Vacation

We feel so blessed that we were able to spend a week in June with the Kelley side of our family (thank you Mom and Dad!!).  We stayed in a beautiful lodge right smack in the middle of the gorgeous Hocking Hills in south-eastern Ohio.  Although we were very excited to hit the road, I was a little nervous for our first vacation as a family of four.  An 8 month old baby can be a little unpredictable, especially one who just started crawling.  I pictured us spending every spare second of our "vacation" trying to get Norah to sleep, chasing her around as she curiously crawled to every nook and cranny of the lodge, and always having one eye on the perilous looking staircase so she wouldn't go tumbling down.  We knew it was going to be a great time, but we were prepared to have our work cut out for us.  Perhaps having our expectations set so low was a good thing because we were THRILLED when it didn't turn out that way at all.  Norah slept like a champ the entire week (thanks to keeping her pack n play in the walk-in closet in our bedroom).  Much to our surprise, the owners of the lodge had a large play yard there that we were able to have set up all week (picture a huge baby gate that forms a large fence in the middle of the living room giving Norah enough floor space to safely crawl around and allow the other kids to climb in and out and play with her). It was perfect!  It was such a huge relief not to be constantly worried about where Norah was. If she wasn't in someone's arms, she was in the play yard and she had a great time being in the middle of all the action.  Avery was in heaven spending the week with Grandma and Grandpa, her aunts and uncles, and all of her cousins.  We spent the mornings hiking at the various parks or visiting the local shops. The afternoons were all about relaxing... lounging around the lodge, taking naps, reading, playing pool, and playing the Wii.  The evenings may have been my favorite part... cooking and eating dinner together, a bon fire with smores, and the adults staying up late after all the kids were in bed playing party games and laughing like I haven't laughed in a long time.  I can't believe we packed so much fun into 6 days.

 The lodge sat at the top of a huge steep hill and looked out over miles of gorgeous scenery.  It had a private hiking trail that led back to a cave which the kids loved.  This photo doesn't do justice to how beautiful it was or how steep that hill was! Every time we drove to the lodge we would all say a little prayer that the cars would make it up (they always did!).

 All of the cousins (minus baby Norah who was in the carrier on Erich's back).  Spencer, Katie, Karly, Will, Avery, Oliver, and Sophia.  Avery was so excited to spend a week with all of them.  They all had a great time together!

Avery and I on our hike to the Upper Falls 

Throughout the week we went hiking at Conkel's Hollow, Old Man's Cave, the Upper Falls, and a short lived stint at Cantwell Cliffs (it only took a couple of minutes to realize that taking 8 kids ages 10 and under to a trail with the word "Cliffs" in the title was not a good idea.  Thankfully none of the adults suffered heart attacks, but it was close.)  

 Erich and his girls.  What a trooper he is!  He had Norah in the carrier for every hike and at times was doing double duty with Norah on his back and Avery in his arms when her legs got tired.  He definitely got a work out.

 Norah fell asleep on one of our trips and Erich spent a good long while walking hunched over so she could get a good nap.  What a dad!

 Avery and Grandma at Old Man's Cave

 One afternoon Grandma and Grandma bravely stayed at the lodge and babysat the 7 youngest grandkids while the adults and 10 year old Spencer had quite the experience... The Hocking Hills Canopy Tour, a 3 hour zip lining adventure.  An adventure it was!  We zipped from tree to tree (some 90 feet in the air!) and made our way across some swaying rope bridges.  I'm not the adventurous type so I was pretty nervous about it but decided to boldly press ahead and give it my best shot.  That is, until we actually arrived and started the tour... which is when full out panic set in and I spent the next 3 hours with my eyes closed just trying not to cry.  Not very bold. In the end I can say I'm glad I stuck it out and did it, but I would never ever ever do it again. Just not my cup of tea.  Thankfully though the other 5 adults and Spencer loved it and had a blast. It was well worth it and I can honestly recommend it to others who enjoy a thrill. I don't.

