Playing Catch Up

First off, we had a good time at the basketball game on thursday. The game was a little disappointing. Dayton Christian was the better team, but whenever you are a Christian team in the spotlight, it is almost imossible to find inparital referees. It was fun to spend some time with my dad, Josiah, Erik, and Grace.
Friday night Erik and I had the opportunity to watch the movie Fireproof at church. It is a very good movie that every couple should watch. The movie goes right along with a series on marriage that our pastor has been teaching. The series has been a great challenge and reminder on how God views marriage and our roles in marriage. If anyone would like to listen to the sermons (I think they are the best sermons I have ever heard on marriage) just go to our church's website, www.apexcommunity.net.
Saturday night my mom had some people over for a Bunco party. This was only the second time I have played bunco and we had a lot of fun. A friend my dad has worked with for over 20 years was there with his wife, and he soon found a fast friend in Grace. He was so sweet to her as he let her sit on his lap and roll the dice for him. She had a blast!
Saturday is also the day that everything caught up to me!! I developed a horrible cough and have lost my voice except for meager squeaks now and then. As a result, I couldn't work saturday or sunday. I must admit it was nice not working, but I wish I felt up to doing anything!
Today my cough and voice are not any better and I was greeted by a sick lena this morning. All Lena did was curl up in my lap or sit on the couch until 3 this afternoon. This is highly unusual for Lena, as she rarely sits still for more than a minute at a time. She seems herself now, so I am hoping she just had a quick bug.
I take the girls to get their Easter pictures done on Wednesday. I LOVE getting pictures done, expecially of my adorable kids.
Well, I had better get things cleaned up and dinner started.

The Mother of All Posts Part 3

The girls were up bright and early tuesday morning. Grace was SO excited that this was the day that she would finally be able to pick out her American Girl doll! The American Girl Place is phenomenal! It is one of the most amazing stores I have ever been to!

When we walked in Grace went right for Kit! She had been saying that was the doll she wanted, but I wasn't sure if she would stick with her decision once she saw all the dolls, but there was no swaying her! Grace started jumping up and down and was SO excited!Here's Grace and Grammie picking out the doll together! Her face was absolutely priceless as she picked out her doll!Grace could hardly wait for my mom to buy her and then be able to get her out of her box. I don't know about you, but I think Grace looks just a little happy in this picture! :) My mom also purchased for Kit the cutest pink pajamas, which Kit has had to wear to bed every night since! SO cute!

My mom then took Lena and they picked out a Bitty Baby. Lena was thrilled with her baby!Here's Lena loving on her baby! She absolutely adores the baby and it is now a permanent fixture to Lena.We bought Grace the matching Kit hat. They look adorable in their matching hats!

After buying the dolls my mom took Grace to the portrait studio they have there to get her picture taken with Kit.This is probably one of the best professional pictures we have of Grace. It is such a sweet picture and Grace is smiling SO big!

After pictures we headed upstairs to the Cafe to have our amazing lunch.Here's the girls and I at lunch. Notice how the dolls have their own special seats that attach to the tables. They also brought out special china for the dolls. Amazing!My mom and the girls at lunch. The dining room was beautiful. It was decorated in black, white, and pink. Lena needed her baby to sit in front of her for awhile!Grace and Kit enjoying their first lunch together. Grace smelling the flower! They brought us each an amazing dessert plate. It had a special heart cookie, a heart shaped piece of cake, and a flower pot with amazing chocolate mousse. Our lunch was so much fun, and will be a memory that I will cherish forever!A cute picture of the girls looking into a window.Me and the girls in front of the American Girl Place. We had such an amazing time. It was so special to spend the time with my mom and my girls. I'm am so blessed to have such an incredible mom who would take us on such an incredible trip!!!!

You may have wondered what happend to Uncle Joe during all this. Well, he took this opportunity to explore Chicago, and had a great time.

Our trip was thoroughly enjoyable and will be a cherished memory.

Yesterday was also a busy day for us. I was able to participate in two marketing research studies. One I was paid $40 for answering questions for only 10 minutes. And then the other I participated in a discussion group and received a $25 gift card to Target and was able to pick out a gift. I picked out this neat portable high chair.It is going to be great for taking on trips, camping, going on picnics, or just taking on the go. I'm definitely excited about it. I also had to work late last night, but was blessed with a profitable night.

