How's this for catching up?

at 08/19/09 11:18PM

Kathryn's Birthday

Was almost 2 months ago, yes, but I couldn't resist posting these photos of some really fun times spent with some really great friends.

Uncle Adam reminding us that yes indeed, Kate is turning 4. But let's not forget, "I'll be 5 on my next birthday. Mom, is it time for my next birthday yet? Because I already know what I want."

The rainbow cake was so.much.fun. If you've ever thought about doing one before, just do it! It was easier and cuter than I ever dreamed it would be. And what a surprise to cut into!

How sad that I did not get one photo of Gramma and Grampa - our gracious hosts for the week. We always have the best time ever, and can't wait to be back!

The Cousin's Came to Visit

Austin and Zeb came for a visit and brought their guitar and mandolin. They joined with Brad for a little "pick 'n grin" session. They sounded great together playing good 'ol "Rocky Top". Wish we lived closer so they could practice up a little. Believe it or not, bluegrass is one of my favorites.

Livie dancing with PawPaw...

Once Josh got there they broke out Guitar Hero

Things went downhill from there...

Trip to MI

Brad's boss lent us his guest house in Michigan for the weekend of our anniversary. It was the first time we had really gotten away since kids, and it was marvelous. Really, marvelous. We loved just being free to do what we wanted when we wanted without worrying about naps or bedtime, and being able to eat junk food for breakfast or lunch if we wanted ;). We had landed with several gift cards to various places, so our first stop was to a super nice outdoor mall on our way up. We went to all of the stores we had gift cards to, and ended up with $200 worth of merchandise for $15 out of pocket - and all kinds of new clothes for our trip :). It was a blast!

Then we headed to Shipshewanna, IN for the day on Friday. It is Amish/Mennonite country, with lots of delightful shops and wonderful eating places. The people were so friendly, and the kids were so cute with their bowl cuts and "plain" attire. We stumbled upon one of the greatest fabric stores, that Brad basically had to drag me out of. We also did the Menno-Hof museum which was most informative, and a buggy ride.

Then we headed up to Diamond Lake that evening to sleep in our cottage. The view was amazing, and so many of the houses surrounding the lake were multi-million dollar homes. It was just like something out of a magazine. Saturday morning it rained, so we took the opportunity to go and see a movie - something we both love, but don't get the chance to do very often with the kiddos. By Saturday afternoon it had cleared off, so we headed back to the lake to do a little jet-skiing. Wow. Neither of us had done that since the we went with Adam and Rosie 5 years ago. It was even better than we remembered - even if I couldn't sit directly down on my rear end the next morning in worship (do I need to say that Brad was driving??)

That evening we drove to South Haven to eat at a nice restaurant and watch the sun set on Lake Michigan. It was the perfect anniversary weekend. I can't believe how fast 7 years has gone!

(This wasn't from our trip ;). Brad took this picture yesterday after I watered the flowers and I thought it turned out so cool I just needed to post it :)

In about the middle of all of this, they came and stayed for a week, and we had a BLAST, but I have 1 lonely picture to show for it. Thankfully, Jess took lots of photos ;). Now let's all rally to get them up here!!!

9-28 of 28 comments « prev 1 2 next »

LOVE this post! That cake is ADORABLE! I love it. I bet everyone went crazy over it. So cute. You guys are such a sweet family. Thanks for sharing all the pictures.

by crazy_mama at 08/20/09 8:37AM
The MI trip looks and sounded like a great time. Glad you got to do that. :-)

by whipsmile at 08/20/09 9:13AM
That rainbow cake looks really cool!

by kenna_drew at 08/20/09 10:44AM
Your hair is really long! :)

by wifelet at 08/20/09 11:04AM
I've never seen a rainbow cake before. That turned out really cool!

by simon_says at 08/20/09 11:08AM
Well you made my day with that post, i have a huge smile on my face,although it does make us miss you more.What a beautiful place for an anniversary trip,how nice.Daryl and I will be celebrating 18 years in a few weeks,cannot believe that.I love the pic of the Daisy Brad took,really beautiful.The girls are just as beautiful as ever.LUL!!

