Caleb's Announcement

Thanks Kelly Clark for doing such a great job!
And Beth Kadwell for taking such great pictures!

Just click on the picture if you want to see it bigger.

Celebrating with the Gurk side!

Before we left for Shawn's parents house, Eliza and I had to give our babies a bath!











Little Handsome man!







Eliza got a new swimsuit which she had to put on right away. She insisted that she was going swimming in the snow!











Eliza and our nephew Keegan. He is such a great helped and seems to love the girls! They love him too!










Adrianna got some new books, some beautiful new clothes, and a new doll carriage. She is growing up too fast!







We had a very fun and relaxing day. We played 2 games of Settlers after taking a few hours to open presents. I got a Magic Bullet which I am VERY excited about! It is basically a food chopper but you can make omelets, Alfredo, smoothies, and much more. We have already had the Alfredo and it was super yummy! Thanks Mom!

We are so blessed by the generosity of our families!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

We began our day with our traditional breakfast of Baked Apple Pancake, bacon, oj, and coffee cake. The pancake was what Shawn and I had as our first breakfast as a married couple on our honeymoon. The coffee cake came from my mom. She would make it every year for Christmas morning when we were all home. Now she gives us a loaf so we can have a taste of home on Christmas morning.

After we ate we read the Christmas via the kid-friendly version from a story book. We acted out the story using the girl's fisher price nativity. We tried to start the morning out right with the focus on Jesus' birthday!


New silkies! Eliza LOVES anything silky! Now she has some attached to her body! Adrianna picked them out for her.









Caleb's 1st Christmas! He got socks and an outfit!








Eliza loved opening the presents! She knew exactly what to do. She got a new doll that had a bathtub so she could wash her baby when I am giving Caleb a bath.









Adrianna got a new doll too. She loves to dress things up and pretend!











Me and my girls!










The girls also got a new tent. We had them close their eyes and then we put it on top of them. They were all smiles!







Little man enjoying his 1st Christmas.
He just enjoys being held all the time!










Pretty Princess Daddy! After our gifts we had a great day of watching movies, taking naps, playing games, and enjoying each other. Eliza got Adrianna a game that requires you to collect jewels in your color. Once you get your bracelet, necklace, earrings, and the crown you win. Doesn't Daddy look beautiful!




We also made a birthday cake for Jesus. The girls helped make it as well as decorate it.
















New matching jammies from Grandma Jody and Papa!
Eliza says "Now I'm cozy!".










I mentioned to Shawn when we woke up Christmas morning that it didn't feel like Christmas. I was waiting to have that childhood expectation of waking up to open up presents. I think that was my focus every year. To see if I got what I wanted, and if I got a lot. I was so wrapped up in having to have the traditions, decorations, and music that I completely got lost in the materialism. This year was totally different. We were not able to go out and shop weeks before Christmas. We were all so sick and money was pretty tight that I had to wait until a few days before. And that was totally fine! We bought what we could and we were very excited to give it. You don't have to buy a lot. You don't have to buy elaborate gifts. You don't have to spend a lot. You just have to give your gift with love, whether it costs $1 or $50. After I conveyed all this to Shawn he said it was a content Christmas. That really shined a light on how I was feeling. We are content in our Saviour who loves us so much, who healed us, who is sitting right here with us. We are content in our love for each other and our kids and that we have everything we need.
It was a very relaxing, content, quiet, joy-filled day!

Christmas Eve

We began our Christmas Eve celebration by opening our stockings.
Usually we open them at night but since having kids, it is just too late when we get back from family time. The kids were very excited and could hardly wait to open them. I love watching them open things and seeing them get so excited for some new pencils!







The girl's favorite candy is M&M's. They had to eat them right away after opening them.










My 2 handsome men!











We headed over to my parents to celebrate Christmas in the early afternoon. I throughly enjoy watching everyone open their presents. Things have been very tight this year money-wise which has actually been very good! It showed us to be content with what we gave and that the giving of gifts is to show how much you love someone. It was so rewarding to learn that!
Eliza got a new doll that laughs and sings some cute songs. It also came with shoes. She kept taking them off and putting them on and declaring "It fits!". Too much Cinderella......:)



Adrianna was very excited to get a Barbie car and doll. We haven't indulged too much into the Barbie world yet but she enjoys playing with the few she has. We are trying to teach her to be thankful for each gift and not always ask for more. Still trying to figure that one out..:)







Nothing makes me lose my cool like toy packaging.....
Have you heard that song by Sara Groves? Very fitting for EVERY child's toy that you need a chainsaw to get it to! All the toys were handed over to the daddy's to figure out how to open!







