It was fun to see Evie for just bit my best friend Natalie (from the 1st grade) we now have girls the same age.

Tractor rides at Papa's Nadia was squealing and signing "More, More"!

Playing video games with Uncle Matt, picnic's at the park with Gamma, Nana, and Chelle. It is so nice that it is SPRING finally!

My crazy messy eater! Nadia love to eat and boy is she messy..
Woops..Gavin did a face plant down our driveway ouchy...

Two peas in a pod running at the Children's museum with Daddy.

Here are some great shots of our family at Aunt Mildred's viewing. Nadia is getting so close to walking but does not want to let go!

This photo was taken in 2003 when Michelle and I took a road trip to visit our Grandpa and Aunt Mildred in Florida. Tomorrow I will attend my Great Great Aunt Mildred's viewing and her funeral on Thursday. She lived to be 100! Well, my Grandfather (my mother's father) is her nephew. He should have died on Saturday. He was wearing a blue Do Not Resucitate (DNR) bracelet on and decided in the middle of the night to have his nurse take it off. He must have known that his breathing was getting worse. By Sunday morning he was on a ventilator and by Sunday at 10:30 his Aunt Mildred had passed away. Grandpa is now already off the ventilator breathing on his own and out of ICU! Amazing..tomorrow I hope to share with him and try and talk to him about his faith. I also get to bring the kids up to visit him too!

Please pray...I thought I would let everyone know that my Great Great Aunt Mildred passed away yesterday she was 100 years old. I am currently in Toledo with the kids. Please be praying for my Grandpa Miller who is in ICU on a ventilator. His heart is beating strong and on his own. This week I will attend funeral services for my Great Great Aunt my brother will be officiating the service and I will be visiting my grandfather as much as possible. Thank you for your prayers!

It was so nice to visit with my friend Marissa she and Bridget flew in for the week while the Daddy's were busy working:( The four of us spent many days and evenings together while fostering in Guate together.

Bridget was a visitor at Nadia's swim lesson. The girls thought it was amazing!
Check Gavin out at his swim lesson! Big guy without mommy!

Nadia now says "quack quack" for the duck and so many other animal sounds like: Cow, Pig, Horse, Doggie, Kitty, Sheep and others.

This is Nadia and Karina meeting for the first time in Guatemala!

Here they are 7 months later!

This is Gavin and Aaron in Guatemala City last September.
Here they are in Indiana 7 months later!



Aaron and Kristian are complete Star Wars nuts, they really taught Gavin a lot about the force this week. He even learned how to fight with an imaginary lightsaber. Mike could not be more proud. Aaron loves Gavin so much and mostly sat with him and hugged him and read his Star Wars books to him teaching much about "the force."

Girls just wanna have fun..We had Lauren and Jillian visit one evening and they are only a few months apart from Nadia and Karina I love JAMMIES! Eliana is so beautiful her hair is sooo long now!

Last week we had the opportunity to host the Gill Family! So much fun had by all..Tuesday-Friday felt like one big playdate. Steve's mother had a successful surgery and could be out of the woods with cancer. It is amazing how kids just pick up where they left off without skipping a beat. Adults can learn a lot from watching children play. Inhibitions and honesty are always out in the open children don't worry about tiptoeing around each others feelings but are ready to just relax together, build, throw, create and imagine together.

Spring cleaning has begun..so I am TRYING to get organized. Many of you know that this is a lifelong quest for me. Especially my sister who moved out of sharing a room with me when we were 16 and 18 because she could not handle my messiness anymore. I must say beginning this "organization quest" with 2 sweeties around is teaching me patience. But I have embraced their help! Gavin's enthusiasm for helping us with almost everything is delightful I only hope he can keep his momentum into the teen years..hee hee. Mike has joined me on this quest too and I know we are getting closer little by little.

My schoucher (spelling anyone?). I had to share this with you all since we are soon approaching a time when crawling/scooting will no longer be Nadia's main mode of movement. She will soon be walking and yet another phase will begin! Chasing two? Many of you know that she has been in physical therapy because she was not pulling up and she was 13 months. Being able to pull to stand is kind of important if you want to someday walk. I am so happy with our progress she is impressing us all and will even sometimes choose to crawl traditionally but "normal" is boring right. So here she is scooting her Easter away. She is a total balloon NUT too!

So, I have been incredibly slow at blogging not sure if there is a legitimate excuse except for as I speak my son is trying to grow out of his nap! I actually had them both napping at the same time which was simply amazing for a while. This is trying to make him nap thing is starting to make me a bit crazy. During his nap time he now: stays in his room, sings, sometimes empties drawers, strips himself of clothing or sometimes his bed. You cannot say he his not creative to say the least. Not sure when to give up.? (giving up has not really been one of my best talents).. I have been actually bribing him with his Easter candy if he goes right to sleep. Speaking of Easter I believe I forgot to blog some photos Mike's parents came for Easter which was very special and they took most of the photos which I do not have as of yet (Papa Dave). Now, I need to go upstairs and once again tell him to rest. We really enjoyed our now becoming annual Easter egg hunt at with the Oppold's (thanks again for hosting and being so amazing Oppold family) So, I just bribed Gavin with 3 fruit snacks and a piece of chocolate we shall see since is has been over an hour since he has been quietly playing in his bed we may need to count that as his nap. Do any mom's have any suggestions for my just turned 3 and opposing a nap? Enjoy these couple of Easter photos. Oh and if you are wondering he is napping now but guess who is ready for her mummy? You guessed my sweet Nadia!