Our Awesome Trip to Florida!

So more on the trip! We SURVIVED!!! Haha! Actually the kids LOVED the beach. They played forever down there. We had an awesome pool as well at our condo that they adored! They are so much like their mamma! They made lots of new friends and so did I!

We did have a MAJOR meltdown on the last night and I have to admit it was MY fault! I needed to stop being crabby and get ahold of my emotions, but it didn't happen that night! We were all in tears. I apologized like 900 times and we ended up all having a fantastic night! I hate moments like that when I lose it! But God is merciful thank the Lord!

The travel back home was NOT fun. Joe had to go check in a bag he had forgotten and I got stuck with 4 kids going through security!!! Can I just tell you what a pain that was? 4 shoes off, 4 bags on the table, my shoes off, take the baby out of the stroller, fold the stroller, have to go back to the "special waiting place" while they check my diaper bag, all the while trying to keep track of 4 littles, and then having them THROW AWAY my 7 dollar tube of baby lotion for the chocolate chips skin!!! I mean REALLY?????? Not a happy Mamma. Finally got through all of that, got on the plane and Praise the Lord Ade slept through the whole first flight. Relief. The 3 older kids were no problem at all, they were awesome. We get to our first destination and Ade was a PILL. Oh my is he 2!!! He is in some baby boot camp due to his attitude!!! He was NOT good on the flight home. We made it off the flight and Max and Maya got the giggles and Max was not listening to me so I had to take him to the airport bathroom and spank him which he smirked at me, not a smart move little guy! He should know this by now! We made it home and immediately dropped the littles off to my parents house. Ahhhh at last peace and quiet. Joe and I went for a run and I finished unpacking! And all was better! I forgot to mention that the LOST my makeup/hair stuff bag and had to deliver it later that night!!!

I would have to say one of the best parts of our trip was how God opened up so many doors for me to talk about adoption! I met a lot of awesome people while in Florida. So many people asked us about adoption and I got to talk about one of my favorite subjects A LOT!!! Ade was a like a little celebrity! He is a treasure to behold for sure. My kids were great and I think we were successful in making memories with them. I am blessed, even in when I'm stressed!

Travel Day to Florida!

So our travel day started out pretty well. The kids did pretty well on the plane and Maya LOVED her first plane ride. Well after about 10 hours of sitting on a plane and in a car, the kids were about ready to LOSE it!!! We had to go eat. We ate at PF Chang's and Ade was OUT OF CONTROL!!! Oh my goodness was he crazy. We left there a bit frazzled and snappy and headed to WM. We are staying at a condo and it has a kitchen so we decided to eat our lunches at the condo and dinner out. After WM we finally arrived at the condo. Joe and I were a bit on edge to say the least!!! The kids were DYING to get outside. So we loaded up our things and off to the pool we went.

At this point I was kind of thinking this was a crazy idea to take 4 littles on vacation. I had gotten this floaty thing for Ade that I used with my 3 other littles and I put him in it, turned around to see the other 3 and I turn back around and Ade is face first floating in the water struggling!!! I quickly yanked him up, he didn't make a sound for a few seconds and then vomited all over the place. It was official, we WERE crazy for taking 4 littles on vacation, I had already nearly drowned my baby and we hadn't even been in the pool for 10 minutes!!! I was almost in tears and told Joe this was a terrible idea to do this!

After the pool we headed back to the condo and put on jammies and watched a movie and went to bed. The next morning we woke up and we had a FABULOUS day! More about that later with pics!!! So we are heading home tomorrow, we have had SOOOOO many opportunities to talk about adoption, it has been really cool. God is great and if we can get the word out then He is using us and we love that!

Is Florida Ready For the Freudenthals???

We have had quite an exciting week/weekend!!! Joe and I headed to Ozark to attend our nephews graduation dinner. It was so fun to hang out with our family without the kids. It was sort of "the calm before the storm"!!! We are headed to Florida bright and early tomorrow! All 6 of us. We are so excited. This is our first ever family vacation in 10 years! We are renting a condo and staying on the beach. It will be Maya's first plane ride and she is ever so pumped!

I always get so stressed out about packing. But I got it done. And I managed to only have 5 bags with 6 people. Pretty impressive I must say! So I hope Florida is ready for the Freudenthal clan!

Last night my parents stayed all night with the kids and they had their cousins over. We came home to a huge mess which is so unlike my mom! Ella had not gone to sleep ALL NIGHT and she decided she and her cousin were going to make breakfast at 5 in the morning. Let me just tell you how many times she has been told NOT to EVER EVER EVER turn on the oven in the kitchen without our permission. Sometimes it is so frustrating and exhausting how kids just act in the moment. They get an idea and this is what they are going to do no matter what. So needless to say she got a spanking when we got home from Dad and we had to have yet another talk with her about if we can't trust her with little things we won't be able to trust her with bigger things. And she of course did the ole' "I forgot"! And then later she said she was really sorry and I told her I forgave her but actions speak louder than words!

