tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4702970161946820462024-02-20T10:20:12.145-06:00Love Grows Love!Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-37879119212814186382022-01-21T13:39:00.000-06:002022-01-21T13:39:24.755-06:00Wrapping up 2021, into 2022<p> The end to 2021 was a whirlwind of activity as we wrapped up school activities, celebrated the holidays, and embarked on some family projects. The St. Paul Middle School production of "Annie Jr." in mid-November was definitely a highlight for all of us as we saw the fruit of Isaac's hard work light up the stage in his role as Daddy Warbucks. He did a great job delivering his lines, singing, and performing all the choreography and we are so incredibly proud of how his efforts along with the other cast members all came together to create a memorable experience for all!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2TC13X8pH7il_AFDmebJEt3p8-2Jq3HFXRpYiQZKGVHDggy_K2_rZp9Nx4ZMiXAoLQL0NFUaKNY_sxai-iUD3bE7D7G1_cwrD_AB_vtihmWgjAQh0FT4xt-DGX6kiUd9Xk2_qT2zwnFj1EddJD04P2ZsKAf5Gk_OsZ89uZFgOJJe4_74ozt5ASf-VOg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2TC13X8pH7il_AFDmebJEt3p8-2Jq3HFXRpYiQZKGVHDggy_K2_rZp9Nx4ZMiXAoLQL0NFUaKNY_sxai-iUD3bE7D7G1_cwrD_AB_vtihmWgjAQh0FT4xt-DGX6kiUd9Xk2_qT2zwnFj1EddJD04P2ZsKAf5Gk_OsZ89uZFgOJJe4_74ozt5ASf-VOg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLc1At_8KjI9nO9pV-JpDI8ChAH0ZbHuJBlQpsA_QR7UuG-8Nto3qkrUQqQK5VagU35mOaPYR-nXi_kqyA9hDKBF9E3MjEqnOksSpBX9Xsm_r9cnv34mqVz9hFcsCSv7Jp1f1ua1ogsROBAS8LGukTDhez3sE-WYX_NqzKPvwQu_33jgyJDAab5PSmGQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLc1At_8KjI9nO9pV-JpDI8ChAH0ZbHuJBlQpsA_QR7UuG-8Nto3qkrUQqQK5VagU35mOaPYR-nXi_kqyA9hDKBF9E3MjEqnOksSpBX9Xsm_r9cnv34mqVz9hFcsCSv7Jp1f1ua1ogsROBAS8LGukTDhez3sE-WYX_NqzKPvwQu_33jgyJDAab5PSmGQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Following the musical, the school and church hosted a food drive to benefit the local food banks in preparation for the increased need in our area during the holidays. Partly out of compassion for the less fortunate, and partly out of a desire to boost their classes' numbers in a friendly competition to see which grade could donate the most food, the boys begged me to take them to Costco to spend their own money on additional donations. While searching for ways to maximize their dollars, they quickly realized that huge bags of bulk rice and beans were the best value and so loaded up our cart with 200 pounds of rice, 75 pounds of dry beans, and some other assorted canned and shelf stable foods. To condense a long story, we discovered after leaving that the food banks don't always accept such large packages because they would have to repackage it for individual families, but we were grateful that they were willing to make an exception, especially considering that the boys used their own savings and were so excited to think about how many people they were able to help feed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8AzEvT5oDEALBS2oNlEnuc7t72O4SvCwM5luBcVtBj9qo0p3JqmYLLpk-uLfRGvGmr-aMNpOTVDOv2e_WdBm9bMIPEE6QkTAtcC8ohXGYKWldi7O8QNnEy9B302TpGtRHbstpqbmymTwtnavDzqcJsU5Y7yz5g-3iwpgJVHJBNaBGXXxvJMC3tg7ChA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8AzEvT5oDEALBS2oNlEnuc7t72O4SvCwM5luBcVtBj9qo0p3JqmYLLpk-uLfRGvGmr-aMNpOTVDOv2e_WdBm9bMIPEE6QkTAtcC8ohXGYKWldi7O8QNnEy9B302TpGtRHbstpqbmymTwtnavDzqcJsU5Y7yz5g-3iwpgJVHJBNaBGXXxvJMC3tg7ChA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The boys were also blessed to be able to spend an afternoon with their great-grandparents and explore the workshop where they spent so much time creating and engineering custom products to meet the needs of their clients. They generously offered their big, sturdy work table to the boys for our own growing shop, and the boys got to help disassemble it to move it to our backyard garage. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh97PomuK6kydSEIvWVykggz5mJyMAB4uM3XzxzkiaHtiz3lvFkM_YOEDEHWISKzE2le5uTYgzkRcgasCbSMV8xIHrlT3-A3vG5Qy1OWd1tBy5Yc44Pq3GgqPNc0jRATo1oYnc_UtSuZ8OLEAwdEgGI2oBMhUF2G1qB99iZwWNSgEWhuJG-hGrtY_myXA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="4032" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh97PomuK6kydSEIvWVykggz5mJyMAB4uM3XzxzkiaHtiz3lvFkM_YOEDEHWISKzE2le5uTYgzkRcgasCbSMV8xIHrlT3-A3vG5Qy1OWd1tBy5Yc44Pq3GgqPNc0jRATo1oYnc_UtSuZ8OLEAwdEgGI2oBMhUF2G1qB99iZwWNSgEWhuJG-hGrtY_myXA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihhlDndMfeKsed_iAXmyLl8deNBMJ0JMnJVv4lAQvCRERpYXrT0tC8Ilt1f8VwloJ1cumtJD5otqXpXYGPsgbyz-zZo2Kyu75ryCg_K1Zl1irKBsWrwoapnghp8Mo08GyKezz19xsCWdRgSFedkfm9edWw3yB8FVM68AJ2VC64L4BmRkdAPhzjrixnNw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1816" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihhlDndMfeKsed_iAXmyLl8deNBMJ0JMnJVv4lAQvCRERpYXrT0tC8Ilt1f8VwloJ1cumtJD5otqXpXYGPsgbyz-zZo2Kyu75ryCg_K1Zl1irKBsWrwoapnghp8Mo08GyKezz19xsCWdRgSFedkfm9edWw3yB8FVM68AJ2VC64L4BmRkdAPhzjrixnNw=s320" width="144" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Daniel has spent many hours figuring out how to get electricity to this shop, installed lights and outlets, and finally he and the boys cut a new opening for a regular sized door (previously we had to go in and out through the big garage door). I never cease to be amazed at what he can do - installing a door is no small task and he and the boys knocked it out in a single afternoon!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcsKDjjSQmMLKxI5Qlb-BEvvqe6cHGAlI3aJBleeGXewJbvfg1Vwe67kJFhn_RNYp1J0RzBG6GbGgHgcBpatOmLYhjwJGM9hIonV31ekCGsZ6FaasPrdaOVtaDav8G6xm0-4ztfAp3YpNHfLVPdOvYL5kZPJxYuLXLvX2ueLWaYNnhsW0KPF_D_v78Yg=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcsKDjjSQmMLKxI5Qlb-BEvvqe6cHGAlI3aJBleeGXewJbvfg1Vwe67kJFhn_RNYp1J0RzBG6GbGgHgcBpatOmLYhjwJGM9hIonV31ekCGsZ6FaasPrdaOVtaDav8G6xm0-4ztfAp3YpNHfLVPdOvYL5kZPJxYuLXLvX2ueLWaYNnhsW0KPF_D_v78Yg=s320" width="144" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Another highlight of the holiday season was being able to go see one of our favorite Christian bands just 10 minutes from home. "For King and Country" had an amazing concert that included many Christmas songs, and we were so thrilled to get to experience it together! I think it was my favorite concert ever, and the boys have continued to talk about it even weeks afterwards.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-t0NPdG_s45c87Z0-jjO6BL3DmMqu4Za78rnn5xPDZMl8kylF7r1TuL9Fe4Xgz7D0Fc0zrkIy801Ip4PBcHz3HHWwJceODrT7rSF8M8zdGb8-HFi4Jk6rq9X9GydyVJkAY_HsC6voRsQJdVXnx0A1XQDN_xRT-e89yEl9aI6_aITgKdRVo_4m8do9zA=s3648" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-t0NPdG_s45c87Z0-jjO6BL3DmMqu4Za78rnn5xPDZMl8kylF7r1TuL9Fe4Xgz7D0Fc0zrkIy801Ip4PBcHz3HHWwJceODrT7rSF8M8zdGb8-HFi4Jk6rq9X9GydyVJkAY_HsC6voRsQJdVXnx0A1XQDN_xRT-e89yEl9aI6_aITgKdRVo_4m8do9zA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The weekend before Christmas we also had a special day of celebrating as our dear Caedmon turned 13 - a teenager in our house! We had his favorite meal, chicken and dumplings, and he got to do a treasure hunt for his gift. A jigsaw has been on his tool wish-list for a while and he was really excited to get this one. He's used it a number of times already and we've loved seeing his creative juices flowing with this new tool at the ready!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhxrD_Hkb53SQyLyCwts4wZqodrtEZi7RYhudN8kyoUFW3zlD_OI_0WIffP7HdOXVG5vd5kTo93eBLV7Xi4QOSLkj7jeGfbkvRkZLnZ6MWh3TFWnypr3wMyad9TYxMDolIoJVU7hFhO8FjJ2V7iEKWzDvwXmdVEepz2HFc9ar3D7x42veyjbREl35CNw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhxrD_Hkb53SQyLyCwts4wZqodrtEZi7RYhudN8kyoUFW3zlD_OI_0WIffP7HdOXVG5vd5kTo93eBLV7Xi4QOSLkj7jeGfbkvRkZLnZ6MWh3TFWnypr3wMyad9TYxMDolIoJVU7hFhO8FjJ2V7iEKWzDvwXmdVEepz2HFc9ar3D7x42veyjbREl35CNw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Daniel and Isaac also had the opportunity to do a father-son trip to the Broken Bow, OK area in mid-January. The weather ended up being very cold and even snowed one evening, but they were not deterred from doing a horseback ride through the countryside and a hike in the snow. It was a special opportunity for them to have guy-time and a treasured milestone in Isaac's life, as we see him transitioning into young-manhood. We are so grateful for each of our boys and the way we see God growing them in their roles in the Kingdom.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwMmt0LP7nwb4yrnB9B43rtbgXcGd5dQ4fa4WfyqtbCiHnvqF2oBAAh2cQ6c066GAvdxrXGPXwltGod-vQPpv_8ar3CHE9Z6OAsN6t14iJ0WnPSPh9QyVx_B2it1BdSaBpII_eznJZ5uLo3U8ZzhiEco1Z7gRXtmvnPmRS8fplxzj9JGWn_O54HMCMtA=s2944" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="2944" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwMmt0LP7nwb4yrnB9B43rtbgXcGd5dQ4fa4WfyqtbCiHnvqF2oBAAh2cQ6c066GAvdxrXGPXwltGod-vQPpv_8ar3CHE9Z6OAsN6t14iJ0WnPSPh9QyVx_B2it1BdSaBpII_eznJZ5uLo3U8ZzhiEco1Z7gRXtmvnPmRS8fplxzj9JGWn_O54HMCMtA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p></div>Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-38942199582050624452021-11-15T16:32:00.008-06:002021-11-15T16:34:28.720-06:00Newest Happenings...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggne2GcEYHf6-60X-9IjHE1mGG9GtbQOD_RI41d027ayaRpwCu9D9lBYnnbDvM3YCHnVllvrd2KnCgYy9FwKYzeg9LnQJHl_y4JzisRiXInG28u9DUII0LNEYHOnsv2Ky5tGOuv_1zlTw7/s4032/20210930_183133.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="4032" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggne2GcEYHf6-60X-9IjHE1mGG9GtbQOD_RI41d027ayaRpwCu9D9lBYnnbDvM3YCHnVllvrd2KnCgYy9FwKYzeg9LnQJHl_y4JzisRiXInG28u9DUII0LNEYHOnsv2Ky5tGOuv_1zlTw7/s320/20210930_183133.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><p> It is amazing to see these three boys growing into the most interesting, thoughtful young men. They are pursuing their individual interests and stretching themselves to try new things, and we love getting to cheer them on in their various endeavors. While they all still enjoy some of the same things, it's also been a joy to see their divergent interests begin to develop. This fall, the boys each found things that they thought were worthwhile activities to pursue.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiWqfFoeJyWSg9ot_i13fkkdHRXMc1q9L6fUEzh0N5yrpFSBBMKvbkn6F5wO21q91wmm6gTuSiXbPd7BfeFhSrwzX2kkv-44ZPfo1dpLzrTS6IDwSK97sVji35dWeY1F0ZudKcgac8Bl4/s4032/IMG_5294.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiWqfFoeJyWSg9ot_i13fkkdHRXMc1q9L6fUEzh0N5yrpFSBBMKvbkn6F5wO21q91wmm6gTuSiXbPd7BfeFhSrwzX2kkv-44ZPfo1dpLzrTS6IDwSK97sVji35dWeY1F0ZudKcgac8Bl4/s320/IMG_5294.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div></div><p>Luke joined a flag football team with several of the boys from his class and they had a great time practicing and playing together. He is very quick and did well playing both defense, by chasing down and grabbing opponents' flags, and offense, as a quarterback (who gained good yardage just by running with the ball) and receiver. He's a great teammate and loves the camaraderie of his friends. He also recently joined a chess club that meets after school and is eager to go each week to practice and learn more about the game. He has also followed his brothers' lead and is a voracious reader, plowing through all the library's available "Hank the Cowdog" titles and is now working his way through the "Dog Diaries" series, which tells the fascinating true stories of dogs from history. Luke has been a faithful contributor to our fall garden this year, tending his several varieties of radishes, carrots, and mustard, and harvesting some of those to take to school to share with his teacher. </p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelxCftW5P1duXXQXxIaWjpAGZ0-Q7L0snY4FIofwn7pE014Fv0rVy98iW0PDkP2PZnn9yFQdDwgijWqqCaHhUUoEX3ML48tlEBReu4MR5nzBJOdIzTXGvy9QnuTI8zH6Kf93jtzsg8Siv/s4032/IMG_5077.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelxCftW5P1duXXQXxIaWjpAGZ0-Q7L0snY4FIofwn7pE014Fv0rVy98iW0PDkP2PZnn9yFQdDwgijWqqCaHhUUoEX3ML48tlEBReu4MR5nzBJOdIzTXGvy9QnuTI8zH6Kf93jtzsg8Siv/s320/IMG_5077.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>Isaac enjoyed another season on the school 5th/6th grade touch football team. He had several good friends from his class also playing, and their practice time and hard work together showed as they worked their way undefeated through the season, finally clenching the championship in tournament play. His practice was not limited to official after-school sessions with his team, but he often asked for us to come throw balls to him in the backyard and his determination and effort paid off with his sharpened skills contributing to the victorious outcomes on the field. He also decided to try out for the Middle School musical and was cast in a lead role as Mr. Warbucks in the show, "Annie." He has spent much time at school and home learning his lines, songs, and choreography, and we eagerly look forward to seeing those efforts pay off with the upcoming performance. It has also been a good opportunity for him to get to know upper classmen and make new friendships. In his little bit of free time, he has enjoyed watching Marvel and Avengers movies and listening to a wide variety of music, from cello duets to 90's rock to movie soundtracks. He has also been very interested in the fall garden and has planted sweet peas, a variety of lettuces including his favorite, romaine, and a nice row of broccoli plants. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHjJDqpyFaE7Z6AKKC7VCfJ0fvS2vfozRbAlLh0-5qZBCnvq64HCdkMCJs2SPMhzUq31j8iXn8kM48njTETXr2-MkYk5JzRQujjY3pIQCZ4qL_bCMfHOBtc7sqyKyVQVaXnhEoA_mb7MI/s4032/IMG_4764.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHjJDqpyFaE7Z6AKKC7VCfJ0fvS2vfozRbAlLh0-5qZBCnvq64HCdkMCJs2SPMhzUq31j8iXn8kM48njTETXr2-MkYk5JzRQujjY3pIQCZ4qL_bCMfHOBtc7sqyKyVQVaXnhEoA_mb7MI/s320/IMG_4764.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>Caedmon is a busy thinker, always designing and planning new ideas in his mind, on paper, and in spreadsheets. He has discovered the value of working hard to earn the necessary funds to complete his projects and daily asks for jobs that he can do around the house to pay his way. He has matured so much lately and I am always grateful for his presence - he is so good to ask me how he can help, especially in the mornings when I'm making breakfast and packing lunches. He is always up and waiting for me when I come in to the kitchen, and some mornings I know I wouldn't get it all done in time without his contributions. I'm so grateful. Some time ago I told the boys at morning school drop-off to "take good care of my heart that day," meaning each of them. Ever since then, every single day at after school pick-up, he has hopped in the car and said, "Your heart's back!" It doesn't matter if it was a difficult day and it's said on the verge of tears, he blesses me with those words. Lately he's enjoyed choosing the music we listen to on the way to school, especially favoring MercyMe songs after he and Daniel had the opportunity to go to a concert a few weeks ago. No matter what his choices are on the ride, though, at the moment he hops out of the van he always begins the song "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman, which he knows is so special to me because Daniel sang it to me when he proposed. It blesses my heart mightily for him to give me that sweet gift, remembering what is meaningful to me and sending me off on my day on such a sweet note. I am also tickled at Caedmon's signature style these days - a favorite blue plaid shirt that he enjoys pairing with his black camouflage shorts. I don't know what he's going to do when he outgrows them!<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmeb-78LdOeXztlkilBXgCPvDPq133IYNCn-NuQpqk4oJWyBUhbbXcZ5jKTk-PZ22P1IZK_m_-MHh-SG7YsxbF43CquMP-T8yTGyzyeNcBy1YKCSYanhLaXKh-uFKj2rlv-1S06RfTqYW/s4032/IMG_4737.HEIC" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmeb-78LdOeXztlkilBXgCPvDPq133IYNCn-NuQpqk4oJWyBUhbbXcZ5jKTk-PZ22P1IZK_m_-MHh-SG7YsxbF43CquMP-T8yTGyzyeNcBy1YKCSYanhLaXKh-uFKj2rlv-1S06RfTqYW/s320/IMG_4737.HEIC" width="240" /></a></p>Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-69448749522843697372019-02-07T11:59:00.000-06:002019-02-07T11:59:26.141-06:0010, 8, 5A lot of life has happened since our last post, and a lot of growing and learning. The boys are becoming such amazing young men and we are so delighted to get to watch the process!<br />
