My Boy is 5

Oliver had a birthday last week. How it's possible that he's already 5, I'm not sure. I only know that time flies quicker each day. All he asked for was an umbrella. Isn't that funny? He made it easy on us:) He has been a joy from day one. He started as a content and smiley baby, and at 5 he's a kind-hearted, loving kid. I'm excited to see what's in store for him. We pray that he will know and love the Lord with each passing year.

On a lighter note, yep, we're those parents who bring our kids to the ranch to ride the ponies in crocs and a muscle T. Got a slight reprimand from the owner, but he let us ride anyway.

This Old House

My sweet old house, our time is drawing nigh...
how I've loved sharing life with you
these past nine years.

Lots of memories.

Three kids, a dog, and a whole lot of repairs later,
we are parting ways.
Don't worry, your new owners have three kids too,
and they're excited to get to know you.

We'll drive by you often, and wave...
and hope your new owners treat you right.

Nothin' like you, old house. Here's hoping change
is easier for you, than it is for this old girl.

Love,
me

Baby Dedication

Our church has a special service once a year for baby dedication. Yesterday, we dedicated Lydia, and prayed that we would honor God as her parents, and do our best to point her towards him. It was special, and although we felt like holding Lydia through the service was like wrestling a gator, it was meaningful. Our pastor prayed over each child individually. We took this picture to look back and remember our commitment, even when parenting is hard.

Weekend in KC

Last weekend, we had a little getaway to Kansas City to visit family and friends. My sis-in-law is a great host, and it was nice and relaxing. We've been burning the candle at both ends lately with home projects (our house is going on the market in the next week or two, more on that later). The kids LOVE their cousins.

The boys slept in a tent in the basement.


The cousins...Lydia looks thrilled, doesn't she?


Hugs and squints


The best we could do to get 5 people smiling for a picture.

World Vision

Every few months I look forward to receiving the World Vision magazine in the mail. I read through it pretty much right when I take it from the mailbox. World Vision is an amazing ministry, and reading about their presence among the poor and hurting literally brings tears to my eyes. This afternoon as I was reading the new edition (written mainly about earthquake recovery in Haiti), I asked Oliver if he wanted to look at the pictures with me. He's pretty inquisitive, and lately has been asking more questions about God. So he hopped up on the chair with me, and wanted to look at each picture. I explained what they represented..people cooking food for the hungry, crews building new houses, kids washing their hands to prevent Cholera, and clinics to meet medical needs.

I've been praying that Oliver's heart will continue to be soft towards the Lord, and that when the time is right, he'll accept Jesus. Along with that, I've also prayed that I would be intentional about opening dialog about God with him. As we continued to thumb through the magazine, I asked if he wanted to pray for the people of Haiti, namely all the hurting children. To which he promptly said "yes." He prayed,

"God please be with all the kids in... (pause to ask me because he forgot the name of the country)Haiti. Help them to get new homes quickly and have all the food and water they need."

Such a simple prayer, yet so powerful coming from the mouth of a 4 year old. Yep, tears in my eyes once again as I am reminded of the power of prayer. If you are reading this, please take a minute and pray for the people of Haiti.

Daisy vs. Lydia

Our poor sweet Daisy has had her share of stress the past 5 years. She was our first "baby" and we joke that each time we have a baby, she moves down another notch. She really is a fantastic dog, but I admit, there are times she's on my last nerve. The kids try to give her commands, to which she totally ignores. Now, here's little Miss Lydia, getting ready to be one more bossy kid in Daisy's life. We love ya, Daisy. Really we do. Sorry for all we put you through.

Unruh Family Week

The middle of March we had a week full of family! The week began with Max and April having their sweet baby girl, Tessa Whitney Unruh (born March 16). Eric, Julie, and their girls came from Phoenix to visit. Jay, Kelli, and kiddos came too, so we were all together. It was a memorable time, and the kids played so well together. We celebrated Gran's b-day, played at the farm, went to the zoo, and celebrated Meredith's birthday a little early with a gymnastics party. Looking forward to when we are all together again.

Meredith's 3rd Birthday

Birthdays are bittersweet for this mama. I look so forward to celebrating, and am thankful for the blessing of another year, but I'm a little sad too. My kids are growing up so fast. Meredith turned three last weekend, and we had a great time celebrating. My brother and his family came for the weekend. It's always a good time with them. We started the morning with donuts. Since Meredith is always the first one out of bed in the morning, we went to Dillons to pick out her special birthday donuts before everyone else was up and around.




She helped make her princess cupcakes.



We spent the morning hiking trails and looking for wildlife at the Great Plains Nature center, then had a picnic near the center.



A delicious birthday dinner at Grammy and Pa's house.



Then, a tractor ride compliments of Pa.



I love this little girl. She brings joy and eccentricity to our family. She keeps us on our toes...in a good way. Happy Birthday, Meredith!

Swingin'

Proverbs 27:17

Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.

I have been blessed, challenged, and sharpened lately by some amazing friends. I love this verse, because it is so true. This world has so many distractions and how easily my heart strays from my maker. A few friends have been like a compass pointing me back to God. Honestly, I have been struggling through a time of feeling discontent. It's not founded on truth. I have been striving for things that don't mean much eternally. It has put me on the sidelines lately. Just trying to find my way back into the game. It's time for a perspective shift. God in his graciousness is helping redirect my heart. I'm thankful for an all-knowing God and for honest and loving friends. Glad God created us to live in community, and that I don't have to go it alone.

Love

Update

I have been a negligent blogger lately. Alex has been traveling a lot, and I am pretty tired in the evenings (usually when I think about blogging). We've gotten more snow this season than I can remember in a long time. Beautiful and fun to play in...and cause for a bit of cabin fever.


Playing in the snow


In the afternoon when Meredith is supposed to be "napping," she is usually putting together some kind of a unique outfit. Sometimes those rainbow striped leg warmers end up on her arms.


The three amigos


Each child seems to grow up quicker than the last. Lydia is almost 7 months. She's sitting up and playing. Her personality is really coming out, and she's quick to smile. She wants to be in the middle of the action. She's always moving, and she managed to escape her Bumbo seat the other day. Yikes!

something in common

Notice all three kids have blankies. Glad they are different colors or we'd never keep them straight!

Denver Reunion

Last weekend, three of my best friends from college and I met in Denver for a girl's weekend. The four of us haven't been together for way too long, but like it always is with good friends, it was like we were never apart. Tera, Hollie, and I flew in Friday night and spent the weekend at Karmen's place (thanks for letting us invade for the weekend, Karm). We ate delicious food, laughed, talked, prayed, shopped, and relaxed. Notice sleeping in wasn't on that list...cause I brought Lydia:) Actually, she was a joy to have with us, just an early riser.

I became friends with these three girls my sophomore year of college. Theirs are the kind of friendships that changed my life for the better then, and continue to now. Love you girls!





Some things never change.