Tonight will be another late night for us. Erik, Josiah, my Dad, Grace and I are heading to Columbus to cheer on my high school basketball team. They are competing in the state semifinals. It should be a great time!

Well that is what has all happened in less than a week! Crazy! I know I will hit the wall of exhaustion soon, but until then I will enjoy every minute!

The Mother of All Posts Part 2

I first wanted to start this post off with a word about my parents. My mom and dad absolutely amaze me. My mom has planned on taking us on this trip ever since Grace was born. As many of you know that past few years have been extremely hard ones for my family. My dad's cancer has led to continued time off from work and then now complete layoff. My mom and been more than faithful at her unpleasant job. She has worked countless hours trying to make ends meet, and at the same time always putting everyone else before herself. All this to say, my mom is amazing. She didn't need to spend the money she so diligently worked for and saved on this trip. It is something special that she wanted to do for me and my girls, and it AMAZES me! Special extravagences are always more meaningful and have a greater impact when they are the result of love and sacrifice!

Monday morning my mom and Uncle Joe picked us up and we made our way to Chicago. When we got in the car there were special treat bags that my Grandma packed full of treats and snacks for the girls. They loved it!

Our first stop was to Legoland!!! It was so much fun and quite amazing. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of it, but they have an incredibly replica of the city of Chicago made of legos. Quite impressive. Grace expecially liked the exhibit they had of a jungle safari. There were full scale tigers, monkeys, snakes, and people all made of legos!Grace standing by a lego tiger!

There was also a ride that we were able to take the girls on that rides you around to show you more Lego scenes! Grace really enjoyed watching a Bob the Builder 4D movie. It was pretty cute. We spent the majority of our time playing with thousands of legos!

Lena had a great time playing with all the legos!Grace built a lego tower as tall as she is! Grace and Uncle Joe spent some time building, testing, and racing a lego car. Grace and Uncle Joe with their finished product.Lena in the lego pit. She thought this was hilarious! My girls with Uncle Joe. They absolutely adore him and are so lucky to have such an amazing uncle who will take the time to play and have fun with them!Grace and Grammie sitting next to a sleepy lego man! :) Me and my girls in front of Legoland. We had a great time! Afterwards we had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called Sweet Tomatoes. My Grandma recommended the restaurant and even gave us the money for dinner. It was SO good and it was so sweet of my grandma to pay for our dinner.

We enjoyed relaxing at the hotel for the rest of the evening. Still to come in Part 3 of this incredibly long post....... American Girl Place Chicago!!!!!!!!

The mother of all posts Part 1

There has been so much that has happened over the course of the last week that I decided to break the post up into 3 sections.

I ended up working Friday Saturday and Sunday night which would be enough to wear me out in itself! Work went pretty well and I actually had a great night on Sunday night, which was truly a gift from God. It amazes me how God meets our needs right where we are at, and He knew the amount of money that I would need to make over the weekend. Also, even though work has been more than frustrating I have been given some opportunities to share my faith lately. I can also feel God giving me the courage to be more bold in my faith.

Erik's mom and dad came into town late Friday night. Saturday we packed into the car and headed to the Newport Aquarium. We absolutely love taking the girls to museums and fun family activities. This is one of the things that I am so thankfuk that my parents made the sacrifice for and made a priority while I was growing up. I love seeing the girls learn and experience new things. It is so much more rewarding than getting new sports equipment and clothes. I would much rather wear my "not so stylish" apparel and give my girls some amazing experiences. After all these are the memories that I myself cherish from my childhood.

Anyway, we had a great time exploring and seeing all the fish, birds, and especially the sharks!

Here is a picture of all of us in the mouth of a shark. Grace thought it was pretty cool.

Grace and daddy on the frogs. So, funny story. In the "frog bog" there is a climbing and tunnel activity for the kids. Well Grace insisted that I go in with her. I was quite pleased that I did not get stuck, as I am not sure they designed the tunnels for pregnant women! :)Lena on the frog!Lena touching a starfish!Grace and Daddy feeding a larakeet. We enjoyed the aquarium. It is so nice that there is so much to do and see within an hour drive!

That concludes the weekend and I will now work on our absolutely amazing Chicago trip!!!!!

