What a year!

What an amazing year it's been!!  We are having a cozy NYE at home tonight.  Christmas was great, and Dan and I have both been on vacation this week, so we've just been hanging out and spending time together (and trying to find spots to put all those Christmas gifts!).

As always, I find myself reflecting on the year that is ending, and it's been another full one.  In this year:

Gabe started kindergarten (and started reading).



He also lost his two bottom front teeth (9/24 and 10/30).



Caleb was potty trained.



We got a dog.



The boys became friends.



Dan ran his first half- and full-marathons.



We moved the boys into a shared room with bunk beds (last night!).

The list could go on.  My heart is so full as I think of all the ways God has blessed us this year (and every year).  May I be grateful and content as we start this new year and each day remind myself God's faithfulness to me and my family.

To all of our friends and famly, we love each one of you and appreciate all the ways you have brought joy to our lives this year.

Happy New Year!

this is my post from dan's phone

I'm experimenting with dan's phone speaking into this phone and posting pictures of my dog. I sure love that dog! Is this doug was a cat I would prolly name it polly :-)

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Beaming

Tonight we had our first parent-teacher conference with Gabe's kindergarten teacher.  We weren't entirely sure what to expect, and though we weren't really expecting anything really negative (what parent does?! :-)), we left feeling exceptionally proud.  I can't help but share some of his teacher's comments from his progress report:

Academic
"Gabe is our curious little guy who loves to find out the how and why of things.  He listens intently when facts of a topic are discussed and adds his knowledge of the subject.  When Gabe speaks, people listen!  His knowledge of letter sounds is making the move to reading become more natural and fun! Sometimes Gabe even surprises himself as he decodes a new word.  As his confidence soars, so does his ability to tackle new letter combinations.  He enjoys our phonetic awareness (auditory substitutions and word changes), and takes an active part in class response.  Gabe completes activities without distracting others, nor is he easily distracted - that's a true gift for a little guy!"

Social / Emotional:
"Gabe is the perfect combination of fun-loving litte guy, while being 100% in control of his actions and emotions with his friends.  Thus Gabe is a sough after and trusted friend - his friends know they can depend on Gabe to play fairly and cooperatively.  He displays the perfect balance of leadership qualities and the ability to listen to others and follow their lead - unless someone tries to be "bossy."  Then Gabe remains true to himself and will not just do what the "boss" says.  That's maturity!"

Spiritual
"Gabe enjoys listening to stories of Bible heroes and adding his knowledge of the stories.  He is awed by the power and presence of God in his life and of His never ending love for him."

Physical
"Gabe shows good agility, confidence and speed in movement.  He jumps on one foot, two feet and is developing a step-hop skip."


Again, just so proud of him, but am also fascinated by: a.) the fact that we are even at a point in our lives where we are going to "parent-teacher conferences," and, b.) hearing another person's perspective on my child's personality.  I find it very interesing to hear about his behavior when he's away from us, and am so glad to hear that he's doing well.  Makes me feel a little better about transitioning to this stage (though sometimes I still want to keep him little!).

Thanks for letting me share a proud mom moment.  :-)

Hi, My Name is Sara...

....and I used to blog here. :-)  It's been a while!  We are alive and well.  Fall has been great....Gabe is in the full swing of kindergarten (and he lost another tooth on 10/30!), Caleb is growing and keeping us laughing, Dan is still running, and Lolli...well, I'll need to devote an entire post to Miss Lollipop, but she's good, too.

Just wanted to pop in and say hello if anyone's still out there!  I need to be more consistent with updates and such.  The ol' memory isn't as good as it used to be, and Lord knows I'm not keeping record of things anywhere else.  So, for the sake of posterity and family records, I'll try to do a little better.  :-)

Photo: Aunt Christina! {She did an amazing job despite some VERY difficult clients.  :-)  That's another story for another day, with more photos to come.}

The Running Man

So, by now most of you know that Dan is training to run the Chicago Marathon on 10-10-10.  After training for and running the Rockford half marathon this spring, he decided to continue to training in hopes of running a full marathon this fall.  Let me just say this: I was SUPER proud of him for doing the half  this spring (and Christina and Patrick, too!).  But to say that I'm proud of him for training for this marathon would be a huge understatement.

