tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199903032012-01-18T15:29:40.965-06:00...all because two people fell in love.The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.comBlogger6481100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-4293961604226166272012-01-18T15:29:00.004-06:002012-01-18T15:29:40.975-06:00

The little Bretster is such a smiler for the camera!  In about every picture, he's smiling away like the good-natured guy he is! All of us Mom & the kids Grandma & the kids Gram, Serena, and Bret Mom, Bret, and Serena

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-69730834376461889172012-01-16T22:36:00.003-06:002012-01-16T22:36:38.871-06:00

What better way to entertain a couple toddlers than just throwing them in the bathtub?!  Unfortunately, I could not get Keira to look at my camera AT ALL; but, take my word for it, they were having fun!  We girls had fun discussing wedding details with Jessie! Kaden is a whiz at Angry Birds and other electronic games!  He handles Julia's Kindle like a pro! Julie, Eric, and Amy

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-34287022912479670512012-01-16T21:14:00.001-06:002012-01-16T21:14:25.164-06:00

Serena was SO tired!  We had to wake her up from her nap to unwrap presents!  Jason reading the Christmas story The kids were really into it  ;) Jordan giving some doggie-love to Amy  ;)  And Uncle Bruce came to visit!  :D I snapped this picture just a few minutes before Bret rolled this present over and did a face-plant as he rolled on top of it.  Poor little guy started crying;

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-26163699901005816852012-01-14T15:33:00.001-06:002012-01-14T15:33:34.809-06:00

The night before we celebrated Christmas, we had supper over at JaJu's.  The kids had so much fun playing with Kaden & Keira's new Christmas presents (K & K hadn't had much opportunity to play with them much yet, either, since they had just returned from a 10-day visit in Dallas)!  Jordan brought little Chica along. Kaden & Keira LOVE her.  Pretty sure JaJu need to get a puppy next!  ;)

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-30557785337496708522012-01-12T11:35:00.000-06:002012-01-14T11:35:10.917-06:00

Because of work schedules and "other" side-of-the-family schedules, we weren't able to have our "Rabe Christmas" until last weekend.  I was so excited because Julie flew up on Monday, then drove down to spend some time with us here Tuesday afternoon, and then brought the kids & I back up to Mom's for the rest of the week!  It was awesome to spend all that extra time with Julie and Mom!  We made

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-2426236376963546422012-01-01T21:53:00.002-06:002012-01-01T21:53:15.984-06:00

Serena really wanted to play Sorry after watching Mommy and Auntie-Anna.  This kept her occupied for quite a while!  I just love watching him play in his birthday suit, heehee!  ;) Serena carefully measuring and pouring Bret with Nana (his great-great-grandma) Nana with a bunch of her great-grandkids Serena didn't really want to take a picture with Nana, but she did really

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-39039196298290983892012-01-01T10:26:00.001-06:002012-01-01T10:26:05.908-06:00

Serena's sock monkey  A little coffee for the sock monkey And how about some food? Gabe sound asleep!  Such sweet cheeks! First time playing with play-dough  The girls had so much fun cooking together! Serena loves to 'help' in the kitchen It had been a long time since I played with play-dough too! It was fun!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-87255997517576573552011-12-31T18:46:00.001-06:002011-12-31T18:46:11.855-06:00

Serena took it upon herself to help with passing around the gifts this year Uh-oh!  Got caught by "Ook" and "Ee Wawa Anna" (the other Anna, which is how Serena differentiates her from Jordan's little sister Anna)  ;) A Christmas hug I got cute boots!  :) Bret & Uncle Grant are buds Serena got busy right away trying on my new boots, heehee! Auntie-Anna Me & my guy

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-77039958525301420832011-12-30T21:09:00.001-06:002011-12-30T21:09:04.884-06:00

Christmas Eve was a great day.  I got my hair cut for the first time in 8 months!  I had not even had a TRIM in that much time!  :P  It felt SO good to finally get it done!   We took the kids to a Christmas Eve service.  For once I remembered to take their picture while they were all dressed up!  It is very difficult to get a good picture of a 10-mo-old and a 2-yr-old!  ;) Serena is SO

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-67227105400843722062011-12-29T22:05:00.003-06:002011-12-29T22:11:22.188-06:00

Serena, Bret, & I spent the day with Mom on Friday.  We played at home and did a little shopping!  Jordan had a meeting, so he came later in the afternoon and then Jason, Julia, Kaden & Keira came for supper!  It was such a good time! Jordan picking on Kaden & Serena Poor Kaden!  ;) Dinner conversation Serena & Kaden Serena loving on the baby Bret keeping himself occupied

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-44713626904340427382011-12-02T14:30:00.000-06:002011-12-29T14:37:07.137-06:00

 We spent the Thanksgiving weekend with Jordan's family up in Cedar Rapids.  The kids & I spent a morning/afternoon shopping with my Mom and Julia, Kaden & Keira, which was so fun!  Keira had unfortunately had a rough night, but Kaden & Serena had a great time together.  I get such a kick out of watching them interact.  Kaden's very literal almost-4-year-old mind has been trying to fathom the

