House of the Rising Sons

Nov. 7, 2009 - Joy!

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Nov. 7, 2009 - No more halo!!!

Finally, our big day arrived! C's halo removal surgery was on Nov. 5th. We had been waiting for what seemed like forever for this day. Needless to say we were all very excited and filled with anticipation and hope for C's life and health once his halo was removed. Words cannot describe all of the emotions surrounding this big day. It was definitely the close of one long chapter and the beginning of a new one for all of us in so many ways.

The surgery itself was very minor and only took 15 minutes. They didn't even need to heavily sedate him, which was nice. That also meant that we could go home the same day!

Here is C just before the surgery. He loves the animal statues
downstairs at the hospital.

Finding things to occupy our time while waiting to go to the O.R.

Dr. Daddy taking C to the O.R. with the anesthesiologists.

When we came home, Grandma, O and T decorated the
house and we had a big party for C.

NO MORE HALO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't he look great?!

He's so excited!

I just can't get over those new cheeks!

Party! Jeff DJ'ed with fun music and danced with the boys.

C and Grandma

O and Grandma

It was a great party and the kids had so much fun. O,
especially was really excited to see his little brother home
and doing so well. Thank you Mom for making this night
so special for all of us. You really went all out! We love you!!

I ran across these two pictures and thought I'd include them too. These were taken this past summer prior to his midface advancement. We still miss this precious face, but are completely in love with his new look as well. All part of God's transformation for our little boy. Of course his face is the first place one notices all of the dramatic changes, but C's wide open airway is the best part in all of this. He is now breathing so much better and we are already seeing the great benefits to his life and health.

Thank you God, for this wonderful miracle in our lives. The road has been long, but worth every step. We look forward to the next season of our lives!!!

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Sep. 18, 2009 - Our boys just before surgery

This might seem a bit strange to to be posting pictures of our boys, mainly C, that were taken prior to his surgery. But, the more I think about it, the more I need to. He's still the same little boy and we're the same old family, but with another reason to be thankful for our blessings. I had intended on posting these in August, but time slipped away from me rather quickly as we approached September 1st.

These are just some of our many memories from our time together...REALLY together...as we stayed home to keep healthy.

My big boys having quiet time on the computer while T naps. They both
really like Starfall.com and the online books through our library.

We created a scavenger hunt in our backyard which turned out to be very fun and educational too. O's list is on the left. C's is on the right. The rules were that O could not peek at C's picture list until he tried really hard to sound out the words on his list first. He did really well with a little help. It was fun to see them help eachother find their items. About a week later we did this again, only I made it much more difficult and included things you could find inside and outside.

Running to find their items.

Looking for the last item...BUGS!

Jeff, working from his home office. This would be wherever he might have a little peace and quiet and be able to keep T away from his laptop. Notice....he's thinking out loud and with his hands here. Love it. When it's nice out, he usually works outside. We find him all over the place....poor guy. He has no "actual" home office and some days he's literally moving from room to room just trying to find some quiet. So today, finally, we cleared some space for him to work at a table away from where we spend SO much of our time lately...which is the kitchen table. Ironically, he is set up out in the play room at a table that has a perfect space for him. But the kids seem to be much louder in the kitchen than in the play room....so hopefully this will work for now.

Our T and his favorite, 'can't go to bed with out him' monkey.

Our sweet and loving boy, O.

And our beautiful C.

Ice cream sandwiches are so good.

Our adorable and goofy T.

Halo haircut.

This is the shortest cut I've ever given him. We also hadn't seen his scar line in
a long time. C noticed it too and had a few questions.

The boys learned how to syphon...a good thing to know how to do.

One of C's favorite things to do...collect and categorize things neatly.

Progressing right along with reading. Lauren, our speech therapist, suggested that Carson seems ready to begin learning how to read....at least start trying to teach him how sounds are put together. Teaching a deaf or hard of hearing child how to read is always more challenging, but we are seeing signs that C is at least ready to start working on this in the very basic sense. With the help of the manual alphabet (ASL alphabet) he is beginning to understand sounds and showing more and more interest. Him knowing most of his ASL letters really helps with this process. Lauren gave me this idea to make animal word puzzles for the boys so they could do this together. I made easy ones for C and more difficult ones for O. I love anything educational we can all work on together while still addressing different age levels and learning styles. These are a few of the puzzles I made. So easy!

Speaking of reading....we did a TON of reading over the summer while we participated in our library summer reading project. Up to this point, I've always spelled everything for O when he asks. Now, I'm trying to get him to sound words out a bit more on his own, even when they're misspelled. I'm finally grasping the whole phonetic spelling process and why this works well in learning how to write and hopefully learning to love to write.

O lost his first 2 teeth this summer. Very exciting!

The big brothers. They were pretty inseperable most of the time leading
up to C's surgery. Their bond is growing stronger and stronger every
day.

O loved the feeling of C's new haircut.

Not many pictures of T. He has proven to be a bit elusive lately and always manages to turn away at the wrong time when mommy is taking pictures.

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Sep. 14, 2009 - Nothing short of a miracle....

There is no way for me to adequately record in one blog update all of the miracles and blessings we've been able to be a part of over the past month or so. Our 3 and a half year old son, C, was scheduled for surgery on September 1st. Miraculously, he stayed healthy and our day arrived.

There are so many detailed moments that will forever be imprinted on my heart related to this time. The morning of surgery, we arrived about 20 minutes early. Instead of heading in and sitting in the hospital waiting area...we pulled C out of his car seat and held him in our arms in the front seat while we sat in the darkened parking garage. We listened to a little music, prayed together for him and enjoyed those remaining peaceful moments alone with our sweet little boy. Jeff even pulled him into his lap and let him "drive" the car. The garage was fairly empty as it was very early in the morning. He put the car in reverse, letting C take the wheel while it slowly rolled backward several feet...then forward back into our parking space. The thrill on C's face was priceless.

Skipping ahead...the doctors allowed me to suit up and take our trembling C into the Operating Room. It comforted me to know that my face and the sound of my voice were his last memories before anesthesia put him to sleep. As he was fighting to stay awake, his final cries were for Daddy...his protector. The sight of the OR and all of it's massive equipment surrounding that tiny bed, only big enough for a small child...with our child lying on it sound asleep will never leave me. I sobbed as I made my way back to Jeff waiting for me with the strength, love and open arms that only Jesus could prepare him for.

We spent the next two hours alone comforting one another.

C's surgery was scheduled to take about 8 and a half hours from prep to finish. So we had a very long day of waiting ahead of us. My mom had stayed at our house the night before and planned to be with O and T the whole day and for as long as we needed her. This gave us an incredible comfort to know that our other boys were more than well taken care of. My mom is the best. She loves all of us so much. And I love her more than I will ever be able to express in words.

After a couple of hours, we received a page from the OR that C was doing very well and surgery was about to begin. The entire day was moving in slow motion once we left him with his doctors. Over the next several hours we were surrounded and comforted by our friends and family while we waited. My best friend, Jenny , came to be with us as did my dad, grandma, and our very good friends, Michael and Mike. The amount of prayers surrounding us by those we know and those we don't have been immeasurable. So many prayers were lifted up for C and still are....we are forever thankful and blessed. Having the support and care of our friends and family at the hospital meant so much to us as well. Together we prayed, told stories, laughed and cried, and praised God for each update from the OR that C was doing well. We are so thankful for that sweet time.