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Caedmon is 10, in 4th grade, and is unendingly curious and ready to explore the world around him, particularly the way things work. He is interested in architecture, inventing, and especially space exploration. This year in school, he has begun learning to play the violin, and it was sweet to hear him playing carols in our home over the Christmas break. He has a role in the spring musical this year, but is keeping the details a secret so that we will be surprised at the performance. Caedmon also delights in good books, competitive games, and traveling.<br />
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Isaac is 8 and loves his 3rd grade class. Over the last year, he has become increasingly interested in baseball and looks forward to his first experience playing on a team this spring. He decided he wants to play shortstop for the Dodgers some day and is a huge fan of other teams from Los Angeles, which made for an exciting sports-watching season as both the Dodgers and Rams were in the championship games. If it is light outside, Isaac is usually looking for someone to come throw a ball with him, but he still is an eager reader and has found several new book series this year that have drawn him in.<br />
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Luke is 5 (Five and a half, and just lost his first tooth, as he tends to say!) and is in kindergarten. We are enjoying having him in a part-time school, so that three days of learning and instruction take place at home. He has great friends in his class at school, and during his free time at home he is often found creating new things - either building with Legos, or drawing, cutting, and gluing projects. He also seems to have a particular interest in green growing things - trees, flowers, plants - and can often identify different leaves or flowers that we come across.<br />
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Since I last blogged, we have also added two furry family members to our crew. Ginny was a rescue dog that we have loved having for almost two years now. She is gentle and sweet natured, but the squirrels in our yard wouldn't know it - she loves to patrol the fence and keep them in line!<br />
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We weren't planning to add any other pets to our family just yet but right after Thanksgiving, Ginny discovered a little kitten hiding in the bushes in our backyard. After a gradual process of gentling him and earning his trust, and getting very attached in the process, Luther the kitty has found his place in our home and on our laps.<br />
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As Caedmon told me a few weeks ago, "Mom, we are so very blessed. God gave us an awesome dog, and now an awesome cat." His little heart was full to overflowing, as he enjoys both of them so much. I must admit, I have to agree with him!<br />
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As is to be expected in a family with three growing boys, our activities are turning to more adventurous pursuits. Going skiing has turned into an annual event for us, with this being the fourth year we've hit the slopes together. It's a little hair-raising for a mama to see her children peeling off into the trees and getting buried in powder, or just hunkering into a tuck position and soaring down the mountain at top speed, but that is what happens with boys! Caedmon and Isaac have been confident skiers for a couple of years now, and this year Luke joined their ranks wholeheartedly. He often sings as he goes, which tells us he has a happy heart on the mountain!<br />
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<br />Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-86756849517625849992016-01-23T16:37:00.001-06:002016-01-23T16:37:52.076-06:00Building, playing, and exploring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Oh what fun we've had this fall and winter! After Thanksgiving, the days just flew by. We started by celebrating Caedmon's birthday a little early, since we're already well into Christmas celebrations by the time his actual birthday rolls around. We had a yummy birthday cookie and gifts at home and he relished getting to celebrate early and extending his birthday a couple of weeks because of that! We can't believe our biggest boy is already so big; what joy he has brought us these past 7 years!</div>
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The boys also had a couple of opportunities to take part in Christmas programs and nativities. Following a concert put on by the children at Isaac's school, our whole family was able to participate in a live nativity. We joined in as angels and shepherds.</div>
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Caedmon has had his eye on a particular set of Legos since the summer, and his dream finally came true at Christmas. He has spent a lot of hours happily constructing and creating stories with his arctic outpost set.</div>
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Another plan that we've been mulling over for several years now finally took shape, and the boys were able to spend a couple of days helping construct a fort in our backyard!</div>
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Caedmon felt strongly that the fort needed a trap door entrance, so he helped figure out what we needed to make that happen.</div>
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Isaac was pretty handy with his hammer - once an adult got a nail started, he was eager to finish pounding it in to the floor of the fort.</div>
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Ta-da! I'm not sure what will be more fun for the boys - constructing the fort or playing in it - but we were thankful for Papa's advice and manpower and were delighted with the finished product. It was a great experience for the boys to be able to help and I know they were so proud of what they helped accomplish!</div>
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We are excited about giving the boys interesting experiences, especially as they are getting old enough to really be able to understand and remember what we do. This year, tickets for Wild Kratts Live went on sale at the perfect time for us to give that as the boys' Christmas gift. They were so very excited, and the show did not disappoint! Although I had difficulty capturing their enthusiasm in the following picture (there were people standing in the aisle of the performance hall and I was struggling to get the shot I wanted of the stage behind them) they had a great time.</div>
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The best part of the evening came after the show ended, as I was able to take the older boys to a Meet-and-Greet with the real Kratt brothers. We had tried to prepare them and encourage them to think of any questions for the brothers or things they'd like to tell them but I think we were all a little bashful when it came to meeting their real-life heros. Martin and Chris were both very kind, both pronounced Caedmon's name correctly, and seemed very sincere and genuine. Caedmon asked Martin, who is his favorite Kratt, how he travels all around the world to see all those animals.</div>
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I love Isaac's expression when he was talking to Chris, who is his favorite. I think in this picture they were telling him what their favorite episode of the show was, but Isaac also asked him how many animals he's met in real life. Thousands!</div>
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The boys each got a personalized, autographed photo of the brothers, which they clutched like treasure as we left. They were so appreciative for the experience, which made our parent hearts proud. It was a joy to get to share this experience with them, and as a mom, I am thankful that although we don't have the television on much, when we do, there's an option for these guys that has taught them a ton of fascinating things about nature, and encourages their adventurous, explorative, brave little hearts.</div>
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A few little things I've jotted down lately that the boys have said or done:</div>
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As we counted down the days to the Wild Kratts Live show, Isaac told me that he was thankful for all the hard work the Kratt brothers do to make such a great show. He wanted to take him a gift and went to the pantry to show me what he thought would be a good option: a package of Ritz crackers. We discussed it and compromised on a picture that he drew, which he proudly presented to Martin when they met him.</div>
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Caedmon was watching a football game with Daniel the other day and has really been participating and commenting on the action. When the teams flipped the coin, his only question was, "If they guess it right, does that team get to keep the coin?"</div>
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Sometimes at bedtime, I will tuck Luke in and give him a kiss, then he will say, "I want to give you a kwiss (quiss?) too!" Early one morning before he got up, I heard him have a few sneezes and sniffles. Later that morning he told me, "I had a bless-you in my bed!"</div>
Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-74491459824957047272015-11-13T13:56:00.000-06:002015-11-13T13:56:25.182-06:00Adventurers at heart<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
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Although it's been evident since they were very small, we are seeing more and more adventure, experimentation, and stretching of previous boundaries lately with all the boys. They are in a phase of climbing and jumping off of everything we pass, creating catapults with old lumber and buckets in the backyard, and getting really, really dirty.</div>
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They were recently inspired, after all the rain, to put even more water in the sandbox and turn it into a mud wallow. I let them go, and they had a ball - slipping, slopping, and splashing. </div>
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After all that play, though, they were too dirty to even come in the house for their bath, so they got a pre-bath washing with warm water in a tub in the yard. Luke was not so sure about what was going on! He even had sand caked on the top of his head; I'm pretty sure he had help with that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0SD1tSqx5TI83eEsd7d-1jS5oxk_cnCWtyMkTTBHNltYqv6bdlluN56wlZ50TT5BONT8E7tzhCvcuHtReao4vaxkhpTm4008ev5Tpoju4iN7S7uVhOswQw2tN6uEDBa2IPZBXObl-qVD/s1600/P1060198.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0SD1tSqx5TI83eEsd7d-1jS5oxk_cnCWtyMkTTBHNltYqv6bdlluN56wlZ50TT5BONT8E7tzhCvcuHtReao4vaxkhpTm4008ev5Tpoju4iN7S7uVhOswQw2tN6uEDBa2IPZBXObl-qVD/s320/P1060198.JPG" /></a> </div>
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As the third boy, Luke is trying to grow up as fast as his brothers, which usually means he's climbing jungle gyms and other playground equipment to keep up their pace. He thinks he's so big - and he is! One night this week I noticed how tight his pajamas were getting and asked him if he was growing so big - his response (while flexing his muscles) was, "Yes, so strong and so mighty!" Then he jumped into my arms, "I love you so much Mama!"</div>
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I love these nature-loving boys! For Halloween, Caedmon dressed up as a snow adventurer (completely his idea - his construction worker costume had somehow gotten lost and he needed a new costume right away. Knowing candy was on the line, he improvised quickly!) Luke has had a lot of fun with this giraffe costume, and Isaac put together his own costume to be his favorite TV adventurer, Chris of the Wild Kratts.</div>
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We took the boys to a park to take family pictures recently. In the car on the way, we were preparing them to give their best smiles and told them we'd like to hang the portrait in our home. Isaac asked, "Mama, when I am grown up, can I have one of these pictures to hang in my house?" I replied that he would be welcome to do so. "Do you think my wife will like it?" I told him that I was sure his wife would tell him what a cute boy he was when he was 5 years old. He blushed and giggled delightedly.</div>
