Sunday, January 1, 2012
Miscellaneous Moments
These are just a few pictures from the end of 2011 of some sweet moments between my three favorite kiddos. No explanation necessary!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
End of the Year Recap
I know, I know, I'm a terrible blogger...blah, blah, blah. I have no excuses except laziness and lack of motivation. I've just not been in the mood to blog...and yet there is this nagging guilt in the back of my mind that reminds me that this is all I've got for recording my family's memories. Blank baby books sit on shelves; I haven't had a photo printed in YEARS, unless I have a specific purpose for one here or there so, needless to say, photo albums are nonexistent after Gabbie's second year of life.
That leaves this blog. And I don't even think anyone reads here anymore (except for my hubby because I tell him to check it out the second I hit publish on a new post--hi, Danny!) but I'm doing this for my kids. And myself. I actually feel semi-creative and inspired when I spend my time here (but obviously, that feeling doesn't last very long).
So, I won't be making any New Year's resolutions about blogging more regularly...I will consider it an accomplishment if I do a quick catch-up post once a month or so...but I will at least try for my own catharsis. So, here we go with a quick rundown of Fall 2011 in our neck of the woods:
Gabbie is a Kindergartner. It came as no surprise to us, but she is flourishing in school and the entire experience (so far) has far exceeded our expectations. Danny & I (okay, mostly me) agonized over our decision on how to best educate her this year and, in the end, we felt that public school was the right option at this point in our lives. I won't go into all of the details or reasoning (but I'd be more than happy to chat/email about it, if you're curious), but it was/is a decision we are completely at peace with.
Her teacher is an absolutely perfect fit--not only for Gabbie, but also for her slightly neurotic mom--and is really challenging Gabbie--not only academically, but in developing her into a better human being. And we couldn't be more pleased.
Gabbie has made many new friends and, in the process, Danny & I have also gained new friends with their parents and grandparents. We feel more connected to our little community than ever and pray that we will use these opportunities to bring God the most glory by any means necessary.
A couple of closing thoughts on the whole school thing: First, when we decided to enroll Gabbie in school, we also committed to being as involved as we possibly could in her education. For me, that has meant being the co-room mom for her class and volunteering in her classroom as an extra set of hands for her teacher. For Danny, it has meant helping out A LOT with drop-off and pick-up (there are no buses in our little town so everyone walks/drives to school which isn't always the most convenient thing with three kids) and also showing up to "surprise" her (and her friends) once a month or so in the school cafeteria for lunch.
I am so thankful for Danny's willingness to have an active part in our children's lives and that he takes great delight in spending special time with our kids. He is simply the best! And you better believe Gabbie LOVES every minute of her lunch dates with Daddy (he'll take it while he can get it!).
Onto the good stuff!
I hardly have any pictures of this trip because we were so busy just soaking up the love with our family and friends but it was a great time! It was our first time down since Jonah was born and we followed the lead of our brother- and sister-in-law and drove through the night on the way down. Danny didn't love it (he did all of the driving) but he was a trouper and agreed that it was SO nice to not hear a peep the whole way down and the first time the kids opened their eyes, we were about 20 minutes from his house! We did the drive back home during the daytime and although the kids didn't sleep the whole time, they were so, so, so well behaved!
Not much to say about this holiday except that I scored Luke's costume for $3.75 the day before Halloween and the other two kids wore old costumes we had lying around the house--hooray for a bargain! We enjoy trick-or-treating as a family and visiting with some neighbors whom we wouldn't see otherwise and, if I remember correctly, the weather was just perfect. Lots of fun!
Christmas was bittersweet this year as we said goodbye to Grandma Norquist after a long battle with cancer but some of the pain was lessened as we were surrounded by family we don't get to see very often.
The kids are all at great ages for Christmas and we enjoyed many sweets and treats of the season! Each day of the holiday season was magical to them and I don't know who was more excited for the long-awaited gifts--them or me! So much fun, celebrating this time of year with kids!
Well, that's my (long-winded) recap of the end of 2011. I will be back to post a few miscellaneous pictures and videos that didn't quite fit into this post.
