The LaRouche Family

New Family Photo

2008-09-13T21:10:00.002-04:00

This is our latest family photo. God has truely blessed us with such a beautiful group.

Our Growing Boy!

2008-09-06T21:13:00.003-04:00

Noah is really growing quick. He is already taking a few steps and will be walking any day now. He is such a happy little boy and full of energy too.

Noah's First Birthday

2008-09-06T10:34:00.001-04:00

Noah had a great time at his party. He really got into his cake as you can see from some of the pictures. Thanks to all those that could make it to the party!

Farmers Dominic & Brianna Milking a Cow

2008-08-10T22:19:00.002-04:00

Dominic and Brianna had Fun at the Indiana State Fair. They had a whole area for kids to "Be a Farmer for the Day". They gathered eggs, fed the pigs, planted & picked vegetables, rode on tractors and even got to milk a cow. At the end they got to sell their products to the market and even buy something with their money. It was great FUN!

10 Years of Wedded Bliss!

2008-06-20T21:28:00.000-04:00

Andrew and I celebrated our 10 Year Wedding Anniversary on June 13 and went on a short romantic getaway to South Haven, Michigan. It was really nice to re-connect (without kids) and spend a little quality time together. It was such a beautiful place. We hope to go back sometime (maybe even with the kids). Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for watching over the munchkins while we were away. I know they had a great time too.

Indy 500 Rookie Run

2008-05-20T22:26:00.003-04:00

Dominic and Brianna had a great time in their first ever road race (can you tell they belong to Andrew). Sorry the video is a little choppy. Andrew and the kids got me a new FLIP video for Mothers Day and we are still learning to use it. Plus it was very crowded and tough to get good shots. They all got medals at the end and they are both ready to do it again next year.

Messy Eater

2008-04-05T22:17:00.000-04:00

Noah is getting to be such a big boy. Here are some recent pictures of him eating. I think more was on his face than in his mouth. I've got a few here with him cleaned up too.

Easter 2008

2008-03-30T22:08:00.001-04:00

The kids had a blast coloring eggs, doing their Easter egg hunt and of course eating lots of Candy. Brianna loved her new Easter dress that grandmas sent for her. Unfortunately it was way too cold to wear it. Thank God for the gift of his son as we celebrate this blessed day.

Spring is Here!

2008-03-25T22:03:00.001-04:00

We got a couple of nice days in March and the kids were able to get out and ride their new bikes they got on their birthday. They enjoyed some fudge pops as well as some soccer and baseball. You gotta love spring!

A Rosey Mess

2008-02-20T21:57:00.000-05:00

It was Saturday morning and the kids wake up at 7am and go it to wake up mom and dad. Mom and Dad are tired and tell the kids to go downstairs, grab a breakfast bar and turn on cartoons.

When we come down to fix breakfast and get everyone going we find that Dominic and Brianna have dumped out dried rose petals (collected from roses given to Nina from Andrew over the last 10+ years) all over the floor, couches, in the playpen. It was quite a mess. I took pictures because I knew that someday I would look back and laugh.

Twins 4th Birthday Party

2008-02-10T22:21:00.000-05:00

They had a Curious George birthday and had a great time reading stories and playing games. Of course they enjoyed the cake and presents too. All the kids got to take home a bunch of bananas to make Curious Georges's special Banana bread with. Thanks to all who attended and all those that wanted to.

Family Fun

2008-01-20T21:50:00.001-05:00

Almost every Tuesday evening we go to the local Chick Fil-A for dinner out. It's kids night and the kids eat free and they have games, face painting and a play area that would tire any kid out. Here are some pictures of the kids recent paintings and a few snapshots of the twins with their favorite baby brother.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-31T21:43:00.000-05:00

This was our first family Christmas at home. It was really nice to have the kids wake up to Santa's gifts at home. The kids really "got it" this and went to town tearing open presents and loving every minute of it.

Noah is Growing Up

2007-12-31T21:29:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of Noah in December. He a very happy baby and extremely laid back. The kids just adore him and take great care of their little brother.

Thanksgiving in Kansas

2007-11-29T23:03:00.001-05:00

We drove 9 hours in the van to Kansas for Thanksgiving. It actually wasn't as bad as it could have been considering the fact that we were traveling with 2 preschoolers and an infant. Anyway, we all had a great time visiting our family. Thanks to Shanon and Jeff for being such awesome hosts for dinner. And thanks to Mike and Robin for some great entertainment.

Noah's Baptism

2007-11-11T22:52:00.000-05:00

Noah was Baptised on November 11 at Our Lady of the Greenwood. His Godparents Jim and Carolyn are friends from church. We have gotten to know them over the past 3 1/2 years since they absolutely adore Dominic and Brianna (and Noah of course). They are great Catholic role models for our children and we adore their family.

