Squeaky Clean.....and Free

So, we made it through our time share presentation without losing our shirts and had a wonderful, free weekend at a local resort to show for it. I have to say though, those guys are pretty convincing. If it weren't for the maintenance fee they tack on every year I might have been interested.....

So Saturday afternoon we sat through the excruciating sales presentation. It was excruciating because I could see the pool from the window, I knew I wasn't going to buy and I was paying a babysitter as the clock ticked. When we gave our "no" answer P. took off to get the kids and I checked into our beautiful "master" villa and waited for the family to join me.

What a fun weekend we had. It was like a tropical vacation away but we were just down the road from the house. And it was all free (besides the 2 excruciating hours). The kids had a blast. They did so great. Pete called it "our new house" and loved hanging out in the "villa". They could have stayed in the pool all day today if we didn't have to come home for naps and to cook dinner for our visiting Uncle Bob and Aunt Edna.

Here are the wonderful pics from our "vacation". Outside last night by the horse stables and horseback riding area. We walked around by the horses talking to them, petting them, looking at the beautiful full moon, enjoying the incredible weather and spending time as a family enjoying our amazing night together.

There was an outdoor wedding going on last night and we sort of "crashed" it. We hung out nearby and listened to their music, had drinks in the grass near their reception and the kids danced in the open area to their music. Pete and dad actually visited their "candy table" and had a few tastes. :) It was so fun, like being a part of a wedding but not having to bring a gift. This pic is of the kids sitting in these big, comfy, resort chairs people watching and listening to the wedding music.
Dad, with the wedding cake behind him. :)
This morning hanging out on our balcony while Pete slept inside. We watched the sunrise, ate a little breakfast all while the horses ran around in front of us and hot air balloons floated by. Awesome.
View from our balcony.
Jamie playing behind the "villa's" curtains.
Today was a perfect day to be at the pool. I heard MI had snow and was under a winter storm advisory today.....




Goodnight!

Our Week

Dad and Pete staining the gate."Hello?"

My sweet little girly-girl with her play earrings on.
Pete with his play earrings on too. ;)
My MOPS meeting this week. MOPS is a group where moms go to spend time together chatting, crafting, listening to speakers, eating, etc. It's supposed to be without your kids. They have childcare classrooms where the kids play, do artsy stuff, have snacks, watch cartoons. But Pete has for some reason decided he WILL NOT go into the childcare there. So, this is me and my boy at my MOPS meeting. How can you get mad at him right?
My nephew sent us his Flat Stanley to photograph somewhere in AZ and send back to his classroom. With the busyness of guests and then a lovely stomach bug that just about killed me this week I was only able to photograph Stanley in our "world" of AZ. So, here is Stanley by our blow up pool. I added sunglasses to Stanley because the AZ sun is soooo bright! :)
By our big pool.
And a hat to Stanley because we never go out without hats on. Stanley is stuck, literally, to a cactus. We printed these pics out and sent them back to Cory.
Katie coming on Monday and Erin and Jeremy on Thursday! Can't wait to see all of them!

Visit from Steve and Julie

Right after Tina and Lauren left Steve, Julie, Holly and Cory came. In the same day. Almost in the same hour. Or maybe it was in the same hour. Anyway, it was a busy, but wonderful day.

We had a great visit with my bro and family. The kids had built in best friends and it was fun sharing our lives, city and new home with our family. The kids literally played all day every day. It was so fun to watch. Here are some pictures of our time together.

Thought this was so cute, Jamie laying out with Holly.The boys sidewalk chalking together.
Birthday party.
Me and my big brother.
Cousins.
Pete's first Build-A-Bear. A gift from his Aunt and Uncle.
In the hot tub.
Wildlife Zoo.
Zoo Train.
The whole gang at the zoo.
Girls shopping.
Hiking in the preserve near our house.

Time with Friends

We had some friends visit from MI. They were on spring break and stayed with us for a couple of days. We all enjoyed their visit and their company and were so sad to see them go. I love that we live in a place where people want to come visit and that we finally have a house that can accommodate guests.

The kids playing with Miss Tina and Lauren.Pete mixing up his birthday cake.Hanging by the pool with Miss Tina.When Tina and Lauren were packing their car to leave Abby jumped in the trunk. It was so funny. I don't blame her. Peace and quiet around here is hard to find.

Our Pool

We ventured into our big pool on April 1st. The first time the kids used it with dad I wasn't around to take pics so we don't have that event documented. It still pains me that I don't have pictures of the first time but I will get over it. I hope. Anyway, on April 2nd I got a few pics of Jamie in the pool with dad after her nap. That is why she is in her sleeping shirt instead of a bathing suit.
The pool is cold. The pool guy said by the end of April it should be perfect. Someday we hope to get some solar heating which would heat our pool all year around.

Abby likes the fountain but won't go into the pool itself.

Pete Turns Three

Pete was very blessed this year. Not only did we have some out of state guests in town but we had two of them on the same day! Our first out of town guests helped me and P. decorate the house for Pete's birthday the night before. Blue, green and white streamers, dangly astronaut thingys and balloons.

I will let the pics tell the story.

This was us early Tuesday morning. Daddy stayed home to sing happy birthday to his son at 7:44am the exact time Pete was born 3 years ago. Time has flown by and every day I am more and more proud of our son. He is a sweet, smart and fun little man. He was thirsty when he woke up but this is him first thing on his 3rd birthday. Jamie had been awake for a while hence the awake smile.Opening gifts at 7:44am in the morning.Morning birthday kiss from his "best friend" Tina.Pete's birthday breakfast of blueberry pancakes and strawberries.
My kiddos helping me decorate Pete's astronaut cake. I would frost a little, give them frosting to eat, frost some more, give them some more frosting to eat.
When Pete woke up from his birthday nap his aunt, uncle and cousins were here. So they swam and played until his dinner and party.
Uncle Steve, Aunt Julie and Holly making Pete his birthday dinner.
Birthday dinner.
Pin the Pterodactyl on the sky.
Jamie was off a little.


Pete's favorite gift, a nerf air gun.
Opening the bulldozer Uncle Bob made him.
With UB & AE.
The finished cake.

It's hard to know what to say about Pete. Let's just say we are very blessed. Pete is an incredible boy. The first word that I would use to describe him is sweet. He has a sweet heart and a sweet spirit. He says the sweetest, cutest things and I love him more than words can say. He talks your ears off these days. He has so much to say and wants to know about everything. He is the perfect mix of daring yet cautious. He loves being with his dad and doing what is dad is doing. Pete loves guns, bikes, books, bulldozers and trains. When he grows up he wants to be a fireman, or drive a boat or bulldozer. He goes to the bathroom on his own now. That's helpful but sometimes very messy. He is social and always friendly and wants to say hi and meet people. Today there were these guys working on our road and he wanted to go watch them. So we walked down the street and he walked up to one guy and said, "Hello, who you?" They talked for a bit.

Pete is an amazing kid. We couldn't have asked for a better boy. He is our son and our friend and we are so proud of him. I have heard of the "terrible 2's" and the "terrible 3's" but Pete didn't get the memo. Now Jamie his sister on the other hand.....that is another story! :)

Happy 3rd birthday Peter Jacob. You are the best little boy in the whole world. Mommy and daddy love every day we spend with you. Thanks for the best 3 years of our life.