Offspring Update

Hey Boo,

How's it going?  I have about 437 million things that I want to talk to you about.  Every time a random thought pops in my head, I think "I need to talk to Chaz about that," or "tell Chaz about this"... but then I'm like, "oh."

But anyways, I have lots to tell you about the babies.

First, they are insane.

Second, they are growing way too fast.  Like, mach speed style.  I wish they would just cool it baked potato!  :-)

Violet:

The most insane of them all.  Where does that little one store all her energy?  Why is she such a daredevil?

She loves to jump.  Like, frog jump, jump off the bottom step of the stairs, jump off of toys, jump, jump, jump.  This weekend, she decided she'd like to long jump over my legs.  I'll be sitting on the ground with my legs straight out, kind of in a V, so that each girl can sit on one of my legs.  Well, Violet stands up, and facing my leg, jumps over it!  That girl has mad ups!  After that, she didn't always make it over every time, and I basically feared for the safety of my leg, I felt as if I was laying on the ground and a monster truck was going to try to "jump" me or whatever...

Today, she took 2 little toys that brother was playing with (the triangle piece of pie and a connector monkey), and stacked them on top of each other to jump over those toys.  Of course, those toys are like 1 inch tall, so it was easy for her to jump over... :-)

Also, she is so fricken tough!  So, with all her jumping, she will fall down.  A lot.  But she is just like, boom, right back up again!  Sometimes she will have random scrapes or bruises that I don't even know where they came from because she didn't cry when she fell down.

Silly Violet

She is just like me because she hates anything "ucky"... Any time there is a spot anywhere, she has to point to it and say "ucky"... She also hates hair.  Since my hormones are coming back down from being pregnant and nursing Will, my hair is falling out like crazy, so it's everywhere.  She will find a hair and pick it up and say "ucky" and "err" (which means hair).  I think I will need to teach them the term "ooobie".  :-)

She does some of the sayings from their fave cartoons.  For example, in Super Why (you should be glad you don't have to endure this cartoon), there is a part that says "Peas & carrots, carrots & peas, book come out, please please please" and Violet says "peee peee peee!" :-)  Also, your mom got us a Dora DVD, and in the intro song, at the very end, the Sniper guy says "Aw Man..." and Violet says "Maaaann!"  It's hilarious.

Charlotte:

I screwed her up big time, babe.  She is absolutely, positively TERRIFIED of bugs.  Sorry.  But at least she is now another one of my alarms for if there is a bug in the vicinity (along with the cat).

The other day, my mom took the girls upstairs to spa.  I was downstairs lotioning brother after his spa.  T and M were here visiting as well.  Basically 2 seconds after my mom got upstairs and into the bathroom with the girls, I hear Charlotte screaming bloody murder.  I look at T and M and we are like, what's going on?  But I continue with what I'm doing figuring Mom has it all under control.  Then Mom opens the bathroom door and asks for me to come upstairs.  Eeek!  So I run up there and both girls are glued to my mom and screaming/crying.  Apparently, there was a bug flying around and it landed in the tub.  Charlotte saw it before my mom did, and FUH-REAKED OUT.  They hadn't even started putting water in the tub yet!  After that, Charlotte wouldn't even get in the bathtub, T had to hold her while Violet got spa...

Then yesterday, I took the girls outside for a little bit.  Charlotte got into the little black car, but it was all parked in the rocks, so I walk over there to move it.  As I'm like a foot away, I kind of swat back and forth at some bugs while I'm starting to say "Charlotte, you need to get out so I can move it into the grass."  All I said was "Charlotte" and she saw that I was swatting, and she hauled balls out of the car like it was her job!  She basically threw the little door open and half fell out of the car and glued herself to my leg.  I couldn't help but laugh.  She acted the same way I would if someone told me their was a bug in my car!

Yup, there's going to be no fixing that fear... sigh...

