Nieces and Nephews

I love kids, well most kids. Some peoples' kids drive me nuts. But next to my own boys, my nieces and nephews are my favorites. For each one of their births I was around, obviously not at the birth, but shortly there after to meet the new little person.

Gracie and Elijah I wasn't around as much in the first couple of years of their lives. I was around, but not like with the other two. But before this year I was around for every birthday of all the kids, except I think for Elijah's second. I would make sure I went to them all with my camera in hand.

Well I watching my newest niece today(the first on my side) and I realized that I wont get to watch my soon-to-be-born nephew go through the baby stage like I have all the rest. Each one of the kids I got to get to know them right away and my new nephew I wont be able to.

I got really sad just a little while ago, because I was looking at Kari's friend, Molly's blog and she had pictures of the kids on her blog and I thought about all I have missed in their lives in the past year, how many pictures I have not gotten to take.

All I can say is you take family living close for granted until they move. I miss seeing the kids almost daily. I miss going over to Kari's to chat for a while. I miss meeting up with the whole family for dinner at Pat and Bob's. I even miss seeing Eric walk through Pat and Bob's door with the phone to his ear.(that man is always on the phone)

Hopefully we will get to visit them this summer!!
Mandi

I hate moving!!!!!!

Well I have to say that I will be so happy when we get moved!!! I mean this has been a huge drawn out process. It seems I never can get anything done when Alex is here, because he is in to everything and if he is not into stuff he is picking on JJ so I have to rescue him. I just want to get moved and not going back and forth.

Our goal is to get all our small stuff taken over and then next Wednesday when Joe and April help us we can get our bed, furniture and all the big items over. Then we will just have to tidy up the old house and start the process of unpacking.

I have found tons of stuff to sell at a garage sale. I am trying to down scale the boys' clothes and part with the stuff I don't absolutely love that they have grown out of. We have been buying some new stuff for JJ, so there is no point in keeping ALL of Alex's old clothes for him.

And poor Sierra has no clue she is about to move. She hates leaving our house, so I wonder is she will take moving very well. Hopefully she doesn't dig up our new yard, although it does need reseeded.

Hopefully our friend Eric can finish the floor in our bedroom, which it the only thing holding us back from moving in completely. We finished the laundry room floor yesterday and it looks pretty darn good for 2 people that have no real idea what they are doing. So things are actually happening, it is just hard when you don't see any empty rooms, but you have been packing and moving crap all the time. Oh well the end is in site.(I HOPE!!!!!!!!)
Mandi

Random Pictures

Well here are some pictures of our new, improved youth room.


Here are some Easter-ish pictures


And one of Little Miss B because she is so cute!

Here is Mr. Chubbins

And Kari this one is for you. Presenting your Dorky Brother and his Dorky Son

People never come back from Kansas!

Well Casey is leaving Saturday for Kansas. Ashley and I went up yesterday to help him clean his sad little economy apt and see him for the last time before he leaves. I kept asking him if he was sure he wanted to leave because we wont see each other until Christmas probably and he started joking about how people never return from Kansas.

It was funny but really got me thinking. You know we tend to make a big deal out of people moving away, like we will never see them again, but when you think about it, anytime we say goodbye to someone it could be the last time. I mean at any moment this could be the end for one of us. So we should make sure to tell each other we love them any chance we get. We should take the time to hug goodbye and pray that God keeps the other one safe until we meet again.

Guess I am just kinda in a depressed mood. Casey moving again is kinda hard for me. And everything is changing. Most for the best, but how much more is going to change. In the past 4 months JJ and Bianca were born, Mom and Dad moved back, we bought a house, Casey is moving away, Ashley and Andrew are most likely buying a house, and I have another nephew on the way. These are all great things, but it seems like so much at once. Last year at this time I never guessed that any of this would take place and now everything is so different, better different, but different just the same.

JJ's dedication

Yesterday we dedicated JJ to the Lord. Pastor Dave was here, so he did it for us. He did such a good job and it really was a awesome little ceremony. And what I heard of his sermon was really good too. Didn't alot of it because of having to change diapers and wrestle around with Alex.

Anyway here are some pictures.