WICKED

My BESTIE, JoAnn, ended up having an extra ticket to WICKED since her sweet hubs had to go out of town. She called me and asked if I'd be her PLUS ONE. Um, YES PLEASE!

I got to dress up and hang out with my favorite human on earth that isn't in my family. We had a blast and just loved every second of it. I really love JoAnn. She just gets me!

Time Out for Women

Recently, the stars aligned and I got an overnight AWAY! I was feeling guilty at first, because I wasn't going to be home the morning of Weston's 1st birthday. Then, a friend of mine reframed it all for me! She said my weekend away would be a great way to celebrate surviving a year of being a mother of five children! So, I went and it was awesome.

I attended a women's conference called Time out for Women. It was an evening and a day packed full of uplifting music and speakers. Plus, I was in a room full of hundreds of women all doing their best and finding joy in their journey. 

And, sleepovers with your gal pals are still amazing even as a 30-something.

David Archuleta sang Friday night. He has a beautiful, rich voice. What a gift!

Rachel, JoAnn, Stephanie (a new friend), and I got a hotel and gabbed into the late hours. We didn't get woken up by small children and it was so awesome!

Baby Devin!

Some of you have met Brad and Rachel via my blog before. They really have become some of our closest friends.  They're really more like family to us. We are so happy they moved BACK to Florida! They say it was for work, but I know it was really because of us. Wink, wink.  Brad and Rachel had some difficulty having a baby, but through prayer, patience, and perseverance, they were blessed with a baby boy.  And we had the privilege of being his first visitors!

Grayson had an appointment in Orlando, so we decided to stop by Winnie Palmer Hospital to see how Rachel was doing after we finished. Her water broke in the wee hours of Monday morning and her doctor sent her to the hospital later that morning. By the time we arrived to visit on Tuesday night, she had been there nearly 36 hours! What a trooper! We had been visiting about 20 minutes when the midwife came to check on Rachel. Rachel had been concerned about pressure and she was right, baby was ready to come. Since we were there and I hate to miss things, especially things that happen to one of my dearest friends, we decided to stay!

Goofing off in the lobby while we waited!

I swear she must have had that baby on our way to the lobby, because within 30 minutes we got the go ahead to come on back and meet Devin. I have to tell you, it was pretty amazing to meet a baby after he'd been in the world for only 30 minutes! So happy for Brad and Rachel. Grayson loved that he got to be there too. He is my child that absolutely adores babies, so I'm glad he was with me. Also, I know Jared and I are done having babies, but I gotta tell you.  Seeing that new baby made my heart ache a little. I guess it might just always be there way for me. 

(Rachel, don't be mad I put up this photo.  It is amazing, but if you really object let me know and I'll remove it.)

My other children were jealous, so we drove back to Orlando the very next day for everyone to meet baby Devin. My family really felt like a circus when we were all crammed into that tiny hospital room. Thanks for putting up with us!

Inspecting Devin.

Snuggles from Andrea.

We'll have to visit again soon, Brad and Rachel. Grayson said he was too shy to hold Devin and now he's ready. Maybe we should have the children visit in shifts so as not to make your life too crazy. 

The Last 10 Days

The last 10 days have felt like a whirlwind! Here's a breakdown of how it's been going down at Krause Haus!

Monday night we had the Cottle's over for our weekly family night. These guys are basically family and we are so excited for Baby Dexter to arrive in October. The Cottles taught our kids about music (how to conduct hymns, reading music, etc) and made Funfetti waffles that we topped with ice cream. It was so fun and delicious despite the fact that our A/C conked out earlier in the afternoon and it was scorching in our house. We love you Brad and Rae Rae!

So the A/C was really broken and we ended up becoming refugees at my in-law's house for six days! It took our landlord six days to get a new A/C. Have I mentioned how happy I am to be moving? One day I dropped by to pick up some things and it was 94 degrees in the house!  While we were at the original Krause Haus, we were able to see about half a dozen butterflies emerge from their cocoons. Here we are releasing a Monarch and an Eastern Swallowtail with Grandma. It was pretty amazing to watch.

