Daddy would be proud

All of you who know "daddy" understand by this picture why he would be so proud! The Dargan kids sit on the front porch of their home in Hillsdale waving American flags. Joe is very patriotic and is always talking to the kids about heroes and how proud we should all be to have what we have. Every day, he tells the kids how lucky we are. Yes, at times he is talking about living in America and having freedom. He talks about his Grandpa Joe who fought in the war.

Aside from freedom and waving American flags, what he is really proud of in this picture are those 4 wonders that look up to him with such admiration and listen so intently to every word he says. He tells me every day how fortunate our family is to have each other. He says "We are lucky. We have a wonderful family and we have something special." I wish Grandpa Joe and Gram could see what a wonderful father and husband he is. I wish they could see how much he adores his family and how much more his family adores him. Every day at 5:30, those 4 cuties stare out the window just waiting for their hero to come home. First they yell 20 times as loud as they can "daddy's home". Next, they say "daddy, how was your day?" Then there are lots of hugs and kisses and of course more questions.

We are lucky in so many ways. Most importatntly, we have our family which is healthy, happy and filled with love.

Keeping it simple

I have not been adding too much lately. It's not that I don't want to. I think am just enjoying my time with my family. Our days are now broken up by school schedules which I am not happy about. Lately, when Ryley gets out of school, we sometimes just sit on our deck and talk about our day or head to a local park. It's tough to go on daily adventures. That's OK though. My kids are perfectly happy staying local sometimes. The other day I set up a blanket on the front porch for lunch and they were so excited. They are easy to please. They still enjoy stroller walks where we have funny conversations. Fall is now here which gave us the opportunity to collect leaves. Sometimes the most simple ideas turn out to be the most exciting. Last weekend, it was a spontaneous hike behind the high school in Hillsdale. All the Dargan kids needed was a mysterious path, some great walking sticks and seeing a few deer along the way!

Just a thought

School has started and we are all trying to adjust. I already miss the lazy summer days of doing whatever we want. I miss all of us being together all day. We still manage to fill our days with fun and excitement. I have some one on on time with the kids which is great. They enjoy it, but what they love even more is all of us just being together. Fall is here and with that comes our outdoor adventures. TJ has just become one of the gang now. His sister and brothers adore him and he adores them as well. He imitates everything they do and will do anything to make them laugh. They are all so different yet share the same spirit and love in their hearts. I am so proud of them.

Boys first day

Well, it's Joeys second year of preschool. Wow, time really does go fast. Joey walked into his classroom with all smiles and he was so confident. He definitely gets that from his daddy! I am so proud of him. He was so excited and he looked so handsome! He is an amazing little boy, and I just love watching him in action, especially when he thinks he is Spider man! He is a character who makes everyone laugh. I am laughing as I am writing this just thinking about him. I love you Joey!

Ryleys first day at Kindergarten

Well I know this is supposed to be a very happy day and a big deal (blah blah blah). I have feared this day for 6 years. My little girl left for Kindergarten. OK, I am happy for her, but part of me just wants her to be 1 again. I must be doing something right though because she has turned into this beautiful, sweet, smart and caring little girl.

I cried for days before and I cried again as I left her classroom. I am fine now. It definitely has taken me a few days to adjust. So, my first day of Kindergarten was tough. The tough day for Ryley was her second. I think it set in that this is every day now and all day. Ryley is like her mommy. She likes to relax in the morning. Ryley doesn't like to "have to" be anywhere at a certain time. Joe says she got that from me! She cried a couple of days going in, but Uncle G spotted her on line and she was all smiles. I feel better now. I miss her very much, but I look forward to seeing her smile when she gets off the bus. I love you Ryley more than you will ever know. We are so proud of you.

Summer Vacation

Well, we just got back from our summer beach vacation in Sea Isle City this week. Our beach vacation is something we look forward to months in advance. Ryley counts the days and usually starts to ask months ahead of time. It's such a wonderful time to spend together. It's so carefree. I love being able to just relax and have fun and enjoy being together. I don't have to clean or run errands or do laundry. It is a week dedicated to my family.

This year, Ryley enjoyed the water more than ever. She has always loved the water, but she is more comfortable now and jumps through the waves with no fear. Joey is so different from last summer. Last summer, he would not go near the water. He wouldn't even put his feet in. This year, he was swimming through the waves and jumping and loving it. Owen was a little more cautious, but he too changed since last summer. This summer, he would at least walk down to the water, put his feet in and if he was feeling crazy, he would let you take him in as long as you were holding him! He was adorable. TJ was such a good boy. He loved the sand and somehow figured out a way to get sand in every part of his body. He chased the seagulls and ran away from the waves. He napped like a champ on the beach and woke up with a smile the whole time. The kids loved playing with their cousins, the weather was beautiful, the family time was wonderful. What more could you ask for!

Owen's birthday

Joey turned 4 June 22nd. Just a few weeks later, Owen turned 3. Sometimes I still can't believe they are only 13 months apart. Joey was only 4 months old when I found out I was pregnant again. What a blessing! Now 3 years later, my little Owen turned 3. Owen looks up to his big brother. They sleep together every night and he always inches closer to him to make sure he is touching him. At times, they wrestle and hand starts flying and the tears come rolling, but they share a special bond. The Dargan kids are so close in age and are always together that they sometimes don't know what to do when they are not with each other. It's sweet!

We celebrated Owen's birthday at Dairy Queen. He had a smile on his face from ear to ear. He told me all he wanted for his birthday was candles to blow out. How innocent and adorable. Owen is such a sweetheart. He is tough, but has a huge heart and aims to please. He danced and sang and smiled the whole time. He loved being in the spotlight and celebrating with his cousins. I think the highlight was making his own ice cream sundae. He ate 2! Happy Birthday Owen. We all love you!