Summer has begun!

Wow, my blogs are few and far between, BUT I would love to catch this summer with pictures and blog away....mabye I will turn a leaf and maybe I won't! I want to remember each day with my beautiful children...they are growing up so fast and this reality is apparent in my mind more each day as we are now going to have a 4th grader and a 1st grader and my baby is now 2 years old!

Summer is here and we have been lazy days at home! Strawberry picking, pool, spray parks, and lunch with friends and it has just begun! I say lazy, but it really is not lazy.....I hope and pray the kids feel the lazy and do what you want days, because that is what I longed for as a kid! I loved the smell of summer, sleeping in, playing outside with friends, catching lightening bugs, ice cream and swimming at the pool! That is what I want for my kids. I do not want them to feel like we are on the go all summer in this camp and that camp...I want freedom to stay in our jammies all day...which we did yesterday! When daddy got home from work at 5:30pm he said, "You guys are already ready for bed!" We all giggled and said, "Nope, we never got dressed today!" Love it!

Today we walked to the local downtown and went to the Sweetshop we had been admiring for a long time! We found silly banz and japanese erasers! The two popular collectible items for elementary age kids! The kids used their money to buy them both! (:

I LOVE summer! Can't wait for VBS, Lake Barkley, and summer camp, and more lazy days............

Thumb sucking

So, we have had 3 right hand thumb suckers.....

The first of which sucked her thumb often for comfort on a regular basis until she lost her first front tooth in Kindergarten, after which it became not so regular, but only as a necessity! After the second front tooth was lost, I think it was just not the same. If I had to say, i think she was just about 7 years old when she was officially done sucking her right thumb!

The second has been much more attached to his right thumb along with a much stronger suck. We also have a blanket, "Ga Ga". I think at 2 ga ga had to be left at home and then at age 4 we restricted ga ga to staying in his bed. Ga ga ALWAYS is adjoined by thumb sucking. I often still see ga ga out of bed when we are watching something on the computer or tv and have to give a strict reminder that it belongs in bed, to which i am never met with anything but, "Okay" and a quick run back to his room. We once got an ironman toy for not sucking our thumb for a week....he is strong and knows how to get what he wants, but is not willing to give up the thumb sucking. My only hope for him is when he begins to lose his front teeth, it just won't be the same......

To our surprise, number 3 started sucking his RIGHT THUMB very early on, to which i responded, "Oh, no!" Daddy on the other hand said, "It is so cute!" He must not have been thinking about all the possible orthodontic work it may cause in the future! But, i must post this as a reminder, it does not always have to be difficult to stop sucking your thumb. I think it was slightly before Christmas (about a month ago) Silas had a head cold and could not suck his thumb to fall asleep. It was a couple rough nights because he woke up in the middle of the night crying and all we could figure out is that he was upset he could not suck his thumb and breath at the same time! It was short lived, and his stuffy nose was gone in a few short days, BUT to this day the thumb sucking has not returned! Wow! I still keep saying it as a whisper to Brad, "Do you think he totally stopped? It can't be that easy!" Well, anyway, I am now able to say it without whispering....Silas is no longer sucking his right thumb! How long do you think it will last? Is he done forever?

Celebrating Nolan age 5

In June, we headed to celebrate Nolan being 5. His birthday is in March, but we wanted to wait until it was warm to head to Chicago. Grandy has made it a tradition to take the kids to Chicago when they turn 5. When Isabel was 5 we took the train into the city and made a day of taking Isabel to American Girl to get her first doll. For Nolan, we had a great day. We started at The Field Museum to meet Sue and learn about Dinosaurs. We walked around the city and ate at the Chicago Firehouse. We ended by visiting the American Girl store to spend some money Isabel had saved. We had to get Kits ears pierced of course. Thanks Grandy and Happy 5th Birthday Nolan! Hopefully we will return before 2013 when Silas is 5!