Surgery lasted only 6 hours from start to finish....another miracle. And the biggest miracle up to this point was that C did incredibly well, only needed one unit of blood, and our surgeon, Dr. Hopper, called this a very successful surgery. In his words, "it couldn't have gone any better". We could tell how please he was with the outcome.

Seeing C for the first time in the PICU was difficult. He was so pale, blood stained in places, eyes stitched closed because of impending swelling, IVs and wires everywhere, and his poor little face was covered with white tape holding the breathing tube and NG (feeding) tube in place. His little arms were also placed in restraints to keep him from pulling any of these vital tubes out. For the next couple days C was medicated with Morphine to keep him asleep while intubated.

The next few days were long as we waited for Friday when we would face the next big hurdle....extubation. C has a very difficult airway, meaning that it's very narrow. We were very nervous about removing the breathing tube because it can be very dangerous with all of the swelling in that area. So, on that morning, I put in C's hearing aids for the first time since the morning of surgery and we were asked to wait outside of the room while a large team of doctors hovered over C as we left the room. Five minutes later, Dr. Hopper brought us back into the room where C was crying for "Mommy" in a very hoarse voice. What a glorious sound that was...another miracle.

Jeff and I traded places most days to make sure that one of us was always with C and the other was with O and T at home. But there were also times when we both needed to be with C together. My mom was such an incredible help in this process. As always, she made herself available whenever needed and as always, took such good care of the boys at home. She made this so much easier for all of us. We are incredibly thankful for her.

Once C was extubated and really quite agitated, he felt the need to speed his hospital stay up a bit. I received a call early one morning from Jeff when it was my turn to be at home with the boys. Apparently, C pulled out his own NG feeding tube and the only remaining IV in his arm. We were not surprised at all by this...very fitting with his personality. He was done and ready to go home. This little stunt made it possible for him to be transferred out of the PICU and down to the general surgical floor pretty quickly.

It was so great to see him finally starting to feel a little better and eating. This process was very slow, but once he was eating and drinking fluids, we received our discharge papers.

There are so many more moments that come to me at different times as I think back on the last few weeks. For now, I'll end here and include some photos of our little guy. We have always documented every surgery by taking pictures beginning right after surgery, but I'll only include the ones of him beginning when he started to feel better.

Me and C. He looks so tiny to me in this photo. He felt very small as I
held him in my arms.

Jeff and C. It was incredible to see him sitting up all by himself.

C playing around with a communication device.

Getting ready to go home and finally smiling a bit.

GOING HOME!!!!!

These first few days at home were very difficult for Jeff and I....for C too,
I'm sure. But what made it so hard was that C literally did not communicate
at all with us for days. He only stared at us and seemed so lost and
confused. It broke our hearts. So, not only was his appearance already
beginning to change, but our C was lost somewhere. Logically speaking,
we know that this is all probably normal. This particular surgery was
traumatic and painful, but we longed for our lively, mischievous extremely
communicative little boy to come back. Eventually, he did....

Playing with big brother, O.

Daddy helping the boys with a project. Our kids LOVE boxes and will use them to make elaborate creations. We get really tired of cardboard hanging around the house, but at least it's being re-used for another purpose and then eventually recycled.

Grandma rolling the ball with C. This was within the first week or so of being home. By the end of that week, he was really coming out of his shell again. It was such a relief to have him back.

From day 1, C's incision line and stitches looked really great. It's all
healing very nicely.

This is about 10 days ago. Only minor swelling left around his eyes.

Using one of our MANY syringes from the hospital to shoot water at
his brothers.

O and C looking at bugs, I think.

Squirting a spider web.

Starting to get some cheeks.

Reading together again.

Our first family outing together. We went for a long walk and then to Scott's Dairy Freeze for burgers and Shakes. T was exhausted and fell asleep on C on the way back.

This was about 5 days ago.

I love that smile. This was taken a few days ago. We've been turning the screws on C's halo for about 2 weeks now. We have about 1 more week to go.

We went in to see our favorite doctor today...Dr. Hopper. Not only is he a brilliant surgeon, but he is one of the nicest people around. EVERY person who comes into contact with him instantly likes him. Our visit to see him today was unexpected. We are scheduled to see him every Monday, but today we went in because C fell down last night and hit his halo pretty good. The front bars were bent down and loose. After tightening it all up (like we were told to do) we just didn't feel comfortable not having Dr. Hopper check him out. He made time for us in between surgeries today. After looking him over and making a few minor adjustments, he announced that Jeff did a great job in aligning everything back up. No damage done and no worries about the way his midface will be pulled forward (angle-wise) because of the fall. Whew!!!! It was sweet to see the way Dr. Hopper was talking with C today. As he was touching his cheek bones to measure the distance they had gone, he said, "Oh C, you have cheeks buddy." You could tell he almost wanted to pinch them out of excitement.

We would like to just put C in a bubble for the next 8 weeks so this doesn't happen again...but Dr. Hopper warned us that this would likely happen again either from falling or from the way he sleeps. Yes, he sleeps on his stomach and is completely OK to do so.

Our days are slowly getting better. Jeff is still working from home to minimize germ exposure. I spend most of the time following the kids around trying to make sure C doesn't get hurt. My other time consumer is preparing and feeding meals and snacks to a very hungry little boy who needs to eat only soft foods. He doesn't like to be different and cannot stand it when I blend his food, so basically he eats what we eat...only in smaller, more mashed up pieces. At first he only ate small amounts of food about 6 or 7 times a day. Now, he's eating larger portions 6 or 7 times a day. We think he's just trying to catch up. He must be feeling pretty good. He's already gained back the 5 pounds he lost while in the hospital.

I'm sad that C still wakes up every single morning crying. It takes him a while to adjust to his days and to his reality at this time. But, one of the biggest miracles of all is that C has slept 4 nights in a row....peacefully, quietly and all the way through the night without waking up. THAT IS TRULY A MIRACLE. When we went in for X-rays this week, we could see the drastic difference in his airway. It was wide open...such a wonderful site. It is taking us some time to get used to the very quiet breathing we are witnessing. It's almost like having a newborn in our home again. I've checked on him several times just to make sure he is actually breathing. It must feel so good to him to breathe and sleep well all night long. It should only get better as we still have a week to go of turning the screws to pull his midface forward.

As for his appearance. We think he's still beautiful. It's so strange to see your child's appearance change so quickly. That too will change even more over the next week or so as a result of improving his airway. We do miss the way C used to look, but we know that this is all part of God's perfect plan for him....He's working on him inside and out.

We cannot thank everyone enough for all of your prayers, support and encouragement during this time. We truly believe that everything leading up to C's surgery, the surgery itself and the healing recovery and transformation of C's quality of life is nothing short of a miracle from God.

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Aug. 23, 2009 - My heart swells with JOY!

For the last several weeks, we've been trying to be as careful as possible to not get sick so that C is healthy for his upcoming surgery. This part of the pre-op prep of surgery is not something we ever look forward to...but it's necessary. We feel very invested as a family and ready for this next season to begin. It will be a difficult one, but we are filled with excitement in thinking about C's future once he is completely healed and on the other side of this next hurdle. This will be our fourth time heading down this road...but somehow this time it feels different. We feel more prepared and yet it still does not get easier with each surgery. I always thought it would, because C is now older. When he was a baby and only 4 months old and we handed him over to the doctors to perform his first cranial surgery....we were a mess. It was the hardest thing we ever had to do. And then we did it again around his first birthday and then again for a more minor surgery at the age of 2. Now that he's 3.5, it actually feels harder...only because C is so much more aware. He knows something is going to happen. He knows he's getting a halo and will spend some time in the hospital, but he does not understand the magnitude of this surgery.

