Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Just Because.....

I was looking over a bunch of old photos and can't believe how much things change from year to year.

Thought I would share.....

July 2008 - Charlie and mom

July 2008 - Charlie

July 2009 - Charlie

July 2009 - Mom and Cori

August 2009 - Cori

June 2010 - Cori

June 2010 - Charlie

December 2010 - Joseph

June 2011 - Charlie, Cori and Joseph

God bless!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Updates on the Little Ones

A whole bunch of rambling for you.....

Cori has been moved to a big girl bed and is sharing the bunk beds in Charlie's room. So far, this is only working for bedtime. I've tried a couple days in the big bed for naps and she doesn't stay put, so she is still napping in the crib.

Not really a big deal, since Joseph is still in our room. He normally naps on the couch or my office chair depending on what my schedule for the day is. At night, he starts out in his own bed (pack-n-play) and ends up in our bed for the majority of the night. He is still getting up a couple of times per night to nurse.

He is sitting up by himself and can make it all the way across the living room when he gets rolling. No teeth yet. But in the last week he has had a few bites of applesauce and a few bites of sweet potato. Both went over fine, but he has a bit of a gag reflex that neither of the girls really had.

We are still dealing with skin issues. It seems to go in a cycle.....2 weeks bad, 1 week good, 2 weeks bad, 1 week good, etc. I'm not sure what caused this current breakout, but I know for certain the last breakout was due to dairy. The worst looking spots are still his cute little cheeks. His hands also are pretty rough and his chewing on them and drooling is not helping. I still think that the more I get my body back to working properly, the more his little system will improve too. (I'll update me in a separate post)

Even with all the issues, he is still growing like crazy. I haven't weighed him in awhile, but I would guess he's up to about 18 pounds. He and Cori are wearing the same size diapers if that is any indication.

I would love to only have one in diapers, but not really sure when that will happen. I think I missed a window to train Cori. She used to come and tell me when she needed to be changed, but recently has stopped doing that. She does like to copy everything her big sister does, so that might be the answer.

She is still not saying a lot of words, but gets her point across really well. Her motor skills are excellent though. She can normally get her pants on and her shoes on by herself. She at least always tries to do it herself, saying 'me, me' the whole time. 'Me, me' is her most said word.

I'm pretty sure one of her favorite activities is to bug her big sister. They play really well together one minute and the next they are trying to kill each other. I can't wait until they are 13 and 15.

Charlie is a little mini-me and it is so scary, depressing, funny and aggravating at the same time. Pretty sure God gives you one just like you to remind you that He is in charge. She is emotional and irritable some times and I'm noticing more and more how diet is playing a role in her behavior.

Her memory amazes me every day. She can see or be told something once and will recall it days, weeks or months later in a relative context. She will now count and say her ABC's for me without skipping a bunch or arguing about it. Her imagination is always woprking a million miles an hour. One minute she is at school, the next she is camping and the next she is chasing alligators and it goes on and on.

They all are loving the nicer weather and could spent all day outside. Both the girls have built up nice little  tans already. And you can tell we are outside a lot.....pretty much daily bathes around here.

And because, what would a post be with out pictures.....


Charlie...4 years old...our resident clothes-changer.

Joseph Jr....5 months old...our resident drooler.


Cori...almost 2 years old...our resident tractor rider/driver.


God bless!

Multitude Monday



Counting with Ann today.....

747. Little girls in fancy summer dresses
748. Little girls with their daddy on the tractor...in their fancy summer dresses
749. Lunch runs to the field
750. Haying weather
751. Tan lines on little ones
752. Hubby's smiles from across the field

753. Daddy home in time for supper (after many late nights working)
754. Praying as a family
755. Babe's first bites of applesauce...funny faces that occur

756. Ice cream cones before supper


757. Charlie's ideas and directions for an impromtu photo shot...'Let's sit here and you take our picture'




758. Garden planted!
759. Seeing veggies popping out of the ground...sweet corn, green beans, onions and more

760. Saturday morning sunshine
761. Slow mornings...just playing outside

762. Little girl Cori sleeping through the night in a big bed
763. Big sister Charlie sharing her room and bed

God bless!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Monday, June 6, 2011

Multitude Monday

It's been 3 months.....3 long months since I've posted a Multitude Monday list. I would love to say I haven't stopped counting during that time, but that's not the case. I feel like I've just been getting by these last few months.....everyone fed and clothed but not a lot else. I'm realizing I need this gratitude list. It keeps me grounded. I can easily get caught up in the dirty parts of my day.....the what-ifs and should-ofs and suppose-to-bes.

Back to it.....joining Ann today and counting my blessings.

736. Transformations and getting to be a part of it
737. God's grace and answered prayers

738. Joseph's skin clearing up.....again
739. Clear signs for me.....no dairy for mama

740. All 3 little ones napping at the same time.....even if for only 30 minutes
741. Solo Costco trip with all 3 little ones and them behaving wonderfully

742. Drier weather
743. Finally getting the garden planted.....most of it (hoping to finish today)

744. 4 year old saying she's sorry without being prompted
745. Almost 2 year old testing her independence
746. 5 month old sitting up by himself


God bless!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Travis Graduates!!!

On Wednesday May 25th, 2011 Travis graduated from the MN Teen Challenge program.
I'm so proud of my little brother!

I'm sure it wasn't an easy thing to enter a year long treatment program or to finish a year long treatment program. It's amazing to see what prayer and God can do for a person and for a family in the span of a year.

Crazy fact...it was exactly one year between Travis attempting suicide (05/25/10) and his graduating from MN Teen Challenge (05/25/11).

It has been mind blowing to see the transformation in him over the last year. He is a new creation and his love for the Lord is awesome.




He graduated with honors...he did a bunch of extra work while in the program.



He has moved into some Teen Challenge transitional housing and has started some college classes. He is studying for a ministry degree. We are so proud of him.

And I'm super excited to see our whole family continue to grow along with Travis in this new chapter of our family and lives.

God bless!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Charlie's Birthday - 4 Years Old

We celebrated Miss Charlie's fourth birthday a couple of weeks ago. It was a day filled with many family and friends...and clothes. Oh my the new clothes that girl received. She is outfitted for the summer.








She was so excited to get bright pink gum in her new purse.


Not near as excited when I told her she couldn't keep it because there was Red40 in it.


What girl couldn't use another pair of fancy shoes.

Happy birthday Charlie!
We love you!

God bless - Holly