Funny, funny, so this is new to me. Someone tags you and you have to reveal 10 deep dark secrets about yourselves. Well thanks to my friend Amiee its my turn. See nothing comes without a price. So here goes...

1.) Like Amiee I have also lived in a trailer however, I have lived in one with my parents and have chosen to live in one in my adult life. So I am like super trailer trash.

2.) I cannot say "no" to anyone. I usually have too much on my plate at any given time because I will either raise my hand to volunteer or will not say no.

3.) I still hold grudges like an elementary school student. I am mad at 2 someones I thought was close to because they forgot to say "happy birthday" to me yesterday. I will be over it tomorrow.

4.) When I get time for myself I usually waist it by pacing around accomplishing nothing.

5.) Avril really is Joe's child. ;)

6.) I am deathly afraid of insects. Yes even butterflies.

7.) I secretly feel really cool in my minivan despite my protests.

8.) I hate doing anything alone.

9.) When I was little I used to sneak up at night and eat bread...We would put sugar on it and eat it like that.

10.) I love to get my mail the second it is dropped off. I get kind of angry when Joe beats me to it.

TAG: Deanna, Mom, & Alie

Happy Birthday to me!

I have the most wonderful family...Yesterday I turned "25" again and out of nowhere my parents showed up. They live all the way up in Brainard so for them to just show up its a pretty big deal. Well I thought they were just visiting for a little bit and then going home. Well they weren't they came all the way here to babysit for us so we could go to the casino for the sea food / prime rib buffet and a little money waisting. I was really not expecting all this for my birthday and it was so wonderful. I am so nosey that it really surprises me that they pulled this off without me having the slightest idea of what was going on. My parents were quite winded when we got back however, they made them all dinner, did dishes, put Owens laundry in the dryer, gave Avril a bath, got Hannah to finish her homework and had them all in bed when we got home. I wouldn't have even attempted all that! Above all that Joe got me a genuine Coach purse for my birthday. He even did research on purses to see which hold up the best and such. (Anyone who knows Joe knows that he researches everything) But purses I never thought. Well I want to say Thank You to all my wonderful family for making these miserable birthdays so enjoyable.

On a side note Owen has been sleeping from 9:30 to 6:30 for a week or so now too. :)
And lets all root for WILD tonight!

Isaac's 5th Birthday

Our kids are growing up just too fast. On Sunday Isaac turned 5. We spent the day at the Shrine Circus which was wonderful. Isaac really wanted to go to the Twins game but, I conned him into the circus instead. That way we could all go and enjoy it. And what do ya know he loved it. Avril really liked the acrobats and she clapped like crazy. Then after the circus we went back to our house and had cake and ice cream with grandma & grandpa VanHoorik, Barb, Beth, & Matt. It was a wonderful day and he got to finish it off by doing his favorite thing....Spending the night at grandma & grandpas.

That's a wrap!

Life is gonna settle down right? So we finished the busiest week of our lives and I am happy to report that it all went pretty darn good. So last Saturday Joe and I completed Confirmation. It was really an amazing experience for me I was really moved by the Holy Spirit. I really believe that God was calling us to join the church this year. As some may know we pondered on the idea of a religious life for most of our marriage. I always thought to myself "I don't have to go to church to believe in God." Well oh boy did I have the wrong idea. So much has changed for the better since bringing the church community into our home. I really think it has improved our family life by 100%.

Then on Tuesday we convalidated our vowes with the big church ceremony. It was beautiful and I really thought I wasn't going to cry however, as soon as that dun, dun, da, dun music started I just couldn't hold back. (I think I was crying because Joe said "Yes" twice to me.) Oh and it doesn't help that my dad was all teary eyed. I was like "come on dad I have been married for eight years already". But oh well it was absolutely perfect. The reception was so wonderful too thanks to my ultimate personal attendant Barb. For a Tuesday night we had a really nice turnout. Towards the end of the night alot had happened. Lets do a short recap:

1.) Great food (prime rib and stuffed chicken)

2.)Free beer & wine

3.)Thousands of kids with glow sticks (everyone I know has at least 2 kids)

4.)Thousands of kids break dancing (with Isaac as their leader)

5.)Shawna throws the bouquet for all the single ladies and it goes to her sister Sam who then gets tackled by Tony's girlfriend Jamie and looses the top of her dress (Sam has been dating new boyfriend for like 2 weeks, Jamie has been dealing with Tony for almost 3 years)

6.)Shawna wasn't wearing a garter but the boys still wanted to see who was gonna get hitched next so Joe concocted one out of glow sticks and threw it (Here you go Jamie, Tony caught this one)

5.)Shawna does the main dance to Thriller by Michael Jackson (I thought I was in the video)

6.)Joe's little brother Matt does the Colbert dance (its the poor kids idol)

7.)Shawna's little brother Tony gets too drunk to continue DJing for her so a pregnant beauty steps up to the plate

8.)Joe and sister Barb drive those who are to drunk to drive home and we then get home by 12:30.

All on a Tuesday night.

God bless you all as we ourselves have been blessed.

Avril already acting too old for her own good.

So Avril (Our 2 year old) is already acting like a little teenager. Now every time I call for her she hollers back "WHHHAAAATTT". It's hard to explain but her voice has irritation in it like I am too much of a pain for her to deal with right now. I thought I had it rough with Hannah and her stomping and makeup stuff but look out world here comes Avril.

Your Prayers

Today I just ask everyone for your prayers. My grandpa is in the hospital for the 3rd time this week with what started out as bronchitis. Now he cannot walk on his own. So if you will all say a little prayer for him to return to good health I would appreciate it. God Bless!

Oh my goodness

OK- so the routine around here is Joe takes the last feeding of the night for Owen around 11:00p.m. Then I take the middle of the night shifts which has been like 2:00a.m. and about 6:00a.m. since day one. I thought that was pretty good for a new baby however, last night I didn't have to get up at all. Owen slept until 6:30a.m. I know I am probably blowing my horn too soon but that was so nice. Hannah, Isaac & Avril never slept all the way through the night until they were about 1. Avril still gets up about every 3rd night and has to be ushered back to her room. Wouldn't that be something if he decided to sleep thought the night already.

With that said he is a wonderful baby and everyone has adjusted to him very well. Half the time life is no different then it was before.