Napping

So, we are struggling with napping these days. Maybe it is a stage, maybe it is the chapped face, or just the plain orneryness of my little 21 month old, but mommy has tried everything to help....maybe it is the pink pillowcase he doesn't like! (: This is the way I found him on tuesday when i went in to check on him. Looks like to me that he was fighting it and just fell asleep in the position he was when he couldn't fight it anymore. Does not look comfy to me....almost seems as if his little legs would be tingling asleep by the time he wakes.

Silas is full of spunk, trying to say every word he can, but rarely does it actually sound like the word he is trying to say. He is calling his brother NaNa...at least he has the N right. I would say his favorite word is Coo Kee....and I am pretty sure it was his first word. He is a picky eater...this better not last! If it not sweet or isn't processed, he does not want it! I am amazed at how fast he is growing up. I could do without the newly found tantrums, but I am not wishing the days by with him. I want to cherish every moment of him being a baby, because technically he is on the verge of being a toddler....and frankly, I don't like it!

New Year 2010

It is a new year and I am feeling like blogging. I always get behind and want to catch up, that never happens...so here I am blogging again. We rarely do anything special for new years. Call me crazy, but I don't want to be out on the road after midnight.....not trusting the other drivers! This year we decided to do something with the kids. It was fun. We went to the Indiana State Museum for their new years celebration. The ball (or balloons from the ceiling) was dropped at 8pm...much better than keeping the kids up until midnight! Then, we headed home at 9pm....at which the kids were all asleep by the time we pulled into the driveway. Brad and I rang in the new year by pausing a movie we were watching to watch the ball drop in Time Square, a quick kiss, and then back to finish our movie! Happy 2010!

A beautiful day in September

A warm sunny day in September we headed to go hiking at the park! The kids love to hike and we just don't do it enough. Isabel and Nolan love to play in the water, find bugs, and explore. Brad and I love being outside and Silas does not mind traveling on our backs! This is one of our favorite family outings. Thank you God for the beautiful outdoors!

My first Joe Joe

Silas was so excited to be eating a Joe Joe all by himself. Otherwise known as an Oreo, but at our house we buy the Oreo type cookie at Trader Joe's. They are much better tasting and of course better ingredients! If you live at our house, no hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup! He is growing up, 17 months old! Walking and running into EVERYTHING! I am surprised he has not had a concussion, many bumps and bruises! He is adorable, but ornery too. He has figured out that it is cute to blow kisses, so much that when we say, "No Silas!", he starts blowing us kisses. The other day, he started blowing me kisses when he was doing something he knew he shouldn't before I even said NO! He may not talk, but he is a smart little cookie! (:

Isabel being baptized

We are told by the world that we should be most proud of our kids when they get good grades, get into the gifted and talented program at school, graduate with honors, go to a good college, pick a good career, get married, and have children. BUT, I can not think of anything that makes Brad and I more proud than to know that our daughter has chosen to follow Christ and help to further His kingdom. Is there anything else in this life that matters? (: All to say, the children's Pastor at our church, along with Brad, baptized Isabel tonight and she was so excited! We are so excited to know that she wants to follow Christ! She knows that it doesn't mean life will be any easier or that bad things won't happen, but that through it all God will be with her and help her through all things. It amazes me that at 8 years old, she gets it! We are so thankful that God chose us to parent amazing, dramatic, talented girl! I pray we can continue to parent her the way that God wants us to and that we can guide her well.

My time with Isabel

Night around our house at night is crazy and we only have one kid who has homework. Also, the only extra curricular activity is piano lessons. I don't know how families do it...kids in several sports, helping each kid with homework, and spending quality family time together. How does it work for each family?