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-61161111200869901372011-11-15T14:14:00.001-06:002011-11-15T14:48:31.096-06:00

These posts are already 2 months overdue, but I've decided to do them anyway.  The time we spent in Phoenix for Julie's wedding was so beautiful and special, and I want to chronicle those memories while they are still (somewhat) fresh in my mind!  These pictures aren't necessarily in the right order, but they were all taken in the days leading up to the wedding festivities. Kaden & Serena's

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-65450980402504006972011-11-14T22:43:00.001-06:002011-11-15T13:41:27.969-06:00

On Friday, Mom & Grandma brought Kaden & Keira down for the day.  It's always a BIG deal to have visitors, so Serena was extremely excited when I told her they were coming!  We all had such a great time together! Serena convinced them to play her favorite thing:  TEA PARTY!!!! Making sure everyone gets 'some'  ;) Grandma with the Bretster Kaden did a good job playing tea party

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-960910950142201222011-11-05T15:00:00.001-05:002011-11-06T15:35:10.568-06:00

We had a teen fall retreat at the camp this weekend, and one of the planned activities was pumpkin carving!  So, when Jordan made the trip to the Amish farm on Thursday to pick up 50 pumpkins, he brought one home for the little bambina!  We let Serena stay up late so we could carve it out after Jordan got home from hunting that night.  She loved the whole experience!  Here's pictures from our

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-51872907437769302962011-10-27T14:58:00.001-05:002011-10-27T14:58:20.493-05:00

I'm a few days behind, but Happy 8 Months to Bret!  :)  He had a busy month of growing and he's now over 18 pounds!!  He's also scooting around like a pro.  He's been working on pulling up on things and is getting pretty good at it.  He is also very good at going from scooting to sitting up.  This is very useful when he needs to stop and inspect the toy that he worked so hard to drag himself to!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-25885886786293380062011-10-22T21:17:00.002-05:002011-10-22T21:17:15.362-05:00

The kids & I (and the dogs) stayed home for most of the 9 days Jordan was away in Colorado.  We were sick and just not really feeling up to doing much anyway.  We finally did make the drive up to Cedar Rapids for the last few days of Jordan's trip.  We had so much fun hanging out, having girl time, making kettle corn, and watching Tangled.  Anna & I even took a little shopping trip one afternoon

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-57447225417145421212011-10-15T22:45:00.000-05:002011-10-15T22:45:07.585-05:00

The last couple months have brought some very new and difficult situations for me.  Things that have brought me face-to-face with the Worst of Me. It started with Serena suddenly having some sort of sleep regression/renewed separation anxiety that woke me up 5-15 times per night for at least a week.  Couple that with my normal 3 wake-up calls from Bret, and you have a very exhausted mommy.  I

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-59565078625095686472011-10-07T13:50:00.001-05:002011-10-07T13:54:34.140-05:00

A week after camp was over, Jordan and Gary, and Jordan's dad and brothers loaded up and headed for Colorado for a week of guy-stuff.  They went rafting and four-wheeling and spent a few nights under the stars.  It sounds like it was awesome and beautiful!  Here's some of Jordan's pictures from the trip.   Some of the rapids.  Jordan said these were some of the easy ones...

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-32903735473494102212011-10-06T20:29:00.000-05:002011-10-06T20:29:24.812-05:00

SHE'S TWO!!!! The best word I can think of to describe the past two years of having Serena in our family is delight.  She truly is a delight and a constant source of delight for us!  She is the essence of toddler exuberance!  I'm so thankful for my baby girl! Serena's birthday fell on a Sunday this year, so we started the day off with church.  She looked so pretty and grown up in her new

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-12916388991329143382011-10-06T14:21:00.003-05:002011-10-06T14:21:53.116-05:00

Serena and Bret thrived in their new roles as Camp Kids.  Bret was very easy-going, taking his morning naps in the Moby Wrap while we hung out at camp, and then just being sweet and sociable with everyone.  Serena was quick to make friends with all the staff and was extremely popular with the campers.  It was funny to see how the different age groups interacted with her!  The Junior Campers were

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-64894311500293749372011-10-05T22:12:00.000-05:002011-10-05T22:12:13.095-05:00

Camp has been over for a while now, but I still feel like it just ended!  Hence, I am just now getting around to posting about it!  Hopefully next year I will do a better job of posting about camp during camp. Camp was really great!  We had such awesome staff!  Even though we had days on end of record-breaking HOT temps, they didn't let it dampen their spirits!  We've heard how God worked in

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-76226906575147502422011-10-02T15:34:00.003-05:002011-10-02T15:34:59.897-05:00

Toward the end of July, we expanded our collection of dogs.  This was something we had decided to do as a step toward starting our own kennel of English Cocker Spaniels.  For a while now, Jordan & I have been talking/dreaming about doing this; and now we are finally in a place that we are able to make it a reality!  We are very excited about breeding and training these dogs that we have grown to

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-41217307626528520972011-10-02T13:18:00.000-05:002011-10-02T13:18:40.381-05:00

