Starting Preschool

If I could have only convinced him to stop celebrating and sit still long enough to get a good picture. oh well. I guess it is what it is. His first day of preschool and he was just so excited he couldn't contain himself!

Labor Day Camping Trip

What could be more fun than camping with 25 friends and family, crafts and campfires, homemade donuts and a nice little round of softball? We couldn't think of anything better so we packed up and headed to our 4th Annual Labor Day Camping Trip! We had so much fun that we are already making BIG plans for next year!

Justin...usually a good sport and always good for a laugh!

Aren't we a good lookin group...just don't pay too much attention to our clothes. First, we were camping and second we had just finished up a nice little game of softball, but most importantly we all had a blast!

Until next year!

sometimes it hurts so bad

this ache inside my heart. This yearning for another sweet baby to love and cuddle, this yearning for our dear family of three to become a family of four (or even more). and it just hurts so bad as I sit there listening to yet another doctor tell me in his very own words "it's like a snowballs chance in hell" that I will conceive again. I couldn't even carry Carter to full term, delivered early, and now I cannot conceive. But I am girl....aren't we supposed to conceive? Are we not supposed to go forth and create new life? I don't get it. This hurt, this aching, this never ending cycle of hoping, wishing, praying that this will be the month. That this will be the month that I will see two pink lines instead of one. That this will be the month that I get to say " I am pregnant" instead of saying "oh my gosh I am so happy for you, that you are pregnant". Don't get me wrong, I am truly happy for those who can think baby and end up pregnant the next day. But gosh, really, I am jealous. And I hope and pray that they realize the blessings they have been given. What I wouldn't give to be them...probably both my ovaries! But I keep going hoping, wishing, praying that this will be the month. That this will be the month that I get to fill this baby void like no other. That this will be the month that I get to go into a store and buy my fill of sweet baby goodness. That this will be the month that I can reach across the car and wipe tears of joy of Matt's sweet cheeks instead of seeing eyes of hurt and disappointment, knowing full well that I cannot heal the hurt that is in both our hearts. And for Carter, a sibling. Oh my, there could be no greater gift for him. How he would love to sit and play and sing and fight and grow up knowing the love betweeen brothers or even a sister for that matter. That this would be the month for all these things. But after months of meds, shots, ultrasounds and appointment after appointment, it looks like it won't be this month either or not even next month for that matter. It will just be another month of putting on smiles as someone says, "So when are you going to give Carter a sister or a brother". I smile, my heart screams and what I really want to say is, "well as soon as I get $20,000 and an ovary that ovulates". Or when another says "it will happen when you least expect it"....well by now it has been three years and we "least expect it" and still nothing. Or another says, "it is God's will". Ok, fine and dandy, but is it also God's Will for all the little babies to be born into families who cannot care for them or love them or hurt and neglect them? I don't think so, so I don't find it His Will for this either. So for now we carry on with heavy hearts and hurt a mile wide and with so much thankfulness for our one sweet little bundle of joy that is getting so tall now that he comes to my waist. We carry on but still sometimes it hurts so bad, this aching inside my heart.

the one that got deleted

Family Vacation 2010

This year for our annual family vacation, with all my sisters and their families, we rented a house just outside of Myrtle Beach, SC. Matt and I, along with Carter, actually snuck away a few days early to spend some time with Nana and Papa Wynberry in Charleston before spending the rest of the week with all the Mennel girls and our kids. It was so nice to see Charleston again. No matter how many times we go it just never gets old. I love all the water, the huge houses, the history and the food! We spent the days playing in the water, collecting shells and watching dolphins and the nights were spent into the Wii hours catching up and bowling on the Wii!

Above Carter is searching for (and I think he found) the perfect shells with Nana


If you know Carter, then you know that old ships, big cannons and pirate artifacts are right up his alley. He was all smiles at Charleston's Queen Anne' s Revenge. The food was really good but the real pirate artifacts where even neater!





And then our four days in Charleston came to an end so we packed up and headed north just a bit to Garden City, just south of Myrtle Beach!

Above Keira and Carter are hanging out in Pawleys Island, which is known for their Hammocks. I found it ironic that the little old man who spends his days weaving these ever so comfortable hammocks has never owned one and says that when he heads home he heads straight to his bed...not the best sales pitch but the simple God's honest truth!

Shawna, Don, Keira and Kalen soakin' up some sun and diggin' in the sand!

Shae had the time of her life out in the waves while Ty preferred to stay on the beach...poor Shae loved it so much she ended up with swimmers ear and poor Ty found himself buried up to his neck with help from all the little ones!

Uncle Justin serenaded us all with his ukulele

Oh my goodness, we all had such a good time crab hunting at night. It was just too bad that Uncle Justin was the only one out of all of us that was lucky enough to catch anything. But the kids had fun regardless. They were able to run around, get wet and chase each other with flashlights, so they couldn't really have cared less about catching a crab!

Oh and did I mention how peaceful and relaxing this vacation was?!

My lil' love bug is getting too big

I don't know why I love this picture the way I do, the shell is well sub-standard and you cannot see his sweet baby face but I think it has something to do with those sweet little fingers that still love to hold his momma's hand...and the fact that he was so completely excited because he found "the bestest shell"

Kalen, Carter, Ceili, Keira, Shae, Ty and Keaton

When the kids are happy we are all happy!

and then the same came up on our very last day and we headed back to Indy with sand on our floorboards, sun on our skin, and memories in our heart...who could be happier!


and you wouldn't believe that I just deleted a picture that i really wanted to post and I am at work so here is this for now and I will post it later....

Father's Day Camping Trip

Ok, so after 10 years of camping together in a tent, Matt and I finally decided that it was time to take a step up in the camping world and start this season off as new trailer owners. So here we are happily posing in front of our, at least new to us, camper!!

My most favorite part of any camping trip is the hour just before bed when Carter jumps up in my lap for a little cuddle time around the fire...even if it is 10 pm and still 90 degrees!

Rain really isn't a factor when you come equipped with rain boots...this is a little boys camping heaven. Rain, water, mud, and bugs!

Just a pretty little waterfall at the Fort Wayne Zoo

Kalen, Keira, Carter, Ceili and Keaton!

Oh my goodness..we had such a blast making trip after trip down this water slide at the state park where we were camping.

Ceili, Keaton, Carter, and Marilyn taking a break from all that water sliding.

Uncle David helps Carter and Ceili during the water balloon toss.

Grandpa and Matt are neck to neck in a little round of field day fun at our Fathers Day Cookout.

Ceili and Carter love their papaw more than words could ever say!

We had such a good time hanging out and spending time with almost 70 family members. We are so blessed to have such a large and close family and I cherish the times we are able to spend together. Next up....Myrtle Beach in T - 6 days!!

So far, this summer has been

plenty of Popsicle eating
play gym playing

back porch sitting, sunset watching kind of fun...and I have thoroughly enjoyed soaking up every second of it!

stayed tuned for pics from camping