by kerrielee at 08/20/09 11:37AM
The fabric shops in Shipshewena (or however it is spelled) are supposed to be just awesome. My mom goes up there with some lady friends every year or so. They also take a trip to Ohio and visit a similar area ... with similar irresistible craft and fabric stores. :-)

by meditationis at 08/20/09 1:23PM
Oooh, I love the cake! And your anniversary trip looks like so much fun! I can imagine how you feel, only not. I mean, I don't have 3 kids but the thought of a weekend away with my husband sounds good anytime! You guys have been busy! Those pictures of you and Brad are really great. Ok my comment is way too choppy...you wouldn't know that I got 9 total hours of sleep last night.

by DessertDiva at 08/20/09 1:50PM
Can't believe you have a four year old. Time flys. Blair will be four next month and I'm dreading it! =(
That cake is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did you come up with that yourself? I've been trying to think of something creative for Blair's party...maybe I'll try that.
Happy Anniversary! Looks like a fun trip!

by lala at 08/20/09 5:11PM
Yeah...we pick and grin every week. Ya'll should definitely come and see us. It would be lots of fun!

by amandochka at 08/20/09 5:21PM
I would really LOVE to do an anniversary trip with DH soon! Maybe next year! I LOVE that cake! It is sooooo yummy looking... and SO pretty!

by nillabarr at 08/20/09 11:40PM
Tell Brad HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Know you and the girls will make it a special one. :-)

by boromom at 08/21/09 2:10PM
That cake is awesome!!! I've never seen that or heard of it. My girls would just flip! I think Charlotte needs that when she turns 4. :)

by littlelamb at 08/24/09 12:17AM
Oh, it all sounds so wonderful! Love that cake! You're vacation sounds like a dream one!

by lindseymarie at 08/24/09 11:06AM
Aw, Micah, you look so pretty! And I WANT THAT CAKE!! :)

by mjintexas at 08/25/09 2:22PM
What great pictures! I think you get prettier every time I see you! :) I've never heard of a rainbow cake. What a COOL idea! I'm totally going to do that sometime for Annalise. I had to do a double take of the picture with the sailboat. It was so beautiful, it looked like a painting. Glad y'all are doing well!

by dressednyella at 08/25/09 11:30PM
Those were great pictures.

by engineer4elek at 08/27/09 1:03PM
great pics- sounds like a wonderful trip.

by deputyheadmistress at 08/28/09 10:01AM
Your hair is so long - I love it! I can't believe how big your girls have gotten. Why is it that we haven't seen you in over a year now? I feel horrible about that. I really do miss you. I wish I was coming up for Emily's birthday party next weekend. We are definitely going to plan to see you guys the next time we come up. Tell Brad we said hello.

by angiebrewer at 09/18/09 1:50PM
thanks for the info! you're safe... it's nov 13th! hope it's work for you guys. i'm going to send out an email of some dresses i have available (hannah thought you might be interested) in the next couple wks. how have you all been? hated not getting to chat when you were here; i had to rush out to work.

by happinessisthelord at 09/28/09 9:10PM

Take Me Out to the Ballgame - Part II

at 07/02/09 11:12AM

Kate's party was a huge success. So many of her friends came to celebrate with us (well, and watch the game ;). As soon as we walked into the gate, I ran into my best friend in high school, and finally got to meet her two adorable children. We have lived in the same city for over a year now, and I am very ashamed to say, still have not gotten our kiddos together to play. It was so fun getting to see her family again.

As I'm sure you already know, Kate love, love, loved being the center of attention all night. We've been to several birthday parties lately, so when Kate woke up the morning of her birthday, she said, "Mom, is this going to be my special day, so all the presents will be for me this time?" What can I say, she had to get something from Brad ;).

We got Kate this little t-ball set for her birthday, and Brad took all the kids over to a play area in the ballpark where they took turns hitting. A couple of people not with our party wandered over and offered to pay $1 to hit :).

Miss Lea Anne, Mr. Jon, and Chelsea gave Kate a bag full of dress up clothes. Two of her favorite things in the bag were this veil and some clip on earrings. She only takes them off to sleep.