Ever since Bret first started lighting our world with his sweet little grins, I've noticed that he has a lot of similarities to my dad!  I mostly see it when he grins, because he has a slightly crooked grin that is generally accompanied by a one-eyed squint and an ever-so-slight lift of one eyebrow.  It's hard to catch that kind of stuff in a still picture!  My grandma printed off a few pictures

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-15537483266426716002011-10-02T10:57:00.000-05:002011-10-02T11:04:00.296-05:00

On Saturday, July 2nd, little Gabriel Lance was born 8 weeks premature to Daniel & Andria!  It was a very unexpected and rather scary experience, but God was so good and we were able to see His gracious hand in all the circumstances surrounding little Gabe's birth!  He was 3 lb, 15 oz at birth; but with the loving help of his very committed parents, he quickly began to thrive and they had him

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-25002364036507902702011-09-20T15:31:00.000-05:002011-09-30T15:31:49.716-05:00

There have been lots of big changes this month.  Bret is on the move!  He started to figure out how to propel himself forward while we were in Phoenix for Julie's wedding; and by the time we got home, he was getting pretty good at it.  Now, he's pretty fast, and nothing is safe from our little explorer!  Serena still loves giving him toys to play with but doesn't understand why he leaves them to

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-59244728894878066642011-08-20T22:12:00.001-05:002011-08-28T02:29:36.102-05:00

Bret is 6 months old! He's weighing in at a little more than 16 pounds. He keeps himself busy rolling all over the floor! He pushes himself up as high as he can and then tries to get up on his knees. Once up, he rocks back and forth a little and then starts yelling because he doesn't know what to do next! He loves playing with any object he can get his hands on; but he inevitably bats or flings

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-14239485858523910022011-08-01T23:08:00.000-05:002011-08-14T23:22:30.808-05:00

Found a few more pictures from Julia & Mom's visit! Kaden & Serena at camp! I love this one! They were having so much fun together! Wouldn't it be fun to get this same picture years down the road! :) Bret fell asleep when it was time to say bye! The 3 of us!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-30725514645028570602011-08-01T22:08:00.000-05:002011-08-06T22:27:36.697-05:00

Two days after moving in, we had our first visitors! Grammie, Julia, Kaden & Keira came down for the day! It was so wonderful to see them after so long!!!LunchtimeSweet baby BretHe's such a happy guy, but I think the stress of the move has taken a toll on his sleeping habits! Hope that straightens out sometime soon! :PSweet baby SerenaRocky posing with his dummies, haha!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-67480900236392200622011-07-29T15:28:00.000-05:002011-08-06T15:47:31.990-05:00

Before we left Grandma & Grandpa's on Friday, Andria came over with Caroline for a little bit! :)Sweet baby girls!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-60756500652507539002011-07-27T17:01:00.001-05:002011-08-05T16:35:51.549-05:00

I hate moving. That is the nicest way I could think of to say that.This was definitely our most difficult move...not as in a move I didn't want to make, but just as in the logistics of it. Our moves have definitely been progressively more difficult. Our first move, from Dunbar, WI, to West Des Moines, IA, was about as simple as can be. I put all our belongings into boxes; we rented a great

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-10513749479217488692011-07-25T16:52:00.002-05:002011-07-25T17:01:13.524-05:00

The ever-popular play matWhenever she sees Bret on the playmat, Serena runs over and wants to play just like himMacy was pretty stressed out by our packing up. This is our 3rd move in her lifetime, and she's definitely caught on!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-89100009909467373592011-07-23T16:03:00.003-05:002011-07-25T16:52:41.610-05:00

Lounging in our neighborhood pool in TexasThe last few weeks before we moved, we had people coming by to look at the house as prospective tenants. We always tried to kennel the dogs before people's expected time of arrival, and Serena started wanting us to kennel her too! It was so funny how she would just sit in there with them! I usually tried to coax her out before anyone arrived, though;

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-61619801720793198452011-07-23T15:47:00.002-05:002011-07-23T16:02:08.945-05:00

I pretty much have to avoid eye contact with Bret while I'm nursing him. Otherwise, he ends up just looking at me and smiling like this instead of nursing!Little sweetie sleeping through church!Macy & Rocky love playing with each other! They have these stand-offs and then finally one of them moves and the game is ON!This picture just makes me laugh! MY BUDDHA BABY!!They're starting to become

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-81944856178000840382011-07-23T14:43:00.003-05:002011-07-23T15:46:22.595-05:00

Every now and then, I dump the pix from my phone onto my computer. I really love some of them, so thought I'd start doing a "Phone Pix Edition" every now and then.When Jordan started working at Encore Wire in Texas, Rocky's internal clock adjusted pretty quickly to Jordan's schedule. Not only did he freak out if Jordan's alarm didn't go off when it usually did (i.e., on weekends!), but he also

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-805495742260078622011-07-23T14:02:00.002-05:002011-07-23T14:43:30.791-05:00