 Erich leaning out over the edge of one of the tree platforms waaaaaay up in the air.  As our guides would say, "Trust your equipment!" (I never trusted mine)

 Up in the trees

 Aside from all of our outdoor adventures, we spent a lot of fun family time at the lodge eating, playing games, and relaxing.  Paul and Kristen brought a hilarious and fun game, "Family Bingo".  They had Bingo cards with photos of each family member as the bingo spaces. What a hoot!  The kids and adults all had a great time with it.

 Momma and Norah getting some cuddle time

 Grandpa brought rubber band airplane kits for all the kids to launch off the deck out into the woods below.  The kids loved it and I think Grandpa did too!

 With all of the constant activity the kids didn't do much sitting still, but on our last full day there they were finally starting to crash and I think they enjoyed chilling out on the couch with some snacks and watching the movie "Tangled". 

 Throughout the week we all took turns trying out the Wii.  A couple of people would play while everyone else would stand around and laugh at them... family bonding at it's finest! Grandma and Grandpa really got into it!

 The pool table provided hours of entertainment for all the guys. Norah loved to watch and cracked up laughing every time they made a move.  She definitely enjoyed the pool table.

Meal times were a lot of fun with everyone sitting around the table together.  Here are all the kids having dinner one night.  It was the evening we had the joy of celebrating Sophia's 2nd birthday with a little party, hence all the streamers and balloons.

16 people staying under one roof... 8 adults and 8 kids.  Part of me wondered if by the end of the week we'd all be sick of each other and ready to part ways.  Quite the contrary.  Although we were ready to get home to our own beds, it really was hard to leave everyone.  We had so much fun and I loved watching Avery interact and play with her cousins.  She melted into a crying mess when it was time to get in the car and head home and I got a little choked up as we pulled away.  Then a few hours later when we got home, Avery ran straight up to her room and literally hugged her bed saying, "Oh I missed you!". I understood just how she felt.  It's a good sign when you love vacation so much you don't want to leave, but love your home so much you can't wait to get there. That's just how it should be.

Father's Day

Remember how I said I spent Mother's Day taking a nap and shopping?  Erich spent Father's Day installing the world's most complicated baby gate. We're wired a little differently.  I would have loved to give Erich the "day off" and see him lounging around, relaxing, watching movies all day.  But that's not how Erich works.  He can't rest when there is a project to be done and with Norah's new found mobility the baby gate felt like a bit of an emergency. What a great dad, sacrificing his Father's Day to keep his baby safe!  Along with installing the gate we went to church, had a great dinner, and spent some time on the deck giving Daddy his gifts.  Although we would gladly welcome a son to our family someday, I think God knew exactly what He was doing when He blessed us with two little girls.  Erich is an amazing Dad to our daughters.  He makes them feel safe and secure. He encourages them and makes them feel beautiful.  He is the perfect balance of sensitive, fun, and serious. He firmly disciplines when needed, but Avery and Norah will never ever ever doubt their Daddy's love for them.  We try our best to teach our kids about Jesus so they will grow up knowing where their hope comes from.  As important as it is for us to share that truth with them, actions speak louder than words and Erich exemplifies Christ's love to our family daily.  I am blessed to call him my husband. Avery and Norah are blessed to call him their dad.  

Daddy with his pretty girls

One of Erich's gifts was a set of books he'd had his eyes on.  Avery and I worked on a little project together and surprised him with a special bookmark (it involved a photo of Avery posing like she was dangling from a rope and she thought that was hilarious).  Avery was so excited to give it to him and so proud that she helped to make it.  What a sweet girl.

Daddy and baby Norah.  What a joy she is.

She's mobile!

Norah started crawling on May 31st at 7 months old.  She had just woken up from a nap and was still bundled up in her sleep sack when we noticed her wiggling around on the floor trying to get to a pair of Avery's shoes.  We thought, "I bet if her legs weren't caught up in that sleep sack she'd be able to crawl."  So we took her out of it and grabbed the video camera to wait and see what would happen.  This is probably one of those videos that means a whole lot more to us as parents than it would to anyone else, but if you have 50 seconds to spare, here's a glimpse of Norah's first time figuring out how to get from point A to point B. (I know I look like a mean mom as I keep scooting the shoes further and further away from her. I wanted to encourage her to go a little further, but mostly I just didn't actually want her touching those dirty shoes!)