Here are the things he would probably never tell you:

• He's lost 42 pounds and has become a healthier person in the training process.
• He has amazing discipline, sometimes running late at night when I know he'd rather be relaxing (or sleeping).
• He has pushed through knee and hip flexor pain - not letting either discourage him (and thankfully they both healed).
• He is using the training process and his relationship with the Hall Steps foundation to foster a running mentoring relationship with his mentee, DeShawn, who told Dan he wants to train for a 5k.
• He'd love to be a part of a starting a running mentoring program with the Steps Foundation in our neighborhood and has been participating in Saturday morning "running club" to support this effort.
• He has inspired me to be more healthy and has shown our boys what it means to have discipline and dedication.

As he finishes up his final couple weeks of training and prepares for the big race day, please keep him in your prayers.  Many of you have shown support in so many ways already, so thank you for that - I know he is very grateful.  If you haven't done so already, please visit his fundraising page at www.crowdrise.com/danhogan and consider donating to the causes he is running to support: clean water projects in Africa through World Vision, anti-human trafficking efforts through International Justice Mission, and youth mentoring projects through the Hall Steps Foundation.

I'm so proud of you, Dan.  We love you and are cheering you on every step of the way!

The Tooth Fairy Cometh

Gabe lost his first tooth tonight! More details tomorrow after the tooth fairy delivers. And she better deliver.

Placeholder

I'm feeling like I need one of those placeholder posts I used to do. It's not that exciting for everyone else to read, but I feel like it keeps me more accountable to post things I want to post. :-)

So, here goes (in no particular order):

Downtown with Dad
Cousin Weekend
Holly's Wedding
Lolli Moxie Daisy Doggie
School Updates
Super Hero Party / Visiting the Farm
Caleb's Birthday
Update on the Summer List

I know I'm forgetting a bunch, but that will surely be enough to get me started!

It's Official!

Gabe is officially a kindergartener! Day 1 went well (for both he and I!). He was definitely a little hesitant once we got to the classroom, but we spent about 10 minutes sort of checking things out in the classroom and talking to the teachers and some other kids. He kept telling us he didn't want us to leave, but with the help of the teacher and her assistant, his attention was successfully diverted to a craft and we said our farewells. I was proud that I held my tears until we started walking out of the classroom. :-) I was definitely emotional for a few minutes, but knew that the hardest part was over.

Rather than us picking him up at his class, all the kindergarteners walk out with the teachers to the parents waiting outside. When he saw us, he came RUNNING! He was definitely happy to see us. He said they had cupcakes and that he even drank all his milk (highly unusual for him)! And they played outside. That was about all he wanted to say - he's not really one for details. :-)

The eventful day continued at bedtime when, while Dan was reading some of the children's Bible, he decided he wanted to pray to ask Jesus into his heart. He is such a thinker - asking lots and lots of questions and still trying to process the fact that Jesus lived on earth and died for us. I love that he questions things and processes them the way he does. I deifnitely want his faith to be his own - something he came to his own conclusion about. We are rejoicing tonight that he took this step.

So, it was a big day, and I'll remember it always.

(I will post more pics from today, but I am worn out for the night!)

Tomorrow is a Big Day

Gabie:

Tomorrow is your first day of kindergarten.  In some ways, I think this is one of the moments I've thought about most since you were born.  The moment you would become a little less mine and a little more the world's.

There's no turning back once you hit this mark.  Many years of school lie before you, and as you walk through them you'll grow to be a young man.  And I know that those years will pass like a flash.  I don't want them to, but I know they will.  And what a blessing it will be to celebrate the end of that journey, but right now I just feel a little selfish.  I want to keep you home just a little bit longer.  To have lazy mornings and jammie days, and just do nothing if we feel like it.  We'll still have those, I know, there are summers and breaks and weekends.  But this will be a new chapter.

