Memorial Day Weekend

It might not have been the 'sunny and hot' weekend we were looking for, but we still had fun at my brothers lake cabin. A few of the kids even braved playing in the 54 degree water...BRRR!

Modeling the newest in 'lake wear'
BRRR!!
Crazy kids!
Josiah LOVES fishing...hopefully this summer we will find a few great fishing spots and we can go regularly. I used to fish ALL THE TIME with my dad, grandpa and my uncle when I was young and it's still a hobby that holds a special place in my heart. :)
Seth loves ANYTHING with a motor...he enjoyed riding on the 4-wheeler, riding on the pontoon, riding in the fishing boat and he just needed to give the jet ski a whirl so his uncle obliged...even though the water was SUPER cold. He had a blast and loves to go FAST!
After a few days of fun we had a VERY quiet ride home....

Happy 9th Birthday Josiah!!

Last year I wrote out the birth story of Josiah, you can read it again here. It's hard to believe that my first born is 9 already!! I'm so thankful that 9 years ago I was given the title of "Mom". Over the last year one thing I've really noticed in Josiah is that he looks (and acts) more like his dad every day. I love that! I love that even though he's getting older, he's still not too old to enjoy a hug and kiss, cuddling and of course Josiah sandwiches....I hope he NEVER grows out of that because I'm certain we will never stop. :)

Josiah Daniel, I love you very much and I'm so proud of the young man God is making you to be. I pray that you will continue growing in your relationship with Him.

Here is the prayer your dad and I wrote for you a while back and have prayed over you many times...Heavenly Father, thank You for Josiah. Thank you for blessing him and putting him in this family. Please help him to continue growing in relationship with you. Thank you for giving him a compassionate heart. Help him to find a godly wife in Your time. Protect him tonight as he sleeps and tomorrow as he goes through his day. Keep him from the enemy and be with him through the difficulties of this life. Use his passion for your laws for your glory. Thank for the gift that he is to us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Another First

Last night after showers we watched Little House on the Prairie while the kids had an evening snack of an apple or some strawberries. Miss. Alayna opted for an apple. She had a semi-loose tooth and after eating most of her apple she noted that it hurt a bit to continue eating and then felt her tooth and it was SUPER wiggly. After the show and messing with it constantly, the kids went to brush their teeth. After brushing I went upstairs to find Josiah trying to pull Alayna's tooth out for her because she couldn't get it....after a few minutes of brotherly assistance (maybe he will be a dentist when he gets older) out came the tooth! She was so excited to have lost her first tooth she put it in a baggie to bring to school (I'm sure her teacher will be thrilled!).

The Note

The other day after arguing with me a few times I told Alayna she needed to go have a few minutes alone in her room to think about her emotions. After a few minutes I told her she could come down so we could talk about her attitude. Alayna came downstairs with a down-cast face and handed me this note...

In case you can't read kindergarten writing, it says:
Dear Mom, I love you and I'm sorry for what I did wrong. Love, Alayna

10 Years...

To my husband...I'd marry you again in a heartbeat...

10 years ago today (May 12, 2001) we said 'I do'. It was a perfect day for a wedding and for the most part everything went very smoothly. Though I do remember bits and pieces from that day, I think I 'floated' through it. We've said many times that if we didn't have to plan it we would love to enjoy our wedding day again and again and again.

As I look back on the last 1o years I am so thankful for the man that I was blessed to marry...you! We have served in church together through the Prism, ministering to high school students, leading kid programs, taking students to Uganda, Africa together, we have served in an orphanage in Jamaica together, we host a missional community together in our home, most importantly we have learned and grown together and through that we have served together in the best ministry the Lord could bless us with and that is our family. There is no one else I would want to be teamed up with!

