Hi

I'm back.

The catching up seems a bit overwhelming, but since this blog will someday serve as a reminder to my children that I shuttled them around to really fun places in the 150 degree heat, I will perservere.

Thank you, Astraea, for once again, beautifying my blog.  I'll try to do it justice.

As some of you know, this last year has been a difficult one for us.  In October, we found out that I experienced a molar pregnancy.  Thankfully, I recovered quickly and fully, but in order to be safe, we had to wait 6 months before trying again.  In April, we conceived again and sadly, lost that one soon after.  I'm sharing this because this blog will be a way to give my kids a viewpoint from the childhood that they won't fully remember on their own and this journey has been party of that.  So, that being said...

I've decided that this "first" post will be in lists.  Partly because I love organization and partly because it's fun.  Hang on...

1.  Things I need to blog about:

* Ummm... spring break???  Wowzer, you'll just have to love me while I catch up.

* The end of school

* Our 10 year anniversary surprise trip!!!

* Kate's never ending tooth saga

2.  Things I learned this summer:

* Plastic toilet seats are the very best, not as ghetto as one might think and I'm never going back.

* My kids can bicker about anything.  Any. Thing.  It would be comical... if I weren't their mother.

* Bahama Bucks is just as yummy as I remember.

* I miss blogging.

3.  Things Miles loves right now:

* Basketball.  He dares to wear a Suns jersey and declare his love for the Bulls AT THE SAME TIME!  He lives on the edge, people.

* Not losing.  At anything.

* The biography section of the library

* The 50 states.  Obsessed.  A whole post must be dedicated to it.

* The remote.  Sometimes he just holds it.  Sorry, Future Wife.

4.  Things Kate loves right now:

* Showing her weird grin to anyone she sees.

* The Magic Tree House

* Sleeping in Miles' room

* Doing her own hair
* Wishing for an ipod

5.  Things I'm looking forward to:
* A baby (prayerfully)
* Our trip to the Outerbanks in ONE MONTH!
* Not being eaten by a shark in the Outerbanks
* Redecorating my bedroom
* Catching up on this beast.  No thanks to Blogger.

Lots of love to all of you!

Mikele

Madison and Kate - they had their first "offical" sleepover at our house this summer.  So fun!!!

Since she's never on her own blog...

It's Astraea. Mikele asked me to redo her blog about three months ago. Here it FINALLY is! Enjoy having Mikele back in the blog world. Mikele, you've been missed.

Easter Sunday

It was a wonderful day! We celebrated Christ's resurrection outside in the sun, then later, I won the adult egg hunt... hence, my trophy.

Now, I dine on Peeps.

Performances!

Music surrounds us here these days. The kids each have piano practice or lessons almost every day and they have been just flying through! I take no credit, mind you. Josh is the one who passed down the musical genes. I just sign the paper and shuttle them around.

They had a spring recital a few weeks ago at Josh's recital hall at My First Piano.

Miles played, "Ode To Joy"

And my Kate played, "Sugarfoot Rag" Kate also had a strings concert recently... and the first graders have moved up from plucking to using the bow. I've been practicing how to not make cringe face.

Mr. Wilkenson asked Kate to demonstrate how they are learning "rest" in music.

Come on, one more...

To end with, here's a special performance for our friends Luke and Owen and any other Jedis out there...

A Corny Mistake

Five For Fighting

On Miles' real birthday (a loooooong time ago), we went for donuts at Krispy Kreme - come on, you know you're surprised!

Miles with my parents

I thought Alex (in red) looked like he was doing a true photo shoot.

For his birthday dinner, he chose Barros. Yum!

When we got home, he opened presents...

Now we just need a new helmet that actually fits his head and does not feature Bob the Builder... Yes, Jen. A helmet.

Miles' Superhero Birthday!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Communal Living

Our dear friends, Sean and Jen (and their two precious girls), have been bopping around to different homes for over a year now. Here, Texas (boo), The Ranch, The Ghetto Apartment That Housed Pigeons...

They were all set to close on their Mayberry house (hooray) when the hiccups started. So, they moved in to our place (hip hip) last Friday. Kate was sure to make sure they were welcome:

Communal living. Josh and I have always thought it was a good idea. It rocked! We made dinners together, shopped for groceries together, took turns doing the carpool, and watched tv while munching on Fruity Pebble treats.

Then, yesterday... they left. Their new house was finally ready for them. It was so sad to see them go. Yes, I see Jen at least once a day, but I was immediately lonely when she drove away.

So. Communal living. Thumbs up.

Miss you guys.

Best. Surprise. Ever!

35.

That's a big number.

Years ago, us girls talked about ( I talked about) my 35th and what grandiose thing we would do to celebrate. I tried to talk Jen into a cruise during those years, but alas. Maybe Vegas? We got excited for a bit, but the plane trip just wasn't feasable for our Midwest counterparts. Jen finally suggested Sedona and even though it would be without Katie and Robyn, the plan was ON!

I was thrilled. So excited. But it was weird knowing we'd be short two of my favorite people.

Little did I know that a plan was in development to knock my freaking socks off.

Jen and I went to Liberty Market for breakfast (hello, biscuits and gravy!) on Saturday morning and then met up with Carrie and Heather. We were off. The weather said snow in Sedona, but first we were going to make a stop in Jerome for fun.

Unsure of how to get there, Jen consulted the iPad. It was not altogether helpful... We skipped the rain in Jerome and headed through this to Sedona! Awesome!

When we rolled in, we all discovered that not one of us brought appropriate shoes. We ate Japanese food at 4pm like old people and went off to find our hotel... ...which boasted this view.

Later on, we went to the movies in the falling snow.

And ate pizza at almost 10. We like to fly in the face of convention.

Snug as bugs.

The next morning was blissful for me since I wasn't stressing about a huge surprise like Jen and Heather were. We had coffee and sat to watch the snow.

Eventually we needed to eat lunch (especially Carrie) and we trudged to get the car. In our inappropriate shoes.

As we sat down to lunch... I had no clue that they had been planning for two weeks, that Robyn had driven into Chicago days ago, that they had sat in the airport for two days waiting for standby flights to open up, that they hadn't told ANYONE, not even my husband, that they had finally flown into the Arizona sunshine only to borrow my mom's car and then drive up to the snow.

The best surprse of my life!!!! They were staying until Tuesday! Then! Apple Crisp! I was ready to implode with joy.

We walked around Sedona for a bit, drank coffee, laughed our heads off and then headed back to town. But before we left, we had to JUMP!!!!!!!!!

Just warming up... this was Carrie's first jump shot... Brilliant!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig. We crashed Heather's place for the next couple of days. We laid in the sun, read trashy magazines, went to dinner... ...went window shopping at the Biltmore Robyn and I were camera ready. Even Madison and Jordan got in on the action. On Tuesday, we went for a walk through of Jen's new house and ended our weekend with cupcakes from the Coffee Shop. I cried all the way home. What could possibly be better? I will never know how much they did to make this happen and I am forever in love with each and every one of them. Hey guys... I'm turning 36 in about 11 months.