I make no promises about my blogging habits in 2012, but I know regardless of what makes the blog, memories are still being made every day.
That leaves this blog. And I don't even think anyone reads here anymore (except for my hubby because I tell him to check it out the second I hit publish on a new post--hi, Danny!) but I'm doing this for my kids. And myself. I actually feel semi-creative and inspired when I spend my time here (but obviously, that feeling doesn't last very long).
So, I won't be making any New Year's resolutions about blogging more regularly...I will consider it an accomplishment if I do a quick catch-up post once a month or so...but I will at least try for my own catharsis. So, here we go with a quick rundown of Fall 2011 in our neck of the woods:
Gabbie's First Day of School
Gabbie is a Kindergartner. It came as no surprise to us, but she is flourishing in school and the entire experience (so far) has far exceeded our expectations. Danny & I (okay, mostly me) agonized over our decision on how to best educate her this year and, in the end, we felt that public school was the right option at this point in our lives. I won't go into all of the details or reasoning (but I'd be more than happy to chat/email about it, if you're curious), but it was/is a decision we are completely at peace with.
Her teacher is an absolutely perfect fit--not only for Gabbie, but also for her slightly neurotic mom--and is really challenging Gabbie--not only academically, but in developing her into a better human being. And we couldn't be more pleased.
Gabbie has made many new friends and, in the process, Danny & I have also gained new friends with their parents and grandparents. We feel more connected to our little community than ever and pray that we will use these opportunities to bring God the most glory by any means necessary.
A couple of closing thoughts on the whole school thing: First, when we decided to enroll Gabbie in school, we also committed to being as involved as we possibly could in her education. For me, that has meant being the co-room mom for her class and volunteering in her classroom as an extra set of hands for her teacher. For Danny, it has meant helping out A LOT with drop-off and pick-up (there are no buses in our little town so everyone walks/drives to school which isn't always the most convenient thing with three kids) and also showing up to "surprise" her (and her friends) once a month or so in the school cafeteria for lunch.
I am so thankful for Danny's willingness to have an active part in our children's lives and that he takes great delight in spending special time with our kids. He is simply the best! And you better believe Gabbie LOVES every minute of her lunch dates with Daddy (he'll take it while he can get it!).
Onto the good stuff!
(Crazy Sock Day)
(Hat Day)
(A Thanksgiving turkey project)
(Holiday Party/Pajama Day)
(Gabbie and her student teacher, Miss M, on Miss M's last day.)
Trip to Tennessee
I hardly have any pictures of this trip because we were so busy just soaking up the love with our family and friends but it was a great time! It was our first time down since Jonah was born and we followed the lead of our brother- and sister-in-law and drove through the night on the way down. Danny didn't love it (he did all of the driving) but he was a trouper and agreed that it was SO nice to not hear a peep the whole way down and the first time the kids opened their eyes, we were about 20 minutes from his house! We did the drive back home during the daytime and although the kids didn't sleep the whole time, they were so, so, so well behaved!
Halloween
Not much to say about this holiday except that I scored Luke's costume for $3.75 the day before Halloween and the other two kids wore old costumes we had lying around the house--hooray for a bargain! We enjoy trick-or-treating as a family and visiting with some neighbors whom we wouldn't see otherwise and, if I remember correctly, the weather was just perfect. Lots of fun!
Christmas
Christmas was bittersweet this year as we said goodbye to Grandma Norquist after a long battle with cancer but some of the pain was lessened as we were surrounded by family we don't get to see very often.
The kids are all at great ages for Christmas and we enjoyed many sweets and treats of the season! Each day of the holiday season was magical to them and I don't know who was more excited for the long-awaited gifts--them or me! So much fun, celebrating this time of year with kids!
Well, that's my (long-winded) recap of the end of 2011. I will be back to post a few miscellaneous pictures and videos that didn't quite fit into this post.
I make no promises about my blogging habits in 2012, but I know regardless of what makes the blog, memories are still being made every day.
Happy New Year!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Things I don't want to forget...
**For the record, I wrote this post 6+ months ago and never posted it. I'm throwing it up here now so that I have it for posterity's sake.
