Another Update

Steve called this morning. They are having trouble getting into Louisiana because the interstates are one way out of the state. They are no longer headed to Houston. Instead they'll be staying at a military base in Louisiana...in TENTS! It is far enough inland obviously, but they'll still have rain to battle.

As of this morning they are forecasting that Gustav will make landfall late tomorrow night. Please pray with me for the safety of the residents and rescue teams as the hurricane approaches. God is my fortress and my strength through this storm... and all of life's storms!

Update

Steve is being deployed to Houston Texas with the task force. He leaves tomorrow morning and will be stationed there until they see where Gustav hits. If they are needed, he will stay up to 12 days. He does search and rescue work for the task force and will be checking for anyone in need of help, should the storm cause any damage. Keep checking back here, and I'll keep you updated on how he is doing. Please pray for him while he's gone too :o)

Nolan had his 6 month check-up today. He's only a week shy of 7 months, but you know... Anyway, he was 20 lbs. 13 oz. and 29 3/4 in. long.... He's one big boy! The doctor was just as pleased as he can be with him. He says that developmentally he's a couple months ahead of the "average" baby. We all know that my children are far from "average" ;o) While we were there, we found out that Nolan has an ear infection though... poor baby. His first one! Oh well, that postponed his shots for 2 more weeks. There's an upside to everything! Here is a picture I took of Nolan this morning:

On another note, my boys love to play "kitchen." At home they'll use anything they can find to serve us pretend food. Well, today we went to a garage sale and Silas found a kitchen for sale. He played with it until I felt we had no choice. Plus, we know that he'll play with it, based on the fact that he always pretends to cook. So, here's a picture of Silas at the garage sale with his new kitchen:

Well, that's all of the "news" I can think of right now. I'll update as often as Steve updates me!

Finding Faith...

Fall is near and I can feel that the seasons are changing. Not just the leaves and the weather and school starting. I can feel that it's more than that. There's something in my gut telling me to cling to God because life is about to change.

Call me crazy. I've got no idea what is in store for us. Maybe nothing? But I'm guessing something. And that has left me grasping onto my faith for dear life. Praying that God will lead us wherever He has planned. I know that whatever it is, whatever is prompting me to feel this way, He's behind it. And most likely this feeling I have is His way of preparing my heart. I'm not always the best at transition, so God may be gearing me up... time will tell.

Life keeps getting busier for us. Now that school is back in session, MOPS is starting too. So that is keeping me busy. Steve has been busy helping both sets of his grandparents on their farms. (Don't let me fool you though... he doesn't see it as work, he's out there playing ;o) And... we will soon know if he is going to be deployed to do search and rescue work after Hurricane Gustav arrives. I'll be updating on that soon...

Whatever is in the works for our family, be it something huge or nothing at all, I'm looking to find strength in my faith. Faith in a God that will never let me down. Faith in a God who can move mountains. Faith in The One who sent His Son to die for my sins. Equipped with this faith, I need nothing more!

Parade

Today mom and I took the boys and Oriana and Camden to see a parade. The boys get so excited for such events, and they really had a great time. I have one funny story to tell from the parade...

A clown came by wearing a sign that read "Get your morning paper." She asked if anyone needed their morning paper and proceeded to hold up a role of toilet paper. Of course, Silas raises his hand. The clown got such a kick out of it that she tore him off a piece. He was so excited! He ran over and said "look, I got a tissue!" We laughed at his excitement and naivity. Kids are the best!

Here is a picture of Morgan (Shelley's niece), Silas, Oriana, Camden, and Avery waiting for the parade to start:

And the boys waiting patiently in their chairs. It was hot in the sun. Back where we sat it was shady :o)
Nana (Shannon) held Nolan the whole parade. He was excited at first, but finally he got awfully comfy (it was his usual naptime...)
And he crashed...
And again late this afternoon he crashed, this time on grandma Darlene:
Before we left mom and dad's to come home, we gave the boys baths. There is nothing cuter than a freshly bathed baby. Here is some proof:



I wanted to add that Avery and Silas seem to be feeling much better, although they never really let themselves get too down about the strep.
Nolan, however, keeps getting more and more snotty. I'm keeping a close eye on him. If he develops a fever or the slightest sign of a sore throat, we'll be in the dr's office immediately!

Thanks for letting me continue to share our lives with you! I pray you'll enjoy reading our blog as much as I enjoy creating it!

Strep Throat :o(

Avery and Silas were diagnosed with Strep Throat today. They both had it last September, and I quickly recognized the symptoms. Silas came down with a fever quite quickly yesterday afternoon and hadn't had much relief by this afternoon. Avery came home from school complaining of a sore throat. I put two and two together and decided to get to the doctor before we were all miserable. I guess it was a good call on my part to follow my intuition. They both tested positive for Strep and so we began Amoxicillin right away this afternoon.