I love this dress! It fits Serena's personality so well!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-75895884298773035232011-07-21T21:56:00.003-05:002011-07-21T23:17:22.996-05:00

Whenever Serena wakes up in the morning or from her nap in the afternoon, I walk into her room and she immediately either says, "Hi Bet!" (if I'm holding him) or "Bet? Bet?" (if I'm not holding him). So, yesterday, both babies woke up at about the same time. Bret was just making happy noises, so I decided to get Serena first since it is so much easier to pick her up with two hands, haha! I

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-84931870347286966522011-07-21T21:29:00.002-05:002011-07-21T21:56:33.307-05:00

I wish I had weighed Serena at 5 months, because she looks so much chunkier than Bret! It probably has a lot to do with her chubby cheeks!!!! ;)

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-24786580721654443172011-07-20T15:50:00.003-05:002011-07-20T16:14:53.237-05:00

Still doing catch-up posts from before our move! ;)Packing up with two babies was quite a feat. Since Serena is still of an age where it is more fun to unpack boxes than to pack them, I did most of the packing while Serena was sleeping. I did do some boxes towards the end while she was awake. I remember her bringing her Kitty over and 'packing' her in a box that I was packing. Awe. I think

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-5506285083915068692011-07-03T22:46:00.000-05:002011-07-03T22:46:00.213-05:00

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-6824660411614974182011-07-02T15:39:00.000-05:002011-07-02T15:39:00.500-05:00

During our last few weeks in Texas, things heated up quite a bit! We started going to the pool again on a fairly regular basis. Although at first she just wanted to go play at the playground (which she could see on the other side of the fence!), she got to the point that she loved the pool! She would even say "Pooh" (pool) when we drove by or when she saw her yellow floaty-tube-thingy! She

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-68840776295288751862011-07-01T14:58:00.004-05:002011-07-01T15:33:43.458-05:00

Well, we are all settled in our new home and I finally have internet! Woohoo! :) Now for some catch-up posts!Over Memorial Day weekend, we took a quick trip up to Iowa to visit The Oaks and see if it was the right 'fit' for us. I think it took us 13 hours on Thursday to drive up. We only stopped 3 times. We spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with the L's; and then we headed back home on

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-88489013550677666882011-06-20T21:17:00.000-05:002011-07-20T21:48:02.861-05:00

At 4 months, both Bret & Serena were within a couple ounces of 14.5 pounds! Apparently, Serena put it all in her cheeks! ;)

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-71265847985480229262011-06-12T14:31:00.001-05:002011-06-12T14:31:35.764-05:00

Life has been a very interesting series of events for us. I could never have guessed when Jordan and I said "I do" all the different things we would be doing! But all along the way, God has been faithful to show His goodness and sovereignty in our lives. Several weeks ago, Jordan received a phone call from a man (G) he had met a few times who runs a small Christian camp in southern Iowa. He is

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-21966175043676875492011-05-23T14:14:00.003-05:002011-05-23T14:32:36.847-05:00

Here are the munchkins at 3 months!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-49742297086994114712011-05-14T15:09:00.001-05:002011-05-15T15:16:50.313-05:00

Jordan got free tickets from work to another Rough Riders game Thursday night! It was another great night, and once again we had a lot of fun out there! Both of the kids were really good, and they even got their mugs up on the 'big screen'!! Serena wasn't really sure what to think about the big camera in her face, but she waved and said 'hi' (accompanied with a smile that showed off her sweet

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-21881751179463145542011-05-06T13:07:00.000-05:002011-05-06T22:57:30.514-05:00

Wednesday afternoon, Jordan called to tell me he'd gotten some free tickets for us all to go to the Frisco Rough Riders baseball game that night! It was such a fun impromptu thing to do! It was a beautiful night, and fun to see some baseball! Bret was very amiable the whole time, and Serena was enthralled with her first minor league baseball game experience! She wanted to sit in her own seat; she

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-35003541957297848802011-04-21T22:16:00.003-05:002011-04-21T22:22:08.942-05:00

Here's our munchkins at 2 months! Both weighed about 11.4 pounds. Healthy, happy, and sweet!I love my babies!!!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-70377747759556857392011-04-18T14:56:00.002-05:002011-04-19T22:37:22.601-05:00

Becoming a parent really changes your life. That sounds so cliche. It's true, though. From the moment I found out I was expecting Serena, my brain started thinking BABY and it hasn't quit since! Before pregnancy, I wanted a baby...but just a 'baby' in the most romantic of terms. I honestly hadn't thought/chose not to think about everything that having a baby entailed. Pregnancy, birth,

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-23016780062468326482011-04-13T14:14:00.000-05:002011-04-14T14:46:05.785-05:00

After all the excitement of Daddy & Rocky's return home, we were all ready to settle in for a good night's rest. But, it was not meant to be! It was a very hot night, so we had all the windows open in anticipation of the expected temperature drop in the middle of the night. Around midnight, we awoke to thunder and lightning and rain. The winds gradually picked up and it started to look like a

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-26670805306741138352011-04-11T13:38:00.000-05:002011-04-14T14:14:33.821-05:00

