June 29, 2011
What a strange summer we've had so far! After several months of commuting several days a week to Upton, Wyoming (for a plant start-up), Daddy got word that they needed him there full time for 6-7 weeks. Then they put him on six day a week night shift! We decided to bring the whole family to Wyoming so that we'd be able to see him sometimes. So we are renting a little house in Newcastle.
In the mornings I try to keep you all very quiet; we eat breakfast then go for a walk so Daddy can sleep. Then we get to spend 9:30-12:30 in the morning with him. We've been having fun trying out new playgrounds, bike paths, and library. You have done so well with all of the disruption – sleeping equally well in Newcastle or Rapid City with nary a fuss on the drive between the two (which we've done many times already). I am so thankful that God gave you to us for this season! It has been difficult for Mama, yet you are just a source of pure joy!
Last week we really mixed it up and spent two days near Valentine, Nebraska. My high school friend was visiting her childhood home (a ranch!) so Natalie and the cousins caravaned with us to see my friend Joye and her four children. Between all of us (plus Joye's brother) we had thirteen children seven and under! It rained much of the time, but you just snuggled into the wrap, oblivious to all the craziness. The night we slept there was spent with Natalie, me and all seven cousins in one bedroom! Memories for sure.
I kept waiting for you to wake up enough to get colicky or crabby or difficult, but it hasn't happened. I keep pinching myself to make sure it's real. You truly are EASY and I am so grateful. I felt kind of bad asking God for an easy baby but He truly knew what we needed and you have been his minister of blessing to me!
You are such a good nurser – about three and a half hours between feedings now and still once at night. You are only crabby if you are hungry or tired, but since you nurse so predictably, I always know which one it is. If you're tired, I lay you in your bed (with your beloved paci) and you fall asleep. You even “drowse” in your bouncy seat or stroller many times. It amazes me you can fall asleep with so much going on around you.
You are starting to discover your voice. Your little coos and smiles charm me to tears. I feel like I could spend all day just looking at you! I love being your mama, little Elise.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Matthew's Journal
June 29, 2011
What a strange summer we've had so far! After several months of commuting several days a week to Upton, Wyoming (for a plant start-up), Daddy got word that they needed him there full time for 6-7 weeks. Then they put him on six day a week night shift! We decided to bring the whole family to Wyoming so that we'd be able to see him sometimes. So we are renting a little house in Newcastle.
In the mornings I try to keep you all very quiet (not that you know the meaning of the word): we eat breakfast then go for a walk so Daddy can sleep. Then we get to spend 9:30-12:30 in the morning with him. We've been having fun trying out new playgrounds, bike paths, and library. It's getting pretty hot and there's no a/c in the house, so I bought you guys a little wading pool and squirt guns to use in the yard. The a/c is broken on the van too, so I was amazed at how well you all have done with the 1.5 hour commute. We've done fun things on the way – ice cream in Custer, a tour at Jewel Cave, stops at Old MacDonald's Farm – to keep it interesting. But no doubt it's been a little hard to live two places! I'm thankful that you sleep through the night wherever you are, though you continue to wake up early and/or skip naps. You've also experimented with getting out of the port-a-crib in Newcastle, so that has been lots of fun. At least you stopped at twelve times in a row (your brother went past fifty).
Last week we really mixed it up and spent two days near Valentine, Nebraska. My high school friend was visiting her childhood home (a ranch!) so Natalie and the cousins caravaned with us to see my friend Joye and her four children. Between all of us (plus Joye's brother) we had thirteen children seven and under! It rained much of the time, but you still got to swim in a waterfall the first day! Actually, the other kids swam and you shivered and whined on the side. The second day we wore trash bags for ponchos while alternating between huddling by the fire and getting towed on a sled by the four-wheeler. You really liked that! The night we slept there was spent with Natalie, me and all seven cousins in one bedroom! Memories for sure.
Sometimes I wonder if you will be a runner someday. Most walks I have to confine you to the stroller because you'll say, “I wanna run, Mama!” and then you do. You set an impressive pace yet it's very measured and you're able to keep it up for a long time. Last night while the big kids were in VBS, you and I walked on the track at the high school and you just RAN. I felt like maybe I was seeing the future? Yet everyone is so convinced that you'll be an engineer (mechanical?) You are very taken with trucks, motorcycles and tools. The other day you watched a track hoe digging for nearly half an hour. Whenever you find something with screws in it, you fetch a screwdriver, convinced that if you could only unscrew it, you could put batteries in it and it would do something cool!
