Fall re-cap

Well, between evening sickness and just the normal busyness of life, it’s been pretty much forever since we updated the site so here’s a fall recap.  

Gwennie is 2 and a half tomorrow (11/24) and actively potty training.  She’s 35 inches tall and 32 pounds and wears a size 8 shoe!  She loves to talk (absolutely non-stop!) and wrestle with her “Bubba” but is especially talented at being a little mommy to her countless baby dolls.  She’s convinced that she’s having a baby too and can’t wait for her little sister (she agrees with me that it’s just got to be a girl) to be here.  She’s already looking forward to holding the baby on her shoulder and rocking it in her rocker and singing to it.  That’s what she told me Thursday.  Too sweet!  Too fun!

Thad is 4 and a half and so close to reading!  He’s 42.5 inches tall and 42 pounds and wears a size 12 shoe!  He’s already in a size 6 clothing! He is such a big boy now and proves it on a daily basis.  He can write his name in all caps or lower case and knows all his letters and can count to 50.  He can see his face in our bathroom mirror he’s so tall and can help himself to many snacks without any spills at all.  He’s still “all boy” and his favorite thing to do is wrestle with Daddy.  He also loves to pretend like he’s different animals all day long.  Sometimes I feel like I live at the zoo!  He’s like a sponge when it comes to animals wanting to know their proper names (it’s not just a monkey it’s a spider monkey or howler monkey – that one was especially great, thanks a lot Uncle Jeff! – or a bonobo, etc.) and what sound they make and what they eat and how they move and sleep and drink and the list goes on and on.  I’ve learned more about mammals, reptiles, fish, etc than I ever thought possible!  He’s also doing great at Awana Cubbies and is in the Jumper track this year.  He’s excited about starting preschool in the spring.  His school is called the “Panther Preschool” because the school meets at the high school and they are the panthers.  Thad seriously thought he was going to learn how to be a panther and was just stoked for days.  I finally had to burst his bubble but he’s still excited about learning.  🙂

Sarah is 15.5 weeks along today and feeling awesome again!  I’m so thankful that I never threw up once (haven’t yet with all 3 pregnancies, fingers crossed) and life is great.  I still teach the toddler class at a church nearby on Wednesday mornings and Nick and I are teaching our kid’s church class for the next few weeks.  The really big news is that come January 1st I will officially be a stay-at-home mommy and I could not be more excited about it!  I can’t wait to be able to focus on my job as a mommy and devote myself to them entirely.  YEA!!!!!  

Nick is doing very well and looking forward to the holidays.  His colonoscopy went well Friday and we’re glad that’s over for another 3 years.  The doctor didn’t see any cancer but could only get about a third of the way through when he had to stop because a stricture that was caused by Nick’s Crohn’s prevented him from going further.  We’ll have to wait to see if further tests are needed in order to view the remaining two thirds of colon.  Hopefully not!  Nick is preaching on 12/14 and leading two small groups in church (a Financial Peace University class Sun nights and a Nooma class during Sunday school) and produces our weekly church bulletin and has just rejoined the Elder board so needless to say, he’s pretty involved in church!  That’s just the way he likes it!

Here are some recent fall photos of the kids playing in the leaves in our front yard one day after church, their Christmas portraits, and also our Christmas photo that we took this past week.  We hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving!  We are truly blessed and have so much for which to be thankful!!!!!

God bless you, 

Sarah 

 

 

BIG NEWS!

WOW! 7 weeks along today and we are SUPER excited…

Sarah’s input – I’m feeling worse than I did with Thad but better than I did with Gwennie.  Mornings are great but evenings are pretty crummy.  We REALLY wanted this baby though so we’re excited and very ready.  We’re due on May 9, 2009 which will be our 11th wedding anniversary!  HA!  We aren’t going to find out what we’re having (unless it’s twins but it’s too early to tell and very unlikely) and we’re keeping the names a secret too.  The boy’s name is all picked but we’re open to suggestions for girl names.  Praise the Lord for the gift of life!

