Zoe's First Birthday

 

As most know, I was NEVER going to own a dog.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't dislike dogs.  I just never wanted to own one as an adult due to allergies and the potential for home destruction. Lol  I grew up with two dogs, Bandit and Smokey.  I loved them immensely!  I was also devastated when they passed away and never wanted to feel that again.  Well....... time heals all wounds and the memory gets fuzzy, so in a moment of weakness I decided it was time to add to our family.  I can't believe it's already been ten months since then!  I look back on the early days of Zoe entering our home and the month or so that followed where I wanted to give her back.  She was a terribly behaved dog and attacked your ankles without warning.  I was literally afraid of the tiny thing! Lol  Thank God I stuck it out, because I can't imagine our family without her now.  Believe me, she can still be a pain in the butt, but she brings me a great deal of happiness every single day.  Seeing the unconditional love she has is priceless! 

 

 

Happy Birthday Zoe!!!

 

 



 

And no, in case you were wondering, she wasn't a fan of wearing the hat I was so hell bent on getting a picture of.  She tore it to pieces moments later! :)

Daddy Daughter Dance

 

I can't express just how much joy this picture brings me!  This is the third year Lauren has attended the Daddy Daughter Dance... and the third time she has taken John as her date.  It is so cute to watch how the two of them interact as they get ready and later recount the night's events.  Divorce leaves a giant hole; one caused by no longer getting to witness the bond between your child and the other parent.  I honestly think that's been the hardest aspect of divorce for me; knowing that no matter how much a step-parent loves your child, you will never truly share the same feelings that come from watching their birth, milestones and disappointments.  Anyway, back to the dance.  This year was a special one, because Lauren was able to be accompanied by both John and Mark.  She was one lucky girl!

The Simple Life

Obviously our weekends with four kids at home are chaotic and noisy, but I wouldn't trade the time we have with them for anything.  This weekend we decided while staring out the window at the winter wonderland that has consumed us that we wanted to do something summer-like.  We decided on indoor camping!  We pitched Max's tent for the kids to chill in and lined the living room with the kids' mattresses. 

It was fun but relaxing enjoying the fireplace while watching The Lorax and Holes.  We even roasted marshmallows and made smores.  The kids were geeked to have a slumber party... but going to sleep later than usual and waking up earlier than usual has resulted in slightly cranky kids.  I guess a little fun comes with a price! Lol

I saw a recipe for buttermilk pancakes on Facebook yesterday that claimed to be just as good as Cracker Barrel's.  I figured it was worth a shot and took a crack at them this morning while John made scrambled eggs and bacon.  Since I've seen a million posts on Pinterest for bacon pancakes, I went ahead and made one for each of the kids.  It's not my thing but they really seemed to enjoy them!  Oh... and while the pancakes were quite yummy they didn't even come close to Cracker Barrel's. ;)

Here's to making the best of what's left of the weekend.  Hope yours is great too!