Grandma also had some super fun things for us to play with. The boys saw our time there as an adventure and all I could think about was all the work I wasn't getting done. In the end it all worked out and I'm so happy we got such concentrated time with Norb and Sabra. We will miss seeing them so often when we move. The boys thoroughly enjoyed playing with Lincoln Logs and learned how to play Go Fish and Checkers.

We were able to get together with one of our favorite families last week as well. We had dinner and dessert and fun times at the Pennell's home. The Pennell's are one of the things we will miss most about Orlando. We love Max, Jake, Chad and Sara!

Saturday we moved back into our home and Sunday we woke up to Father's Day! I was a little under prepared because of the crazy week we had, but I had bought gifts early so it was fine I suppose. We also were able to bless baby Weston at the Church on Father's Day. 

The baby blessing was pretty standard, but Jared was also inspired to include that Weston would be a peacemaker in our home. It was kind of hilarious that when he said that Weston let out a little wail. Jared also felt inspired to say that Weston would be an influence for good with his friends and family. We are so happy to have Weston in our family. Every time I look at him I think about how much Jared loves me!

We have loved having the Cooper's in Florida and are going to barricade them in their home so that they don't move to Idaho in the fall! Cindy is a great friend to me and Justin will always be one of Jared's best friends. Baby Cora is going to marry Weston so that's awesome too.

After church (and saying our goodbyes to our friends in Conway Ward), we headed to my sister's for Father's Day lunch! We got a photo of most of the children. Hopefully we can get all nine of them soon. I love my husband, dad, and brother-in-law. They are all terrific fathers and we are so blessed to have them in our family.  I even got to snuggle my daddy on the couch. I think that was one of the day's highlights for me. Never too old to snuggle your daddy.

Weston has started smiling and it is so fun. We all take turns trying to get one out of him. At his two month check up last week he weighed 14 lbs 8 oz and is 23 1/8 inches long! Growing like a weed!

Finally, today we closed on our new home! I almost can't believe it. I'm so proud of Jared for making this happen for our family. I'm so thankful for Will helping us with the home buying process. 

Our beautiful home with OUR car in the driveway! Can't wait to move in this weekend!

BFFs

One of the most difficult things about living in Orlando is how transient the area is. It seems that every time I make a close friend that friend ends up moving somewhere else. Three years ago, I opened myself up to making close friends again. (I had waited a while because it hurt so much when Barbara and Carol moved away. I wasn't ready to be vulnerable again.) Trista, Bethany, and JoAnn all came into my life about the same time. We began seeing one another regularly and found we had a lot in common. My favorite thing about these women is that they are positive, upbeat, faithful, authentic, confident individuals. I always feel like a better version of myself when I am with them.

In 2013, Trista moved south to Boca Raton for her husband to begin his OB/GYN practice following residency. And in 2014, Bethany moved to Durham, NC for her husband to begin a pediatric fellowship following his residency. JoAnn is still in Lake Mary and we are fortunate to still see one another regularly. Fortunately, my upcoming move will not put me any further away from JoAnn than I already am. Phew! We were able to all be together again in January 2014 and again in June 2014. It has been hard for me when they moved, to say the least. I had really come to rely on these women.

I was so surprised and did a major ugly cry when I opened my door last night and the three of them were standing there with hugs ready. I was beyond happy to be with them again. I only wish I wasn't sleep deprived and could have made it past 10:30. I honestly think this is one of the best surprises I've ever had. It is in the top three for sure. A huge thank you to the husbands that were willing to take on all 12 children (Trista-6, Bethany-2, and JoAnn-4) so that their wives could spend an evening with me. I am always amazed by how the Lord blesses my life. I feel so unworthy of such blessings, but I am truly grateful He chooses to allow my life to intertwine with those of His elect. I love these girls!

The Happiest Place on Earth

Our dear friends, Brad and Rachel, were in town last week! We miss them so much and were so happy to spend three days with them while they were visiting this month. One of those days was spent at Disney World! We are lucky to have amazing friends who spoil us so much. Between Norb and Brad, we were all able to get in without purchasing any tickets! It was probably the hottest day of the year so far, but it was totally worth it. Between water and sunscreen, we survived just fine.

Landon, Grayson, Miriam, Papa K, and Ethan ready for a fun day at the Magic Kingdom.