Sometimes I just get really discouraged being a parent and I know it is completely normal, but really does anyone EVER listen!!! I am praying that our trip will be a great family bonding time and that we don't get stressed out and overwhelmed! Please pray with me!

Tonight was also a rough night, God has brought me sooooo far in certain areas of my life. I am very aware of what I eat and try to watch what I eat and not freak out if I eat a little extra one night. I weighed myself this evening and I have gained a few pounds! I really wanted to cry and was really struggling internally! I am just going to have to watch it better and ON VACATION!!! I have been doing so well not freaking out but tonight I am officially freaking! OK, I need to go to bed, I have to be up SUPER early in the morning!

Gray and Blue and the Back row crew!!!

So tonight was the kids spring concert, the Gray and the Blue. It was very cute and the kids and teachers did an awesome job! But I must say that the best part was sitting in the back row with the back row CRAZIES!!! Oh my goodness, we laughed so hard the entire time. Between Kris telling us everything about the Civil War and about how this was true and that was true, Mark texting us from right beside us and getting video of us dancing and singing, it was quite fun!

Actually Ella had a small speaking part and she nailed it. She spoke clearly and was awesome. I was proud of her. Max just sang and he did it with all of his heart! What precious little kids I have.

After the fun concert we all went to Baskin Robins where more fun was had by all. I love my crazy friends!

I've Been Diagnosed With 2 Things This Weekend...

Strep throat and BIEBER FEVER!!!!! OMG, I watched the little Justin Bieber with the kids and I fell in love with him! He is such a precious little guy. A christian and just adorable. I see now why all the little girls LOVE him! He is so stinkin' cute. My kids have been laughing so hard because I keep playing his music and even have his ring tone on my phone!:)

The strep on the other hand, not so fun. I have been totally exhausted for like 3 weeks, went to the dr. was treated for a sinus infection, never even tested for strep and then this week I was horrible tired again and I went to the WM clinic and she did a strep test and I had strep!!! UGHHHHH. Not fun.

AND I haven't stopped eating for a week so I feel like fatty fatterson!!! Not fun either. I need to get some control. We went to the sectional track meet to watch some friends and family run and it was sooooo cold! Oh yeah, I wanted to remember some funny things the kids said this week.

Me: Max why is your big toe so fat?
Max: Mother Nature Mom, Mother Nature!!!

Ella got her first "Love Letter" this week, she gets in the car reads it to me, throws her arms up in the air and says, "What am I supposed to do with this?"HAHAHAHA!!! I love that girl. She makes me laugh and she is growing up way to fast. I want her to stay a little girl forever. I love this phase with her right now because we talk about EVERYTHING and we have a really good time together. It is a fun stage!

Maya last night watching Never Say Never when Usher comes on, "Usher is soooooo cute!"HAHA!

And Ade is starting to put 3 words together, this week he said, "I sorry Mamma." I love you Mamma." I done Mamma" and "Detchup"!!! He is talking soooo much. And then he was taunting Max saying "Maaaaaaax" because he wanted Max to get him. A precious family I have indeed!

Ade's First Mother's Day!

Yesterday was the first Mother's Day that Ade actually got to spend with his "Mother"!!! Oh how he loves on me, he really loves his Mamma! He got dedicated at church yesterday and he fell asleep right before we went up and slept through the WHOLE thing! He was really impressed I guess! It meant so much to me that he has been with us longer than he has been with anyone and he has a mommy now to love and cherish him. To teach and discipline him. To laugh and get annoyed with him! He was sooooo cute yesterday. He looked like a little man.

My Mother's Day was GREAT!!! The kids and Joe spoiled me! The girls got me a shirt from American Eagle and a bracelet and 2 necklaces. Max got me a charm for my Pandora bracelet and Ade got me one to represent him. So pretty! And Joe surprised me with new diamond hoop earrings! I ate a chili cheese hotdog from Dairy Queen and came home and took a super long nap! It was a great day. And of course we dedicated our precious boy! The kids were all soo good to me and I am super blessed to have those 4 children call me MOM!!!

The Perfect Day!

Today was a perfect day! It started out with the girls and I taking my mom out to breakfast for Mother's Day. We had such a nice time and it was fun just us girls! Mom took my girls shopping for me for Mother's Day and I headed out to the mall because the Chocolate Chip is getting dedicated tomorrow at church so he HAD to have a new outfit of course! He is going to look so cute. I'll post pics!

When we got home I took a nap and we headed over to the district track meet at the school. Haven our cousin was running and several of the girls we know from school. It was such a beautiful day and the kids had a blast. We all got a little burnt! It was especially nice because my cousins were there and they took Ade for most of the afternoon!

We left the meet and came home and the kids played in the sprinkler! It was Ade's first time and I soooo enjoyed his giggles and screams. He loved it. I then gave them some Dilly Bars from Dairy Queen and they were in heaven. Ade had it EVERYWHERE!

I ran up and down the hill and up and down the driveway for some exercise and thought i was going to die. But it was nice to sweat. The kids made me a super sweet mural on the driveway for Mother's Day!

It was just one of those days when the kids were great, we really enjoyed them and everyone got along. It was a perfect day!