Gabbie: (with her hand over her racing heart) Wow, Mom, you have to feel this. God's really running around in there!
Gabbie: (referring to one of the numbers in her dance recital) Do you think we'll get to see the "Wizard of Odd" at rehearsal?
While playing outside, I spotted one of the hundreds of rabbits that live in our yard. "Jonah, do you see the bunny rabbit?" I asked. Thinking I was talking about something else, Jonah lifted his shirt and searched for his belly button.
Gabbie: (while watching Luke play a bowling game on my phone) C'mon, Luke. Put some mustard [muscle] in it.
Luke: (whining while watching TV during Jonah's naptime) Moooommmmmyyy! I don't want to watch this movie. I'm allergic to it. [*cough cough*]
Gabbie: (with her hand over her racing heart) Wow, Mom, you have to feel this. God's really running around in there!
Gabbie: (referring to one of the numbers in her dance recital) Do you think we'll get to see the "Wizard of Odd" at rehearsal?
While playing outside, I spotted one of the hundreds of rabbits that live in our yard. "Jonah, do you see the bunny rabbit?" I asked. Thinking I was talking about something else, Jonah lifted his shirt and searched for his belly button.
Gabbie: (while watching Luke play a bowling game on my phone) C'mon, Luke. Put some mustard [muscle] in it.
Luke: (whining while watching TV during Jonah's naptime) Moooommmmmyyy! I don't want to watch this movie. I'm allergic to it. [*cough cough*]
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Summer Recap
It may have been quiet around this ol' blog lately but that's not a reflection of our lives this summer. As we're currently engrossed in our newest phase of life--GABBIE'S IN KINDERGARTEN!!!--there is no way I will ever sit down to blog about each summer activity individually, so here is a mishmash post of everything we've been up to these past few months...
Gabbie:
Gabbie is a lean, mean, reading machine! She started with very basic Dick & Jane books in March or April and is now reading Magic Tree House chapter books with little-to-no help. She amazes us every day with all that she can read and comprehend...and nothing is safe anymore! She reads my texts, she can figure out what Danny and I are saying if we try and S-P-E-L-L things out in front of the kids, and heaven forbid you try and check your email in front of her--good thing we have no secrets!
Gabbie also got her ears pierced this summer. We have always, jokingly, asked her every time we were at the mall if she wanted to get them done and one day she just said yes. I was a little leery when she did it because the store only had one "ear piercer" on staff that day which meant she had to get her ears done one at a time. I was worried she'd chicken out after the first earring and then we'd have a real problem on our hands. As it turned out, she did just fine with the piercings and put up more of a fight with me having to clean them three times a day for the next six weeks. We're past all of that now and she loves her little bit of ear bling.
Luke:
Luke is very into make-believe right now and is always one of the following characters at any point in a given day: firefighter, cowboy, golfer, basketball player, baseball player, football player, David (of "David & Goliath"), or Buzz "Lipe"-year (as he pronounces it). It's hard to keep up and if we don't refer to him as the proper character, he will either correct us or ignore us completely. It's a very serious thing!
Luke's big accomplishment this summer has been potty training! We started right after our trip to Myrtle Beach and he caught on pretty quickly. He now gets on and off the potty by himself and doesn't need help with his pants or underwear. We are so proud of him can't believe how big he's getting!
Jonah:
Where do I start with Jonah? This is such a fun age as he seems to change and mature in leaps and bounds. He is talking up a STORM and even gives Gabbie a run for her money. The clarity of his words is astounding and his comprehension is amazing. He has such a great personality and is a very funny little guy. He loves to make us laugh and always has time to give a hug and a kiss. I am really looking forward to Luke & Jonah's budding relationship as they spend much more quality time together while Gabbie is in school.
Jonah had his first haircut this summer. No more wild curls for this boy! He looks so grown up now. He did okay at the salon. He started out sitting in the cool race car chair but ended up in my lap for most of the actual hair cut. We gave him a lollipop (his first) which really helped him sit still. (I took all three kids to the salon without Danny so Gabbie had to take pictures for me since I was holding Jonah.)
