What Vacation means for hubby

Right now we are sitting in the lobby of the Sleep inn, South Bend, watching the Wimbledon final between Nadal and Federer. I don't mind watching Tennis but I'm also not complaining. We are sitting in air conditioning when it's going to be 95 today in Indiana. We did do the White water rafting yesterday and went to the South bend Chocolate factory. We also went to a very, very nice restaurant The LaSalle Grill. What's funny is we got all dressed up for dinner, had a great time and then went to the movie theater and saw Transformers. It was more sci-fi then we thought which is good but it also had a lot of action. It reminded me of Independence day way back when. It had a lot of humor in it as well. I was surprised it didn't have any big name actors in it. I like everyone that was in it. What also surprised me is it was an 8 PM show and there were babies and toddlers in the theater. It reminded me how fortunate I am to have great family and friends to watch our kids even for a night sometimes so that we can get out and have "Couple time".

I took some pics of our trip but can't upload them right now. I will in the next couple of days.

So why would you go to South Bend?

Yes, that's what a lot of people have asked us when they found out we were going to take a weekend trip without the children to South Bend! We wanted to get away but didn't want to drive too far so we felt like Indiana was a good bet it is a different state! Anyway, we got here, had dinner last night right by the St. Joseph river and then found out that there were fireworks. They were awesome, especially over the river. It was a nice surprise. Today we are watching tennis, doing a tour of the South Bend Chocolate factory (my choice :), and then taking a ride on the man made Whitewater rafting course. It should all be fun, fun, fun!

The Best $15 I ever spent

If I let Alexandra it would be the first thing she does in the morning
and the last thing she does before she goes to bed. She has spent so much time on the swingset since we got it. She's out there all the time. She's also spent a ton of time in the sand box. She likes it more than Sebastian. She's even been so kind as to push Sebastian on the Swing and to make him a sand castle in the sand box. It's been very cool.

Here's a Meme I couldn't pass up.

As I was surfing tonight I found this at Rocks in my Dryer Feel free to answer these questions on your blog and link back to me and her:

1. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I would have to say Cantaloupe or Watermelon. Yummy!

2. What's the most nerve-racking "close call" you've ever had?

One day on the way out to run some errands I almost got into three car accidents. I had all three kids with me and it made me want to go right back home.

3. Name five features your ultimate dream house would have.

Oh I love this one. A hot tub bath tub. A large kitchen with an island and a bar with stools. Large master bedroom with a large master bath. A craft room. A large walk in closet.
4. Who has been the most influential non-relative in your life?

My friend Ann Browning. She has been there for me during the hard times, we craft together, she also takes my kids so I can have a break. I also think she knows more than any other friend I have.
5. What one non-physical feature would you most like to change about yourself?

I like to talk about myself a lot and I need to ask people about themselves more and talk less about myself.

Practice what I'm talking about

We had a church meeting last night and it came up that we need to be inviting more people who cross our path to church. I've been feeling like I need to be bold in asking people where they are at. Tonight we went to pick up the swing set and the woman who had the garage sale and I got talking. She was so nice and we had a lot in common. She's trying to get her kids out of a school system and into another. I asked her where they went to church. She said they wanted to find a Presbyterian church but her kids would like a more contemporary service. I told her about Fresh Start and about how we incorporate kids into the service but they also have their own time which is something she wanted for her kids. I told her the time we start and that we'd love to come and check it out. She said they really wanted to find a Presbyterian church. I told her about a church on the east side of Kalamazoo. I'm always amazed at how open people are about where they are with Church. I think it's really in our mind that people don't want to connect with God. Why are we so stuck in thinking people don't want what we have. It's the best thing ever, having a relationship with God. I encourage you to just step out there. People are more open than you might think. I'm not sure that this woman will ever come to our church but the point should be that she reconnects with God.

I rock at great deals today

I had Laura Browning over today to sit for the kids so I hit some garage sales. One of the first ones I saw they had a swing set. It looked sound but needs a paint job. I walked up to it and the price on it was $15. My jaw dropped. We're getting our truck back this weekend after being in the shop. I asked if we could pick it up on Sunday and she said yes. So, after that I found a little tikes cube with a slide on Craigslist. It was in battle creek but they only wanted $39 for it and that's the cheapest I've seen. As you can see the kids are already loving it!

Goggle Girl

Ever since Alexandra saw her cousins (Shannon Katie and Leah) wearing goggles at Me me and Papa's she's been obsessed with goggles.
I found two pairs of goggles at Walmart for $1. Can you believe it. She was giddy!

He's pulling himself up now and making is mama's day

Atticus is pulling himself up and saying mama when I say it to him! He also does it with a huge smile on his face.

One of those Michigan summer days

It's one of those days that you don't bother showering because you'll get out and sweat even more than you were before. It's one of those days that you wish it would rain and just cool things off instead of making things even worse. It's one of those days that you go to walmart with no money but at least it's air conditioned. These are the days we forget about in the heart of winter here in Michigan.

Backyard fun on a hot summer day

It's going to be even hotter today here in Michigan so some of our time will be spent in the air conditioned room!

4th of July party over at 5 minutes for mom

You've got to head over to 5 Minutes for mom.com and get registered for some very cool prizes for 4th of July! You can also get there by clicking on the banner on the right hand side of the blog.

