Abigail Is A Child Of God

Abigail Margaret was brought to the waters of Holy Baptism on Sunday, March 1.  We had many family members and friends travel to Albion for the occasion.  Dennis and I asked Margaret and Dain Soppelsa and Emilee Nieman to be her Godparents.  After the worship service we had a church wide potluck in Luther Hall.  Over 100 people attended.  The food was fantastic.  Abigail is blessed to be a part of such a loving church family.

Emilee, Margaret and Dain with Abigail

The Matyas Family with its newest member

The extended Irion Family

Abigail's Baptismal Cake

Washed in the Water and the Word

Happy 5th Birthday Olivia!

We celebrated Olivia's birthday with the extended family the evening before Abigail's baptism.  With Aunt Lisa's help she had a Frozen themed birthday party.  The highlight of the meal was listening to the soundtrack on the church's audio system in Luther Hall.  After the kids ate they sang and danced to their favorite songs.  Olivia requested lasagna, garlic bread and salad for her birthday meal.  I made a Frozen themed frozen ice cream cake for dessert.  Everyone had a great time.  It is fantastic to have five year old in the house.  She is a great help and smart as a whip.  Everyday is an adventure for Olivia and the years keep getting more exciting.  Dennis and I feel so blessed to have her in our life.

Frozen Cake

Lighting the candles

Mom and Dad with the Birthday Girl

Olivia put all of the characters on her piece of cake.

Isaac held nothing back.

The birthday crew.

The relaxed audience.

Olivia's 5th Birthday Interview

Favorite Color: Pink and Purple, Red and Yellow and Green, 
                         I love Green because it reminds me of Dad
Favorite Song: Let It Go
Favorite Book: The Bible because I read it before I go to bed with Dad
Favorite Food: Vegetables and Food
Favorite Animal: Giraffes
Favorite Day of the Week: Sunday, its when we go to Church
Favorite Place: Lydia's House, Nana and Papa's House, School, Church
Favorite Holiday: Christmas and Easter
Favorite TV Show/Movie: Frozen
Favorite Bible Story: Jesus Rose From the Grave
What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up: Teacher and Sunday School Teacher
Favorite Person: My cousins and friends and my classmates

Welcome Abigail Margaret!

Abigail Margaret was born at 10:07 AM on Saturday, February 21.  She is 5 years and 12 hours younger than her big sister Olivia.  The labor and delivery nurse described the event as a "perfect labor and birth" and this mommy would have to agree.  She waited an extra week to come into this world, but once she set her mind to it, labor only lasted a few hours.  She weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.  Olivia, Ethan and Isaac are all delighted to have Baby Abi in their lives.

Isaac is 10 Months Old!

Isaac and Bearome at 10 months.

Isaac is perfecting the crawling skills he acquired last month.  He also enjoys pulling himself up onto nearby furniture.  He remains a giggly little guy whom his brother and sister adore.

Happy Fourth Birthday Olivia!

The Birthday Girl with her two brothers.

The Birthday Girl with her Godparents Ben and Maggie and Gabi

Olivia's 4th Birthday Ladybug Cake

Olivia celebrated her fourth birthday.  She is an intelligent, strong-willed, talkative young lady.  We are blessed to have her.  She keeps me on my Mommy toes.  I joke sometimes that I could raise one hundred Ethan's and Isaac's but there is only energy for one Olivia.  Her hobbies include avoiding bedtime, negotiating snacks and special treats and soliciting stories.

An Interview with Olivia:

Favorite Color:  Brown and White and Red
Favorite Song: Go Tell It On the Mountain and The Rainbow Song (Somewhere Over the Rainbow)
Favorite Book: The BFG
Favorite Food: Chinese Food and Pizza
Favorite Animal: A ladybug, a butterfly and sometimes spiders and ants are kinda icky
Favorite Day of the Week: Saturday
Favorite Place:  Nana and Papa's House
Favorite Holiday: Halloween
Favorite TV Show: Spiderman and His Incredible Friends
Favorite Bible Story: Adam and Eve
What do you want to be when you grow up: A Mommy
Who is your favorite person: Mommy and Daddy

Our beautifully determined four year old Olivia.

We celebrated Olivia's birthday with a unique Saturday.  Dennis had a funeral in the morning.  Ben, Maggie, Elizabeth and Gabi joined us for a luncheon celebration.  While they were getting ready for their drive home, Papa, Nana and Uncle Ben came for a supper celebration.  We ate roast beef, potatoes and carrots courtesy of the crockpot Dennis bought me for Christmas.  Olivia requested a Ladybug cake which we enjoyed with Cookies and Cream Ice Cream.