Four months after we were married I was pregnant with Josiah, we were both in our last year of college, we had little to no money and you hadn't even begun the process of applying for jobs for after college. We knew it was best for our family that I stay home when the time came and so we stepped out in faith and as I look back on those years I am brought to tears with how God provided each and every step of the way. Many times we were on pins and needles...and our knees...waiting to see what He was going to do, but He always provided. This spring/summer we are enjoying our first year without wondering which one of us is going to find a job to help compensate for the summer months. I am so thankful that we don't have to do that, but I also don't want to lose sight of how we were blessed year after year with opportunities that only the Lord could dream up to help us.

There are many things I appreciate about you...
you're handy, you're my steady eddie, you tell corny jokes (yes, I even appreciate that), you encourage me, you are an amazing dad, you play with our kids, you lead our family in prayer, you lead our family in learning more about God's Word, you push me in my spiritual walk, you are faithful, you provide for our family, you lead people in our church, you love others well, you have your priorities straight, you come home from work on time, you help around the house without me having to ask, you appreciate that I stay home and love me for it, you dance with me in the kitchen, you tell me you love me countless times during the day, you tell me I'm beautiful all the time, you hug and kiss me every time you leave the house, you give me breaks without hesitation, you still flirt with me and tease me, you get up with the kids at night, you always eat what I cook and appreciate it...even when sometimes I don't like the new recipe, I know I could go on and on, but the thing I love most about you is that you are the same person when we are out in public or with friends or with our family that you are when you are in our own home...you are real and I love you for that.

It's hard to believe that just over 10 years ago when we were pregnant and knew one of the things we would be sacrificing for me to stay home would be big trips, due to the cost. We said then that we wanted to try our best to take time for just the 2 of us in small ways each anniversary and for our 10 year we wanted to take a trip. Well, the plane tickets are bought and the hotel is booked...I can't wait to celebrate 10 years with my best friend...even if we can't celebrate until June due to the school schedule...I'm ok with that. :)

I love you and I'm so glad that you are my husband...you're my favorite. :)

If you click on the collages below, they show up a bit more clearly...

Now blessed with 3 beautiful children...it's been a GREAT 10 years!!!

In my rearview mirror....

This morning as Seth and I were driving, I looked in my rearview mirror and saw this....
(I parked at the store before taking this pic)
He was singing along to the music wearing these goggles! What a crazy kid...

A Day at the 'Farm'

If you weren't in the Fargo area Friday and Saturday you may not realize that it was BEYOND cold and soooo windy that the thought crossed my mind that I should tie weights onto my kids so they didn't blow away walking to and from the car. That being said, a certain adorable 3 year old who happens to be...how should I say it...OBSESSED...with horses and dogs didn't care one tiny bit that it was miserable outside and he spent nearly the entire day (except when his mean parents told him to come in to eat and to warm up a couple times) outside chasing and playing fetch with his grandpas dogs Maggie and Jack.

As a mom, I admit to feeling slightly guilty that we don't have a dog. Seth has met every dog that walks past our house or if we walk past a house with a dog, he always asks the owners if he can meet/pet their dog. Am I a mean mom???? In my defense, I DID just get done with a nearly 9 year span of changing diapers and the idea of picking up an animals poo when there is no possibility that they will eventually be cleaning up after themselves seems somewhat horrendous. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!! (but I do still feel guilty that we don't have a dog)

They enjoyed a little popcorn action along with Kinect boxing
(what a workout...I think my arms are still sore!)

If you look closely (or click on the picture so it enlarges) you will see 2 boys (2 handsome boys that happen to be our children), a grandpa, and a dog. They saw 'critters' and they went to see what was out there. And for fun, grandpa brought his 22 out there for Josiah to practice a little...from what I hear, that boy has really good aim. He's already excited for the next hunting opportunity! Not sure how I feel about it though...thankfully his dad, grandpa and uncle are SUPER careful when it comes to hunting. I'm still a paranoid mom though! :)

**I know my pics have all been a bit random looking lately...I'm trying new apps on my phone to see what style of picture taking I like the best. :)