend a lot of time with Evan and Zachary so it was really fun for them. It’s just amazing how the friends between cousins begins and even continues when you get older. And I got to see that between so many of the kids there at the event.

On Saturday we had the big family picture than it was time for the open house at the old fire station in Peru, then we headed to the Four H building where Tait and I had our wedding reception so that was kind of fun. It was really a special thing for grandma. We only played one adult game and it was Win Lose or Draw and that was a fun thing to witness. The creativity was really kind of fun to watch.

Fun at the Park (after the pictures of course)


Sunday we went to sacrament with grandma at the church in Peru, and it was amazing just how small it was. The ward has really gotten really small and so it was kind of a sad thing. But our religion really is a hard life style and I know that many members fall away because of; it’s just so strange from how it was growing up. After church we headed home. It was a great weekend. I’m glad we got to come down Friday and see everyone.

Well Nikolai turns 12 weeks next Friday! It’s so hard to believe that he is that big already. It feels like the time is flying by it’s really hard to witness, and I have to say that since going back to work I feel like I’m missing quite a bit of it.

See mommy I can smile!

Smiles EVERYWHERE!

Naked!
So this weekend I decided I was going to take my shot and being his 3 month photographer rather than going to the photo studio I think they are okay. Tait said that if they aren’t what I want I can always go to the studio. I think they are fine, fine enough to NOT go to the studio. Now when he gets 6 months or 9 months I’m going b/c I have a tradition to keep!!! Both girls had really funny pictures taken Maya at 6 months and Lehna at 9 months and they were so great that I don’t want to miss that opportunity again with Nikolai. So taking all three in one pictures was SOOOO difficult. Nikolai was GREAT I even got some of the little cutie smiling for the FIRST time… but the girls… not so much, they didn’t want to corporate but I got what I got and I’ll deal.

We are at the beach

All Three Trouble Makers

Beach Baby

Beach Bunny

Beach Babe


Well life has come back into normal shifts and swings… and work is CRAZY right now I am spending a lot of mornings going in early and getting new hires in and such… it’s great but leaves me feeling exhausted and a little sad that I am not spending a ton of time with my family. It sucks. Today I was supposed to do a bowl a thon and I turned in my envelope and told them that I needed to spend some time with the family today instead of bowling. I felt bad but sometimes you have to make choices. I don’t think it really mattered to be honest because all that meant was someone on my team was going to bowl twice. So not a biggie. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks as work gets CRAZIER I will find a better balance.

Weight loss and work out time. Well Tait and I completed all 9 weeks of couch to 5k and we can now run for 30 minutes. On my last workout I managed to make it 3 miles so I was excited about that. So we have started a new work out program starting Monday call Bridge to 10 k so that will work us to run for 60 minutes. I want to be a runner I would love to have the body of a runner and slowly I will get there. I have lost 15 lbs on my own now so I’m excited bringing my total with baby weight to 35 lbs. So I’m now the same size that I was BEFORE moving to WI and I hope to keep going. I want to lose another 60 then I figure 20 after that and I’ll be feeling great. I’m reteaching myself how to eat and make better diet choices. I wish I could get my oldest on the same plan but it’s hard. She has to have retained or lost by September or they will put is under a dietitian, which I don’t think would be a BAD thing but it’s a blow to my personal pride makes me feel like a bad parent. I don’t want her to be overweight and the way the world is with the bullying and teasing that by her NOT losing weight is not going to help her later, and I want her to be protected. I realize that I won’t be able to do it all the way but if there is something that I can help her with I want to try. I want her to love herself and her not feel the same issues that I had with my body growing up and I know that she can do that now while she’s young. So we are trying to teach her that you need to work on Self talk and loving your body regardless of shape and that Tait and I are wanting to be healthier because it will allow us to not get sick. You know trying not to say “gosh I’m so fat” in front of her, you know things like that. It’s hard especially when you don’t loose a week or when we are frustrated but we are trying.

One more Big Smile for the Road!