Birthday Eve

I seem to have started a ritual with myself...looking through old pictures and crying on the night before one of my kids' birthdays.

Miss Contessa turns two tomorrow.

It's evident that we were ALL smitten with her from the very start.

Truly, I dont think there has ever been a newborn to get so much attention.

It seemed she had an unlimited number of siblings fighting over who would get to hold her next.

It went on for weeks. no months. You know, now that I think about it...its actually still going on.

oh my.

She quickly went from my little peanut to a 6 month old...

And then from there overnight she became and 18 month old.

Tonight at bedtime I asked her to promise me that she wouldn't turn 3.

She promised. And she said she would never break a promise to her mommy.

I swear she did.

Introducing...baby #5

Jordan and I got to 'see' little baby #5 today.

We did not find out if we will be adding a brother or a sister to the mix.

Jordan thinks he knows and I think I know...but we both have different opinions based on the ultrasound...so basically that just means that neither of us have a clue what we are talking about!

What we do know is that the dimpled chin is evident.

And we both think he/she looks like Contessa.

Seriously precious.

Our dr. takes a VERY long time to do ultrasounds.

He literally spent 30 minutes studying the brain and and another 30 on the heart. He points out this and that and says, a baby with 'X' would have 'X' here, but your baby looks normal.

I just listen for the words, 'your baby looks normal' to be spoken over and over.

Those are some pretty beautiful words!

I'll admit that after laying on the table for over 1.5 hours I almost gave in and just said, 'Just tell me what we are having!!' But I held out.

And we'll all have to wait until November.

Honestly I don't have a strong preference for which it is.

On #5 I just laid there thinking "Wow, God gave us another perfect baby. We are so blessed."

And even if it was time #5 to see a tiny face pop up on that screen...it was just like the first time. And perhaps even more miraculous that it was happening again.

I guess viewing your own personal miracle never gets old!

I'm losing my touch...

I used to be able to be showered, have all four kids out the door and delivered to their respective locations and be sitting in my office chair all before 7:50 am.

Now if I have to be showered, have all the kids ready and fed before 9:30 I struggle.

I've totally lost it.

Time with Grandma

Time with Grandma Cindy usually involves playing beauty shop to fix up hair and then pictures.

Looks like they got both accomplished!

She's growing up...

Contessa will be two in less than a week.

Time must fly by faster with each child...because I honestly don't even know how she could be one.

Today at the pool I saw someone I hadn't seen in a long time and they gasped and said, 'Is that Tess? She's walking already!'

They truly didn't believe me when I said she was two.

I almost don't believe it myself.

duh

Lauren and Avery spent the night at Grandma Cindy's for fun last night. Jordan left early early this morning for a golf tournament.

It was just me and the little two for the morning.

We had a few hours before the big girls came home and the Sully and Tess were playing great so I decided to catch up on some house work and laundry that had been neglected due largely to the swimming pool this week!

I finished my 'chores' and looked at the clock...really, only an hour had passed? And I got it all done? How?

Oh yeah, because I only had 2 kids home...not 4. Even if they were the 'difficult' 2. Sometimes I either forget or dont realize how long simple things can take when all the kids are home and how much easier it is when they are 'farmed out'. I guess whenever you have fewer than you are used to it seems like a break, doesn't it?!

So then I started thinking about how when school starts and Sully goes to preschool I will get SO much done.

Then it hit me....

duh...

about that time you will be having a baby.

So I guess I'm back to getting nothing done!

Seriously, I forgot that soon there will be another child in the house.

But then I got really excited about meeting this baby so we are good.

:)

little moments

These days are exactly what summer should be like.

I am loving it.

We are still busy, and running around a lot, there are lessons ect. but its fun...

today was the most beautiful day yet.

And this was where my favorite moment of the day came...

we were driving to the pool to meet our friends...

windows down, sun shining, radio turned up, little sun-tanned bodies filling up my van.

And in the back seat is little Contessa...singing at the top of her lungs to

'Free Fallin'

Now that is summer!

And Sully was kind of enjoying it too.