I got a little off track...I started by saying that we've been trying to stay healthy. C's doctors have stressed many times that it is very important that he be healthy and strong for surgery. So, for the last 3 weeks we've been home A LOT!!! Jeff is even working from home to minimize bringing home germs. His company has been so wonderful in allowing him to do that. We've been blessed with friends and family who want to help us any way they can and who pray for us faithfully. Some people may think we're going a bit over the top by "quarantining" ourselves, but we just feel that this is the right thing to do. We know that ultimately God is in control and if C is supposed to have this surgery on the 1st, then he will. Our decision to be home and not get out in public has been affirmed by God. This time has been so blessed. It has not come without frustrations and cabin fever at times and we desperately miss our friends. That has been the hardest part...not getting to spend time with our closest friends. However, much fruit has come out of this time.

It took about a week or so to settle in for the long hall...but once we did, we began to have fun and enjoy a new rhythm. Having Jeff home, of course, has been great. The boys are finally used to Daddy working from home. They are pretty good about letting him "work". And because we don't have to worry about coming and going all the time....nothing ever gets interrupted. And because the boys only have each other to play with...they've become better playmates. And by that, I mean, we've witnessed a new sort of respect and kindness for one another that did not seem to exist before. I'm not saying that they didn't care for each other before. They did. We just see them enjoying each other more, cooperating more, sharing and communicating more, and actually spending time playing TOGETHER. I have done so much less damage control in the last couple weeks then ever before. This blesses my heart more than I can say.

Here's what we've been up to...

Lots and lots of imaginative fun....super heroes of course!!!

Jeff had a few days off after a three day backpacking trip. We went
blueberry picking.

Mt. Si in the background.

T with his blueberry bucket.

Yum!!

Jeff and the boys made 10 jars of freezer jam! It turned out really good.

The only park day we've had was about 2 weeks ago.

Some school time. I've discovered that C loves watercolor painting and O loves dot to dots. (Notice the costumes!)

C painting a picture of his best friend, F...praying. So sweet.

We went hiking about a week ago. I could not get over how much these two wanted to help each other as they explored up and over things along the way. It was awesome!

T even did a fair amount of hiking as well. We took the double jogger, but he loved to be out following his brothers down the trail.

Lots of great places to hang from trees and climb around. Reminded me
of when my brother and I used to play in the woods together near our
house. Great memories!

We found this hollow log and thought, this would be a great place for a
Geocache. O also noticed a big hole in the to of it and wanted to know if
I could see his fingers dangling down when I looked through the log. To
prove that I could...I took a picture.

We've also been blessed with amazing weather. So, the
boys are outside in the backyard everyday....usually doing
something water related.

C hates it when his brothers get him wet, but loves to pour water on
his own head. So funny!

We've had LOTS of time for reading. We have a good friend who is picking up books for us at the library...thank you Kirsten. Since we have so much time on our hands right now though....it's a great opportunity to read some of our favorite books on our own shelves that we tend to forget about.

GLUE! I feel bad...I cannot remember what the 3 stars represent...but it was important to O...so here it is.

C asked me to put glue all over his paper and he placed the noodles everywhere. He was so proud.

And T enjoyed putting noodles onto pipe cleaners. I was surprised he
could do this.

One day we spent a significant amount of time checking this bug out. It was huge and just happened to land next to an old bee hive. We still need to figure out what kind of bug it is.

C showing off his new sunglasses that his friends, J & A gave to him.

These are the sorts of things that happen when Daddy works from home. He isn't always available to play, of course, but when he can take a break....you never know what fun can erupt. On this particular day, everyone had had enough of the bees, so Jeff made a quick yellow jacket trap out of a water bottle, some bacon and water with dish soap in it. Then he went back to work. The boys had watched him intently as he assembled his trap. They decided to give it a try as well...only they wanted to use other methods to see which worked best. And a competition began....it was a 3 way tie. Apparently, the bees weren't interested in Daddy's bacon, O's peanut butter, or C's Tater Tots. But still, it was fun and put a grin on Jeff's face while he worked.

And this is one of the reasons for the title of this post..."My heart swells
with JOY!" I happened to walk into the kitchen and this is what I saw.
My two big boys hugging....sigh.

I am so thankful!

Me and T. On a very shallow note...I cannot wait for my hair to grow back out. Shorter hair takes too much time to style. Longer hair (for me) is just easier to wash and go. So shallow...I know and such a minor issue, except for the time it's taking for me to "do" it everyday. Anyway...

This time is enabling me to slow down, to not take so many things for granted, to be in God's Word and is allowing me to just be so much more involved in the details of our kids' lives. Life is not all about schedules and to do lists, but oftentimes it's easy to make that the focus. So, although we do go a little stir crazy here and there and long to see our friends, this too has it's purpose.

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Jul. 22, 2009 - Surgery

This particular summer means many things to us....but mostly it is proving to be a time for planning, preparation and time spent enjoying these warm sunny days making the most of each day with our boys. After C's most recent sleep study, much discussion with his doctors and surgeons and alot of prayer....a decision was made to have an early midface advancement surgery. Although it will happen much sooner than we had anticipated, we are confident that the timing is right. Most of you who know C, know that he was born with Pfeiffer Syndrome. If you are interested in knowing more about this, click here.

In a nutshell, C's cranial bones were fused at birth. Over time this would prevent his brain from continuing to grow normally. So within the first year of his life, he had 2 cranial vault expansion surgeries where they basically broke the bones and expand the cranium allowing plenty of room for his brain. Those were both very successful. Most of you also know that another characteristic of his syndrome is the almost nonexhistent ear canals leading to an inner ear that functions well, but has no ear drum. This is consistent for both ears causing him to have a moderate hearing loss. His hearing aides help tremendously though.

This will be his 3rd major surgery. The first two were difficult too, but this one, we believe will be the most difficult yet. On September 1st C will have what they call a LeForte, which is basically a midface advancement. Part of the nature of his syndrome is that the bones in his midface area will not grow along with the rest of his face. Normally, they wait to do this particular surgery until a child is around the age of 7 because that is when your face essentially stops growing. But, because C's breathing is getting worse and worse, he needs it now. This surgery will open up his airway significantly as they break the bones in his face and move them forward. One of the toughest parts about this surgery (along with the 8 hour procedure itself) is that C will need to wear a Rigid Extraction Device (RED) around his head for 3 months to continue pulling his midface forward and set the bones while they heal. Jeff and I will turn the screws each day during this process. How do you prepare a 3 year old for this whole process....you just can't really.

We are filled with so many emotions and anxieties as we approach this surgery, and yet we are so hopeful that not only will God see him through this surgery, but that his quality of life will drastically improve. Most of C's problems arise at night during his sleep. He wakes at least 15 times per hour during deep sleep and his oxygen levels drop and then rise continuously throughout the night. These were the numbers as of the last sleep study 6 months ago. We're convinced it's worse now though. For all that C has been through and for as little quality sleep that he gets, he's really a pretty happy boy for the most part. But all that sleep deprivation does cause alot of behavioural issues and grumpiness as well. He's exhausted all the time. When he wakes up in the morning, he is still so tired. And although he is hungry all the time and eats constantly, he isn't gaining weight. He's actually losing it. This is because he burns so many calories at night "trying" to sleep.

