Dailee's Party

Last weekend we went to Dailee's 1st Birthday party - she is a little mini-me of her mommy (my first cousin, Jessica) and we had so much fun celebrating her sweet little life:)!! Jessica put together an amazing party with a bouncy house, yummy food, and cute face-painting for the kids. We all had a great time, and Dailee dug right into her cake and smeared the icing everywhere...here are a few photos from the day:

Gabe also got his first turkey of the season...he is VERY proud:) Of course I had to get some pictures!

Gabe's two hunting buddies - Caleb & Jordan! These guys LOVE to hunt!

Paddle boatin'

         Paddle boatin' and lovin' the sunshine...

Countdown

The countdown is officially on for our summer vacation:) I just love this time of year and looking forward to things like snowcones, swimming, and tan lines! Max is in his 2nd year of pee-wee baseball and is having fun - although he will tell you that his favorite sport is still basketball. He has a small goal in the living room that he CONSTANTLY plays on...the other day I was thinking "Ahhhhh!!! If I hear that basketball bounce on the floor one more time, I'm gonna go crazy!!" But immediately I felt guilty and decided I might as well enjoy it, because one day I will miss the sound of that basketball and my little man commentating an imaginary game.

Gabe is coaching again this year, and the Odon Sawmill sponsered a team - so of course Max is proud to wear his Odon Sawmill shirt. They rode on a big semi trailer this year and I got one quick photo of them - Max is in the green sweatshirt!

Here he is sporting his uniform and having a big conversation with some buddies. I just love to watch them have these major discussions!

Of course I have some photos of my little booger-butt, too! Can't leave her out of the action! She is so rotten it's not even funny - you can see her two little front teeth she has sprouted:) ha ha! In just a few days, she will  be 9 months old already!

A few weeks ago we had our family pictures taken at Sandy Clarke Photography...Oh my, were we a sight! You know how you see family photos and think "Oh, how perfect...they must have a wonderful life and are never unhappy, etc." Well, let me just tell you - by the time we left our photo shoot I was embarrassed and frustrated and just knew she didn't get a single good photo! Moments before she starting snapping our photos I was trying to help Max blow his nose and I scratched his nose to the point that it was bleeding! Gabe was complaining about taking photos...Callie wasn't really in the mood to smile - it was just one of those days! She did manage to get a few cute photos - I have no idea how! Here we are before the photo shoot, just playing at home.

This past weekend was prom at North Daviess - and my sweet "little" cousin Janae went for the first time! I just can't tell you how much I love this girl - since the moment she was born she has been a huge part of my life and she has a heart of gold:) I am so proud of her and the faith she has in Jesus...she is beautiful both inside and out. Here she is with her cutie-pututie date, Adam!

And of course I had to stick a picture in here of her with her big brother - these two are just too funny and they are constantly making me laugh:)!



Prayers are going out to my very best friend in the whole wide world today - she is traveling home with her husband and sweet daughter from China (where they adopted her)! I am beyond excited about the joy and happiness little Brielle will be bringing to the Knepp family - they will get home tonight and I just can't wait to meet the little sweetie!!

Easter 2012

The last few weekends have been all about hanging out with family - my favorite past time:)!
Last Friday night we went down to my sister-in-law's house for supper, and she had went to Evansville earlier in the day to pick up 5 kids (that she knew from working at the YMCA). These cuties were so much fun and Max was completely exhausted when he got home from playing so hard with all of them. The kids spent most of the night playing outside, jumping on the trampoline, taking golf cart rides, pestering the dog, and just plain getting dirty:) The adults and babies had fun too sitting around and catching up...here are some photos from that evening.

  This is my niece AunaRay enjoying being snuggled by one of the little Evansville girls.

  Here is her sister holding Callie...not as happy about it as AunaRay.

  All the rowdy kids that were playing outside on the wood pile!

