Henry knows...

Melts my heart.  If only I could have gotten it on video in his little Henry voice…

Mami: Henry, weisst du wie sehr Gott dich lieb hat?
Henry: Jaaaa.
Mami: Wie sehr?
Henry: Gott hat mi schoffen.  (Gott hat mich geschoffen.)

Seriously, so much better hearing it in person in his little voice and seeing him laying in bed in his dark room, but alas, at least I'm recording it for future memory here.

TRANSLATION here…
Henry, do you know how much God loves you?
Yeaaaa.
How much? (I'm expecting "soooo much" here.)
God created me.

That's right, buddy, He did.  And he loves you more than you or I or anyone could ever understand or comprehend.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

Matt's Favorites:

• 4 Day Weekends.  Did I mention that this weekend was the BEST?!?  We had a great mixture of go-time and home time and it was great and stress free.
• Productivity.  He's recently started his basement project and loves getting stuff planned and executed down there.  He did a lot of home projects when we moved, which he generally likes, but the other day he mentioned it's the first time he's gotten a 'Matt-project' in years.
• 2 year old Henry and 4 year old Claire.  Matt loves this stage of Henry and Claire's development.  They're independent and FUN to play with.  Matt's especially good at building with them, playing football, and the cuddles and "I love yous" that our princess wants from her prince. :) 
• I'm sure there are more, but we'll have to see what he says. ;)

Lauren's Favorites:

• Staying at home with the kids!  This past month or so, God has given me a newfound appreciation for getting to spend the whole day with Claire and Henry, and getting the opportunity to serve Matt and my family by keeping the house in order.  I am SO fortunate that we're able to be a one-income family and so thankful for God's grace.
• Friday morning small group!  I look forward to this time every other week when we get together with the mamas of young children and rejuvenate our hearts.
• Friday morning yoga!  I have been trying out different workout classes lately in an effort to avoid 5 am wake up calls.  I found a wonderfully relaxing, yet challenging, class at the Y on Friday mornings.  Claire and Henry love running around the gym and I love the yoga!
• Massages!  I almost didn't put this, because it seems pretty selfish.  I've had two in the past month at a local salon and loved every minute.
• Henry's language development.  In December, he started with two word 'sentences' and by early January, he's saying three and four word phrases together.  Lately, he's telling me he has "Angst vor _______" (that he is scared of _______ - which has been Claire when she's in a bad mood).
• "Real" conversations with Claire.  I love that she's getting smarter and developing her critical thinking skills more.  With Onkel Willi's death and with some other deaths this fall, we have talked about the privilege of getting to be with God after we die, and that "whosoever believes in me, will not die, but have everlasting life."  That got her thinking and in the van one day, she asked about the alternative.  What happens to people when they die but didn't follow Jesus?  I hesitated for a moment, because who really wants to actually talk about the alternative?  But, true to how I was brought up (no beating around the bush, sugar coating things), I told her about hell. I tried to keep it simple and not-so-scary (this is a little girl who is so compassionate that she genuinely cries when they take Dumbo's mama away from him, and who wants to close her eyes when the shark attacks Nemo's parents), and told her it was a bad place with a very mean man.  I just love that her character is developing and she is wondering about real life problems and decisions!
• Learning!  I have lately come to the realization that I can't learn everything I want as quickly as I want.  I have so much curiosity in a wide range of disciplines and I just have to start somewhere and use what time I have to learn.  Right now, I am really interested in the healing benefits of essential oils.  I am going to sign up for an essential oils company just for the discount (no parties or selling of this one!) and to learn more about it.  I am excited at the possibilities of more natural ways to stay healthy and reduce stress, among other benefits I'm sure I'll learn about.  Did you know that there are lots of essential oils used in the Bible?  Why do you think the wise men brought newborn Jesus frankincense and myrrh? :)

Claire's Favorites:

• Climbing.  She loves the be a gymnast and climb all over the treadmill.
• Reading!  She can spend hours looking at the illustrations and reading with Mama or Daddy.
• Sledding with Daddy.  Matt's done a great job of taking the kids outside down by the stream so they can sled.  She loves it!  Really, though, I think she loves anything with Daddy.  This girl craves her quality Daddy-time.  Who can blame her?!?
• School!  She loves Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings because she gets to go to school at church.  She also loves doing school at home and will ask to do schoolwork!  Having motivation to finish projects we start is a little different, though.  ;)

