Cora's first haircut

At the last cut for Amara and I, Cora said she wanted to have a haircut too--so this time, we all went. Amara ran in and went first, but Cora was right up there to go next. She hopped in the seat just where sissy had before her. She let Stephanie wash her hair at the sink and was ready for the full experience!

Stephanie combed her hair a tad and all we really did was take some of the "point" of the back of her hair off, to even it up--not take much off, but she loved it and she is now part of the big girl group with sissy and mommy.

She listened to Stephanie when she was told to put her head down and just as quickly as the trim started, it was over ;) the girls were pretty good while I got my hair cut too--they certainly entertained everyone in the shop!

First week with Ms. Carissa

The first week with Carissa started like a lion for sure--right after vacation, trying to put the house back together, summer, and the start of Amara's jr. golf camp.

Carissa plans busy days for the kids though, so the first week was filled with a day at Gantz park creek outing, a movie day and a water day at home.  I am so glad Carissa posts a lot of pics--it gives me a window to what they are doing during the week and lets me share those events with families and friends too.

Amara's jr. golf camp at Foxfire

A work friend had told me about Foxfire's jr. golf camp several years ago and I was looking forward to Amara being old enough to try it. Grandma and Grandpa Young got Amara clubs for her birthday, so we got her signed up and ready to go. She did have to miss the first class (we were on vacation) but Brian the pro assured me it was mostly administrative :)

The first day, Cora and I took her and she was SO excited! We got her signed in and she took off up the hill after they were separated into groups.  The class was an hour and a half and when Cora and I came back to pick her up, she was glowing.  She was hustling into the pro shop and came out with a gatorate. 

When she got into the car, she told me that she won a contest--they told her to get the ball in the bucket--no idea what that means, but she was thrilled! We called daddy for her to tell him about it too, then headed to Carissa's for her first day there.

For the 2nd day, Eric was able to take her--he said she was just as excited then, and came home telling me all about it too ;)

The session is only 6 weeks, but we have SO many cousins and family who play, I really hope she takes to it. I think the last week is a "tournament," so I'm hoping to stay for that one and watch her--she tells me she hits the ball the farthest, lol.

happy father's day daddy

Amara has been asking to go fishing for a while now, so when i asked her what she wanted to do for daddy--I knew what was coming.

Dad arranged for us to go to Stoer's pond just down from their house, so we had a private spot all to ourselves. The girls LOVED it! Everyone was still in a fog, having just gotten home from Hilton Head at 3 that morning, but it was low-key and really great.

We stayed maybe an hour or an hour and a half, but it was really nice and I'm sure we will be back.

Later we had cake and dinner for daddy--we got his hammock while in Hilton Head, so we will have to work on that later, but I hope we made dad and daddy both feel special with the time we all spent together.

Hilton Head June 14

The time for summer vacation this year fell at a critical time. We had just finished our last week with Sarah, Amara's party was over, and we had a week off till Carissa was staring as the girls replacement sitter. We decided on Hilton Head--largely b/c we had a great time at the beach in OBX last year, but the water was too cold, we wanted to go a bit more south.

We were not disappointed. We got there at 7 in the morning and the hotel already had our room--but it didn't matter, the ocean was ready for us and was warm and perfect.  For the next 5 days, we visited the beach and pool after breakfast each morning. We also explored several restaurants with fun new food options, shopped, and just had a wonderful time together.

Lucky for me, I have LOTS of Hilton Head vet friends who referred us to several places. Great seafood, a pizza joint, even places to take the kids for live kids music shows and Amara sang on stage!

The pool was by far everyone's favorite though--we spent several hours a day there and when asked, Amara preferred that to ANYTHING else to do. We got snow cones by the pool each day and the resort had a craft hut where the kids got to do various crafts that gave them a much needed break from the sun several times in the week.

We were all sad to leave, me especially--I had enjoyed watching our girls explore and grow, the meals out, even the driving (well, not the part in the night when they couldn't sleep and were frustrated, lol), but it was a great island with lots to do and lots for us to grow with as a family.

irelyn's 6th bounce birthday

Irelyn was sweet enough to invite both Amara and Cora to her party this year and both girls were so excited to go! Her invitation was Frozen and the party was at world of bounce--two of their favorite things :)

We shopped and wrapped and got ready when the big day came--unfortunately it was in the middle of a bout of strep threat for both girls, but on some antibiotics and rest, we went.

The girls played in the bounces houses and slides till they were about played out. Amara played with some of the teenagers who worked there while Cora kept Natasha busy running through the obstacle course with her. Amara kept begging for dinner, so by the time we went in, the girls were ready!

Dinner was pizza and chips, juice boxes, and cupcakes. I think the girls had 3 drinks each! Irelyn got to open her presents  (the girls got her an art set and a mosaic stone set). Even though we were there 2 hours, it went fast and the girls were tired.