She started out with this sort of awkward wiggle, then quickly transitioned to the army crawl. After a couple months of that she is now a full fledged crawler up on her hands and knees getting into everything!  She pulls herself up to standing, climbs up onto the fireplace, is trying to climb the stairs, and she is FAST.  If we take our eyes off of her for just a second we have to play "Where's Norah?" and hunt her down before she gets into trouble.  We've finally gotten into the habit of keeping every door on the first floor of the house closed at all times (the basement door, laundry room, bathroom, our bedroom) and Erich installed a baby gate to keep her out of the kitchen.  Let the baby proofing begin!

Happy To Be Stuck With You

"The ultimate purpose of marriage is not to make us happy, but to glorify God."

I recently read that quote and it has stuck with me.  So true, isn't it?  I smiled when I thought this over and fit it into the equation of our own marriage.  Erich and I aren't perfect people and our marriage will never be perfect.  But we make the choice to love each other through it, come what may, and our prayer is that our relationship brings glory to God.  And you know what?  We're happy.  The purpose of marriage may not be to make us happy, but I think when you are working hard to glorify God happiness is going to be found in the midst of it.  On May 26th we celebrated 5 years of marriage. What a sweet spot we're in.  Still "newlyweds" in comparison to a lot of people, still learning each other, still figuring it out.  But enough experience under our belts to know how to relax and enjoy each other, work through the tough parts together, and hopefully make God smile when He looks at our little family. When people look at us I hope they see love and happiness. But most of all, I hope they see God.

On our anniversary this year we enjoyed a delicious dinner at an awesome restaurant in downtown Toledo then finished out the night with a little putt putt golf.  It was our first time doing that together and we joked that we didn't know how we survived our dating relationship without a round of putt putt. It seems like an awkward rite of passage for young dating couples.  Our point was proven when we arrived at the course and were surrounded by flirty couples a good 10 years younger than us. It was kind of entertaining.  I will never win any trophies in the mini-golf arena (I was horrible!) but we had a great time and some good laughs.  It was a very fun way to celebrate 5 years.

He came, He saw, He conquered.  That's right folks, Mr. Piland got a hole in one.  That's my husband!

Sweet Summertime

Summer is well underway and I'm behind on updating the blog, so in an effort to catch up, here are a couple months worth of photos of our summertime fun.  We've been spending a lot of time soaking up the sun, hanging at the pool, enjoying lazy summer days around the house, and taking advantage of the fun events our cute town has to offer.  In the midst of all that, we went on a family vacation (a post of it's own), Avery has been taking a couple of classes at the Y ("Kids in the Kitchen" and "Gym and Swim") and I've been training for a 5k. Norah has fallen into an awesome napping/sleeping routine and is generally pretty happy most of the time (unless she's teething). Erich is working hard as usual at the hospital and always seems to have a project to tackle around the house when he's at home.  We got a new grill this year after going without one for a couple of summers and I've enjoyed reaping the benefits of Erich perfecting his grilling skills. Yum!  One benefit of Erich working 12 hour shifts is that he has 3 full days off every week which allows us to spend a lot of quality family time together.  What a fantastic summer it has been so far!

 Avery got her first bike this summer, a princess bike handed down from a friend whose daughter had outgrown it.  Erich cleaned it up and it looks brand new - Avery thinks it's wonderful and would much rather spend her time ringing the fancy bell on the handlebars than actually riding it, but we're working on that.

 Norah has graduated to sitting up in the "big girl" tub instead of getting a baby bath and now the girls take all of their baths together.  It's faster and easier for us that way and they have a great time in the water together.  Bath time is a fun event in our house.

 I had to include this photo of Avery.  Erich walked past our bedroom a while back and saw Avery in this candid moment... laying in our bed, "reading" the book off my nightstand with her shades on.  This child cracks us up!  I love relaxing days at home that allow for these types of moments.