Henry's Favorites:

• Trains!  Anything and everything to do with them.  He especially loves his Thomas the Tank Engine books and can read them over, and over, and over, and over, and over.  ;)
• Climbing.  Once Claire showed him how to climb the treadmill, it was all downhill.
• Ripping.  Grrrrrr.  Henry loves to rip books.  He also really likes to read them, but the last couple months or two, he'll read for a while and then get it in his head that it would be fun to rip the pages.  I have gone through a LOT of packing tape trying to repair them…some better than others.
• Firetrucks.  He loves them and looks forward to the church nursery each week because Daddy reminds him what he gets to play with there!

Baby's Favorites (AKA Cravings):

• Cinnamon Rolls
• Pita Pit Chicken Provolone Pita
• Carbs in general…I haven't wanted eggs for breakfast for months now even though I tell myself the protein is so good for me. :(

Ball

Here's for all you Claire and Henry lovers...I've been absent from blogging, again.  Whoops!  :)

Last week, Claire, Henry, and I were in the Fair Parade to kick off fair week.  We wore our Thirty-One shirts and bags and waited almost two hours to walk in a thirty minute parade.  It was fun!  No, really, it was.  :)  Claire loved throwing candy to the kids, being on the 'other side' of the parade duties = no more spectatorship for her!  She has an arm!  She was chucking candy from one side of the street to the other and several spectators commented on her good arm.

I had told Matt about the phenomenon, and of course he wanted to see her in action.  So last weekend, we were all playing ball in the house.  It's a 'no-no' but we figured that the house was such a disaster that not much more could go wrong! ;)  Claire threw the ball to me and as Henry was standing with me, it hit him smack in the middle of his noggin.  He's pretty tough, but clearly he remembers what happened.  Today, over a week later, we were playing the 'where's the insert body part here?' game.  "Henry, wo ist deine Nase/dein Arm/dein Ohr/dein Bauch/dein Mund/etc.?"  When I asked him "Wo ist Henrys Kopf?" (Where is Henry's head?)  He put his hand on his head and said "ball."  Yes, love, Claire did hit you smack dab in the middle of your head last week.  I'm glad it still works better than ever, as you clearly remember.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles!

