St. Louis

We don't travel often. 
I'm kind of a hermit...seriously - I would rather be home than anywhere else.  But I want my kiddos to have all kinds of different experiences, so I have to go out of my comfort zone and just suck it up! 
Gabe is the total opposite - he LOVES to go anywhere and everywhere. He always says that when we get old he wants to buy an RV and travel the world...which actually sounds like torture to me. It's so funny that we are complete opposites that found each other and fell in love. He pushes me to come out of my shell and try new things...while I try to show him the comforts of home and relaxation. 

So this past weekend we traveled to St. Louis with Gabe's family to take the kids to the zoo. We left Friday after everyone got off of work, and got to the hotel around 9 pm. The next morning we got up early and went to the zoo, to try to beat the heat...we knew it was supposed to get super hot that day. The zoo was really, really nice with lots of new experiences for the kids - and they loved it! It was very fun - if you don't count the countless restroom breaks with a potty-training toddler (Callie is officially wearing panties), the 103 degree heat, the constant sweating....and by 2 pm we were all DONE. 

After a few hours of rest, we went to an early dinner and to explore the local mall. Because of not wanting to have stomach issues during the day - I hadn't eaten all day and was out in that heat all day...let's just say that those two things didn't mix well and I got SUPER SICK...at the mall. I left the kids with Gabe and his family, and literally ran out of the mall. I thought I was either going to faint or puke...just didn't know which. I sat in the car with my face in the air conditioning until Gabe came to my rescue! We went and got me a snack, and then headed back to the hotel for me to go straight to bed. 

I felt much better the next day - and we decided to head to Grant's Farm. It is a sweet little place that has lots of animals, a little tram that you ride everywhere, and gorgeous Clydesdale horses. We spent the day exploring and eating yummy snow cones...and then headed home in the afternoon. Although we had a few snags (getting sick, seeing enough public restrooms for a lifetime, worn out kids) we really did have a great time and enjoyed spending time with Gabe's family. Our life isn't perfect...but we are perfectly blessed!!

New School year - 2013

My new adventure has begun - I am now a fifth grade teacher. It was so unexpected, but has went really well so far. I have a really great group of kids that are kind and attentive. As much as I was worried about it - and as overwhelming as the whole process was - God has been with me each and every step...guiding me and comforting me. Here are a few photos of my finished classroom - I worked so hard to make it warm and inviting for the kids - and they seem to really love it!

Max started 2nd grade the next week...He loves school and was really excited! He got Mrs. Byrer as a teacher, and there are lots of his buddies in his class. Uncle Clay still picks him up every morning and I just love the relationship these two have made! Clay is such a positive male role model for Max, and I'm thankful that Max has someone so amazing to look up to!    

Yesterday our sweet Nae-Nae left for U of E. We are so very excited for this new phase in her life...but also sad how fast the years have flown by. I remember holding her as a newborn baby...and now she's a college girl:) I texted with her today and she told me she is having a great time and loves her roommate! 

I hope everyone has a blessed school year!!!!

Our baby turned 2!!

Dear Callie Catherine, 

Yesterday was your 2nd birthday...I never dreamed I would be watching my little blond-haired, blue-eyed, tutu-wearing girl blowing out candles on a birthday cake. My goodness - I never even thought I would have a little girl. 

You have been surprising me since the moment you made your debut into this world. 
The strength of the bond you have allowed us to form as a family of four still surprises me on a daily basis. 
How smart you are, how sassy, how spunky & full of moxie...that surprises me. 
Every morning when I walk into your room to wake you and you flash that smile at me and I realize I've just fallen a little bit more in love with you - that surprises me. 
And I can not wait to see how you will continue to surprise us each year you get older. Because of you, our sweet little surprise, our family is happy and complete. Love you, sweet baby girl!

Lazy Summer

When I look back at our summer (since it's back to real life for us soon), I realize that it has felt like a really nice, long, lazy summer. We honestly have slept in almost everyday, relaxed thru the day, did exactly what we wanted all day long, took naps, snacked all day, hung out with family and friends, played in the water...I could go on and on. 

And although I felt a nagging stressful feeling about the changes at my job, nothing could have ruined this amazing summer with my family. We even found out that Uncle Caleb and Aunt Mallory are adding to this crazy family - so Gabe & I will get to be an aunt and uncle again and Max & Callie will have a new cousin:) We are so excited and can't wait to find out if the baby will be a girl or boy!

And although I have had so much anxiety over making a move back into the classroom after 8 years of being a Title 1 teacher (small groups or 1-on-1 with struggling students) - I have jumped into getting my classroom ready. The kids and I have been there for days - trying to get everything set-up and organized. Please pray for me as we start school next week - although I LOVE the kids, this move was not my choice and I'm still struggling with it. 

But it is all in God's plan - and I will not and can not let this get me down. How could I be down - with this little miss making me smile every. single. day. (And her brother, too!!)

God's Plans

You know those exciting changes I thought that might be coming for me and my family - well, things fell thru today and it just didn't work out. 

I have been praying for several months for a door of opportunity to open for me...and I thought this was it. But guess what? God's plans are different than my plans. And thank goodness HE is in charge:) Although I had to spend a couple of hours moping around about it, I've decided that is enough. How can I pray for him to show me clearly which way I should go, and then grumble when he closes one door. My dear friend Tanya shared a quote from Joyce Meyer's tonight on Facebook and I thought - there it is. My feelings in one simple sentence:

God, I don't want anything to do with it if 

you're not in it.

If my Savior didn't orchestrate it - then it wasn't right. It wasn't the

perfect opportunity that I thought it was because He has a plan for 

me. And it's so much bigger then the immediate future that I can see. 

So tomorrow I will wake to a new day...I will find the sun as it rises in the morning. I will love on my babies and continue to try and find opportunities that will be what is best for my family. They are worth it - and my God has everything under control. 

Soaking it all up...

Tonight we are 

taking deep breaths...

snuggling close to those we love the most...

saying prayers of thanks...

and sitting on the porch to breathe in the smell of summertime. 

Camping and other summer activities:)

Summer is in full swing...and our family is in the midst of some major changes. I can't share much now, but I promise that I will lay it all out there as soon as I can. For now I will share what we have been up to lately. 
Last week we went on a mini-vacation with the whole Swartzentruber family to Rough River State Park in Kentucky. Our campers were lined up on the lots, the weather was perfect, and we spent lots of time get closer as an extended family. There was a really nice beach to play on, a cute little playground, and a huge river to take the boat out on. We had a really great time and the kids slept well in the camper- which my dad just purchased and let us borrow. 

Max became a master bike rider while we were there - him and Elisha were going down hills and around curves that made me hold my breath until they stopped:)

 These two always have fun together - love them so much!

 The men did alot of fishing and cleaning of fish - we had a fish fry one night at the camper!

 AunaRay is covering Callie in sand - the girls both loved the beach!

 Great Grandma Swartzentruber even got dirty playing in the sand with Callie!

 We borrowed Nelson's scooter to take a little cruise:) Gabe thought this was just wonderful:)!

 When we got home, we had a spot reserved at Boggs for the 4th of July, so we are camping again! I think everyone is officially camped out!

Here is Callie with her Daddy's carving headphones on - she thought it was so cool that they had a radio on them!
Gabe and I also celebrated our 3 year anniversary on July 4th...I thought it was so funny, that evening we were on the golf cart with Max and he said "It is your anniversary, right?" I said that it was and he said "What are you gonna do?" I laughed as I told him that we were just gonna hang out on the golf cart with him - that was the extent of our celebration:)!