Christmas Card...In January

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! 

I had full intention of getting cards out this year because I really do love Christmas cards. However, I just kept putting it off and Matt suggested I might do Spring Break cards. Even though that is a thought, I was thinking maybe a little sooner than March. I got to thinking and I realized that I love to blog and it reaches quite a few people, so heck, why not do a Christmas Card blog post. So here it  goes! 

2014 has come and gone very quickly. As I look back at the year 2014, there are parts of it I was ready to say good bye to and others I hated that the time had slipped by so quickly. 

We welcomed our 3rd child, Nora Joann, on May 22nd. It was a cloudy day but she brought so much sunshine into our lives. Even though having 3 children was a huge adjustment for me, she fit perfectly into our family. We dealt with no jealousy issues, except for Sophia couldn't believe how many times this baby had to eat. Nora is full of smiles and seriously is the most easy going baby I have ever met. She attended her first t-ball game within the first two weeks of her life. Ever since then, she has just went with the flow and has enjoyed the ride. She has become mobile now, so life is going to get even more crazier. Her brother and sister are crazy about her and I love to see how much they ooze with love for her. Every new thing she does excites them.

John started Kindergarten this Fall. He looked so small, but so brave going into the big school building. I was able to keep the tears back but it was really hard. It helps that I do get to see him each day, mostly during lunch to say hi and get a hug. He is learning so much in Kindergarten and it is amazing to see how his writing, reading and math skills have exploded as the year has went on. He is quite the socialite (not shocked at all). He tried out his first real season of soccer and really enjoyed it. Soccer is a funny sport for spectators. You start when it is flaming hot and you wish you didn't have to wear clothes. Then you end the season when it was very chilly and you can't get enough layers on to stay warm. He is now really into karate and loves to show off his moves. He recently belt tested and broke his first board. 

Sophia is my sweet soul. If she could stay in her pajamas all day, every day, while coloring pictures and watching Disney Princess movies, she would be in heaven. However, she did start Pre-K this year. She is doing very well and has a new best friend every day. However, she may get new best friends each day at preschool but her true best friend, Makenna, stays the same. She prefers we say they are sisters rather than best friends. Sophia began ballet this fall and simply loves it. She prances around the house and sings her made up songs as she is fluttering about. She loves to play princess, she loves doing art, and she loves creating. 

Matt continues to work at the church. In the Spring of 2015, he will go on a 4 month sabbatical. During this time, he will be resting, traveling a few places, picking up a hobby and maybe getting a few things done around the house. Between church and our family, he is a busy man. He finished out our basement this past Spring and Summer and it looks great. It is still a work in progress, but I am so thankful to have the extra space for visitors. Baseball season was an exciting time in our household, as for many people that I know. Throughout the playoffs and World Series, Matt did his best to sit in his green rocking chair, hoping it would bring some luck to the Royals. He showed off his dance moves as the Royals made it through the playoffs. I actually have never seen Matt dance the way he danced when the Royals made it to the World Series. He was disappointed at the loss of the World Series but is already gearing up for next season. Just the other day he said, "Man, I wish there was a baseball game on."

I am still working as an Assistant Principal at an Elementary School. It keeps me very busy and I am still working on the balancing act of mom, wife, administrator, family member, and friend. As I said earlier, having 3 kiddos was an adjustment for me. It seemed to be harder on me than on any of the kiddos. But I wouldn't trade these 3 kids for anything. I love my little family and I love seeing what these little people are becoming as they grow. I am learning a lot about grace and I am thankful that God provides so much of it to me each and every day. I am excited to see 2015 come and unfold what it has in store for us. Matt and I will be celebrating our 10th Wedding Anniversary this summer and we will be heading to an island off of North Carolina, called Okracoke to celebrate. It will be our first big vacation without the kids. We are looking forward to the time of relaxing and enjoying one another. 

I hope 2015 finds you all well and I pray that God will bless you in many ways. If you sent us a Christmas card, please know that we save those all year and pull one card out at each dinner to pray for you and your family. 

Enjoy your year and please keep in touch! 

Nora - Playing Catch Up

Wowza...I haven't sat here in front of the computer to blog in a long while. Much too long, if I do say so myself. So here is a catch up of Miss Nora over the last couple months. 

Nora - 5 Months

At 5 months, Nora was still laying around, not mobile yet. She was Cinderella for Halloween and slept through most of the night as her brother and sister Trick or Treated. We have had quite a battle with this little one's skin. It is super sensitive, especially to diapers, but I think we have figured out what diapers and wipes she can use, as well as formula. We have also started calling her Noisy Nora. She is one loud girl. She has learned to be heard, you probably have to be loud in this household. 

Nora - 6 Months

  

Yup, that is right...we have a sitter! She has now sat up and LOVES it. She wants to be up all the time so she can see all the action. John and Sophia have been working on showing her how to crawl. I say...let's just wait on it. This sweet doll baby loves to be talked to. Her smile will brighten a room if you start having a conversation with her. We have introduced a few foods to her now. I was nervous about foods since she seems to be having such sensitive skin. However, sweet carrots, applesauce and bananas seem to be fine and she loves them all. I think if I would just feed her food now and leave out the bottles, she would be just fine with that decision. She also loves the game Peek A Boo. She will even pull the cover on her face to interact with the game. 

Nora - 7 Months

She is weighing in at 18.3 lbs and is 26.6 inches long. She has cut her first 2 teeth. I didn't even know she had cut the first one. She didn't have any symptoms except for being drooly...but she has been drooly for months now. She is now army crawling EVERYWHERE and she is very quick! If there is the tiniest piece of paper on the floor, she will find it and pop it in her mouth. She is also saying a few words. It started with waving and now she has added some sounds that could resemble "hi" and "bye". She said Mama FIRST!!! It was in front of my family, so others heard it and they know I didn't make it up. Since then, she has only said it again when she cries, but what really matters is she said Mama BEFORE Dada. I have been working on this. My others said Dada first, and I knew this was my last chance. She made my hard work pay off! She has said Dada and now says it all the time. When Matt isn't around, she looks around and starts saying "Dada".  John and Sophia have not tired of her yet. They get excited every time she does something new. 

