We just got home from a week in paradise...

8 days in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo Mexico was just what we needed. My parents & Katie/Mike took turns watching the chicks for the week... THANK YOU!!! The weather was perfect, low 90's and full sun every day. It was pure heaven! The resort was beautiful & the beach was even better. So clean & peaceful listening to the waves.

We spent all of our days on the beach from about 10am to 4/5pm. From there we'd head up to the pool & relax up there a bit before heading up to our room to get ready for dinner. It was so relaxing, we couldn't have asked for a better week. Best feeling sleeping with the patio door open & hearing the waves in the ocean below. I packed so much stuff & the majority of it we didn't even need. WAY too many clothes...swimsuits & sunscreen were the most important things, pretty much all we needed! Also nice to have our great friends Wendy & Travis with us for the entire week. We didn't have any fun at all!

Having them there made the week so much more enjoyable. We had so much fun together. We had several massages on the beach, relaxed in the sun, swam in the ocean & enjoyed amazing dinners together. We visited some pretty great restaurants throughout the week. This one was one of our favorites. It was up high on a bluff & we could hear the waves crashing below us all the while we were eating. Maybe I'll turn on the sound machine to ocean sounds during dinner this week here at home to mimic the wonderful dinner we had there! haha

Wednesday was wedding day. Travis's brother got married on the beach at the resort {Gary & I were the very welcomed wedding crashers/wedding photographer} Beautiful day... we all had so much fun & had another great dinner on the beach beside the ocean. The beach was dark by dinner time & all lit up with candles & lights. Again, sounds of waves crashing just feet away from our table. So incredibly calming.

 Wedding was not complete with out a few pyramids to celebrate...

Our last afternoon/evening we took a cab to the marina in Zihuatanejo, rented a big boat & cruised out into the Pacific Ocean for a few hours. 

It was absolutely beautiful. The water was so blue and the sunset was great as well. A few jumped off the boat & got stung by jelly fish. I opted to stay on the boat & was feeling a little sea sick... good choice in my mind.

Later, the boat took us to a remote location & we had dinner on the beach with most of our group. The restaurant was very small & non-commercialized. I was a little hesitant to eat the food but it ended up being quite good... mostly fresh fish, but I managed to find some other things to eat. Everyone else loved the fish seafood.

Far too many photos for me to share them all, but this was a good taste of it all. Although we missed the girls tremendously, we definitely enjoyed ourselves & are already looking forward to our next vacation in a few weeks. This time with kids, we can not wait to bring the girls to the ocean. We are so excited, spring break can not come soon enough. For now I just need a few weeks to detox. We are all feeling like we ate & drank too much while in Mexico. Less than 4 weeks until we leave for Alabama! xoxo

Originally when we talked about our plans to visit Larry this past weekend, we had told the girls that we would take them ice skating on Saturday during the day. Obviously, our plans changed a bit on Saturday & the day did not really go as planned. After we spent time at the house, we all needed a little fresh air & Gary's mom needed some time to herself to collect her thoughts. So we did end up taking the girls skating... much later in the evening but it was still enjoyable & the fresh air was much needed after the emotional day.

The kids were all doing okay & didn't totally understand the nature of what had happened earlier that day. It was nice for us to get out & have some family time together. All three chicks had skates on. Margaux & Marin did pretty well. Maeve had some serious rubber legs. She could not keep herself up, which turned into quite the workout for Gary & I trying to keep her upright.

Luckily it was fairly mild outside so we didn't get too cold. The girls all had so much fun...

My cousin Camille joined us as well. She goes to school in the city & lives pretty close to the rink. It was nice to see her & spend some time with her. She got an arm workout as well trying to keep Maeve from falling.

We are hoping to use the skates at least one more time this winter. We'll see, the winter is just flying by. I loved hearing Marin's giggles while we skated. She fell so many times & would just sit on the ice laughing. 

