Loving this...

With Jen here for the week and our dear friend Emily visiting for the night, I am reminded of how much I like having some GIRLS in my life to laugh and talk and talk and talk with. Maybe someday I'll have a daughter...

But for now, I'll just enjoy these wonderful BOYS...

Here's Chase in his new spot under the piano, just chillin' and eating a very appetizing looking banana. Yum.

Whilst playing outside the other day, Nick asked me to come sit around his camp fire and roast marshmallows. I love seeing what this kid comes up with.

I love these boys!

my new BFF...

I only have 30 seconds to blog (Jen is coming today! Wahoo), but I had to post this picture:

I went to 'Time Out For Women' this past weekend in Cincinnati, where the line-up of speakers included Emily Watts, Kris Belcher, Sheri Dew, Wendy Watson Nelson, and HILARY WEEKS (among others). Guess who we say right next to at dinner before the event started? We were just a little bit excited...just a little. We're all big Hilary Weeks fans in the Goldie Family, and she was such an awesome performer -- so real and genuine. If anyone ever has a chance to go to one of these, DO IT! I will admit I was a bit hesitant (which might have something to do with the fact that I've been taught that any church events that aren't actually sponsored by the church is verging on priestcraft), but the spirit was so strong and I left feeling like a new woman. And spending 24 hours with the Goldie girls was wonderful. We laughed, we cried, and we talked, talked, talked. Can't wait to do it again next year!

Marvelous May...

I've been looking forward to May for quite some time, and now that it's here I'm sure it will fly by too quicky!


We've had this beauty here with us this weekend, Brad's sister, Mallory. She just completed her degree in Art Education. Go Mal!


Next weekend we're going to CELEBRATE my brother TIMOTHY's graduation from Villanova LAW SCHOOL in Philly! While I'm thrilled for Tim, I might just be even more happy for Kate (maybe because I relate to her position a little bit more!)!




The weekend after that we're headed back to Ohio so that I can cash in on my Christmas gift from Debbie. The Goldie girls (minus Ella) are going to 'time-out for women' in Cincinnati. Wahoo! My first night away from my kids since Nick was 10 months old!





As if this were not enough, guess who's coming to spend a week with me at the end of May? My best friend, Jen, and her adorable baby, Thatcher. I CANNOT wait!




Happy May Everyone!

HATS...

Chase likes them...

And here's silly Nick in my glasses. Doesn't he look smart? Isn't it awesome that adult size hats and glasses fit him? Us and our big heads!

o-HI-o...

We celebrated Easter with the Goldie clan in Ohio this year, and my-oh-my was it ever fun (can you tell I didn't know how to end that sentence?). Chase was slightly more thrilled about it than he appeared in this picture,

although not much, but only because he was suffering from a double ear infection (which I didn't know until we got home -- I promise, Goldie's, he usually is a very happy baby!).

We all did our fair share of lounging around in our underwear... and flexing our muscles....

and singing kid songs with Grandma (who really writes the BEST kid songs/stories -- look for her in your local bookstore in the near future)...
and wrestling with Grandpa.... Okay, so maybe only Nick and Preston did these things, but we all wanted to.

Meet Brennan. I do believe this is his first appearance on my blog. This little red-head (jealous) is Mindy and Phil's third child and is 2 months younger than Chase. Lest you think he is always in a cage, let me assure you, he is not. On Friday we drove to Colombus and went to COSI, a kids science museum. It was FANTASTIC! We will most certainly be going back. Anyway, this picture was taken somewhere at said museum, as are the following few:

Miranda in front of COSI, possibly expressing how she felt about us invading her room, home, and privacy for 4 days.

Mallory and Ella, holding up the moon, as usual. Aren't they pretty?

Preston. This kid is a riot. I like him.

Chase, climbing on stuff that was not meant to be climbed on. He's been doing that a lot lately.
Nick and I got to crawl down into a submarine and pretend to drive it. Nick loved it. I was a bit freaked out. it was very...small.

The 5 Goldie grandkids in the water room: Nick, Ella, Preston, Chase, and Brennen.

Debbie and Brad assisting Nick in trying to piece together a Mr.Potato Head with oversized gloves on. I forget what the scientific significance of this is, but I'm sure there was some, right?

Ella and Nick waiting to enter a space ship. Isn't Ella so pretty? She and I watched High School Musical over the weekend (I had never seen it), and she sat and cuddled me on the recliner almost the whole time. I was in heaven. Love this girl.

This is how Chase felt about all the things that Nick was allowed to do that he wasn't.

It's been a long-standing tradition in the Goldie family to receive a kite in your Easter basket. Grandpa Jeff helped Nick launch and fly his on Easter afternoon after church.

All was going along swimmingly until this happened...

Never fear, Grandpa to the rescue!

After that excitement, Nick decided to fly his kite INSIDE, with the help of Brad.

This is how Chase felt about the whole kite-flying scenario...

Nicholas Goldie, meet Nicholas Goldie. Brad's double cousin also named his son Nicholas, and the two boys met for the first time this weekend. Here are the name-twins.

As we were packing up to go home on Monday morning, I put the two boys in the recliner to watch Signing Time while I cleaned things up. Can you see why my heart melted when I walked by and saw this?
Here's a closer look:

I love that my two boys LOVE EACH OTHER, and I hope it always continues. It was the perfect ending to the perfect weekend.

Incidentally, this weekend marked SIX YEARS from the first time I went to Ohio to meet my future in-laws as Brad's fiance. How grateful I am and how much I love this family!

Enjoy...

As a self-proclaimed "non-creative" person, I was inspired by this today (it's only about a minute long, set to music, just watch it!:). You can find it on the LDS church's website here.

On the Streets of Philadelphia...

Okay, not so much in the streets, mostly in Tim and Katie's beautiful house, but don't you just love that song?

We headed to Philly this past weekend to watch conference and hang out with Tim, Kate, Jack, and Calahan. What a delightfully lovely time we all have together. Katie and I fantasize about being next door neighbors someday so that we can have times like this all the time. There is a distinct possibility that they may move far away this summer, a thought that fills me with dread! Having them be so close has been my saving grace as I've adjusted to the many changes life has brought over the past two years, and I'm not quite sure that I'll survive without them! I just try not to think about it. Isn't that the healthy way to deal with things? Anyway, on to picture fun. As always, the actual good pictures were taken by Kate. I'll post those first.


Nicky boy

Jack-Attack

Hurray for 4 BOY cousins! This picture just about says it all!

Chase

Cal and Chase jumping on the couch in the sun room.

There's a smile!

I walked into the kitchen and adorable Cal was just chillin' in the laundry basket, eating his fruit snacks. Katie said this is a normal occurence. Too cute.

On Saturday we went to an Easter Egg Hunt! Here are the dads with the 'babies.'

Nick with his loot from the hunt. He was a happy camper!

This was Chase's first experience at such an event. He was a big fan.

Sharing his eggs with Mommy. I trained him well. :)

In an effort to maximize the time we have left together being only 3 hours apart, they are coming to visit us at the end of April, and then we are going back 2 times in May! Good thing gas isn't $4 anymore! We love this family!