Jordan has been working hard with Rocky to get him to the "Master Hunter" level. When the opportunity came up to take Rocky to a hunt test down by Austin last weekend, Jordan & Rocky poured the steam on to get Rocky ready! They left Friday night, and Rocky ran one leg of the test on Saturday and one on Sunday (which, incidentally, was his first birthday!). He'll have to complete six legs to

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-66850047711892846072011-03-26T14:39:00.004-05:002011-03-30T15:22:14.393-05:00

Well, things have settled into some semblance of normalcy around here. After Bret's birth, we were blessed beyond measure as we were surrounded by our loving families for the first 2 1/2 weeks of his life. Jordan's mom and sister Anna arrived (by God's perfect design...at which I continue to marvel!) about 8 hours before Bret did. They were 'special delivered' by Jordan's Uncle Craig & Aunt

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-81694856335154047052011-03-21T21:55:00.003-05:002011-03-21T22:10:02.299-05:00

It's already been a month since Bret was born! The days are flying by, but they have been wonderful! I'm definitely more tired this time around. When Serena was a newborn, I didn't mind the nights so much because I could sleep when she slept during the day (not that I always did; but I do remember staying in bed with her later in the mornings). Now, that doesn't work since I've got the busy

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-92119268256957471262011-03-13T20:36:00.002-05:002011-03-14T13:34:54.470-05:00

I thought it would be fun to do a comparison of Serena & Bret as newborns! Each of these pictures were taken just a few hours after they were born!Serena Kay - July 31, 20097 lb, 3 oz, 19.5 inBret Jordan - February 20, 20117 lb, 4 oz, 19.5 inSo, what do you think? Do they look alike? Do they resemble anyone in particular?

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-85395719222892173462011-02-24T14:06:00.006-06:002011-02-25T14:57:00.367-06:00

This is for all those who love reading birth stories as much as I do! Warning: no details spared! ;)After giving birth naturally to Serena, I knew that I would never want to give birth any other way. However, I had often wished that I had not had to have Serena in a hospital. The bright lights and sterile atmosphere are just not really up my alley, nor do they jive with my idea of what I want

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-42167305690145081332011-02-20T12:49:00.004-06:002011-02-20T12:59:21.298-06:00

Bret Jordan was born today! He made his grand appearance at 4:51 this morning. He weighed 7 lb, 4 oz and was 19.5" long. He has lots of dark hair, and is a very sweet and content little baby! We were home by 7:45, before Serena even woke up! She was in the loving care of her Grandma & Aunt Anna who arrived last night at 8! We were so thankful for how God worked out all those details! :)

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-23390357836567270802011-02-17T23:07:00.002-06:002011-02-17T23:10:19.887-06:00

We made it to the big due date! Unfortunately, Bret apparently didn't want to share birthdays with his Aunt Jessie. :( Guess we'll have to keep waiting to find out what day he does want for a birthday! ;)

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-26274170784186439432011-02-03T23:26:00.001-06:002011-02-15T13:30:28.631-06:00

38 weeks and still feeling great! :) Trying to get all those little last-minute preparations done for baby Bret. I'm starting to feel a bit of the time crunch, though I'm not anticipating an early arrival from him!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-47204675927809967572011-01-20T21:03:00.000-06:002011-01-25T21:12:36.562-06:00

36 weeks along now! Time is flying by! I knew it would once the holiday hub-bub was over. About a week ago, I had a horrible bout of the flu and thought Bret might be attempting an appearance. Thankfully, he didn't; and now I've decided I'd rather he wait at least until his due date. If he decides to go a little past it, that's fine with me too. ;) I'm actually feeling very comfortable

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-52682051597648906182011-01-11T20:44:00.000-06:002011-01-25T21:02:56.871-06:00

Happy Birthday to Kaden! He had an awesome Hawkeye-themed birthday party!I got to read a story to the Birthday Boy! ;)Serena & I (She was a teething crank that day, poor thing!)A family picture! Probably a too-rare occurrence for us!Oooo, Look, Serena! A new book!Admiring her tea set (which she LOVES, by the way!)With Aunt JulieWith GrammieBouncing on DaddyI just love this picture! It's not

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-46479165134441092582011-01-09T20:09:00.001-06:002011-01-24T22:10:53.117-06:00

The day after Christmas, we loaded the truck back up and headed for Mom's in Minnesota! JaJuKaKe and Eric also arrived that day. We spent the evening out at David's family's, which was fun! We celebrated Christmas on the 27th. Julia & I dressed the kids up for fun! Keira & Serena wore matching dresses! We had bought them last January when Julia was still pregnant with Keira. I remember

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-90062352823038168172011-01-07T21:34:00.002-06:002011-01-22T22:45:52.159-06:00

Going home for the holidays was much-anticipated this year since it's been 4 months since we've been up there and seen everyone! It was QUITE the big trip! Serena did an amazing job being in her carseat for over 13 hours! We were so thankful for that! I had packed all our food for the day, so we only stopped for gas/potty breaks. The dogs were pretty good too. They spent some of the time in

