Saturday, March 27, 2010

some sibling love

Greetings bloggy world! It’s been a while. I barely had time to catch my breath after Daniel was born, and now we have a 5 month old! Those precious newborn moments are all but gone, and replacing our sleepy, snuggly, pink infant is a very happy, cooing, rolling, wiggly little baby who just adores his siblings. This little guy is the most content, happy baby that we’ve ever had, and such a joy to have around.

034I’ve been a little (a lot) camera lazy, so Daniel doesn’t have as much documentation of his early days as the other children, but that’s what Grandmas are for, right? By the way moms, I’ll be wanting all those pictures you take of the kids when you’re here. :)







Just a recap on where all the kiddos are:

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Jake: 5 1/2 years old (I know! Can you believe it? Cause I can’t) This is one lean, mean, reading machine. He devours any and all books he can get his hands on. This was really amazing for me to see because we had started a kindergarten phonics program at home, and halfway through it he had all the tools he needed to take off with reading. It really became clear that he was a reader one day at my sister’s house. We were in their kitchen and Jake saw a picture on the wall and said, “Hey, that says, ‘Enjoy a little taste of Italy!’” Well, needless to say, I sure never taught him to read “Italy” and “taste” and “enjoy”! You give this kid a little tiny bit of fuel for his brain, and he takes off like a rocket. Amazing.

044 Warren: 3 1/2, he’ll be 4 this summer. Warren is, and always has been, the wild child. He cracks us up with his goofy facial expressions and funny sayings. Yesterday I asked him if he had to go potty, and his response was, “No, I just went 2 weeks ago.” Warren is the Awana Bible verse expert, and memorizing comes very easily to him. I wish I had his brain.

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029 Aubrey: 2 in three months! Gah! This little girl is still very girly, and enjoys choosing her own clothes. Her vocabulary exploded all of a sudden (wonder why, with 2 older brothers constantly gabbing at her) and she surprises and delights us with the words and sentences she comes up with. Aubrey is a little ball of fire, and the challenge is teaching her to control herself, especially with the screaming. She loves giving kisses to us all.

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What a joy all these children bring to Ryan and I. Sometimes it feels overwhelming being responsible for so many precious lives, but His grace is sufficient.

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Look at this face!

Hope you’re all well, I would love to hear from you!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

mr. fix-it

Or, perhaps he is more aptly titled, “Mr. Take It All Apart and Can’t Remember How to Put it Together Again.”

010 Either way, the Jakeman seriously enjoys unscrewing his toys and finding out what’s inside.  So far he’s taken apart this saxophone and a remote controller for a robot.  A new hobby, or a calling?

Sunday, January 31, 2010

da-du

That’s what Aubrey calls Daniel, anyway.  She doesn’t quite have the “L” sound down yet, so it comes out Da-du.

Here are some recent Da-du pics.

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And as a grand finale, this post-sneeze picture cracked me up:

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Friday, January 22, 2010

a boy and his grandpa

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“I sure love you Grandpa!”

This was taken at Christmas when my parents were visiting.  Daniel had just started smiling at people and my mom captured this perfectly! 

Saturday, January 16, 2010

on having a daughter…

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She completely understands the need to feel girly in a house full of boys.

I just love this girl.  She has the ability to go from total ham to cuddling in my lap to shrieking at something her brothers did in 1.4 seconds flat.  I love that as she gets older we’ll be able to do all the fun girly stuff together like shopping and getting pedicures and drinking lattes, and that I’ll also be able to teach her what true beauty is; loving the Lord with all her heart and possessing a gentle spirit that is precious to God.

It’s nothing short of amazing to know that this little tiny girl will one day grow up to be a woman with a heart full of dreams and passions that hopefully line up with the Lord’s will for her life.  What a great responsibility God has placed on us as her parents to guide her into adulthood.

I look forward to knowing her as an adult and sharing that special relationship only mothers and daughters can have.  I look at my dear friend Missy and watch the interaction she has with her adult daughters and am eager for that to be Aubrey and I.  And of course, the treasured relationship and love for my own mom causes me to long for the same kind of special bond as Aubrey gets older.

But for now, while she’s still my little peanut, I’ll treasure these little moments of toenail painting and cuddling, as well as the ever-present screaming and temper tantrums, never forgetting to be thankful for my great gift from above.

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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

a girl and her horse…and her hunting hat

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(the hat says, “Hunting Princess, if the Camo fits”, a gift from Grandpa)

Aubrey started making this goofy face whenever she sees a camera.  Observe:

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Saturday, January 9, 2010

teach ‘em early

Even little girlies can carry in wood for the fire.

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Our New Years Resolution

To eat more Krispy Kreme.  Done and done.

We started out the new year right!  We drove up to Issaquah and had lunch at Fat Burger (a close rival to In-N-Out for you Californians) and dessert at Krispy Kreme.  We got there just in time to watch the batch being made and enjoy doughnuts as they ought to be: warm and fluffy. 

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Happy New Year!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

just a quick hello…

from the gang!  We’re all well, Christmas with my family was great, and we’re enjoying the very chilly pacific northwest weather!

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Saturday, November 21, 2009

count it all joy…

Greetings friends.

Let me just tell you how blessed I am at this very moment...  All my kids are occupied by their daddy and Papa, my mother-in-law has dinner in the oven and dishes being washed, my itty-bitty is healthy and home, and I have a few brief moments to capture some thoughts and share them with you.  Amazing!

