A Plethora of Catching Up!

After a silent September and October, promptings from a couple lovely ladies (you know who you are!), and so much going on...the thought of even remotely doing justice to my poor children's online baby book has left me rather depressed. So instead of sitting down to just DO IT (as Nike used to say - do they still say that?), I keep putting it off.

And more things happen.

 And more pictures get taken.

 And more adorable things that the boys used to do get forgotten...where do I even begin?? I think this is a blog post worthy of pictures WITH stories. And maybe a few child-specific stories at the end. Everyone loves the pictures the best anyway, right?

 I love the little undie behind surrounded by trucks, train tracks, reading his truck book, of course.

 Another baby quilt I made this summer. For my friend Elizabeth's baby Maeve. I hope she likes it. I really like it. Especially the strip on the back of pieced tiny scraps.

 My friend Laura and I took our kids to the Champlin Kiddie Carnival in August. The boys (Peter and Uriah) are in the blue car towards the front of the train.

 David LOVED the animals. Peter did not. :)

 Peter did, however, love the bouncy jumping thing. What are those things called, anyway?

 David, who loves shoes, doesn't like to keep them on. However, now that it's too cold for sandals, he always finds them and wants to wear them. Funny boy!

 Sweetie pie.

 Swings had this calming effect on him this summer...he kept falling asleep in them!

 Swinging with cousin Evelyn.

Yes, he fell asleep like this. :)

 We went to Otsego Park with friends from BSF. I think with all these kids, we had 5 moms. 

 My friend and former roommate from college, Kristen, was home visiting from Georgia this summer. Her daughter is "pushing" the stroller.

I love how much the boys love Lucy. I especially love how gentle she is with them! (sorry about the bad picture, the flash died on our camera this summer....taking donations for a new one!)

 Peter got a bike this summer! It was his reward for being fully (except at night) potty-trained. We are so proud of him. :)

David learned how to walk at 13 months.

 At the end of August, Luke and I were blessed with a weekend away. We went up to Gull Lake near Brainerd and stayed at some friends' cabin. It was such a blessing!

 I, for the first time in my entire life, rode, no, DROVE, a jet-ski. It was actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be! It would have been more fun when Luke majorly splashed me if it were a little warmer than the upper sixties, though. :)

 The sunsets were gorgeous!

All day Saturday and Sunday this airplane and another one were landing and taking off. It was so fun to watch.

 In the beginning of October, I took the boys to Berry Hill Farm with my aunt and uncle (Jim and Jen) and kiddos.

 They posed, but weren't too sure about being at the top of this massive pile of hay!

 We had fun on the tractor/wagon ride. Hayless hayride.

 Again, David LOVED the animals!

 The boys both got to go on a FREE pony ride! The lady even let Peter ride on two different horses. I'm sure he could still tell me their names if he were sitting here with me.

Still does love tractors.

 And a couple weeks later, we went to the apple orchard with our playgroup. Laura and her kiddos came along, which was good so we could get our annual "growth chart at the apple orchard" picture! (The kids are getting soooo hard to photograph together!)

 Peter and David on the truck at the orchard.

 See? They are impossible! Or maybe it's just Peter...

Laura, me and our kids on the wagon ride at the orchard!

 The boys dressed in their warm flannel finest. What could be more fun than sitting in the back of Dad's truck?

Baby boy #3!

 Laura's picture of our 3 - David, Peter and Uriah. (As a side note, for awhile this summer, Peter started calling Uriah "My-riah". You know, "You-riah"...)

 My-riah and Peter on the truck. :)

 David is starting to get old enough to actually climb on and play with the playground equipment. So fun!

 One day our van was in the shop, so we all piled into my friend Elizabeth's van. Cozy!

 David and Mariah Ewing.

 Another cuter shot of the kids at Otsego Park.

 We visited Bertha with Sara and Evie one warm Friday. They had fun toys to play with.

Peter keeping close watch over Evie. (he's such a father-hen (??) sometimes!)

 Greg and Ana Hunt were home (well, for Greg) visiting for awhile from.............(help?).........they were also visiting Bertha that same day.

 Lisa very graciously offered to take the boys' pictures again this fall at co-op. They are at such funny ages!

 "hug"

 This is going to be Peter's 8x10 on the wall for the next year or so!

 This is going to be David's 8x10 hanging on the wall. It's a little closer to his birthday and he looks a little more babyish than our fall pics, I think. Anyway, I love this picture, so that is what we're going to frame!

 This is, I'm sure, the one the grandmas will want. (right mom?)

 And this one of the two together, I will frame also. Can't decide on color or B&W, though...

Peter:

• Is almost three! December 15th is the official day and he is soooo excited! He's already picked the menu and cake design. He's pretty excited for Christmas, too. He asked almost daily for several months if it was time for getting a Christmas tree yet. :) Now he's waiting for the snow....he knows snow means it's getting closer!
• Loves being the oldest...if you know what I mean...
• If Luke or I call him by any name other than Peter, he will say, "I'm not _________, I'm Peter!"
• He is officially my thrower-upper.
• Officially potty trained for several months now! He's doing pretty well at night, too. I don't think it'll be much longer before he'll be dry all the time at night.
• He LOVES to help me bake cookies.
• Is doing really well at BSF this year so far.

