A New Chapter: Our Wonderfilled Life

I am so excited to share my new blog with you.  Hope to see you there!

{click button below}

Belly Love

Summer weather was here the past few days *and gone again* and some sweet bellies got to see the light of day.  Love these little tummies!!!!  

 Aiden                                                                              Liam

Beckham                                                                             Griffin

Lost in Space

For E's last half-birthday we gave him a certificate to use for a night out with mom and a night out with dad.  So, last Friday E and I seized the opportunity to attend the Adler Planetarium's Overnight.  We didn't actually spend the night, yet we managed to do all the activities, fun, and even the nighttime snack.  We scooted out at about 10:30pm and after I asked him a few questions on the car ride home with no response I knew my sweet little space boy had drifted off to the stars.    

We had such beautiful weather, oh how I love driving into the city on a Friday night, not the traffic part, but just the energy, and it's the same drive he took with his Dad to Rush countless times so he knows it way too well.  He always keeps me laughing, bad mommy moment, I commented *ahem* on a driver that was from Michigan *we do love Michigan* and he said, "Mom how come they can make cars but they can't drive them *eye roll*?  I didn't really have an answer for that one except to yep watch what I say!

I took lots of pictures *surprised?* and we had a blast.  In addition to featured stations on how to grow food in space and experimenting with water filtering techniques for astronauts, they made it super kid friendly, age ranges 6-10, almost all of the exhibits were open too so we were roaming the planetarium after hours and that part was very cool, very Night at the Museum Planetarium.  

We each had a favorite part of the evening.  Ethan's was during the night sky show in perfect 5-year-old humor the "intern" took us on a Mission to Mars and developed space madness and nearly ate the brains of the entire first row....brains...brains...brains she kept saying with her zombie walk.  E was in hysterics.  We still walk around saying...brains...brains...brains!!!  

My favorite part was as the kids there gathered around the indoor firepit under a very cool dome for a story about the Big Dipper.  In this tale there were five wolf brothers that helped form the Big Dipper, so now every time we see the Big Dipper in the night sky we'll think of them representing the five brothers Krol *awww*.  Here's the Native American tale.  http://www.oocities.org/shadowfaux.geo/dippers.html

my little astronaut

yes that is a chimpanzee on his shirt, maybe Planet of the Apes? ;)

mom & E

filtering water and growing food

Lunar Leap

he has the moon in his hands

on a clear night you could see Saturn, on a not-so-clear night...clouds!

http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/experience/points/doaneobservatory

some wonderful memories, can't wait to take all of the boys together someday!!

Motherhood to the 5th Power

As Mother's Day nears it is always a sweet time of relection.  I never knew my heart could hold so much joy and love, and knowing in all the struggles that I had no idea what was in store, well it's simply beyond words for me.  While I am not often in pictures b/c I am usually the one taking them, I found these from some sweet moments between me and my boys. 

 Taken by me (the ol' hold the camera out hope you're in it and smile) my little
sidekick Ethan and I on his big first day of preschool (2008)

 Liam and I taken by Matt, our first trip to the pumpkin farm with the babies (2010)

holding sweet Beckham in the NICU, he had the most trouble early on and I just wanted to hold him, gaze into his gorgeous eyes and make it all better (2009)

Aiden's first day home after 3 weeks in the NICU, he is such a little lover and wanted to be home first :) (2009)

Griffin at his first birthday party, while he looks a little worried, I love that I have a picture from that day with him, my little sweet cheeks. (2010)

how I envisioned this moment, prayed for it endlessly...holding all four of my healthy baby boys...L-O-V-E!  (2009)

Another First...

to celebrate E's *insanely windy!*soccer game (they didn't win but hey it's good to still celebrate!) and Matt stepping in as coach and the boys being awesome at cheering them both on, we took an unexpected trip out for first Happy Meals *gasp, not McDonald's*.  Of course Portillo's is still number 1, but we didn't hear too many complaints :)  

and yep they need to invest in another high chair ;)

Beck's perfect *whoosh* face, they love making plane sounds...and train and car...yep all boy :)

Let's Go...

fly a kite...on this perfectly windy day!  

Guess what?

Chalk butt. :)