Our Newest Family Member

2007-09-15T13:46:00.000-04:00

Noah arrived at 7:07 am on Sept 4. He weighed in at 8 lbs, 7 oz and was 20 inches long. The twins just adore him (and his parent do too). He can sleep through anything (including Dominic) and has a healthy appetite (mom is up every 3 hours).

15 Days and Counting!!

2007-08-27T19:20:00.000-04:00

We are awaiting the arrival of the newest member of our family. The kids are really excited and have a chart counting the days until the baby's arrival, although mommy is hoping that it comes sooner than later (it's been a really hot summer). We have purchased a new (new to us) minivan so that we have plenty of room for everyone and the twins love it. We will of course update everyone with pictures once our bundle of joy arrives.

Big Kids

2007-07-01T15:39:00.000-04:00

Here we are sitting on our new Big Kid beds in our Big Kid room. We even helped paint the walls.

Enjoying a popcycle on a hot summer day.

Eating every last bite then licking the stick.

Dominic takes his time with his popcycle.

Water Fun!

2007-06-20T15:30:00.000-04:00

Who wants to get wet? Brianna has no fear of the water and joins in right away. Dominic is a bit more hesitant.

Cooling off in the summer heat.

The water train at swimming lessons. Look at us go!

Dominic learns to float on his back with Kristen (his instructor).

Having Fun with Friends in the Neighborhood

2007-05-20T15:16:00.000-04:00

Look at me. Brianna just finished playing in the sprinklers and then heads for the playground.

Master climber and slider Dominic follows suit.

Mowing the lawn while getting a tan.

Brianna riding in Ben's motorized Jeep.

Dominic riding with Ben. Who said that women are crazy drivers? Watch out Ethan!

Dominic and Brianna on Wheels

2007-05-02T15:08:00.000-04:00

Roller skating on the sidewalk with our skates from Grandma and Grandpa.

Brianna showing off her skills.

Well, maybe we need to practice a bit more on those skills.

Dominic feeling pretty confident.

Spring is Finally Here!

2007-04-25T14:59:00.000-04:00

Dominic and Brianna both pitching to Daddy.

She's a natural. Look at the way she commands that bat.

Brianna loves to kick the soccer ball. She actually knows how to dribble. We'll probably enroll her in the YMCA Preschool clinic this fall.

Dominic loves to watch Daddy hit the ball. He's not too bad with the bat either.

This is so fun!

Easter Morning 2007

2007-04-10T14:51:00.000-04:00

The Easter Bunny was very generous to everyone this year.

Of course we had to dig into the candy right away. Who could resist all that chocolate?

Choco-holic Brianna with Cadbury Creme egg all over her face.

Dominic finds an Easter egg.

All dressed up for Church. Don't we look GOOD!

Just the Two of Us!

2007-03-15T14:40:00.000-04:00

We thought it would be a great idea to try to fit into our toy box. I guess we can both fit.

Eating Birthday Cake at our friend Alexis' Birthday Party. Of course Brianna is not wasting any time devouring her portion.

Just cuddling up together. Always watching out for each other.

Birthday Party-3 Years Old!

2007-02-05T14:27:00.000-05:00

The kids had a Blue's Clues Birthday Party. The invitations were the start of the festivities (designed by their loving Aunt Shanon) with clues on each card to discover the details of the party. They had a great time using their "handy dandy" notebooks to write down each of the clues they found. 1. Mixing Bowl and Spoon 2. Oven 3. Birthday Candles. Of course it wasn't hard to figure out that the answer was "Birthday Cake". They also had lots of fun playing the games like pass the present w/ tickety tock, toss the ball w/ pail and shovel, musical paw prints and pin the flag on mailbox. Everyone got a blues clues hat and a doggie bowl with "dog food" as well as their goody bag to take home. It was a great time and of course the kids were spoiled with lots of presents from friends and family.

Winter Fun!

2007-01-22T14:12:00.000-05:00

The kids had a great time playing in the snow. They built a snowman and rode around on the sled with Daddy. They even had a snowball fight.

Autumn Fun with Leaves!

2006-11-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

Dominic and Brianna watching Daddy rake leaves. Of course it didn't take long for them to get involved.

Dominic helping daddy pick up leaves.

Brianna playing in the leaves. She really was trying to help.

A LaRouche family portrait.

Brianna and Dominic posing for the camera.

Trick or Treat

2006-11-05T13:37:00.000-05:00

Firefighter Dominic and Princess Brianna excited and ready for Halloween to begin.

They wore their costumes ALL DAY long!!

Here they are at daycare with their friend Lacey (the witch)

Look at all the candy mom!! I'm going to eat it all OK!

Apple Orchard & Pumpkin Patch

2006-10-31T16:34:00.000-05:00

Dominic and Brianna riding with mommy on the tractor around the apple orchard.

Dominic and Brianna in the pumpkin patch trying to find the perfect pumpkin for Halloween.

Wow, look at all these pumpkins. How long do you think it would take for us to knock them all down?

Here it is mommy. I found the perfect pumpkin--but I can't pick it up. HELP!

