Aunt Bridget's Bridal Shower

Mommy and Felicity all ready to get this party started.

This is going to seem like a lot of pictures, but it's just a fraction of what we took of Beautiful Aunt Bridget's Bridal Shower. The theme was black and gold - Purdue colors for the couple of honor who met and fell in love at Purdue!

We made tailgating food because that seems appropriate for the Purdue theme. Pulled pork, potato and pasta salads, fruit kabobs, veggie tray, and....

...dessert! Best part of every meal! Bridget's favorite is anything that tastes like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup so we made sure that was included in the options!

Shout out time: To Tim, the superdad, who dropped everything all weekend to take care of our girls so Mommy could help get ready for the shower! He's simply the best. Better than all the rest.

The boys stuck around for, let's say, an entire minute before making a run for it to the nearest microbrewery. That's no exaggeration.

Aunt Bridget and soon-to-be Uncle Ryan

Dad, Tim, Joe, and Ryan (the Silliest)

It's a good thing they left when they did because it got very girly very quickly.

Bridget and her college friends!

If the pictures are an indication, Felicity was especially spoiled. She ate so much chocolate and everyone wanted to hold her - she probably thought this party was for her. Or those are the perks of being Aunt Bridget's goddaughter.

It really was a good moment for Bridget to know how loved she is as she was surrounded by family and friends who CANNOT wait for her wedding!

Bridget and her Mommy

Bridget and her godmother, Aunt Marilyn

Bridget and the Bol Women - soon she will official be one of them!

 Both of Bridget's grandmas were able to be there which was so special for her!

And then it was gift opening. Felicity immediately ran for her chair and pushed it up next to Aunt Bridget. She REALLY did believe this was HER party!

The sisters were quick to follow!

Just a few more months and she'll be a Mrs! So happy for Bridget and Ryan. They were absolutely made for each other. When they are together, they can relax and be themselves (goofy and silly and nuts). They complement each other so well and love to take care of each other. It's going to be a lovely day in July!

Valentine's Day + (mostly) House Update

What did we do for Valentine's Day? Visit the new house, Mass, Italian takeout, and a living room fort. The interior is pretty much painted!

We don't really do much for Valentine's Day, but have found that what we do like to do is hang out as a family!

Today we had a home showing...which is never relaxing. And about 2 hours before the showing, Mommy found this situation in her bathroom:

And she simultaneously wanted to cry and kill someone...the someone who had found a weak spot in the wallpaper and got carried away. No one was injured but Mommy did not keep her cool. We later found out this was Vivian. Her punishment is still being considered and Daddy JUST got the torn off piece of wallpaper back into place. It's not perfect but it's better than how we had to show this house this evening.

The ol' toilet paper drape trick. Oldest trick in the book. (Heaviest sigh in the history of home showings.)

Tim can fix anything. Anything. Well, you've been subjected to enough pictures of our toilet. We're off to dream up some wild discipline that will make Vivian think twice and think right in the future.

Beyond Construction

Yes, all we ever talk about seems to be the house right now. But our normal lives continue, too. We still have our daily reading lesson, time to work on our numbers, and our theme activities. This week is learning the /oo/ sound (like hook and book and took), writing our numbers from 1-30 using this workbook (we're almost done with it and Mommy needs to figure out what we'll do next!), and doing crafty fun things Valentine related (thank goodness for Pinterest). Miriam has started a Get Ready for Kindergarten program at the library on Monday nights and is LOOOOVING it. Vivian is already jealous and the separation when Miriam starts school in the fall...we're dreading it. Daddy is very busy with work. Mommy is starting a VERY part time job with the local United Way this week to help out with marketing. And we're volunteering a church a lot, lot, lot. If you want to be a part of this year's Vacation Bible School just say the word - we'll take just about anyone who can pass a background check and likes kids.

Last week we talked about Antarctica - we're slowly covering the continents. One day we read all the Tacky the Penguin books we could get our hands on at the library. Tacky is, obviously, tacky. He's not like other penguins. Loud, tone deaf, messy, dressing a little odd, can't march in a straight line to save his life, always setting his own course rather than going along with the norm...but Tacky is also a clever, resourceful, useful, and creative bird who comes through in the end. We did a very basic "character analysis" of Tacky and used lots of adjectives to describe him. Then we made tacky shirts with an outline of a shirt, scrap paper, scissors, and glue.

 Felicity can't use scissors yet, but a glue stick is her very favorite toy.

All three girls really got into this.

Also, it is amazing how ALIKE Felicity and Vivian are looking right now!

Otherwise, we keep them busy. Miriam got to help with homemade cinnamon rolls during a snow storm.

Vivian entertains herself however she can.

Felicity only cares about Bunny and Blankie being within eyesight at all times and keeping up with her sisters.

And a tiny house update...tiny! Cannot resist. All the blue siding is on the house, painting has begun, the deck is done, and our built ins are pretty much complete. So happy with the living room. Coffers, book shelves, and a barn beam mantle are installed.

 A close up of the beam. So perfect.

Grandpa claims there are probably bugs living in the beam still. A clear coat of sealant should lock them in forever, right?