Anyway, tonight I got to spend time with Isabel doing homework. I usually dread it, but tonight it was nice. I really enjoyed her and the time I got to spend with her. It was so cute. She had to write a story about pirates and a treasure. She reminds me of myself. I remember writing stories just like her. I am a horrible speller and it seems as if she has learned from me. Wish I could teach her how to spell, but i can not spell some of her spelling words! I wanted to post her little story so we can remember it forever! I will remember tonight with her forever! I love you Isabel...Here is your Treasure Story:

Once upon a time there were three mighty fine pirates. They were Emily, Logan, and myself. We had a treasure, but we couldn't find a place to bury it. Therefore, we're going to the houseland. A housland is an island that is one big neighborhood. Next we have to get permission to bury our treasure there, but we had to go past Mean Island first. We were thankful we had cannons to protect us. As we passed Mean Island they shot us. I said, "Shoot back!" We shot once and hurried past the island. Other than that things were fine. Later.......Emily and Logan said, "We are here." Captain Isabel said, "OK, lower the anchor." Then, we heard a voice. It said, "Who are you?" We turned around and saw a girl. She told us her name was Ally. She wanted to help us. We asked her if she knew of a place that we could bury our treasure. She said yes. She also said we could bury our treasure in her backyard. We went to her house We dug and dug in her backyard. We burried the treasure there, then we set off. We got home safely. We had happy dreams! THE END! Isabel Wolfe age 8

These are the days.....I love spending time with our kids! Isabel age 8, Nolan age 5, Silas 17 months

Lennon is 7...yes, 7 years old!

The family all got together at the park to celebrate Lennon's birthday! I am pretty sure his favorite gift was his new Nintendo from his mom and dad! What a cool mom and dad!

Enjoying a smoothie.......

Silas loves drinking from a straw and sat patiently on the stool while I made Nolan a smoothie. Then it occurred to me, I bet Silas would love a smoothie too! What do you think?

1st day of school

Hard to believe how time flies! I always heard, the older you get, time goes faster! It is so true. I still feel like I am 20, but my kids say different! I may always look at myself as a 20 something year old! It is so hard for me to believe that Isabel is in 3rd grade and has grown up so much! I still feel like she should be that little 2 or 3 year old with tons of questions and she thought she could take on the world! Oh wait, she still has tons of questions and thinks she can take on the world! She is amazing! She may be dramatic and hate when things don't go her way, but she will be one strong woman someday! God has blessed her with many amazing talents. I still listen to her sing and I am amazed (she has been singing so beautifully since she was 18 months old...truly amazes me!). Now, she is in 3rd grade, getting ready to learn cursive and multiplication! I worried about her dislike for reading just 2 short years ago and now she reads books I would have never thought she would read! She loves mystery and figuring out the unknown!

My baby boy is now in Kindergarten. He cracks me up! I would say that he is pretty indifferent about Kindergarten. He likes it, but also is enjoying his mornings at home with Silas and me. I think he could take it or leave. Like Isabel, I think he would miss his friends if he did not go at all. His teacher is Miss Gray and she teaches morning K at an Elementary school across town and then she travels to our school for the afternoon. A funny story about his first few days, we kept asking him about his new friends and who he was playing with....so, he told us he had a new friend and so matter a fact, that his friend has Down Syndrome. I thought this was weird because on the meet the teacher day with the kids, I don't remember any of the children having down syndrome, but he was SURE he had DS. I asked him how he knew and he would squint his eyes and say because he looks like this. So, after several days of asking him about it and saying, "Are you SURE he has Down Syndrome?", he said, "Why don't you ask Miss Gray", so the next day I asked. Miss Gray had a good laugh and said, "No, we do not have any students with Down Syndrome." Long story short, Nolan's new friend has a "lazy eye" and not Down Syndrome! He was so sure, but the fun thing to me is that even know he knew there was something different about his new friend, he did not care and enjoys playing with him every day!

The taste of Fishers---or something like that!

Brad always has these great ideas to check things out....although this was a lot of fun because we spent time with the Timmy, Carmen, and Baby Kate...we also spent more money than we should have for a family who is trying to conserve!!
Gotta love the bounce houses, even if they are full of germs!!!!