Charlotte is being like my dad, just leaving food on her face...  You've got a little something right there... :-)

Charlotte says "Puh Pet" which means "Pillow Pet."  She also says "Violet", it's super cute.  Oh man, and she says "pider" which means "spider" so that we can sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider".  (Sidenote: if the girls start saying "bitchy" you can blame my mom! :-)  She sings it "The itchy bitchy spider...").  Charlotte also says "Bee bee" which means she wants to sing the Bumblebee song... she likes to ask me to sing the Bumblebee song, and then as soon as I start she says "pider?" and wants me to switch to Itsy Bitsy... And as soon as I start Itsy Bitsy, she says "Bee bee" wanting the Bumblebee song again... that girl, I tell you what...

Sometimes, I wish I could capture just how opposite Violet and Charlotte can be in a picture or video.  But of course, they never perform when I have those out.  The other day, we were playing on the deck.  We made home-made sidewalk chalk (more like side-walk paint).  I had the paint out with sponges, and pitchers of water that we used to make the paint with out on the deck.  They both played with the paint for a while.  Charlotte sat in one spot, with one color, just blobbing it around where she was sitting.  Violet played with all the colors, and would have to blob in this spot, then go blob over here, and then go blob over there.  Then they dumped out ran out of paint, so they started playing with the pitchers of water and the spoons I used to stir the paint with.  Charlotte sat and played with one pitcher, just stirring the water over and over and over again.  Sometimes she would just sit there with her hand and sponge in the water.  Violet was carrying her pitcher all over the deck, trying to steal sister's spoon (despite having one in her hand), she was putting her feet into the paint they had put on the deck and walking around making footprints, and then she would grab a baby wipe and wipe her feet off.  And then repeat this process.  They are just so opposite, it's hilarious.

Let the fun begin!

Violet putting her feet in the paint...

...and then wiping her feet off.

A rare moment of Violet sitting in one spot, while Charlotte is just stirring her water.  :-)

Also, the girls say "Beep beep" now when they want someone or something to get out of their way.  I wonder who they learned that from?  :-)

Will:

Oh, that Will.  He is just a freak of nature.  In a good way.  He just got your mellowness and my mellowness, and that's it.  Mellow squared.  He is just so laid back and all like, whatevs...  He's just like, "Hey, I'm going to hang out over here, roll around a little and grab my feet, maybe drool and chew some stuff, possible poop, I'm not sure if there will be enough time."  :-)

Chillin'

He got his first 2 teeth in the other day.  They are the bottom ones.  If I was an organized mom, I probably would have written down in a baby book or something when they came in.  But yeah, it was basically sometime at the end of September, good enough... :-P

He babbles his head off now... blah blah blah, mah mah mah, ooo ooo aah... And he still likes to smile his face off too.  He is such a ham for the camera!  Seriously, when I would get the camera out on the girls, they would just be like "duuuuhhhh" and stare at it.  But as soon as I get the camera out, I don't even have to say anthing, Will just looks at it, and he's all like HUGEST SMILE EVER!  Goofball...

We started giving him cereal about a week ago or so.  I'm still not doing it every day, because we're busy and he doesn't really need it...  We'll keep giving him cereal randomly for another week or so, and then start the fun with baby food!

BEFORE

DURING...

AFTER

He is so close to crawling already.  He pushes himself on to all fours and bounces back and forth.  He scooches a little bit backwards, and in a circle...  He can maybe get a centimeter of forward motion, but it's basically just from stretching to reach the toy that I put just out of reach.  I'm nervous when he does become for real mobile.  That's when I started containing the girls to just the living room.  Now it's even worse because there are random cheerios and goldfish that just show up in unknown places.  I need to evaluate the choking hazards we have laying around...

Well, I guess that's some of the latest on the kids.  I wish SO MUCH that you were here to witness everything!  I'm so fricken pissed that you don't get to see this.  It's just not fricken fair.  For reals.  I hate it. With a passion. Basically, it's bullshit. Big steamy bull. shit.

Aaaannnnd.... way to end this email so awesome.

K, lovebuckets.

Our Trip to the Pediatrician's Office

Hey boo,

How's it going?  I'm just meh...

So, you know how I said I was sick?  I thought maybe I got it from the kids, so I made appointments for all 3 of them to see their doctor.

