I Just Love My Girls....

I just had to share a couple pictures of Emma and Ashlyn. I get so many great moments on camera, and I really wish I could post them all, but these two photos really make me smile. First, we have Emma and her new found love of washing dishes......she dumped the dishwater, and well, you see what happened. We both got some great giggles out of how wet and soapy she got. Notice the pink dishpan......you've never seen a four year old so excited about a dishpan.

Next, you have Ashlyn, who loves to take her clothes off and wear whatever she decides to put on.....lately she has had a thing for the tutu and Snow White skirt combo. This is how she came out of Emma's room the other day......it reminded me of a princess/professional wrestler combo, with her bare belly and sparkly bracelet pushed up past her elbow to show off her "pipes"......the socks top it off.


I just LOVE my girls!!!!

Happy Easter!!!

Sometimes this blog format seems to change the rules on me....I have no idea why the pictures are aligned they way they are, and I can't get rid of the big spaces between the pictures and the captions....I'm just going to go with it. :) We had a wonderful Easter weekend! In true UP fashion, the day before Easter, we needed winter coats and hats at the egg/candy hunt, and by the next morning, we could go to church with just sweaters......gotta love it! Here is the weekend in review. :)

Ashlyn at the candy/egg hunt

Emma, Ashlyn and some of their friends.













































Coloring eggs. I think Ashlyn had all of hers cracked before the process was over, but she didn't care.














Saturday night, right before bed. Time for some beauty sleep with their curlers in!

Easter morning, and the hunt was on!




Enjoying their new coloring stuff from the bunny!

Em with some of her friends at church, practicing for the program before the service.

Home from church, all dressed up.

The Jones Girls.

Nothing Too Exciting......

We're just hanging around. :) Brad is still working on the basement, and all of us are enjoying the spring weather heading our way. I love how 40-50 degree temperatures in the spring time feel so warm, and everyone is so excited to be outside. The changing seasons are awesome!

Emma, our expert climber.

Last week, the Lord took my childhood friend and role model, Shana, home to heaven. She was a 35 year old- mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, physician....... and all around wonderful person. Praying for her and cheering her on during her 3+ year battle with cancer has taught me so many things. Life is a gift. Each day is a gift. Each breath is a GIFT, with no guarantees. I was able to go to Traverse City to attend the celebration of Shana's life with my parents. It was an incredibly sad, and wonderful day, and I am so thankful I was able to be there. The link below is to a song that was played at Shana's funeral service, at her request. It says a lot about who she is/was and how she faced her struggles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qG1ThtgguE I ended my quick trip to Traverse City by meeting my friends' brand new baby boy, Carson, and seeing their home for the first time! It was great to see Trish, Trev, Lauren, Camden, and Carson - if only for an hour. Thanks Tkach family for letting us drop in and change our clothes, and thanks Mom and Dad for inviting me to make the trip with you. I thank God for each of you, and for making this gift of life so amazing!

Latest Happenings.....

A few weeks ago I bought some sponge curlers......just like the ones my mom use to put in my hair when I was little. :) Well, the girls were very excited to try them out.

Here is the before shot -right before bed. Em still had her whiskers on from celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday.

The after shot. She loved her curls!!

What a big girl!

Sisters!!!!!

Em's new love is washing the dishes. I'm not complaining. :)


Brad has started to finish off our basment. I am so excited to have a home for all the toys, more room for the kids to play, and for guests to stay. :)

Brad lifting the wall between the bedroom and the "hunting room".

Brad and our friend Jake after they cut the concrete in the basement for the bathroom plumbing. Jake let us borrow the concrete saw and was a BIG help. (His saw saved our home from being covered in concrete dust.) We are blessed to have such helpful friends and family. Brad has been working steady on the basement.....I'll keep you posted on our progress. :)

Our Baby is TWO!!!!!

February 27th Ashlyn Beth turned two years old. It's hard to believe our baby is turning into this amazing little girl. She has SOOOO much energy, and expression, and emotion, and well.....she's just amazing. :) We were so thankful that Grandma and Grandpa Dryer were able to come up and celebrate Ashlyn's big day with us.

Grandma Dryer and Emma, helping Ashlyn with her Hello Kitty cake.


"I'm two!" She can't hold her fingers in the standard 2 position, so her grandpas taught her how to use both hands.

First thing she did when she opened her new purse was walk over to Grandpa and say, "I need money". Smart girl. :)

She is Daddy's girl - no doubt.

Thanks for the presents everyone!



I hope these videos work. I took them just the other day when she got a package with more presents from our family in Grand Rapids. She was so exicted!! It's hard to get good video of her because she always wants to get behind the camera and "see momma, I wanna see". In the last video she had put on all the clothes she was given- too funny.

Thanks again for all the gifts and love!!!!

Off to the Races!!

This Saturday was the Chain of Lakes Annual Sled Race, held at my parents' neighbor's home. It was a fun day, filled with friendly competition, lots of laughs, and great food. Last year was Brad's first year competing, and this year Lindsey and Kyle were able to make it up, so Kyle could represent Straits Lake along with Brad.

Brad and Kyle, with their runner sled my dad got them this year. (Hard to find a classic like these.) They spent the pre-race time taking test runs, and waxing the runners to improve their speed.

Brad and Sonny (the event host).....On your mark, get set, GO!

Brad won this heat with Milo, the race mascot, running along side.

Here is Kyle taking on the champ from the last 2 years in a row. If you look really close you can see the champ wearing his track shoes, complete with spikes. This is serious business. :)

Linds, helping Ashlyn up the kids sledding hill.

Emma Kay. She outlasted her mom, grandma, aunt and sister, hanging at the race until the guys came home. She loved trying the runner sled, with dad's help.

Weeeee!!! Ashlyn loved "bottom" sliding down the hill.

Sisters!!

Although Brad and Kyle won some of their heats, they did not come home with the trophy this year. They are already planning their strategies for next year, to improve their sled and techniques. I heard them discussing aerodynamic clothing, and weighing themselves down........Gotta love a good ol' Yooper competition! :) Thanks to Sonny and Sharon for hosting every year and for including us in the action.

Before the big race, we had a small birthday celebration for Ashlyn, who will be two next Sunday. It is so hard for us to believe our baby is 2!!!!!

Ashlyn Beth, trying on her new coat and boots from Grandma and Grandpa Erickson.

Yeah for cake!!!! She was so excited!!

Snowmobile trip to Tahquamenon Falls

The last weekend in January we were able to get away for the weekend. My parents took the kids and we went up to Paradise with some friends (Joan and Jake Rivard). The guys rode up to Newberry on the snowmobiles Friday night while Joan and I took the truck with the other two sleds. We stayed in Newberry Friday night then all 4 of us rode to Paradise Saturday. Here our some highlights of the trip.