My House To The White House...CHECK!

Cross it off the to-do list, four days and 450+ miles later Josh just got home from riding his bike from OH to Wash. DC. He had a great time and I can't believe he's hardly even sore today. They stopped a couple places along the way, and met some nice, friendly, and quite interesting people. They definitely had their ups and downs (literally), with flat tires and walking through mud, to 45 mile an hour speeds...crazy! We missed him while he was gone, but we are so proud he was able to accomplish this "feat". It's great to have him back, however I know his mind is already racing, planning the next adventure...who knows maybe "My town to Chi town?" Way to go Josh, you never cease to amaze me!!

To the White House or Bust!


They had a few minor setbacks...


did I mention the killer mountains of West Virginia...


but also some beautiful scenery


Mission Accomplished!

So Long, Farewell...

I surprised my family last weekend and when my mom pulled into the drive way, everyone took a double take when I popped out of the trunk. I've surprised them before, but the execution on this one was pretty impressive. haha I took a quick trip home to help my parents move and kiss my childhood home good bye (not literally, but I could've). Anyhow, we worked hard and fast but managed to stay sane and happy by having some good ol fashioned (no pun intended) fun! It was good to see my fam and thanks to Josh for staying back with the kids so I could actually be helpful...915 Greenhaven, you've been good to us!!

Kacie was clearly surprised after my "grand entrance", obviously happy to see me :)

Nick needs to patten his "gork". He welded his golf club and a fork together which makes for a great wenie roaster. I thought it was hilarious...so Nick.

We hit the jackpot in one of the boxes in storage we were going through and found g ma's old dress we used to use for dress-ups, and of course moms box of sweet glasses...classic!

Posing for "Sr. pictures...oh so photogenic.

My Mama's...

I just wanted to wish all the Mother's in my life a very Happy Mother's Day! I have been blessed with an amazing mother, a awesome mother-in-law, and two of the sweetest Grandmother's ever...I am one lucky girl to have these women to look up to. I think Abe Lincoln said it best when he said, "All that I am, or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother(s)." You are all truly the BEST! Love you lots! xoxoxo (Grandma P. that's for you :)

Lil' Dr. Dean

(I thought this was too funny not to post...) So, you know your husband is in Dental School when your 2 year old comes and asks to play school. Okay I thought, we'll practice our numbers and maybe put some stickers on a paper...right? Not so, we go into Bailee's room and she said to Gabe and I, lay down and open your mouth. That's right, Bailee wasn't just at any school, but her own, imaginary dental school. So she proceeds by saying, "Gabriel Dean, (in her high pitched talking to a baby voice) okay little guy, I need to look in your mouth." She forces his mouth open, not so gently, and the poor little guy completely helpless just cooperates. After opening his mouth, she then said,"Yeah, he's growing teeth." All the while taking notes in his "chart". I was the next victim/patient. She made me lay down, opened my mouth and said,"they look like straight." Thank you Dr. Mix (my Orthodontist 15 years ago:) It was a fairly painless check-up and she did a great job, and if you're interested I'm sure she could squeeze a few new patients into her busy schedule.

Okay, so her method might not be the most gentle, but hey, it gets the job done!

Dr. Dean charting/doodling...

Spring Break...kinda

I say kind of, because technically Josh didn't even get a Spring Break this year. He had to work during Spring Break, so we decided to take advantage of the weekend and head to Palmyra, NY. It was a seven hour drive and the kids actually did pretty well, despite the fact that I crawled in and out of the backseat at least 15 times each way (yet another advantage of being a smaller woman:) Anyhow, it was an awesome trip and I am so glad we were able to go! We visited the church sites including, Joseph Smith's home, the Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, and the Grandin Printing Co. Unfortunately the temple was closed for cleaning, but we went to the Palmyra ward on Sunday and also visited an LDS bookstore which brought back great Beehive Book memories...good times. Anyhow, we were lucky since it was colder we were pretty much the only ones on the tours. It was just an uplifting experience and I can definitely say that I felt the spirit and my testimony was strengthened. I especially loved walking through the sacred grove. To many at this time of year, it's probably just looks like a bunch of bare trees and dead leaves, but I sincerely saw a beautiful grove of trees that I felt were indeed sacred.
On our way home from Palmyra, we stopped at Niagara Falls. Everyone had told us that the view was the best from the Canadian side. So, we took an international trip across the border to Canada. :) It was definitely a site, however, I think that it is a one time visit for me. It rained that day and the mist from the falls was a double whammy on the wetness. I asked Bailee what her favorite part of the trip was and she said turning on the heater at the hotel and swimming. (The air control was right at Bailee's level and I guess she got a kick out of pushing the buttons...ah the blessing of being so easily entertained.) I guess for the short time we had together for "Spring Break" we had about as much fun as we could've possibly had!

"Oh how lovely was the morning..."

I couldn't help but to think of this hymn as we walked through the Sacred Grove on a beautiful, sunny, spring morning.

Atop Hill Cumorah

She may not have found any gold plates at the top of the hill, but she thought this nasty black cat was something pretty special (It makes me wanna sneeze just looking at it:)