I called on Wednesday just after lunch time.  The conversation with the receptionist went a little like this:

Me:  I'd like make appointments for my 3 kids to see if they have strep throat and get their ears checked for tomorrow morning. (then I give her their names)
Receptionist:  At the Grandville office, correct?
Me: Yes please.
Receptionist:  Ok, we have an 8:45 tomorrow morning in Grandville.
Me:  Great, that's perfect!
Receptionist:  Ok, I've got them all down for 8:45 with Dr. H in Grandville.
Me:  Ok, thanks, see you tomorrow.

So, then it's "tomorrow", aka Thursday.

I had to set my alarm to make sure I was up early enough to get me and the kids ready so that we would be in the car ready to go by 8:25.

But Will decided to wake up at 5am... Well, I finally get him back to sleep, and I lay down and fall asleep... so then the alarm goes off and I'm exhausted, and I probably pressed snooze one too many times...

So then it's rush rush RUSH.

The girls are being slow eaters as always, throwing their cheerios everywhere.  While they are eating, I have Will in the rock-n-play to feed him his bottle.  He was being unusual and not eating his bottle very well (one of his symptoms of being sick), and finally I just gave up and he didn't even finish.

I am about to put him in his car seat, and of course, he's had a poo-splosion during his bottle!  Ugh... so now I have to get him cleaned up and changed.  Making us even more behind...

After more rushing to get everyone loaded into the car, and a few trips back and forth into the house to make sure we have taggies and a diaper bag and my purse, we are finally on the road.

We end up making it to the office less than 5 minutes late.

But then I have to get everyone out of the car and into our stroller-bus.

I push the stroller-bus into the building, and turn the corner to the doctors office, and all the lights are off.

WTF?!?!

There is a sign on the door that says the Grandville office is closed on Thursday, 9/26, and that everyone needs to go to the 3-mile location.

WTF?!??!

So a very annoyed me digs my cell phone out and calls the office.  The same receptionist answers.  Attempting to be calm, I explain that I had an appointment at the Grandville office that I had just made the day before, but apparently it's closed...  She's like, "Oh no... I messed up, I had you down for Monday..."

Are you kidding me?!?!  You know I can't stand that receptionist... She's screwed up our appointments more than once before, and she "insulted" Will's name (or the fact that he goes by Will which is in no way related to his actual first name...)

So I ask if I can just go out to the 3-mile location without an appointment.  She says "yes, they will try to fit us in."  The word "try" really pisses me off.  You WILL fit us in!

Well, I haul everyone back out into the parking lot, and load them all back into the car.  And drive to the 3-mile location.  (Which just happens to be where I will have to be that afternoon for my therapy appointment... ugh, wasting gas making 2 trips to the same area...)

We get there, and again, I unload everyone and get them into the stroller-bus.  I maneuver our way through the doors, get us checked in, and we wait.  The girls do OK, there were books for them to look at.  They were all excited to go to the "Dock-tuuurrr"...

The nurse comes and brings us into the smallest exam room ever... Seriously, I push in our gigantic stroller and it fills the entire room.  As soon as the girls see the exam table, they realize where we are and start freaking.  Charlotte is glued to me and Violet is wanting "uppie."

I tell the nurse everyone's symptoms, and then we have to wait for the doctor.  There are no books in the exam room, and I forgot to bring any toys, so I entertain the girls by letting them play with diapers from the diaper bag, and brother's bottle and ice pack...  It is hard to move around in the room with everything in there, but every 3 seconds it's "Elp, elp" from Charlotte to sit in the chair that is a little too tall for her to get in with her hands full of diapers. So, my back is killing from squeezing into small spaces to pick her up, just for her to get back down and then ask for "elp" again.

Finally, the doctor comes in.  He does pretty well with the girls actually.  I hold each one while he is looking them over.  He lets them play with the stethoscope, and the thingy that booms your knee to check reflexes.  He is able to check over Will on the exam table while I attend to the girls.

Will and Charlotte have ear infections, and they check Violet for strep (fortunately she didn't throw up during the swab).  We have to wait for the results... Oh the waiting... The girls are getting bored with the diapers and Will doesn't want to be put down... I'm sweating my butt off...