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-29745904482304335902010-12-23T21:31:00.000-06:002011-01-22T21:34:15.725-06:00

Well, today I'm 32 weeks. I survived the 13+ hour trip up to Iowa a few days ago, which feels like quite an accomplishment! ;) Definitely enjoying being with everyone and all the relaxation that comes with not being at home!!!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-54842206877426647342010-12-09T21:24:00.002-06:002011-01-22T21:31:45.663-06:00

Today I'm 30 weeks along, and as I compare this picture to the last one I took, I'm amazed at what a difference 2 weeks has made! I'm definitely feeling it, too! :P Hello, backache! Bummer!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-59479364775008040722010-12-01T11:41:00.001-06:002010-12-01T21:07:40.791-06:00

You know I don't normally post youtube videos and such, but this one just really got me laughing today! :D

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-77473455727457012752010-11-25T22:07:00.003-06:002010-12-05T22:20:37.873-06:00

Third trimester!!!!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-84611893356301496992010-11-23T13:27:00.004-06:002010-12-05T20:54:15.760-06:00

Jordan took a big hunting trip to Kansas with some guys he has met down here. They left on Wednesday and returned Sunday night! He brought both doggies, making it Rocky's first big hunt! They slept in tents and brought their own food (and it was freezing!), so they were really roughing it! Meanwhile, Serena did our best to hold down the fort here at home all on our own. It was very lonely

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-54248889209064257292010-11-16T14:15:00.001-06:002010-11-29T14:50:43.895-06:00

Aunt Julie came to visit us for a few days last week! It had been since MAY!!!! that we had seen her last! We picked her up from the airport Saturday night and she stayed until early Wednesday morning! It was so good to get in some sister time...talking, shopping, going for walks, watching movies, and playing with Serena!Serena enjoyed talking with Aunt JulieShe thought Aunt Julie's iPhone was

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-82635491342014311912010-11-14T21:08:00.005-06:002010-11-14T22:53:29.850-06:00

I know! It's been 3 1/2 weeks since I've posted about the doggies and you're just dying for an update about them! ;) So, here it is!Rocky is decidedly bigger than Macy now! He's also at least as attached to Jordan as Macy is. Hence the look of intense devotion on both their faces as they await his next command in this picture!Jordan would like to get into duck hunting this year, so he bought

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-80605970795998229752010-11-11T21:05:00.006-06:002010-12-05T22:05:56.141-06:00

26 weeks, you guys! Growing tummyI wanted to get a picture with Serena, but she just wanted to see the pictures on the cameraIt's okay baby!Yay, we got one! (Thanks to Daddy! Haha!) :D

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-78040537998741984652010-11-06T13:13:00.000-05:002010-11-13T20:59:39.470-06:00

After 2 long months down here, we finally had the pleasure of hosting some visitors from back home! Kari, Grant & Anna flew down on Thursday the 28th and flew home on Thursday the 4th. The time went by WAY too quickly, but it was wonderful to be with them again! Serena soaked up all the attention like a little sponge. She thought it was great waking up to more than just Mommy & Daddy in the

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-46475056468405473642010-11-01T20:59:00.000-05:002010-11-13T21:03:18.086-06:00

We didn't actually go trick-or-treating this year, but we did get Serena's pumpkin costume out for fun!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-85637012718658751892010-10-26T10:03:00.001-05:002010-10-26T10:03:59.137-05:00

Macy & Rocky both have this annoying habit of sitting or laying right where you need to be. As if it were not challenging enough to avoid tripping over Serena, these two (or one or the other) have figured out the most popular places to be depending on my activity. Washing dishes? Dogs sit right in front of the kitchen sink. Getting ready for the day or for bed? Dogs sit right in front of MY

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-5000506547609731852010-10-25T10:17:00.001-05:002010-10-25T10:17:55.020-05:00

It seemed like the perfect solution to our fly problem! A little fly tape and they would (at least mostly) be all taken care of! We've been enjoying the beautiful weather sans mosquitoes quite a bit! The novelty of the absence of mosquitoes here (especially in comparison to the especially dense population in Clive, IA) has begun to wear off, but the flies have picked up the slack in the

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-12296836976130803252010-10-21T21:17:00.002-05:002010-10-21T21:17:00.227-05:00

It's pretty fun around here with two dogs! Rocky has added such a wonderful element to our family dynamic! He is exuberant and playful, but very sweet and loving! He's also a very quick learner and is a much better behaved puppy than Macy ever was! Macy was such an ornery little puppy, but Rocky has a great desire to please that makes him very teachable. He's grown so quickly and he's about

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-80408059157273263162010-10-19T22:12:00.003-05:002010-10-19T22:18:40.943-05:00

I am officially caught up on here! I went ahead and dated the posts chronologically rather than dating them by the date that I actually posted them. I don't know if that makes sense, but what I'm trying to say is, there are a BUNCH of NEW posts on here if you'll just scroll down!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-21219418049229361312010-10-14T15:28:00.000-05:002010-10-14T15:28:25.396-05:00