She didn't really like any of her presents...

And Livie didn't much care for her cake...

Friends at a ballpark with a Costco cake makes for a really great 4th birthday.

13-32 of 32 comments « prev 1 2 next »

Love the pic of the two of you!! And well, the others too!

by snickers63 at 07/02/09 11:11PM
happy belated bday to kate!! she looks so grown up, so does olivia. love you guys. sweet, sweet pictures as always..:) ♥

by karliemichelle at 07/04/09 2:17PM
Happy Birthday Micah,love you lots,hope it's a good one!!

by kerrielee at 07/04/09 5:59PM
Wow, your girls are looking older and just as cute as ever! I guess I have been gone for 9 months.

by nolongerwise at 07/04/09 8:15PM
happy birthday Aunt Micah :)

by tuffgirl at 07/05/09 1:18PM
cool I love baseball

by taylorwilson at 07/05/09 11:07PM
Wow! Kate is getting so big! i can't believe she's 4! Looks like a great party!

by lindseymarie at 07/06/09 12:40PM
kate doesnt look like a little girl anymore. just in case you didnt know that. :/ did you have a good birthday?! i miss you micah! its been tooo loonng! and that is a great picture of you and brad!

by southernsunshine at 07/07/09 2:22PM
wait, dont yall have a third one? where is that one?

by southernsunshine at 07/07/09 2:22PM
Morning sunshine.

by acurtis at 07/08/09 9:09AM
How fun! I can't believe how big Kate is getting. Beautiful girls!

by DessertDiva at 07/09/09 7:51PM
Hope you had a special birthday too! Looks like everybody had a great time at Kate's party. We are having a great time here in Hungary. On Wednesday we will celebrate Nicolai's first birthday. I can't believe a whole year has gone by already! They do grow up in a hurry. Miss you !!

by boromom at 07/13/09 4:47PM
well, maybe ill post some pics for ya ;) and shoot you an email! :)

by southernsunshine at 07/15/09 2:29PM
SOOOOOOO cute! Micah I miss you so much! Where do the years go???? Maddie is 4 and a 1/2 and Mia is 1 and a 1/2 almost. Not fair!

Are you in Indy? Give hugs and kisses to your girls for me even though I've never actually met them... I love 'em anyways!

by becc at 07/16/09 5:26PM
It looks like such a fun day!!!

by dressednyella at 08/01/09 12:48AM
Hi

by engineer4elek at 08/05/09 11:21AM
you should check out the video I put on my wall.

by engineer4elek at 08/05/09 11:22AM
Did you get to go on your weekend getaway? I want to hear about it!

by acurtis at 08/12/09 8:35AM
Love these pics! Your girls are all so pretty! Like little Disney princesses! You and Brad are the cutest couple!

by potatoprincess at 08/16/09 2:16AM
awesome photos!!

by spike427 at 08/18/09 8:31PM

A cookie kind of day

at 06/22/09 12:25PM

It's kind of a sad and lonely day around here today. Our good friend Chelsea called last night saying that she was going to Aunt Hannah's house, and wanted to know if Kathryn would like to tag along. Our little girl? On a trip all by herself?? She was such a big girl packing up her things and putting them in her backpack. Of course, she was ready 3 hours early, but still carried her backpack around with her all morning. When Chelsea got to the house, she went around giving her hugs, and all I could think was, "she'll be a teenager before I can blink". I love my little girls so much, and it's so hard to see them growing up so fast... and remember to let go a little as they do.

Sad doesn't begin to describe what Livie was feeling as Kate pulled away. She was downright depressed. Thankfully, this Mama had something up her sleeve! I had whipped up a batch of sugar cookies and had them chilling in the fridge this morning, ready to be cut into shapes and decorated when we walked back in from waving goodbye.

Success!

Wow that brings back lots of memories. :)

by boromom at 06/22/09 12:56PM
I can't believe how big Kathryn suddenly looks! They really grow up when their confidence gets this big of a boost--she's finally big enough to go somewhere without you.