Finally, they come back and Violet is all clear, no strep.  So, I ask if it is OK for them to get their flu shots, since we are out there anyways...

What was I thinking?!?!

Will is still too young to get his flu shot, but the girls are lucky enough to get it... I have Violet go first, of course, because she's our tough one.  I only have to hold her for a few seconds and give her Taggie and she is fine.  I put her down and we get Charlotte up on the table...  Yeah, I'm sure you can guess how that went... cry cry CRY... And Will is crying because I had to put him in his car seat... And Violet is crying because everyone else is crying...

I try to snuggle them all for a minute to get them to calm down.  Maybe I should have waited longer, but I figured we needed to get going... So, I buckle Will in and try to get the girls into the stroller.  Charlotte of course will NOT get on the stroller and only wants "uppie."  So, I carry her, and push/pull the stroller out of the room and over to the check out desk.

I go to pay the co-pay, but realize I have a new insurance card now that it is under me.  So I need to give them that and they have to make copies and get it in the system... That equals more waiting... I set Charlotte down and let Violet off the stroller and try to entertain them with some random flyers that were at the check-out desk.  But Will is screaming his head off.  I'm sure it was only 2-3 minutes of standing there, but it felt like FOREVER.

I finally am able to maneuver our way out of the waiting room and out to the parking lot (fortunately all kids were somewhat willing to be in the stroller, so I didn't have to carry anyone while doing this...)

I load everyone back in to the van, get the stroller in, get the bags in, and take off my sweatshirt because I'm sweating buckets.  Charlotte is screaming because I didn't let her do the buckles (but really I did let her, but she was too busy screaming about something else to do them, and when I told her that she could do them, she pushed the buckles away... ugh...)  Will is still screaming for a reason that I don't know.  Violet is just doing Taggie.

Well, after a minute on the road, everyone is finally quiet.

When I get off the highway, it is too quiet... crap, did the girls fall asleep?!?!  I start talking to them, and Violet talks to me, but not Charlotte... and you know she is the worst one if she falls asleep and I have to wake her up when we get home...

So, I'm wondering if I should risk dropping off their prescriptions and having them fall asleep, or if I should just try to get home as soon as possible.  I risk the drop-off.  I am so THANKFUL for drive-thru pharmacies.  Before, I thought they were silly, but now I realize they were specifically made for parents.

Once we get home, I get out of the car and peek in the back.  Charlotte is sleeping... crap... But she wakes up as the door opens, which makes me think she must have just fallen asleep, which isn't so bad...

We are behind schedule, so they get a late lunch, and then it takes them forever to go to nap.

But finally they are asleep.

And then I'm back out and off to therapy.

I told the therapist about our morning, and she says that I should celebrate that I did that.  Despite the chaos, I did it.  We made it through.  I should get a gold star sticker.

Yay, a gold star sticker... I'd rather have my husband, thanks.

I'm Sick

Hey boo,

How's it going?  I'm sick...

It started yesterday.  I was feeling pretty achy all over and in my head.  I go feel my throat starting to be weird.

Then as I was sleeping last night, I was having the chills so bad.  I turn the heat up at night for the babies, but I was an ice cube.

When I woke up this morning, I felt horrible.  It hurt so bad to swallow, and I ached everywhere!  I had planned on bringing some cold medicine to take at work, but I forgot it.  So I stopped at the gas station on the way in to possibly buy a little 1 dose pack of it, but they didn't have that kind there.

So, when I got to work, I actually called our Health Services Clinic!  I've never used them for being "sick."  And I still wasn't sure if I really was sick.  Typically for how I was feeling, I would never go to the doctor, I'd just take some medicine and wait it out.  But now I'm super paranoid about sicknesses.  So I figured it didn't hurt to go.  It's only $5 for me to go.

I'm glad I went!  I found out I have strep throat!!!  I can't remember ever having that, even as a child.  I know I've been tested for it before, but it never came out positive.  They said it was VERY positive, they could see the results before the test was even completed.

