The Last 3 Months

Let's just face it, with four kids, one husband, two dogs, one cat and FACE BOOK...BLOGGING has been abandoned. I miss it so and I hope to see it more often, but who am I kidding?

My life is like a hurricane, a tornado and a severe thunderstorm all happening at once. This is a MIRACLE as I type and post what we Apples have been up to these last 3 months.

First of all we celebrated our FIRST BORN child's 11th Birthday!

SO far she has broken my heart, I have broken hers and together we are learning to be a super mother-daughter dynamic duo by remembering to forgive quickly and give our special hugs of LOVE you NO MATTER WHAT!

Not sure how she grew up sooooo fast!

Mia's keeping me busy playing interactive board and mind games. She is my iron sharpens iron intellectual brainiac child!!!

I made my family take some FALL photos with me at Gentry's Pumpkin Patch.They so hate me for always taking photos...but I hope someday they will appreciate the fact that I JUST LOVE THEM SO!!!

Of course, my sweet Little Sister is FAMILY too, and she LOVES me for always wanting to take pictures! And any excuse to hang out with her is always good!

Oh...and then there is me constantly correcting this little man. He is my keep me on my toes, about to lose my cool, just about to spank you son until he just in time gives me a smile and a I LOVE you mommy that melts me into a I LOVE you too son but NEXT time you are gonna GET IT!!!!

Did I mention that this child has a heart as big as the size of TX? She gives the best smiles, hugs and never leaves one thing undone that has to do with making other people feel like they are the ONLY person in the room!!! I have enjoyed spending time with her and she has taught me that life is too short to let it pass you by without her!

SO...I am hanging on TIGHT to her, her sister, and her brothers!

BUT...NOT forgetting to hang out and celebrate some really important friends' birthdays!!
Because...momma just needs a break and a moment to say thank you and I love you girls for being in my life through the mud and the muck!

P.S. I also love you girls that I can't hang out with due to obvious reasons of living very far away!

Most importantly...we finally got a date night which literally took a village to help us do! Even our kids got excited for us too!!! I must say this is the one thing I miss the most, being on a date alone with my man!!! He really is the bestest friend I have!

But of course, our horse and carriage quickly turns back into a pumpkin!

But I DO NOT mind one bit because I know that before too long these little APPLE pumpkins will leave the nest so I will happily take on more fun, messes and mayhem!

Because...just look at them! They are mini me's and mini Keith's that I FALL in LOVE with all over again and again!

AND the most awesome thing is they fall in love with each other over and over again, too!

Prayers to you all that keep up with us for beautiful times like these! I believe it only gets sweeter the more time you love on each other and promise to keep loving in and through all He gives you!

Who Really Knew?

That so far my summer has been some days routine, some days boring, some days crazy busy, but mostly full of APPRECIATION for what God has so generously blessed me and my family with. I'd like to say I have life all figured out now that I am all of 30 "something" just as I thought all 30 somethings had it all together when I was all of 0-29 years of age. However, it's just not the case. SURPRISE and YAY for me, right?! Seems like I can never get ahead, turn back and fix the mistakes I've made or take back what I just said 2 seconds ago and in the grand scheme of things none of that really even matters. I have so many beautiful people in my life to love on and live this moment for! So here is just a few glimpses into what's new in my world and worth every smile, laugh, tear, heartbreak, and HOPE that we all live forever long after these summer days...

Here she is our oldest proudly showing she's officially a middle schooler!

Can't really say I am so excited:(((

Meanwhile...Mia decides this is her last year in Girl Scouts:(((I just bite my tongue and allow her to decide...

I suppose turning the BIG 8 makes you Make BIG LIFE Changes, mainly on mommy's plans for you. Boo-Hoo on me!
Thankfully...Nico just wants to have fun, playing some T-Ball, aggravating his siblings and keeping me on my toes!And these 2 are growing up fast in so many ways! I mean, this little man cannot look any more like his daddy!

My life is good...just the way it is.

So Now I AM

Officially a Mommy of Four Beautiful Kids.

And Poor Liitle Guy is Just FINALLY getting his FIRST Blog Post

Here he is:

Joaquin Edward Apple

April 15, 2010

7lbs 5oz

20in long

Hence, being a mommy of four is let me just be REALLY REAL for a moment...HARD, challenging, exhausting, and trying at times. And if you knew even a quarter of what occured days before, during and after this sweet precious baby boy's birth you would be simply amazed of how true God's word IS. The "rain" fell upon the Applehouse, but with God's faithfulness, His promise of a rainbow prevailed. So with pure joy and much love in my heart I am now happy to announce that I AM A MOMMY of FOUR! Welcome Joaquin to your new home that was built on God's love. May you always know that you are and always will be LOVED!

P.S. You are in for a REAL treat with your siblings who could NOT wait for your arrival!

In Just 4 Years

This boy that God has gifted our family with has brought on sweetness and innocence.
Humor and laughter.
Uncontrollable Smiles, tears from growing up way too fast, and joy.