My girls have always spent one week each at my parents' house every summer, and I was amazed at how much they grew from being away from me occasionally.

by tryphena at 06/22/09 2:01PM
You need to put some bricks on those girls heads!! Too big!!!

by wifelet at 06/22/09 2:32PM
Look at Liv's little hand in that picture. Too precious. Their hair is getting so long. It looks great! Sorry I had to let you go so fast today, we just pulled in and I looked back and C was asleep and Michael was drifting off, so I had to run them inside before I ruined naps! Ahhh... anyway, good to talk. Love you all so so so much!

by acurtis at 06/22/09 2:54PM
I'm gonna be honest. This brought tears to my eyes! I know the time will come when the girls will spend the night away from me but I am not ready yet!!

Can't wait to see those precious girls!

by shelbysmom at 06/22/09 3:52PM
Great work, Mom! Keep the smiles and sugar cookies comin'!

by meditationis at 06/22/09 4:38PM
Such precious girls,and yes they do get to be teenagers sooooo fast,it makes me want to cry too!Love you guys!

by kerrielee at 06/22/09 4:44PM
Awww. :')

by lol_smile456 at 06/22/09 6:03PM
Such beautiful little girls!

by jess at 06/22/09 7:12PM
So sweet. :) Your girls are so pretty. And I know what you mean; Anna's only 8 weeks old and I'm already getting depresed about how much she's grown.

by stylinmama at 06/23/09 1:31AM
You have a handfull of little dollys. I'd be hardpressed to let them go anywhere without me (but I would being that it's healthy for them).

by shaneg at 06/23/09 7:02AM
ah... this is the first of many goodbyes! But I bet it was good for Olivia to be the big kid on the block for a little while!!

by snickers63 at 06/24/09 11:54PM
hi Aunt Micah

by tuffgirl at 06/27/09 9:16AM
I just looked at your etsy! My!! You do the CUTEST stuff! Can you do one of those birdie appliques on a onesie? I was thinking of getting the girls matching shirts and then maybe pillows for their rooms (they are going to share). I might have the fabric I would like you to use for that.

Oh... AND.. I was going through stuff the other day and found the burp cloths you made. I had forgotten about them and got sooooo excited to use them again!! :)

by nillabarr at 06/27/09 10:38PM
:) sweet pictures. they are growing up so fast. :) and they're as beautiful as ever!

by karliemichelle at 06/28/09 12:40AM

Time for a new entry, and a shameless plug

at 06/11/09 1:57PM

This year we signed Kate up to be a "Knot Hole Member" of the Indianapolis Indians. Basically, that meant we could pay $14 for her to get in to every game this season for free. For all the home games, Arby's sponsors "Two for Tuesday" buy one get one tickets, so on Tuesdays, our whole family can get into the game for $9. We have been two times so far this season, and have thoroughly enjoyed it. The girls live for it. Every morning when they wake up they ask if we'll be going to a baseball game. Right now, they are pretending that they are there. They even got "the blanket" out of the closet and have it spread out on the floor of their room.

This past Friday night we talked our good friends Dave and LeeAnn into going with us. We weren't sure if they would say yes, since it would cost their family over $30 to get in, but they were sports and said they would come anyway. They were next in line to get their tickets when a guy grabbed Dave and told him he had 5 extra tickets that he couldn't use, so the lucky ducks ended up getting in for free! They were especially glad they came then :). Of course, I won't tell on Dave and what a cheap wad he was when he wouldn't even pay $1 for Caleb to throw the ball in the inflatable pit. His story is once he was reminded they got in for free he was totally fine with it ;).

Dave is such a kid-magnet. I felt so sorry for him because all 5 of the big kids were hanging on him all night. We got stared at quite a bit with our apparently large families (LeeAnn was babysitting one little girl, but since when is a family of five super-sized??) Brad was standing off from the blanket and overheard a couple of guys talking amongst themselves: "Did you see those people over there? They have like 10 kids under 3!"

Maggie found the bag of M&M's all by herself, and was totally content.

Brad's parents are coming next week, and we'll all be going together! We're all super pumped about that! Kate has already been praying about it :).