Oh, Dominic it isn't that heavy. Watch I can lift it up.

The Basement is Finished

2006-08-15T22:14:00.000-04:00

After over 2 years of sweat & tears (mostly from our friends and family) our basement is complete. Now when you all come to visit you don't have to work & you will actually have a place to sleep too! Of course we are still working on living room furniture so it looks a little bare right now, but the kids love the big open space. The day we had the carpet installed the kids opened the basement door and said something like "Wow, we like our new carpet!! This is our new toyroom!!" It sounded a lot better than I can put into text here. Anyway, it is one of their favorite places to hang out now and they can run around like crazy because there is nothing down there except their toys. We hope to have you all over to see the finished product very, very soon. We want to especially thank Mom who inspired us to get started and helped with sooooo much of the project. We would also like to thank Dad for his electrical expertise, Jeff & Shanon for driving so far to help with trim only to catch the flu from our children, Rochy & Kris for the many weekends doing ceilings, mudding and for a beautiful entertainment center and finally Mark for teaching us how to do bathroom tile and for helping to install our backup sump pump. We owe all of you so much for all your hard work and we love you all!

Dominic having a blast!

2006-07-11T21:32:00.000-04:00

Dominic playing with the cars at the Children's Museum

Dominic doing the chicken dance.

Dominic playing in his snow boots and pajamas.

Dominic laughing and having a great time.

Dominic playing in the tunnel at the First Steps Reading Day.

More Summer Fun with Brianna

2006-07-11T21:18:00.000-04:00

Brianna with a huge grin.
Brianna posing in her snow boots.

Splashing in the water.

In the crane at the Children's Museum.

Sliding down at the First Steps Day of Reading (yeah they got some books too!)

Summer Fun!!

2006-07-11T20:22:00.000-04:00

Brianna and Dominic lounging in their chairs relaxing in the summer sun.

Boating with our friends Brent and Susan. Brianna loved going fast--she's quite the dare devil. Dominic enjoyed himself too until it got late & then he was practically sleeping on a 50 mph boat.

Mommy reading Green Eggs and Ham to the kids on Mother's Day. I'm so lucky to have 2 of the most beautiful and intelligent children on the planet.

Brianna found the snow boots and wanted to wear them Saturday morning around the house. Later on we played hokey pokey and danced around with their boots and pajama tops.

Brianna & Dominic getting ready to play in the sprinkler. Brianna is a water baby! Dominic enjoys watching more than playing but their both cute to watch anyway.

Easter Weekend 2006

2006-04-21T20:36:00.000-04:00

Dominic in his Easter outfit.

Brianna in her Easter dress and mad because mommy won't let her wear her sweater for the picture.

Dominic feeding the giraffe at the zoo.

Brianna loading up on Chocolate eggs.

Dominic with a mouth full of chocolate.

Brianna and Dominic watching the butterflies.

The kids had a great time Easter weekend. On Saturday we went to the zoo and botanical gardens where they were having a butterfly exhibit. Dominic and Brianna had a blast. They both thought the butterflies were really cool. While at the zoo they got to feed a giraffe and pet an elephant. Well Brianna wouldn't even get close-she's afraid of anything larger than a bird. Sunday morning, the kids attacked their Easter baskets and got plenty of chocolate in their systems by 9am to last them for a while. Fortunately by the 10:30 Mass they were coming down off the sugar-high and were actually quiet well behaved since they were so tired. They looked absolutely adorable in their Easter outfits. Brianna loves to dress up and she got a pink purse that she carried around the next 2 days.

Our Trip to England--December 2005

2006-03-26T09:07:00.000-05:00

Amanda holding Nadia and Andrew holding Brianna.

Nadia's Baptism in England

Brianna, Nadia and Dominic at the party after the baptism.

Nadia digging into the cake.

We made our first international trip (with the babies) in December 2005 to visit Andrew's sister Amanda and her husband Martin and daughter Nadia. Nadia was being baptised in England where Martin's family lives and so we traveled over the pond to be there for this very special occassion. This was the first time we got to see Nadia and the first time the twin's met Amanda and her family. It was a very short trip (only 4 days) but it was well worth it. We learned some things for our next international trip which will be an even longer flight so we should be better prepared this summer when we fly to Malawi to visit Andrew's mom and sister Giselle.

The Twins 2nd Birthday--February 5, 2006

2006-03-25T22:36:00.000-05:00

Here are some of our favorite pictures from Brianna and Dominic's Birthday Party. They had an absolute blast! The theme was Dora and Diego and we had an adventure through JellyBean Jungle, then across Birthday Present Lake and up Ice Cream Mountain to recover the key to the birthday cake. The kids got tons of presents and were spoiled rotten by their grandparents (ok, and us too!)

Starting Our Blog

2006-03-25T22:19:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Shanon & Jeff for showing me how to setup this blog. It will probably take me some time to figure it all out but I will try to keep it updated with the latest news and pictures.