Some nights he finds his way into our bed because he just can't stay asleep on his own. Listening and watching him try to sleep is heartbreaking. He gasps and chokes and snores all night long. So, this surgery will correct all of that and hopefully cause him to be an even happier little boy.

Another aspect of this surgery that will be an adjustment for us all is the way it will change C's appearance. Any parent falls in love with the way their child looks and never gives it a second thought. You would never want to change their appearance. But this surgery will do just that. Keep in mind, it will not be done for cosmetic reasons at this young age, but that is something that will be part of the outcome.

The other day, we went to the hospital for the first of C's pre-op appointments. I always have the mirror flipped down in front of me so that C can see me as we talk and sign back and forth on the road. On this particular morning it was quiet in the backseat as it was just he and I. I watched him peacefully starring out the window as we crossed over the floating bridge to the hospital. All I could think was....no....I love his face. I don't want it to change. Then the tears started flowing and all I could do was pray for God to comfort me in that moment. He did and continues to daily. It's our faith in our Heavenly Father that carries us through every moment of our lives.

We've been very blessed to be a part of an online community of families with children who have Pfeiffer Syndrome as well. This has been incredibly helpful to us and a huge resource for encouragement and support.

So, this summer means many things to us, but mostly it's about hope for the future and spending time together. You'll probably notice we're taking more pictures than usual...now you know why. We're already looking forward to the beginning of December when C's "halo" will come off and we can celebrate his new found quality of life and all that God has done and is doing in the details of our lives.

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Jul. 21, 2009 - Reading with Grandma

Whenever my mom is here, the boys just love to have her sit and read to them. It's precious to watch and it means so much to me that they get to have that time with her.

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Jul. 21, 2009 - It's all about the T!!!

So our little T is getting quite big and doing absolutely everything he can to keep up with O and C. He's also beginning to think he has all of the same rights and priveledges they have. So hard to let him know this is not the case and keep a straight face when he falls to pieces over not being able to sit at the computer with his brothers and work on learning ASL and phonics. Oh, the injustice. I can tell he really feels like his rights have been violated. It's hilarious. All he wants to do is be the wrecking ball at the computer and whack on the keys. Anyway, he is so sweet and just so fun to watch with his older brothers. He really does have a special bond with both of them together and individually. It's neat to see.

Serious T.

Rights violation!

Cheesy smile!

Signing "more"...really really fast. Can you see his hands
are a blur?

This one cracks me up. He has so many different facial expressions.

Moments before his first official "hair clippers" haircut. Look how long that hair is.

Just after his haircut and a bath.

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Jul. 21, 2009 - Bow and Arrow

O has been asking about bows and arrows lately and decided he wanted to make one. So he found some sticks and we went to work adding rubber bands while Jeff helped make the perfect arrow. Then it was practice time. He thrilled in being able to launch his arrow farther and farther and with more precision. I LOVE it when the kids MAKE their own toys, thereby literally creating their own fun.

Look at the determination.

I sat and watched him for quite a while and helped him when he needed me. It was so fun to
see his excitement and determination.

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Jul. 21, 2009 - Book Tower

C is especially into grouping things together right now...collecting things, putting them in containers of all kinds, sometimes hiding them, dragging them from room to room. He even helps himself to my zip lock bags (that are not cheap) on an almost daily basis to group Hotwheel cars or play food in. Hmmmmm.... maybe I should move my zip lock bags. Anyway, he is our notorious collector of things. When we go on walks, he loves to collect leaves and sticks and anything else he finds. Lately, he has been taking all of our books and making towers with them. The funny thing about it is that he will go and get one at a time from another room and do this. I know he can carry more, but he has a process. He just makes me smile. I love to watch the intensity on his sweet face when he gets into his "zone".

Here are the books from one of our book baskets.

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Jul. 19, 2009 - Uncle Matt

My brother came by recently on his new bike. The kids always get very excited when their uncle Matt comes over to visit, but when he shows up on his motorcycle....the excitement level goes up a few notches. I took a few pictures of him with his bike, but had my camera on the wrong setting.

Love this one!!!

His friend, Bryan, came too. Great to see him...it's been way too long.

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Jul. 19, 2009 - With All Due Respect

The kids and I pulled out our Family Night Tool Chest book to work on a lesson about respect....it was a really good one!! The main points of the lesson were:

We can show respect by serving.
The Bible tells us who we should respect.
We can show love through respecting family members.

During the first activity we took turns washing and drying each other's feet in warm water while telling each other one things we like about them. O and C both said they loved the other. That was sweet. This was a very humbling experience.

Then we read in our bible, John 13:1-17 together and talked about why Jesus washed his disciples feet and what it means to put other people's needs ahead of our own. This is one of those lessons we will do again down the road and ask some of the deeper questions listed in our book.

During the next activity we focused on who we could respect and listed some ways we could show respect in very practical ways.....like taking turns when talking, not interrupting when someone is on the phone, saying please and thank you, knocking on doors before entering, etc.

I just love these Family Night books. They're written by Jim Weidmann. There are several books in this series. Here is the link to the first book in the series at Amazon.

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Jul. 8, 2009 - Long time, no post

Life around here never slows down. Now that T is 15 months old, he wants to keep up with his big brothers and does a pretty good job of it. Thought I'd post a few pictures now and will catch up with the rest over the next few days.

T and O with their sweet, just got out of bed, morning faces.

Our sweet C.

Does it get any better than this???

I love it when they are like this.

O climbing trees.

C and O laughing about something after their bath.

T....all smiles.

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May. 16, 2009 - Haircuts

It was a typical day about a week and a half ago. I was putting T down for a nap and needed O and C to be quiet for a few minutes. I asked them to please play nicely while I laid him down. As I rocked T for a few minutes in his room, I silently thanked God for the peace and quiet. Many days the noise and commotion make it difficult to get T to sleep easily. This, however, was a good day!!!! As I tiptoed out of his room and down the hall, I began to wonder...."WHY is it it SO quiet?" And then I rounded the corner into the bathroom to investigate. I had thought the boys were reading in the living room. NO....to my horror the sink was filled with hair and both O and C were paralyzed with fear as they saw the look on my face. Never in my wildest imagination did I think THIS would ever happen. As I stood there in shock, looking at O with the scissors still in his hand, I asked "WHY did you do this?" His response is one that I will never forget. "But Mom, I wanted to look like Uncle Matt!" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or scream. My response...."Well guess what, you get your wish, cause now I have to buzz your hair!"

I keep our scissors on the top shelf of the medicine cabinet and I NEVER would have guessed that O would do something like this. But, after I calmed down and thought about it, I realized that even though O is usually very responsible, he's still just 5 and not perfect. No one is. And I cannot expect him to always make good decisions. I even need to remember not to put him or any of our children on a pedestal. We all make mistakes. I seem to be an expert at it some days.

Anyway, we both learned some lessons from this one. By the way, upon further investigation, I realized that C had his turn with the scissors too, but had not to the extent that O did. Needless to say, I finished the job they started.

(sigh....)

He does look pretty cute!

I would say that O succeeded in looking just like Uncle Matt (my brother). And the lovely
woman sitting next to him is his wife (my sister in law), Shelby.