Happy 18 months, Henry!  You're a little joy and full of wonder and amazement.  As I sit here starting to write, I'm watching you play in the bathtub with your Thomas the Tank Engine train.  You're making "brummm...brummm...brummm" sounds as your train chugs up the wall of the shower, along the edges of the bathtub, over the bridge of the faucet.  I'm letting you stand...you're a risk taker.  Never sitting down, even for a second.  You've kept yourself occupied now for a while and I am observing with admiration of you and what a little boy you're becoming.  You were fearfully and wonderfully made.  One in a million, one of a kind.  You love anything with a motor.  This afternoon you stole away from the yard and headed straight to the shed, where you climbed the big green lawn mower and sat on the cushy yellow seat like a little man.  My little man.  Then when Daddy took a quick break to grab a water and a granola bar, you went right up to the running backhoe and tried to climb up it.  You might have been able to too, but I pulled you off before you got the chance to really try...it was running, after all.  The other day, you did climb up the steps to the tractor from the ground, on your own.  No fear.  While we were at the airport in Atlanta on the layover between Munich and home, you intently watched out the window for twenty-five minutes, the comings and goings of airplanes, baggage carts, and trucks.  Twenty-five minutes.  That's a long time for a little guy to be occupied with any one activity.  Your mama appreciated that break after the ten-plus hour flight though!  What I would give to have known exactly what you were thinking that whole time.  You're starting to talk a lot.  You make lots of different noises and have been experimenting lots lately with your voice!  You even use a few words: Daddy, Mama, of course, but now you say Mama with gusto, and repeat Mama until you get my attention.  You say Traktor (tractor), wawa (wasser/water), doh (dog).  You sign 'more' when you want to eat and 'drink' when you want water.  You dislike the taste of cow's milk.  You usually check your cup to see if we've given you water or milk, and if you see white, push the cup away.  The other day, though, you took a drink from Claire's cup and forgot to check and twisted your mouth in disgust.  You sign 'train' and point like a guy who knows what he wants.  The first thing you usually point to in the morning is your toy bin of tractors that's too high to reach.  You can occupy yourself with those for a long time, too.  You drive them along the tables, behind the log bin on the fireplace, on the TV (opps!), and anywhere else you see some landscape to conquer.  When Daddy gets home, you play tractors with him.  You find the field cultivator together so that you can do what Daddy's doing.  I'm pretty sure Daddy is looking forward to the day when he can teach you everything about the farm.  And you'll love it.  You are getting really good at letting us know what you see from your carseat.  You 'talk' to me when we're on the drive to town until I see what you see, whether it's a tractor, a train, a truck, cars, or a lake.  You're satisfied when you've shown me what you spied, until you spy the next thing to point out.  You are easy going, but you do let us know what you want.  Once we understand and take the necessary steps towards your goal, you let what was bothering you pass by quickly.  There's no drama from you.  At the table, you like to tease Mama that you're going to feed her and then pull your food away quickly.  You learned that game from your sister, and like the sound effects Mama makes each time you tease her.  That's not all you'll learn from her, of that I'm sure.  You like to read now, especially when Mami reads the book with you and we point out everything that we see.  Your favorite one right now is "Wieso? Weshalb? Warum? Laster, Bagger, und Traktoren."  You know right where it is and like to read it yourself.  I like reading it with you, too, and I even learn from it!  I love the things that you love and I love learning about them with you.  Because of you, Claire, and Daddy, I've learned the difference between a field cultivator and disc, have learned about the combine, the Korntank, tractors with loaders, Traktoren mit Allradtreib, augers, backhoes, and so much more.  You are growing into a fabulous little boy and I love watching your development and your personality grow.  I love being your Mami, Henry, and am so joyful that God choose us to be a family.  What an incredible gift!  Love, Your Mami

Eucharisteo

Eucharisteo.  It's a fancy word, Greek actually, that I've been focusing on lately.  Not so much on the word, but on what it means.  Charis = Grace.  Chara = Joy.  Eucharisteo = Thanksgiving.  It's pretty life changing, having this perspective.  If you're curious, look into it more.  The book that I've been reading is One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp.  I'd highly recommend it.  However, I do believe that it's not just the book, but the way that God is using the message of the author to change my heart.  He has a funny, and pretty perfect, way of doing that, you know?  :)

Here are a few things that I've been thankful for lately:
(And, admittedly, there are also a few crazy things here that I would not have been thankful for a month ago!)

• Laundry - piles and piles of 'never-ending and never-gets-put-away-before-there's-more' laundry!
• Littles climbing on me while I am stretching.
• Henry playing in mud puddles, throwing rocks and twigs into the puddles.
• Sitting and watching the goldfish at the museum, way longer than I would have chosen to sit.
• The drive to town on highways, while going only 55 mph.
• The breeze (okay, actually gusting wind) on my face!
• Country sunsets and early morning sun.
• Getting up at 5 am to start my day off right.
• Staying home during the day, whenever we can.
• Wild asparagus to harvest in the ditches.
• Exploration of the farm, the fields, and nature.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

I love paging through recipes to find wholesome, real meals to cook for our family.  Then I dream about that food!  I'm a foodie, thanks the the influence of Aunt Chris and my own craziness, but often times those recipes are a bit too labor intensive for me.  (I'll go try them in a restaurant anytime!)  Around here it only gets made and tested if it's also EASY!

I think my favorite meal...scratch that...I love all meals.  I really like breakfast!  Breakfast foods are usually so quick and easy to cook.  Plus I have two little mouths five days of the week who eat mostly whatever I give them and I don't have to listen to any complaints about onions in the food!  (clears throat)  ;)  Our standard is eggs and omelets with whatever meat, cheese, and veggies we have on hand or have to use up.  The whole family also loves pancakes and usually I make a buckwheat pancake that is tasty and super healthy!  Oatmeal ranks high because it is such an inexpensive food that packs a lot of nutrition.  Usually we top it with dried berries and nuts, but when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it.  Ingredients I already have on hand and easy, what could be better.  Yesterday I was also reading that walnuts provide a great source of Omega-3s, so now it gets bonus points!  And real maple syrup (which we used instead of honey) takes the cake!  (If you've never tried it, you may just be hooked and think that the corn syrup fake syrup is now...gross.)  Claire and Henry both loved it, so it is a keeper around here!