This chapter will be new and exciting, filled with learning and adventure.  You will learn to read, write, do math and so many other things. You'll make new friends, some of which I hope will become the lifelong kind.    I can't even bear to think about someone not being nice to you, but that might happen, too.  And if it does, it might make you sad, and that's OK.  Always know that mommy and daddy love you very much.  We will be praying for you everyday - praying that Jesus will protect and watch over you, give you grace and courage, and surround you with His love.  And you will have so many others cheering you on along the way.

Remember to always be kind to others.  Be respectful of your teachers, and do your best to pay attention and learn.  Be willing to try new things, even if they make you nervous.  Make good choices and don't let anyone talk you into doing something you know is wrong.  And always say please and thank you.

Tomorrow we will drive you to school, walk you inside to your class and kiss you goodbye for the morning.  And mommy might cry, but it's not because I don't want you to grow and learn and begin this new adventure.  It's just because I love you and I'm so proud of you.  You are brave and smart and handsome and you will do great.  And then we'll pick you up after school and do it over and over again for the next 13 years.  I pray that I will not take any day for granted as those years pass, and that daddy and I will love, support and encourage you each step of the way.

I love you so, my big kindergartener!

Happy Birthday, Aunt B!

Today is my sister's 29th birthday.  She is the best sister you could ask for.  We're three and a half years apart, so when we were little, it was just enough of a gap to keep us annoyed with each other (but we had our good times too...JUNGLE!).  But, as we got older, we grew closer and our bond grew even stronger.  We understood each other, and understood things we had been through, together and apart. 

I have always been so proud of her.  She has always been an achiever, no matter the stage of her life, whether it was athletics, coaching, training or now as a member of the Rockford Fire Department.  Everyone who meets her loves her.  She's the life of the party and the one everyone confides in.  She's beautiful, talented and intelligent.

And she's my sister.

Love you, Beck!  Happy Birthday!

Dawnit

Here a sample of a commonly heard conversation lately in our house:


*************************************************************

Me: Cay Cay, no hitting. Please go to time out.

Caleb: AwwwwwwwwWWWW...DAWNIT! Dawnit.

Me: (Trying not to laugh) Cay, let's not say that word, please.

Gabe: But, Mommy, you say that word.

Caleb: (in the background) DAWNIT!

Me: I know, but we shouldn't say it if we're really mad.


********************************************

So, apparently I saw darn-it a lot? Or Dan. Probably Dan. It's not that bad, I know, so maybe I shouldn't even bother telling him not to. And I definitely don't have a good explanation when they ask why they can't say it. Just cracks me up because he says it in such an angry voice and makes such a mad face about it. Oh, the drama......

Fresh Air

This weekend we got away for a little visit with my friend Teara and her family. It felt so good to get out of the city and get some fresh air. I'll share more pics and details soon, but this is the image that is stuck in my mind...sunset taken in on the boat Friday evening. Ahhhhh.....

Potty Training: Part Two, Day Three

WARNING: This post contains detailed accounts of potty training endeavors, so if that is offensive to you, read no further. :-)




After a fairly successful start a couple of months ago, we totally fell off the potty training bandwagon. And by "we," I mean "me." I was definitely feeling lazy about it and was finding one excuse or another to keep delaying it, so this weekend we bit the bullet, again.

Saturday we got a stack of underpants out again and went for it (starting at about 1 p.m. after we had run some errands). He did fine - no accidents, but also nothing in the potty, which meant he was just holding everything. Dan even tried to get him to pee on a tree in the back, and he stood there a few times, but nothing. And he sat on the potty a few times saying he had to go, but nothing.