So, he prescribed me penicillin!  I've never taken that!  I feel all old school taking penicillin.  It reminds me of like the Civil War or something and getting gangrene...  I know, that's silly.  :-)  But yeah, I picked up my prescription from a little pharmacy in downtown Zeeland over lunch today.  I have to take it 3 times/day for 10 days.  Yikes!

So, I was wondering where I got strep throat from??? It seems likely that it came from the kids.  Looking back over the weekend, this might explain their fussiness and not wanting to eat.  They have also been super boogery.  So, I called the pediatrician and set up an appointment for all 3 of them to go in tomorrow morning to get checked.  You know that I don't typically do that either!  But now I understand that it's better to be safe than sorry.

Anyways, so I'm feeling pretty miserable.  And of course I miss you like crazy.  I just want you here to comfort me.  I hate hate HATE this.

Sigh...

I miss you. A lot.  Always.  Love.

The Dentist Called

Hey boo,

How's it going?

So, the dentist's office left me a voicemail.  Apparently you've been on the cancellation list for a long time and looking for an appointment late in the day.  They've had several and have tried to reach you, but they weren't sure if you changed your phone number or something because they can't reach you.  Sigh... Cancelling your phone was one of the first things I did the week after everything happened...

Well, I obviously had to call them back, and let them know about the situation.

Ugh, what is the right way to tell people?  I kind of thought the dentist office already knew, because it seems like most other places knew.  Your "primary physician's" office, the kids pediatrician's office... C'mon dentist, get with it!

Of course, I said what happened, and she was very surprised and I got the usual "I'm so sorry" response.  And I said my typical "Thank you." 

How many more calls am I going to have to make like that?  When will mail stop coming addressed to you?  The hospital bills finally started coming to "The Estate of" your name instead of just your name.  

Is this all really happening?

I'm Tired

Hey boo,

How's it going?  I'm tired.

Just so fricken tired...

I'm not sleeping very well since I've been sleeping on the couch.  You know how much the couch sucks.  So my back hurts and my hips hurt and my neck hurts.  I just hurt.  I'm just tired.

It's hard for me to fall asleep.  When I close my eyes I start to think.  And then I start tossing and turning.  I try to wait until I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.  But it still doesn't work, and each night, I end up falling asleep later and later and later... And of course, there is no sleeping in.  Ever.  There are no naps.  Ever.  I'm tired.

I'm tired of the kids.  Cry cry cry cry cry cry cry cry cry cry cry... whine whine whine whine whine whine whine whine... that's all the do. They make me CRAZY.  Except for Will.  He's pretty good still, but I'm waiting for the day that changes... I never get a break.  It doesn't matter who is here, nobody understands that sometimes, you just need to completely tune out, get away from them, let someone else deal with them.   I still have to feed them, make bottles, wash nipples, change diapers, kiss owies, break up fights, keep them entertained... There is never a time where someone else just COMPLETELY takes over so that I can have a break from them.  I guess my break from them is going to work. But work does not really equal a break...  So, I guess my break could be after they are all in bed...  But my evenings are filled with tears and loneliness, so I still don't really consider it a break.  I'm so tired of the kids.

I'm tired of being alone.  There is nobody to talk to.  Nobody who understand me like you do.  Nobody that I can bitch and complain to.  Nobody to tell me funny stories.  Nobody to reminisce about the past with.  Nobody to talk about our favorite TV shows.  Nobody to feel lazy with me and decide the kids don't need a spa tonight.  Nobody to get a late night craving for a milkshake or crab rangoons.  Nobody.  Apparently Nobody is my new best friend.  I'm tired of Nobody.

I'm tired of being scared.  Scared of someone breaking in at night.  Scared of the dark.  Scared something will happen to me.  Scared something will happen to the kids.  Scared something will happen  to me while I'm alone with the kids.  What would they do?  When would they be found?  Scared of the future.  Scared of each day I have to live without you.  I'm tired of fear.

I'm tired of living every day without you.  I'm tired of thinking that every day from now on will be without you.  I'm tired of you not coming home.  I'm tired that I have nothing to look forward to. I'm tired of you not being here to comfort me.  I'm tired of missing you.