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Every night we sing songs with the boys. Caedmon has learned some new songs at school that he's enjoyed sharing with us, and Luke surprised us recently with his own request. He told us "I want a song from my Sunday School." We asked him to start singing and he began "Praise Him, Praise Him, All Ye Little Children." We sang it together, then he told me in his most serious voice, "I eat goldfish at my Sunday school" while nodding vigorously. His teacher is a family friend who told us that the first week of class, he was very unsure about being there without us, but after seeing the routine, was more content the second week and after playing for a few minutes, stood up and announced loudly, "Time for goldfish!"</div>
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Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-8832063487225576332015-09-01T13:49:00.001-05:002015-09-01T13:49:52.889-05:00School starts again!<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
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Already, the summer is over and our guys are back in school. It's hard to believe we have a first-grader and kindergartener already, but when we look at these guys it's clear that they're ready!</div>
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Caedmon has loved his first few weeks of first grade and is doing wonderfully. (He also lost his first tooth right before school started!) Every day when I pick him up and ask "How was your day?" his response is "Great!!" He has a terrific new teacher, sweet friends, and a busy year ahead.</div>
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Isaac started kindergarten this year and is off to a great start, too. He has a sweet class of friends and teacher at school part of the week, and the other days we do all his schoolwork at home. We think it's a wonderful balance of time at school and home, especially for a kindergartener, and we're looking forward to the year ahead. It's wonderful to be able to see his delight when he picks up a new skill or does his work well!</div>
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Luke, always ready to take on whatever his brothers are doing, has come right alongside Isaac and has his own activities while Isaac is working on his homework. He packs a backpack and a lunchbox (with crackers, pumpkin seeds, whatever he can find!) and carries it with us on school pick-ups and drop-offs. He has become very talkative, especially on the days it's just the two of us, the only quiet time so far has been when he naps. But it's a sweet time for me to get to spend with just him!</div>
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Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-49754421187772938722015-06-04T16:12:00.000-05:002015-06-04T16:13:02.350-05:00A picture summary of the past months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Since I'm soooo far behind on posts and know I'll never catch up, here is a quick look at the last few months in pictures and brief snippets:</div>
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The amazing snow (in my opinion, a result of Isaac's faithful prayers each day since around the first of the year - praying specifically for enough snow to make a snowman.) We had so much fun building snowmen and an igloo, which stayed for several days!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFCnJaN_DL2jx6mmoj0Je2qTQbHZYsY8zym3xlb3doVrojA9Vod7OGb1vVu9PmB32ak26kB87FNhyjsJYvD1BhSPK6NmASc23Nv_s2ZQFLkvy5xldCcUtr6rvJL4UXoLW1FbHU6bzMEg_/s1600/P1050481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFCnJaN_DL2jx6mmoj0Je2qTQbHZYsY8zym3xlb3doVrojA9Vod7OGb1vVu9PmB32ak26kB87FNhyjsJYvD1BhSPK6NmASc23Nv_s2ZQFLkvy5xldCcUtr6rvJL4UXoLW1FbHU6bzMEg_/s320/P1050481.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The time that Isaac and Luke have had at home on their own has led to a sweet friendship - Isaac really wants to help his little brother learn to ride a tricycle.</div>
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We were so excited that one of Caedmon's art projects was selected (only 4 of 50ish kindergarteners at his school) to be exhibited in the downtown library's art show. Each school in the ISD had a display. Caedmon had been so enthusiastic about his collage anyway, so it was really neat to see his work honored!</div>
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We had a super fun few days at the farm over spring break. My boys were ready to do some fishing, and really did a great job managing the rods and reels on their own.</div>
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Isaac has no qualms with holding the fish. </div>
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We celebrated Easter day at home this year - the boys looked so handsome in their special church clothes!</div>
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Luke celebrated his second birthday! He has grown up so much, blessing our hearts every day with his funny, sweet personality.</div>
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Isaac had such a great year in preschool! He was so proud to show us his classroom and work at open house. He really made some sweet friendships and had an amazing teacher; we were delighted to see him flourish and blossom! Now he's ready to start kindergarten!</div>
<br />Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-42667591495556445462015-06-04T15:49:00.003-05:002015-06-04T15:49:47.999-05:00From the mouths of babesA post from October, 2014, that I never published:<br />
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Our days are never, never dull. I would venture to say that each day is a bit more interesting than the last as these boys grow. Although that comes with a fair amount of challenges, there are so many times that I laugh out loud (or if it's necessary to conceal my humor, bubble over inside.) The way these guys take in the world, process it, and verbalize what they've seen is so precious.<br />
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We recently discovered a bow and arrow toy on the dollar aisle at Target. Caedmon had some money that he'd earned and knew that was the perfect thing for us to take home. For days afterwards, he would wander around in search of his "bow and arrow sticks." Meaning, the arrows. On the other hand, Isaac seemed to have trouble keeping up with the "bone," the thing that shoots the bow and arrow sticks.<br />
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Caedmon had a big growth spurt and was ready for a bigger bicycle earlier this summer. We helped him make a plan and chart to do extra jobs around the house to earn money to buy that new bike. We were so proud of him, he worked really hard and saved his money and finally had enough for a bigger bike. We bought the bicycle ahead of time and the morning after he had earned his last dollar, we had it set up in the living room for him to find. He inspected it all over and was very impressed with the bike's "stabilizer leg," a clever description for the kick stand.<br />
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The bigger boys have become eager to have bedtime stories shared while they're settling into bed at night. We've shared many of our childhood stories and made up quite a few along the way, but recently encouraged them to tell their own stories. Caedmon plunged right into a story about his current favorite subject, ocean animals, telling a bedtime story about Whaley the whale shark who got separated from his family. Whaley asked Dol the Dolphin, then Ah the Octopus, then Puff the Puffin, and so on, naming a host of ocean creatures, if they knew where his family was. After getting only "no's" in response, Whaley finally asked "Stick" the remora who said, "Yes, I know where they are, I am stuck to them right now!" I thought that was quite a witty ending to his story!<br />
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On a recent trip to Costco, Isaac was looking ahead as I shopped and saw something interesting, and asked if we could get one of those "continent balls." He and Caedmon both use that descriptor of globes.<br />
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Isaac also tickles us frequently with his thoughts. I was washing his ears at bath time this week and he asked, "How did those bees' wax get in my ears?" I would want to know how bees snuck wax into my ears, too!<br />
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He has had some truly sincere and heartfelt prayers for one so young - and also quite honest. He worded his gratefulness for our food this way recently: "Thank you for all the wonderful creatures you made. For us to eat."Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-48407772090324092882014-07-07T22:07:00.002-05:002014-07-07T22:08:28.462-05:00Summer fun!Time has escaped me and zipped by since my last post, as as I considered all the fun milestones and events we've experienced since mid-March, it's a little overwhelming to figure out a way to record everything I want to remember! <br />
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Luke celebrated his first birthday, has learned to eat with utensils and drink from a cup by himself, is starting to take steps on his own, and just today, pushed himself to standing from a crawling position. He vocalizes several words, including: that, apple, dada, all done, outside, up, nigh-nigh (night night) car, mama, and nuh (no). He also has started shaking his head "yes" and saying "yeah" anytime we ask a question. I constantly ask him things about our activities and am often amused at his enthusiastic agreement, especially when it's in response to questions like, "Are you ready to take a nap?" He loves to be outside and play with his push-walker on the sidewalk, and is fascinated with any animal. We've gotten big grins and giggles in response to seeing anything from a neighbor's dog to a lamb at the farm to a wiggly caterpillar on the sidewalk. He even played with a fish that we had caught at the farm and put in a bucket, squealing with delight every time he reached in to grab it and got splashed. Luke loves to watch the action around him and get wrapped right up in it - if the bigger boys are making a racket and being noisy, he squeals and laughs and claps or bangs the table. Or like tonight, when Daniel said something in a soft whispering voice, he brought his voice down to a whisper as well.</div>
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Isaac had his fourth birthday, which we celebrated with a trip to the zoo with Grammy, Papa, and Kayla. He has learned to ride his balance bike, and is getting ready to start pre-k. He constantly brings smiles to our faces, sometimes intentionally but often just by doing and saying whatever comes to his mind. For example, in a recent moment of deep thinking he asked me, "What do you think Jesus' decycles looked like?" And whenever Luke is sleeping and I tell the big boys that I need to check on him, Isaac will suggest I just "check the baby thermonitor!" </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isaac posing with his projects at his end-of-school art show</td></tr>
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He has shown us such a tender, sweet side, often thinking about what others need and jumping in to help out before being asked. Sometimes he'll bring a cup of water to someone else or share a snack or special treat, and he loves to get to help with Luke. Though there's no doubt he is all boy and has some very dramatic and intense moments, his caring nature is a precious thing to see.</div>
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I tend to try to use this blog to record our fun, sweet memories, but certainly there are many trials along the way as well. I try to remember that we see God at work in both the joys and the struggles, and a recent breakthrough in an ongoing challenge we've been dealing with has been an awesome reminder of His power at work in our lives as well as a source of much praising on our part.</div>
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Our sweet Isaac has had increasingly strong reactions to many foods for some time now, and when we would take him to our pediatrician or allergist, the only answers we got were bottles and tubes of antihistamines and creams to try to combat his symptoms. Unwilling to dump drugs into his system to just cover up the reactions, we made some major changes in our diet to try to help his body heal and get back into balance so he could overcome those sensitivities, and covered it all with prayer for direction and healing. </div>
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We saw many positive changes and improvement in the year that we changed our eating habits but he was still having reactions to some things, so we began working with a naturopath in March. She told us upfront that her goal was to get his body balanced so that it could heal itself - music to our ears! Through some more blood tests we learned that his immune system was so flared up that it was reacting to many more foods than we realized - including beef, chicken, pork, carrots, green beans, citrus fruits, and others that came as quite a surprise, along with dairy and eggs. So we began a process of detoxing his system and eliminating those foods from our diet for a time - a challenge for all of us, as we were not accustomed to centering our meals around fish, but we tried to maintain a grateful attitude and proceed with much prayer.</div>
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A follow-up blood test after 45 days of this new diet brought some amazing news - most of Isaac's levels of reactivity had dropped significantly, some by 50-60%. There are still some things that we're avoiding, but all fruits and vegetables are well-tolerated by his system now, as well as chicken, pork, and lamb. We feel like we've seen a positive change in him, too...his stuffy nose is clear and his itchiness is calmed down significantly.</div>
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I give all the credit for his progress to the Lord. Through this process we've learned what a delicate and perfect balance was put into place by our Creator - one that only He can truly understand and restore. We have been faced with a problem that we couldn't fix with our efforts, but had to pray through and trust God's sovereignty over the situation. I was definitely stretched as the purchaser and preparer of food with the drastic changes in our diets, but now feel like we have learned so much about eating more healthfully and have all benefitted. We have eaten out significantly less and the variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables, that I have prepared for our meals has expanded drastically. So we are looking ahead with anticipation, praying expectantly for complete restoration of his body's balance and trusting the Lord's care in his plan for Isaac.</div>
