Leila meets her baby brother.

 Well, as usual its been way too long since we've updated our blog.  It amazes me how fast time goes...that may sound so cliche', but its so true.  The past few months have been a blur of activity and change.  We welcomed the newest member to our family, sweet Nash.  He is such a calm mannered lil' guy.  So smiley and happy.  Leila is the best big sister!  She loves him so much and is so good with him and he just adores his big sister, all smiles!

Our summer was nice too...we made a couple trips to the cabin, and we camped in our camper

Proud big sister!

on Pokegama a few times...fun memories.  Josh is off during the summer as usual being a teacher, so lots of projects were completed!  The biggest one being that we finally got our new front door in!  It only took us 3 years to actually get it in...but worth it...it is so pretty.  Nice work, hun!  So thankful for such a handy hard-working hubby!

After working as a pediatric and neurology RN for 9 years and a critical care RN for 1 year, I officially resigned from the hospital where I have worked for the past 10 years.  It was bitter sweet to say goodbye, but now a new adventure begins!

Hard at work taking a nap!

Trusting the Lord, and being a stay at home mom and doing child care are what path I have taken now.  I have always felt in my heart that being home with the children God blesses us with is the most important thing in the world.  I love my kiddos so much and want to be there with them each day to teach them and raise them in our Christian home.  Our amazing daycare provider recently closed her doors to begin her new adventure too...so I am so very blessed to take on some of the pumpkins that she cared for.  Life is ever-changing.  Some days are more overwhelming than others, but reminding myself to trust in God and His promises for me and my family is something I need to do daily, even multiple times a day.  I know that I will truly never regret staying home with my babies.

The pretty front door.

Swimming on Pokegama

Leila's big catch...no fear!

So seriously playing in the sand.

Well, what else is new?  We get to redo the bathroom flooring and maybe get a new toilet...not exactly the way we want to spend our money and time, but that's God showing me that I am not in control of things.  The toilet overflowed last week and now we have that lovely project on our hands.

We had Nash's baby dedication a week ago..had some of our family over to celebrate.  We are so very blessed with our family!  We love you!

Well, I think that's enough about us for now...hopefully it won't be over a year before I get back on here again! :)

Ahhh, summer is finally here! We've had the pool filled and ready for a swim every day for past few weeks. We live outside...we love being outdoors even on the scorching hot days. Leila and Daddy set up the water slide too...Leila couldn't get enough of it and begged Dad over and over again to go down it with her...he did...I think he liked it too! :) Yay for summer!!!

Crane Lake, June 2011

We headed to our cabin a few weeks ago for 5 days. We vowed to spend more time there this summer. Last summer we were only there once. It was the first time the three of us had been there alone and it was so great! Summer time goes way too fast! This was Leila's third summer...she loves the cabin...hiking at The Gorge, swimming, fishing, playing games, finger painting, helping Dad gather firewood, playing at the beach and at the playground, boating, playing in the cabin lofts...and on and on. We weren't sure how it would go being somewhere so remote and rustic for that many days...if she'd get bored or not. She wasn't bored at all...such a happy camper!

Sweet Lil' Bean Creations

I had a big burst of energy this evening to work on a number of my sewing and craft projects. Being a mommy has made life so fun, but also very busy. Scrapbooking, sewing, crafting, etc are some of my favorite things to do, besides being Leila's mommy, but finding the time to do them can be tricky. I've always had love for making handmade things as gifts for others. So after snuggling, reading book after book with Leila before her bedtime...I turned on some relaxing tunes, and pulled up a chair to my lonely sewing machine. I made 12 adorable burp rags and a colorful cloth bag to toss toys into. I so enjoy spending the quiet evening hours crafting. Here are just a few pics of what I worked on. I also learned a whole new addiction today from a good friend of mine..We be-jeweled some serving ware.

Why does vacation time have to go so fast? We found ourselves wishing for just one more day at the cabin today as we were closing it down. This was our first trip to Crane this summer! Usually we've gone at least twice by this time, but our summer has been so busy that this has been our first trip. It rained most of the day on Friday, but we still made it enjoyable. Leila and Mommy put on rain gear and headed outside for a little walk to explore. We headed to the Northeast Bay beach on Saturday. Leila loved being able to run up and down the beach, play in the sand and water, play with the leeches and lounge in the little floatie canoe with juice in hand. Ahhh the life! We can't get enough cabin time...wish summers weren't so short and fast!

Leila's 9 Month Photos

Here's a sample of the great pictures Nicole Marie took of Leila.
If you need a photographer in the Duluth/Superior Area check out
www.nicolemarie.biz

We headed down to the rose gardens on Lake Superior and had a picnic lunch, smelled the gorgeous roses, and just enjoyed a nice relaxing Labor Day together. I love being spontaneous, so when Josh brought up this idea for a picnic, I was all about it! Leila sure seemed to have a good time to, so giggly and smiley...the little stinker got a hold of my sandwich...guess Cheerios just didn't cut it for her picnic lunch!