Carson's haircut is a typical one. He didn't get it as short....whew!!!!

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May. 1, 2009 - Friends come for a visit

My good friend, Leigh, moved away to beautiful sunny Roseville CA. recently. Her and her family came back up for a visit this last week and we had an opportunity for a short visit. It was SO nice to spend some time just catching up. Our big boys were able to play for a bit, which was wonderful too. I actually left O with them for a bit so that they could play a little longer and I could run to the store with my little guys. On the way, they fell asleep, so instead I drove through Starbucks, grabbed a latte and parked in the grocery store parking lot. I just happened to have my Beth Moore bible study with me, so it was a great opportunity to have a whole hour of uninterupted ME time while I refreshed and rested in God's Word. Thanks Leigh!

R, O and A having fun.

I miss you dearly Leigh and am looking forward to our study together this summer.

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Apr. 27, 2009 - Our newest project

Jeff has been working hard to spruce up our backyard, filling in with grass seed in patches and also where those relentless moles have wrecked havoc along the fence line. He is also extending the graveled area back by our shed in order to create more space for a covered area for various things. I think we may be putting our first ever garden back there. This year we are planting everything above ground to see how things go.

Our next project, I think, will be the play structure that Jeff and my dad will build out near our tree. Can't wait for that!!! The kids will love it. As with all of our "projects" we try and include the boys as much as we can.

Jeff transplanted all of the sod to other areas of the yard that needed it.
O is pretty good with a shovel.

Ugh...I know, it's just dirt....bath time again boys!

MUD!

T was putting hand fulls of dirt in his mouth.

...and then drinking mud from a cup. Blah...yuck!

Daddy's crew...part of it anyway. I think C is still making mud, one of his favorite past times.
All part of our boys' learning adventure!!!

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Apr. 26, 2009 - Misc. Pictures

The boys really enjoyed dying their Easter Eggs this year. We actually did it twice. I think we dyed 4 dozen eggs total. Thanks for all of the kits Mom. We also read some great Easter books about the true meaning of Easter and how some of the traditions celebrated today got started. For three weeks prior to Easter O's class at church on Fridays (while I'm in bible study) learned more and more about Easter and then we talked about it at home. So fun!

At the park with my boys.

...and Grandma too!

My big boy, O.

C climbing...and always wanting to go higher.

T sure does like those sticks and can keep up pretty well with his big brothers.

Jeff and I were able to go out on a date recently. My mom watched the boys and as usual
they were great for her. At one point, T was crying quite a bit and needing UNDIVIDED
attention. So, O took C into the play room and read books to him (with mask and all!!)
When O reads to C, normally what he does is ask C what the pictures are and C will sign and
say them. They are very patient with each other. The other night though, Jeff and I peeked in
on the two of them and O was actually telling C a story and signing at the same time as they
looked at the pictures. It brings tears to my eyes. I cannot tell you how deeply this affects me...mostly because we know how difficult it can be for a hearing sibling and a hard of hearing sibling to communicate. But, they are doing great and really starting to have more of a closeness that Jeff and I have been praying they will have. They really are amazing together when they're communicating well.
Reading and looking at books together seems to be really good for them. This is when they
have a "meeting of the minds"...true understanding and peace with each other. All of this is
very new and makes us SO very thankful.

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Apr. 26, 2009 - Outside with my boys

Finally, the weather is warming up and getting a bit dryer. We look forward to MANY days ahead like these, minus the coats, sweat pants, boots and long sleeve shirts.

Me with C and T.

Digging in the dirt, of course.

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Apr. 26, 2009 - Do worms live in trees?

I know....we've already covered worms. But, since it's Spring, and the kids are outside more....obviously, the only thing to do is play with worms and dirt, right?!?

"I think the worms would rather be in the trees, Mom."

Hmmmmm....I don't think so. But, it looks like you're having fun!

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Mar. 14, 2009 - Speech with Lauren

We are so blessed to have a wonderful speech therapist who has been working with C and our family for the past 9 months. She's amazing...the kids love her and always look forward to her weekly visits. We've seen so much progress in C's speech. Not only are his words becoming easier to understand, he is better able to express himself. ASL and spoken English really do make up C's whole language...it's how he communicates most effectively and also how he understands best. These two languages put together are how we as a family are able to communicate with each other so well. There are constant daily struggles, but we take them as they come and do the best we can.

Lauren has given us some great tools to implement into our family life. We work on social skills alot....sharing, playing nicely, asking for things we need, all while learning how to say things more clearly. Lauren also knows quite a bit of ASL, so she uses it to further communicate with C and help him to separate syllables. For example, the word 'breakfast' is signed with your 'B' signing position brushed twice upward near your chin...at least that's how we sign it. I know there are other ways too. Anyway, when she signs this, she also says 'break - fast' at the same time to show that there are two syllables. This is so helpful for C. Not only does it help with the speech part, but it helps him completely understand what is being said.

Lauren also introduced us to the idea of Social Stories a while back. I had never heard of these, but they're amazing. Basically you write a story for your child that includes them in the story. We've written two. The first one addresses the relationship between C and O and how to play nicely together. The second one includes all of their friends and how to play well with them too. Each book lists a set of "playtime rules" and words to use when needing help or wanting something. We included lots of pictures of the boys and their friends and a few clipart images where needed. I cannot not tell you how invaluable these books have been. They love to read them and look at all the pictures. I refer to them often and we talk alot about making good choices when we're playing together. I know it's so hard for any child, especially very young ones, to catch on to the whole sharing concept and playing nicely, but it's so worth all the effort and patience (on most days). There are more books I need to write for the kids. They can really be written and used for any child whenever you have a behaviour issue, a concept that needs further (or constant) explaining, when they have certain fears about things or for anything you'd like to teach them. The visual aspect and the repetative reading of them makes them excellent tools in our family. I love tangible things like this. We were lucky to have Lauren laminate ours, then 3 hole punch them and use separate metal rings to keep them together. They've held up really well. My brother and sister in law just bought us an awesome laminating machine....THANK YOU!!!!! I can't wait to start using it.

Here is a link to some Social Story ideas and further explanation.

We are very thankful for our friend and speech therapist, Lauren.

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Mar. 13, 2009 - Worms

O and C had fun finding worms the other day. It was the first time C had ever held one. He was fascinated!

T adding that he is almost 1.

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Mar. 13, 2009 - Up at the lake with Daddy

This was a somewhat rare sunny day in February. We just HAD to get outside and soak up some of that sun.

Daddy throwing rocks with the boys.

T was so happy all day. He just enjoyed the stroll and the fresh air.

Sharing crackers

Daddy loves his boys!!!!!

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Mar. 13, 2009 - T loves to be outside too!

Now that T is walking, he just LOVES to be outside with his big brothers.

...and yes, he loves sticks, just like his big brothers.

O made this cross while we were playing outside.

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Mar. 13, 2009 - In like a lion, out like a lamb.

We sure have seen the gamut of weather this month. We've tried to enjoy being outside as much as possible though. Right now, I sure am dreaming of WARM Summer days when we can be outside all the time.

Gathering snow for slushies.

And in the same month, enjoying a picnic lunch in the backyard. Come on Summer!!!!!

