When they say, time flies in the blink of an eye, it truly does. Having older children, we really know how it seems like you blink, and they are grown. Being a little bit of older parents has so many advantages. A few advantages are, knowing to make everyday count, not rushing our kids to grow up too fast, enjoying every single part of parenting, going all out for Holidays and Birthdays because you only get a few before they are asking for "big kid or teen items" One thing we are very proud of as parents, our kids still enjoy being with us, spending time with us, having their friends around us. As parents, we have done something right when we still get included to visit, shop, travel, have dinner, hang out in the same room........ all the fun things that I expected would come to an end one day. We can not wait to include a little one to the mix. A picture is worth a thousand words they say, occasionally my big babies, still sit on my lap. Ha ha As you can see in the picture. 

One thing we love to do as a family is, spend time at beaches. From as soon as our girls could walk/talk they wanted to go to the beach. Recently on a trip to Hawaii the girls started surfing! With the help of an instructor they did a great job. We can't wait to add 1 more beach baby to our family. 

We are a family that loves to travel! We are strong believers in giving our children fun experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. We recently went to Hawaii where the girls learned to surf. I think most of the trip we talked about how fun it will be to bring a little one along on these trips. It truly is an amazing experience to see the world through the eyes of a child, especially when they are experiencing things for the first time. One big trip that our kids all go on is, an African Safari for 2 weeks. Dave's dad takes all of the grandkids on this trip where they experience everything from seeing animals, hot air balloon rides, jeep safari rides, eating unique meals to just having a great time with grandpa. Unfortunately grandma can no longer go on this trips due to some health problems but it hasn't stopped super grandpa (our nickname) from still taking the kids. We can't wait to be taking a little one along on all of these adventures ❤️

Yes, we are those people who consider our pets, family. Lauren, our daughter who recently moved to LA now has a baby of her own. Welcome to our family, Tito! We personally just have our dog Dexter and horse Lacey and they are treated just like family💙💗

When I say, our neighborhood is a winter wonderland, that's an understatement. From the winding roads and old trees, to the older homes that most are decorated for the the upcoming holidays, it truly is stunning! Neighborhood kids all get together to play in the snow and then warm up with hot chocolate. I can't say enough good things about this this area we live in. I can't wait to build snowmen and make snow angels with our future angel that will be joining our family. 

Its October! Although we don't really think of Halloween as a Holiday, We do love Halloween. Our neighborhood is beautiful in the fall with all the old trees that line the streets and the golf course that has the most beautiful trees with the leaf colors of red, orange, yellow and even some pink. A few days before Halloween they have pumpkin decorating, hayrides, a magician, carnival games, and a full dinner with everything decorated to look like Halloween themed food. There is even warm apple cider to take on the hayride. I would be lying if I said that I liked the creepy, ghost,skeleton,monster and just spooky stuff. We decorate our home more in pumpkin, cat, happy ghosts and just fun happy Halloween decorations. What we really enjoy as a family is just getting together with other families, seeing all of the kids having fun and getting to know our neighbors better. Now that our girls are getting older we also have a Halloween party at our house for all of their friends. This year we will have 40+ kids here with a bonfire, ping pong, snacks and there is a pool table. We have Halloween movies on the TVs (along with the Michigan/Michigan State football game this year)  Our family is always the first to open up our home to have parties for our kids and their friends.As much as we love all of the activities leading up to Halloween, the best day ever is Halloween night (not the best day of the year, just of the 2 weeks leading up to Halloween) We get a lot of kids! When I say a lot, I mean crazy amounts and it couldn't make us happier to see all the costumes and happy faces. We get anywhere from 600-800 kids. People think we are crazy for buying so much candy but we wouldn't have it any other way and our neighbors all agree. We get busses that drop kids off and the streets are lined with kids and parents.  We look at it like this, parents are making sure their children are in a safe well lit, neighborhood, we have our  own police officers patrolling the 4 roads to ensure that kids have not just a fun night but a safe one as well, so we are going to make sure that those kids have a great experience! We move our bonfire pit to the front yard and pass out candy, chips, pretzels, cheese balls and other Halloween treats that  we find at stores.  In the last 2 years the neighborhood has started doing a parade and early trick or treating for the kids who live in our neighborhood because it does get pretty crowded. The parade of kids ends at the neighborhood park where the kids get donuts and apple cider and get to play with the other kids in the neighborhood. We can't wait to have a little one, to see the excitement on their face with all of the fun activities that they will experience in our neighborhood. There really is no better feeling than knowing that you live in a great place with neighbors who all look out for one another and who work together to ensure that all kids have a great time not just at Halloween but for every Holiday and the days in between. They say it takes a village to raise a child, we have a great village❤️