Some of the best parts of the day are the fun things to do in line while you wait to go on rides. Honestly, it was not nearly as busy as I've seen it in the past. We waited less than 10 minutes to ride most things. The longest we waited was for the Jungle Cruise at 35 minutes.

A Disney trip is not a Disney trip without a Mickey Bar! 

Someone was super excited to be at Disney! 

We took the monorail to Epcot for dinner and fun at Innoventions and The Seas!

The Seas Pavillion was great! We saw the coolest marine life including these sharks, stingrays, moray eels, lionfish, seahorses, starfish, and multiple types of reef fish. Definitley a highlight.

 At this point, Miriam was a little delirious since she hadn't napped all day. She was enthralled by the sea life. I did my best to get some of her exuberance on camera. She was making us laugh so hard.

Last photo of Rae Rae and Ethan as we rode the tram back to the van. It was a great day! We love you Brad and Rae Rae. 

Until we Meet Again

Life has been good to me. I have had the privilege of being friends with some amazing people. Unfortunately, not all of those people live in my neighborhood. Some are very far away. However, it seems just like when I'll never see someone again, I do! Even those that are across the country.
Darren and Emily fall into that category. When I moved from Utah in early 2003, I was sad to think I'd never see them again.  I am so glad I was so wrong! In 2005, they were able to come to Florida for my wedding and a family vacation. I spent time with them in St. Augustine and at our wedding. But sadly said goodbye, thinking I'll definitely never see them again. In 2006, on a work trip out west I was able to be with them in their Idaho home for a couple of days. Again, I sad goodbye and thought I'd never see them again. In 2012, they moved to Naples, FL (about 4 hours away from us). I was able to see them three times while they lived in Naples. In February, Darren graduated from his CRNA program and they are off to new adventures in Oregon. I am so excited for them. And, I am hopeful that I WILL see them again.

 Paul (not pictured) and Gabe got to play at our house while Darren and Emily went to the temple. We missed seeing Kyle and Ellie, who were at school that day. I love their kids. They are such great kids!

 Darren, Emily, Me, and Miriam

Us girls! I love this girl!

A Hug from Florida

I made my first afghan for my dear friend, Brooke. Brooke and I were roomies at BYU and we have remained close friends despite the fact that we live about as far apart as possible. She is in Washington and I am in Florida. I really wish we were neighbors. We're just going to have to wait until we get to heaven. I hope I'm good enough to get in.
Brooke always makes me something amazing for my birthday. She never forgets me and I always feel so special when I open up her packages. Over the years she has sent some beautiful things and I love each one. I'm definitely not as talented as Brooke, but I've always wanted to show her just how special she is to me. I've taken up crochet and I'm getting better with each project I do. I decided to share my talent with Brooke this year for her birthday. I love you, Brooke! (And a thanks to my dad for mailing it for me.)

Girl's Weekend

One of my dear friends, Trista, moved to Boca Raton over the summer. Somehow she and a few of our other friends, roped me into experiencing The Bachelorette over the summer. I know, it's horrible isn't it. I couldn't stop watching. When she moved, we decided to do The Bachelor premiere party at her new home. Well, the big day finally arrived and Bethany, JoAnn, and I headed out. We had a blast catching up and eating Trista's delicious food. It took us five hours to watch the show because we kept pausing to have side conversations. We stayed up until 3 AM! I felt like a teenager. (Did I mention that Jared kept all four of our children? I missed my family, but it was awesome to have no responsibilities for 24 hours.) I love these girls. They are wonderful and are truly a gift to me. Thanks for a great weekend, friends!

 

Bethany, Trista, Me, JoAnn

Rae Rae, Rae Rae, Rae Rae! Hey, Brad!

Two of our most favorite people visited us in October. Rae Rae and Brad! We have missed the Cottle's terribly since their move in early 2013. They came to visit and we played a lot. We mostly hung out at our house, complete with sleepovers, and we got a day at Disney too! It was amazing. We miss them so much and want them to move "home."  Here are some photos of our fun times!

 

Family shots in front of the Magic Kingdom.

 

Miriam's first Disney ride: DUMBO! So fun!

 

Ethan, Rae Rae, and Grayson

Rae Rae, Andrea, and Landon

Brad and Grayson

 

Rae Rae and Ethan

 



A shot Rae Rae took of Miriam and me on Dumbo.