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We finally celebrated Caedmon's birthday with a fun trip to the zoo in April; he got to invite a friend along and I made a "creature power suit" for each child, fashioned after the special suits worn by their favorite cartoon heroes on the PBS show "Wild Kratts." They had quite an adventure! The next month he finished up pre-k, learned to ride a bike without training wheels, and is now excited about starting kindergarten. </div>
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It's an amazing thing to see glimpses of a developing faith in your child, and I was touched recently when I overheard Caedmon praying out loud in his room. He had a scrape from a fall off his bike and was praying that it would be healed, and then also prayed for Isaac's body to be healed. And even though he typically has strong feelings about doing things his own way and in his own time, he has blessed my heart several times recently by taking the initiative to help out, cleaning up his room or the playroom, or vacuuming without being asked.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYp5Ob5fn25pkB6psLVy42PBI-_gAL617ZcwVf-JuqYu5FELM80Q6EW6aID1FYWsMQpXA9QGd9e48mXO0FrY6tCW7ytzQbGwlb1vsklIRjR4JLU8R6yaRfi5LF1z_jXel8IZ9VS073mlb/s1600/P1040269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYp5Ob5fn25pkB6psLVy42PBI-_gAL617ZcwVf-JuqYu5FELM80Q6EW6aID1FYWsMQpXA9QGd9e48mXO0FrY6tCW7ytzQbGwlb1vsklIRjR4JLU8R6yaRfi5LF1z_jXel8IZ9VS073mlb/s1600/P1040269.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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We (along with the rest of the worshippers in our service) got a chuckle out of Caedmon during the children's message this past Sunday. The children's ministry director was talking about the kids' favorite super heroes and super powers and asked if anyone knew what Spiderman could do. My sweet child, who has evidently led a much more sheltered life than the other kids when it comes to these characters, piped up enthusiastically, "He kills spiders!!" That's just fine with me; the things he has stored away in his mind are so fascinating and I hope increase his awe for our amazing Creator, as he loves learning and talking about animals (especially ocean dwellers) and their habitats, life cycles, and if they're carnivores or herbivores, predators or prey, mammal or reptile, if they serve as a pollinator, if they're nocturnal...his vocabulary and understanding amazes me. One afternoon we were looking at a bird in the backyard so I got out my college bird identification guide, which he sat and flipped through for some time, searching out and correctly identifying several species of birds that he'd learned about previously.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caedmon with his art at his school art show</td></tr>
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Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-8589589088263686942014-03-16T14:57:00.004-05:002014-03-16T14:59:28.852-05:00The Overflow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I blog in my head all the time, probably daily. There are so many things that I want to record, to remember, and be able to look back on and laugh, or sometimes shake my head. But these boys, they keep us busy! Of course wouldn't trade our active days for anything but there is certainly less room for other things.</div>
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So much has happened since my last entry right after Christmas. Luke has two more monthly progress photos, though by his 10-month I had given up trying to get him to stay still on the bed for a posed shot. He is in constant motion, crawling on all fours and pulling up on just about anything.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just past 8 months in his little Christmas outfit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9 months</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10 months</td></tr>
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He is still such a jolly, content little guy, and we're so grateful for that. He loves, loves music - he began "dancing" by shaking his head months ago, later added a little sideways bob to the shake, then recently learned to clap his hands. He figured out where the guitar is kept and will sometimes go missing during the day, usually ending up hidden away in the closet, batting away at his favorite instrument. One evening Daniel was practicing for church and Luke made his way down the hall into the playroom to join his dad. Conveniently, one of his brothers had emptied their "music toy" box onto the floor so he made a beeline for the tambourine and snatched it up, tapping it and clearly feeling very much a part of the band.</div>
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Luke also has quite an adventurous spirit outside. He crawls all around the backyard on his own, usually making his way first to the sandbox. For a while he would just rest his belly on the top of the wall and lean in to scratch at the sand with his hands, but now he heaves himself over and in, crawls all around, and makes his exit whenever there is more interesting action in a different part of the yard. He doesn't really try to eat the sand anymore, just enjoys experiencing it. </div>
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We broke up a new square of the yard to use as a vegetable garden and he loves getting to crawl through that freshly turned dirt. We dumped several bags of compost to work into that soil and he was eager to crawl up one of the piles, have a seat, and rake the compost into his lap with his hands until his legs were completely covered. He picked it up and let it fall through his hands, sometimes even on his head. Ahh...what more could a little bitty boy ask for?</div>
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Though playing in dirt would likely be his first choice, our Luke does enjoy checking out plants and leaves too. He has inspected our just-emerging daylilies and vinca, as well as irises and grass. For some reason, the dianthus in one of my flower pots seem to beckon to him and he feels a strong need to free them from their terra cotta enclosure. I let the boys each choose a new flower this week when we went to the nursery for vegetable seeds and put Caedmon's pretty orange-blossomed plant in one of the beds in the backyard. Luke saw the large, showy petals and headed right over to check it out. From thirty feet away where I was hanging up diapers, I watched him get really close, then look at me to see what I'd say. "No, sir, we don't touch the flowers." He shook his head "no" as he looked at me, then back at the flowers. He sat for a moment and I could see the wheels spinning in his little mind. He shook his head again as he looked at the plant. Then he looked back at me one more time - would he get the same response? "No sir, we don't touch. Good job, Luke." He shook his head again. Looked at the flowers, shook his head. Then he turned and crawled off to the sandbox without touching. Sweet boy!</div>
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Isaac has also shown me lately what a sweet-hearted helper he can be! We've been working so hard on having good attitudes and learning how they can take care of themselves as well as contribute to our household. Just in the last week, I have caught Isaac in the act of picking up Caedmon's clothes off the floor and putting them in his dresser, starting to unload the dishwasher by himself, and making my bed. He has always been generous with his things and seems to truly take joy in sharing, even when asked to share something that would be a special treat for him.</div>
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He has such a delightful sense of humor and imagination. We are constantly hearing about what his friend, "Big John," is doing - which could be anything from playing in a baseball game to feeding his cows to traveling around the world (which he referred to recently as a "continent ball." A globe.) His favorite stuffed toy, a polar bear named Poley, also has all sorts of needs that require his attention, from being hungry to having frequent birthday celebrations to needing a new home (usually blocks or a cardboard box).</div>
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Isaac also has a lion costume that makes regular appearances, often outside and sometimes even to friends' homes. The brown suit usually transforms him into a ferocious big cat but it occasionally doubles as a wetsuit for scuba diving or coveralls for other sorts of "work." One day the furry "paw" gloves that came with the costume went with us on a shopping trip to Costco - the other shoppers were quite amused.<br />
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This child is probably the first of the three to want to be outdoors and seems to mind cold weather the least. He has loved digging up earthworms and catching grasshoppers and putting them in containers to watch, and hunting for snails or any other creature he can capture. We will frequently have rolly-pollies accompany us on walks and if they happen to fall out of his hand, he insists on stopping and searching for them. They almost always have a name right away.</div>
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Isaac also loves playing his toy guitar. He will sing praise songs over the prerecorded music on his instrument and dance his little heart out. His favorite bedtime songs are "The Lord Reigns," "Silent Night," and "Jesus Loves Me, Hallelujah."</div>
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Caedmon seems to have gone through such a major period of growth and maturity - maybe it was turning 5 years old. He loves laying out plans for the day, often drawing them out on paper so we can check throughout the day and cross things off once they're completed. He's such a social little guy and has no hesitation in interacting with other kids; kindergarten is going to be such a great time for him. And he is registered - I can't believe we're already preparing to send him to big-kid school! Isaac is trying hard to remember which school Caedmon will attend next year - "Is it the Mama-sori school?" Caedmon is quick to correct, "No, MONTEssori!" </div>
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Like his younger brother, he can also be quite a hard little worker, especially outside. I always know I can count on him when a job calls for a rake, shovel, hoe, yard bag, or nippers, and he really makes a significant dent in whatever we're trying to accomplish. When the job is done, though, he still loves his diggers and lately has preferred dirt to the sandbox, so there's a good patch on the side of our front yard that has been totally crumbled and "worked."</div>
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Caedmon has a wonderful imagination and loves creating scenarios and stories, but he also is quick to memorize facts and figures. He learned a song at school that lists the 50 states alphabetically, and is going through a phase of particular interest in ocean animals, which has been really fun. He and Isaac both ask a lot of questions about life and heaven, and one day while talking about the latter, he very poetically stated that he thinks "it will be even sparklier than a polished bowling ball. Or princess dress."</div>
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He has also become quite the finagler, thinking up creative ways to gratify his desires. From working out who says the meal prayer or sits in the middle seat in the car to trying to go to Grammy and Papa's without Mom and Dad along, he rationalizes, justifies, and sets out prospective "deals" for our consideration. "Okay, here's the deal. If I let you sit in the middle seat THIS time, then I get to sit in the middle the next TEN times!" Who could resist such offers?<br />
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<br />Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-62131340742042435632013-12-27T21:23:00.002-06:002013-12-27T21:23:21.262-06:00Who can keep up?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas always flies by and this year was no exception. Besides all the wonderful opportunities to visit family and celebrate, we had lots of other reasons for wonder and adventure, especially when looking through the eyes of little boys.</div>
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He is 8 months old now, but I never got his sweet little 7-month photo posted, so without further ado...</div>
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...here is our baby, growing up just as fast as he can so that he can do all the things he sees his brothers doing. Luke now has four teeth with a fifth expected any day, is feeding himself little bits of anything we'll put in front of him, crawls on his forearms and belly, and is beginning to pull up to his knees. This brings him to the perfect level off the floor to pull out and investigate the contents of his dad's sock drawer. Fascinating! He is finding his way around the house, and if I put him down in our room I can bet his first destination (now, occasionally after the sock drawer) is our bathroom. Even if the door is closed, it doesn't latch, so he's learned that he can give it a good push and hopefully make it to our bath mat to scratch at it with his fingers before I scoop him up and redirect him. He is very vocal, usually "sings" with me when he's tired and trying to go to sleep, and also makes sounds the whole time we are at the table for a meal. <br />
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The big boys have been waiting for months for a big event at the farm - the preparation for and laying of a pipeline through the property. The heavy duty machines finally arrived and they were able to spend a few 70+ degree December days taking it all in. <br />
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They got to sit in the driver's seat of a brand-new bulldozer and watch all the excavators, dozers, and big trucks doing their work, plus climb on a huge pile of dirt they'd pushed aside. Does it get any better than that?<br />