I'm tired of just going through the motions.  Wake up, feed the kids, work, bedtime...  There is no feeling behind anything.  No emotions except for anger and sadness.  I'm tired of having to keep it together.

I just don't understand how I am supposed to do this with you.  My family won't be around to help forever.  How do I maintain the house?  How do I take care of these kids?  How do I keep going to work?  How do I do it all?  ALONE.  I'm tired of being a single mom.  I never signed up for that.

I'm tired of it all.

I. Am. Just. So. Tired.

Awkward

Hey boo,

How's it going?  I'm just missing you like crazy.

I never really know what to say to people lately.  Today, the lady who works the cash register in the cafeteria was like "Hey, how are you?" and of course, I politely responded "I'm fine thanks, how are you?"  She said, "I'm good.  I feel like I haven't seen you in a while, you  haven't been around much." (Because I used to go to the cafeteria every day for breakfast, and most days for lunch. But of course, I just was out of work for 5 weeks, and my first week back, I made sure to pack a lunch and breakfast. I'm on a budget now, ya know?)

Anyways, what am I supposed to say to that?  This is someone who I've never really had more that a small-talk conversations with.  Typically, just the "How are you?" or "How was your weekend?" kind of things, where the responses are usually pretty short, like "Good, thanks."  or "It went by way too fast."

I just said, "Yeah... I had some things come up..."  And she responded with a sad look and said "Oh, I'm sorry..." And I said, "Thanks."  End of conversation.

But seriously, it's not like I can just blurt out "Well, my husband passed away, so I was out trying to deal with that..."  while I'm trying to just casually pay for my breakfast.  I mean, that would just be awkward.  I HATE the awkward.  I hate hearing the "I'm sorry for your loss."  Seriously, how do I respond to that?!?!  I usually say "Thank you."  And then that awkward silence follows... so, um, yeah...

And then there is the "How are you?"  Now I never know if it's the casual "how are you?" in passing, or if it's the sympathetic "how are you?" with a head tilt and the downward inflection of their voice...  Either way, do they REALLY want to know how I am?  I'm sure if I responded with how I REALLY am, they would be like, "Oh sh*t, what can of worms did I just open?"

Basically, I feel like I stand out like a sore thumb.  I like going places where nobody knows me.  I got my haircut the other day, and I just pretended that my life was still happy, my family of 5 was still in tact.  The stylist didn't know the difference, nobody there knew me, so why go in to all the gory details?

Blah...

Anyways, I really wish I could REALLY talk to you about all of this.  I miss you. A lot.

Love.

What we DID do!

Happy Anniversary Boo!

7 years!  Seven years of "pure" awesomeness and the worst heartbreak.

To think, I had been worried that you might get the "7 year itch"... if only that were it...

There are not even words to describe how much I wish we were celebrating our anniversary TOGETHER.  We should have spent this weekend at the JW, living it up concierge level style.  We should have had an Ada dog and a beer at Ritz Koney.  We should have walked around downtown, holding hands, talking about the kids and looking forward to Art Prize.

Us at the JW for your 30th b-day.

Yum, Ritz Koney

But of course, we didn't...

That's when I'm at my worst, when I'm thinking of everything that we should be doing... everything we planned on doing that we won't ever get to do... everything that you're missing...

But OK, enough pissing and moaning.  Today, I'm going to try and focus on what we DID do.  Everything we were able to do together because we had 7 wonderful years (well, technically 6 years, 10 months, and 20 days) of wedded bliss.  (Inside joke time:  Where you from?  State of Bliss! :-) ) (And technically, I still consider myself married to you, it's just not so blissful anymore...) [And all of this doesn't even include the fun we had during our 1.5 years of friendship, 1.5 years of being "boyfriend/girlfriend", and the 2 years of being engaged!  That will just have to be another email...]

So, during those 7 years...

*We lived it up on our honeymoon in Hawaii, flying first class together for our first (and only) time!

Lei making class!

*We bought (and had built) our first house!

Our lot!

The day we closed on our house!

*We watched GVSU Football play at 5/3 Ballpark.

GV - - SU!

*We went the Little River Casino for our 1 year anniversary.

Driving to the casino for our 1 year wedding anniversary.

