This year, there are two

Easter baskets at our house.
Last year at Easter we had no idea we would be so blessed.

eVoLuTioN

The eVoLuTioN of friendship...

Meet MELT. It's an acronym for Mindy, Erin, Leah and Teresa. Yes, we really do talk about ourselves in the third-person narrative (although this would be fifth-person… ha)

Erin and I have been friends since we were three or four years old. My mom was a stay at home mom at the time and babysat several neighbor kids. One was Erin. We spent a lot of hours playing and entered Kindergarten together at St. Joseph’s School. We spent the next twelve grades together.

Leah’s mom and my mom were in Le Leche League together, so technically we met then. It makes much more sense to say we met in Kindergarten in that same class with Erin.

Mindy and I didn’t meet until freshman year of high school. Mindy and I had first period Environmental Science together; two farm girls, we quickly clicked.

I don’t remember at all how we separated ourselves as a foursome. In reality, we were all friends with lots of different groups and each of us was so.different. from the others. That didn't stop us from being the best of friends and making lots of memories together. 

We all chose our respective colleges, none of them the same. Mindy went to Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Erin to St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, Leah to the University of Iowa in Iowa City and I chose Iowa State University in Ames. Hundreds of miles separated us, but thanks to email (a new technology back then!) we were able to keep in touch.

I don’t remember any rifts in the friendship.

Oh, except for that one.

And it was all my fault. And it involved a boy. And it was ridiculous on my part. And, thankfully, they all forgave me.

Our friendship has evolved over the years.

We used to…
…play with stuffed animals
…have slumber parties
…play with sidewalk chalk
…cruise in Mindy’s car
…discuss plans for college breaks
…giggle about boyfriends
…spend a weekend with Mindy during J-term

Then the conversation changed to…
…career choices
...soon-to-be husbands
…planning bachelorette parties
…planning weddings
…baby-making
…baby-having

Now we talk about…
…daycare
…children’s milestones
…swapping recipes
…husbands
…religion
…economy
…aging parents
…diets

And we always laugh about “back then” stories.  We still have slumber parties, too.  Sort of.  As often as we can find the time {and an excuse} we converge on someone's house {husband and children beware}.  Then we talk... and talk... and talk until we laugh so hard we cry.  Then we are reminded that it doesn't matter how old we get, we are the same girls who colored sidewalks together 15 years ago.

Brent and I married in 2003. Mindy and Steve married in 2005. Leah and Jaret married in 2007. Erin and Scott are getting married in 2011. Among the group, we have four babies – Lucas, Tate, Toby and Hannah. Mindy is having a baby in July. We all hope there are more babies for MELT.

Our friendship has evolved but our camaraderie is the same. We live in four different places but still observe the milestones -- in celebration and in sadness. Many tears have been shed, shoulders leaned on, and prayers said. Oh my, the countless prayers said for each other, our families, our unborn babies, the diagnosis, the life changing events. 
We are blessed to have this truly lifelong friendship and we never take it for granted.

Teresa, Leah, Erin, Mindy

April 2011

sweet treats for spring

I love being crafty.  I needed a little thank you token for some meeting attendees last week and found this idea.  I took the opportunity to "work from home" and make these.  Kid-friendly and Lucas loved helping.  The recipients loved them, too. 

Ingredients:
- 2 bags of semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 bag pretzel sticks
- 1 bag jelly beans
- 30 marshmallow Peeps
- 1 container marshmallow creme

Directions:
Melt chocolate chips very slowly in a stock pot.  You could also use a double broiler or melt in glass bowl in microwave.  Add the pretzels to the chocolate. Stir in until covered. Use tongs or a fork to place coated pretzels on wax paper. I didn't purposely try to build a nest as much as just a pile of sticks.  Cool in your fridge or freezer to speed the process. Don't worry if not fully coated.  After the chocolate has cooled, use a knife to dab marshmallow creme for Peeps to stick on the nest.  Top with Peep.  Sprinkle with jelly beans.

~sleeping angels~

Happy Birthday, Brent!

Disclaimer - these are photos of photos, forgive the glare and blur. 

 This little baby entered the world on April 10, 1979 at 3:09AM. 

He weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long. 

Steve and baby Brent. 

Connie and baby Brent.

 Happy, naked baby.

He knew his passion at a very young age. 

That happy little boy grew up and...

...became a husband...

...then a daddy...

...twice...

Happy birthday to the best husband -- kind, romantic, logical, strong, funny. 

Happy birthday to the best daddy -- loves to play, wrestle, farm, cuddle and shop for pink.

mommy wheels

It was not a decision taken lightly when we recently purchased a minivan. We've talked about it off and on in the last year and it just really made sense for our family. I was nervous that we'd hate it after driving Tahoes for the last six years.

The good news is we LOVE it. It is so easy and convenient to get kids in and out and has SO MUCH room. Welcome me to the minivan mama club!

when I'm not watching

Kids can do the sweetest things when no one is watching.  The other day Hannah was in her swing and Lucas was playing contently when I got in the shower.  When I got out of the shower, I could hear Hannah crying.  I was trying to get dried off and dressed quickly to go get her but she was quiet by then.  When I got to the living room Lucas was standing by her swing talking to her and she was watching him with amazement.  He is very kind and protective of Hannah.

Lucas never misses Hannah's bath time.  While giving her a bath on this same day, she started to fuss after getting wet and he insisted I get out another washcloth to lay across her and keep her warm.  {He gets his own washcloth to help wash her legs and feet.  One for me to do the real washing - that's three washcloths for a ten minute bath.}  Then he proceeded to tell her, "It's okay, you'll stay warm,"  he threw in a few "you're so cute!" comments and topped it off with "don't be scared, there's no monsters here." 

Other recent funny things he's said:

• I got him a whole bunch of summer clothes and he looked at the pile and said, "Is 'Chelle (his favorite teacher from daycare) going to like these?" 
• Saturday morning he told me he had a hole in his butt.  Umm???  Then he showed me he had a hole in the butt of his pajamas.  Not just any pajamas, but his Buzz Lightyear pajamas.  I told him I could fix them.  He asked how and I told him with thread and a needle.  He gasped, "Oh, mommy,"  then threw his arms around me, "thank you!"
• The door bell rang Saturday morning and I a) didn't know who it was and b) suspected they were going to share their religious beliefs with me, so I didn't answer.  Lucas jumps up and says, "Mommy, your friends are here."  {I was expecting three girlfriends, but this was definitely not them}.  I told him we didn't know who they were and we don't open the door for strangers {I was trying to build a life lesson out of it, ha}  They rang the door bell a second time and again Lucas wanted me to open the door.  They placed a pamphlet in the door and left, eventually leaving our neighborhood, too.  Then I opened the door to let sunshine in.  :)

Hannah is loving sucking on and licking her hands and holding objects.  She is cooing and babbling up a storm and really enjoys carrying on a conversation of coos when being talked to.  She is always kicking her legs and swinging her arms.  She can get about half-over, so I think that rolling over is coming up on the checklist.  When she wakes in the morning it is usually with "talking" and not crying.  Hannnah likes sitting up in the Bumbo seat and hates when she can't see what is going on.  She has been pulling herself up when she lays down or is in her infant carrier - almost like she is doing crunches.  Those strong little legs can hold her up for a long stretches of time, too.  Hannah has been sleeping through the night for several weeks now.  Mommy and Daddy love it!

The ducky outfit.

This is five week old Lucas in a ducky outfit.

This is nine week old Hannah in the same ducky outfit. 

I don't think anyone will probably confuse their baby pictures.