So, not wanting to go back to diapers (b/c I told him we weren't going to wear them anymore), we put a pull up on for bed. I am not super crazy about pull-ups, but I knew since it was Day 1 and he hadn't gone, that he would probably need it. And he did.

Day 2: Underpants when we woke up, pull-up for church. Went in the pull up at church. Hmmmm.....back to underpants when we got home. Nothing all day; a few attempts at the tree and potty seat again, but nothing. THEN, after bathtime, FINALLY he went in the little potty. Yippee! Pull-up again for bed, but woke up dry.

Day 3 (Today): Underpants all day. Went once on the tree outside (hey, desperate times call for desperate measures and rumor has it that is how Dan was potty trained!). Then tonight he wanted to go on the tree again after unsuccesfully sitting on the potty. OK. Back outside, standing by the tree when to my shock and amazement....wait, that's not pee!!!! Ummm...yeah....don't worry, we cleaned it up, but GROSS. That may be the end of our outside endeavors! But at least he told us he had to go and it wasn't in his underpants! And then back in a pull-up tonight.

So, I think it's progress. Sorry for all the graphic detail, but I gotta document for posterity, ya know?

Tonight he wanted to wear his "Super Caleb" costume from Henry's birthday party (thanks, Tina!). I could not resist these pics of him running around like Captain Underpants. In a RUN DMC shirt.

Backyard Bible Club

Last week we had the pleasure of hosting a Backyard Bible Club for our church. It's something we've wanted to do for the last couple of years, but this year we actually were able to do it.

The concept is just inviting kids from your block or neighborhood to participate for 3 or 4 evenings in crafts, Bible stories, snacks, etc. I was suprised by the number of people who have said, "oh, used to go to those when I was a kid!" So, I guess the concept has been around for a while!

While you can lead them on your own, we elected to have the Sunday School coordinator from church do the lessons. :-) She taught a series on the fruits of the Spirit - with the first lesson on patience and self-control that involved building a structure from gumdrops (without eating them!). she did a fantastic job and the kids really enjoyed listening to her.

It was a great experience. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was so happy to meet these kids and some of their family members as well. It just felt like we were finally making the effort to get to know some of those around us, which is something we've wanted to do for a long time.

We had around 15 kids for each of three nights, more than we expected! Most of them we rounded up down at the park or walking on the block. By the third night everyone literally ran down the block when we told them it was time to start. And then they even came back Thursday, even though it ended Wednesday! They still came and hung out and played basketball for a while. A bunch of them really wanted us to do it every week. It was sweet and I was just happy they enjoyed it and felt welcomed in our...yard.

Definitely makes me want to get to know them better and let our home be a place where they can come and be encouraged. And a good lesson for our boys as well in opening our home and sharing God's love with others.

Love that crazy kid!

In easing back in, thought I'd share a couple tidbits from this evening.

Gabe took his first shower tonight. He LOVED it. I think he thought it was like his own personal Coco Keys. Right away he asked if he could take another one. He can't possibly be old enough to be taking showers already - no way.

Tonight he had unravelled some of my ribbon and when I told him not to worry about, that I'd fix it later, he replied (brace yourself), "No, Mommy. I'll do it because you're my princess."

That's right folks. Melt. My. Heart. I have no idea where that came from, but I could get used to it!

Love him.

Back to Blogging

I could make lots of excuses for my lack of blogging lately, but I will spare you and just say this: time to get back to it!

I'm going to start with an easy one. Two weeks ago, on July 17, we took they boys for their first dentist visit. And before you call DCFS, I want you to know that I realize we were SERIOUSLY delinquent in scheduling this momentous occasion. :-)

Now that we got that out of the way, I must say it wasn't too bad! We took them to a dentist who does only pediatric dentistry in Bucktown / Wicker Park and they were so super great there. The dentist we saw is actually filling in for our dentist, who's on maternity leave. She was wonderful - super friendly with the boys, spending lots of time talking with them and showing them around, letting them play with the tools and squirt the water and air - definitely a great intro.

