Long Time No Blog...

Well, it's just 3 months shy of FIVE years since my last post. I can tell you why...life. Life got pretty screwed up just a month after my last post. My brother, Brian, died by suicide and my world stopped. Not forever, but for some time. I pulled away from a lot of things and people. Posting was something I did not want to do, mostly because my reasoning for this blog was to keep him and my brother-in-laws up to date on how and what their nieces and nephew were doing. 

I've taken several breaks from social media, and am taking another right now. Social media is a HUGE time suck for me...constantly checking, repeat checking, and checking again...with no changes in anyone's status or postings. When I post, I go back to see if anyone liked or commented. I always have my phone in my hand and often don't fully engage with the people in front of me. Ugh! WHY???

So, since I have NO sense of self control, I will deactivate my accounts and delete apps...from time to time.

Not sure I will post here often. I"m busy enough with working full-time, 4 kids, dog, house, wanting to run, and trying to increase meaningful family time. But I am here. And here is my family.

Mother's Day Tea

Every year the preschool puts on a special "tea" for the mom's as a Mother's Day celebration.  The kids escort their moms to a room with a little card and sing some songs. Then we have cookies and lemonade (so, as Rowena says, "We didn't even have tea"). The kids give their moms a little hand made gift, and we leave.

 With her friend, Chloe (who just so happens to be a little sister of a boy that was in Kate's preschool class.  It was funny to see her mom again, since we were pregnant at the same time while Kate and her son were in preschool together)

 With her teachers, Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Haan

Small, simple, and awesomely adorable! It's hard for me not to tear up...even it being my 3rd kid, 5th Mother's Day Tea.

A Girls' Day in Michigan

The girls and I met Great Aunt Patty (GAP) for a day in Michigan to personally deliver her Girl Scout Cookies...

So, we ventured to Kalamazoo.  We planned on going to Binder Zoo, but because of the rain, we decided on an alternative...

The Air Zoo

On the ride to the Air Zoo, Kate was VERY excited when she saw a billboard for The Henderson Castle. So, we decided to check it out on our ride home.

Then we stopped at our favorite beach: Warren Dunes, for a hike up some dunes and to play in the very cold water.

It was a great, exhausting, fun-filled day!