The 22-week mark has been achieved!  I know how this goes.  The pregnancy is creeping along and you hang on for the little milestones that mean it really is progressing (i.e., a tiny bump, belly button popping out, first ultrasound, end of morning sickness and other 1st-trimester annoyances, first movement inside, first movement outside, second ultrasound...).  THEN!  You hit the half-way mark

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-9523569800665031852010-10-01T23:56:00.000-05:002010-10-09T21:02:03.224-05:00

We had our big ultrasound today. According to technology, I am 20 weeks, 1 day. But, as Serena reminded us when she was born, only God really knows how far along a pregnancy is! ;) Everything went really well with the ultrasound. The little guy wasn't as active as Serena was for hers, but we still had fun getting a look at him! He was in a position that made it hard for the technician to get a

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-22389009518455820502010-10-01T14:26:00.001-05:002010-10-01T14:27:50.192-05:00

I have so much catching up to do on here!!! It's been NUTSO!!!! I'm going to try to get back at it though! Cheer me on! ;)

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-44069167541727078742010-09-30T23:56:00.000-05:002010-10-14T15:04:38.184-05:00

We've reached the half-way point!  :D  Baby is doing well and so am I!  Feeling lots of movement these days, which is of course very exciting!  Can't wait for the big ultrasound tomorrow! Serena insisted on being a part of the photo shoot!  ;)

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-41157517285859227372010-09-25T21:30:00.002-05:002010-10-08T21:51:32.471-05:00

Here are some of the highlights of our new neighborhood:The neighborhood pool & playground are the first things you see when you pull in. Well, that and the Walgreens across the street from the pool & playground! The pool is really nice and big. The depth ranges from 3-5 ft, I think. At either side is a 'shelf' that is only about 6" deep and since it is almost as wide as the pool and juts out

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-66151194235624991042010-09-21T15:25:00.000-05:002010-10-04T22:55:56.736-05:00

I know it's pretty lame, but here it is! ;) Video tour of the house

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-41005903792717664612010-09-20T21:41:00.000-05:002010-10-04T15:22:12.770-05:00

FINALLY! Here they are...pictures of our new house!Our house in TexasThis picture is taken immediately after coming in from the garage. You walk into the edge of the kitchen area and the living are is straight in front. Serena is coming out of our bedroom over there to the right.Still standing in the same place the previous picture was taken, this is what you would see to your left. The

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-5782270173000096252010-09-09T20:02:00.000-05:002010-10-01T20:06:06.765-05:00

17 weeks pregnant today!I've been feeling pretty well, and my belly is definitely making an appearance! Right now I'm in that awkward stage of pregnancy where my belly is too big for most of my normal clothes, but too small for my maternity clothes! :P I've been feeling the baby moving for a couple weeks now!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-92138200344049255952010-09-07T17:53:00.000-05:002010-10-01T20:02:16.686-05:00

Our first week in Texas has flown by! We spent two nights at Mike & Eltza's. They were great to us! Serena had so much fun having 2 brothers for a few days!Serena & Max playingOn Wednesday afternoon, we were finally able to get into our new house! It was so exciting! We were really happy to finally be able to start unpacking and getting settled!Apparently, it got pretty hot in the trailer!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-86286787323674817012010-08-31T17:06:00.001-05:002010-10-01T17:53:20.281-05:00

Yesterday morning we pulled out at 7:45, headed for McKinney, TX. Our first houseOur truck and trailer all ready for the big driveIt took us about 15.5 hours. We made 7 stops, I think. Serena did pretty well. She had a few sad times, but mostly she was distractable! :) She took a nap in the morning and one in the afternoon, and then fell asleep for the night around 8:30. She was quite the

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-4142413868516027112010-08-12T17:02:00.000-05:002010-10-01T17:06:38.594-05:00

Oh, yeah, and did I mention that I'm pregnant?! Here's my 13-week picture! I'm SO happy to have the 1st trimester 'officially' behind me! Hopefully I'll be getting my energy back soon!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-28892808818709194432010-08-11T16:48:00.000-05:002010-10-01T17:02:05.462-05:00

The word is out! We're moving at the end of this month to Texas. Yes, that's 3 weeks from now...to TEXAS!!! Aaaaahhhh! The plan for the next 3 weeks is to make one last visit Granada & Cedar Rapids, do a few house projects, sell as much as we can, buy a trailer, and pack everything up. Oh, and find a place to live in a metropolis of 6,500,000 people!That's all. :PAnd then there's the drive

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-63808660031245002212010-08-09T15:27:00.000-05:002010-10-01T16:32:54.376-05:00

Our little baby girl is one year old!! She got to celebrate her big event over the course of two weeks. It all started a week before her birthday when Grammie & Aunt Jessie stayed at our house before flying to Phoenix to visit Aunt Julie. They brought some birthday presents for Serena and we had fun watching her open them!Serena with her present from Grammie. The bag was almost as big as she

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-70492139994230202712010-08-09T14:38:00.000-05:002010-10-01T16:45:01.566-05:00

