Joey turns 5

I remember the day Joey was born. I remember that feeling I had when I first met him. Those strong feelings of love just stay with you and get stronger each day. Now, Joey is 5. I can't believe it. I sometimes wish I could keep them all young.

Joey is such a compassionate boy with a huge heart. We are so proud of the little boy he has become. He is a wonderful brother to Ryley, Owen & TJ. Happy Birthday Joey. We love you so much.

Hiking with the Dargan boys

Family time is what matters to us most. When I am with Joe and the kids, I am as happy as can be. I am so proud of what I have. I am proud of what I have done. I have 4 wonderful children and an incredible husband.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hiking with the Dargan boys (Hobson too!) All they need are some good walking sticks and good snacks and they are happy. All I need are smiles and laughs and I am happy. We had plenty of that. Joey, Owen & Hobson hiked their way to a lake where they got to dip their feet in the water. Of course this turned into dipping their whole bodies in the water. Then Owen looks at me and asks me all confused how his clothes are so wet. He is too cute! TJ tired out and napped in the stroller. I was the lucky one who got to push the stroller up the mountain! We missed Ryley but I am taking her out of school Thursday so we could all head to the beach for a fun filled day.

While hiking, I could heard Joey and Owen having sweet conversations with one another. I look back at them and once again just smile.

Graduation

Yesterday Joey graduated from Hillsdale United Preschool. I watched him march through the room, waving his flag and singing as loud as he could sing. He was so proud. I could not be more proud of him. Of course I cried first. I said I wasn't going to but I just can't help it. Joey is just an amazing little boy with a huge heart. He kisses me every morning and says "good morning mommy, I love you." As he marched through the room yesterday singing, all I could think about was the day he was born. He was this tiny little baby and now almost 5 years later graduating preschool. It really does go so fast. I am happy to say that I enjoy every second and look forward to enjoying every day with my kids. I have not missed anything. I sometimes wish I could go back. I just want to keep them little. I love their innocence.

The same week, I had the pleasure of seeing Owen get his certificate for finishing his first year of preschool. Where does the time go? Every Tuesday and Thursday he complained about going to school and how he wanted to stay home. He always came out out of his classroom though with a smile and a huge hug that melted my heart. His teachers adored him. Owen is a sweetheart. He can be tough, but he will melt your heart. He is a hard worker and loves to learn. All you have do is see Owen smile and you fall in love with him.

Our new addition

I feel like I have a fifth baby, but the new addition to our family is Hobson, our puppy! I finally broke down and decided to go for it. Joe has been asking for a puppy for 6 years and he had all the kids convinced as well that a puppy would be a wonderful addition to our family. After all, as Joe says, "it's America." Joe always says that when he wants people to appreciate the simple things in life. If we are hanging out on our deck and having a nice time then "it's Ameica."

Well I have say that he was right! Some mornings have been hectic especially since it has rained every day since he arrived. To top it off, my washing machince broke down and Joe and I decided to do a detox cleanse so I couldn't drink coffee or eat any food for 3 days. Well, you know me. I have this attitude that I can do and handle anything. It was a bit of a crazy week, but it has been great. Ryley, Joey, Owen & TJ adore Hobson. He is a part of our family.

Highlights of my week:

Ryley and Hobson falling asleep together on the couch.

TJ asking me to lay down with him and then hearing him say "Mommy, I love you so much."

Watching Owen sing and smile at his Spring sing in school. He was adorable. He was so proud of himself as he should be.

Hearing Joey belt out "God Bless America" during Owens spring sing. Joe would be proud!

I sit back sometimes and just say "Life is Good."

Additional spring break pics

I had to add more pictures from our week off together because they are just so cute!

Spring Break

We had been looking forward to spring break since the winter. We love a week with no school. For us, that means everyone is home together. Owen informed me the other day that he likes it when we are all home. (so cute) To make it even better, Joe took the week off as well. The weather wasn't perfect but the Dargans had a blast. We always have fun together. Sunday started off with "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." (that was not my favorite part of the week, but the kids loved it)

On Monday, we headed to Alstead Farm for a hayride, hay climb, Easter egg hunt, and wagon ride. (all smiles) The Dargan kids are so easy to please. On Tuesday night, we had Hibachi.(a Dargan favorite). On Wednesday, we saw Rio. The kids loved it, and even Joe and I had a few laughs during it. On Thursday, we headed down to Point Pleasant. We love the boardwalk. Everyone can be a kid on the boardwalk. The kids loved the rides and Joe and I had a blast watching them have so much fun. We remember how much fun we had when we were down there as kids, and we still love it. I want my kids to experience that excitement of being down the Jersey shore. After a full day at the beach, we stopped at Grandmas and Pop Pops for dinner to end the day even better. Friday was another adventure for us. We took the kids to Great Adventure. We started off with the Safari which was incredible! There were lots of laughs, especially when the giraffe was almost on our car. Next were the rides. Ryley could not wait to get on a roller coaster. Ryley and I went on Rolling Thunder. She laughed the whole time and I smiled at her and enjoyed watching her and listening to her. We held hands and laughed together and just had so much fun. It was one of those times I will always remember. We talked as we waited on line and we were both so excited (God, she is just like me). At one point, she held my hand, then hugged me and said "I love you mommy." Did I say how much I love being a mom? The boys headed to Loony Toon land and loved it! Even though Ryley became a roller coaster pro,she still loved going on the rides with her brothers. At one point, Ryley and Joey had their arms around each other as they walked. It was an amazing day. Saturday was a special day. It was time to visit our puppy. We took a 2 hour trip to PA to visit a litter of pups. The pups were all over the kids. They enjoyed every second of it. Joe and I smiled again as we looked at our kids and said "those 4 are amazing." They really are. I have never been so proud in my life.

Looking up to one another

Each day I hear Joey yelling for Ryley and Owen yelling for Joey and TJ yelling for Owen. It's amazing how they all look up to each other. They sometimes sit on the couch and snuggle up as Ryley reads a book to them. Joey watches Ryley in awe as his big sister reads to them. Owen just wants to sit next to his big brother Joey. He wants to do whatever Joey does and always wants his approval. TJ repeats everything Owen says. He asks Ryley to change him and goes to Joey to ask for help with his socks. Ryley is the big sister and is always proud to teach them new things. She in a sense looks up to her brothers. She respects them and protects them. They love each other so much. It is an amazing to watch all of this as a mother. I am proud.