Wordless Wednesday–it’s a sleepover!

It started out with a little candy land in the tent,

followed by a trip to Target for snacks (no pictures!) and then a jammie party with said snacks and Tangled.

They talked A LOT (gives me an adorable, yet scary, look into what sleepovers are going to be like in the future!). Eventually they slept, kinda. They at least pretended like they were sleeping long enough for us to hear “Let’s ask your mommy if we can go outside now” at about 7:03 in the morning.

Before the outside was some block building and Mickey.

I took the girls out to breakfast (forgot to take a picture!) which involved some pretty hilarious car conversations and we followed up breakfast with some scooter riding and dirt playing.

Olivia is totally teaching Gianna how to do it – she kept saying GO FASTER!

after all the excitement, there were more snacks and juice boxes.

overall, a pretty excellent sleepover for some pretty excellent girls.

Friday Night Leftovers

• Have I mentioned how thankful I am for this great little blogging tool? Danifred is a genius for it’s creation!
• Things have been so financial stressful lately, as in, worse than we have experienced in a LONG TIME – yet we are hanging in there and getting along surprisingly awesomely for the tension that it causes.
• I know all will be back to normal soon enough, but this in between period is just, well, it sucks a fat one.
• I haven’t checked my blog reader in weeks….. and I am so sorry to be missing so much of my friends stories right now – but I am so freaking DONE with the computer by the time I get home I can’t make myself stare at it any more!
• That is also playing a part in how little I have been blogging lately.  I have some really fun pictures I need to share from Gianna’s first sleep over and a trip to visit the elphanents recently.  Soon…..
• Mike has a kidney infection.
• We are potty training Gianna this weekend.  Like, laying down the law, we-are –done-with-diapers-you-are-just-going-to-have-to-deal-with-it kind of potty training.  She CAN do it – she is literally just refusing.  I am sure this goes against every “method” that exists – but the diapers are gone Saturday AM and that’s the end of the story.
• Can you tell how FUN my holiday weekend is going to be?!  At least it’s going to be beautiful out and my parent’s pool is open
• Airfare has been a huge thorn in my side lately.  I am flying to DC for a work conference and from there to Dallas for a Premier event and getting home has not been an easy task to accomplish at a decent price.  Any super airfare tips anyone can offer?!
• I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend and I hope to be back to my regularly tuned blogging and blog reading soon.

Assisted baby making v. 2.0

Read {Versions 1.0 and 1.1}

• We the April cycle off due to a cyst from the clomid. 
• And I decided that I was ultimately not happy with how things were going with Dr. Wonderful & co.  Ya, he was really nice but no one would ever TELL me anything/appease my need for knowledge. 
• I got a recommendation for Dr. SuperAwesome and decided, why not? It wasn’t going to hurt anything to talk to someone else. 
• And it turns out, I really really like him and he was way more on track with what we wanted/needed/could afford etc.
• So, clomid crazies round two commenced.
• Except the worst side effect I have from all of this is acne.  It is the worst I have EVER had in my life.  And let me tell you – it seriously sucks!
• Reading the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy is a great way to make the baby making not feel so “assisted” if you get my drift.  (no really, I did like the books though – I was kinda sad when I finished the last one!)
• Nothing all that exciting this time, just waiting and still trying not to let my mind wander to any dark places.

Mother’s Day: Untitled

Many of you know that Jen is one of my closest friends.

She is a most amazing mother (and Mark, an equally amazing father) and together, they have been to hell and back the past year and a half.  The past few days have been no exception to that.

It breaks my heart to know how much they are hurting right now, a hurt I can not possibly imagine nor would I even try to.

They said goodbye to their sweet fighter, Ainsley, yesterday. 

She is back with her twin sister, giggling and smiling down on those who love her.  We have all loved Ainsley through Jen, and will never know all the lives she touched with her adorable smile.  However, there is no doubt that her parents and big sister love her most.

Happy Mother’s Day, my sweet friend – you have (what will soon be) 4 beautiful girls that know you as their Mom –  here with you and from above, now and forever and ever.

Mark, Jen and Olivia - We love you, we are here for you, we support you now and for all the days ahead.

((there are going to be some donations opportunities for anyone who wants to participate.  If you would like to be kept informed of what is being planned, please email me (knepperfamilydonations at gmail) or leave your email address in the comments))

Friday night leftovers: emotions

(I am posting from my phone, so ignore the typos, autocorrects and formatting issues!)

My little sister turned 21 yesterday. Freaking nuts. It doesn't so much make me feel old, but it's just strange!

One of my closest friends is going through (or rather, watching her toddler go through) something so unimaginably heartbreaking and scary that it almost seems pretend. But it's not. And I am so deeply scared and shaken up by this I don't know how to describe it. I know it's not happening TO me, but still, I can't help but to feel this way. It's unfair in every sense of the word.

When people around me are hurting, I want to DO SOMETHING. But this time, the only thing I can do I pray.

I am going to have a niece! I am equal parts THRILLED and angry because I'm not pregnant. These are hard emotions and feelings for me to swallow/accept/understand.

Speaking of unfair, another good friend is struggling with newly diagnosed melanoma and again - it is so so awful not to be able to DO SOMETHING. ugh.

I have been so conflicted and randomly emotionally about our struggle to get pregnant lately. I can't really explain it, but it making me nuts.

On that note, no one can make me feel better/forget all the stress of life like Gianna can. I am so grateful for her.

Here's to another insanely busy weekend.

Friday Night Leftovers: Gianna-isms

• Gianna pretending to pour a cup over Mike’s head “I’m pouring syrup on you like you’re a pancake”
• A conversation:
• Me: How was your day today?
• G: It was really good. I went to Menches with marina. And I got some chocolate ice cream with a little bit of fruity pebbles (or…sprinkles…) and a BLANA!
• Me: Wow, that was really nice of Aunt Cori
• G: Ya, it was.  And I got a new Barbie fishin’ wand so I can go fishin’ with aunt cori and my papa. And it has a practice fish. It’s the best Barbie wand EVER!
• While sitting outside we had to play rollercoaster with the chairs – why do we buy her toys again??
• She got her dance costume this week – to which she said “I am so glad to take this cute costume home, for real!”
• In a panic because we couldn’t find her binkie at bedtime “mommy, does that mean you gave it to the babies*?” me – yep, I guess so. Gianna “no! I’m not ready to give my binkie to the babies!”"
• she is so DRAMATIC when she talks – she was telling a story today, and complete with her little italian hand gestures and an eye roll she said “I mean, WHAT.THE.HECK?”
• so far, age 3 has been okay – one of our biggest challenges right now is her wanting to wear what she wants to wear all. the. time and only if it’s pink because “that’s my favorite”.  We do not have enough pink clothing for this to keep up!