P.S.  If you have any recipes that fit the interesting and easy bill, send them my way!

Without further ado, here is the recipe for Pumpkin Oatmeal, courtesy of www.passionatehomemaking.com

2 cups rolled uncooked oats
3 1/2 cups coconut milk (or combination with water or other milk of your choice)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, dash of cloves)
Candied pecans/walnuts
Maple syrup or honey, to sweeten

1. In a medium saucepan, combine rolled oats, coconut milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla and spices. Mix till well blended.
2. Place saucepan over high heat on the stove and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Remove from heat and transfer to individual bowls and top with chopped nuts and sweetener of your choice. You may want to add a bit more milk to your taste.

Enjoy!

Yield: 4-5 servings.

Claire Writes

Claire wrote a couple letters while we headed home from Grandma and Grandpa Dodge's house today.  She's always taken a great interest in drawing/writing.  And her 'writing' just keeps getting better, and now actually writes a few letters.  She particularly likes 'H.'  Her drawings are also getting really good!  She drew a monster last month and it looks awesome!  It is similar to a closet monster from a book we read.  There was more content to the letters today, but here's what I remember...

"I am a lovely sister for Henry.  I love Grandma and Grandpa Dodge."  (Lovely sister...that she is.  Grandma Dodge must have said something like this to her this morning.)

"I love Grandma and Grandpa, Mark and Brenda.  I love Grandma and Grandpa Dodge."  (Hurry home, Grandma and Grandpa!  Someone has been missing you.)

"Mami and Daddy, Thank you for picking up my toys.  I'm gonna pick up my toys."  (Good thing that lesson from last night was remembered.  I am not sure how many times I told Claire to pick up her toys.  I helped her at first, but when I was the only one picking up and Miss Dawdler wasn't doing anything, I stopped helping.  So I set the timer for more than enough time.  When it went off and she hadn't made much of an effort, she lost everything that was still not put away.  Lucky for me, there were one or two things that she actually cared about losing in the stack - that is always a gamble.  So, let's hope that the "I'm gonna pick up my toys." sticks!)

Might I add that we are so fortunate to have such a supportive family who love to spend time with and watch our kiddos!  Grandpa mentioned on the way out how busy they are, and we all agreed that there is a good reason that 80 year olds don't have babies and little ones.  :)  (Imagine how the woman in the Bible must have felt (Sarah, was it?) having a baby at such a ripe age!  God must have given her the strength and energy to raise a little one!)

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb?

Wrong month, actually, but January looks like it was in like a lion - snowy at first - and out like a lamb - no snow here (besides a few piles here and there).  We wish there was more snow, but are thankful for the fact that the first month of the year had above average precipitation.  Hopefully that January rain will continue into the spring and summer!  Here's the picture recap from the last month or so!

Yep, we've still got it!  (Even though we're old and married, and us with kids.) 

A little Mad Gab for your evening fun.  Good thing Jaclyn was on my team - she gets competitive!! ;)

"Let me feed you!  Yum.yum.yum."

Amber and Sage visit!! - Future Marching Band

A Boy and His Dog

"What 'cha got?  What 'cha got?  What 'cha got?"  (Claire likes to put Riley's biscuits in her pocket and he follows her around sniffing and almost knocking her over until he's sure he has all of them!)

Little Mama with 'Baby' in her new Mei Tai!

Climber Extraordinaire while Daddy works on his hobbies. 

"Help!  I crawled under here to pull the cat's tail and now she ran away and I can't get out!"  (The kitties are amazingly patient with Henry's pulls.  We are working on gently petting them.)

"I'm getting pretty good with eating with a spoon!  Sometimes I squawk when Mami and Daddy don't give me utensils to eat like the big kids."

Picture 2: The Giant wreaks havoc on the town after his nap!  He crushes homes and pulls the Autobahn up in one fell swoop.