Then it was time to get in the chair. This played out the complete opposite of what I was expecting. Gabe ended up being the very nervous one and Caleb hopped right in the chair, put on this glasses and let her count and brush his teeth with no problem! Gabe, not so much. He did OK, but was very shy and ended up sitting on Dan's lap. We actually go back with him this weekend to do some x-rays. She was very into "easing" them into things and not trying to do too much in one visit.

So, all-in-all, it was a good first visit. They even got to watch Dora while they were in the chair and pick a prize for listening "with their ears." :-)

To Caleb on Your 3rd Birthday

Dear Caleb,

You are my baby. My littlest one who is not so little anymore. How is it possible that you are three years old? Tonight as I watched you fall asleep, I couldn't help but shed a couple of tears thinking about how quickly three years have passed. I felt a little sad that you are no longer a baby, but it was the happy kind of sad that makes you feel so reflective and thankful and hopeful. I'm happy that you are growing into such a happy and healthy boy, but part of me wanted to freeze you right in that moment as you were snuggled up with me and falling asleep.

You are the perfect blend of sweet and rambunctious. I love they way you express yourself. The tone of your voice is always so honest, whether it's filled with delight, sadness, or silliness. You have so much fun with your brother, and are always cheering him on. You are still snuggly and love to cuddle with your "day-day." I love you when you ask mommy to come "sungle" with you on the couch. You're not quite potty trained, but we are working on it. :-)

We love you so much, Caleb. Our family just wouldn't be complete without you! You bring so much joy and fun to each day and Daddy and I are just so proud of you.

Happy birthday to my sweet baby Cay Cay. Now you are three!

Love,

Mommy

Zingers

The boys have thrown a couple of zingers out there in the last couple of days, and I wanted to jot them down before I forget.

Last night, Gabe was coloring {a tiny piece of paper} with a red marker at the dining room table. The dining room table that is donning my new-to-me vintage aqua blue table cloth. No sooner than I asked him to move said coloring to a different table, a red mark landed right on the tablecloth. After expressing my...umm...disappointment, he quipped, "Mommy, tablecloths aren't that important. There are 'more' fish to fry."

Caleb had a couple of cute ones, too.

Last night he woke up coughing a little bit. I went upstairs and said, "You got a cough, babe?" to which he replied in his sleepiest voice with eyes closed, "I already did." He thought I meant "do you NEED to cough." But you got that already, right? I felt the need to explain lest you think I was sharing a not-so-funny story.

Today when eating a hard-boiled egg he came to me and asked if I would take the "cheese" out of the middle.


:-)

Happy Father's Day

{The Dads}

Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there. We had a fantastic day here. Both of our dads came out for a cook-out at our place, followed by a long, beautiful walk in Oak Park. We are so blessed and thankful for our dads....we love you!

Trying one more time....

OK, I'm trying this one more time. I think it was giving me trouble because it's so long.

Here are the funny things about this video:

It's sideways and spinning in circles because at points I am trying to covertly catch him on video and/or play ring around the rosies with "both hands," per his request.

At one point you can hear him say "so well." Still love that.

When he is doing the taping he either accidentally or intentionally places his finger perfectly on the tiny lens.

I totally had to bribe him with candy to finally get him to sing, which worked like a charm. Another "mom of the year" moment for me!

Ring around the Rosy

Caleb has been singing Ring around the Rosy non-stop lately. I love hearing him sing. But his version is a little different than the traditional one. It goes a little something like this:

Ring around the rosy

Pock em a zee zoo

Pock em. Zee zoo.

All fall down!

And I was able to bribe him into doing it for the camera (but you have to bear through a couple of failed attempts first):

UPDATE: I uploaded the wrong video, and now I can't get the right one to upload, so I will try to get it right tonight!

UPDATE #2: This is still not the video, but I found this on the video camera....cracks me up. I have no idea why he made up this little song.

Just a quick note...