 On the first Friday of every month during the summer, adorable downtown Perrysburg hosts a family festival aptly called, "First Friday".  They have popcorn and cotton candy, a clown giving out balloon animals (we skipped that since Avery was terrified of him), arts and crafts, a jump house, games and activities for the kids, live entertainment, and more. And it's all completely FREE.  We love our town!  Here are the girls and I enjoying a train ride. They loved it. (These photos were taken on June 1st. It was freezing cold and rainy.  We were shivering.  Hard to believe that just a few weeks later we were sweating it out in 100+ degree temps. Ohio weather is crazy)

 The Perrysburg Fire Department was there. Avery was super excited to sit in a real firetruck... until she realized it wouldn't actually be going anywhere.  She thought they were going to drive her around.  

 If Norah could talk, I'm pretty sure she'd tell you her favorite thing about this summer has been her swing in the backyard. It was a great garage sale find. We cleaned it up and Erich hung it from the perfect branch on the big tree in the yard.  I love that I can sit on the steps of the deck and push her in it. She's all smiles and could stay in there for hours. 

 It's almost inevitable that every swing ride ends up looking like this.  She just can't resist dosing off.  I'd probably do the same thing if I had the lulling back and forth motion of the swing and a nice cool breeze.  It sounds pretty good to me.

Our backyard has been put to good use this summer.  With the new grill, some comfortable furniture on the deck (a cushioned porch swing was our anniversary gift to each other this year!), the sprinkler for Avery, and the swing for Norah.... we have loved getting great use out of the yard.  I joke that the deck is my favorite room in the house. But seriously, I love it.  We had a stretch in May and June where we were out there pretty much daily, but with the July heat wave it's just been too hot, even for the sprinkler.  Hopefully things cool off soon and we can get back to our oasis!

 What's summer without some zucchini bread??  Avery loved helping to bake a few loaves.  She looks so grown up to me in this photo.

 Our friend, Nadine, has a pool and is kind enough to invite us over to enjoy it each summer. We love getting together with Nadine and her granddaughter, Avery, as well as Shiloh and her kids, Seth and Melanie.  Nadine, Shiloh, and Erich all used to work together (Erich and Shiloh still do).  Avery, Avery, and Seth were all born very close together which makes for fun playdates.  

Our friends gave us that raft for Norah and it has been such a huge help this summer.  It has holes for her legs to go through, kind of like an exersaucer, and she just kicks her feet and floats around all over the pool (with a parent always right next to her of course!).  I'm thankful that Avery and Norah both enjoy the water so much. We have a great time!

May Flowers

Planting our flowers was a family event this year.  Last spring I was having some pretty bad sciatic nerve pain due to my pregnancy with Norah, so Grandma Kelley came up to help and she and Erich did all of the work while I watched from the deck with my feet propped up.  Thankful that pain is just a faint memory now, I was raring and ready to go this year.  Avery was excited to help and Norah got to hang out in the pack-n-play in the yard and enjoy some fresh air while we worked on the flower beds.  Many hands make for light work and we got it done pretty quickly.  It was a fun way to spend a Saturday morning together.

 Avery helping Daddy collect the brush after trimming the bushes. If you look closely you can see Norah chillin' in the pack-n-play way back on the left in the shade of the trees while we were all sweating it out in the sun. I'd say she got the best end of the deal in this arrangement!

 Planting flowers

Norah getting in on the action

Avery was such a big helper.  (She's in a phase where every shirt must be tucked into her pants. Silly girl)