They didn't mind it either!

the trade off

My entry way in winter = boots, snow, hats, mittens, gloves, scarves and bitter cold

My entry way in summer = pool towels and toys, endless flip flops, sand, beach bags, picnic blankets, water bottles and sunscreen

obviously one is way more fun than the other...

but I can never stay on top of either!

:)

Happy 6th Birthday, Avery Elizabeth!

I remember June 21, 2004 like it was yesterday, not 6 years ago.

I was running around the hospital like a chicken with my head cut off for the hospital's 'hard hat' event. I was 2 weeks shy of my due date.

My grandmother was also in that hospital, very sick.

I was torn between wanting to be by her side with all of my family and needing to be part of all the excitement going on at the hospital's event I had spent weeks planning.

Finally, 7pm hit and the event was over. I was sitting in the hospital waiting room and I finally admitted that I was in labor. I remember my boss touched my stomach during one of the contractions and she said, 'Becky, go to the hospital NOW!' (our hospital does not deliver babies).

But I couldn't leave without saying good bye to grandma. So Jordan and I tearfully said our good byes and headed to Waterloo.

At 6am June 22nd Avery Elizabeth was born.

She came out with one push...literally as the doctor walked in the door in time to see the nurse catching her.

My grandma passed away a little later that morning and I remember holding precious Avery as I got the news via my brother over the phone. I remember crying but feeling so blessed...death and new life - so many emotions. Avery was a bright spot to everyone that day and in the week that followed.

Jordan and I were so happy to have a baby sister for Lauren. We had both hoped it would be a girl.

Avery was an easy baby. She slept through the night at 2 weeks, but rarely napped. But she was truly almost always happy. She crawled at 3.5 months - no lie and stood at 6 months. She was all smiles and laughter.

A total joy.

She grew into a wild and CRAZY toddler. We made a fair number of trips to the ER with her for a broken bone and stitches before she turned 2. She has given me many gray hairs.

Then somehow when I wasn't looking, she started to calm down. To change. To grow up. She still has some fire in those eyes, but she is also my girl who will sit and color quietly for hours, who loves to be read to, to snuggle quietly, to dance in her room all alone. She loves EVERYTHING to be beautiful and to sparkle. She loves fairy stories and happy endings.

Avery, you remind me of a younger version of myself in so many ways, in your incessant need to cuddle, touch and hold hands, your ability to worry about things that should never be worried about, your easy to break heart, your love of movies and stories where love conquers all, your wild and crazy ideas and even crazier dreams as you sleep, how you start out timid but end up wanting the party to last all night, how you wear your emotions right on your sleeve - no one ever has to wonder if either of us are happy, sad or mad!

Avery, just like the day you were born, you continue to fill our lives with sunshine, warmth, smiles and laughter in the middle of life's storms.

We love you with all our hearts - you are our 'baby Avie'

Love mommy and daddy

Tomorrow

Tomorrow when she wakes up she wont be 5.

Would it change things at all if I still WANTED her to be 5?

Would it stop time?

I'm going to work on that really hard while I sleep tonight.

More of my Avery

Always full of energy. Always!

And always this beautiful and sweet.

And giggly.

And girly!

Birthday Eve

Avery on her 1st Birthday...or is that Tess?

(its not really, but man they look alike!)

Fall 2005 - best friends from the beginning.

She still loves anything sweet!

15 months old - black eye, stitches, broken arm...yep, that was Avery!

Daddy Time

In our house we don't really celebrate birth DAYS.

We celebrate birth WEEKS.

So Avery is kind of queen of the castle around here this week.

And tonight she got to spend some time with just daddy.

Out on the golf course.

hormones

you know when its obvious that your pregnancy hormones are out of control?

when you sob like a baby during the movie '50 First Dates'.

what is the matter with me??????

Father's Day 2010

Jordan,

There are many words I could write to you on Father's Day.

About your dedication, hard work, spirit of fun, endless energy, words of direction, spiritual direction, tender touch and the list goes on and on.

But for me, none of them can even come close to expressing the type of father you are...like the excitement in our children's voices when they hear you come in the door, or the way they look as they curl up next to you for story time and especially the looks on their faces when they look at you.