I began potty training Caleb sort of "spur of the moment" this morning.  Woke up, put underpants on him, gave him a rundown of the "system" (candy for trying, multiple pieces of candy for going, etc.) and went for it!  It probably wasn't the best day to try, since we already had plans to go to Legoland in the afternoon, but if I waited until a perfect day with no plans, it would never come.  :-)

So, the first obstacle was getting him comfortable in the underwear.  He cried for a while, said he wanted his diaper back on, etc.  Then he got pretty comfy in them and had his first accident (which really was just trickle in the training pants, but he noticed it, which was good, and we ran to the potty and he sat on it for the first time - one piece of candy). Then he just kept wanting to sit on it for the candy.  Like 10 times.  But a deal's a deal.

 New pair, second accident (a little more this time, rush him back to the potty).  This time he sat on the potty for a while, and I could tell he needed to go more, but was scared.  So we sat there for a while.

It seemed like he needed to do a pooper (sorry, that's just what we call it around here!), so I told him that he needed to go or he'd get a tummy ache and that he'd feel better if he just went.  That might have been a slight exaggeration, but it got his attention.  He said, really serious, "I be sick?"  And I said, "no, but if you don't go, your tummy might hurt."  That's not lying, right?

So, after a few more minutes he got this seriously relieved and happy look on his face and started going....pee.  We were SOOOOO excited.  Lots of candy flowed.  He was even more proud than I was.  And then he said, "I not be sick!"

Oops.  It appears I may have scared him into going potty on the potty.  :-)  But, hey, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!

And then he went a second time, and then had another accident, and then it was time to give it a rest and go to Legoland.  But twice at Legoland he told us he was going in his diaper, so I think that's good progress!

I would have rather gone "all or nothing" without putting him back in a diaper right away (I think this works best for the boys...and for me...they've never been really interested in just sitting on the potty now and then, it sort of has to be potty training boot camp!), but I'm glad we got a start and I think he's warmed up to the idea.  So, back on it tomorrow and good work today, Cay Cay.  We are proud of you and you are this close to getting your own big-boy bike!   And a lot more candy.

Nine Years

Dan and I celebrated our NINTH anniversary a couple of days ago.  He send the most beautiful long-stem red roses to me at work.  So sweet.

It is unbelievable that that is even possible.  And this month also marks TEN years that I've been out of college.  And TEN years that I've been working.  For the same company.

Crazy, crazy, crazy.  I'm definitely feeling a little old!  But so grateful for God's blessings over the past decade.

Gabe's Collage

Gabe LOVES the collage tool on Picnik.  He put this one togther today, so I thought I'd share.  I think it's interesting to see which pictures he chooses to add.....

"...so well.."

Caleb is cracking me up today. He keeps tagging "so well" to the end of his sentences today. Like, "I can't carry day-day up the stairs so well." Or, "My shoes aren't goin' on so well." Or "I don't like that so well."

Except it sounds like "so we-ow." Cute. I don't where he picked it up, or how long it will last, but thought I'd jot it down.

So Proud

We had parent / teacher conferences last night at Gabe's school and it was such a proud moment. Gabe's teacher had all nice things to say about him, and I just wanted to jot a few down so I can remember them:

He plays well with his classmates.
He "gets" her humor (sarcasm!).
He can count to 129, except for skipping 15 and 110 to 119 :-).
He likes to build "spaceships" with his buddies.
He listens well.
He knows the numbers on dice by sight without having to count them (thanks to Cootie!).
He is well coordinated when playing outside or in the bike room.

