Out with the old

Well we did it!! We've reluctantly made the big step from our family car to a new van! It was sort of a sad moment for us when we turned over the keys to our little toyota corolla. We felt like we were abandoning her. Yes our car had a gender. John and I obviously get very attached to our vehicles. There have been so many memories made during the time that we owned her. However when you are trying to squish three car seats into the back seat of a corolla, it quickly becomes apparant that it is time for a change. Besides... Sam was seated so close to Jessica that it was too easy for him to reach over and poke her eyes out. Yes...he was trying. So we tearfully said goodbye to our faithfull car and left the dealership in a 2006 Grand Caravan. The kids love the extra room...and Abby is constantly asking if she can go outside to play in the van. I on the other hand am very nervous to drive something so big. I'm pretty certain I will never parallel park again:)

With the first day of Spring having arrived-we've begun a bit of spring cleaning. It is so nice to be able to open up our windows and enjoy the fresh air. I love it!!

With March coming to an end I've been reflecting on the events of this past month. Jessica is now 1 month old and it has been such a blessing to have her in our home. With the passing of my Dad this past month I've been so grateful for the distraction that Jess has provided as well as the reminder every time I look at her, that life is awesome!!

We hope March goes out like a Lamb for all of you. Here are some pictures including one of our "little Lamb" fast asleep.

Happy St. Patricks Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day. I was so excited to celebrate this holiday for some reason this year. Holidays have become so much fun now that my kids are getting old enough to enjoy them. Abigail woke up this morning and the first thing she got was...a pinch! It's her fault that she was wearing pink. (never mind the fact that I dress her every night.) I started to tell Abby about a Leprachan who goes from house to house to make sure everyone is wearing green. Uh...I think I got some stories crossed. I decided I need to research the history of this Irish holiday. I do know that GREEN is the color of the day so for breakfast we ate green eggs, green pancakes and ham. (I couldn't bring myself to dye the ham green. I figured it had enough dye in it already:) We are off to spend the day with family and pinch as many people as we can!

"Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck."

I hope it is a LUCKY day for all of you!

Remembering Dad

It has been a difficult week for me and my famiy but also a week full of awesome memories. After learning last Saturday evening that my Dad had passed away suddenly, my siblings and I have spent a lot of time together remembering all the wonderful things about my Dad that we loved. My brother has really stepped up to take care of us and handle all the details of a funeral and my sisters likewise have been so great. I on the other hand feel like I'm five years old all over again, but I've enjoyed spending this past week with them.

I've thought a lot this week about all the things I never said to Dad or the times recently that I should have called him and didn't. I hope to never feel that kind of regret again and I'm determined to be better at letting those I love know it.

Thanks to all of you who have written, called, and sent flowers. It has meant so much to our family.

My second attemt

Yes this is my second attempt at blogging. We had created a blog before Christmas and I think we made a couple of entries but it did not last long. I went to update it today and realized I've forgotten our old username and password, so I'm starting fresh. For a look at our old one go to johnandtanis.blogspot.com and you can read about our lives back in 2006.

What's new for us? Our little Valentine that we were expecting did not actually arrive on Valentines day as we thought she would. One very long week later than that infact. We are so glad that she is here. Life without morning sickness and heartburn is good. Abigail LOVES taking care of her however, I really need to monitor her carefully. Yesturday Abby was going to help me bathe Jessica. I went to get everything ready and when I came back Jessica was stripped down to her diaper! Yikes. I've been checking Jess for signs of trauma ever since. Sam is good with Jess as well although he is obsessed with removing her hat and he loves to tickle her. Sam is not the most gentle of ticklers. It is more like scratching while he says,"Ticka Ticka Ticka."

These are our cuties!