Kansas City trip

A few weeks back I was able to take the family with me as I went on a busines trip to KC. As I went to training the three of them spent their days on the town, or swimming in the hotel pool. I am testing a photo loaded from my phone, there will be more photos to follow.
Quick add of another photo taken at a local fashion show our DaySpring crew attended during the training. As you can see, “baby” is coming into fashion.

What’s been up with us lately

Sorry we haven’t written and posts lately!  It’s been surprisingly (pleasantly) busy these past couple of weeks!  On August 9th, Thad and Gwennie were the flower girl and flower girl escort in our friend Jennifer’s wedding.  They did AWESOME!  I’ll have Nick post pictures very soon.  They smiled (giant, ear to ear, all teeth smiles!) for the pictures and loved their fancy outfits and walked down the isle smiling the whole way straight to their spots and waited patiently for the bride to be given away and then joined me on the front pew.  It was a very long wedding so we three snuck out during a song so the kids wouldn’t disrupt anything.  After the wedding was a gorgeous reception and Thad nursed a bottle of root beer but it looked kinda funny so people were taking his picture all night long.  Of course he’s NOT camera-shy so he lived it up!  Gwennie flirted with all the guys and we danced the night away!  All it all – it was a HUGE success and a total BLAST!  

The next week (last week I guess – everything’s kind of a blur) was ultra crazy!  On Tuesday I left for a work retreat and spent that night over by Beaver lake.  It’s the first time I’ve been able to do that in 5 years!  I’ve always been either pregnant or nursing – for 5 years!  Anyway, it was a great time but when I got home Wednesday afternoon I only had a couple of hours with the kids before I had to go over to Rogers (about an hour away) for graduate new student orientation and didn’t get home until late.  It was a LOT of work stuff for me in two days but lots of nice (paid!) hours.  Then on Thursday night I babysat for our candidate-at-the-time pastor.  It was a very enjoyable time but missed the kid’s bedtime for the 3rd night in a row.  On Friday the pastor’s kids came to play at our house and Thad and Gwennie made hopefully lifelong friends.  It was fun to see them make new friends that they may have forever.  I took lots of pictures for them to look back at.  Saturday was busy with more church activities with the pastoral candidate and their family.  Sunday was potluck and then we just came home and sat.  Ahh, some quality Olympics-watching time.  That night we got the word that the pastor had been invited and accepted and we are SO excited!  It’s been a long 18 months of searching and lots of search committee meetings for Nick.  Praise the Lord for such a happy ending!  

Now we’re gearing up for another crazy few weeks.  JBU is hopping, new undergrads arrive tomorrow, registration is Saturday!  DaySpring is busier than ever for Nick and on Monday he leaves for Kansas City for a 4 day trip.  Since he works at Quizno’s on weekends and will be on the business trip next week it will be 10 days in a row that he won’t be home to tuck the kids in.  I’m starting to feel like a single parent.  😦  I’m convinced that if we didn’t have the medical expenses that we have, then we wouldn’t still have all this student loan debt.  If only we could win the lottery without having to put the money in to play it!  Okay, pity party over.

Thad started “school” this week here at home.  I’m home-preschooling this fall and he’ll go to a preschool through the high school in the spring.  Gwennie has enjoyed the “school” too. September starts super crazy time for us.  I’ll be back working Wednesday mornings at CCF.  Every other Friday is my mommy Bible study.  Awana will be Sunday nights.  Thad might do soccer on Saturday mornings but that’s still up in the air.  It’s busy but we are very blessed to all be healthy and happy!  Praise the Lord for family, friends, and fun!