School has been a good experience for him, and we were so proud of him. So proud, in fact, that we gave him 5 bonus stickers on his new chart. Because, as well as he behaves at school, we are working on making "good choices" at home. :-) We've been wanting to implement some type of system for a while now. Our biggest issues are just whining- and attitude-type issues. So, when he makes a bad choice, he moves over to "I need to think about my choices." And then if he has a subsequent "bad choice," he moves all the way to the left and gets a time out. If he's in the "good choice" pocket at lunch, dinner and bedtime, he earns stickers (up to 3 a day). Oh, and two bonus stickers for sleeping in his own bed all night. :-)



Dan came up with this (it was the teacher in him, I think :-)), but it's nice to have something in place to give us (all) some structure. And his first goal is to get to 50 stickers, at which time he gets a trip to Legoland in Schaumburg. He definitely was into it today, so, we'll see how it goes! I don't mean to make him sound like he's not a good kid at home, he definitely is. But, I think a little added incentive will be good.

Happy birthday, Mom!

My sister and I have started a little tradition of planning a girl's weekend with my mom to celebrate her birthday each year.  The last two years we've gone downtown for a night (which reminds me, I never posted about last year, but what's new!?).  This weekend mom and Beck came downtown and met me at work on Friday.  I had pricelined a hotel and we ended up staying at the River Hotel for pretty cheap, and the location was perfect - right at Wacker and Michigan. 

We checked in and started with gifts...a mini Keurig (which are on clearance at Bed Bath and Beyond, BTW...half-off!).  I think I have a thing for giving Keurig's as gifts, but they are always a hit! :-)



Then we walked to dinner at 1492 Tapas Bar.  It was really good and was in a cool old mansion.  Then we came back and celebrated with cupcakes from Sugar Bliss and rented "It's Complicated" on pay-per-view.  I love these pictures of my mom blowing out her candle.,,

Aren't these cupcakes beatutiful?  And packaged so nicely.  I have to tell you something, though...they weren't that good!  The cake part was really dry...and the frosting was just OK.  But they sure were cute!  :-)

Saturday we slept in, got a box of coffee and muffin tops from the Corner Bakery next door, and then headed out for some shopping at Anthropologie and some of the other shops in Block 37 (suprisingly, I had no idea what was in there, and I only work a couple blocks away...there's even a L'Occitane!).

It was a fabulous weekend and a nice restful time with my mom and sis!  Happy birthday, Mom!

Counting my Blessings {and years}

I celebrated my 32nd birthday this week (my sweet sixteen...times 2!).  I must say, I do love birthdays.  That sounds selfish, but it's not just for the gifts.  Well, maybe it's the gifts a little bit. :-)  But on my birthday I'm always reminded of how many wonderful people I have in my life.  People who call (starting with my Grandma, who calls every year around 7 a.m. to sing to me), send cards, stop by, buy me coffee, take me to lunch, babysit so we can go out - I am truly blessed to have each of them (you!) in my life. 

Thanks to everyone for making it a great day / week!

P.S. I know I already said it on the other blog, but I'm in a bit, of a blogging slump.  Need to refocus a bit, but will be back at some point.  :-)

I'm here...

Sorry for the long absence!  I'm here.  :-)  We have had a week full of celebrations, which will continue tomorrow as we celebrate Easter.  I hope to be back soon to share about all of the fun!

Hope you have a happy Easter!

Dear Gabriel,

Five years ago today I held you in my arms for the first time.  You took a long time getting here, and Daddy and I were so happy to finally meet you.  You were perfect and had (still have) the most beautiful long eyelashes, the first thing I noticed about you.  You changed our lives instantly for the better, and we couldn't believe what an amazing gift God had given us.

Now, here we are five years later, and you have grown into a little boy.  I know you're only 5, but that's a pretty big deal.  You're in preschool now and you'll be going to kindergarten this fall.  I can't believe how quickly time is passing.  I cherish each moment with you.  You are so bright, and you have Daddy's silly sense of humor.   You are so handsome (I know you would hate me saying that!) and you are a great big brother to Caleb.  He loves you so much and wants to be just like you.

I pray for you everyday.  Pray that you would be healthy and happy and that you would feel God's love for you and that one day, when you are ready, you will develop a faith of your own.

Daddy and I and Caleb love you so much.  We are so blessed to have you, and we wish you the very happiest birthday ever.

Love,

Mommy