032 In case you didn’t know, Daniel had hernia repair surgery yesterday afternoon.  We noticed on Wednesday that he was a very unhappy camper, which was unusual for him.  He was very inconsolable and wouldn’t nurse.  The next morning, I called for an appointment as soon as the office opened, and they were able to squeeze me in an hour later.  The doctor we saw told me to get him to the ER right away because she thought the problem was an incarcerated (stuck) hernia and if that was the case, they would need to perform surgery quickly to correct it.  Well, you can just about imagine my response. I managed to hold it together until I left the office, and as I was calling my sister to ask if I could drop the kids off, I’m absolutely sure I was very incoherent, attempting as I was to speak through the sobs and tears. 

Thank the Lord for a mom who will pray for you over the phone, because after I spoke with her, right as I was pulling up at my home, I began to feel much more calm and collected and think clearly about the situation. 

After a relatively brief ER visit to Children’s Hospital in Seattle (such a great hospital, we highly recommend it), we were informed that Mr. Daniel would need repair surgery in the next couple of days, as the surgeon was able to un-incarcerate (de-carcerate? unstick? clearly I’m not part of the medical world) the hernia.  We were reassured by many surgeons and doctors that this was a pretty simple and common surgery.  Ok, cool, but still, my 21 day old baby was going under the knife!

What was great about having a day in between the crisis and surgery, was that the Lord spoke to me through His word about our trial. 

count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (james 1:2)

be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (philippians 4:6-7) (this was the verse i kept going back to over and over again)

cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you (1 peter 5:7)

and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (romans 8:28)

i know, o Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps (jeremiah 10:23)

It’s really something to sit back and reflect on God’s promises to us from His word.  It’s a great relief actually to realize and remember that trials are to be expected.  They are given to us to strengthen our faith, increase patience, and rely ever more on the Lord.  As I was thinking about how God is sovereign over every single detail of our lives, it caused me to be thankful all the more for little Daniel and the short time we’ve had with him, no matter the outcome of the surgery. 

As Ryan and I were sitting and waiting during the surgery, a family was paged over the intercom to report to neurosurgery.  That’s when it hit us that, yes, our little tiny baby was in surgery at that precise moment, but look at what others are enduring too!  Somewhere in the hospital was a family with a child undergoing brain surgery.  A little perspective goes a long way.

So here we are.  Back home again.  The Lord saw fit to spare Daniel and allow us to continue to raise him and give him all the love and snuggles we can for however long we have him.  That is truly something to be thankful about.

For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds (Psalm 57:10).

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Saturday, November 7, 2009

Diary of a 4th…

Dear readers of mom’s blog:

My parents love me, they tell me that all the time, but the photo evidence is severely lacking.  Could you please ask them to step it up and document my existence?  Now that that’s out of the way, here are a few of the pictures they have taken.

First of all, my birth day was very memorable for my family, for reasons other than the obvious.  It was very cold that day and hailed around lunch time.  The hail stuck for hours and looked like snow out in the fields; it was so beautiful, or so I’m told.

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So anyway, things here are good.  On my second day home I was initiated into siblinghood by Aubrey.  She was “showing” me a Thomas train and bashed me in the head with it.  I got a little scrape, but nothing serious.  Mom wanted to take a picture of it, but, well, she didn’t. 

My brothers and sister love me like crazy.  Sometimes a little too crazy, but I think I like it.  Warren wants to hold me lots, and Aubrey is always kissing me.  Jake is a great big brother and brings mom diapers and things all the time.  It’s very helpful for her.

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(Snoozin’ after a long hard day)

These next ones are some of mom’s favorites ever.  Aubrey is so thrilled with me, and these pictures show that. 

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Mom and dad have a bouncy chair for me, which I kinda like, but Aubrey thinks it’s for her.  Since she’s still so little, she meets the weight requirement and mom lets her play in it.  I think I’ll need it more when I’m a little older, so for now I’ll just let her play with it.

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And this last picture is for Grammy.  Grammy sent my brothers and sister some presents and this one of Aubrey is how they all felt about what she sent.  Pure happiness and excitement!!  Thanks Grammy!  I love my new sleepers too!

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Ok everyone, almost time to eat.  Again.  Hope you all are well, hope to meet you soon.  Mom said she’s not promising anything concerning the blog, as life is just a tad busier now, but she’ll try.  Love to all!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

He’s Here!

After an unexpectedly long labor, Daniel Ryan made it!  He was born last night at 11:30 p.m. and was our 2nd heaviest baby at 7 lbs 7 oz, and a short little guy measuring 18.5”.  He’s completely healthy and right now as I type is in the very capable hands of his big brother Jake.  We thank the Lord for another beautiful addition to our family. 

And what you’ve been waiting for…

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First bath by Nurse Judy.  She was awesome.

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The boys are so thrilled with their little brother!  We are set to go home this afternoon, something I’m very happy about!  I’ll post more as soon as I can, but don’t hold your breath…you know how it is. :)

Bye!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

life lessons from the week

~on sampling grapes from your yard:

ALWAYS take a teeny-tiny bite before you’re sure it won’t be the most bitter thing you’ve ever tasted.

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~on awesome hair-dos:

ALWAYS take a picture.  Or a lot.

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~on letting your baby help you wrap a gift:

Just do it.  Even if it’s messier and more time consuming.

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~on playing the saxophone:

ALWAYS encourage proper technique.

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~on making birthday goodies for a certain now 30 husband:

ALWAYS go the extra mile and make homemade chocolate cupcakes with chocolate marshmallow-frosting and Snickers and Big Hunks on top.  He will love you more than he did yesterday.  (or is that “he will love more of you than yesterday because you gained 3.5 pounds from eating batter and marshmallows”? No, that’s just baby weight.)  And your boys will have way more fun making them than if they came from a box.  You will also giggle a lot on the floor of the kitchen with said boys while licking the remaining frosting out of the bowl.

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~on living a half-mile from an alpaca farm:

ALWAYS go when they have open farm days.  Especially when they have a 2 hour old baby alpaca.

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(This gal and I had lots in common…she was about to deliver any day now)

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