In a funk

So all day today I’ve just been in a FUNK!  It’s the first cloudy/rainy day in weeks (maybe months) and you’d think I’d be excited to not have to water the plants for once and have a break from the oppressive heat but that’s not the case.  My mood has been just funky.  And it took a MAJOR turn for the worse when one of my grad students complained about me.  I avoid confrontation at all costs but this was unavoidable.  In one fell swoop I felt thoroughly inadequate, picked-on, belittled, angry, heart-racing, shaky, accused, etc.  I go years without any complaints, rather thankfulness galore, and then three grad complaints (not all about me) in two weeks.  It was just more than I could handle and it broke this camel’s back.  My funky mood just got funkier!  Despite that mood life goes on and it was time for our usual Thursday morning Wal-Mart run.  I tried to stay as pleasant as possible for the kids and not take any of my frustration out on them.  It’s funny how when you’re in a funk it seems like all you get, everywhere you go, are evil eyes.  I let the kids walk instead of forcing them to ride in the cart and being the sweet little urchins they are, they hopped and pranced around the cart as I walked.  Nobody but me smiled.  In fact I had several people make rude comments about them being out of control and me having my hands full.  UGH!  I thought they were precious – everyone else thought they were awful.  I DON’T CARE!  But it does make me wonder if I can handle any more kids.  I’d love to have up to 4 kids and comments like that sure don’t give me any confidence.  All that to say – well, leaving Wal-Mart my funkier mood just got funkiest!  

And then it happened.  As we drove home from the store I played on my ipod/radio the instrumental version of Hush Little Baby which I’ve changed the words to and made it Gwennie’s song.  She relaxed so much she almost fell asleep.  Then I played the instrumental version of Rock a Bye Baby and sang Thad’s song (no I won’t sing for you, just the kids).  HE STARTED CRYING!!!!  I’ve sung this song to him at least once a day for 4 and a half years!  Today he heard it with the background music and just lost it!  I had to crack up and ask him what was wrong.  He said that it was just such a special song and he loved it when I sang it to him.  My heart melted!  Funk gone.

Just some thoughts and quotes

This evening it was 106 degrees outside but the weather man said that with the humidity it actually felt like 122!  That’s hard to even comprehend.  One hundred and twenty two degrees!  I remember going on vacation to Lake Havasu, Arizona when I was a kid and it was 118 in the shade “but it was a dry heat.”  The dryness didn’t make it any more bearable, it still felt like an oven!  But the heat and humidity combined are just treacherous.  And despite that heat Nick still mowed the back yard so that we could have a play date over here later this week.  What an incredible husband!  He came in and cleaned up and said good night to the kids and is back at work now because he’s got deadlines this week on three calendars.  He’s amazing!  

And now for a few quotes – straight from the mouths of babes!

Thad (while watching the video of his ultrasound): Did I have my blankies with me when I was in your tummy?

Sarah: No Babe, you got those after you were a few months old.

Thad: Yes, I did!  I had my blankies with me in your tummy. 

I simply could not convince him otherwise.  

 

Thad: What’s that smell Mommy?

Sarah: I think you tooted.

Thad: Maybe it’s chocolate pudding!

Sarah (laughing histerically) thinking: WHAT?!?!

 

Sarah: What should we get Grandma for her birthday?

Thad: A new golf set! 

Thad: A turtle sand box!

Sarah: How about some hand lotion?  Or you guys could make her some paper flowers.

Gwen: Use a pen! (I think she meant we should teach Grandma how to use a pen – ha)

Gwen: Flowers!

Thad: Grandma would like to come over right now!

Gwen: My baba! (pacifier – just what every Grandma needs)

Thad: A puppy!  

We got her cards and she can pick something out later.  🙂

 

Gwen was getting tired at the end of our weekly Wal-Mart shopping trip two Thursdays ago.  She was sitting in the cart and took my hand and looked me straight in the eye and said, “Mommy, I SERIOUSLY ready go home now.”  I cracked up and asked her, “Did you just say the word seriously?”  She, without blinking, said, “Yes.  I SERIOUSLY ready go home NOW.”  A few days earlier we were playing hide and seek and it was Gwen’s turn to count.  I listened as I cleaned up dinner and she slowly, with perfect enunciation counted to 14!  My 25-month-old can count to 14!  CRAZY!  Two days after she said “seriously” she told me she was “frustrated.”  I think it’s safe to say she’s learning to express her emotions.