I just heard you repeatedly asking Dad for something (after he had already said no) and I was reminded of the story in the Bible where the woman gets what she wants just because she asked the judge SO MANY TIMES that he got annoyed and gave in. You are SO determined to get your way. May God use your persistence for his glory – may you wrestle with Him and so know him better than I ever will.
What a strange summer we've had so far! After several months of commuting several days a week to Upton, Wyoming (for a plant start-up), Daddy got word that they needed him there full time for 6-7 weeks. Then they put him on six day a week night shift! We decided to bring the whole family to Wyoming so that we'd be able to see him sometimes. So we are renting a little house in Newcastle.
In the mornings I try to keep you all very quiet (not that you know the meaning of the word): we eat breakfast then go for a walk so Daddy can sleep. Then we get to spend 9:30-12:30 in the morning with him. We've been having fun trying out new playgrounds, bike paths, and library. It's getting pretty hot and there's no a/c in the house, so I bought you guys a little wading pool and squirt guns to use in the yard. The a/c is broken on the van too, so I was amazed at how well you all have done with the 1.5 hour commute. We've done fun things on the way – ice cream in Custer, a tour at Jewel Cave, stops at Old MacDonald's Farm – to keep it interesting. But no doubt it's been a little hard to live two places! I'm thankful that you sleep through the night wherever you are, though you continue to wake up early and/or skip naps. You've also experimented with getting out of the port-a-crib in Newcastle, so that has been lots of fun. At least you stopped at twelve times in a row (your brother went past fifty).
Last week we really mixed it up and spent two days near Valentine, Nebraska. My high school friend was visiting her childhood home (a ranch!) so Natalie and the cousins caravaned with us to see my friend Joye and her four children. Between all of us (plus Joye's brother) we had thirteen children seven and under! It rained much of the time, but you still got to swim in a waterfall the first day! Actually, the other kids swam and you shivered and whined on the side. The second day we wore trash bags for ponchos while alternating between huddling by the fire and getting towed on a sled by the four-wheeler. You really liked that! The night we slept there was spent with Natalie, me and all seven cousins in one bedroom! Memories for sure.
Sometimes I wonder if you will be a runner someday. Most walks I have to confine you to the stroller because you'll say, “I wanna run, Mama!” and then you do. You set an impressive pace yet it's very measured and you're able to keep it up for a long time. Last night while the big kids were in VBS, you and I walked on the track at the high school and you just RAN. I felt like maybe I was seeing the future? Yet everyone is so convinced that you'll be an engineer (mechanical?) You are very taken with trucks, motorcycles and tools. The other day you watched a track hoe digging for nearly half an hour. Whenever you find something with screws in it, you fetch a screwdriver, convinced that if you could only unscrew it, you could put batteries in it and it would do something cool!
I just heard you repeatedly asking Dad for something (after he had already said no) and I was reminded of the story in the Bible where the woman gets what she wants just because she asked the judge SO MANY TIMES that he got annoyed and gave in. You are SO determined to get your way. May God use your persistence for his glory – may you wrestle with Him and so know him better than I ever will.
Abby's Journal
June 29, 2011
What a strange summer we've had so far! After several months of commuting several days a week to Upton, Wyoming (for a plant start-up), Daddy got word that they needed him there full time for 6-7 weeks. Then they put him on six day a week night shift! We decided to bring the whole family to Wyoming so that we'd be able to see him sometimes. So we are renting a little house in Newcastle.
In the mornings I try to keep you all very quiet; we eat breakfast then go for a walk so Daddy can sleep. Then we get to spend 9:30-12:30 in the morning with him. We've been having fun trying out new playgrounds, bike paths, and library. It's getting pretty hot and there's no a/c in the house, so I bought you guys a little wading pool and squirt guns to use in the yard. You're also doing VBS this week, which seems to be a hit. The a/c is broken on the van too, so I was amazed at how well you all have done with the 1.5 hour commute. We've done fun things on the way – ice cream in Custer, a tour at Jewel Cave, stops at Old MacDonald's Farm – to keep it interesting. But no doubt it's been a little hard to live two places! Sometimes you ask me “Are we in Wyoming or Rapid City?”
Last week we really mixed it up and spent two days near Valentine, Nebraska. My high school friend was visiting her childhood home (a ranch!) so Natalie and the cousins caravaned with us to see my friend Joye and her four children. Between all of us (plus Joye's brother) we had thirteen children seven and under! It rained much of the time, but you still got to swim in a waterfall the first day! The second day we wore trash bags for ponchos while alternating between huddling by the fire and getting towed on a sled by the four-wheeler. The night we slept there was spent with Natalie, me and all seven cousins in one bedroom! Memories for sure.
