Vacation

A few "posts" ago I told everyone about our decision to finally take a vacation this year by ourselves. Well, I am happy to announce that we have also made a decision on where that vacation will be! We will be going to Fort Walton Beach, FL most likely sometime in April. We are planning to rent a condo on the beachfront and stay for a full week! I can already hear the Hallelujah chorus! If any of you have been there before and know of some "must see" spots, let us know. And, a big "thank you" to everyone who sent us vacation ideas and tips.

Three Peas In A Pod...

Here are some cute pics of the kiddos playing together this evening. It is so funny to me that, even though they have an inexhaustable amount of toys, they still prefer the laundry basket over them all. :)

What Happens When Momma's Not Well?

So we have all heard the saying "if momma aint happy, aint nobody happy" right?... Well, I have a new version of that for you and it goes a little something like this... "If momma aint well, aint nothing else well". Some of you might be wondering why in the world I would post these pictures of my house online when it is in such a disgusting state, and this is my reason - For the last week or so I have not felt very well and it seemed like it was all I could do just to keep the kids clothed, fed, and safe. Some of you might have chatted w/ me on the phone at that time and listened to me whine about how trashed my house was. (It usually goes something like this... "Three days ago I had my house spotless and was caught up on the laundry and now I am laying here watching it be destroyed right before my eyes.... blah blah blah"). Now you can all see exactly what I mean when I say "my house is trashed". Okay, so maybe these pictures are a little embarassing but maybe they will also help some of you to feel better about yourselves when you look around at your place and realize how "together" you are. Yeah, good for you or whatever. Anyway, I have alot of work ahead of me... Pray for me! :)

It's Time

This picture represents a huge desire in my husband's and I's hearts. We have been married for over eight years and have never had a vacation. I know some of you are thinking "What?! For the love of all that is holy! You guys need to get out more. You have to, for the sake of your marriage. For the sake of your sanity." and there are others of you thinking "Oh that's nothing. We've been married twice as long and never gone anywhere together. There so many other necessary things to spend your money on." Well, we have decided to jump on board with those of you rooting for our sanity and are hoping to finally be able to take a week off of work, parenting, bills, housework, etc. and just be together. That being said, we have no idea what to do or where to go. We love nature, but I also want to be pampered :). We can't afford anything extravagent like the Bahamas or whatever, but definately want to go somewhere "exotic" here in the U.S.A. so please help us! If any of you are traveling gurus or have a favorite vacation spot that is pretty cheap please email us or leave a comment with your tips and info.

Toddler Love :)

Dustin's Valentine

Okay, so I don't have any pictures to post concerning this (right now anyway) but I have some very exciting Valentine's Day news about my bro to report. Dustin, very romantically, proposed to his girlfriend of 3 yrs this evening and she said yes!!!! Yeah Dust!!!! I love Brittney and couldn't be more excited to have her as my sister-in-law. Our family is very happy for them. :) And, once I get a picture of their beautiful faces (and the beautiful ring) I will put it up for everyone to see.
Congrats Dustin and Brittney... And put on your seat belts. Ha!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

The kids decided to sit down and create some cute valentines for their grandmas (everyone sigh a collective "aawwww" here..) and we thought you would like to be a part of the festivities. :) You will have to excuse Jude hanging out in his skivvies... If it was up to him we would be a permanent part of a nudist colony!

Joel had his Valentine's Day party at school today and brought home a bag stuffed with cute valentines and candy from his classmates... But he was mostly excited about getting to play bingo in class instead of doing school work. Isn't that funny?! When I was in first grade I don't remember school work being so dreaded. You know, it sucked having to trudge three miles up hill in the snow with holey shoes all the way to school and all, but the school work was fun. Wink, wink.

The Park

We took our little guys to Suson Park the other day while Joel was at school and it was so much fun. Here a couple cute pics of Jude and Rory playing. Aren't they so cute?! We saw horses and ponies, chickens, sheep, goats, pot belly pigs, turkeys, and a peacock! Their favorite part (of course) was the brand new play ground... Which is as much parent-friendly as it is kid-friendly.

A Proper Introduction...

Welcome to the first ever Hanewinkel family blog!!! (This is so exciting, I feel like I am up for an Emmy or something). For those of you who are new to our family circle, or haven't seen us in a while, here are some pictures to catch you up! ...See above.

This evening has been full of adventures ranging from battles over dinner to the current thunder of our three munchkins dancing their hearts out to salsa music in the living room. Our life may be many things, but one thing is for sure... There is rarely a dull (or quiet) moment in the Hanewinkel house! We hope all of you enjoy what small window we can give you into our home through this blog. God bless!