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It might get better, for Isaac. He also got to go feed the cows with Papa, which is one of his favorite things to do anyway, but on this trip there was a rattlesnake at the barn. He watched from the safety of the truck as Papa removed the danger, and was fascinated to check out the snake and its rattles afterwards. When we returned to where the others were working, Isaac was so proud to show off the snake (minus head + fangs) along with the stick (yes, that short one that he's holding) that Papa used to dispatch it. That's super tough-guy stuff.<br />
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Later on he was tagging along to check on the pipeline action when Papa asked him to show the bulldozer operator what was in his pocket. He nearly fell over when little Isaac pulled out the rattlesnake rattles and told him in his biggest boy voice that he'd killed it with his "whopping stick!"<br />
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It had been such a busy day that Luke didn't do a lot of napping, and by the late afternoon he was just worn out. A quick ride in the truck from one part of the farm to another was just too warm and comfy, and I felt his little body relax suddenly as he fell over, asleep on Isaac's shoulder. He had been so interested in everything all day long and finally gave in to a little slumber.<br />
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Caedmon and Isaac had been so excited about the digger action happening at the farm that they wanted to take along their toy diggers to participate in the event. The hole that we had dug in preparation for a new cattleguard became the perfect place for them to "work" in the soft, fresh earth and they played there contentedly for some time.<br />
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So if that weren't enough adventure for one week, we had to wrap up our trip to the farm and head home in time to beat the ice and snow that blew in. The boys were ecstatic when they woke up the next morning to find a world of white outside and were dressed and out the door before I even had a chance to make breakfast.<br />
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Even Luke was entertained by the change of scenery, and gave us a wrinkly-nosed toothy smile!<br />
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The boys experimented with different items to determine what made the best sled for the slope in our front yard. They had a ton of fun sliding on a plastic lid from a storage bin, going up and down over and over.<br />
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Luke had another opportunity to experience the outdoors, this time from the warm shelter of his dad's coat! He loved watching his brothers play while staying snugly tucked in.<br />
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I mentioned that Luke has a bunch of teeth - with this being the case, we figure we need to let him use them! He thought he was such a big guy when I put a piece of sausage on my fork and let him gnaw away at the end, all grins. Meat has definitely become a welcome and enthusiastically received addition to his diet.<br />
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Bonus picture! I loved this shot of Isaac watching his dad demonstrate flying a toy helicopter that Isaac received for Christmas. So serious and focused...learning every day!Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-50306143061014675392013-11-19T22:44:00.002-06:002013-11-19T22:44:15.121-06:00So much to be thankful for...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We are continually amazed at the blessings the Lord has put in our lives. These boys have certainly been keeping us on our toes but we're grateful to be able to participate in the adventure of raising them. </div>
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Luke is changing so fast. We feel like he even looks different from one day to the next, we're afraid to blink! He's also starting to be more vocal and we're hearing Dadada and Mamama and lots of other interesting things, though he doesn't connect them with us yet. He is scooting all around and exploring everything he can, and seems to enjoy being on the hardwood or tile because it's so much easier to move. He will get up on all fours and rock enthusiastically, basking in our praise and encouragement to crawl, then happily flop onto his belly and take off.</div>
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Luke eats three times a day with us; sometimes he's an eager eater and sometimes he'd much rather play with his bib or see how quickly he can clear his tray of spoons, towels, and his sippy cup. His big brothers love to help feed him, too.<br />
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It's getting more challenging to get a monthly milestone photo with Luke's little bear...he doesn't sit in one place for long! When I was trying to take these shots, he was much more interested in coming my direction!<br />
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Caedmon and Isaac are always creative with their play, often amusing us with their scenarios and ideas. Setting up drum sets is one activity that never seems to grow old for them, though they have certainly become more complicated. This one was particularly impressive to me!<br />
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Drum set, in action...he wasn't even looking while keeping the beat on the tambourine cymbal!<br />
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Both Caedmon and Isaac were big enough this year to understand that Halloween = candy and they were super enthusiastic about that, especially since we rarely have sweets. They did pause long enough to pose for a quick cowboy, lion, lion photo before venturing around to our neighbor's houses to model their costumes and get some yummy treats.<br />
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Halloween in our neighborhood gets pretty crazy, so we decided to take the boys out early and stay in the rest of the evening. Handing out candy is best done from a chair in the front yard, as the stream of kids is too steady to justify opening and closing a front door. Even though our porch light was turned off, we still had kids come knock and ring the bell while we were having dinner, and Caedmon was very much bothered by that. He felt that if there were kids coming to our door, we should share some candy with them! We told him that I didn't buy any to hand out, but that if he wanted to share his candy with them he could do that. He grabbed the treat bowl, which was full of both his and Isaac's candy from trick-or-treating and school, and ran outside.</div>
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Daniel went out with the bigger boys and I stayed in with Luke while they greeted the trick-or-treaters. I wondered how Caedmon, who was so very excited about getting candy, was really going to handle sharing it, especially with strangers. He began by selecting the ones that were not the "favorites" and from Daniel's report, gave them out very easily. When the bowl was about half gone, he decided it was time to close up shop, but Daniel realized the opportunity for stretching and learning, and pointed out how many kids were still waiting. Caedmon continued to pass out treats, more slowly and with greater difficulty, until about six pieces remained...his favorites, the Smarties. He again asked to please be done, but Daniel reminded him about the kids who were still waiting, and told him that when his candy was gone, there would be a different treat. So our baby-turned-big-boy stayed out and gave away his (and his brother's) beloved candy, down to the very last piece. Our heartstrings ached, especially as we considered who some of the candy went to...certainly mostly to little kids, but also some to adults... but none of them knowing the sacrifice he was making. I could have cried.</div>
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So, as soon as he came inside and the reality hit - that the candy was <i>all gone</i> - we cheered and commended his generosity, and loaded up in the car to go get ice cream together to celebrate.</div>
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And as I recalled the situation, so quickly judging those who in my mind were certainly not deserving of my son's prized treats, I was humbled to remember our God's great love for us, to send His Son to pour out his blood for all. For those who are grateful, and those who aren't. For the kids, and the grown-ups, and the grown-ups acting like kids. Without differentiating.</div>
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Mixed in with the hard lessons and stretching has been a great deal of free play out in the gorgeous fall weather. Luke loves to be outdoors with his brothers, and will kick his legs and protest loudly if I bring him back inside before he is ready to come in. He has become quite the connoisseur of everything "yard," enthusiastically grabbing leaves, grass, sticks, and anything else he can reach to chew on or, sometimes, accidentally eat. For example, when I sat him in the grass to take his picture, he immediately grabbed a magnolia leaf from the grass in front of him and had it to his mouth before I could finish snapping some photos.</div>
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While Luke keeps everything in check close to the ground, his big brothers are becoming avid tree climbers. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, from my Mama's perspective!) we don't have huge trees for them to climb. In fact, the only trees that they can get up into right now are fairly small, but if they're out in the backyard chances are good that at least one of them is in a tree.<br />
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Caedmon has ventured farther up the limbs than Isaac, but I don't imagine it will take long for them to both be higher than I'd prefer. As they grow, I must grow too - reminding myself that my children are boys, and they're going to do "boy things," and that these adventures are normal and good for them and that we'll all be better off if I let them flex their muscles and conquer new challenges. They love it!<br />
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<br />Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-28826912591971830942013-10-10T17:27:00.000-05:002013-10-10T17:27:08.938-05:00Little ConversationsI have been so tickled lately by some of the conversations we've shared with the boys. We're getting glimpses into their little hearts and minds as they learn to express themselves more and more clearly, and sometimes have to smile when their words aren't exactly the ones they're looking for but we know what they mean.<br />
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As the weather gets cooler I've been pulling out the boxes of winter clothes and have asked the boys to try on last year's pants and shirts to see what will still fit. I asked Isaac what sort of pants he liked to wear and he lost no time in selecting "jeams!" He has called them that ever since. And, he sometimes goes the extra mile in making his verbs past tense....not only has he won races against me, but he "beated!" me! Or if we had a brisk pace in an evening stroll, he might have "runned-ed."<br />
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Caedmon is always excited to tell me about the things he's doing in school, often pulling everything out of his backpack to show me as soon as he gets in the car. One afternoon last week he was telling me about something in his "wiggly reader," and it took me a few minutes to figure out that he was referring to the "Weekly Reader" that the kiddos work on together. My thought was that in a pre-k classroom, they might be more accurately referred to as "wiggly" readers!<br />
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Both boys bless my heart with their sweet words, but Isaac in particular has been showing a new depth that is so touching to this mama. When I picked the boys up from school last week I asked them both about their morning, and what they had done. Isaac said, "No, Mom, what did YOU do this morning?" I described the errands that I had run, and he asked, "But didn't you have lunch?" I told him that yes, I did, and then he wanted to know what I had. Only after I had given him all the details, mundane as they were, was he was content to tell me about his morning. And then the next time I dropped him off and gave him a big hug, he looked in my eyes and told me, "When you pick me up today I want you to tell me about all the things you do this morning!"<br />
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We have also been sharing a Bible verse together before meals, talking about what it means and how to apply it to our lives, and trying to memorize one verse per week. Caedmon is quick to commit them to memory and be able to recite both the current and previous weeks' verses. Isaac is usually very quiet while we talk, not wanting to practice saying the words out loud. A recent verse was from 1 Thessalonians 5:11 - "Be kind to one another and <i>build each other up</i>." Hold that thought.<br />
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This afternoon the boys got to leave to spend a few days with Grammy and Papa. They have been so excited to go and Isaac told me as they were about to drive away that he would see me in "100 days." I told him that they would need to come back sooner than that but that we could check back in after a couple of days and see how they're feeling. He said, "Oh, it's okay, Mama, Grammy has a washing machine." Obviously we hadn't packed enough sets of clothes for 100 days! I reminded him that they would need to get along and be kind to each other if he wanted to have an extended stay. His reply was, "Oh, yes, Mama. We will <i>build each other up!</i>" Oh my - he was listening. My heart is full.Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-32010957192514924652013-09-28T11:45:00.000-05:002013-09-28T11:48:09.919-05:00I blinked!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well, this month certainly has flown by! We've had so many "firsts" and seen so much growth in all three of our little guys. </div>