  Callie enjoying her time inside with the adults:)

On Saturday Max and I started out the day with donuts from the Donut Barn in Odon - they really have great homemade donuts! The only donuts that beat theirs were my Grandma Raber's homemade donuts...my whole reason for being such a chunk when I was little:) The moment I got to my Grandma's house as a child, I would walk straight to the freezer and ask for donuts (she would make them and freeze them, so all we had to do when we got there was warm them up)! I miss the taste of those sweet donuts, but not nearly as much as I miss her sweet smile.

 The kids also got to ride with dad on the loader to place some huge rocks around our house (Gabe found the rocks and brought them home on the semi. Both kids loved this - and dad enjoyed it just as much:) He still dreams about making Callie a tomboy...but I have other plans:)!

 That evening was Ms. KayeLee's 1st birthday party, she is the daughter of Savilla, Gabe's cousin. It was at the Plainville park - really nice but a little chilly! Here is the birthday girl right before the cake...

   And here is an "after" photo...what a mess!

  My sweet little 1 dimpled niece...it doesn't get much cuter than this!!

     Me and AunaRay

Next (on Sunday) was Easter with Gabe's family on the Paulus side. Max had to miss it since he was at his dad's house, but we managed to get a few photos of Callie before the Easter egg hunt. She refused to put the cup down...and I knew I wouldn't get a good picture if I took it away - so here she is with a styrafoam cup!

And with some bunny friends...

We ended the weekend at my mom and dad's with the Raber side of the family. We had so much fun sitting

on their porch and later making a fire to stay warm around. Perfect ending to a perfect weekend:)

   Callie and her Papa Delbert...best buds!

    Max wasn't into pictures...him with Aunt Gina

     Building us a fire...

                Just sitting around visiting! Uncle Terry, Grandpa GG, and Great Uncle Joe

Willow Tree

My boys worked hard to plant a willow tree right outside my bedroom window - I caught them in the act:)

I brought Callie out to get into the action...she has stolen both of these boys' hearts!

That is my brother's house in the background...If I would have taken the photo from another angle you might have seen my other brother's house - I LOVE that. I love that I am surrounded by my family and we can literally walk over for a visit. LOVE it:)

With all this cuteness going on, Mama had to jump into one picture! We are enjoying Spring Break and dreading going back to "the real world!" 

Bedtime talks...

One of the most precious things about my little life right now are my bedtime talks with my little man. Gabe has kind of taken over putting Callie to bed, because Max and I just need our "together" time. Most of my extra time is spent with the new little one, so I try to carve out special time to spend with Max. He is growing into such a little man...and each night I read him a book (and he has started reading to me!!), we say our bedtime prayers, and I lay down with him until I hear his breathing get slow and heavy...and quietly I tip toe out of his room. It always makes me think of one of my favorite books, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.

Softly she sings to him:
"I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always.

As long as I'm living,

my baby you'll be."

                                                                                           (Max at 2 yrs. old)

Last night while we laid in bed, we talked about all kinds of things...I was telling Max that we only have 8 weeks until school is over and it will be summertime! He said he didn't want to leave kindergarten...didn't want to move on to 1st grade. When I asked why he said that you get in trouble alot more in 1st grade. I asked him what he would get in trouble for, and he said talking. "Mom - if someone talks to me during class I just HAVE to answer them, I just can't help it...I could never wait until lunch or recess!"
He was also asking me all kinds of questions about our brains. "Why can't our eyes just roll the other way so we can see our brains?" Some of his questions just make me laugh so hard:)
Gabe and my dad took Max fishing yesterday afternoon, and Gabe told me that Max asked questions nonstop!! Must be the age:) I cherish every little moment I get with this little guy...because before I know it, 6 will become 16 and 16 will become 26...and I will be an old woman;)

Lovin' bath time...

I was looking at Max's baby book this morning, and I wrote that his very favorite thing to do around 6 mo. old was be in the bathtub:) Look at my little man in the tub!!

Looks like someone is following in her brother's footsteps...

She also LOVES the bathtub:)