I didn't know to pray for a man who would be a daddy like you...

but somehow, God knew to give us that too.

We love you, Jordan.

We are beyond blessed that you are ours.

"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!"

- Lydia Child

Not so long ago...

This was fall 2005.

Avery at age around 15 months is being hugged/strangled by cousin Aaron at

age probably around 30 months.

This day feels like last week...

how does time go so fast?

And try telling me she doesn't look EXACTLY like Tess!

(Thanks for sending this Garrick)

Another broken promise

I love my kids' birthdays.

Love, Love Love them.

But every time one rolls around I say, "well you can have this one...but only if you promise not to have another one."

And not a single one of them has ever kept that promise.

She turns 6 on Tuesday.

6.

really?

how can 2004 have been 6 years ago? how can that tiny peanut of a baby now be going into kindergarten? how can she now be the big sister? really? where did that time go?

And she makes my heart stop.

The games

My outside games were going to be much livelier than the indoor games ended up being.

But the kids were really good sports.

A little bean bag toss...

Check out Avery's tongue in this one...must run in the family because Sully does this too.

Just cute of Brooklyn and little sister Alex in the background...

Avery and Brooklyn are so cute together...very giggly and all smiles.

I have a feeling we will have fun watching this friendship grow.

My indoor games also did not take up enough time!

So when you get bored what do you do?

Well you take the only boy at the party and you put makeup on him.

And yes, he was all for it...daddy was not home by this time!

Impromtu bday party

On Sunday I realized that Avery was expecting/hoping for a 'friend' birthday party.

(Traditionally, we have big family parties until the kids are in school and then we let them have a friend party...we caved this year apparently.)

So Monday, I invited the guests, bought some decorations and favors and we were set.

The party was this afternoon.

And she couldn't have been more excited.

The plan was for outdoor games followed by cupcakes.

They all arrived...Jordan rode up the driveway on his bike...and the tornado sirens went off.

I am not even kidding.

I ran upstairs, grabbed a sleeping Tess from her crib and met all the kids in the basement.

We stayed for about 15 minutes till we got the all clear from Jordan.

(Sully is holding his map. He told me before everyone arrived that he needed to draw a map so that we didn't lose anyone. ? But funny in hindsight since we ended up in the basement and I really was worried about losing someone!)

The birthday girl didn't mind the storm.

She just wanted her friends to be at her house! :)

She is my absolute favorite almost 6 year old in the world right now!

Friday

What a day!

With the weather and the running around we did I feel a bit like I've been hit by a train!

But it was also a great day...

We had plans to go to CF because Cassie and the kids were going to be there.

We wanted to have her take the kids' pictures but the weather did not cooperate for that.

Instead we hung out at Godfather's Pizza for quite sometime.

Cassie and I laughed so hard. Finally Brigg said, "What is so funny!?"

I think he thought we were totally insane.

And these two are my birthday girls...and they were so cute before we left in their

little skirts that Avery insisted they have their pictures taken together.

The SUN!!

You know how sometimes as parents we know what our kids need even before they do? We see the breakdown coming...and we know the reason...and they have no idea?

Christ is like that. I think He knew if we couldn't get outside at least one day this week...I was going to have a breakdown.

So today...Today he sent SUNSHINE. Lots of beautiful, warm sunshine. And no humidity.

Amazing day.

So after a day out in it the kids are resting and I got online and found these verses....

Ephesians 3:16-20

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at within us.

I'm not sure if I can even begin to break down all the awesome promises in that passage; He strengthens me, His love is wide and long and high and deep! and it surpasses my knowledge - I have no doubt of that! and He is able to far more than I can ask or imagine.

I think that is my new favorite passage. I love being reminded that I can never understand His love for me. And that bringing a little sunshine for me...is just one way He's shown that to me today!

Shrek

We took Tess to her first movie tonight with Trina, Aaron and Alexa.

I figured either Jordan or I would have to leave after the first 30 min to take her home (oh the beauty of our dollar movie theater).

She surprised us and sat perfectly through the first 45 minutes.

After that she played musical seats, dug around in the diaper bag and ate her weight in candy and popcorn - some off the floor...yummy.

BUT, we stayed for the entire thing!

