some days i wonder why i can't seem to accomplish anything!

more parties!

last weekend was filled with more parties. it's a wonder that kate is already talking about her next birthday. we celebrated her birthday AGAIN with my parents and tim's extended family. we had 45 people crammed into our little house, but kate thought it was great that an entire choir sang her "happy birthday". we also had the chance to dedicate amelia to the Lord at church-it was special having both sets of grandparents, tim's aunt (nonie), and tim's sister, jeanene and her family there. we are blessed to have wonderful families!

here's a picture of kate enjoying her new pink bike from boppa and grammie.

random pictures

here are some random pictures from the last few days. this week has been spent at home, getting ready for my parent's visit. they are coming to celebrate kate's birthday (you can never have enought parties, right?) and amelia's dedication at church. kate continues to amaze us with the way she thinks and expresses herself (i can't believe she's only 3!) and amelia's new quest is to stand up holding onto whatever she can find. it's fun to see how things change in just a few weeks time.

rainy morning concert

we woke up this morning to rain, so instead of going for a walk, we decided to hang around in our pajamas (something we rarely do anymore). kate got her new microphone out and gave me a mini concert on the hearth. i can't wait to see her on a stage somewhere in 20 years or so.

tagged again

i was tagged again by cousin megan. i am supposed to explain the picture from the 6th folder, then the 6th picture from "my pictures". i have mine set up differently too, so i went to the 6th year, then the six month, then the 6th date, then the 6th picture (are you confused yet?). so, here's the picture. it's nothing too exciting. it's kate sitting on our back patio-i was trying to get a picture of her BIG front teeth. she was 8 months old.

i'm not sure how i'm supposed to pick the next person, so i'll just tag my sister. go for it amy!

i've been tagged by my friend juliana. i am supposed to say 7 random things about myself:

1. i am in a supper swapping group. each week, 4 of my friends and i each make 4 meals (for 4 families), get together at the beginning of the week, swap the meals, then have 4 different meals (including the one i made). all of my cooking and grocery shopping is done for the week at the beginning of the week. with two little kiddos, this has been a lifesaver!

2. i would much rather have chewy candy over chocolate.

3. i love taking a nap on a dreary, rainy day (like i did today).

4. i have an obsession with shoes. currently they are piled on the closet floor in kate's room since we haven't finished the closet in our room.

5. tim and i love running with the girls in the double jogger. we see what we can do more of: actual running or fixing blankies, getting books, getting snacks, giving a water cup, taking the water cup away, stopping to look at the ducks, picking up the toy that fell on the ground, etc.

6. i love to bake and cook. this is something i didn't realize i enjoyed so much until i didn't have time to do it. every chance i get i do it, but those chances seem few and very far between.

7.i love the quiet that nap time brings. it's the only quiet in our house from 7am-8pm. it's when i get most things done- cleaning, blogging, cooking, phone calls, showering (i know it's gross, but it's the truth:). anyway, sometimes it seems too quiet, but most days it's a nice sound.

amelia

we're still trying to figure out why amelia is topping the charts with her weight:)

Kate's birthday party & halloween

we celebrated kate's 3rd birthday yesterday on halloween. her birthday was last sunday, but since we were out of town, we did her party yesterday instead. it was fun having all the kids dress up and having a carnival theme, complete with bean bag toss, face painting, and a jumpy house. kate had a blast and is already talking about her next party:) after napping, we changes costumes and went trick-or-treating with jeanene and tim and their kids. kate loves being with her cousins, so it was a bonus that they got to be dressed up and collect candy. she quickly got the hang of the door-knocking and saying "trick-or-treat".