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Mar. 13, 2009 - Signing Time with Karen

Karen is our wonderful ASL teacher and friend who comes to visit us from the Hearing Speech and Deafness Center every other week. We learn so much from her each time we are with her. She's an amazing teacher. Karen happens to be deaf so when she's here, we are fully signing with her and visa versa. We love it. Thankfully, she's very patient with us as we sign (slowly) with her. All three of our boys just love her and really communicate well with her. It always feels very natural and easy when we are all communicating in this way together.

Each week she comes, she brings a new book and DVD for us to borrow for a couple weeks. It's all part of the Shared Reading Project put . The books have been great. Some of them are familiar to us, such as Goodnight Moon and Caps for Sale. Each DVD is of someone interpreting the story in ASL. At first, it was a struggle to understand the interpreter because there are no spoken words....only ASL. And when you are reading a story and/or signing it, you use what are called "classifiers", or descriptions of the story itself and pictures. We were always trying to match up the specific signs to the specific words on the pages. Once we understood, WOW...it's really amazing. I love reading to our kids this way. It really enriches the stories and makes them so much more interesting for all of us. When signing a story, we tend to do some role playing as well and stop often to explain the concepts of the story, so we're not constrained at all by the text of the story. I know that before I signed with our kids, I was never that creative when reading stories. I just read the stories and never really thought twice about going any deeper or making them more interesting.

Karen has also taught us that it is best to first read a page with spoken language and then sign it so as not to compromise the integrity of either language. I do this, and then tend to sign and speak together after separating the languages. It does take much longer to read a story, but I think the kids get so much more out of it. When you separate the languages, you naturally become more animated with each language.

Here is Karen signing with C. With all the motion, it's a bit blurry.

Anyone who has ever read the story 'Caps for Sale' will understand
this photo. In the story there is a peddler who is selling caps and
wears them stacked on top of his head. He balances them one on
top of the other as he walks through the town trying to sell them. It's a
wonderful story. The first time I read it though, I thought it was a bit
boring until we read it over and over again signing it as well and
enhancing it with lots of animation, role playing and other activities.

The boys had lots of fun gathering hats and seeing how high they
could stack them on their heads while walking.

Thank you, Karen, for introducing the Shared Reading Project to us and for being such a wonderful teacher and friend. You have impacted our lives more than you know.

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Mar. 13, 2009 - Pals

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Mar. 12, 2009 - Sunshine and Snow

Today was one of those glorious days that we needed so badly. We finally got outside and stayed out as long as we could. The sun was shining, there was snow on the ground and we headed to the park down the street. Just being out in the fresh air was wonderful.

Snow angels in March.

The boys literally just laid in the snow out in the snow. They needed this too.

Our baby...T is so happy and loves to explore. He seems to be a pretty
independent little boy who also loves to just watch and keep up with his brothers.

T loves swinging!!!

C enjoying being up high!

A great day with my boys!!!!

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Mar. 9, 2009 - Summary of December 08 - March 09

I realized this week that there is no way I'll ever get myself completely caught up on our blog, so instead, I'll do a quick summary and then go back and add in pictures. So here is my word story to sum up the last few months. Here are the highlights:

Snowed in for Christmas so our family brought Christmas to us which was wonderful (they have better vehicles), SNOW, More SNOW, Sub-freezing temps, storms that dumped lots of rain and melted LOTS of snow causing lots of flooding, A great week long visit with Jeff's Dad and step mom, Family field trip to the Museum of Flight (very fun!), Electrical problems in our kitchen lasting a couple weeks resulting in no power to most outlets (problem fixed), spending precious time with friends, On-going awesome bible study, Lots of treasured time spent with my mom, friends moving away, then thankfully returning, sadly more friends moving away, MANY hospital appointments, one hospitalization for low platelet count and Dr.'s visits for C, going through process of Individualized Education Plan (IEP) with our local school district to address C's hearing impairment needs (yes, we're still homeschooling which lends to some of the frustration....more on this later), T is walking, O is learning to read, C is communicating better and better and all three boys turned another year older...all of this while learning and growing all along the way. We do feel blessed!

Pictures are coming!!!!

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Mar. 9, 2009 - Snowed in!!!! AGAIN!!!

It's March....I know that we typically get some cold weather this time of year, but come on!!! MORE SNOW! It is beautiful and the kids like it in small doses ( I like it in even smaller doses ), but when it snows we aren't able to make it out of our neighborhood. The hill is too steep. We really need chains.

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Jan. 16, 2009 - Where's the brown sugar?

My boys have this thing about brown sugar ON their oatmeal. They only want it sprinkled on the top so they can see it. But, I've discovered that this means only the top layer of their cereal gets eaten. Then when it's gone, they ask for more brown sugar. No! No more! So I told them that from now on, brown sugar gets stirred in to the oatmeal and that way the whole bowl of cereal is sweet....not just the top. They complained, but gave in. O understood and just ate his cereal happily. C, on the other hand, quickly realized that I was actually serious and continued to complain and then cry. He thought I had forgotten his brown sugar and wouldn't take a bite until I sprinkled it in. He couldn't see it. I tried to explain that it was in there and was quickly getting frustrated because he just wouldn't take a bite. O could see what was happening and interrupted saying, "C....it's just like God. You can't see Him, but you know He's there." I was speechless and my heart was leaping for joy!!! Then he said, "You know God's there because you feel Him in your heart and you know the brown sugar is there because you can taste it." Beaming.....I just grabbed his little neck and hugged him tightly. C still didn't understand, but he settled down and said, "oh..." and ate his cereal happily because his big brother was. Moments like this make up for SO much!

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Jan. 5, 2009 - He's getting it!

We've just started Letter Of the Week with C. This week we're wrapping up the letter 'B'. We're so excited because he is starting to understand what letters are, they have a sound and he's learning the ASL signs for them as well. I thought that with his hearing loss, this would be much more difficult and to be honest, I've been very nervous about teaching him how to read. He actually said, "B, ball, ba ba ba" and then signed the letter B on his own. He's done this quite a bit with other 'B' words as well. I know it's still early....he's only almost 3, but it's not too early to introduce letters and sounds. Our heart's desire is for him (and all of our children) to LOVE reading.

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Jan. 5, 2009 - Today, I took the time...

Today was a great day for us. From the moment we woke up my boys were filled with anticipation for what would happen today. They've been looking forward to Grandpa and Grandma (Jeff's dad and step mom) coming to visit for quite a while. And today was the day!!!

One of our struggles lately has been getting the boys to pick up their toys and without complaining when they're done with them. We want them to understand that messes are fine...we don't mind them at all because we know they're having fun. But, messes do also need to be cleaned up. So, for today, because they were so enthusiastic about Grandpa and Grandma's arrival, I decided to enlist their help in the day's chores. Normally I've asked them to help me with maybe one thing all day, like feeding our dog, Baron or putting their dishes by the sink when finished eating. So, no wonder they aren't making it a habit to clean up their own toys.

So, today I took the time....to keep them with me, by my side in EVERYTHING we did. Surprisingly, there wasn't any resistance. Typically, I give them an activity to do at the table while I empty the dishwasher or fold laundry. It's during those times that chaos ensues because they don't have my attention. And therein lies the tug-of-war for my time and attention. Of course I'd love to give 100% of my attention to the kids all day, but things also need to get done. So, instead, I did both.

Today, I took the time....to show O how to make a bed, starting in my room. Then I gave O and C cloths to help me dust. (I can't tell you how long that's been needing to happen) They helped me organize my bedroom, the VERY LAST room in our home to ever get cleaned or organized and today I had two little helpers. We then went from room to room, dusting and putting things away TOGETHER. They helped me put dishes away, hang up a million coats, pick up and put away toys and wash the floor in front of the front door....all with excellent, willing and joyful attitudes.