Countdown to Legoland and the American Girl Store

Just three days until we head to Chicago! I am extremely excited about the trip. This week we have been reading the American Girl Kit Books, and have now watched the movie that came out last year. So far Grace is set on getting the Kit American Girl Doll, but we will see what she decides on.
I work the next three nights, so I will be happy to have something fun planned once work is over for the weekend! I feel exhausted from the week already, but I keep telling myself just one day at a time.
Erik's mom and dad are coming for a visit this weekend. The plan is to go to the Aquarium tomorrow. The kids should have a blast seeing all the fish!
Well, I had better get everything ready before heading to work tonight. Many pictures from the next several days will follow. It is a bummer that Erik can't join in on the fun, but it will be a great time for the girls and I to spend with Grammie and Uncle Joe. Have I mentioned that I can't wait to go on our trip!?!?

Family Update

Well the last week flew by! I ended up working 5 nights and Erik had to stay late for meetings on a different night, so I think we feel like we we didn't see each other at all over the past week.
Last week thursday we went to the Gap outlet in Northern Kentucky and actually made out really good. I was thrilled to find maternity pants for work as well as 2 $70 pair of work pants for Erik for only $7 each. YAY!!! I also found Micah some cute Pjs. I love being able to get boy things now!
Last night I ended up going home from work early. A girl I work with (who I can hardly stand anyway) was goofing off and ran me over, knocking me in the stomach so hard that I almost fell over. It definitely freaked me out, as I was in quite a bit of pain for the night. I was thankful that Erik came and got me right away. I feel fine today, and have felt Micah kicking away all day, so I am thankful for God's protection!
Yesterday was also the day that Erik and I reclaimed our bedroom. When Lena was born we moved her into our room, so that she would not wake Grace. Well, Lena proved to be a very light sleeper, and for the past 8 months or so Erik and I have been sleeping in the living room. Not convenient or comfortable, but the only place where we could sleep! Well, yesterday we moved Lena into Grace's room. I know it will take some adjustment for them both, but so far they are happy with it. They both slept fine last night, and surprisingly enough I put them both down for naps at the same time and they are both asleep! Praise the Lord! My hubby also bought and set up a book shelf for our room yesterday. I love it!
Today the girls and I went to the monthly kids concert at the mall and then had lucnh with our firends Amy and Carson. The kids get along so good together, which is great!
I have a really cool God providing story to share with you. Erik and I have been wanting to get another carseat for Lena to keep in Erik's car, as it is hard transferring the seats all the time. Well, after pricing seats we decided that the inconvenience was better than paying for a new seat. Recently at Erik's work a gentleman rented a car and needed to buy a carseat at the local Walmart as he had already shipped his carseat to where he is moving. So, the gentlemen bought an Evenflo carseat and used it for a week while he rented a car. Upon returning the car he told Erik that he didn't need it and to see if Erik knew anyone who needed one! It still amazes me at times that God cares about such things. It would seem that He has better things to do than work about our little inconvenience! Thank you God for caring about even the insignificant things!
A week from today the girls and I head to Legoland and the American Girl store with my mom and brother. I am SO excited, and I think Grace is a little excited too as she has asked me everyday when we are leaving. :)
Well, I had better get some stuff done before the kiddos wake up.

Name That Baby!

After much deliberation we have finally decided on a name for our precious baby boy, Micah Edward Buskard! This was probably the hardest for us to come up with, as we kept making sure names sounded good with Grace and Lena. We love the name Micah and we are using the middle name, Edward, in remembrance of Erik's grandpa Ed. We love being able to call our children by name even before we get to meet them!

Fun Weekend

We enjoyed a wonderful date on our anniversary. We were able to go to the melting pot, thanks to our friends the Bissett's and McEllroy's (Thank you guys SO much, you are absolutely amazing!). Dinner was wonderful. We had never been, but before we went I called my brother Matt who had worked at one to give us some pointers. :) It was such a relaxing and enjoyable dinner. We were even seated in a nice private booth where we weren't bothered. It was almost like we were the only two people there. Our favorite part would have to be the chocolate at the end!! Here's a pic of me and my hubby before going to dinner. A pretty good picture considering we used the timer on the camera :)

Saturday was the day that Grace could hardly wait for. We got ready and headed to the CIRCUS!!! It truly is the best circus you could ever go to. The kids did pretty good. Grace's favorite part was the clowns (which I was happy about as Erik had made a comment a couple of weeks ago that clowns were scary, and thats all Grace could associate them with until we were at the circus). I was actually surprised with how fascinated Lena was, and I think her favorite part was the clowns and the elephants. We had so much fun, and it was so enjoyable to do something extra special as a family!