Now for the shameless plug. I've been working on my Etsy site for some time now, and I've been meaning to blog about it, but just haven't found the time. I just got some new items made last night and listing the morning that I'm really excited about. Word of mouth is truly the best advertising, so please pass the web address on to friends and family that you think might be interested!

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade acherryontop.etsy.com

OH NO!!! Those pillows are SOOOOO cute I might just have to get one or two!! They are adorable and since my girls are moving into the same room we are redoing their new room and this is just ADORABLE!!!

by crazy_mama at 06/11/09 2:09PM
those are so cute!

by whipsmile at 06/11/09 2:17PM
Looks like lots of fun. Love hearing about your friend getting in free. Good deal.

by shaneg at 06/11/09 2:29PM
Those kids of yours are getting so big,time surely does fly by.Your stuff you made is so adorable,you are so talented.Wish we could go with you to a game,we are very into baseball right now.We are hoping to go to Atlanta to see the Braves in July and visit the aquarium there,we have never been to either.Miss you guys as always.Take care.

by kerrielee at 06/11/09 3:28PM
It's still going pretty well,haven't gained.If I could just stop my love affair with good ole country cooking,and of course chocolate.Thanks for asking.

by kerrielee at 06/11/09 6:24PM
When my Mom and her girlfriend would take their kids to the park, and they'd be all walking in a line like little ducks with my "aunt" in the front and my Mom pulling up the rear, people would look at them incredulously...and my Mom would call to them, "Kindergarten" (as a joke...because all of the kids were hers except for one). Of course her girlfriend would throw back a knowing grin. :D

by cyber_space_cadet at 06/11/09 8:33PM
I would have loved to be a blanket or two over from you--it would have been worth the admission price to watch The Pettes/Reymann Show.

by tryphena at 06/11/09 9:12PM
That sounds like fun! You should see the looks we get when I'm out with the kids by myself. I didn't think 4 kids was outrageous, but I guess others do.
I love all your things on Etsy! I might be getting back to you on some things. :)

by littlelamb at 06/11/09 10:50PM
trying to think who was visiting.... thought i talked to them too, but now can't remember who. Not real thrilled with idea of soy milk because of certain properties and because the calcium usually ends up in the bottom of the jug, not in her bones. Rice milk is okay... looking for something more nutritious though. And doesn't look like we are going to outgrown this anytime soon. agh.

by snickers63 at 06/11/09 11:40PM
Your girls are as cute as ever! Glad to "see" you all again!

by nolongerwise at 06/12/09 12:09AM
Hmmm...sounds like something we should do when we visit. Will it be too hot then?

I love all of your Etsy stuff. I sometimes just go and look around and drool. I wish I had half of your talent and creativity or at least lived closer so I could REALLY learn how to sew/embroider. And there it is...it all comes back to being so far apart. :( Only a month and 1 day until we get to see you!!

by shelbysmom at 06/12/09 12:32AM
I had fun too.

by kenna_drew at 06/12/09 4:26PM
Oh, that looks like so much fun. That is hilarious that Bradley heard that guy. Pretty rude! That picture of Kate hugging Olivia is just precious. They are getting SO big! I'm sorry, but I probably won't be ordering from your Etsy site. I have a really good friend that does awesome work ;) Cute cute cute stuff. I love the shirts with the birds. You have really got some good things up!

by acurtis at 06/12/09 10:46PM
Oh, Micah, those are so cute!! I want to have a little girl just so I can buy some of your stuff ! :)

by lindseymarie at 06/13/09 5:19PM
good times! heard you might be helping stacey with her dress; she is so releived. thanks for using your talents to help others!

by happinessisthelord at 06/15/09 12:43AM
Cute stuff, Micah! We just got a minor league team here in BG - we haven't been yet, but I think it'd be fun too. That's adorable how much your girls love it!

by jess at 06/16/09 5:22PM
Kate's hair is long, and so pretty! I love that picture of her and Oliva, and the one of Maggie eating M&M's. All your stuff looks so nice, you are so talented! :)

by karliemichelle at 06/19/09 3:55PM

Backtracking...

at 05/08/09 2:58PM

When I get behind, my first instinct is just to pretend like I was never behind and skip whatever events happened after the last time I updated. This time, though, I'm going to pick up where I left off and do a little backtracking. All the way back to April 16th - one of my very favorite days of the year :). The girls and I cooked Brad his favorite breakfast - chocolate chip pancakes - while he slept in. Kathryn was absolutely ecstatic when she found out Daddy didn't have to go to work. She could hardly contain herself - those of you who know her are having a hard time picturing this, I know :).