As we are preparing to head up north in a few weeks to celebrate my grandma's birthday, I wanted to share a little about her. Our girls are lucky enough to still have a Great Grandma in their lives. At almost 95 years old, this woman is still full of spunk and life. I truly don't think that you could find a kinder, more caring  human on this year. Grandma had 9 kids and has tons of grandchildren , great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren. Just like the rest of us, Grandma is beyond thrilled to add, one more angel to this large family💗💙

I often wonder if having 3 much older girls would have a negative impact on an expectant mommy to be. Although our youngest daughter earthside is 14 and the other 2 are 19 and 22 don't let that fool you. Ha ha These girls absolutely love and adore each other, I don't think I have ever saw sisters who were closer and get along so well but more so they are beyond excited to welcome another baby into our family. From already planning fun activities, the biggestbirthday parties, trips to Disney, and much more, they can not wait to love and spoil their new sibling. This new angel will not only be the youngest in our family but the youngest grandchild. As you can imagine, there are a lot of people who are just over the moon excited to welcome a new baby. There will be no shortage of playmates between our 2 families and friends but at the end of the day, this sweet baby will be the center of all of our worlds. I posted a picture of our 3 older girls with a pink balloon. I never had the opportunity to get a good picture of all 4 of our girls so shortly after Allisyn passed away, they surprised us with a photo shoot. The pink balloon represents the baby sister that they loved so much and couldn't wait to spoil. Along with this picture there were many more, all with a little reminder of their sister Allisyn.  Some had a butterfly added and others had a beautiful sky or the pink balloon. If there is 1 promise that we can whole heartedly make regarding our children, it's that any child who enters our family will be loved beyond measures and probably spoiled rotten. Ha ha but honestly, with the girls being older and Lauren battling cancer 2xs then the loss of Allisyn, they know how fragile life can be and these girls know how to make everyday count,  to live life to the fullest and love each other and their friends and family as if each day could be someone's last. I should add, they are also excited to add you and your family into our family as well, if you choose to have an open adoption. 

With Spring finally starting to make an appearance, we will be spending more time at the barn visiting Lacey. Dave and I had no interest in horses,  let alone owning one, yet somehow, here we are with beautiful Lacey. As parents we support our kids crazy adventures from sports, vacation ideas, animals, and everything in between. When our Ashlyn was 7 she went on a trip with her grandpa that involved horseback riding, when she came home, she was wanting to take riding lessons. We were shocked because nobody else in the family has ever had much interest in horses. We quickly found a facility that not only does lessons but has camps, family get togethers, campfires, holiday parties  and much more. The barn also has a heated pool, 2 ponds and some other animals roaming around. As a family, we fell in love with the place so much that after 3 years of lessons and activities we surprised our Ashlyn with her own horse for her 10th birthday. We now can go to the barn daily.(if we have the time) somedays I am still shocked that we actually own our own horse. Ha ha but,  I wouldn't trade her for anything. Ashlyn is the only one who really rides her but the rest of us enjoy feeding her apples, carrots, and treats. Occasionally we groom her as well but usually Ashlyn enjoys that. We can't wait to introduce a little one to Lacey and all the fun activities that come along with being her owners.