Weasel

I have been called short, spunky, sassy, and a little dynamo. It wasn't until Trista and I became friends that I was called a weasel. This is a little joke of ours. She simply wasn't looking for any more friends and I totally get that. As a mom of young children, life is extremely busy and high maintenance friendships take too much out of you. Trista and I met a little over a year ago through a mutual friend and then our children ended up in the same preschool class. Basically, she told me I was a weasel because I "weaseled" my way into her life. This ended up being a great thing for both of us.
Trista is such a positive person and she is a great friend. She moved last week and I am still super sad about it. I am going to miss having her as part of my daily life. Enjoy Boca, Trista. They are lucky to have you! May we seen one another soon. Love you!

A bushel and a peck...

... and a hug around the neck.  That is just how much we LOVE the Dawson's.  Sadly, the Dawson's lost their granny a few weeks ago.  We haven't seen Granny in a couple of years since the family moved to South Carolina.  We miss them terribly and we were so sorry for their loss.  The burial and memorial service took place in Florida, so we had the opportunity to be with the Dawson's for a couple of days. 
Ethan may be my oldest child, but he is Mimi's baby.  He never left her side and charmed his way into staying the night as well. He has talked about Mimi and her boys every day since they left last week.  We definitely need to plan a visit to Mimi's house.

 Snuggling with Mimi.  Ethan even fell asleep.  He's so sweet.

 Corbin with Miriam.  So happy the Dawson's were able to meet Miriam.

Why didn't Jared get in this photo?  Bummed he isn't in it.

Bob, Corbin, Miriam, Carol, Ethan, Caden, Bobby, Grayson, Me, and Landon

Friends

Heavenly Father has not only blessed me with a wonderful family, He has filled my life with wonderful friends.  Throughout my adult years, I have had the privilege to interact with amazing people.  At very important junctures in my life, Heavenly Father has given me just the right friend.  During my high school years, He gave me Gena, Will and Catie (although Catie and I really didn't become close until after high school), Katie J, and Kenton. During my early college years and homesickness, He gave me Brooke.  During my divorce, He gave me Darren and Emily.  During my single and not loving it (post-divorce) time, He gave me Monica.  During my early professional career, He gave me Jim.  During my early motherhood years, He gave me Rachel T., Carol, and Barbara.  In the last year, He has given me Trista, Joann, Elisabeth, and Rachel C. 
The best thing about all these friends, is that they are still my friends!  Even though all but Trista, Joann, and Elisabeth live here in the Orlando-area, I am still in touch with each of these amazing people.  With our busy lives, we don't always talk or see each other as often as I'd like, but I know they love me and I love them all so much. 
I know that every year Brooke will send me something extraordinary that she's made for me on my birthday.  Monica always sends me a text when I need it most.  Gena always calls at just the right time and forgives me when I'm supposed to meet her at the airport and totally space it because of my crazy life.  (Seriously, I cannot forgive myself for that one.) 
Jim always seems to email just when I need a pick-me-up.  Emily's (and Darren's) blog inspires me every week.  Rachel T. is such an example of exercising faith.  Barbara helps me remember that even when I don't feel like it, I'm a good mom and gives me new ideas to prove it to myself.  Carol is so good to me and was an influential part of my Ethan's life when I had to go back to work after he was born.  There is something about having someone love your child as much as you do.  Pretty special.  Rachel C. is my bosom friend.  I'm pretty sure we were buds in the pre-Earth life.  Trista, Elisabeth, and Joann are my daily reminders that life is pretty sweet and that with strong, faithful women in my corner I can do anything! 
I have been thinking about my friends a lot lately.  I even got to see Darren, Emily and their children last week.  Rachel T. also came to town and we snuck in a short visit.  It's been over 6 years since I've seen Brooke, but it feels like yesterday whenever we talk.  I wish I could live near all of them, but since I can't do that I have to be grateful for modern technology to help me out.  Rachel C. and I always enjoy a good Google Hangout when we can.  I love that thing! 

Emily and I when they visited last week. Her oldest son, Paul, told us we could be sisters.  I think we do look pretty similar.  Emily said visiting me was like visiting herself.  I would love to be in the same camp as her, she is such a fun and loving mom!