*We put up a Christmas tree 7 times, and it wasn't until last year that you finally stopped being a Grinch about it. :-)

How do you really feel?

*You spent forever making a "wheel of shots" that you were really proud of (loved being the bartender!).

*We threw a kick-ass New Years Eve party.

Wooooooooo!

*We went to Traverse City, in the middle of winter, twice...

Why didn't we go here when the weather was nicer?

*We went on a cruise...

...where saw Ft. Lauderdale, Florida...

Ft. Lauderdale

...and visited Coco Cay, Bahamas...

...and watched the captain of the boat be taken away by a Coast Guard helicopter...

The helicopter is above the boat

...and saw the Southernmost Point of the Continental USA.

*We watched my car "turn over". :-)

The Alero

*We bought 4 different cars!

The BMW

The Civic

Mom's Taurus

Mini-van!!!

*We made many, many new friends [way too many pictures for this one, I couldn't pick just one!]

*We watched cars race on dirt

*For our 2 year anniversary, we went to Mackinac Island...

...and Crossed over the "Mighty Mac"...

...and went through the locks in Sault Ste. Marie!

*We saw many of our friends get married. [again, too many pictures, I couldn't narrow it down to one!]

*We went apple picking.

*We dressed up for Halloween.

*We carved pumpkins.

*We stayed at the JW at least 5 times for sure (I'm having a hard time remember them all, so there might be more...).

Looking down from the landing inside the JW...

*You watched me play in a "band".

The other side of the sign says "Because I'm Hungry Like the Wolf!"

 *You grew a full beard... and I cried, so then you shaved it.

Oh how I hated your Grizzle Adams look...

*We watched more cars turn left...

Berlin

*We said good-bye to my dad.

*We went to Myrtle Beach. (part of what we consider our 3rd Anniversary celebration)

*We went to Las Vegas. (another part of what we consider our 3rd Anniversary celebration)

*We went to Lowes Motor Speedway.

*We saw where the Hendrick team is located.

*I threw you a surprise party. [I can't believe I don't have a pic of you at the surprise party!]

*We fished (more like you fished and I read a book...)

Quite the catch!

*We grilled.

Does that grill make good burgers? :-)

*We met Zane Lamprey and Steve McKenna!

Three Sheets = best show ever!

*We lit fireworks.

Lesson in firework safety...

*We went to Mackinac Island again.

Arch Rock

*We went to Niagara Falls (Canada) for our 4 year wedding anniversary

What water?

*We went to Chicago.

*We went to Art Prize every year.

This picture doesn't even begin to show how cool Art Prize is.

*We got mani/pedis!

You know you loved it!

*We went through lots of tests, 2 IUIs, a fresh IVF, and an FET.

Two of those little embryos we now call Violet and Charlotte! AMAZING!

*We got pregnant with twins!

*You saw my insides!  (This picture just cracks me up, thank you for thinking to take it... I think there is one of Will's too)

Nummy?

*We had 2 beautiful baby girls.

First family picture!

*We road tripped to IL with 2 babies!

Do you think we have enough stuff for only 2 nights?

*We watched our kids medal in the Olympics! :-)

*We saw a lot of deer and turkey in our backyard!

Bambi

*We went to the beach.

Mommy-Daddy day in Grand Haven

*We went to the splash pad.

*We picked pumpkins.

*We played in the snow.

*We saw Santa Claus.

*We saw Frosty the Snowman.

*We shopped at Target.

*We taught our kids how to wrestle.

*We got pregnant by surprise!

One of my favorite pictures.

*We had a beautiful baby boy!

*We went to Festival of the Arts.

*We went to the park.

*We went to a parade.

*We went to the HMI Company Picnic.

*We took the kids to the Grand Haven pier.

*We went to the zoo.

*We went swimming in the neighborhood pool.

*Best of all, we had lazy days in front of the TV.

And so much more!

I am so glad that I am "picture crazy" because otherwise, I probably would only remember half of this stuff!  I loved looking back at these pictures and remember all the fun times we had.  There are really just too many to list!

I am so happy that we had these 7 years of marriage.  I love you!