One hour of skating & it was time for dinner. xoxo

We had a pretty difficult weekend & it definitely did not go quite as planned. Saturday morning we headed down to see Gary's parents for the weekend. Since Larry's doctor appointment a week and a half ago {they decided to stop all treatment & begin hospice}, his health had deteriorated quickly. We really wanted the girls to see him & with us leaving for Mexico Friday a visit was very necessary since we would not have seen him until we returned the following week. We got to their house a little before 10am. The girls got to see him & hold his hand which hopefully found him comfort. There were a few visitors in & out that morning. The girls played happily with Devyn & Landyn in the basement while we visited & spent time with Larry upstairs. Shortly after noon he began to get sick & within minutes he was gone. Definitely one of the most intense & emotional moments we have ever endured. He was such a great father/grandfather & seeing him suffer over the last 6 months has been heart-wrenching. We found comfort knowing that he is no longer suffering or in any pain.

We knew his time would come, but did  not expect it to happen so quickly or while we were there this past weekend. We all have extremely heavy hearts & will miss him dearly. We spent some time Saturday afternoon completing his obituary.

 

DANE, WI - Lawrence Otto Brown (Larry), age 76 passed away Saturday February 6th in his home after a battle with cancer. Larry is survived by his wife of 44 years Cece (Duss) Brown and his seven children: Dana Green, Mike Brown (Annette), Debbie Lankford (Jimmy), Scott Brown, Dan Brown, Gary Brown (Sara), Jesse Brown. He also leaves behind grandchildren: Jamie, Curt, Chris, Ryan, Josh, Amanda, Crystal, Jessica, Josh, Cheyenne, Marin, Margaux, Maeve, Devyn, Landyn. He’s also survived by his brother Ron Brown, his three aunts: Viola Brown, Lois Blum, and Alma Fritz, his sister in-laws Mary Duss, Josie DeDussi (Mike), Theresa Hardt (Bob), and two brother in-laws Adolph Duss & Phillip Duss (Patty). He was preceded in death by his mother and father Dorothy and Otto Brown, his in-laws Peter & Margaret Duss, as well as two brother-in-laws: Frank Wright and Henry Duss.

Larry was born July 19th, 1939 in Archer, Iowa to Otto Brown and Dorothy (Fritz) Brown. They lived in Iowa until 1950 before moving to the Los Angeles California area. In 1957 Larry joined the United States Army, where he served nine years of service; primarily as a Military Police Officer. Larry rejoined the Army in 1964-1968 for a second term. During this term Larry was deployed to Vietnam for active duty. Larry received the Bronze Star for his service. After he was discharged in 1968, he started training with the LA Police Department, had a change of mind and returned to the Army from 1968-1971.
Larry spent a short time farming with his father Otto after the military, until he married the girl next door (Cece) February 9th, 1972. After moving to Dane, WI Larry spent many years working for Raemisch Implement as the “parts man.” Larry retired and enjoyed his time traveling with Cece and being in the company of friends and family. Larry was very proud to have seen the lower 48 states with his wife. Larry and Cece shared many great stories and memories that will last a lifetime.
The family would like to thank Agrace Hospice Care and the VA Hospital/clinics; especially all the staff at the infusion clinic. Also a special thanks to all of our friends/family for your continuous love and support, especially Norman Ripp for his frequent visits. Larry really enjoyed them. Larry will be missed by many and forgotten by few.

 We have appreciated the many calls/texts/cards that we have received as well. It is still very hard to believe that he is gone & I am sure it will take time for that to settle. 

We love you Larry, you will forever be in our hearts.

The girls had a snow day yesterday because our area was anticipating a really bad snow storm. The snow started at about noon yesterday & continued snowing until about 2pm today. Not nearly as much snow as they anticipated but they had a 2 hour delay this morning as well. Roads are bad & lots of blowing snow. Nice to have them home an extra day... I love having them all home! 