You did so great in your ballet recital. You were a “pear” in the “Very Hungry Caterpillar”. The whole ballet was over an hour and a half long, yet you were the only dancer to “steal the show” by generating an uproar of laughter throughout the whole crowd (of several thousand!). You pranced onto the stage – apparently determined to own your moment. Every movement was TO THE MAX and as your classmates tiptoed and stumbled through the motions you acted with CONFIDENCE! Finally when you did a series of sweeping arabesques followed by a double pirouette, it was just too much and everyone started laughing! I'm so glad we got the DVD! Grandma B even got to see you dance because she came for a week to see baby Elise.
You are a very good big sister – so sweet and helpful with Elise and always trying to play with Matthew and calm him down. But you and Isaac argue a LOT. It drives me crazy – but I think you just think the birth order isn't what it should be. In your mind you were MEANT to be the oldest. And it's Isaac's problem if he doesn't like your ideas.
You've started riding your bike on just two wheels. You're still a little tippy and I have to help you get started, but you're getting the hang of it. You're so good about just trying again! You and Veronnika are inseperable. You spend time in the bathroom every morning brushing your hair and requesting lip gloss. The times I let you use your make-up set, you emerge from the bathroom with a face coated in purple and pink goo. It's pretty funny.
What a strange summer we've had so far! After several months of commuting several days a week to Upton, Wyoming (for a plant start-up), Daddy got word that they needed him there full time for 6-7 weeks. Then they put him on six day a week night shift! We decided to bring the whole family to Wyoming so that we'd be able to see him sometimes. So we are renting a little house in Newcastle.
In the mornings I try to keep you all very quiet; we eat breakfast then go for a walk so Daddy can sleep. Then we get to spend 9:30-12:30 in the morning with him. We've been having fun trying out new playgrounds, bike paths, and library. It's getting pretty hot and there's no a/c in the house, so I bought you guys a little wading pool and squirt guns to use in the yard. You're also doing VBS this week, which seems to be a hit. The a/c is broken on the van too, so I was amazed at how well you all have done with the 1.5 hour commute. We've done fun things on the way – ice cream in Custer, a tour at Jewel Cave, stops at Old MacDonald's Farm – to keep it interesting. But no doubt it's been a little hard to live two places! Sometimes you ask me “Are we in Wyoming or Rapid City?”
Last week we really mixed it up and spent two days near Valentine, Nebraska. My high school friend was visiting her childhood home (a ranch!) so Natalie and the cousins caravaned with us to see my friend Joye and her four children. Between all of us (plus Joye's brother) we had thirteen children seven and under! It rained much of the time, but you still got to swim in a waterfall the first day! The second day we wore trash bags for ponchos while alternating between huddling by the fire and getting towed on a sled by the four-wheeler. The night we slept there was spent with Natalie, me and all seven cousins in one bedroom! Memories for sure.
You did so great in your ballet recital. You were a “pear” in the “Very Hungry Caterpillar”. The whole ballet was over an hour and a half long, yet you were the only dancer to “steal the show” by generating an uproar of laughter throughout the whole crowd (of several thousand!). You pranced onto the stage – apparently determined to own your moment. Every movement was TO THE MAX and as your classmates tiptoed and stumbled through the motions you acted with CONFIDENCE! Finally when you did a series of sweeping arabesques followed by a double pirouette, it was just too much and everyone started laughing! I'm so glad we got the DVD! Grandma B even got to see you dance because she came for a week to see baby Elise.
You are a very good big sister – so sweet and helpful with Elise and always trying to play with Matthew and calm him down. But you and Isaac argue a LOT. It drives me crazy – but I think you just think the birth order isn't what it should be. In your mind you were MEANT to be the oldest. And it's Isaac's problem if he doesn't like your ideas.
You've started riding your bike on just two wheels. You're still a little tippy and I have to help you get started, but you're getting the hang of it. You're so good about just trying again! You and Veronnika are inseperable. You spend time in the bathroom every morning brushing your hair and requesting lip gloss. The times I let you use your make-up set, you emerge from the bathroom with a face coated in purple and pink goo. It's pretty funny.
Isaac's Journal
June 29, 2011
What a strange summer we've had so far! After several months of commuting several days a week to Upton, Wyoming (for a plant start-up), Daddy got word that they needed him there full time for 6-7 weeks. Then they put him on six day a week night shift! We decided to bring the whole family to Wyoming so that we'd be able to see him sometimes. So we are renting a little house in Newcastle.