We headed home to continue our prep for Hilton head the next day, but had a great time celebrating with irelyn!!

Ms. Sarah's last day

A day i've been dreading for over a year now, finally came to pass--Sarah's last day.

Friday June 6 marked the end of a 3 year relationship with Sarah and I have been bawling all week over it. The reasons are endless, but most importantly, she was a second mom to our girls, a loving, Godly surrogate to them who raised them as her own. We had our ups and downs over the 3 years like any friend or relationship would, but I can't believe it's over.

On the way in, we stopped to get a few things to shower Sarah with her favors--Coca Cola, chocolate,   flowers, and balloons, and Amara suggested her "mocha" from McDonalds--a treat for her too :) The girls have come to know her so very well too, I'm not sure she even realizes how much.

When we got there and the girls started showering gifts on her, Sarah and I were both crying. The girls were looking at us like we had three heads, but we knew why. I know they don't get the entire impact of all of this and for me that is part of the sadness. The first day I left the girls there. Nursing Cora when I came to get her from work, and chatting with Sarah. Watching Amara grow up with a  "brother" like Jonathan--and I wonder, "how much will they even remember?"

Sure, Sarah took a lot of photos and we will get together and Skype, etc. but I feel my heart will break if the girls forget even a second of the time they all spent together. I know I won't. I can't.

The outings, the pool time, the swing set in the yard. Making the girls favorite breakfasts, getting Sarah goofy presents whenever we wanted--all of that is over. I'm not sure really where to go--I feel an emptiness both for the girls and me (selfishly). I know we have a great person lined up to watch them in Carissa--but it will never be the same. The only person I ever trusted to watch Cora when she was too small to tell us what she needed is going away. I can't go over, we won't be able to visit (soon), and I am afraid of the memories fading.

At the end of the day, Eric and I drove separately but both met there. He loaded up their 3 years worth of belongings while the kids took me around the house "one last time," showed me the basement, their crafts, and all the projects they had finished this week. Saying goodbye was hard. Really hard--and I get a lump in my throat every time I think about it even now. There probably will never be another person on this planet who knows those girls the way she does, and I am and forever will be grateful for everything Sarah is, has been, has shared, taught and given to our family, forever.

Love you, Sarah.

Ms Sarah last week: Scioto mile splash pad

For the girls last week at Sarah's, she planned a week full of fun. Monday movie day, Tuesday Amara's birthday party day, Wednesday splash pad, Thursday Naz play place and Friday Cosi--BUSY!!

Well, Amara decided to come down with an upset stomach (that ended up being strep) and had to miss a few activities, but it all worked out. While Amara stayed home to rest one day, Jonathan got to go to the Scioto mile splash fountains and play!  Sarah told me it was chilly and it was overcast, but she said they ran and played for 3 hours!! good grief!!

I'm sure Cora and Jonathan had a blast--even though they missed Amara, and it was for the best really. Amara wouldn't have been much fun the way she was feeling.

By the end of the day, it actually did finally start to rain a bit, so they had to head home, but Cora was a zombie by the time I saw her. Sarah said she took a little cat nap, but I don't know that i've seen her so tired. I am so glad the three of them got that day together and good weather to enjoy each other outside.

another tooth gone!

After pulling her first tooth just a month or two ago, Amara  quickly realized another one was going to be following along. This time, there was no tooth behind it pushing it out, so I think she enjoyed wiggling and playing with it just because she isn't scared by it now.

Sure enough, getting ready for Sarah's, she and I sat on the bed, while she wiggled and twisted and all of a sudden said "I got it, mama!" and she had! Cora and I clapped for her and daddy came running in to see--she couldn't want to surprise grandma and grandpa and ms sarah that morning. She kept saying "it doesn't hurt at all!" and showing anyone who would look :) 2 down!  she's keeping the tooth fairy busy!

Amara's birthday dinner

Not to be outdone by all the OTHER birthday activities, Amara wanted to go to Asian Fusion hibachi restaurant for her "actual" birthday dinner. We happened to drive near it when we were fabric shopping for her party and she asked, so I thought it was a great idea.

She ordered steak, her favorite and gobbled it all up. The chef played his happy birthday music several times and we all enjoyed a great evening together. On our way out, another chef stopped by for a photo op, putting his hat on her and giving her a drink of what i think was cherry juice (or i HOPE!) and we saw our friends Payton and Kennedy. Amara asked to stay--so we let her. 

They brought her home shortly after we got home and played a bit too. It was a really great night for the special bday girl's dinner out.

Amara's beach party

Amara asked for a beach party this year and Eric and I of course stepped up to the challenge. First, we asked ourselves, what can we do to create a beach in Ohio, right? After just a day or two of planning, we were rolling, and Amara jumped right in to help.