Picture 1: Architects Claire and Mami plan a town, complete with a business district, parking ramp, 2 Autobahns, housing area.  Look closely!  The skyscraper hospital even has a helicopter pad!  (I did want to be an architect at one point in high school.  Good thing I went with teaching and motherhood.)

I love breakfast.  And my sweet boy.

CHEERIOS!  The luxury of a Saturday when Daddy's home.   Mama has us eat omelets, pancakes, oatmeal, and other homemade goodness when he's not here.

Henry the Destroyer!  (Seriously people, this is the most curious kid you've ever known.)

Daddy's Little Helper: Painting the basement walls in their work clothes!  I tried to throw some old shoes of Claire's away today because Riley had chewed them, and she talked me into keeping them as her work shoes for when they paint the basement floor.

Part 1 Addendum

Henry also likes spicier foods, I think!  He loves the spaghetti I make with Italian sausage, whereas Claire sometimes thinks it's a bit too spicy.  This week we've been out to two Mexican restaurants (unusual that we go out so much!) with Grandma and Grandpa and Omi, Opa, Onkel Alex, and Tante Jaclyn, and he's gone crazy dipping his chips in the salsa.  This may not be spicy in some people's definition, but according to Omi, "it's got a little kick to it!"  I am relieved to notice this about Henry, because for a while I thought we had a picky eater on our hands.  Luckily he is proving me wrong! ;)

I'm in LOVE! - Part 1: Henry Matthew

My kids are great!  I'm in love!  It seems like tragedy has been evident lately.  It really makes me appreciate that we are healthy and happy and safe.  Here are some of the wonderful updates that I want to record before I forget.

Thirteen months is so fun!  I love my little Henry and can't believe he's now a toddler.  He's been walking since about two weeks after November 12th, his first birthday.  He toddles everywhere, quite quickly actually!  Big cooking spoons and whisks are his favorite.  He loves to carry them around when he's on the move (which is pretty much always!).

(Unless you want details of our routine, skip this paragraph.  I'm typing it more for myself, to remember what I love about this time with Henry, but it may bore you...)
My favorite time with him is before nap time or bedtime.  We moved him from our room to Claire's room about a week before Christmas because we really wanted him to learn to sleep on his own and having his crib in our room was just not working.  He learned so quickly, literally in about two nights, that we're thinking we maybe should have moved him sooner! ;)  He soothes himself by laying on his belly and kicking his feet against the mattress, so cute!!  Since moving into his big boy room (meaning he's not with mama and daddy anymore) we have started a sleep time routine that I love, because it's all about him!  It's the one time in the day when I can give him my undivided attention.  Claire usually stays downstairs and plays while I'm putting him down for nap, and then she and Daddy read books downstairs when I'm putting Henry to bed.  Henry knows exactly what to do when we go upstairs to his room.  He heads over to the books, and pulls a few down that he 'wants' to read.  He really loves books now!  He loves to look at them and turn the pages.  His current favorites are a peek a boo book with holes and a favorite things book with holes in the pages.  While we are reading, he pulls down the sock basket and dumps them all out, sometimes over his head like it's raining socks.  Then he wears the basket as a hat and also gives me a turn, handing the basket over.  We sing the "Mein Hut, der hat drei Ecken..." song and play with and read books in between.  He also loves pulling Claire's clothes out of the dresser drawers while we're upstairs.  Then we have our cuddle nursing time and sing "Der Mond ist aufgegangen" and "Guten Abend, Gut' Nacht" before I put him into bed.  "Ich liebe dich, bis zum Mond und wieder zurueck, mein Maeuschen."

Henry is so fast that he can disappear in seconds.  He's getting good at playing independently for a few minutes at a time.  Often when he's all of a sudden gone, our best bet is to look upstairs.  Lately he's been sneaking up there and opening all the dresser drawers and emptying Daddy's clothes out of them.  He also loves to snuggle up in Claire's bed with the big comforter (which right now is a mattress on the floor in our room).