They've been wonderful despite not feeling well (and not getting a nap today because of our doctor's visit!) We've watched a lot of movies together and hung out. They did play outside for a good hour or so this evening too. I know I say it all the time, but they are such good boys!

I've found the solution to Nolan's eating preferences. We are doing cooked veggies and soft fruits that he can chew up. He's eating like a champ now! He's like a little bird with his jaw wide open at the table... so cute! I need to get a picture I suppose.

Well, we had an early morning today with little boys not feeling well and all. So, I must get to bed early now that the boys have gone down. Who knows what the night holds for us. I'm praying that we all get our rest and the boys feel better SOON!

Already???

Can it really have been a week since I updated? Time marches on, whether we take time to realize it or not!

Well, Avery loves school. He is realizing quickly how much work it is to get up and get ready every morning. I think he sort of misses being able to have days where we get up and laze around the house and play all morning. Me too :o)

Last Friday we had a fun family night. We went camping (tent camping) down and Grandma and Grandpa Frye's pond. We had a fire and roasted marshmellows. We all slept in tents (Nolan included,) and Avery even slept all night in his own tent. I'd say he gets that adventurous spirit from his father. The boys all laid down nicely when it got to be late, and Steve and I stayed up playing cards. I had so much fun, and want to do it again before the cold weather comes along. I wish I'd have taken pictures, but I didn't :o(

I think Nolan is working on getting more teeth. He's suddenly having trouble sleeping again. Last night, with the aid of some Tylenol, he slept better. Guess I'll have to begin a nightly dose of that for a few days. Anything to make him more comfortable! And, he doesn't like to eat baby food off of a spoon now that I've introduced cheerios and Gerber puffs. He likes to chew. Guess he'll fit in around here!

Steve got home safely from his trip. He had a great time and we did fine while he was away. He took some beautiful pictures, so I'll include those below. The motorcycle in the picture is the one that he rode while he was there:

First Day of School!

Today was Avery's first day of Kindergarten at Zion. As most of you already know, he'll actually be doing another year of Kindergarten next year at his public Elementary. Otherwise, Avery would be the youngest in his class and graduate before he even turns 18. It seems weird to think that far ahead, but we have to in order to make the decision that keeps his best interest at heart. And he knows the exact reasoning why, and is ok with it!

Here is the sweetheart on his first day. I don't know why I made him look into the sun???

He looks kinda timid in the 2nd picture, but he was actually listening to his teacher. He was excited to go, and I bet by the time we pick him up he'll be all warmed up to it and ready to go back tomorrow. That'll be the biggest adjustment for me, taking him 5 days a week instead of 3! And Silas told me this morning, "next year that will be my school," as we drove past the preschool. That really got me! Can I really have one in preschool and one in elementary next year??? Where does the time go?

Steve send another picture last night. He said they caught lots of fish yesterday! He's having a great time:

And... I wanted to add pictures from yesterday. We spent the day at Grandpa Randy and Grandma Debbie's. Hannah was there too, and we had so much fun. In the first picture, Avery is pulling Hannah and Nolan in the wagon behind his tractor. In the second, Grandpa is taking all 4 children on a four wheeler ride.

Pictures from Steve's Fishing Trip

Steve sent some pictures today from his first day in Yellowstone. Doesn't it look beautiful? He says that the weather is supposed to be nice for his entire stay (lows in the 30's but highs in the lower 70's.) To talk to him, I'd say he is having a wonderful time so far! Enjoy the pictures...

My children crack me up...

Look what they did today:

They were putting the "bad apples" on the barbed wire fence...for hours! Caleb and Logan helped with this project. Speaking of Caleb and Logan, they, along with their sister Lydia, took care of the boys most of the day. The boys played with Avery and Silas all day long, while Lydia practically cared for Nolan all afternoon. It was a great break for mommy! Here is a picture of Avery and Silas in the apple tree with Caleb:

Nolan was wonderful all day too. Here he is sitting on Silas' bike, chewing on the brake line:

And this is from the other day, but here is a picture of Lydia taking care of Nolan for me! She was a wonderful help!!!

And one last picture to share. Here is Steve with his boys, a picture I took yesterday:

The days memories are made of:

Yesterday was one of those days where you just know memories are being made. We went to Grandma and Grandpa Frye's where the boys helped cut wood. Uncle David, Aunt Tammi and the family were visiting from Maryland, so the place was packed with children of all ages! It was a beautiful, mild day and everyone seemed to have a great time.

