SIX

How is it possible that Noah was born SIX years ago? It just doesn't seem like it should be.

Six feels like such a big boy number. Perhaps b/c he'll no longer be a preschooler. We'll be doing kindergarten next year, starting those long years of education (as if he hasn't already been learning all the days of his life until now... haha).

Happy birthday to our first born!

Freshly born baby Noah. Noah thought this picture was Samuel =) The nose is different though. And the ears.

1 year old

1 year old size comparison at my college nursing graduation. We all look a lot younger!

2 year old shortly before our move to Gburg

2 year old size comparison. This is the day we packed up our SD lives for the move.

3 year old Noah adores his Daddy...

...and his orange sister

4 year old boy

4 year old size comparison. He was much too big for those swings!

Silly 5 year old

5 and 2

Today. 6 years old. Big and tall and skinny. And sweet and silly. And oh so serious.

bribery

What kind of kid will only eat all of his waffle dinner in exchange for a carrot? Can this really be called a bribe?

Evie ate all her waffle so she got a cookie... I always feel bad doing that.

Samuel had his 2 month shots today so he was a little glum.

You can see where Noah gets his silliness from...

naps

This photo of Noah was taken on May 8, 2009, when he was 3 years old. He was still taking naps back then and I would have to sometimes wake up him so he would be able to still sleep that night. Here's where the post was: http://terryandeva.blogspot.com/2008/05/noah-is-not-forgotten.html

And here is a Evie a day or two after she turned 3. She is just like he was then. If I don't wake her up, she'll sleep 2.5 hours and have a hard time getting to sleep that night.

My french braid is improving even more than it shows here.

And here she is passed out this afternoon. I was just struck by how similar Noah and Evie were at this age. And yet, not similar at all. Noah is all intense and shy and perfectionistic. Evie is fun and social. They are so different.

scary?

Noah and Evie have been making silly faces lately. They ask me, "Is this scary?"

I have to say Yes, but really, it's just silly and cute.

smiles and poops

I have had a hard time getting a shot of Samuel's smile on camera. Finally got some really great ones.

And this is pretty much what he looked like after he had the grossest poopy accident last night...he was smiling. I had just got done feeding him before we went to sleep and was changing his diaper on our bed. He was asleep so I thought it was safe not to put anything under him. Wrong assumption. Before I could get another diaper under him, he totally pooped on our bedspread. The worst part was that it slid down the bed into my pajama shorts. Yeah, worst accident ever. Even worse than when Evie squirted poo on me in the middle of the night and I woke with up it still on my face the next morning.

So here he is modeling his gummy cuteness.

loving reading

Since Samuel was born, I have enjoyed having more time on my hands to read. How would that work? Nursing. I'm guaranteed a half hour while he fills his belly.

I really enjoy reading. The only thing is that I get really into stories. I get sucked in and it's hard for me to stop. I end up reading more than that half hour...

Anyone got any good book suggestions??

I started reading the last HP book while I was labor. Ha ha. Actually my mom read it to me and I continued while in the hospital the next 4 days. I love HP.

Next I read Redeeming Love. I had never heard of it and a friend borrowed it to me. I loved it. I need to own this one.

The Oath was sitting on my shelf but I don't recall reading it or how I got it. It was okay. A little repetitive and I knew where the story was going. Yes, another person has a black stain on their shirt. I wonder what will happen next... Come on, there's a picture of it on the cover. Sarcasm aside, it was entertaining.

The Visitation was another on my shelf I hadn't read. It was pretty good - more real to life than dragons. About a false messiah. I could relate to the main character and it was neat to see his relationship with God.

Some friends borrowed Heaven is for Real to Terry and I read it in a few hours. I had been skeptical when I first saw an interview or article, but it was great. Honestly, it really touched me. I would like to own this one and read it again.

Finally, I just finished And the Shofar Blew, and it was wonderful.

Well, I was really annoyed while I was reading the book but after I finished, I've come to appreciate why it was the way it was. It was a total "downer" for most of the book, until the last chapter. The main character was a supreme jerk. I'm talking about a man worthy of expletives, if I used them. Just a jerk, and worse b/c he was a Christian. He was so terrible to his wife and son. But somehow, God taught me about His incredible love for us, specifically me.