My little guy has such a sense of humor!  We play this game where he makes a noise and then I imitate him.  Each few times of doing this and he starts to giggle, and of course I encourage him by joining in the laughter.  He laughs so much and it's so good for my heart!  I need to record it.  :)

One of the things I love about thirteen months is that he is starting to understand and communicate so much.  A few days ago, he finally started saying mamamamamamama.  It hasn't been totally clear that he is referring to me specifically, but I'm pretty sure he means Mama when he says it.  I can tell that he understands some simple questions and phrases.  Today we were watching Daddy outside as he was going to the burn pile, and we were talking about Daddy and then the cats and I could tell Henry was following what I was saying.  He likes to do "Wie gross ist Henry?  SOOO gross!"  (How big is Henry?  SOOO big!) and to do 'so big' with me in reference to other BIG things.  He is also making sounds that we think are words, like ba for ball and uuh for up.  He knows the signs for 'more' and 'all done' and sometimes uses them.  Yesterday Matt gave Henry a tiny piece of brownie, and he immediately and enthusiastically signed 'more!'  And on top of that, he definitely communicates in other ways, like lots of pointing and noise making if he is trying to tell us something or isn't happy!  ;)

Henry loves to CLIMB!  We've known this for a while.  Even the church nursery staff have made several comments about his super climbing abilities.  Tonight, he climbed onto the fireplace brick.  I set him next to the table and told him to climb onto that instead (which he understood...yay!).  So, he climbed onto one side of the table, crawled across, turned around, and climbed down the other side.  Then he walked back around to the starting side.  He did this probably a dozen times and was having so much fun with it!

Big news for Henry is that his very own big boy room is almost done!  And it's the exact same big boy room that Matt had.  I have to admit that it's pretty cool that we're now on the family farm and we can create memories here with our little family, and that Matt has so many good memories of growing up here.  Matt replaced the cardboard tile ceiling with drywall, hung a new ceiling fan, and gave it a couple fresh coats of bright green paint (what could be better for a kids' room!) and the carpet is being installed this week!  A beautiful and bright dinosaur quilt that a very talented friend sweetly made will finally be hung to decorate the wall, and it will be complete!  I am more excited than Henry.  ;)

Season of Thanksgiving

Really, Thanksgiving is a season, right?  It spans from November through December, as we reflect on all that we've been given in December as well.  So...

Thankful #18 - The Family Ministry Team at our church!  Glory to God in the Highest!  I am on this team and it's right where I'm suppose to be.  Yesterday, I enjoyed an AMAZING break for parents and indulged a little - vanilla latte at the local coffee shop on Main street with my feet up, next to the fireplace, reading the best book, and talking to God...courtesy of the volunteers for Christmas Break for Parents.  My friend, Katie, took a shower during her break.  She was pumped.  Yes, only as a mother of young kids do you get so excited to take a shower alone, in peace.  :)

Thankful #19 - Opportunity!  Matt and I were just reflecting a bit on this tonight.  Our parents and grandparents have given us so much opportunity and for that we are incredibly thankful.  Mom and Dad, Mark and Brenda - you know what you've done!

Thankful #20 - New Friends!  In no way will they replace the strong friendships that we have built with old friends, but it's nice to have something planned with another couple and their son in our new location - they're coming over for dinner this month.  (Yes, we had to plan that far in advance.)  And I am feeling more connected at our church.  God is good...all the time.

Thankful #21 - Claire Claire.  Love her.  She was so cute tonight.  I was nursing Henry in bed tonight and she came up and put Baby to bed in our room.  She prayed with her - thanking God for Mama, Daddy, Opa...and others.  Then she sang our lullaby to her, gave her a cuddly "Schnuffeltuch" (cuddle toy) and tucked her in.  I realize that many little girls do this, but when MY little girl does it, I think she's wonderful.

Thankful #22 - Hen-ro (Henry).  He is really cool, he can walk now and loves to point at things.  Mostly balloons.  Sometimes Mommy or the Christmas tree.  Otherwise he loves to say "ga" or "da" (I think he is part Russian).

GUEST POST in purple by the one and only, Matty!

A Little Behind, but Still Thankful...

Day 9 - My awesome Aunt Chris!  I love her so much and she's so special to me.  We have a wonderful relationship and I can always count on her!  She's got a great sense of humor, is a whiz in the kitchen, and it's always fun spending time with her.  She's greatly influenced my life, giving me a wonderful curiosity for trying new foods and experiences!