I love kids in their jammies! They all got a new pair! My sister made matching ones for the girls. I was quite impressed with her sewing! She did an amazing job!

We had such a great Christmas with our family!

Christmas with our Detroit Family

Oh Santa.....I just can't wait for you to come, I just can't wait for you to come and I have cookies...3 yummy cookies.... (Veggie Tales Christmas) My mom and I made these cute santas for our weekend with family. They were finally able to come before the next snowstorm hit!
We didn't eat these because they are so sugary! They sure were cute though!



We alternate every year between everyone coming here and us going to Detroit. We usually get together the 1st weekend in December but there was a huge snowstorm.
We started doing a cookie exchange 3 years ago. We all make 5 dozen cookies and then we exchange them with each other.
My sister Jen wasn't there because it was too icy for them to drive up from Indiana. We missed you Jen!


Our family minus Jen, Keith, and Colin.







Fun times!








Eliza has been so fun to watch this year. She really understands the present thing as well as it being Jesus' birthday. She kept asking for more presents and before she even opened it she asked "What is it?". Then she happily declared, "A box!"









The kids had fun making homemade ice cream! Believe it or not they made it in that blue ball! You put all the ingredients in it, as well as some ice, and then you roll it around on the floor until it makes the ice cream.
What fun!








Happy 8th Birthday Alex!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Caleb got to meet his great-grandparents for the 1st time on my mom's birthday! Happy Birthday Mom!











Need I say more...:)

In the Midst

When we are going through
tough times in our lives,
Jesus doesn't stand
on the outside of our difficulties
and cheer us on. Jesus is in the center.
He is the God who is in the midst of each thing
we walk through in life.
He is there to speak peace to us,
to calm the storm, to assure us of victory, and
to walk with us into a new day.
---Roy Lessin

I think this has been the biggest lesson I have learned during these past 7 weeks. Finding the peace of Christ in the midst of great turmoil. We never anticipated the struggles we would have to work through after having Caleb. We kept asking "Why?" and wondering if there was some great sin that we had not confessed and God was punishing us. We kept looking for the ways God was speaking to us. I think it was after the service a few weeks ago when Pastor Wayne was talking about the different trials or "2x4's" Christ will bring into our lives so that he can speak to us. The main point was that after you go through all the trials, the word of the Lord comes through sometimes during, sometimes after.

During the time I had my ear infection, I really had to sit back and listen. It caused me to evaluate my parenting, Shawn and I together, our relationship, and how we are raising our kids. During the time I was in the hospital with Caleb, I had to sit back and listen. I had A LOT of time to think and pray and try and figure out what God was trying to teach me. His peace kept washing over me. He kept telling me that He was there in the midst of this.

I am learning more each day how to live in the moment. How to appreciate the time I have and have joy during those times. I am also learning how to be more anal about my cleaning...:) No germs are going to survive in our house!:)
I am blessed that God allowed us to go through these past weeks of intense trusting in Him. I have learning how to pray more and I know I will keep learning how to. I am learning how to love my kids more, how to love Shawn more, how to let things go and focus on what is important. Things like laughter, prayer, time together, and love.

It was very scary to be in the hospital with Caleb while he was struggling to breathe. Seeing him on oxygen and a heart monitor. Being the only one to comfort him. Even in all of that, God was there, showering His peace on me. Showing me that I had nothing to fear.
Now we have this precious boy...yes, a boy!...I am still trying to believe that!.....who we can love. Who has already added so much love to our family. I have 2 precious girls, despite their drama, who make me laugh every day. I have a loving, self-sacrificing husband who I have grown so much closer to through all of this.
I remember praying before Caleb was born that God would draw me closer to him. That I would also be drawn more closer to Shawn. Well...I didn't expect it to be in the way God planned out for us but it happened. I never want it to happen again....we I wouldn't give back what we learned for anything!