Christmas in July

Homemade chili with cornbread $8

Decorating homemade sugar cookies in the shapes of snowmen, angels, Christmas trees, and ornaments $3

One fake Christmas tree, Christmas wrapping paper, and our nativity set dug out of the attic $0

A hand-me-down giant doll house from some church friends as a present for Gwennie $0

Pulling out our Christmas train as a present for Thad $0

Christmas music playing softly in the background all day $0

Celebrating Christ’s birth any time we feel like it = PRICELESS!!!!

Springfield trip with Grammy and Papa

A few Fridays ago, on June 20th, the kids and I hitched a ride with my folks (“Grammy” and “Papa”) to Springfield, MO.  The main purpose for the trip was to find some leather to reupholster an old Honduran rocking chair of my folks’.  We did that first thing and then went to Lambert’s for lunch.  That was a riot!  Thad and Gwen thought it was just the coolest thing to have your food thrown to you.  The food is very good, southern, home cookin’ but they throw your rolls to you.  Not toss, THROW!  As in fastpitch.  Hot rolls, fastpitched to you!  Cracked us all up!  I was the only one to drop one in our group but certainly not the only one to do that in the restaurant.  After a yummy lunch we headed over to the Dickerson Park Zoo.  We were all VERY impressed.  It’s not huge but it’s very pretty and set up nicely,  You get to see a bunch of animals and it’s just a very nice setting.  The weather was warm but there was a breeze and although it was hot in the sun, it was very pleasant in the shade.  We got to see elephants, tigers, monkeys galore, kangaroos, mountain lions, and peacocks roamed EVERYWHERE!  We rode on a little zoo train and just had a grand old time!  All in all, another wonderful summer day spent with family!  

Family vacation day at Silver Dollar City

On Thursday, June 12th the four of us took a family vacation day to Silver Dollar City.  We had a blast!  We left super early in the morning, ate breakfast in the car, bought tickets at a special discount ticket place that saved us almost $50, and booked it to the park for a fun-filled day.  First we went through the cave which is always amazing.  Then we went to the Veggie Tales show and that was just plain cute.  We rode on a couple of kids rides and ate our sack lunches – that’s me and Thad on the “Dumbo” ride.  Thad was SO brave and tried the flying elephants, the roller coaster ships, the giant swings, and the tea cups – all medium-size rides for bigger little kids.  He did great and loved every minute of it!  Gwen was 2 inches too short and green with envy – maybe next year punkin!  She was able to ride the very little kid rides and loved all of those – the hopping frogs and the flying butterflies.  Then we went to the ice circus which was a little cheesy but it was super cool in the auditorium and a great place for Gwen to rest a bit.  The kids liked it and that’s all that matters!  Then we walked around the park and saw all the super big kid rides and dreamed about going on those someday.  I think both kids will take after their mommy and like to ride the roller coasters!  We ended the day with a stop by the petting zoo where Gwennie got a huge kick (no pun intended) out of the goats.  They loved her too!  We stopped by McDonald’s for happy meals before heading home.  It is a two and a half hour drive one way and we thought for sure the kids would sleep the whole way home but they ended up laughing hysterically the WHOLE time!  I don’t know what got into them but they just kept cracking each other up!  Everything the other one did made the other one laugh.  It was a hoot and a great end to a great day!

Good news to the previous post

Sarah got a very good phone call this evening. The test came back negative for the tumor the Vet removed from Buddy’s eye. The Vet said that it was scar tissue, from some past infection, that had grown around his eye. It was still the right thing to do by removing the eye, because that was the only way to relieve the pain and pressure Buddy was experiencing. There is a chance that it will come back, but there shouldn’t be any further problems as the eye is already removed. 

We got a bit nervous last week when the Vet used the word Cancerous, but now we are relieved that Buddy is perfectly healthy (according to the Doctor).