Day 10 - Thankful for a wonderful family-in-law!  I love that Matt has a big family and am blessed that they include me as one of the bunch!  And I am thankful for Aunt Sue helping decorate Henry's cupcakes. :)

Day 11 - My brother and sister-in-law, as friends.  Alex and Jaclyn are great to spend time with, just the four of us.  We have gotten to spend more time with just them since moving, and that's definitely a positive!

Day 12 - It's my baby boy's birthday!  I'm incredibly thankful for Henry Matthew.  :)

Day 13 -  I'm thankful for my longest friend, Kristin!  We met and became friends the summer before sixth grade.  A few weeks ago, while organizing, I read what she wrote in my high school graduation guestbook.  It was something like "It's been fun knowing you."  Her mom, Lori, wrote, "Keep in touch!"  Little did we know that we would become even closer not seeing each other everyday (during golf season).  She is SUCH a great friend.  We can always pick up right where we left off, she is so easy to talk to, encouraging, and genuinely interested in my day, even if I have nothing spectacular to share.  I love her so much!

Day 14 - My mother-in-law!  She always is willing to help out when we ask.  Last week, on her day off, she came over for four hours to help with the kids and distract them while I cleaned.  Since then, the house has been 'in order.'  And let me tell you, when the house is in order, everyone is more relaxed and we enjoy each day a bit more!

Day 15 - Refreshing conversations with close friends - today with Jen while the girls played together, and also for phone conversations.  It makes my heart happy! :)

Day 16 - I'm thankful that I'm healthy and for the health of my family!  I want to take up cross-country skiing.  I have been walking.  I do not want to take for granted that the Lord gave me good health.  I want to honor Him by taking care of myself!

Day 17 - So thankful for my husband's attitude, helpfulness, and work ethic!

Days 7 & 8 - Family!

Day 7 -
I'm super thankful for being born to great, loving parents!  They taught me to be compassionate, modeled a great work ethic, and instilled in me the importance of financial responsibility.  Without them, I wouldn't have gotten the fortunate start that I did.

Day 8 -
Mom and Dad also gifted me a brother and I'm blessed to have a great relationship with him!  Alex is one of my best friends and I'm so proud of him!

November 6 - Freedom!

Today I'm thankful for the freedom to choose to worship the Lord and pray in public; the freedom to choose my spouse; the freedom to keep and raise my children, boy or girl; the freedom to become educated, especially as a woman; the freedom to choose our country's leaders; the freedom to work as a woman; and the freedom that comes with working from home with my own business.

In many countries or cultures, all or some of these are still denied!  Atrocity.

Day 5 - My two lights!

Claire and Henry are the lights of my day!  I love their smiles and playing and curiosity and love.  The other night, Claire told Matt, "Daddy, I wanna play with Mama."  We had been playing Mama Monster and she loves it because she has my undivided attention - my goal - pursuing her - and it's fun too!  I love spending time with my kiddos and a family and am so grateful God has entrusted us to raise them. I am so grateful that they still love spending time with me, as I know it won't always be so!  I pray that I can be the type of parent that is respected, but still fun, that I can set an example for my kiddos and their friends, even in those teen and college years, so much so that they will 'want' to hang out with me and their friends every once in a while. :)

November 4 - Non-negotiables

Matt and I are both so grateful for amazing friends that feel like family, and for celebrating special occasions together!  Today we were honored to be included in celebrating the baptism of Benjamin John.  He's just a little peanut, but God already has so much in store for him!

Sometime within these past six months, I heard about 'non-negotiables.'  It may have even been from a movie, but I liked it and it stuck with me.  The advice whomever gave was to make some events non-negotiables in your best friends' lives.  For example, a wedding would be a non-negotiable, meaning you'd do everything you possibly could to make it to a friends' wedding.  It shows value in the relationship and support for the life event, not to mention creating memories together, which is super important to this 'quality time' minded girl!  I talked with Matt about this idea, and we decided we liked it and it was a good way to ensure that we stay in touch with friends that we don't live near (let's face it, that's ALL our friends right now!).  It's so important to us to keep these wonderful friendships strong that we made in DSM, even though we've moved!  So...births, baptisms, 1st birthdays, weddings, and sadly, deaths...non-negotiables!  And THAT'S why we had a road trip today...and it was well worth the time in the car!

