Isaac's 2 year stats

Isaac had his 2 year check up this morning. The boys and I made the trek to Fargo while Serenity was at volleyball camp. The clinic has gotten used to us and our stroller of kids coming to visit, even the pediatrician seems to recognize us.. (does that mean we're there too much?!)

Isaac was a good patient except for shutting the lights off in the exam room a few times. (maybe it's because I pre-medicated him expecting shots)

Some of the expectations for reaching his 2 year birthday include sleeping in a toddler bed (something we've avoided), speaking at least 50 words (the kid doesn't stop talking), starting to potty train (eeks!), walking up/down steps unassisted (as terrifying as it may be), running, climbing (um, it's a given), feeding himself with silverware, and a few other things that have slipped my mind. He was given an A+ for the year, in fact he hadn't been to the doctor except his regular check ups!

My little peanut has grown to be quite the average sized 2 year old!
Height: 34 1/2 inches 53% up from 31% at 18 months
Weight: 27 lbs. 6 oz. 36% up from 13% at 18 months
Head: 50 cm 83% up from 80% at 18 months

In keeping with my other children, he's big headed! ha ha! We only hope for the best in the next year for Isaac. (and for our sanity to remain intact)

Isaac is officially 2!!

Today was Isaac's birthday. For those of you that know him, he's been doing the terrible twos thing for quite a while. I'm secretly hoping that maybe he'll just be done with the challenges of his age but then we'd miss all the cute things he'll do as he grows.

In the past year, Isaac has grown so much! Not only is he two inches taller than big brother Alex was at age two, but he has such a different personality. Life would be much less interesting if we didn't have our little blondie running around.

Since Ben is out of town for work this week, the kids and I had a very small celebration for Isaac's birthday. The big party will be held at a later date at which time we'll be overwhelmed with Elmo!

Here's a fun video of Isaac and the other kids at our little party. Comment with all your birthday wishes. :)

Thanks..

My dear friend recently lost her grandmother. As a memento, she asked me to make something special for her mother to remember her grandmother by. I gladly accepted the request.

As I was sewing away on the project I began thinking of my grandparents and all the fond memories I have of them. I found myself saddened with the thought that I may soon be in her shoes and the thought stings my heart in a very unpleasant way. I've endured only a few losses in my life, and those were fairly significant. I find myself breathless and my heart aches at the thought of losing my grandparents. I've always had them in my life and I can't imagine a day when they might not be there. I know that's completely selfish but it's true. I love them all so very much.

So, with that thought, I want to say thank you to my friend for sharing your loss with me, for reminding me that I am so blessed because of you and my whole family, especially my grandparents. I can only hope your pain subsides quickly as the waves of times gone by fill your heart with happy memories. Those moments are what make up life.

Death is only a reminder of how special and important those that are lost truly are.

Elijah - 2 months

Elijah has been with us now for 2 whole months! Every day we look at him and are amazed at how sweet he is. Life has given us many challenges and with a simple glance at our children, we're reminded of how blessed we really are.

Up do!

Every year for dance, I've done Serenity's hair.. this year was no different. I hoped to find a style that was easy and fast, just in case I had to deal with the other kids. Thanks to YouTube I found a nice style that worked well.

Serenity was a pretty good sport about the process this year. In years past, she wasn't as patient or cooperative. Each year I'm completely overwhelmed at the transformation made on my little girl.. it gives me a glimpse of how beautiful she'll be in years to come. :)

Good ole dawg!

Annie is our crazy German Shepherd Dog. When I was out taking pictures of the swingset, Annie was looking so cute that I had to take some of her too. As the mother of a 9 year old daughter, it seemed strangely similar to taking pictures of her.. I struggled getting Annie to sit still, I struggled to get her to look at the camera. I whistled, I meowed, I made an array of odd noises and nothing happened! It was a challenge I wasn't prepared for, but it all worked out. My pooch is a bit weird at times but somewhere, deep down, I love her.. Sshh, don't tell anyone though.

Hello Swingset!!!

Okay, we've kept you in suspense for a few weeks now. The trampoline was taken away on clean-up day and the kids didn't seem to mind at all. A few days after its removal we had a swingset kit delivered. Here's how it all came about...

On Mother's Day we did some price shopping with the kids and informed them that we would be getting them a swingset, they were totally thrilled! It was even more exciting for them because we let them pick the one they wanted, even though both Ben and I wanted a different one. After the kit was delivered, we worked all weekend on construction but still had a lot to do. It was soo hard (for me) to stay inside and not work on constructing it for them during the week. With the unpredictable weather lately, it made completing the project more challenging than it should have been. It didn't help that I wasn't home one weekend and there are little kids running around all the time keeping us busy. We managed to get a few things done here and there along the way. For Serenity's recital, Ben's parents came to visit. Naturally, Grandpa Bruce couldn't keep his hands off the unfinished project and he and Ben completed the swingset in a few short hours.

The kids were elated! It's so fun to see them outdoors having a good time. :) Check it out.

Serenity's Dance Recital..

Serenity works hard all year at dance. She takes Jazz, Tap and Ballet at a local studio. The recital always comes at the end of the school year, this year was no different. The rehearsal, (pictures coming soon) was Thursday night last week (May 29), her last day of school (pictures coming soon) was Friday the 30th and the recital was Friday night.

It was a crazy week last week but we all survived and managed to have a great time as well.

Check out the pictures!

Oh so busy..

Time keeps flying by and so many things keep happening! I'm working on tons of pictures that need to be posted but time isn't my friend lately. I'll be better, until then, be patient! Thanks!