Because school was cancelled our neighbors decided to invite all the little girls over for breakfast in their pj's Tuesday morning. Such a fun idea & our girls loved having breakfast with their friends on their day off.

Once breakfast was done, they headed outside with friends to wait for the snow to arrive. They were outside most of the day & came in soaking wet. Because of the delay this morning {the bus came @ 10am} we were outside again before they had to get ready for school. HEAVY snow because the temps are pretty mild. Gary missed all the fun because he is in sunny/hot Florida for work this week.

I am very thankful for amazing neighbors that helped with the snow removal.

Marin helped me clean up some of the extra snow after the snow blower went through this morning & then she started a fort in the snow. Complete with steps & a bedroom!

Maeve wanted "all the details that Marin has in her house," and was having a bit of a hard time. So instead of asking for help, she pouted & did not want her picture taken...

Eventually I got her out of the funk, we picked up the shovel she threw & she started working {with my help} on her snow house. In the end she was very excited about her house & had a great time playing outside. I am assuming they'll be back out when they get home shortly.

Margaux did not enjoy the snow this am, she chose to spend her 2 hour delay & be completely lazy!

No interest in being outside at all. She was content in her jammies sitting on the couch until it was time to get ready for school. So not the norm around here... usually she would be outside & the other two would be in the house! 

Eventful two days, that's for sure! Lots of fun for the girls too! It will be interesting to see if they get any more snow days yet this winter. xoxo

Thanks to my uncle Mike, the girls & I spent the day yesterday at the water park! He was staying at a nearby hotel for work & was nice enough to share the wristbands for the water park. Such a fun day. The big girls each brought a friend & Maeve hung out with Sloane...

They all really enjoyed the water. Up and down the water slides, floating down the lazy river, in & out of the hot tub, and swimming in the big pool for 4 1/2 hours. Margaux's favorite was of course the hot tub...

Marin's favorite was the big slides that you go down on the tube. They loved it & were literally up and down the entire day.

The big highlight of the day was the discovery of the outdoor hot tub. They have been in hot tubs outside in the winter, but none this big. They could have sat out there forever.

Hard to photograph though with the weather being so cold... lots of steam rising off the water. We left & they had big smiling faces. They were full of treats & even had ice cream. Needless to say, they were all very tired once we got home.. but it was a great day. xoxo

Whoa, busy few weeks for the Brown family. We've had our friends here visiting from Australia since just before Thanksgiving. It has been so great having them here & we have been trying to spend as much time with them as possible. Today they leave to head home & we are all feeling sad. Not sure when we'll see them next...hoping this summer but nothing planned as of now.

Maeve even got to skip a day of school last week to spend some extra time with Brody. Shanna & I took them for a special day & they were so excited. They had some fun play time at an indoor trampoline park & then we took them out for lunch. We all had so much fun, although the big girls were not happy when they got home & Maeve announced all they had missed!

Marin is such a good little mother to the little kids. She especially enjoyed Hendrix & wanted to walk around with him all the time. She thinks she's 16 & can carry the babies all over the place, she does the same thing with Sloane! It is so funny. The girls loved having them around & we all got a kick out of Brody's cute little Australian accent. Now we'll be back to seeing them on the iPads via face time for some time. We'll definitely miss them! xo

Sad news... our cute little fish Anna died a few days ago. She was swimming a little funny for over a week or so... we knew something was wrong but we continued to feed her & even cleaned the water just to make sure that wasn't an issue. There were a few times we had to jiggle the bowl to see if she was still alive, but each time she'd just start swimming. Until a few days ago when I walked in the girls' bathroom {that's where we have her bowl} and found her looking like this...

Definitely not swimming. I thought the girls were going to be so sad, we'd had her for a year & a half... but to my surprise they weren't nearly as sad as I thought they were going to be. I got the net out & scooped her up & went to put her in the toilet. When I did, her little body did not fall nicely into the water, it plopped onto the side of the toilet without any water. She was stuck there & needed to be flushed. The girls thought it was hilarious! Poor thing got flushed in a hurry!