First up, friends--gotta have all of them. I think we sent out over 20 invitations. She was so happy to see her school friends, old buddies, and family here too.

Cake? of course! Amara and I started a Pinterest board of her ideas and she found a sand castle cake idea that we both loved. Amy stepped up to make one of her creations and we were not disappointed! It was beautiful and delicious!

Of course, that also meant I had to serve the 3 tiered cake--good thing for me everyone had bathing suits on for the mess and were forgiving of my slowness :)

Drinks! Something special for the grown ups and cute for the kids. I spent the morning of the party scooping out melons and adding adult libations to some...

while daddy and I put stickers on the others. Amara picked out a blue punch too that was the color of a pool--and Melissa helped me make it just right with blue cool aid, ginger ale, lemonade, ice and lemon juice--it was yummy and the adults liked it too!

Balloons are the kids favorites and really make the barn festive. The fishy backdrop helped really make things feel be beachy too, and the whole thing really felt like a tropical get away.

Melissa helped with the flowers on the tables and for decoration. She and Amara raided our yard before the party started, adding some last minute decorations for the big event.

Little sister Cora had a blast too--the kids got to do some crafts at the sand art table and shell bracelet making station we had set up for them. All the kids got to make one and several of the grandparents ended up heading home with gifts too.

The Kona ice truck came too--for some cool treats for the kids. Everyone was surprised to see them come, and lined up quickly for their hawaiin shaved ice. The flavors that were the most popular were the blue raspberry and cherry from what I could see.

Amara's beach party was a great time for all of us. Since Amara asked for pizza and doritos--i didn't have to do any fancy cooking, and the kids could eat on the go--I think i have a future party planner on my hands. 

And like a good host, Amara, daddy and I made these fabric baskets for gifts for our friends. We filled them with beach themed cookies and candies for the kids to take home, but I saw plenty of them eating before they even got to leave! i love that Amara loves to pick out fabric and make plans with me and that I have such a great helper in Eric, who stayed up late 3 nights working on them to make his big girl's party special.

I feel pretty confident that Amara and her friends had a great time. She is already talking about an "orange" party for next year, but we will see--it's not even June yet and we haven't lived here at Denton a year, but we have so much to do and plan and experience this summer. This was the last big hurrah for my almost kindergardener--but I hope she had as much fun as we did helping to execute her dream. love you beanie girl.

Amara's 6th birthday, making the cake (and birthday morning)

On the very happy day, 6 years after Amara came into our lives, we all stayed home together and got to do some amazing things together. Amara has been (for the first time, really) been asking for a few things she saw on TV for her birthday--namely sketchers, an American girl, and magic sand :) 

When she got up, I got to work on her cake, but she quickly came down and wanted to jump in--why would I turn that down!? So we mixed and colored and baked and the house smelled amazing, and we had a blast. After baking, we decided to do a present with her before we got on the road to King's Island, Isabelle, her American girl doll ;)

She recognized her at first glance and was so excited! We unpackaged her and she got to work right away putting the purple highlighted pieces of hair on her while we waited on our cake.  After her gift, and the cakes coming out, we sun screened up and got loaded for the car ride. (Isabelle came too)

We left the cakes to cool and head for what would be an incredible day, but were happy to get home to finish and frost (and eat of course) our masterpiece. Amara chose chocolate--and the cake had plenty of color without anything else. She helped me frost it, and with a few candles, we were ready to celebrate!

 The cake was great, the day was better, but our girl was the best part by far ;) Love baking with Amara, especially on her birthday and now with her friend Isabelle to help too.

Mother's day 14

Eric came up with some awesome activities this year for Mother's Day and I really enjoyed it. Saturday, we all went up to the movies--and had dinner at the movie with grandma and grandpa Jahn, Rio2.  The girls were pretty good, a little squirmy at the end, but they made it.

Sunday, Eric told me he had planned for us to go out to Young's dairy farm for the day--a perfect day at that. We got to do so many fun things--the girls rode in a barrel train, fed goats, Eric and I hit at the batting cages too.

There was an area with tunnels, a bounce house, putting green and bales of hay too--they loved that, and the giant slide I'm pretty sure could have entertained them all day long if we let them.

The boots we got them last weekend came in handy with all the climbing, and the lunch and the ice cream we all had at the buffet after playing was scarfed down for sure!

The girls gave me the most AWEOME piece of artwork that Eric helped them make with Sarah too--i LOVE it and it's already hanging next to my bed. I can't wait to see it every morning and night forever. I LOVE IT!!

I'm so thankful to have had an awesome day with my favorite people and loved what Eric and the girls planned. I'm sure we will go back again. Eric loved the ice cream and we got plenty of treats to take home too. It was really a great day and I am so lucky to be a mom to two amazing girls.