The past four years have been the most rewarding and challenging years of my life.  I am taking this parenting gig fairly seriously.  Olivia is my toughest critique and my greatest adversary.  Of the hundreds of students I met in the classroom, Olivia takes the cake for questioning my every move, trying my every nerve and testing my every boundary. Everything she does is fueled with a fiery passion.  She is the pinnacle example of James Dobson's Strong-Willed Child (a book I am rereading for the third time).  She is not a cuddler, lover or sweet as pie.  She is energetic, tough as nails and highly calculated.  She comes by her strong will honestly.  Her father and I are doing great things for God's Kingdom.  Raising this tenacious four year old to fear and love God is at the top of our priority list.  This has been a ride of a lifetime, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.  I will raise my Mommy martini to another four years.  Heck, I'll be her Mommy for the next forty, should the Good Lord see fit.  Happy Birthday, Olivia, I love you.

A Record Snowfall This Winter

Let it Snow.

Let it Snow.

 

Let it Snow.

 This winter we had a record snowfall, and the temperatures continue to drop as the snow continues to fall.  So what does one do with so much snow?

Go sledding.

Climb hills.

Make a snowman.

Invite the relatives over for all of the above.

Merry Christmas!

Olivia, Ethan and Isaac Christmas 2013

We will hold the memories of our children in our heart.  When they are young and innocent, when their lives are simple and straightforward.  When the road ahead is full of possibilities.  My household has faith like a child, sleeps like a baby and I am learning things out of the mouths of babes. When you have three kids three years old and younger you belong to a new rank of mothers.  I am earning Mommy badges I didn't know existed.  This Christmas I am blessed to have these three blessings in my life.  But as wonderful as they are, I am more blessed to have a faithful husband, who fears and loves the Lord.  Who serves his Heavenly Father by ministering to the Church and providing for our family.  Merry Christmas friends and family.  May your Christmas Season be filled with the joyous Hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Boar's Head at CUAA

A Happy Sprite and her Proud Parents

Daddy and Olivia

Olivia and Emilee

Olivia and Nana

Happy Second Birthday Ethan!

Ethan and his monkey cake.

Pretty excited to see how the new tractor works.

Family photo.

The ladies Bible Study group sang to Ethan.

Ethan with Bearmey, 2 years old.

Ethan turned 2 years old and we celebrated with family over the weekend.  The highlight of his birthday was the monkey birthday cake and his John Deere tractor he received from Nana and Papa.  Ethan is over the moon about his Papa and all things farm related.

Happy Halloween 2013!

For Halloween this year we sported the following costumes: Rosie the Riveter, Ladybug Girl, Young Monkey, Small Penguin and the Brawny Man.  Our costumes received multiple uses as we attended more than one Halloween event.  Olivia's costume saw the light of day the most.  Between her classroom party, actual Trick or Treating and a friend's party, her Ladybug costume received many oohs and aahs.

Olivia's Preschool Party with her teacher, Mrs. Farley, as Snow White.

Matyas Family Halloween 2013.

Trunk or Treat with Isaac.

Trick or Treating at our good friends the Cooks.

Halloween Party at the Stanks.

Spooky Dishes.

Spiderweb Cupcakes.

A Trip To An Apple Orchard

Olivia's 3 year old class had an opportunity to visit an apple orchard.  Dennis had planned on taking her but an unexpected funeral put Mommy in the chaperone seat.  The boys stayed at the house with Mitzi Cook (the same loving woman who watched Olivia and Ethan while Isaac was being safely brought into this world).  The day was cold, but the memories will last us a long time.

At the doughnut counter.

A hayride with a "Thomas" tractor. 

Olivia and Miss Jenny.

On the hayride.

Doughnuts and fresh apple cider.

Isaac is 6 Months!

Isaac and Bearome.

 Everyone is growing up so quickly.  Ethan will soon be two, Isaac is already half a year, and Olivia is four months away from being four.  We are truly blessed to have such neat kids at such active ages.  Our lives are certainly not dull.

A Practical Joke

In our family Dennis is the practical joker.  But I got him pretty good a few days ago.  I was driving home when I saw two wooden "working in the garden people" next to a house's trash bin.  I couldn't resist.  I threw them in the minivan and drove home.  That evening while Dennis was giving the kids their bath I planted them near the garden. 

The next morning God blessed us with a foggy dreary day.  When I looked out at the garden it was hard for me to keep my composure as I announced, "Hey, Dennis!  I think someone is in our garden!"  My slightly alarmed husband joined me in an amused laugh.

"Hey, Dennis!"

"I think someone is in our garden."