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Right after Labor Day was the start of the boys' school. Caedmon is so excited to be in pre-k and to get to go three days a week. He is really starting to connect with the other kids at school and form fun friendships; he is always excited to go. He has grown up so much since the start of school last year, when we would watch him go into the classroom and start doing his "own thing," playing beside the other kids but not really with them. Now he greets his buddies and tells me all the things they play on the playground, and his teacher told me that he's a very social child. He is also getting very close to being able to sound some simple words out on his own and is starting to take more interest in doing so.</div>
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Isaac enjoys going to his class one day a week, too, and would be happy to go more frequently but we're also treasuring our mornings together when Caedmon is in school. He is always excited to show us the things that he's made in his class and has learned a lot of fun new songs and his making great progress with letters and sounds.</div>
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Luke has also had some big "firsts" in the last few weeks. He is normally such a content little guy but the last few weeks has gotten really vocal and agitated when we would sit down to supper, looking at our plates and complaining loudly. I hadn't planned to start solids with him just yet but we decided to see how he would do with them and let him have his first food - a banana. He was really fascinated and did pretty well swallowing it on his first try, only spitting out a little. We have also tried avocado with him; some nights he eats fairly well and sometimes he's not really interested, but he loves to be a part of what we're doing.<br />
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Everybody got to participate in feeding Luke his first taste of bananas, it was a special event for all of us! The big boys were so proud and excited for him.<br />
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Luke is also getting better at holding himself up. He sat unassisted for about half a minute one day this week, and one night he got to join Isaac for his nighttime snack (held up by Daniel). He was so happy to be at the little table with his big brother! I'm sure it made him feel really grown-up.<br />
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Luke is starting to scoot himself around on the floor. I'm sure crawling is just around the corner as he can also get his legs under him and almost push himself all the way up on his arms. For now he can make forward progress, which comes in really handy when playing on a quilt out in the yard so he can get to the edge and grab a fistful of grass! He also enjoys a little keyboard that the boys have. It's a great toy for him because it's low enough that he can get his hands up on the keys and play some good tunes...sometimes playing with both hands and his mouth all at the same time!<br />
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I was somewhat shocked yesterday to peek in his mouth and see that he has two teeth starting to poke through his gums. I could see them under the gum for a while but didn't expect them to come through anytime soon, since neither of our bigger guys had teeth until 10 months or later. They are all the way through now - our days of toothless grins are over!<br />
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Our official 5-month picture! This captures his little personality so well...he's such a happy little guy and just loves getting to interact with us and especially Caedmon and Isaac. Our boys are such a joy and blessing to us, and to each other!<br />
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<br />Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-55223326357177629572013-08-25T22:23:00.000-05:002013-08-25T22:23:20.143-05:00Four months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now, we've officially reached our fourth-month milestone for Luke - and as Caedmon really wanted to know, the four month mark until his birthday. These guys have been keeping us on our toes and leading us a merry dance lately - as the weeks fly by.</div>
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Caedmon will be starting pre-k after Labor Day, and is excited to get back and see his friends. I'm excited for him too, he was really starting to enjoy being around the other kids and doing interesting projects and crafts at school, frequently surprising us with little tidbits of things that he's learned. It helps that he is so enthusiastic about going; it makes it somewhat easier for me to let go of my big boy as he begins real school.<br />
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He has been increasingly interested in his youngest brother lately; frequently he is the first one up in the morning and will come join me in the nursery, always giving Luke a sweet kiss on his head in the morning and at night. He loves to bring toys to "Luker Schnooker" when he's playing in his bouncy seat or on the floor, talks to him, and gives him good head rubs. Daniel overheard him singing a song to Luke that he made up, to the tune of "Angels We Have Heard On High," about how much we love him. So tender!<br />
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Caedmon is also beginning to show an increased independence and strong feelings about how things should be done. We are often hearing "I want to do what I want to do!" Don't we all! We are learning to balance those feelings with also thinking about what others want or need.<br />
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Isaac has definitely had a growth spurt recently; we can see that his pace has picked up when we take walks or chase each other in the yard. He has such a fun sense of humor and frequently uses silly voices or surprises us with the funny things he says. He has a strong sense of adventure and is willing to try new things without reservation - this summer he has begun jumping into the pool (with a lifejacket), climbing the tree in our backyard (once before I got out there - he did get his ankle stuck and was hanging by his ankle and hands while Caedmon ran to tell me to come), and riding anything with wheels. He is in constant motion and loves to play chasing games, any sort of sport, and go for walks.<br />
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One evening last week I was getting the boys ready for bed and left the big boys drying off and getting their pajamas on after their bath to go change Luke's diaper. Isaac had been complaining about it being too cold, but I encouraged him to hurry and get dressed to warm up. I heard the water in the sink turn on, and when I got back to the bathroom I found Isaac <i>sitting in the sink</i> with the water on. He said that he needed warm water because he was too cold!<br />
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Both boys have become fascinated with the PBS kids show, "Wild Kratts," in which two brothers visit different habitats and use special suits to take on characteristics of the animals they're learning about. They really have learned a lot about a lot of different animals and have had so much fun pretending to have those special suits and transforming into cheetahs (Isaac's favorite), falcons, badgers, ka-zelles (gazelles) and anything else that struck them. I frequently hear them saying "Activate CHEETAH powers!" and then racing away at full speed. It was fun to pretend, but they really, really wanted these special "creature power suits" so I thought it would be a fun project to make some with them. It took me a while to gather the materials we needed, and in the meantime I realized that they didn't want pretend suits - they wanted the real thing!<br />
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They have also begun quoting the brothers, so I frequently hear little snippets like "welcome to my world, dude" and "to the creature rescue!!" One afternoon Isaac was eating a snack and started coughing; I asked if he was okay and he said, "It's just a hairball." I sincerely doubt he has any idea what that means but he heard it once and remembered in what context to use it!<br />
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Luke is at such a sweet and fun age - he is a smiley little guy, has lots of giggles (especially for his brothers!) and loves to be where he can see the action. We are so amused at his fascination with the television - it's not on that often but when it is, it doesn't matter what is on it (perhaps even just a big blue screen), he will watch with wide eyes. He joins us for meals sitting in his bouncy seat on the table where he can see everything that is going on around him, often adding his two cents to our conversation and kicking his feet. Some nights his foot-kicking is so fast, and sometimes he just kicks one foot at a time for a while. I commented, to the big boys' great amusement, that it looks like he is riding a scooter when only one foot is kicking at a time. Now we can get his attention and say, "Ready, set, GO!!" Whether he understands our game or is just inspired to start kicking because he thinks we're excited, he almost always starts "riding his scooter."<br />
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He has begun scooting in circles and sometimes making forward progress when in his crib or playing on the floor, and now rolls from his tummy to his back all the time. He is still working on his eye-hand coordination but can grab objects that are close to him, and frequently has his hands clasped and in his mouth. His favorite activity right now is taking baths; his eyes get so wide and he smiles and giggles as he kicks and splashes, it's great fun for all of us!<br />
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Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-85222638367778424292013-08-19T22:18:00.001-05:002013-08-19T22:18:29.366-05:00Belated 3 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
It's Luke here. Well, I'm three months old now (almost four months) and I wanted to send you some of my cutest pics lately. I enjoy laying in my bed craning my neck as far as possible to see if someone is coming to rescue me. I like it when my brothers come and play with me in the morning, but especially when my mom and dad come and pick me up!</div>
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It doesn't come as naturally as it looks, but a little head tilt, sweet smile and adorable eye gaze are all part of my repertoire. These sweet things come in handy when it's the middle of the night and my belly is getting hungry. I usually start making scratching sounds, then little cooing and some mild grunting. If that doesn't get someone's attention, then I'll flip over on my back, wedge my arm between the bed slats and go straight for the guttural shrieks...works (almost) every time.</div>
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I'm all legs like my brothers and have learned how to balance my head when I'm sitting or reclining. The bear is shrinking each month that we take a picture together, but I'm really enjoying getting bigger so I can be like my big brothers!<br />
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And here they are, my best friends! They like to pet my head and give me sweet hugs. Mostly I like watching what they're doing and I'm starting to tell them things, but it doesn't seem like they understand what I'm saying yet. Isaac likes to tell me stories about his giraffe or the trees that he's been climbing.<br />
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Here's Caedmon reading me a book which he does so well. He really takes good care of me as the biggest brother and is learning how to watch out for me and that makes me happy. Caedmon and Isaac also give me the biggest giggles when they do silly things or try to tickle me, I love it!<br />
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It's almost bedtime, so I'll leave you with a picture of me getting dried off after a bath. My baths are fun and I've gotten to splash in the BIG tub with my brothers, too. After a long day it feels good to be clean, snuggled in a towel and put in my footed pajamas. Life is good!<br />
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Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-2926710847159083202013-07-03T22:44:00.001-05:002013-07-03T22:44:43.314-05:00Adventures with ThreeLife with little ones is always full of adventures. Sometimes just getting through the day, even when we're not "doing" anything that day, can require more mental, emotional, and physical strength than I can believe. But a couple of weeks ago I knew it was time for us to start resuming more normal activities that took us beyond the walls of our home, starting with a trip to the grocery store. <br />
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I gave each big boy a list with pictures of the items that they were "responsible" for finding that day and tried to pick a time that Luke would be sleeping. With him in the front pack and his brothers engaged, at least for a little while, with the items on their lists, we conquered the grocery store and made it home with no real snags. I was thrilled, and knew that such a smooth trip was probably a gift from the Lord so that I would be brave enough to venture out again!<br />
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Such a great first experience, along with an urgent need to get my oil change before going any farther in my vehicle, made it clear that we needed to visit our mechanic for a tune up. I called ahead to make sure we could get in and out quickly and we headed over. I am not sure what happened, but our estimated 15-20 minutes turned into almost an hour. We ended up making ourselves right at home during that amount of time - the big boys did a great job of playing together, made two trips to the restroom (walking through the entire shop with 5 or 6 bays of cars being worked on to get there), and I nursed Luke and changed his diaper and outfit when he had a diaper leak. When the mechanics finally came to tell us that our car was almost ready, Caedmon called out to Isaac, "Hey Isaac, let's be a hurricane! You be the eye, and I'll be the hurricane!" With that, Isaac froze and Caedmon began running in circles around him. Then they decided to switch. I had never seen this particular dramatization, and our mechanics just laughed. Such creative little minds!<br />