Today, I took the time....to take breaks WITH the kids, to be silly and make up rymes, roll around on the floor with them, indulge their every whim by participating in their many "adventures" around the house and to listen to their made up stories about gorillas and what it might be like underneath our house. I actually caught myself getting caught up in all of this pretend play. And now after they are asleep for the evening, I am thankful that I did catch that make believe spirit today. It was fun!

Today, I took the time....to tell O and C how special they are to mommy and daddy. I thanked them over and over again for their helpfulness and their cheerful attitudes while helping me today.

And in return, I was rewarded with many more hugs and kisses than usual and peace and joy in my home. And the gentleness with which the boys spoke with one another was also affirming. Keeping them along side of me was so worth it. Some things took longer, but the enjoyment I received from watching my boys learn how to be good helpers was well worth any extra time it took to accomplish something. I forget sometimes that they need me to 'show' them how to do things.

Reflecting back on our day and all of it's successes, I had to wonder, why was it such a good day? (I'm always looking for things we can do to make our lives easier and more enjoyable...isn't everyone?) Two things came to mind. First, I approached the day differently and with a positive attitude. I kept them with me. I did not look for ways to occupy their time, but instead we worked (and played) on the same team. And in return they did find creative ways to play nicely with each other as we went about our day. And second, I believe that O and C woke up excited about our day. They had something to look forward to....Grandpa and Grandma coming over.

So this leads me to my next realization...my children are motivated by the excitement of something (or someone) to look forward to. That makes sense. Hmmmm....how can I make that happen more often? As an adult, I know I am a bit more cheerful when I know something great is happening soon. I want to make each day something my kids look forward to. Not always easy, but something to strive for.

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Jan. 3, 2009 - Our own Harvest celebration at home

As you can see by the title, I'm still catching up on my blogging. This last year, we were left wondering what we would do when we realized that our church was not hosting a "Harvest Festival" this year. We are uncomfortable with trick or treating and don't like all of the spooky scary things that Halloween represents. So, I jumped online to do a bit of research. A friend of mine sent me a few articles that shed some light on the darkness of this particular holiday. Jeff and I decided that we would take the fun lighthearted parts of what we remember from our childhood, combined with our beliefs and create our own Harvest celebration. Literally, we went back and forth on what to do until finally we made our decision the day before October 31st. Next year I think we'll be alot more prepared and make better plans....maybe with another family. But this was a GREAT night for all of us and we felt like the boys really enjoyed our little celebration.

O had been wanting to be Batman for a LONG time and could not wait to get his costume.
He wanted C to be a super hero too....he was thrilled to be Superman. And my mom
bought little T a pumpkin hat and booties....so cute. If you haven't guessed already, our boys
love to dress up, so this seemed natural and it's just plain fun!

Part of our celebration included an object lesson using a pumpkin. I found the ideas we
used at www.creativebiblestudy.com. In a nutshell, as we cut the pumpkin open and pull the "yucky" pulp out, we told the kids that this is a picture of how God takes us and cleanses us from all our sin - casting them as far as the east is from the west.

The carving of the eyes, nose, and SMILING face, represents how God makes us a new creation.

Then as we put the light into the pumpkin, we reminded them that Christ comes into our lives as a light and can shine through us into a dark world.

Daddy removing the "yucky stuff".

We also told a story about a boy who told several lies. With each lie that he told, we would
put a piece of the pumpkin's face back in place (eyes, nose and then mouth). With each passing
lie, his face got sadder and sadder until finally, the light in him dimmed and went out. But then we carved a cross on the other side of the pumpkin, and the great news is that if we have Jesus in our hearts, his light can always shine through us.

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Dec. 30, 2008 - My brother, my friend, my teacher

Anytime I see O and C playing nicely together, communicating with one another using words and ASL, helping each other figure out how to get something from point A to point B or even just reading a book together.....I have to step back (and normally take a picture) because it's at these times I realize that I am witnessing the sort of character that I pray all of our children will have consistently in their lives. They are learning together and very obviously teaching each other how to be loving and kind.

Now that T is totally mobile, we're even seeing him in this mix. He gets frustrated when he can't get to something he WANTS, so the boys will help him or sit him up when he falls down. They'll pat his head and give him a kiss when he's hurt and then turn right around and scream at him when he's knocking over the same tower they've built 10 times already. Oh, the memories. Little brothers can be tricky.

They're not perfect, but they're perfect for each other and I know they are helping to shape each other in ways only siblings can do. I am thankful for each of our boys and how wonderfully made by God they are.

O teaching C some ASL.

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Nov. 25, 2008 - Our new playroom

After many many MANY hours of blood, sweat and tears (literally) our playroom is complete and we are REALLY enjoying it. I can tell that as the kids get older, it will be an ever evolving room. I had imagined it as our "school room" where we did projects and had tables set up for 'school work'. But, at this age (4, 2 and 8 months) it is truly a PLAY room. We do learn alot while playing and certainly read alot of books while in there. But all of our messy projects still happen at the table in our kitchen. I'm still in the process of hanging up learning posters (like maps and ABC/123/ASL posters) but the room is done and we love it. My dad worked many tireless hours with 2 busy boys under foot most of the time. And this was Jeff's second job in the evenings and on weekends all with the "help" of the boys.

My dad drawing up the plans for the sub floor and O drawing up HIS plans for the sub floor.

He thinks his are better.

This is our garage and where our washer and dryer have always been.

Like I said...under foot.

You may be wondering why I didn't just keep the boys inside during all of this construction....are you kidding? It was impossible! My dad was always so gracious and actually loved having them out there with him. This was one of the highlights of their summer.

Progress...

Not exactly safe, but they got really good at climbing ladders.

My dad replumbed everything so that we could move our washer, dryer and hot water heater to a better location. This was a big job. C brought my dad suckers every day as a treat.

Helping....nice, they're not wearing shoes. It's a miracle neither one of the boys got hurt during this whole process.

"No, you cannot go out there today"...this was the compromise...sitting on the step to watch the action.

Daddy mudding and taping.

Grandpa letting C help with the mixer.

"OK C, time to get down." He is signing NO!

Daddy is hiding from the camera, but I had to capture this. The boys were
dancing a jig for Jeff...so funny.

Woo Hoo...carpet is here!

Minutes after the carpet was installed.

Never again will this room be so clean or so empty. Our new play room has given us so much more space to spread out. Our little 950 square foot home now feels huge with the extra 340 square feet.

My new washer and dryer closet.

....with doors! I can now do laundry while the kids play instead of sneaking out into the dark cold garage to quickly do laundry before little ones follow me out there. I love it. The white door goes out into the left over space that Jeff left as "garage/storage" space.

We now keep all of the kids' toys and books in the play room and are slowly finding ways to keep everything organized in bins and on shelves.

And this is the construction project that preceded the garage remodel.
This is the shed that Jeff and my dad built last summer (2007) to replace
our garage.

This was a 15 month long process that we are thankful to say is over. All of the hard work and effort was so worth it though!

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Nov. 22, 2008 - T is a big boy!

T is getting so big! I love that he can now swing when we go to the park!!

