Ross Reflections. . .

Gary is still gone, so we are still staying busy, hoping the time goes fast until he comes home. We all miss him and this single parent thing is so tiring. The multiple days of rain don't help but we are having a great week. Today we headed to Indy to meet up with the Spiegel clan at the museum. The Lego Land exhibit is leaving after this week and we hadn't experienced it. What a place. The kids loved it. Logan and Maggie started building right away, while Isaiah and Andrew played on the slide over and over again. Noah joined Bailey and Sam at the Lego tables and built who knows what. Then all three boys sat in a castle drawing lesson that Noah really enjoyed. Logan loved the pink Lego's and was telling Gary all about this castle when she called him on the phone. This dragon and other things were completely constructed from Lego's. Unbelievable. A trip to the museum isn't complete without multiple rides on the carosel. I think I maxed out at 4 times in...

What is the saying, when the cat is gone the mice will play? Gary is in MN all week for school so we are staying busy and having fun. I am about to pass out and it is only 3:27 in the afternoon. We were in the car and on our way to Indy at 7 am for an eye apt. for Logan. I have to record my love for Logan and her ability to talk to strangers. I have been noticing this more and more. Last Friday, she had her haircut with a girl she had never met and talked the entire time. Today while she was having her eye exam, I was trying to keep the boys in line and quiet. I tune into what she is saying and I hear, "and then you turned into a Dr." She just keeps the conversation flowing, I LOVE THAT about her!! No glasses at this time, good to know, off to the Zoo. I had not anticipated Logan getting her eyes dilated, so everything was too bright. We quickly solved that by Logan wearing my sunglasses the whole time. I didn't have my camera today. I really tried hard to pr...

Have you seen that movie? I haven't but it is about motorcycles so I went for the creative title. We spent Friday evening with the Crouch family. Monday night at the pre-school open house Heath started telling Isaiah he would give him a ride on his motorcycle. That is all Isaiah talked about ALL week long. The moment finally arrived and he was so excited. Smiling from ear to ear and begging for more. Thank you Heath for being our entertainment for the evening. You made dreams come true for my two year old and Noah and Logan will always remember it. (and will ask for more this summer) Dez, thanks for the bandana, what a perfect look for Isaiah! We had a fantastic time and look forward to many more summer evenings like this one, minus the Ross family's bodily issues. Heath commented how tight Logan held on. They haven't even moved yet and she's got a good hold. Noah loved it and could have ridden for hours.

Just a quick video update now that gymastics season is over. All the boys were able to land the front flip by the end of their private lessons. What a great experience, one we will definitely look forward to again next winter. Noah, I am extremely proud of your effort and attitude to never give up even when you were very frustrated. You did it and will be just like Tolt someday!!

by Logan Ross, pre-school, 4 1/2 yrs. old. Love it, notice Gary, bald, she captured his look well. Logan is also ALOT larger than me, next to Daddy. I would love for her to grow up continuing to adore her daddy!! He is pretty great!

Did you know today was Western Day? If you didn't or forgot, I thought you might like this cute little reminder. A big thanks to Thane and Dara for the cowboy boots and to Sara Grace and Deborah for the bandana shirt. She was so excited, Yeee Haw!!!

Noah dressed Isaiah up in some old Spiderman pajamas they found in the closet and Isaiah thought it was the greatest. He was running around the house and he is all about Spiderman, which he mostly calls Batman. It's too cute to correct him. Whenever I ask Isaiah what he needs at the store, he always replies, "vitamin" fruit snacks, (Spiderman sounds like vitamin when he says it) and apple juice. This day Isaiah ate his snack and insisted on holding the box, even when he fell fast asleep. This Spiderman stage, obession, love, etc. is all too familiar to me and these two pictures below are my absolute favorite of Noah in his Spiderman phase. What memories!! I can't tell you how often he would scale my refrigerator!

Happy Easter!!! Thank you Jesus for your death and resurrection!!! Highlights from our day. . . Ms. Dorothy had left Easter baskets for all of us outside our door late last night. The kids were so excited, Isaiah had to wear his CARS socks to church. Thank you Dorothy for loving us all, you were so thoughtful in filling their baskets with fun things and not candy. You are loved by all of us. After church, we headed to Muncie to have lunch at Texas Roadhouse with the Demorest Family. Home to watch the Masters, colors eggs and make Easter cut out cookies. (Thanks to Ms. Dorothy again) This was Isaiah's first time coloring eggs and I tried to be hands off. Amanda, you would have been proud.

The Calm. . . Logan and Livy had a fabulous time coloring chalk, playing with Sugar, their dog, playing restaurant (with real food) and putting on a concert for us. They were so cute dressed alike and having so much fun. The boys were determined to find frogs, snakes and snapping turtles. Needless to say we ended up at the pet store later this afternoon. Noah bought a fish that Caleb is so kindly raising for him safely in GR. Noah named it Baits because when we asked the lady at the store about the goldfish she said they usually don't live too long and are fed to other fish. Noah saved this fish's life and I just wanted it to live until we left for home. The Storm. . . I was in the kitchen getting coffee feeling so thankful that everyone was having such a great time and said out loud, "Isn't it great that everyone is so healthy?" I think within the hour I was feeling off, couldn't describe it or explain why I felt yucky. I even asked Amanda what a hangover fel...

Until today I have NEVER taken a facebook quiz. But visiting Amanda always gets me into something new and we branched out, got wild and took some quizzes (once we realized you didn't have to post the results) It was fun and meaningless, lots of laughs and extremely insightful (ha, ha) So incase you ever wondered? Enjoy. What element am I?? Air What Disney Princess am I? Belle Which Sesame Street character am I? Big Bird What Tattoo fits me? Stars What movie best describes my life? Dukes of Hazzard What instrument should I play? A Clarinet What were you born to do? Doctor/Nurse On what current tv show should I exist? Friday Night Lights Which Jedi am I? Obi Wan Kenobi What musical am I? Wicked What Starbucks drink am I? Caramel Macchiato If I were a dog, what dog would I be? Doberman Could I be Amish? This was so funny to me I had to copy the paragraph. You have enough of what it takes to be Amish! But....you also like some of lifes finer things like eating out, going to the movies,...

an email goes out saying the praire will be burned today at 5 and the whole town shows up to watch the excitement. It is big time fun and my kids were bummed they missed it last year so today we arrived first and were the last to leave. Yes, I love my life in Upland!!! So simple, we are blessed to raise our children in such a place. Below: Isaiah eagerly awaits the "Sire" (fire) Above: Jody, Beth, Deborah and Kristin, we were the early birds anxiously waiting. Other possible answers to "You know you live in a small town when. . ." When the bank calls you and tells you the babysitter just cashed her $20 check and the check bounced but they went ahead and gave her the money. The bank lady called to let me know to transfer money so I wouldn't get a fine. OR when a plastic bag of electronic items show up in your mailbox with a sticky note saying, "I think Gary left this at the post office, you might want it back." OR when the highlight/treat of the day is ...

The golf shop is open!!! My kids were so excited that the Demorest's were working the shop and invited us for an evening of fun. The train was the highlight of the night and they all got ready to watch it pass. The other highlight was Isaiah falling into the water hole and soaking his clothes. We found "alternate" clothes of Logan's and Isabelle's while his clothes dried. The Falder's popped in on the night and we look forward to many more spring/summer nights with the Demorest. The train was "too loud" according to Isaiah.