We were also so overwhelmed with blessing from our family and friends. People sent cards and e-mails, gave us meals again after just bringing them after Caleb was born. We have never been on the receiving end of so much before. Shawn's sister and parents bought us an abundance of groceries and my parents were such a good support to us too. I can't convey how loved and cared for we felt and how much it helped to know that people were giving their help in a tangible way. It really challenged me to be aware of others who would need help like that. I say thank you even though it feels like it is not enough!

"...Jesus....stood in the midst, and said, 'Peace be unto you.' " John 20:26

And I can't help falling in love with you....

Some sort of "normal"

I have been trying desparately to restore some sort of "normal" to our house! We are still trying to define what that is since Caleb has been born. It still feels like we are in that "recovering" stage that you go through when a baby is born and you don't know what your new routine will be.
We are finally on the mend and I am very glad to be home!

Caleb still has to be away from people for another 2 weeks but he is slowing getting better. Believe me, it was a little scary to see how sick he was. I learned a lot about myself and our family while in the hospital for 5 days and someday I'll blog about that!
Anyway, I very glad we made most of our Christmas cookies before he was born! There are just a few fun ones left to make so we decided to do our cut-outs the other day. The girls had a ball! Adrianna decorated 2 whole trays all by herself and took great care in trying to put as many sprinkles on each cookie as possible! She is getting better slowly but is not quite herself yet.

She was very careful not to get sprinkles on the tray so they wouldn't burn!








Eliza wanted to put every kind of sprinkle on each cookie!
It was so fun to watch her dump huge piles on each one!

















Adrianna also helped me put the red candies on our Christmas wreaths. The actually turned out like green blobs but who cares!:)








Eliza is starting to feel better too and I can't wait to have my happy, fun girl back!

I am praying desparately that we don't get any more sicknesses before Christmas. I have yet to start my Christmas shopping!

Ho hum.....

I must say, I am bummed today! We were supposed to have our family Christmas with our relatives from Detroit and they are not coming because of ALL THE STINKIN SNOW! We were going to go to Noel Restaurant for lunch and then back to my parents house for games, gifts, and snacks. We picked this 1st weekend in December so that everyone could plan to be there and we were hoping there wouldn't be so much snow. I have no idea when we will get together because everyone is so busy.

We are all still sick over here. ENOUGH ALREADY! I am so weary of sickness at our house. I have been somewhat confined here for almost a month and I'm going a little crazy. We have had ear infections, sinus infections, viral infections, sore throats, pink-eye, bad coughs, ceaseless runny noses, fevers, and surgery. When will it end!
To top it all off, Eliza fell down the stairs today and there was blood everywhere! She had her boots on and was trying to go down the stairs. She fell and hit really hard on the bottom of our landing. The entire inside of her lip is black and blue, the bottom of her chin has 2 scrapes on it, her lip is very swollen and she has a gash on her chin also.

I don't mean to complain, but I am just trying to figure out the reason for all of this!
I am ready for healthier days!
At least Caleb is well.....as of right now!
Please pray for us!


Here are some fun pictures to try and add a smile to this dreary week!

The first bundling of the season to go out and play in the snow!










I've been good all year....really...:)











Sweet boy































My friend Beth came and took pictures of Caleb and the girls as well as some family pics today. I can't wait to see the proofs!
I would highly recommend her if you need pictures taken! Stay tuned for those soon!

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving this year! It was my mom's turn to cook on Thanksgiving Day and I am so thankful for that!
We enjoyed some family time and a lot of relaxation.
The kids were well behaved and had a lot of fun playing with their cousin Colin.

This past Saturday we celebrated with Shawn's side of the family and we had a lot of fun there too! Much of the same...good food, family time, and relaxation.




Caleb enjoyed his 1st Thanksgiving especially since this is what he did most of the day!

The tree is up!

We finally have our tree up! It only took 5 days of trying to do it!
I am really going to have to set my expectations very low for getting things done!

The girls had a great time helping. And yes, it only lasted 5 minutes because the box the tree came in is much more exciting than helping Daddy poof out the branches!



It also is a fun boat!








Adrianna wanted to put the beads on again this year. I must say, she did a much better job than last year. She kept going back to fix them because they didn't look right to her.
We finally just had to tell her they looked great and to stop touching them!