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Later in the week we went and ate lunch with Daniel. After an uneventful lunch and visit to his office, we headed back to the parking garage. Caedmon had been asking the entire time if we could go "do the escalators," which are at the base of the building and a pretty long ride. Although I wasn't crazy about trying to help both boys on and off and carry Luke in his carseat, I told him we could go watch them. A kind security guard saw us and came to offer his assistance - I told him that Caedmon just wanted to ride - so he said he could go with him if I was okay with that. I agreed, and he took off with my firstborn. <br />
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Isaac then began begging me to take him down also, but I was trying to wave for Caedmon to come back up. After a moment's confusion, the guard evidently thought that I was trying to convince Isaac to get on also, and that Caedmon could wait at the bottom by himself until we got there, so he hopped on the ascending side of the escalator. That left me alone at the top with a three year old and newborn in a bulky carseat, and my four year old all by himself at the bottom, with tons of people getting coming and going. I gave in, hopped on with Isaac, and rode down to Caedmon. A kind couple behind me realized that my hands were full and the lady rode back up with us just to make sure we were okay. I'm sure thankful for the people in this world who are willing to reach out with a helping hand.<br />
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Isaac's birthday was early in June and we celebrated with friends and family here at home. He loves anything that requires throwing, kicking, or hitting a ball so he had a cake decorated like a baseball, and baseball, basketball, and soccer ball cupcakes. He was so proud! On his actual birthday, Grammy and Papa came to spend the day with us. We tried to make him feel extra special with a candle and singing at each meal but he decided that he'd rather we sing "Mary had a Little Lamb" than the birthday song. And not just the first verse - if we stopped, he requested the rest of the song. Whatever makes the birthday boy happy!<br />
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Our little Luke is well past the 2-month mark now. At his checkup, he was 24 inches long and 13 lb 5 oz, which means he's growing just great. He's getting stronger and holding his head up for longer to look around, taking in all the action created by his brothers.<br />
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He is full of smiles and I believe just on the verge of giggles. For the most part he is a content, easygoing little guy, and certainly very interested and engaged in the world around him. His big brothers are fascinating; when traveling in the car I often hear Isaac's cry of delight - "He is smiling at me!" Now that he's more interactive both boys love to sit close by and do what they can to entertain him, by sharing toys or singing songs or just talking to their brother. It's so precious! He has also recently succeeded in getting his thumb into his mouth by himself, which he has been diligently working towards for a few weeks now.<br />
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Any time I get out the camera, the boys are ready to pose and snap some pictures themselves. The sequence of photos is always amusing to me, as there are certainly no two shots the same.<br />
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Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-14569402255812890982013-05-29T22:40:00.000-05:002013-05-29T22:40:29.046-05:00Even though we knew how challenging it was to catch a good photo of our two big boys together - both looking at the camera, and smiling, and not trying to run away - I really wanted to try to capture our trio all together on Mother's Day. So we got them dressed up and posed out in the yard, and were pleasantly surprised with the results. I am always amused at the progression of photos and what each of them are doing!<br />
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They were really being troopers and trying hard to give us their "best" smiles!<br />
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What sweet boys! We are so blessed.<br />
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Isaac LOVES his little brother. He is always ready to bring a pacifier or blanket or toy without prompting, and is generous with his snuggles and sweet baby talk. He was so proud to get to hold Luke for this photo!<br />
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Our one month-old! We will try to get a picture of him with this bear (which is big brothers picked to bring him in the hospital) each month to watch his growth in comparison.<br />
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I was getting breakfast one morning and overheard Isaac "reading" a book out loud, which is unusual for him. I realized he was sharing it with his little brother, who is always tuned in to what the big boys are doing. So precious!Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-16328124570233286232013-04-29T21:20:00.000-05:002013-04-30T12:54:54.379-05:00Our season of anticipation has changed into a season of change as we adjust to being a family of five! We are so grateful to have Luke here, safe and healthy, flourishing in these sweet first days of life. He was born on April 24 - the day I felt was his real due date, rather than the one our doctor used - and has been an amazing little bundle of sweetness - constantly humbling us before the Lord at the great gifts He bestows upon us and His incredible design for life!<br />
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Last Wednesday I had a feeling when I woke up that things were changing but didn't know if that would mean immediate progress, or still several days of preparation. I went ahead and took the boys on a quick errand to the store and on the way asked then what they thought we should name the baby. Caedmon didn't miss a beat but said "Fred!" right away. I just laughed, never having heard that from him before.<br />
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As the morning went on I could feel more contractions than usual, and by lunchtime let Daniel know that he needed to be prepared to leave work that day. I wanted to get the boys down for naps and see if allowing my body to rest would slow the contractions or if they were there to stay.<br />
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I laid down on the bed and started timing the contractions, and sure enough, they slowed a little bit as I rested, coming about every 8 or 9 minutes. Caedmon couldn't sleep so he crawled up on the bed with me and we snuggled and read books, a precious time for both of us! I could tell at this point that even though my contractions had slowed some, they were not going away, and prepared to call our parents and let them start getting ready to come our direction. Even as these thoughts were going through my head, I was shocked to feel my water break - no doubt, time to start making phone calls! I let Daniel and our doula know, then went ahead and called my parents.<br />
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I expected my body to respond quickly to my ruptured water, but was surprised that my contractions didn't seem to change much at first. Daniel arrived and started packing last minute hospital things, and our doula also came and suggested that I start walking outside to help my contractions progress. We walked and walked up and down the sidewalk, the boys accompanying most of the trips, and she timed my contractions. We did this for a while, then Gramma Janet and Grandpa Dude came and took the boys to the park. My doula predicted that my labor wouldn't really get going until the boys were in someone else's care, and she was right.<br />
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After going through another series of contractions, I decided I was ready to get to the hospital. We grabbed our things and Daniel laid down the back seat of our car so that I could make the trip on my hands and knees, at our doula's suggestion. We backed out of the driveway and made it around the corner before I realized that our little boy was ready to come. Right away. Knowing that it is usually a 20 minute drive to the hospital did not help my sense of panic, and I'm sure Daniel could tell from the volume and content of the sounds and desperate prayers for mercy from the back seat that it was time to drive as fast as possible.<br />
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Between contractions I called our doula, who was following us in her car, and she could also tell from what I told her that we were needing to make a decision - pull over and have a baby, or drive faster to the hospital. We pressed on and swung into the ER drive thru where they procured a wheelchair for me. The nurse who met us was quite calm - I'm sure they have moms who THINK they're about to have a baby, and moms who really are. They got me upstairs to Labor and Delivery as quickly as a wheelchair and slow elevator could, and into a delivery room. The same doctor who delivered both the other boys was there, and even though I felt like it should be as obvious to the nurses and staff who do this all day that it was to me that our boy was on his way, the nurse insisted that I get on the exam table so she could check my dilation. She quickly said, "She's complete," as if that was new information to anyone else, and we got ready to meet our little one!<br />
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After pushing for 15 or so minutes, we were amazed at the miracle we got to witness as the doctor wrapped up our strong and healthy little boy and placed him on my chest. Our little Luke Aaron was just beautiful, weighed 8 lbs 6 oz and measured 22 inches long, born at 6:08pm...just over 3 1/2 hours after my water broke. We were overwhelmed! <br />
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We took some time to recover and meet our precious bundle, then had our parents bring the boys in to meet him. They were excited and curious, mostly wanting to touch him and rub his soft little head. As they left we encouraged them to tell Luke goodnight. Isaac did, then waited with a look of expectancy...after several seconds, his face fell and he said to me, "Mama, he didn't say 'goodnight' to me! He didn't say anything!" And Caedmon just smiled and said, "Goodnight, Fred!"<br />
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Since coming home and settling in to being a family of five, we have marveled at the enormity of God's precious gift, at the number of tiny features - long toes, soft-as-silk hair, unconscious but oh-so-precious smiles, tiny squeaks and grunts, and sweet sweet baby breath. We have been overwhelmed with the privilege of raising him, and our big boys, that God would entrust us with this little package who seems to come straight from heaven and the Father's creative and loving hands.<br />
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It has been wonderful to watch the big boys love their new brother in their own way. Caedmon asked us one night if Luke would be able to crawl the following morning. And he continues to call him, in as endearing a way as possible, "Fred." That is now his little joke. Isaac calls him "my baby" and wants to help feed him, pat him, love on him however he can. If he doesn't refer to him as "my baby," he still tends to call him "Baby Jett," our nickname for him until he arrived.<br />
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The boys have very proudly helped push the stroller to take Luke for a walk, and brought toys and blankets whenever they feel like he might need one of those. They accompanied Luke to his first checkup (at 5 days old) and watched him get weighed - 8 lb 8 oz! We were thrilled that he already has gained back to his birth weight and that everything looks so healthy.<br />
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We are so looking forward to life with our three!Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-264430367398328012013-01-15T12:58:00.001-06:002013-01-15T12:58:28.488-06:00A fun visit and more!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We have had so much going on lately - it's wonderful to have such a full life! Hopefully I can get caught up on some of the memories we've been making.</div>
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First, we had a wonderful visit with the boys' Aunt Amanda and sweet little cousin, Lilly (or, as Isaac says, "Liw-lly.") They came and spent a day with us in early November; we had a great time playing at the house, visiting a nearby park, and riding trikes with her in the front yard! We all cherished our time together, and it blessed my heart to see the boys really connect with them; they have continued to talk and ask about them since.</div>
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Although we have two trikes, the boys usually want the same one at the same time - especially when it's being pulled at top speed around the yard by their dad! This time it worked out great, since they picked the one with a little storage box on the back where Caedmon could perch. <br />
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Sweet Lilly was content to find a seat on the other tricycle and mostly watch the action, and although we did make some trips up and down the sidewalk, it was a much gentler ride than what the boys were enjoying.</div>
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Isaac has learned, in the last month or so, to really propel himself well on his little tricycle, and loves the freedom this gives him to motor up and down the sidewalk. I don't have any pictures yet, but Caedmon is now riding a bicycle with training wheels, so they both are on their own, which is really fun to watch despite the tugging I feel on my heartstrings to see them being so grown up and independent!<br />
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Isaac's other favorite pastimes right now include anything with a ball. He often greets his dad at the door with "Hey, Dad, let's play fetball! (football)" in his biggest voice. He is learning to catch, too, and if he has an excuse to dive into the grass or carpet when playing, all the better!<br />
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Caedmon continues to love drumming. It probably isn't the first thing to come to mind that he's pretending this fallen tree branch is a drum set, but he saves it off to the side of our yard and will frequently drag it out, select two "drumsticks," and have a little rock-out session, sometimes singing at the top of his lungs while playing. This branch has completely lost all its leaves, but he just thinks it's great fun. I love seeing his imagination, creativity, and skills developing!<br />