Our plan was to take the girls to pick out a new fish, but last night while we were at our friends house for the Packer game, her teenage daughter told us she had a betta fish in her room that she was having trouble remembering to feed. So she said she wanted the girls to take him home & take better care of him. The girls were so happy! So away we went with our new little friend. 

Meet Clifford the little red betta fish!

We did take the girls to the pet store to pick out new rocks this morning... the pink ones we had for Anna did not go well with Clifford's red body. The girls picked out blue rocks & a little green leaf that sits just below the surface for him to rest on. Apparently Betta fish like a place to rest near the surface. A new pet in the family... just like that. WAY easier than I thought it would have been! We love watching him & are hoping he will live as long as Anna did, if not longer. xoxo

Quick shot of my bunch of girls from this past weekend. They all came over so we could catch up & see each other. It is becoming harder & harder to get us all together these days with all our busy schedules/families. We also celebrated my birthday, as well as our friend Laurie's. 

Such a fun bunch of girls, we really had some great laughs. I love them to pieces & am so glad that we have all remained friends after all these years. Most of us have known each other since middle school & some since elementary school! I am so thankful for each & every one of them & loved spending my birthday with them.

Birthdays are Best Days Mommy

Happy Birthday Mom!

We love you! Thank you for everything you do for our family. All the FUN things we did in 2015 were AWESOME! And this year will be better.

Last night we celebrated with our friends when daddy was in Madison visiting grandpa. We played games & had cake. It was fun.

Hope you had a good birthday! We love you!

XOXO,

Marin

Happiest of Birthdays to this crazy guy we call daddy...

{Photo credit goes to Marin}

 He had a pretty great 2015 with his 1st Iron Man now in the books, and

he's not stopping there! He is training for a 64 {yes I said SIXTY FOUR} mile trail run in two weeks & we all think he's nuts!!! Needless to say, he's definitely not slowing down in 2016 & never ceases to amaze us. When he puts his mind to something, he's going to do it & we love that about him. We'll see what other crazy he decides to do this year. Whatever it is, we'll do our best to be there to support him in any way we can.

We love you so much & hope you have a great day at work. Looking forward to celebrating this evening with the chicks once he gets home. No cooking, we are headed out to dinner... his choice, although something tells me the girls will end having some say in his decision. xoxo

The yoga birthday party was a success! The girls all really seemed to have a great time & were definitely tired when they left. I think it was a combination of the yoga & being tired from New Years Eve just two nights before. It was a long week for everyone. Margaux chose to have purple & turquoise for her birthday colors this year, no specific theme. 

We decorated the house with her colors & used the chevron pattern to label the girls' water bottles which turned out so cute. They really loved that they each got their own water bottles & had them with them while they did the 1 hour yoga session in the basement. I hired Robin from the local yoga studio to come do the yoga with the girls. She brought 12 mats/blocks & a lot of fun for the girls! Marg was so excited to wear her new leggings that we gave her for her birthday that morning. Our three were all dressed & ready to go in their yoga leggings & tank tops! I was amazed at how flexible Margaux is... She is a natural yogi! Cat & cow were her top choices along with swaying tree pose...

 

Margaux said it was okay for both Marin & Maeve to participate in the party as well. I think it is safe to say they both enjoyed the party. Marin was full of giggles. She is NOT nearly as flexible as Margaux. Totally takes after me.

 Maeve did her best to follow along. It was cute watching her trying to be like the big girls.

 12 girls fit well in the basement. We did have to fold up the ping pong table to make space, but it worked & they loved it! Love that you can see Gary chilling on the couch in the back ground!!! ha!

 Robin posed for a picture with the birthday girl before heading home.