Lakeside Michigan July 2009

Ever had one of those times in your life that a vacation was needed more than you even realized it before you got there? This was a time for us! We knew that we were excited to have the chance to get away after Brad's job had been eliminated from his company. The vacation could not have come at such a good time. I don't think it is where we were, but just being together and sharing time with his mom (aka: Grandy) meant more than it had in a long time! We were secure in the fact that we knew (and still know) that God had brought us to this place and if He brought us to this place, he was going to guide us through it and to the other side, so there was nothing to do but enjoy the time. No worries, no stresses, no calls from work that a database was down or someone needed help with something at work! The time was priceless. The pictures don't even come close to showing the time we enjoyed in Michigan, but there are memories and I am glad to post them!

Thanks Grandy and my beautiful family of 5 for the great memories and time spent together! I love you all!

More Lakeside Michigan

Little Miss Olivia enjoying the beach! Her smile says it all!


She was showing a treasure to her daddy after he had been out playing in the waves! Boys will be boys...I think Brad and Tommy spent more time in the waves than the kids!

Lakeside Michigan

Grandy treated us all to a great time away for a few days in Michigan. The kids had a great time and enjoyed the one day with their cousins. Playing on the beach and swimming in the lake and playing in the waves was a blast and we hope to make it a yearly tradition! (:
Logan was so cute seeing the beach for the first time and you have to love his swimsuit!
My creative husband made an alligator in the sand! It was so fun, but didn't last long. The kids wanted to jump on it and destroy it the second he finished...at least we got a picture!

Michigan vacation...Lakeside Michigan

While we were away, I realized Silas wanted to eat his mac n cheese by himself....he loves feeding himself, but he holds the spoon in one hand and eats with the other hand!
The Warren Dunes....Brad and Isabel climbed to the top while the rest of us swam. Then Brad, Isabel and Nolan climbed before we left. Can you find them in this picture?
Here are the three of them walking back in the middle of the picture.
This is what Silas did at the beach all week. He sad on the towel and went through the bag. He hated the way the sand felt, so he would not get off the towel.

The new school year!

I need to down load some pictures, but Isabel started 3rd grade and Nolan is in Kindergarten. WOW, how time flies! Silas is 16 months old and trying so hard to walk, but getting more bruises and headaches than anything!
Isabel's reaction to her first day was that it was awesome! She love her teacher, new friends, and her agenda book! This year they got a planner and each day they have to write their homework in it and the parents have to sign it! Who knew she would love the organization! She sure doesn't in her bedroom! A little structure is all she needs to be happy and mindful! (:
Nolan could not wait to play on the playground....all morning, "When do i get to go to school and play on the playground?" He did not say as much about school, but did let me know that the firetruck on the playground moves when you get on it! The details!!!! Apparently he likes the school bus because Isabel said that, "It is like Nolan thinks IT is a roller coaster...because he has so much fun just riding on the bus!"
It is so cute because the past two days they have gotten off the bus holding hands and today Nolan told me he felt safe because Isabel was at school with him!!! My dream come true, that they are close and watch out for each other! My heart is melting and my house is quiet in the afternoons! I have not had a hard time finding things to do....you know, I may just start blogging again! (:

Bear hunt #2

Brad, Isabel and Nolan went hunting for bear in the woods by our house! A very fun spring adventure.....splashing in the creek is a ton of fun!

Food Rescue Walk 2009

Food Rescue walk....this was a fun family thing we did in April. We raised just over $100 for Food Rescue and we walked a mile as a family....well, Nolan and Silas road a lot of it! Nolan thought he would use his scooter and then ended up being pulled! It was a warm windy day in April. Isabel and I got massages by Dr. Melissa...it was a great day! Food Rescue volunteers gathers left over food from local restaurants and take it to the local food pantries. We were happy to raise money for this great organization!