Kansas Family {Part 4}

I know this Kansas post might be too much but remember my kids were there for 2 weeks and then we joined them for another 3 weeks so we had lots of time together which equals lots of pictures.  Just thing there were days I never picked up my camera...LOL!

 After another night of storms it was pretty wet. Gracie, Nolan, and their cousin Koen went out to play in their rain boots.  Yes, it was so gross but they had lots of fun.

 My little nephew Koen!

 Yes, he sat in the gross water.

 The kids had a blast.

 WARNING...you may not want to see the next picture!

 I hope you the reader knows this guy because if not you will just think its really weird, well ok you might think that either way.  But if you know my brother-in-law Jake this comes as no surprise that he thinks he's hot stuff and thought him self in just a vest looked pretty cool by the JD.  I admit I did laugh.  He is just a funny guy.

 Our little guys boots outside lined up next too each other, so cute.

Papa helping to clean Nolan off after his mud bath.

Kansas Visit {Part 3}

During our first week at Kansas we attended couple potlucks and got to catch-up with a lot of people. Kind checked off the list trying to see everyone.  The kids had a fun time playing with second/third cousins, I can't keep track.

My Nolan in time-out...

Gracie girl having a blast with her friends!  The fun part is knowing she will see these girls every summer and can make long friendships with some of them, pretty cool.

Nolan is always running.

May and Gracie were born just a few days from each other.  This is the first time we have had them side by side since 2008.

During our trip to Kansas we took Gracie's training wheels off.  We didn't get in as much practice but we have time to work on it.

Of course thinks he should get in there with his 3 wheeler.

Kansas Visit {Part 2}

After Sheila and I ventured out and had some fun days we thought we would help around the farm.  Harvest continued to be pushed back due to the rain and the wheat was not ready sows worked on the trees that had fallen from a recent storm.  Then we went a little crazy and decided to clean up all of the inside tree line.  I found out Sheila had an apple tree in the back yard that stopped producing apples a while back that was way over grown so I trimmed it up and I am hoping to see some apples on there again.  I am in love with homemade apple sauce.

As you will soon notice this little man was never far behind his papa.  We started calling him his little shadow.  He always wanted to know where papa was going and what he was doing.

trying to pick-up the biggest branches

showing me her strong muscles

if you weren't paying attention this is where you would find him

I know this is a terrible picture :( but I love the facial expressions during a game of dominos

Obviously with no mom and dad for a couple weeks and being with there Mema and Papa they start doing a few things we had not seen before.  This was the funnies.  Every meal Nolan sat as close to Papa as he could.  He stole food off his plate, had to always be touching Papa whether it was with his hand on his arm or touching this face.

They were two peas in a pod.  It was fun to see that relationship between them grow.  I had never seen a kid so in love with his papa before.  This was a little foreign to me so watching this little guy love his papa has been so cool.

11 Years & Counting

11 years ago today we said our I Do's and made a promise.  In that promise to love Troy till the day we die, that promise was filled with so much more.  To encourage him, challenge him to be a better husband, man, and father.  To encourage his faith, to compromise, to listen, to learn with him, to love him in all aspects of his life challenges.  There are so many ways in which I promised to love him and I know I don't always meet up to those standards I set for myself long ago but I work hard and try my best to come close.

We have shared in challenges and doing what the Lord's will is for our life together as a couple and now as a family.  We are thankful of each new year of learning and growing.  Always learning how to be better spouses and parents. We continue to change and grow in our faith and life.

The two of us have supported each other through difficult challenges as well as some of the most exciting surprises.  Here are our top ones:

• Each of our moves to new cities have brought on their own set of challenges.  But each city that God took us too brought learning or healing.
• Troy's job in Canton was a long challenge that we grew & learned a lot from.
• The worry if we would be able to ever conceive came to a halt one day in March when we got the amazing surprise that I was finally pregnant.  We then faced the challenge of surgery when I was 5 months pregnant and God protect our little girl.  Gracie coming into the world was one of the most amazing moments to see God give us that instant love and parenting affection from the moment we laid our eyes on her.
• Watching those daddy-daughter moments that I did not have growing up has been such a healing process I never knew I needed.
• The next best moment for me was the day of our baby reveal party and watching Troy's face light up as he found out baby #2 was a boy. And then watching him hold his son for the first time.

These are the moments that have brought on some of the most difficult times and challenges and from all of them we have learned so much.  

I am thankful for a husband I prayed for when I was in high school.  A man that filled all of those prayerful wishes and even though most of the time I forget about that list I made long ago, once in a while I run across it and remember how thankful I am for the reminder of how great I have it and how thankful I should be.  Because during the day to day mundane and the busy life I have, I like to stop and remember that there was a beginning and it was just the two of us.  That was just the beginning of our life together and look at all that has changed and think that there is so much still to come.

I recently heard this song that says, "he's not finished with me yet" by Brandon Heath.  It's so crazy to think that there is so much more God has planned for Troy and I and our future together.

love you babe!

Kansas Visit {Part 1}

I have not gotten to visit Smith Center in the summer in years.  The last time was for my baby shower when I was pregnant with Gracie.  Troy has come out but I have always had to work.  This summer we really wanted to be there for harvest and to help as much as we could.  Although this years schedule set-up was a little crazy it was a lot of fun to get the time spent with everyone without the hustle of the Holiday.  I will try to give an explanation of the events.

Our first day in Kansas the kids wanted to show us everything as though it was our first time to the farm.

 Gracie loves to explore and she loves taking pictures of the things she finds.  I will spare you the pictures of all the flowers she took but she and I both love the scenery.

 The wheat is almost ready, we brought some back for papa to check out.

 Gracie thought it was so cool to see the dark spots on the wheat from the clouds.

 My little farmer girl.

One of the cool things we got to do is meet up with some recent graduates from TIU.  These guys are biking cross country to raise money for Bright Hope.  By the end of summer they will have traveled over 2,500 miles for 1 cause, anti-trafficking.  If you want to check them out go to Bike4Solution.org
We feed them and then the offer of a shower was up for grabs and they went for plus they got to watch a little of the World Cup.  It was nice to see these guys.

 Our version of swimming, small pool style.

 Sheila and I went for a day to get some shopping done and we took lunches and had a nice little picnic and the kids and I loved this park.

 Giant Spider Web!

 I have no idea what you call this toy but Gracie and I loved it!  It just makes you spin in cirles.

 This boy loves to swing...loves to go higher higher he says.

 last couple selfie I am guessing for a while, out for a ride on the rhino.

 kids loving their combine rides

One night I took picture of cousin Breckyn and on my home I thought why not stop by myself and gets something cold to drink.  Jiffy is a local favorite.  I am a big fan of there drinks and ice cream.  It is a must have every time we visit we have to make a stop.  Funny my hubby had no idea about this little pit stop until a local mentioned it at Church Sunday...small towns.

Watching the Storm roll in.  The rain would not stay away the first week we were there which postponed the start of harvest.