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<br />Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-12389102574106490372012-11-05T10:58:00.003-06:002012-11-05T10:58:57.797-06:00Catching up...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Wow, it's been a while! The late summer and early fall have been busy with lots of fun events, but no time for recording any of them here. Perhaps the main reason for a lack of updates can be explained with a single picture...</div>
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Our sweet new addition is now 15 weeks along and doing fine. We are all very excited to have another member joining our family around April 27! The past weeks have been challenging with fatigue and nausea, but those will hopefully subside completely in the near future. Caedmon is certain that he will have a little sister this time - we are all eager to know if he is right!</div>
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The boys both started attending a Mother's Day Out program one day a week and so far have really enjoyed going to "school." They look so grown up with their backpacks and lunch boxes! Although we haven't captured many photos this fall, we did snap some on their first day.</div>
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Caedmon was having a very energetic morning and was giving us lots of big smiles! We are so glad he's such a cheerful boy.<br />
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Isaac was delighted to get to go along with his big brother! They are in different classrooms but he wasn't about to be left behind if Caedmon was going to get to go have fun at school.<br />
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With increased time around other kids and in settings away from home, like school and Sunday School, they had a better understanding of dressing up for Halloween this year. Caedmon really, really wanted to dress up like a dinosaur but with short notice, I just couldn't come up with a dino costume that satisfied him, so he agreed that he could be content as a cowboy. Isaac wanted to be a lion but on our shopping trip to buy supplies to make a lion mane, we happened across a little tiger costume that he thought would be even better.</div>
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Caedmon thought it was fun to dress up in "real" cowboy duds, like a snap-up shirt, boots, and hat, and even agreed to wear a bandana and mustache long enough for us to take a picture. But Isaac really got into being a tiger - I got him dressed first and was trying to help get Caedmon's outfit figured out, while being pounced on and growled at by the ferocious little guy!</div>
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I have been wanting to take the boys to Fossil Rim, a wildlife ranch just south of here. We finally had the opportunity last week, and it seemed to be a big hit with the boys! With as much as they love seeing the animals at the zoo, and love feeding cubes to the cows at the farm, I figured this would be a perfect combination of the two. They got excited about seeing the animals up close but weren't as bold about feeding the food from their hands as I expected. The highlight of the trip was definitely our friendly giraffe visitor, who spent a good chunk of time with her head through our sunroof, gently munching food pellets from our hands. Caedmon worked up the courage to touch her cheek and though Isaac wouldn't touch her, they both were very impressed.</div>
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<br />Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-56635962138903145532012-07-29T17:35:00.000-05:002012-07-29T17:36:00.436-05:00Giggles in July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
With it being July, our activities lately have been very much determined by how much heat I am willing to take. Even the boys are very easily convinced to come inside for a cool-off break and cold glass of water when we're playing outside. That being said, we're still outdoors a good bit, particularly in the mornings and late afternoons.</div>
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The sandbox continues to be a popular choice with the boys, particularly late in the day when that part of the backyard has wonderful shade. Their excavator and cement truck are typically two of the first toys they select, along with a couple of front-loaders.<br />
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We have been so amused lately by these guys! Isaac is getting to a really fun place with his ability to communicate and his personality. One morning this week Daniel had showered before work and was sitting and talking to the boys for a few minutes before he finished getting ready to go out the door. Isaac noticed his wet hair, and said,<span style="background-color: white;"> "Dad, your hair is handsome!" We thought that was pretty cute, and they played for a few more minutes. Then Daniel said he was going to go finish "getting handsome" to go to work, and Isaac emphatically piped up, "No, Dad, you already handsome!!"</span><br />
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One day I heard Isaac giggling and laughing in his room, and when I peeked in, he was rolling back and forth on his back on the floor, holding a large stuffed koala bear on top of himself. He was saying, "No, koala, DON'T TICKLE ME! Stop, stop!" All the time he continued to laugh and roll around. I have to think he could have overpowered his attacker if he really wanted!<br />
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<br /></div>Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-488939867209619562012-07-05T21:34:00.000-05:002012-07-05T21:36:31.153-05:00Jokes<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
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These guys are such a team. I'm so thankful that they have each other and are such good buddies, even though their teamwork sometimes gets them into mischief!</div>
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Today they teamed up to keep each other from getting a nap, even though we were up until almost 11 last night after watching fireworks. I was taking a little respite this afternoon while they played, and enjoyed listening to their conversation.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Caedmon said: "Isaac, tell me a joke."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Isaac: "One day there was a big sheep on a picnic blanket and it went like this." (Stands up and turns around backwards in the chair, then laughs.)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Caedmon: "I have a joke! One day there was a scarecrow, who fell in a mud puddle!" (Big laugh)</span></div>
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Isaac: "I tell you a joke. Okay. One day there was a (unintelligible...?) standing in the barn with a rooster. Aah hahaha."</div>
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They went back and forth telling their "jokes" and cracking each other up...I'm sure glad they "get" each other's jokes and sense of humor!</div>
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I accidentally ended up with a jalapeno plant in our garden, thinking it was a red bell pepper. It started to put on some little peppers a while back but I wasn't really paying much attention to them. One afternoon I was helping the boys pull some carrots and pick peas when Isaac, from behind me, began exclaiming, "Hot! Hot!" and spitting something out. I realized he'd picked the pepper and sampled it all by himself - a big surprise! I tasted it too, and thankfully it's a milder jalapeno than others I've had, and he quickly recovered. Despite his displeasure with its flavor, he carried the pepper around proudly and brought it in the house for us to eat.</div>
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We had our first attempt at raising carrots. The greens looked pretty but unfortunately the carrots themselves were tough and didn't taste good at all. It has still been fun to watch them grow and pull them up, though! The boys love any opportunity to harvest something from our garden! Caedmon probably ate his little pea pod right after I took this photo, he enjoyed them thoroughly.</div>
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Isaac helped me pick this squash. We've all had so much fun watching our plants grow! </div>
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Something that I've noticed about Isaac lately is that he likes to accessorize. We were planning to walk down the sidewalk one afternoon, and he had asked me to help him put on his flip flops, which he thinks are great, I assume because his feet stay cooler. He also wore his cap, then decided he also needed sunglasses. By the time he finally hopped onto his tricycle, he was one cool looking dude!</div>
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<br /></div>Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-39063354821250929642012-06-21T14:30:00.000-05:002012-06-21T14:30:39.704-05:00Prayers of a childThe past few weeks have involved a lot of research for the purchase of a larger vehicle to replace my much-beloved Jeep, which is finally in need of repairs that are really not reasonable for us to have done. We have educated ourselves quickly about different options for replacements and have been scouring the classifieds and car-sales websites for the right fit, getting our hopes up from time to time but never finding just the right vehicle.<div>
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Last night we went to test drive a promising SUV and while Daniel was inside the dealership getting the keys, the boys and I checked out the interior of the vehicle. I had told them several times over the past weeks that we needed to pray for God to show us which car would be a good fit for our family, and told them I was going to pray again for that particular car. They folded their little hands and just as I started to pray, Caedmon stopped me and said, "No, Mama, I want to pray."</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Then he said: "Dear God, we thank you for this car. Can we keep it??"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">And...we did!</span></div>Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470297016194682046.post-65445282997053722242012-05-30T22:08:00.001-05:002012-05-30T22:08:03.686-05:00Summertime fun in full swing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">How the last few weeks have flown by! We have been so busy, trying to squeeze in as much as we can before it gets too hot to enjoy the outdoors like we do right now. The boys have been so industrious, learning all sorts of new things and helping me do a lot of yardwork. They are both such good helpers raking up leaves and sweeping, and they love it when I get out the pruning shears, eager to have a turn at "snipping" any plant that seems overgrown!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We've had some small rewards along the way from our garden. The boys helped me pick one beautiful zucchini before the plant succumbed to a mean little garden worm. They had watched it for days and were so proud to get to pick it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I took this photo, Isaac had treated himself to some sugar snap peas, which rarely make it all the way in the house. He couldn't say anything because his mouth was so full of them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We made a mid-week trip to the farm a few weeks ago, too, and the boys had a couple of days to learn about fishing, see the cows, and watch the hay get baled into round and square bales. Their Uncle Brian gave each of them a child-sized fishing pole, which they thought was so exciting! Caedmon even mastered casting and reeling in his own lure. The fish were being a little contrary that day and never took the bait while he was casting it by himself but Grammy and I helped the boys when they got tired, and we did catch some bass on their rods.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the bass we hooked was really and truly a whopper! I was helping Isaac with his rod and reel when it hit and we got it all the way to the edge of the water before it managed to get off our hook. Even though the "big one" got away, Caedmon pulled in this bass by himself after Grammy helped hook it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We don't really need an itinerary when we go to the farm. The boys find fun things everywhere they go, like this old wagon. It was hard work pulling it but Caedmon persevered. And Isaac was right there beside him!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There were also all sorts of interesting things to see in the barn. Papa left some wrenches behind which the boys carried up and down the tractor ladder and used to dig in the dirt. The dry, powdery dirt on the floor of the barn sticks to everything...Isaac gave himself a raccoon-like mask when he rubbed his eyes with his dirt-covered hands!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLo1yjtgn4sMbjdjJ7oJoUUCcu3ISwbvtqfQ2VmdtJzkwLpqGLg3QZyUMThQdTcJ8vONALLj-YXNb3n28DpDERQAdJyhdh-2ZfirlkuUJqOfcrovri1qAHQdwJhZ-VYV9jYeq6exNZueB/s1600/P4250028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLo1yjtgn4sMbjdjJ7oJoUUCcu3ISwbvtqfQ2VmdtJzkwLpqGLg3QZyUMThQdTcJ8vONALLj-YXNb3n28DpDERQAdJyhdh-2ZfirlkuUJqOfcrovri1qAHQdwJhZ-VYV9jYeq6exNZueB/s320/P4250028.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The boys thought the balers were so interesting. Jumping on hay bales has been a source of much entertainment in the past so watching them being made and then jumping on them was icing on the cake. Caedmon even got to ride in the big tractor as it pulled the round baler, watching the whole process from start to finish.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxwEl7lyiTAMzYyjfU0nn9rwCXSUxPhsJGlIEC991W_KvykyD7JQlhdNu76VFECZSJoNHEIPaCSOyphOfckUSmLuFfkla2U_tIovCB7Mj1h-oCWTEKrwO_XsadJAmPCQGk1bz60nz45HK/s1600/P4250050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxwEl7lyiTAMzYyjfU0nn9rwCXSUxPhsJGlIEC991W_KvykyD7JQlhdNu76VFECZSJoNHEIPaCSOyphOfckUSmLuFfkla2U_tIovCB7Mj1h-oCWTEKrwO_XsadJAmPCQGk1bz60nz45HK/s320/P4250050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Daniel and Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977299693954281673noreply@blogger.com