Erik and Grace were able to dress up as performers before the show started.My Three Clowns!Grace with her clown nose and hat.Lena enjoying the circus from the best seat in the house!

I think everyone was a little worn out by the time we got home.

Sunday we were a little thrown off by the time change. We woke up and realized there was no way we would be able to make it to the 9:30 service at church and the 11:30 is always out of the question, as this is prime meltdown time for Buskard children. SO we made the most of the day by going for a nice drive, picking up some lunch, and really just enjoying time together.

It is wonderful weekends, when I don't have to work, that really spoil me! The girls are getting bigger everyday, and it is so much fun to see them learn and grow. I am glad we were able to make special memories with them this weekend!

Well, I head for my 20 week appointment this afternoon. Hopefully we will be in and out quickly as I will have the girls with me!

5th Wedding Anniversary!

Today Erik and I are celebrating five years of marriage! We feel incredibly blessed by all that God has done in those five years. We have definitely had our mountain tops and valleys lows but God has continually proven that He is faithful through it all.
God has blessed us with two amazing girls and a baby boy, who we can't wait to meet! Its hard to imagine life without them! We have also been blessed with amazing family and friends who have encouraged us along the way. In a world that no longer values marriage, it is so uplifting to have godly couples surround us.
I can honestly say that I love my husband more now than I did that beautiful day five years ago. It is the day to day living, when we aren't so "beautiful" that has truly formed a bond in our marriage that I now know is unbreakable.
Tonight my parents are watching the girls so that we can enjoy dinner together. Thanks to the amazing generousity of our friends the McEllroy's and Bissett's we are being treated to The Melting Pot. I am so excited as I have always wanted to go there. It will be amazing to enjoy a quiet dinner together!
Tomorrow is the day that Grace has been waiting for. She has been counting down the days to the circus, and the day is almost here!! It will be a blast not only to see the circus, but I think I will have more fun watching Grace, watch the circus! I'm sure many pictures will follow.

Well, a week has passed and of course we have stayed busy. We had to take Erik's car in for work for the second time in a week. A little disappointing, as this time they couldn't really figure out what was wrong with it, so we will just wait and see, and be thankful that his car has been reliable so far.
Saturday Lena was kind enough to break my glasses in two. :) When Grace was the same age she also broke a pair of my glasses, so I figure I will only have 1 more pair that will be broken in about a year and a half by our little boy! Instead of spending a lot of money on glasses, I decided to give an online glasses supplier a try. So, I'll hopefully get my new glasses in the mail in about a week, and only spent $15. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Sunday at Church I was finally able to meet my "niece" Jane. She is absolutely amazing! Yesterday the girls and I spent the day with Jane, Karis and Aunty Deb. The day went too quickly. I had a great time loving on miss jane and catching up with Karis. There are some friends that come and go throughout your life, but then there are those friends who become "the family you choose." Karis and her family are that to us! The girls were absolutely fascinated with Jane. At dinner Grace held the baby monitor and was listening to Jane, so Grace sang twinle twinle little star to "her baby Jane." It was so sweet!

I was very pleased with how they did with Jane. Lena was so gentle with her, and even brought her a blankie.

Here are my girls with Aunt Karis!All five girls together (notice how Jane looks right at the camera and my girls could care less, lets just say my girls are not always the most "photogenic"). Oh, how I daydream of playdates and trips to the park together!So, Lena got a kick out of crawling under the couch. It was absolutely hilarious!
I am so happy we were able to spend the day with them before they have to head back home. Hopefully we will be able to make a trip to Maryland before the baby comes.
Last night Erik picked Grace and Lena up from the Bissett's and I was able to hang out with some friends from high school. We had fun eating ice cream and catching up. I love my girls from high school. It is amazing to see how we have all grown over the years.Sunday I bought the girls their Easter dresses, and they are absolutely adorable. They are Green sundresses with white flowers on the bottom. I love that we have a Carter's store nearby now. Not that I go very often, but they do have some great deals at times, and of course their clothes are absolutely adorable! I can't wait to dress them up in their adorable dresses!
Well, I work tonight and then don't work at all this weekend! YAY!!!! I can't wait for the weekend t0 celebrate our anniversary and go to the circus on Saturday!!!