The Greatest Friends EVER!

Do you have the type of people in your lives where you don't have to live by each other in order to stay so close? So close that when you see each other after a few months, you just pick up where you left off, like you haven't been apart? So close that your kids, who really don't know each other, just play together like they see each other every day? Well we do and we are SO LUCKY!

We got a surprise visit from the Beards this weekend and it was amazing! I can't even express to you how amazing it was. Sarah and I used to talk about raising our kids together and going on vacations together. God hasn't exactly put us in a position to do that yet, but I am hoping someday He will. Truth be told, Sarah is super busy and I am super busy. We barely have time to talk on the phone. We send each other random texts here and there. But let me tell you, it doesn't matter. We saw each other this weekend and the flood gates opened. I love this family so stinkin' much. 

I also love seeing our kids play together. I can't wait until Miss Nora gets a little older to interact. 

Well that is it. I could go on and on, but it would be the same words over and over again. 

BEST WEEKEND EVER!

Sophia's First Day of Pre-K

My sweet Little Miss is off Pre-K. (Yes, this happened at the first of September, buy hey, at least I am getting a post up about it in the same month!)

School was supposed to start on a Monday and we had sickness hit our house, so Sophia missed the first two days, but was able to make it on the 3rd day. 

She has been so excited for Pre-K. When John went off to Kindergarten, she just couldn't understand why she couldn't go to school that day either. So far she is loving it and is excited to go everyday. It is hard to believe that this is her last year of Preschool and then she will be a big Kindergartner. Ugh...I don't even want to think about that yet. 

Moving on..

Notice - she doesn't have a dress or skirt on in these pictures. Unbelievable, right? We had a really cute dress for her first day of school but it was cold the day she went, so she decided to go with her "super hip" sweater and black leggings. Her words to me was "Mom, this is a cool outfit."

Love this girl SO much! 

Apple Orchard

We visit the Big Red Barn to go apple picking every year. This year, I was afraid that we wouldn't get to take our annual trip because of busyness and I was afraid that if  we did get to go, we would get there late in the season and the trees would be bare. We did an impromptu trip after a soccer game one Saturday and luckily the trees were still full of apples! It was a great time and John's friend, Grady, got to come along with us. 

The baby is crying at the moment and ready to eat...and quite frankly, I am afraid I don't know when I will get back to this post. As you can see in the first picture - we got A LOT of apples. So I hope you enjoy the pictures of our fun apple picking day.

Nora's Dedication

So I know that there are a TON of pictures in this blog post; however, you have to look at them in this order, especially the pictures of the actual service. The facial expressions of my children are priceless. John even has his shirt lifted at one point while on stage! Enjoy!! 

Nana LeAnn came to help celebrate Nora's dedication. Thanks for driving up Nana!

Look at those sweet eyes!

When I see this, I try not to think about wrestling my children to actually dress up. Wait...not my children - MY SON - who refuses to "be fancy". I did get a button up shirt on him, which he kept unbuttoned and wore a baseball shirt underneath. But in this picture, don't they all look put together and sweet. :) Never a dull moment in this household.

 Okay so here is the service...

Good news is that we all ended up on stage in front of our church family and was able to dedicate Nora. We have dedicated all of our children at Lakeland, but for some reason, this dedication really touched me. (Wait that sounds bad...they all were special but this one was a little different...just keep reading...)

Anyway -

We have been at Lakeland for 6 years. We have become part of this community and this community has become an influential piece in my children's lives, my husband's life and my life. We now have a child upstairs in Kid Zone, a child in Early Childhood and then a baby in the nursery. The upstairs classes are a new chapter in our lives. It is becoming very clear that the things that are taught stick with my kiddos. We are starting to see the conversations and the time that volunteers have committed to with our children have stuck in their little minds. 

As Dan asked the congregation questions about helping raise my sweet Nora and being committed to being influential in her little life, I knew that it wasn't just a "yes". It is more of a "hell yes!" because that is what Lakeland people do. They step in when necessary. They pray daily. They take their roles seriously and work hard at making our children know what being a Christian really is. They are committed.

And I don't know about you, but this parenting thing is hard and I am glad that I have people in my life who will help me figure it out. 

Nora is 4 Months Old!

Hard to believe that my little sweet pea is 4 months old. I have packed away Newborn and 0-3 month clothes. It is a bittersweet feeling to think that I won't have another little one to wear those clothes. But at the same time, I don't have to store them anymore! Here is a few things about Miss Nora:

- Nora has a voice! She likes to be heard and has figured out that she has to be loud in this family. 

-This girl is still so smiley!

-She has taken an interest in food. She just stares at our food if we are eating while she is watching us.

-She is doing great at tummy time. She is trying to push that upper body up with her little arms. 

-She is so DROOLY. Her clothes are wet all the time.

-She loves to be talked to. 

-She loves watching TV, but especially baseball.

-We are about 50/50 on the sleeping through the night. 

-She greets me with a sweet smile every morning when she wakes up.

-She has a little friend, named Charlie, at Mrs. Jewel's house. They hold hands if they are next to each other. 

-When you lay her down, she has learned how to move herself around 180 degrees and sometimes more than that.

-She is working on and getting close to rolling over from back to front. 

Look at those dimples. I LOVE them!!

I caught her talking, I mean yelling, one morning in her Mama Roo. She makes herself known in a room.