David:

• Words:
• nee (nose)
• ma-ma
• shakes head no
• dog: panting sound
• if asked if he's done eating and he is, he'll push himself away from the table
• Tried drinking from the toilet the other day.
• Thinks Play-Doh is supposed to be a fantastic snack.
• Weight, head and height all jumped drastically at his last appointment. Yay! No parasite re-check yet, but we're hopeful that they're all gone. Wish I knew where he picked those nasty buggers up!
• Has become a mama's boy lately.
• Had a rough start at BSF this year, but is doing really well now. Still cries when I drop him off, but stops right away. Yay!

Baby:

• 21 weeks along!
• Boy!!
• Likes to move!
• I have, currently, partial placenta previa. We're praying it moves up as I progress farther along.
• It is so nice to feel good again! I can (almost) keep up with housework and cooking again! Yay!

• 
  

A Few More Summertime Pics and NEWS!

We've been having a busy summer playing, visiting, eating yummy summer food and enjoying the outdoors.

 Splashing in the water is especially fun.

 We like to try on new hats often.

 We are also learning many valuable lessons. Like how to share.

 And make up after a fight.

And Peter is learning how to dress himself.

Even with our moving disaster earlier this summer, I would still say it has been a fun-filled and good summer. Everywhere we go, it seems the Lord has ministry opportunities for us. And that is pretty cool.

And one final thought, just in case you haven't heard: Baby #3 will be joining us sometime mid-March! Yay!!

A Little Summer Fun at the Thomsen's

Okay, so this is not at the Thomsen's. This is at home. On my awesome huge island!

This is the Peter, "I'm watching a movie, Mom" face. :)

LOVES his train tracks.

Waiting with Karla for Peter's tractor ride.

Peter and Dustin on the tractor. Oh, my was that exciting!

The wheel is bigger than me, Mom!

Another Chance to Shine

I love how the Lord so often provides us with opportunities to allow Him to shine. :) I oh, so often, in these circumstances, want to worry, fret and try to find a solution myself. The Lord helps those who help themselves, right?????

Wrong.

He delights in those whose delight is found in Him. He takes great joy in our patience and utter dependence on Him in good times and tough times. So often, however, I only have utter dependence on Him in the tough times. But, I was reminded in Sunday School last Sunday morning that God is able! He has done it before, surely He can do it again! Surely. I look back on my life and see all the ways that He has provided and all the things He has done and I am instantly chastised for ever doubting that He cares. That He sees. That He even knows. Because He does know. He does see. He does care.

When we were trying to move to Ramsey earlier this summer, we signed a contract with our apartment company agreeing to pay a certain fee for them to sublet our apartment for us. Well, since all that ended as it did and we are still living in this same apartment building, we assumed (and since no one ever mentioned the fee to us again) that it was all void.

Wrong again!

We received a statement in the mail today for the fee. And it needs to be paid by a certain date to avoid legal action.

Oh, brother.

And so now, lovely friends, we are praying. Not necessairly that the Lord would graciously provide the funds needed (although that would be wonderful!), but instead that whatever does happen, our attitudes are honoring to Him, we would be molded more and more into His image so that others may see Him in us and ultimately that HE would be glorified.

Will you please join us in prayer?

Anniversary Date Night

Four years ago (July 27), my handsome, and oh, so wonderful knight in shining armor and I tied the knot! Where has the time gone? Time flies when you're having fun, I guess! Or moving a million times. Which can also be fun...

ANYWAY, for our anniversary, we had a lovely little picnic dinner at a most gorgeous flower park about a half hour away. Thank you to my parents for watching the boys so we could get away for a few hours!

Any guesses as to where we were?

Potty Training Update

Yesterday, Peter earned 8 stars on his chart!

Yesterday, Peter also pooped in his underwear. Twice.

Yuck. I almost threw the first pair away...almost...

This morning he woke up DRY! That's a first! Yippee!!

So far, we've got two stars on the chart. And no poop. Yet.

This morning while I was washing the dishes, David found a dirty cup and very carefully carried it over to me.

Earlier, he slipped on a rug and hit his head on the floor. Then he slipped/tripped over his feet and hit his head on the floor. Then I let him up onto our bed - he promptly feel off. Rough morning.

More summer fun pictures to come soon, I promise!

TMI - Potty Training!

We have been working on potty training on and off all summer. Well, it started in May for a day. Just a day. One frustrating, accident-filled, oblivious two-year-old day. And then I quit.

Then, I got brave as I thought about how much money I could save on diapers if I actually bucked up and did the deed! So, in July, we tried again. So frustrating! He'd sit on the toilet for FOREVER, and I mean F-O-R-E-V-E-R and do nothing. The second he was off and happily playing on the brand new living room carpet I'd hear him say, "Uh-oh! Accident!!" Forget saving money. Back into diapers.

And then this week, I just decided that, unless I wanted to have a child who was still not potty trained by the time he entered middle school or high school or college (that's why they make Depends, right?), I needed to get it done!

Monday was typical to the previous tries. We'd sit in the bathroom for HOURS it seemed. Reading books. Singing. Drinking lots of water! By the fourth pair of underwear (which, by the way, toddler underwear is probably one of the cutest things on the planet), I was feeling a little drained, and somehow persistent all at the same time. Thank you, Lord. And then, after not being able to go ALL day on the toilet, he yelled, "I hafta pee!" And he did! On the toilet!!! (Well, I should say, IN the toilet.) I just about did a little song and dance!

And then I left for the evening and dad took over.

Today we had one accident in the morning and then DRY, DRY, DRY the whole rest of the day! He'd just hold it until I said it was time to go again and voila! He'd go!

WHAT A GOOD DAY! So now there are 4 beautiful stars on his chart from today. I am looking forward to tomorrow.

Oh, PS - he was even dry after his nap. Yippee!