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Nov. 22, 2008 - O-ism

On Thursday we drove to my Grandma's house which is a little over an hour away. On the way there, O fell asleep...when he woke up he said his foot felt all sparkly. What a perfect way for a child to describe that "pins and needles" feeling you get when your foot falls asleep. Had to record this so I don't forget.

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Nov. 7, 2008 - Word mix up

I just think it's so adorable when kids mix up their words as they're telling a story or reciting something they've heard. Today, O was talking about the game 'Hungry Hippo' and how he'd like to get this for Christmas. A few minutes later I heard him singing "humble humble hippo...humble humble hippo". And then he must have realized he had the words wrong and changed the words without skipping a beat.

And on Wednesday night, my mom came over to stay the night and watch the kids while Jeff and I went out on a date. She brought along these cute little antlers attached to headbands for O and C. As O was putting his on, my mom was saying, "you could be a moose, or an elk, or a reindeer, or a......" and he said, "I know!!!! I want to be a cantaloupe!" I thought this was so cute...I felt bad correcting him.

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Oct. 29, 2008 - Vacation 2008

In September we finally took some much needed time off....a whole week! It was wonderful. The first few days of our vacation were spent at home enjoying some fun family activities. Here are the highlights...

At Remlinger Farms enjoying Jeff's company picnic. It was a beautiful day and a very relaxing time.

Fun activities for the kids.

T man was just learning to sit at the beginning of September.

We were so excited to see our good friends also at the picnic. Jeff and
Michael work together and we also attend the same church.

We had an unexpected opportunity to have breakfast with our good friend Marty. He and his wife, Sue, used to live here where we all attended the same church. They moved far far away to South Dakota a few years ago, but manage to visit every year. This time around Marty was here on vacation, flying solo while he is in between careers and beginning with a new company soon. Sue is a teacher and was at home hard at work. We missed you Sue! Hope to see you next time. Marty is was great to see you and catch up! Looking forward to the next time.

We also decided to take the kids to the Puyallup Fair for the first time. We were a bit nervous because we knew it was going to be a long day, but hoped it would be a good one! It was! We spent a considerable amount of time wandering through the the animal "houses". There were so many COWS!!!

....and there were alot of other barnyard animals. The kids especially enjoyed the petting area.

Another first....cotton candy. The looks on their faces were priceless.

It cracked me up that the boys were so enthralled with the little kid sinks. I wish we had one in our home.

And yet another first....carnival rides! O loved them, but C was pretty scared of them. He really tried hard to ride them, but they had to stop this ride for him to get off....QUICK!

O loved this one!

The motorcycles were enticing, but C got off of this one quickly too.

Having fun...

And finally, we found the perfect ride for C. It was out of the sun and just his speed. THIS was the highlight of my day....seeing the sheer joy on BOTH of their faces as they raced around in their cars.

C rode this one a couple times. All of his frustrations from the previous hour were gone!

On our way out of the fair, we spotted the fire department with one of their
trucks on display. They also had a small working truck for the kids to
explore. In addition they had little firefighter coats and hats for the kids to
try on. This was awesome because we were working on a RESCUE HERO
unit study at home. They also gave us firefighter tatoos to take home with us.

...and this is the scary ride that Jeff and I vowed to go on next year when
we go back to the fair. YIKES!

And then we spent the remainder of our time away from home. Another family that we have become good friends with had invited us to share in their time away at a beautiful home in Lake Chelan. David and Linda have 4 children and 1 on the way, due in March. We had such a great time with them. Living in a house together for 4 days really helped us get to know each other in a much more intimate way. Our kids had a great time together and the weather was perfect....very warm and sunny. This trip was good for all of us and we are so thankful to our friends for inviting us to spend this time away with them.

C's first time in a pool and not thrilled about it.

O did get comfortable with the water after a while and loved playing with Daddy.

The boys LOVED the beach!

C with C4

Here is C2 (he and O are both 4).

David and Linda's oldest...C1

and this is C3.

We loved this little beach area....it was perfect for the kids and the moms. While we played in the sand, the big boys went jet skiing!!! Another first!!

Jeff on his jet ski and LOVING IT!!! He ranked it up there in the top 5 thrills of his life.

Here's David with C3.

We tried to get O to go with Daddy, and even got the life jacket on him, but he changed his mind. Next time!!!

It looks like these two are on their own, but Dad is right behind them holding on.

C1 ready to go...

One night we went for a walk and let the kids play in the sand....while it was dark. It was so warm and they had so much fun. Here they are making sand angels.

The 5 of us slept in one large room together downstairs which actually worked out really well. O and C had never slept in bunks before. They did great. So, now we know we can go this route when things start to get a little cramped in their room.

Good morning sleepy heads!

Relax time...

Hiding under the chair together.

This is typical....let's dump the crayons everywhere and then be done with them after 5 seconds.

Linda playing a game of UNO with the kids.

And we went concord grape picking at this place. I had high hopes of making jelly with our grapes, but alas, the time got away from me and we never did. Linda and David did though, and it turned out really good.

There were also other berries to pick as well. Here the kids are hunting
for the last of the unpicked blueberries.

We really had a great time and loved that this whole week was filled with so many firsts for all of us.

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Oct. 6, 2008 - A good day

Still catching up with our blogging. We've been busy living and playing. Speaking of playing....ever have one of those days where you just can't keep up with your kids? The kind of day where each activity you set up for them lasts 2 minutes, but the mess takes an hour to clean up, meanwhile they're on to the next thing and creating another mess. Some days I do feel like I'm spinning my wheels. I had one of those days recently. The boys were up way to early which always makes for a long day. By 9am, we had read 4 books, gotten dressed, ate breakfast, played with play doh, made an art project using paper, scissors, crayons and glue, built a fort with all of the couch cushions, played with many toys (including the treasured fiddle stix) and then they were on to the great outdoors.....FINALLY. I was never so grate as when they finally agreed to go outside and play. I NEEDED a break and some time to clean up the many messes. We've been working hard at cleaning up one thing before moving on to the next thing and most days, there is some success. But, this particular day was not working out that well. I just couldn't keep up with the flurry of activity. So, when I began to clean up the kitchen and looked outside, I noticed that there was MUD all over our sliding glass door. Upon further investigation, I saw that there was also grass mixed in. One look past the grime and I could also tell it was all over the boys and they were completely enjoying themselves. So, do I stop the fun and scold them for making yet another mess....one in which will take me hours to clean up? Or do I allow them to keep playing and let them enjoy themselves immensley while I take advantage of the time and clean up the house? I was frustrated!!!

Just then, an angel knocked on my door. It was my friend Jenny. She stopped by to bring me a treat from the women's bible study I was unable to attend because one of my 3 was sick. Anyway, I explained to her what kind of a day we were having through gritted teeth. She took one look through the sliding glass door into the back yard and could tell that they were having alot of fun and that obviously we had all been playing in every square inch of our little home all morning. She helped me to find joy in this day and to even be thankful for days like this.

Later I emailed her these pictures...

In the end, it was a great day. Everyone had fun, the mess eventually got cleaned up and I, again, was reminded of how FUN it is for kids to play in the dirt if only mom would enjoy it too. And therein lies the answer....finding joy in ALL that we do and not stealing that joy from my children. Thank you for this precious reminder Jenny!

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About Me

We are a family of 5 enjoying life's adventures while homeschooling our three boys along the way. Our oldest son, O, is 5. C, our middle son is 3 and our youngest, T, is 1. This is our journey.....