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.