Avery and Silas went to the woods with the "big guys" and Nolan took a big nap! When the load of wood came back, everyone put on their gloves and got into the action. In this picture, Grandma and Grandpa help Avery and Silas put on their gloves:

Here are Avery and Silas helping out:

This picture, although not very clear, shows grandma and grandpa working with the grandchildren (Christopher, Caleb, Logan, and Lydia) and the great-grandchildren (Avery and Silas.)

Steve and his grandpa share a moment together talking.

It wasn't all work all day! The children played whiffleball for quite some time in the afternoon. It was fun to watch! They had a great time, and we cheered them on! Silas cracked us all up when he left and came back with his "glove" for baseball. Check him out:

Here's a picture from their game:

Before we left, the boys posed together for a picture with Grandpa Randy's tractor. In this picture Silas and Avery are with Caleb (in red) and Logan:

One last picture of Avery and Silas. They are in little boy heaven on days like these!!!

A beautiful day, full of blessings...

Today was one of those days that was just full of blessings from beginning to end. I hope you don't mind that I share them all...

1) Steve was called to work overtime. This is a blessing financially, and God is providing in the way that we have been praying for Him to!

2) The boys and I got to spend time with my mom. We went to some garage sales and out to dinner with grandma and grandpa. Here is a picture and a video of the boys singing "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" to one another in the back seat while we were between garage sales:

3) I think I finally figured out how to add video??? That is a blessing because I can now share even more if I got it right! **Edited to add: I guess my phone does not upload sound onto my computer! Bummer. Pretend you can hear them singing ;o) **

4) After dinner tonight we got to enjoy God's beauty and play at a park and ride bikes outside! Here are some pictures of our beautiful time at the park:

5) Our friend and adopted "Little Sis" called to share that she got a teaching job!!! We have been on a roller coaster ride with her as she has been on her job search. God has had a plan all along! Congratulations Sarah!!!

6) Avery prayed tonight that his mom and dad "make it past 100." In other words he asked God to grant us long lives! I just pray that we make it through the toddler stages...after that I'll pray to make it through the rest :o)

7) The kiddos are all now tucked in bed and the house is quiet except for the sounds of the outdoors (the windows are still open) and the sound of me typing away. Thank you God for Your Blessings! Continue to open my eyes to the beauty You have provided!

Our new addition:

Visiting a friend

Today the boys and I, along with Grandma Darlene and Leigh Anne (Teresa's mom) went to visit Teresa in Illinois. We just made a day trip out of it, and we had a great time. Teresa is my friend from high school who I used to beat in Cross Country. (Ok, Ok, I beat her once in Middle School, but never in high school. I have to brag anyway, because she was a state champion in high school!)

Back to the visit, the glory days are over... :o) It was a very hot and humid day, but we enjoyed our visit anyway. Here is a picture of Teresa and me from our visit:

And, here are the boys with Teresa:

I stopped at Kroger and picked up these fun guns that shoot foam rings. The kids had a blast the entire visit with them. Here Silas, Lindsey (Teresa's niece), and Avery are playing with them:

And, while we were visiting, Nolan decided to sit up for a very long time playing with the foam disks. He used his hands to prop him up, but he did a great job. Check out the ring on his finger:

How we know we have the best boys in the world...

There are so many reasons that we feel blessed to have our boys. They complete us in so many ways and we talk about how wonderful they are EVERY day! So, I'll share some of the things that we often talk about when we marvel at our children:

*Today we were riding in the car. Silas for no reason at all told Avery "Avery, I miss you." They had been together all day, but to Silas this is a way of letting him know that he loves him.

*Avery asked to do the prayer before bed last night. He prayed for Silas' head to heal, for Daddy to feel good at work, and for Grandma and Grandpa to get home safely (from visiting us.) He ended with "in Jesus name I pray!" Man, we love to see them learning these things!

*Nolan is learning so much about his world. He's learning how to get others to pay attention to him by making cute little noises at people. On Silas' birthday we were at Kroger and there was an older gentleman behind us. Nolan made squeals at the man until the man couldn't help but respond! I think he'll be very social like the rest of the family!

*We have been vehicle shopping for the past few days. The boys have spent much time in the car. They have complained very little and usually wait until we stop to ask "Can we stretch our legs while we are here?"

*Avery wants us to find a new truck so badly. We've seen several that we haven't purchased. Today he told us that we could go home and get his piggy bank so that we could afford a more expensive one. He very seriously thinks that he has lots of money in his piggy!

*Grandma and Grandpa Frye have a horse named Buddy. The boys are so in love with Buddy. The other day we were getting ready to leave to go visit when Silas said "we better hurry, Buddy's waiting!"

*Steve comes home from work and is met with little boys who are so excited and shouting "Daddy, Daddy!" And Nolan squeals and smiles so big at him. There is never a time when they aren't bursting at the seams when he gets home!

I could go on for days, but these are some of the most recent events that remind us of God's Blessings!