November 3 - I'm His

Today I'm thankful that I get my worth from the Lord.  That means even when I've done everything wrong, and am feeling at my worst, I can take comfort in knowing He made me in His image, to glorify Him, and I can do all things in Him who gives me strength.

Lately I've noticed my need for that strength more!  Whoever said this being a mama thing was easy had never tried it.  I actually did think, in a way, that being at home with my kids would be 'easier,' though that's not the right word.  It definitely is more laid back and flexible as far as schedules, getting out the door by a certain time, are concerned.  But it is in no way easier.  I think it wears me out even more than teaching!  Matt and I are both exhausted by the end of a day of parenting.  There have been a few days lately when I've really felt like I'm doing nothing right, and yes, that's in my exhausted state of mind, but it's then that I turn to God and ask Him to remind me that I'm His.  He has adopted me as His daughter.  And even though I'm not doing this whole parenting thing perfectly (and as much as I try to do it perfectly!), I have faith that my Savior is in control.  His plan is greater!  He has marked my children as His since the day they were conceived, and He knows them better than anyone, and though they may stray, He will always have open arms when they run back to Him!

November 2 - 30 Days of Thankful

Today I have been thankful for sleep, especially super restful and rejuvenating sleep!  When I woke up this morning, I was astonished to see the time - 6:30.  Henry had let me sleep from 11 until 6:30.  Folks, this was big news!  Then he slept with me until 8.  I woke up feeling...tired?!?  Yes!  But only because it was the best I'd slept in...well, 11.5 months.  I had slept so soundly, but felt great once I woke up!

Grandma Diekema always told mom, "All the while they're asleep they're growing taller, and all the while they're awake they're growing smarter!"  Henry is going to be one smart cookie!

In other news...yesterday and today, Henry has been a more motivated walker.  He has been standing up and then walking to objects and people without our prompting.  He also had a great time climbing today...the stairs, boxes, chairs.  He was pretty proud of himself for getting up on the living room chair.

Claire was a super good mama today and made sure her baby had a clean diaper, went poo on the potty, and had warm pjs on.  Yesterday she fed Baby chili and cheerios.  Yep, she's a good mama.  She's been imaginative playing more lately.  It's so fun to watch.  She also had to call the doctor several times on her cell today to report that Henry was injured.  She even made him an appointment.

Cross your fingers that Henry sleeps well again tonight.  Matt is even hopeful (hence sleeping in our bed again).  We'll see!  :)

November 1

I'm SO very thankful for my husband, Matt!  Especially when he recognizes what I need and does something seemingly little that makes my day or makes me feel a ton better!  :)

Last weekend as I was heading out the door to a 31 event, he ran outside in his socks as I was driving away to give me the pancake that he'd just finished cooking...all so I could have breakfast.  I couldn't stop smiling!

Then yesterday, when I wasn't feeling so great about myself after shopping and not finding anything that I was happy with, he invited us in to his work for lunch.  He knows that sometimes lunch is a stressful time at home when it's rushed before naptime, so he thought it would make it easier on me to eat lunch together (even though he'd already eaten!).

(So I jumped on the thankful bandwagon.  I was just going to do it on Facebook, but I think it would be great to have this record!)

Jesus Love Me, This I Know

As we were driving to preschool this morning, I was singing Jesus Loves Me to Claire and Henry.  It's pretty typical that we are singing in the car whenever we're not talking, but this song was a new one.  It took a while to get it flowing too, as it was the first time I'd ever tried to translate it while singing.  You can imagine.  ;)  Anyway, Claire was loving it and kept asking "noch mal" (again) everytime I finished.  She got to talking more and clearly didn't have a clue who Jesus was.  I guess we're a lot better about saying "God" than "Jesus."  So I went into this explanation about Jesus being God's son just like Henry was Daddy's son, how God sent Jesus to the world to die for sinners, and that she and I and everyone were sinners.  I tried explaining how every time we make a bad decision, that's sinning.  And how God loved us so much that he forgives us every single time we ask for His forgiveness.  Well, I thought we were doing pretty good at understanding all this.  Then Claire replied, "I'm licking my toothbrush."

Claire's Three Year Old Wandering Mind: 1.  Mami's Explanation: 0.

I just had to laugh!  :)