Check out these posts for more birthday action:Birthday GirlBirthday Cake & PresentsAnd here's a video of her eating cake:

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-89095423401590460292010-07-19T11:21:00.004-05:002010-07-19T15:59:46.274-05:00

Yesterday was a gorgeous day. Jordan asked me what I wanted to do, and I said it would be so fun to go to a park with a lake or something where the dogs could run around and swim and we could just enjoy being outdoors. But, I was thinking we would never be able to find a place that wasn't overcrowded since it was a Sunday afternoon! Then Jordan thought of going to Badger Creek. It is a large

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-17167397474206214692010-07-16T20:29:00.003-05:002010-07-16T21:20:13.664-05:00

We're going to have another BABY!We had an ultrasound on our anniversary (a week ago) to find out how far along we were. This is our baby at about 8 weeks!We're a little over 9 weeks along now, and expecting Baby #2 to arrive somewhere around February 17 (which is Jessica's birthday)! :) We're really excited about having another baby! Serena will be 18 months old, and I think she's going to

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-35751024867231619242010-07-07T15:02:00.000-05:002010-10-01T15:27:10.102-05:00

The same day Jordan took Rocky I back to Jay's, we found out we are expecting our second baby! We then started thinking that waiting until October for another puppy might not be too great of an idea. By that time, I would be over half-way through my pregnancy. Plus, it would be nice if the puppy were as old as possible before the new baby entered the scene. So, Jordan started looking for

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-33336177866040447492010-07-05T14:30:00.000-05:002010-10-01T14:59:26.984-05:00

This is going to be the streamlined version of our 4th of July weekend!Cousin-love! It's pretty cute to watch Caroline and Serena interact as they grow older! Caroline is becoming much more interested in Serena and with a little encouragement, Serena was more than happy to show Caroline a little love.We went to my cousin Christa's wedding and Serena got her first real doll from Grammie! She

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-859484089712651052010-06-26T12:47:00.001-05:002010-07-18T12:12:07.070-05:00

Well, Rocky had to leave us. :( We discovered he had an under-bite, and so Jordan took him back to Jay's (the breeder) this morning. Jay has another litter he's expecting to have ready in October, so we're planning to get one of those pups. Not the timing we were hoping for, but hopefully it'll be worth the wait!

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-69418472049254433702010-06-17T08:55:00.000-05:002010-06-18T13:52:39.602-05:00

His name is Rocky and he's an English Cocker Spaniel like Macy. He's VERY sweet and loves to be held; but as soon as you put him down, he becomes very rambunctious! He has been very well received by both Macy and Serena, and of course Jordan & I love him! :)Jordan got home with Rocky around 7 Wednesday night, so Serena and Macy and I drove over to a nearby park for the initial meeting between

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-20869791944225010522010-06-12T17:40:00.000-05:002010-06-20T13:06:13.697-05:00

What a special thing it was to be able to celebrate Anna's 13th birthday with her! She has become such a sweet friend to me and I am so thankful that she is my little sister-in-law! We enjoyed a pretty relaxed day. Andria & Caroline came over in the early afternoon and we had fun playing with the babies together. Caroline was much more interested in Serena this time! They were so cute

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-67486352978523375142010-06-07T16:22:00.000-05:002010-06-14T19:17:16.108-05:00

Jordan's old roommate Chad (who was also our 'Kampus Kid' for 3 years) got married on June 5! We didn't know his bride (she didn't come to Northland until after we had left), but she seems like a wonderful, sweet girl and a perfect match for Chad! We were so happy to be at their wedding and partake in all the festivities! Jordan was a groomsman and really enjoyed the time spent with old

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-16633507222257235932010-06-02T16:09:00.000-05:002010-06-13T16:14:05.782-05:00

Our family is about to get bigger! This little puppy is going to be coming to live with us on or around June 16th! He's about 5 weeks old in this picture. We stopped to see him on our way home from Mom's. What a sweet little guy he is! He's the same breed as Macy and from the same breeder. His dam is actually Macy's littermate, so I guess he is technically Macy's nephew? We're looking

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-68707667638452478182010-06-01T15:36:00.000-05:002010-06-13T16:14:45.052-05:00

Minnesota was our Memorial Day weekend destination this year. It was wonderful to have such a long and relaxed visit with Mom & Jess. The weather cooperated, too, so we had a lot of fun doing things outside!Yes, Jess has been touched by an angel. Heehee! ;) Jordan warned us that this picture was going to turn out like this!Mom & I LOVE McDonald's sweet tea for $1!! :DJess & DavidMom & I

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19990303.post-44733298134394266042010-05-19T16:07:00.000-05:002010-06-13T16:14:31.066-05:00

Keira's arrival provided a wonderful occasion for our family to all get together at Jason & Julia's for the weekend of May 15th. Julie flew up and Mom & Jess & David drove down, and it was a very fun reunion centered around the new baby girl of the family!Kaden and Serena playing together...or at least in close vicinity of one another! ;)Me with little KeiraWe stopped at KFC to pick up food for

The Horakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977950003511083426noreply@blogger.com0