 We had just enough time to have cake, ice cream, lemonade & some snacks before opening presents. She got some really cute gifts & was most excited about a selfie stick & MORE Calico Critters. She really did have a great birthday & was so happy all day. After the party we went sledding at Grandma & Grandpa's with friends again and then made chicken legs {one of her favs} for dinner. We were all in bed pretty early. Long, fun day!!! We love you Marg!!! xoxo

Happiest of birthdays to our sweet little middle!!!

 She brings so much love & laughter to our family... with a large side of crazy & goofy!

Seven years ago we spent a quiet low key New Years Eve at home with our little Marin, grandma & grandpa. They came down for NYE and to hang with Marin while we went to the hospital to have Margaux a day and a half later. Seems like yesterday... Seven years later she stayed up til 12:45am on New Years Eve & now today we are having 10 little first graders over to celebrate her birthday with a yoga party. She requested breakfast in bed but I didn't get out of bed early enough to make it!! When I got up she said she didn't want to wait in her bed for breakfast! She then requested donuts, which I was happy to do. Seven candles in that long john! They fit perfect.

More candles means it is a lot harder to blow them all out at once!

 Yoga party starts @ 1:00pm today and she is counting down the minutes! Of course I had to snap a few birthday photos. She just cracks me up. It is so hard for her to smile nicely & sit still for more than 5 seconds. She is WAY too squirly & goofy! Although all the shots were adorable...

We love you so much Margaux & are so excited to celebrate with you today {and tomorrow}. The plan is to take the girls sledding again after her party, so we'll have a day packed full of fun for sure! I can't even imagine one more present in this house after just having Christmas but Margaux thinks it is the best! haha Pictures of the party to come! xoxo

Happy New Year!! 

We rang in 2016 with a bang yesterday... full of fun & excitement.

We started the day off with some sledding at grandma & grandpa's with some neighbor friends. Fresh snow from the snow storm earlier this week made the sledding perfect.

It didn't take long for them to be covered in snow & having a blast. The snow was perfect, they were just flying down the hill. I am always terrified that someone is going to break a bone or something. It is a huge hill! Maeve didn't last long, but she was out long enough to enjoy quite a few trips down the hill & she loved it.

These two did not travel down the hill once alone. They went down on top of each other every time & many times they were flying off the sled half way down the hill.

We are all very thankful that it FINALLY snowed & we were able to enjoy it this week during Christmas break. The kids have been outside in the snow all week. We're hoping to get some sledding in again this weekend before they head back to school. It has been so nice having Gary home all week too. 

Last night we hung out here at home for a bit before joining our friends/neighbors for New Years Eve gatherings. I bought the girls 2016 glasses that did not fit their heads well, but we got a photo! Marin snapped one of Gary & I as well. Love my little photographers!

We snapped a family selfie before heading out to hang with friends. {notice Gary's crazy mustache.. I am not a fan! He looks creepy!}

All three were so excited to be able to stay up til midnight with their friends. They watched movies all night in the basement while the adults hung out upstairs watching football most of the night.

 We watched the ball drop in NYC at 11pm & then at midnight had fireworks in our neighborhood. It was a lot of fun, although we are all pretty tired today! The girls are all outside playing in the snow with friends & I am just trying to get the house in order. Looking forward to a relaxing night & celebrating the birthday girl tomorrow!!! xo

Just realized I never shared some of our photos from our family session that we had taken this fall. I of course waited to share any until our Christmas cards were sent out! So many great images, it makes it impossible to choose favorites. My dear friend Jenny took them for us & she did such a great job capturing our family & the personalities of the chicks. These photos were taken at the very end of September so I planned outfits for cooler temps & cooler they were not! It was 84 degrees the day of the pics & we were all very hot but the girls did great!

My favorite of the family...

 I just love this photo of our girls.It is amazing how quickly they grow.

The girls did so great. They are definitely used to having their pictures taken! And, it was so nice to have someone else doing the picture taking... and totally different being on the other side of the camera. She made the afternoon so enjoyable & I really love all of the moments she captured. Looking forward to doing it again. xo