Family:
We enjoyed a week down in Cape May, as is our summer tradition, and this year did not disappoint. Apparently, it was the only week of the entire summer that it rained nearly every day but that didn't stop us from being out and about. We spent a day at the beach, the zoo, the boardwalk, Storybook Land, and of course, Wildwood. I didn't take many pictures that week but I did get a few.
Church:
We're currently in the thick of an outreach-oriented fall but I wanted to highlight a few special summer events that always mean a lot to our family. We had our annual VBS with a Jonah theme called "Wet & Wild Week." We saw around 80 kids over the course of the week and raised over $600 for a family in our church who will soon be full time missionaries in Haiti. The kids had a great time and for my kids, particularly, this is the highlight of their entire summer.
We also had our annual "Friends & Family Picnic" at a local park and had around 140 people attend. This is always one of my favorite events at our church. The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and the time with friends is priceless. Such a fun and easy way to reach out to people who might not attend a church service but have no problem hanging at a cookout. Lots of fun!
Gabbie:
Gabbie is a lean, mean, reading machine! She started with very basic Dick & Jane books in March or April and is now reading Magic Tree House chapter books with little-to-no help. She amazes us every day with all that she can read and comprehend...and nothing is safe anymore! She reads my texts, she can figure out what Danny and I are saying if we try and S-P-E-L-L things out in front of the kids, and heaven forbid you try and check your email in front of her--good thing we have no secrets!
Gabbie also got her ears pierced this summer. We have always, jokingly, asked her every time we were at the mall if she wanted to get them done and one day she just said yes. I was a little leery when she did it because the store only had one "ear piercer" on staff that day which meant she had to get her ears done one at a time. I was worried she'd chicken out after the first earring and then we'd have a real problem on our hands. As it turned out, she did just fine with the piercings and put up more of a fight with me having to clean them three times a day for the next six weeks. We're past all of that now and she loves her little bit of ear bling.
Luke:
Luke is very into make-believe right now and is always one of the following characters at any point in a given day: firefighter, cowboy, golfer, basketball player, baseball player, football player, David (of "David & Goliath"), or Buzz "Lipe"-year (as he pronounces it). It's hard to keep up and if we don't refer to him as the proper character, he will either correct us or ignore us completely. It's a very serious thing!
Luke's big accomplishment this summer has been potty training! We started right after our trip to Myrtle Beach and he caught on pretty quickly. He now gets on and off the potty by himself and doesn't need help with his pants or underwear. We are so proud of him can't believe how big he's getting!
Jonah:
Where do I start with Jonah? This is such a fun age as he seems to change and mature in leaps and bounds. He is talking up a STORM and even gives Gabbie a run for her money. The clarity of his words is astounding and his comprehension is amazing. He has such a great personality and is a very funny little guy. He loves to make us laugh and always has time to give a hug and a kiss. I am really looking forward to Luke & Jonah's budding relationship as they spend much more quality time together while Gabbie is in school.
Jonah had his first haircut this summer. No more wild curls for this boy! He looks so grown up now. He did okay at the salon. He started out sitting in the cool race car chair but ended up in my lap for most of the actual hair cut. We gave him a lollipop (his first) which really helped him sit still. (I took all three kids to the salon without Danny so Gabbie had to take pictures for me since I was holding Jonah.)
Family:
We enjoyed a week down in Cape May, as is our summer tradition, and this year did not disappoint. Apparently, it was the only week of the entire summer that it rained nearly every day but that didn't stop us from being out and about. We spent a day at the beach, the zoo, the boardwalk, Storybook Land, and of course, Wildwood. I didn't take many pictures that week but I did get a few.
Church:
We're currently in the thick of an outreach-oriented fall but I wanted to highlight a few special summer events that always mean a lot to our family. We had our annual VBS with a Jonah theme called "Wet & Wild Week." We saw around 80 kids over the course of the week and raised over $600 for a family in our church who will soon be full time missionaries in Haiti. The kids had a great time and for my kids, particularly, this is the highlight of their entire summer.
Hope your summer was a good one!
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