In the mornings I try to keep you all very quiet; we eat breakfast then go for a walk so Daddy can sleep. Then we get to spend 9:30-12:30 in the morning with him. We've been having fun trying out new playgrounds, bike paths, and library. It's getting pretty hot and there's no a/c in the house, so I bought you guys a little wading pool and squirt guns to use in the yard. You're also doing VBS this week, which seems to be a hit.
All last month we did a lot of driving back and forth because I didn't want you to miss all of your baseball games. You really enjoyed playing! I was impressed with how focused you stayed throughout the entire game – always ready to pounce on a ball (and sometimes wrestling for it when another guy got there at the same time!). The a/c is broken on the van too, so I was amazed at how well you all have done with the 1.5 hour commute. We've done fun things on the way – ice cream in Custer, a tour at Jewel Cave, stops at Old MacDonald's Farm – to keep it interesting.
But no doubt it's been a little hard to live two places! Sometimes you ask me “Are we in Wyoming or Rapid City?” And yesterday you must have gotten bored on the drive as you used the time to shove a wad of paper up your nose! I was rather upset as I have often warned you not to do that. You were crying but fortunately you were able to follow my instruction to plug one nostril, hold your breath and blow out the other nostril. Out shot the paper!
Last week we really mixed it up and spent two days near Valentine, Nebraska. My high school friend was visiting her childhood home (a ranch!) so Natalie and the cousins caravaned with us to see my friend Joye and her four children. Between all of us (plus Joye's brother) we had thirteen children seven and under! It rained much of the time, but you still got to swim in a waterfall the first day! The second day we wore trash bags for ponchos while alternating between huddling by the fire and getting towed on a sled by the four-wheeler. The night we slept there was spent with Natalie, me and all seven cousins in one bedroom! Memories for sure.
I keep looking at you in amazement – you are long and lean and so strong! When I hug you, you just feel BIG. There is not an ounce of fat on your body – yet you are so muscular. You can do cartwheels, chin-ups, backwards somersaults, sit-ups, push-ups – so much big guy stuff. And now I'm prepping for our first year of “real school”: first grade.
What a strange summer we've had so far! After several months of commuting several days a week to Upton, Wyoming (for a plant start-up), Daddy got word that they needed him there full time for 6-7 weeks. Then they put him on six day a week night shift! We decided to bring the whole family to Wyoming so that we'd be able to see him sometimes. So we are renting a little house in Newcastle.
In the mornings I try to keep you all very quiet; we eat breakfast then go for a walk so Daddy can sleep. Then we get to spend 9:30-12:30 in the morning with him. We've been having fun trying out new playgrounds, bike paths, and library. It's getting pretty hot and there's no a/c in the house, so I bought you guys a little wading pool and squirt guns to use in the yard. You're also doing VBS this week, which seems to be a hit.
All last month we did a lot of driving back and forth because I didn't want you to miss all of your baseball games. You really enjoyed playing! I was impressed with how focused you stayed throughout the entire game – always ready to pounce on a ball (and sometimes wrestling for it when another guy got there at the same time!). The a/c is broken on the van too, so I was amazed at how well you all have done with the 1.5 hour commute. We've done fun things on the way – ice cream in Custer, a tour at Jewel Cave, stops at Old MacDonald's Farm – to keep it interesting.
But no doubt it's been a little hard to live two places! Sometimes you ask me “Are we in Wyoming or Rapid City?” And yesterday you must have gotten bored on the drive as you used the time to shove a wad of paper up your nose! I was rather upset as I have often warned you not to do that. You were crying but fortunately you were able to follow my instruction to plug one nostril, hold your breath and blow out the other nostril. Out shot the paper!
Last week we really mixed it up and spent two days near Valentine, Nebraska. My high school friend was visiting her childhood home (a ranch!) so Natalie and the cousins caravaned with us to see my friend Joye and her four children. Between all of us (plus Joye's brother) we had thirteen children seven and under! It rained much of the time, but you still got to swim in a waterfall the first day! The second day we wore trash bags for ponchos while alternating between huddling by the fire and getting towed on a sled by the four-wheeler. The night we slept there was spent with Natalie, me and all seven cousins in one bedroom! Memories for sure.
I keep looking at you in amazement – you are long and lean and so strong! When I hug you, you just feel BIG. There is not an ounce of fat on your body – yet you are so muscular. You can do cartwheels, chin-ups, backwards somersaults, sit-ups, push-ups – so much big guy stuff. And now I'm prepping for our first year of “real school”: first grade.
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