Mother's Day

Due to Erich's work schedule this year, Mother's Day at our house fell in the middle of the week, sandwiched perfectly between two weekend visits where we got to see our own moms... one in Stow and one in Marysville.  I couldn't have asked for more!  This Mother's Day was extra sweet for me because I was holding both of my girls in my arms.  Last year at this time I was loving on Avery while cherishing time with a precious babe safely tucked away on the inside. I loved knowing that she was in there being comforted by the beat of her momma's heart, and I couldn't wait to meet her face to face.  What a joy it has been to transition to being a mother of two.  Baby Norah is the perfect addition to our family and I loved celebrating this special holiday with her for the first time.  Erich made me feel like the queen of the castle, showered me with gifts (some practical, and one very very sappy. Way to go Erich!), cooked me a delicious meal, and took over care of the girls so I could spend the day doing whatever I wanted.  I took a nap and ran some errands by myself!  It was a great laid back day... exactly how I like things to be.  Avery, Norah, and I headed to Marysville for Mother's Day weekend while Erich worked.  We'd spent the previous weekend in Stow for Nikki's birthday and got to spend time with Nana then.  I've lost count of how many years it has been since I've actually seen my mom on Mother's Day (sorry Mom!), so this was a special treat for me. Erich and I know that we are better parents because of the example that was set for us by our own moms and dads.  To spend Mother's Day celebrating that special bond with my mom was a blessing.

 The Piland ladies 

 Avery's sense of style is emerging. She picked this outfit herself and it's one of her more tame wardrobe selections.  She is stubborn and strong willed.  She frustrates me and challenges us at times, but for the most part she is a sweet sweet girl and she makes me smile and laugh more than anything.  

 Baby Norah is my red headed cuddle bug.  She loves to snuggle and be held constantly.  At times my arms get tired or I get a little frustrated because I can't get much accomplished throughout the day, but let me tell you... I love it. Every time I hold her she wraps her legs around my waist, grabs a fist full of my shirt, and lays her head on my shoulder in total affection.  I know this won't last forever so I'm choosing not to worry about the things left undone around the house.  For now, as long as she'll let me, I'm just going to love holding her.

Avery and Norah already love each other so much. I can't wait to see how their relationship evolves over time.

Mother's Day in Perrysburg

I know I'm beyond blessed to be spending these years with my young children at home.  I try not to take one second of it for granted.  I'm told that each stage of raising kids gets better and better, but I have a hard time imaging that I'll ever enjoy any period of time more than I'm enjoying right now... my days filled with changing diapers, singing silly songs, cuddling babies, pushing swings at the park... How can it possibly get better?  Maybe someday I'll look back and read these words and laugh at my own ignorance. Sometimes I catch myself feeling sad about the fact that my kids won't be babies forever and I have to stop and remember to enjoy them right now - soak it all in - rather than mourn the stage of life before it's actually over.  It's not perfect. Between all of those sweet and blissful moments there are temper tantrums and spilled glasses of sticky juice and a teething baby crying at 3am and one tired tired momma.  But it's worth it.  I'm so thankful to be a mother.

Easter in Stow

After the Easter Bunny hopped to our house, we packed up and hopped our way to Stow where we spent Easter weekend with Nana, Papa, and Aunt Nikki.  We loved visiting with family and the girls had a blast being doted on by Nana and Papa all weekend long.  Avery got to participate in two Easter egg hunts - one for the kids at church and one in Nana and Papa's backyard.  She went home with a couple hundred eggs full of candy, lucky girl! Avery and Norah both received piggy banks and Avery had a great time collecting money from from Papa to fill hers up.  We enjoyed a delicious Easter dinner with Aunt Sue, Uncle John, and Erich's cousins Pete and Amanda.  It was wonderful to see them all!  Norah loved getting passed around from one set of arms to the next and was full of smiles and laughs.  

Happy girls with Nana and Papa

 Pretty Avery and Norah in their Easter best 

 The girls love their Aunt Nikki!

 It doesn't get any better than blowing bubbles with Nana!

 I'm still in the very early stages of learning how to sew and decided to try my first attempt at applique to make the girls matching bunny shirts.  They aren't perfect, but they turned out pretty cute. 

I love this photo of Avery... sweet beautiful girl!

 

In the midst of all the activity it gets tempting at times to focus on the frilly dresses and Easter eggs. We want to make sure that our children know that Easter is so much more than food and fun.  Our prayer is that Christ fills their hearts in such a way that the joy the resurrection overshadows every other fun treat each year.  This year Avery was able to grasp that "Jesus died on the cross for my sins and He forgives me when I mess up".  We will continue to pour that message into their brains each year in hopes that it reaches their hearts.  I will never be the same because it has reached mine.