Who needs a "Gardener" anyway...

Spring is indeed here and with the warm weather, Memorial Day weekend is sure feeling like the kick off of Summer (actually). Yeah!!!

I couldn't resist capturing this moment of all three girls having fun helping plant the flowers. Let's just say I should have perhaps taken an "after" photo - there was quite a bit of potting soil on the front porch (thanks to Lauren "helping out"). But...we had fun and the flowers are all set to grow!

Sidenote: While planting, (Larry was out and about, not at home) and so I was supervising this project until Lauren ran into the garage. There was way too much trouble in there for her so I was closely watching her yet trying to multi-task/clean up.

I grabbed the broom and looked back. To my surprise Lauren had grabbed a can of Diet Coke (which was in a case laying in our garage). As I was asking her to put it back she said, "Mommy-a beer open!" I did a double take and here she actually OPENED up the can of Diet Coke (which is funny she was referring to as beer!) We aren't huge soda drinkers however not huge beer drinkers either...Very interesting viewpoint that she thought she'd open up a beer for me.

Maybe she thought I needed it after planting the flowers mess?!? Too funny....Then Addison and Ella walked into the garage and Addison strangely asked, "Mom-why is Lauren holding a can of Diet Coke and how did she open it?!?"

13.1 miles - I survived!

I ran my first half marathon today. It was a great experience some of my friends and I talked ourselves into after running the marathon relay together last year. While I foresee no full marathon in my future (ever)...I was hoping to run this 13.1 miles in under 2 hours. I came pretty close, 2 hours, 1 minute and 37 seconds. I was tired by the end though-whew but overall felt pretty good.

Many thoughts cross your mind in those 13 miles...I just kept telling myself, "I've got this" as people would yell, "Your half way!" and I'd think- "Only half way?" Then by 10 miles people would say, "You're almost there!" Well, not quite but it's a good positive mental building activity as physical activity. The streets were lined with cheering fans with noise makers and all sort of signs and music.

The best part was running into Lambeau Field and taking a lap around my family and friends. I got to high five Addison and Larry (who made it down to the first row.) Thanks to my cheerleading section - Larry and my girls, my parents, Tom and Jenny Baier it made the experience even better:)

Feeling good at 4 mile marker

Blowing a kiss to my girls

At the 12.75 marker running around Lambeau Field

The girls who inspired me to enter this crazy event! 

Maya-a former North High School CC teammate who rocked the full marathon!

Our Dancing Queens

The girls had their recital last night and this afternoon. Ella tap danced to "Jolly Holiday" from Mary Poppins and Addison danced a pom routine to "What Dreams Are Made Of."

Ella was SO excited when she got out on stage (in front of a entire auditorium of people) and couldn't stop giggling the entire routine. She danced though and giggled with the girl the....entire....routine! That's our Ella!

Addison had some serious dance moves (which I believe she got from her Dad-Otherwise known as, "The Night Train". It was entertaining for all of us! Ella kept asking when she gets to "go back to that place with the stage again"!

Happy Easter!

Ella loved decorating the eggs!

Lauren only broke one egg...she only made two though:)

Easter egg hunt at Grandma and Grandpa Mauk's house

Addison dressed up in her dr. outfit taking time out of playing doctor to decorate eggs

Getting ready to enjoy Claudia and Aunt Kristin's tasty yet gorgeous cake pops!

Easter Morning-Lauren was still half asleep...:)

Fun with our cousins on our easter egg hunt!

Addison's 1st Surgery

Addison had developed an infection of an oil gland in her eye a few months back already. She was treated with antibiotic drops and we tried warm compresses for a month but this "bump" just never went away under her eye. It turns out is was just a chalazion. It is somewhat like a stye but if it wasn't removed, it would keep growing and would eventually distort her eye shape if not surgically removed therefore causing permanent damage. 

She work up the morning of at 5:30 and said, "Mom-today is my surgery and I wanted to make sure you didn't sleep in and miss it!" (Like I sleep in often-OK I did ONE time on a Sunday-the whole family did and I told her we missed church because we all slept in too late....I guess she didn't forget that:)

She was such a trooper and never let on she was scared. She was joking in fact putting on the gown, pretending to be a robot (which was what was on her gown). Then she was making small talk with one of her nurses about how she's planning on Hawaiian themed birthday party in September. She gave me a hug and smiled as they wheeled her away.

Twenty minutes later they called us back and we met with the doctor who said all went well!  They all said she did great. The anesthesiologist even said she asked right before they put her under, if she was being "cooperative" after she heard him explain to me earlier some kids are uncooperative and that effects the process so it could take longer. She doesn't miss anything!

The nurse explained she would sleep for an hour or two when we got home... After arts & crafts, building her Lego kit and eating lunch, she was asking if we could go for a bike ride...she never napped. She was a little sleepy on the car ride but was good to go. 

Her eye looks great only a day after and she never complained it hurt-we'll take it!

Where did the past 22 months go?

Lauren has recently been "into" potty training...today was a big day-she went "poop on the potty" for the first time and was SO proud and her sisters were even more excited! Not sure where the past 22 months went!?! Here is a little video clip of her doing some art work:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202659873470880&l=3099331131973789416

All dogs go to Dog Heaven....

We had a very sad day last month. It took me awhile to post it on here but as you can assume, Bailey went to dog heaven.

She had lived a good lift and would have been 12 years old on May 1st. She had diabetes since September and was responding to the two insulin shots each day for a few months. However her weight was dropping over time, her eyesight was failing and she was in a lot of pain.

She is now in a better place as we explained to the girls, eating lots of treats and rolling in bunny poop, and feeling better again in dog heaven. She sure do miss her tons though...she will always her our first "baby":) She taught us so much and was such a great cuddler.