Adventure and a wild at heart spirit.

And pure love into our home that God has built!
Happy 4th Birthday Nico!
We hope and pray that this year brings on more blessings to your beautiful life!
Love,
Mommy, Daddy, Rylee, & Mia

Just In Case...

In my nesting phase, of cleaning, organizing and throwing out almost everything, which is definitely setting in with Apple #4 arriving ANY day now, I had to keep record of these beautiful letters written by my first born. I am not sure how she got this big or how I deserved such a precious and rare treasure!!! I just know this is too much for me to soak in as she was just in my womb yesterday it seems and now she is already thinking ahead to college??? Ummm...she hasn't even officially graduated the 5th grade!

Distance, Time and Life...

That is what happens when families grow up and move out.

However, we all hope to at least make a phone call once a week, even text, or Facebook one another to say we love and miss you. I mean an old fashion hand written letter is a pretty ancient concept for us fast-paced, always on the go people, right?

Well, today's post is not about me and my woes, it is about the people, the family I was born into, I was married into, and the ones who married into ours.

I want to take a minute to personally say Happy Birthday to my mother-in-law.

I hope that you know though geographical location keeps us from seeing one another as often as we would like to, you are always thought of, talked about and loved by us. And our home and our hearts are always open for a phone call, a letter, and a personal visit at any time of the year.

I thank you for opening your heart to me and for doing such a marvelous job of raising your one and only son. I can see so many thoughtful, loving, stubborn even, compassionate, kind and respectable characters in him that could have only come from his mom. I hope to pass on as many of those good traits onto my own children.

I hope and pray this day is filled with God's beautiful precious blessings that were all intended for you!

And to my sweet beautiful sister and her poor unsuspecting husband, thank you for carving out time on Valentine's weekend to spend with us a scrumptious dinner out, a fun night of games and yummy sundae desserts, warm hotel-like beds to sleep in and waking up to delectable smells of a homemade continental style breakfast! And though distance is not so far between us, life brings us so many challenges of seeing one another as often as I would like. But, I am thankful we purposely make time on our busy calendars to catch up and hang out and I will savor those moments forever in my heart. Love to you all both! And look forward to our next event!!!

And here I end with my mom who was born on Valentine's day way across the oceans who came to these parts of the world with just me, your husband, and big hopes and dreams.

Happy birthday to you mom. And because this is my blog, my thoughts, my heart I want to say I hope you still visit those hopes, those dreams of yours mom from time to time. I see so much light in your eyes that just needs to be reminded by those of us you have touched through the years...you are worth it! You have taken care of so many lives and still are today, but it is your turn to live, to love like there is no tomorrow and that is my hope, my prayer for you this year.

I hope you had a great birthday and know that I still think of you as the most beautiful woman in the world today as I did at the age of seven.

I love you MOM.

2010 Brings Surprises For...

The Apple Kids

That we, MamaApple and DaddyApple, love to plan especially for the start of a new year!!!

OF COURSE...NONE of this would be possible without God and all His blessings He has poured on us to make this all happen...so I don't want to forget to thank our TRUE sponsor of all these surprise happenings!!!

So...sit back relax and enjoy the show. You never know what you will see with the Apples in tow!

After about a good four hour drive and questions of "where are we going?" and "are we almost there yets?", this is what we get...

Because this is what they are seeing from the outside...

And boy do they FLIP OUT when they see what the inside holds for them!!!

Meanwhile the sisters are surfing it up...

And they appear to be naturals at the sport! That's my girls!!!

And you can never leave a waterpark without a try at the wave pool...

They even have a happening hot spot for the toddlers where mom can just sit back, relax and let them go wild!


This was just after the first day of swimming at the indoor waterpark...

The next day was a full 10 hour day of non stop splishin and a splashin with dad while mom was out for the day taking in the shopping possibilities kid-free!!!

Just a hanging out...

Waiting patiently for the last days event which the Apple kids think is all about what mom and dad "want" to do....

BUTTTT....little do they know Dad has plans for more fun!!!
In the SNOW!!!

That's right...a little bit of skiing is in store for the first time ever for the kids that is!

Because back in the days...Dad use to ski way before the kids came along and has since put it on the back burner until now, since his girls LOVE IT. It looks like we will be making this a yearly event real soon!!!

Now...as adventurous as Dad is...Nico stayed behind in the warm inside to hang with Mom in the arcade room where he found some fun suitable things to do. Though, I know he was hoping to try some snowboarding out....

Well...it was a great start of a NEW YEAR, but we of course had to say goodbye and head back home. ALL in ALL I'd say the Apples had a blast just being together and flying by the seat of our pants!

We wish everyone a blessed 2010 and we hope it is FULL of SURPRISES that bring laughter, love and joy !!!

Oh yeah...we musn't forget we did make one last pit stop for Nico!!!

Surprise Surprise!!!