Today has been wonderful! and really -I've been celebrating for a few days now. I had a great lunch with friends on friday, a fabulous 13 mile run on saturday, dinner out with Kent that evening, nutella and cream cheese crepes for breakfast on Sunday, and all sorts of fun today with Kent and the kiddos!

I think that 30 has got to be the coolest age.  I feel like I'm living the best years of my life right now.  I've already got everything I could have hoped and wished for and now I'm just enjoying it. My life is perfect and only looks to get better!

This year should be really exciting!  I've got plans for lots of craziness and adventure and I'll hopefully blog about it all!

Australia, skydiving, a new house, a new city, a marathon, and who knows what else!!

Birthdays are the best.  Everybody deserves to have a day all about them :)  Plus- I heard 30 is the new 20.

souvenirs

 I didn't get to post the last pictures of our kiddos with henry and milly!

Laney and Taylor got back late late Tuesday night and spent the morning with us the next day before they left.
They brought back some plastic alligators from the everglades and the boys loved them!

 

I didn't think that Milly really missed her parents all that much until they got back.  It was the happiest we'd seen her in six days.  It was probably the happiest we'd been in six days, too.

Notice Laney's red arms and legs in the background. They got a lot of nice sun while we enjoyed snow and cold here in Toledo!

Saying goodbye was pretty rough. There were lots of tears (of sadness for the kids but of joy for us) and some wailing. 

All in all it was a fun six days- and we made off with some good souvenirs ourselves!

match day!

 So- today was match day! Probably the most important day of med school after graduation. It's the day everybody finds out where they 'matched' for residency programs. Basically a day to find out if you got a job to be the doctor you want to be!  It's super crazy and really exciting and there are lots of screams and tears and insanity.  All of the results are put into envelopes and exactly at noon you are allowed to run up- grab yours- and rip it open!  The whole event is really outrageous and so much fun (if you end up where you wanted, anyway).  Unfortunately for us it was pretty anticlimactic since we 'matched' back in December. Military programs do things three months earlier than civilians. As nice as it has been to already know where we're headed and to have already found a house and everything- I was a little sad that we didn't get to be surprised along with everybody else :)  They did make envelopes for all the military people, though.

 Here are all of the military guys acting surprised to open their envelopes. 

 And here I am acting surprised.  It really was super fun to see everybody opening their envelopes and getting so excited.

 My favorite of the day were our friends Justin and Julie.  I don't think I've ever seen two happier people!  This picture made my day.  Julie is jumping up and down because she is so excited!  They matched in Texas at their first choice.

 And here are all of our friends from church who matched today- plus one army couple.

 It's just so crazy to think that this whole med school thing is coming to an end. Kent has worked his tail off and I am so excited to be headed to Dayton!  I think that Kent and I were made to be mid-westerners! 

As if two extra pooing and yakking rugrats didn't add enough terrible smells to our house- Kent had to go and put a full 22 course meal on his back.  He's had these lovelies taped on for 48 hours now. Under each button is actual food.  From chicken to beef to peaches to peas- and everything in between.  He got all sorts of scratch testing done last week- and this week he's doing the prolonged food allergy testing.

 He gets them off in a few hours and can finally shower again!  oh- and the two extra rugrats we've been housing are also going to be gone in a few hours! Our lives are returning to normal and I'm going to be able to get some much needed sleep and house cleaning done!!!

oops.

Ike needed a haircut pretty badly this weekend so I asked Kent if he'd do it. Next thing I know I hear kent yelling: "LEISY!!!"  from the bathroom.  I entered to find one long and VERY short strip of hair removed from the center of Ike's head. The wrong attachment had been used and Kent had to finish what he'd started. Now it looks as though our monkey is a little head shaven baby warrior.

At least it grows back, right?!    Here's his 'scary' face.

and his silly face.

Maybe we'll just have two.  Who needs more anyway?  Because- honestly- I don't know if our marriage can handle four kids.

It's been a crazy four days!  only two more to go!

The hardest part has been that we don't have a car that fits all of us!   With the help of friends (thanks!!) and when kent's home- we have been able to get out and have some fun. We've been to the gym several times, gone to the gymnastics center for free play, to the play place at McDonalds and we've just run around outside some.
But, honestly, sometimes the easiest way to handle these kiddos is to put them in front of a movie!  there's no screaming, fighting, or tears.  And occasionally it puts them to sleep!

These kiddos really do enjoy each other- but four rugrats under the age of three are EXHAUSTING! especially with only two bedrooms and one living space!!  Our big vacation coming up is much needed and will be well deserved!!