She's Married

After lots of prayers and tears my friend Jennifer Married a wonderful man yesterday. It was an awesome day and everything went great. It was one of the most fun weddings I have ever been to. Everything started Friday with a bridesmaid luncheon and pampering day. After that we had the rehearsal and dinner. It all went very smoothly. The wedding day started out with getting our hair done. Even though I had no idea what I wanted done the stylist did a great job and I got a lot of compliments from people, even my hubby loved it. We made it to the church and had all our pictures before the wedding. The wedding itself went very smoothly but I have to tell you that my feet are not use to standing for more than an hour in huge heals. I changed shoes to platform sandals for the ice cream social after the ceremony and then by the time we hit the dinner reception, I had no shoes on at all. It was so great to see Jen so happy. I also got to see a couple of girls that I went to college with and a couple from New Zealand that we met at Western Michigan University who now live in Texas. Overall, It was an incredible day!

I'm a fan of the spray tan

At the recommendation of one of my friends I decided to do a spray tan. My Friend Jen is getting married this weekend and I'm in the wedding. The dress is strapless and I have horrible strap lines from my tank tops. I would highly recommend The mystic tan. It only takes 40 seconds and then you are done! You feel a little sticky after ward but by the next day you have lots of color. If I had the money I would continue to do it for sure. I don't remember being this tan ever. I'll post some pics after the wedding so you can see. Oh the funniest thing is that Paul doesn't know I've been doing this and he hasn't said a word about how tan I'm getting. I laugh out loud every time I think about that.

What a big boy!

Today Atticus pulled himself up on our little whale slide, stood up, and climbed up the stairs and went head first down the slide. I'll try to get a picture of him doing it again. After his adventure outside, we went up for a nap and i was saying How about a nite-nite and he said ni-ni! It was too cute. I can't believe that in less then two months he'll be a year old.

Wordless Wednesday - My Family 19 or so years ago

Busy, busy Erbe's

Boy, what a weekend. I was still fighting my cold and not feeling great. Todd's graduation party went really well. I can't believe my little brother is now going to be a freshman in college. We got to spend some time with by older brother and his family and got to have pizza with my dad on Father's day. This next week is only busier. My Best Friend from college is getting married this weekend and I'm in the wedding. It's going to be awesome! She's waited a long time for this, It's going to be quite a celebration.

A warm day in Michigan

The Erbe's from Texas are in michigan so we all headed to a inland lake in Allegan. It was 90 degrees today but there were some great shade trees. The kids were in the water most of the time that we were there and I realized how stressful that was. The water was really shallow but you never know. After lunch Alexandra and Sebastian both wanted to swing so they did. It got to be almost 2 PM and I decided that I needed to take the kids home. Sebastian was fading and Atticus was getting really really tired. Paul stayed with his family and his brother brought him home later. I think the kids were happy to be home too. After dinner we played in the beans and then took a bath. After the bath I asked Sebastian for a kiss. He gave me one and then Alexandra gave me one. They kissed me over and over. It was such a sweet moment. I then read them some books to settle them down for the night. I am realizing that with three little ones I am in need of more and more downtime. I watered the garden and the flowers and watched a little TV the rest of the night.

I'm a slacker blogger

Wow, I can't believe that it's been so long since I blogged. I guess with the warmer weather we are spending more time outside and less time in front of the computer. We had dinner Friday night with my inlaws and it was great fun! Hopefully Paul's brother Dave and his family will make it in this week so we can hang out with them. Dave's wife Melisa and their sons haven't met Atticus in person yet. We went to Todd's (my youngest brother) graduation yesterday. We decided to get a sitter and leave the kids at home. What a great idea. It was so nice that we didn't have to watch the kids while watching the ceremony! I started getting sick again over the weekend and now I've lost my voice. One of my friends echoed a thought I had. With three little ones it seems that I'm so tired and am not getting enough sleep so my body can't fight things as well. I think she might be right! Alexandra had her first taste of Garage sales this weekend and loved it! A neighbor across the street had one and so did some homes down the street. We found some stuff we couldn't live without, of course. She just can't understand why the neighbor isn't have the sale again today. It's suppose to be really nice and warm here in Michigan this week so we'll be spending some time in the kiddie pool. More later.

You gotta love being a mom moment

After changing a poopy diaper on Sebastian he put his arm around me and said "U r da bes". Toddler speak for you are the best. It was so sweet and nice! You gotta love being a mom when that happens.

Weekend highlights

Friday night brought a dinner out at Chicken coop. It was so great for all of us to be out to dinner together. Saturday Alexandra and I ran some errands and we went to a graduation party. Sunday was Church and working in the yard. Alexandra and I got the rest of the garden planted. Last week I bought a bike for Alexandra for her birthday. It's a two wheel bike and we still need to get training wheels so she can ride it. I had it covered up in the garage so she wouldn't see it. Paul moved it to get to some things and it was on the ground with a little of it uncovered. She was outside playing and found it. She came in the house all excited that she found this bike and she thought it was for her. Paul and I talked. This may sound cruel but we decided to not show it to her and tell her she needed to wait 5 weeks until her birthday. She cried and cried. She kept saying to me that she couldn't stop thinking about that bike because it was so nice. It has Disney princess' on it so it was of course very attractive. After her bath she didn't mention it again and she hasn't mentioned it this morning. We hid it in the house where she can't see or find it. Whew.