The whole book was about how vile and foul he was. I kept thinking, "This man does not deserve redemption." It's true, he didn't deserve it. And that's the point. I don't deserve it. No one does. And yet, that's how loving God really is. I suck, but if I humble myself and accept Christ and what He did for me, I'm in. He forgives and gives grace. If He could love "Paul" and forgive him and show him grace, then He does to me too.

I know it's not real, but it was real to me. And God uses stories to teach me about Himself sometimes.

play set play time

Out with the old...

...in with the new.

Here's Grampa B helping to put together he and Gramma's birthday gift for Noah, Evie and someday Samuel. Talk about generous.

The kids love it. And today was a perfect day to finish this big project since it was like 85 degrees. The kids had a lot of fun mixed in with a few melt downs. We will be enjoying this gift for years to come.

handwriting

We're doing preschool. Sporadically since Samuel came.

But I just realized today that Noah is improving in his handwriting. I don't have that in the curriculum, but we've been working on it, casually, as well as I know how to do. We'll be more serious about it next year. At any rate, he's improved since the beginning of the school year, as you can see here.

First I have Noah tell me what the date is, after we've already gone over it, and I write it down. Then I write his name and he does his best after me. Today he did pretty well. Then he tells me our address and phone number and I write them down.

And then he kisses his brother.

THREE

Evie turned THREE March 31, 2011. Unbelievable.

Fun fact: On this day last year, I had my appendix out!

Evie's day started with mommy and daddy singing Happy Birthday to her in bed. Then they had a normal morning but got to have waffles for lunch. Following that sticky business was her first haircut. Not sure if that was such a good idea b/c she had syrup in her hair...

Then she got to skip her nap and go to NP with Daddy and Noah to pick up Grampa B's birthday gift for them this year. They were just returning with the trailer loaded up.

TA DA! Grampa will be coming in a week to help assemble it.

The kids watched America's Funniest Videos while we cleaned up after her special spaghetti dinner and prepared for her small party. Why you would lay on a hard wood floor when there's a comfy couch available, I don't know.

At 630 the guests arrived and the gifts were brought up. Terry's aunt, uncle, cousin and her family came.

Evie was pretty excited about the hat, but it did not want to stay on. You can see Tim, Kellen and Kale here.

"Brown cake"

Here's the card daddy made for Evie. It was really great, all about her birthday day. This page shows Evie and Noah in their bunk beds (complete with pillow pets) waking up to her song. Terry hot glued "hair" on every picture of Evie. The page where she got her hair cut had a strand fallen on the ground =)

All she requested for her birthday was a "white cuddly bunny and a brown cuddly dinosaur." We couldn't find an exactly "cuddly" dinosaur, but we got close. And she got more than those 2 toys - just lots of little things really. Her favorite so far has been the little Tangled Rapunzel doll.

And JoJo put Samuel to sleep

first haircut

Evie turned three big years old yesterday. It's a crazy thing. How is it the days are so slow but the weeks, months and years are incredibly fast? That's how it goes.

At any rate, this little squish had never had a hair cut. Not one strand. I've been wanting to get it done for months and months but couldn't decide where, when, who. I finally just went with the gal who cuts Terry's hair here in town and she did a great job. And we did it on her birthday to make it extra special.

Evie did wonderful. She was so still and quiet and obedient. Actually, it seemed like she was really sleepy or something. But she perked up as soon as we were out of there.

Perhaps she was just aware of the significance of the situation. It's not every day a girl gets her hair cut for the first time.

I kinda forgot all about french braids until she started doing one. I have to start teaching myself again. It worked great to keep the hair out of her face, especially since hers is always coming straight forward into her face.

Applying a finishing touch of hair spray over the spiral curls. I have never thought of curling Evie's hair. Probably b/c I never do mine like that and I'm lazy. But I should. It was precious.

Sigh. She really does look big. And so beautiful. Oh yeah, like her bling? She put on every single piece of jewelry she owns.

Oh, and that was a new dress too. She had an extra special day.