Henry and Milly don't seem to be missing their parents too much.  Milly thinks I'm Laney and Henry says he likes living at our house :) 

Here you go, mum. This is all that I have time for!  Our house is a colossal mess and there's almost always at least one child crying, squealing, or pooing.  Wish us luck.  Hopefully we survive until Tuesday night!

 I got terribly sad today thinking about Toledo. We had playgroup at the downtown library and I just got to thinking that it may be the last time we go! There are so many things about Toledo that I absolutely LOVE and the library system is definitely one of them.  The downtown library is especially cool because there's an entire floor dedicated to the children's section.

Check out this picture of when Zeb was a little rugrat. I think he's about nine months old here. He's got one fatty face.

Today I showed him the mural with our last name on it and now that he's reading - he asked: "Mom, what's an ass?".

Usually my kiddos have a hard time sitting through all of storytime- but today they did pretty well.  Zeb looks so big headed here!   In reality- his head is not that large

 

I love this picture because these kiddos all jammed into this car pretending to go on an adventure.  They got seven  kids in there.

Here's Ike with his very very best pal, Avery. I don't know how he'll survivie without her.  The two of them can be quite mischevious in nursery music time and at the Ymca kidzone.

I realize that we are going to have many fabulous adventures in Dayton- but I have a hard time believing they can live up to the ones that we've had here in Toledo. I'm going to have to try my best to make sure they are just as good.

 Preschool was at our place today and I'm oh-so-grateful that Kent was home to help. 

I much prefer teaching teenagers to these rugrats- but we still had fun :)

Kent made paper airplanes for everybody so that we could 'fly' to Australia.

While in Australia we learned all about Marsupials and the Outback.  Besides being afraid of the the Tasmanian Devil shrieking/fighting movies we watched- I think the kids enjoyed their adventure.

 

 Zeb loves school- but he's a little bit bossy.  I can't imagine where he got that trait :)

two super fast and easy meals.

One is healthy while the other is not.  But who wants to eat healthy ALL the time?

#1 healthy and ridiculously easy.  Chicken fajitas.  And I probably shouldn't count this as a recipes since it comes from a mix- but it's so wonderful that I couldn't not share.

I've always loved fajitas- but this mix from McCormick makes them a perfect ten.  The mix has lime juice in it and I think that's what makes the difference. Add the cheapest colored peppers you can find, some onions, and any other veggies you love- and voila- you've got one delicious meal.  We also love to add fresh salsa, guac, and sour cream.  Use whole wheat tortillas and you've got a whole grain along with your veggies and meat.

and #2.  the not so healthy soup from my friend, Julie. It's unrealistically delicious.  Although I did try and tone down the fattness just a little and it was still really really good. My changes are in black :) and kent thought it would be just as delicious to add carrots next time.

3 cups of water (I did almost 4)
3 bouillion cubes (I use granules and did 3-4 tsp)
1 lb bag frozen broccoli florettes (I used about 1 bag florettes and 1/2 bag pieces)
1 small onion diced small

1/2 c butter (I did 1/4 c)
1/2 c flour (I did about 1/4 c)
2 tsp salt2 c milk (I did 1.5)
1 pack cream cheese (I used low fat)


boil the first set of ingredients until veggies are soft.

Make a roux with the butter and flour and then add the other ingredients to it. Stir until almost simmering. Add to the veggie and water.  I took 1-2 cups of the broccoli and pureed it in the blender for a few seconds to add back to the soup.

Heat until hot and eat up.

The sun has returned to Toledo and my camera is thanking me.  The one window in our living room is finally living up to its job and lighting up our house!  I do love the spring when the sun comes back out! and I'm grateful for such a snowy winter that makes the spring all that much better!

We are still working on getting Ike to admit that he's two.  He's adamant about that fact that he is only one.  Here he is trying to explain it to me. 

This is the most ridiculous age.  He canNOT be reasoned with AT ALL.  In fact- right now- he's in his room SCREAMING at the top of his lungs because he is in time out and won't say the simple word 'sorry' to zeb.  I'd let him out if he would and he knows it.  He just refuses to say it.

In this picture he's yelling 'hide! hide! a monster!".

 Kent has been home a lot lately and when he's home he LOVES to turn up the music really loud to clean- read- or just play around with the kids. It drives me BONKERS but everybody else LOVES it- so I let it be for a little bit.  The kiddos love to play freeze dance and they've got quite the moves.  Here's rugrat #2 jumping like crazy.

And here's #1 in one of his 'frozen' moves.

Zeb is very happy to show his true age and inform you that as soon as he turns four- we are moving to Dayton.  He also thinks we are 'finding' a baby when we get to Dayton. I've told him several times that we won't be 'finding' a baby that soon. It will be a while yet :)