I think Aaron and Avery are the only two actually looking at the camera....oh well!

Rewards in the Mundane

Genesis 6:9, 22 'Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God...Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.'

Do you ever look at your life and feel ordinary? and like your daily tasks are boring, mundane?

As you put in the 9th load of laundry for the week or clean that little sticky face for the 75th time that week, do you start to feel just worn down?

Wondering when God is going to turn things a bit more exciting for you?

Its easy to look at the lives of some of our heroes of the faith and think - 'now they had exciting lives! They got to follow God into the most exciting times in history! They got to make history!'

Last night I was reading in our 'Our Journey' daily devotional and it talked about this subject.

The author, Doug Helmer looked at Noah. I'll paraphrase some of what he said here...

How amazing was Noah's work? Building an enormous ark the likes of which had never been seen before, seeing a parade of animals that will never be duplicated, seeing God's mighty power unleashed on the earth and the sinful people and seeing Him restore life to that same earth.

But think about it a little deeper. Noah had no real tools, no chainsaw, he had no transportation, no hardware store around the corner, no band aids, antibiotic ointment, no tylenol!

So he starts cutting down trees, trimming off the branches, hauling back to the building site. Yes, that was probably exciting. For the first 10 trees. But what about tree 387? How could his back have felt? Do you think that started to feel mundane?

And what about those around him taunting him? Hey, Noah? What are you doing building an ark...it has NEVER rained. You are crazy.

Mundane.

Yeah.

Helmer called Noah's life the ultimate Groundhog's Day!

No kidding!

And I'm sure as that door to the ark was closed by God, Noah and his family must have all breathed a huge sigh of relief...'oh thank goodness! We are not crazy!' And when that same door finally opened they saw their reward for faith in the mundane.

I think about this and my life and how sometimes it might feel ordinary.

How I could be doing something more exciting, glamorous for Christ.

And then I think about the little prayers I hear my kids saying and how sometimes they are so kind to each other and they tell each other and perfect strangers about Jesus...

and I see my rewards are so great...even in the mundane.

Or perhaps, especially in the mundane.

a new dimension

we have entered into a new dimension of parenting.

last night avery was invited to her first sleepover at a friend's house and sully stayed at grandma barb's.

since two of the kids were gone and we felt lonely (ha) we let lauren have a friend over for the night.

at 9:30 they wanted to watch part of a movie before bed so essentially jordan and i were kicked out of the living room.

so now our kids are old enough to sleep at other people's houses for fun and to say 'uh, mom and dad, can we have the living room?'

i dont like it.

and when they were born i dont ever remember saying they could grow up.

kind of feel like throwing a temper tantrum over it.

or at least crying for a bit.

ick. :(

Wedding bells

A couple of weeks ago Rosanna and Isaiah shared with us that they had gotten engaged!

We are so happy for them.

Then on Saturday night when they were watching our kids during our small group

they asked Lauren, Avery and Sullivan to be flower girls and the ring bearer in their wedding.

I am told there was some squealing involved!

Truly, Rosanna has been an amazing blessing to our family.

Our kids love her like family and we feel honored that she and Isaiah want them involved in their special day.

She hadn't been in our house for more than 5 minutes when Tess had her right where she wanted her!

And Sullivan had Isaiah right where he wanted him!

Darth Vader mask and all.

Congratulations again to you both!

Weekend...gone???

Somehow another weekend has flown by...

Saturday we spent the day at the golf course - a month ago I was asked to come back and

coordinate the annual hospital tournament and so I did that and Jordan played in it.

Then that night we had our last small group session before our summer break.

Today we attended Alex's 4th birthday party!

She's so sweet. And Mandy did an awesome job on that cake!

Tess pretty much loves anything with water so she had a blast.

She also loves monkeys! She really wanted this blow up one.

I rarely get genuine smiles on camera of Sully.

And this one I just love.

Winning team for one of the water games.

The dad's were good sports about being part of the water fun.

Then the kids started in on the real fun...drenching the dad's.

Then things got a little crazy with a full out water fight.

Seriously, mostly Mandy's fault!

Busy, fun weekend...now if we just had one more day.