Then it was off to the Children's Museum! We jumped the gun by a week and moved Maggie into her big girl car seat so she could watch Tinkerbell with the big girls on the way there - she was in awe.It was such a fun day. We've been several times, but this was the first time we had gone as a family. Since it was a Thursday, It wasn't very crowded. There were some buses there, but mostly big kids, and not ones that wanted to play at the sand or water tables in PlayScape :).

So many people thought Kate and Olivia were twins. Lots of big kids came up to me and asked me, but I also heard several adults whispering among themselves, "Oh! Look at the twins!" I had dressed them alike on purpose - so that they would be easy to find - and it worked! In fact, one time they had both climbed up on top of something, and I could only see Kate, so I asked her where her sister was, and a man (taller than I :) responded, "There are two of them up there." (then he asked if they were twins :).

Maggie was so good and seemed to really enjoy herself, although she is not the outgoing little stinker that her sisters are. She's pretty reserved in new surroundings. Brad finally got a smile when he tickled her face with the flowers - no telling the germs she got from that ;-O.

Livie rock climbing...

Kathryn's favorite part: the carousel

Then finally, the perfect end to a perfect day: we ate at the "chips and cheese rest-er-aunt" for a late lunch (aka: Mexican :). We are so glad to have the man of our house back!

(sorry I've been so absent from Pleo lately. I've just had too much going on and something had to give. Let's face it - blogging is easier to give up than just about anything else ;)

Great pictures as always. It looks like a great museum.

by crazy_mama at 05/08/09 3:22PM
Wonderful update. Worth the wait.

by shaneg at 05/08/09 5:41PM
Looks like loads of fun we miss you all.

by kerrielee at 05/08/09 6:13PM
Glad life is getting back to normal. What a fun day!

by boromom at 05/08/09 7:53PM
That was LOTS of fun to read, and I loved the pics.

When Ash was little(er), she always called nachos "chips and cheese and sour cream." It was so cute. :)

by cyber_space_cadet at 05/08/09 8:32PM
I have many of the same photos of my little girls at the Childrens Museum. It truly is a world class museum! Glad you had a great time.

by tryphena at 05/09/09 12:16PM
April 16th is my b'day! :)

by dressednyella at 05/09/09 2:29PM
What, you would give up blogging instead of clean dishes?? Sweet pics, as always. happy mother's day!

by snickers63 at 05/10/09 6:19PM
Looks like such a fun day!

by jess at 05/10/09 10:02PM
Was this is the Indianapolis Children's Museum? I love their PlayScape area! So great!

by rachierach at 05/10/09 10:47PM
I REALLY want to get my kids back to our children's museum! What kind of car do you have? We are car shopping because you can't fit 3 carseats in our backseat (plus our lease is about to run out and we are sort of over the car anyway).

by nillabarr at 05/11/09 10:55AM
Wow. Could those girls all lined up in the back of the car get any more adorable??? Probably NOT. And the one of Liv and Kate leaning over the pink rail, they really do look alike there. I've never thought that before. Looks like a great day. But...it wasn't your first time to go as a whole family. Remember last year at about this time? Maggie was about three weeks old, I think. We all went together, even Brad! Are you still planning a trip to TN in a few weeks?

by acurtis at 05/12/09 8:09AM
I wish we lived closer to you. I sure do miss you guys.

by angiebrewer at 05/12/09 5:28PM
Looks like a great place for a great little bunch of girls! They're precious!

by lisareaves at 06/04/09 4:15PM

23-27 of 27 entries « prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 next »

How's this for catching up?

Take Me Out to the Ballgame - Part II

A cookie kind of day

Time for a new entry, and a shameless plug

Backtracking...

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