The Loren Family

I Like Pie!!!

2010-12-16T21:04:00.001-06:00

Tonight at Scouts, Tyler was so nice to give me a pie. See... Thanks Little Man!!

This year the scouts had an incentive to sell popcorn. For every $500 sold they could throw a pie in a leaders face of their choice. Tyler made his goal of over $500. My kids all know how much I love dessert so it was only right that he would choose me. But, not only did he choose me another scout also chose me, so not only did I get one pie in the face but I was lucky enough to get two. :)
The scouts had soooooo much fun! I defiantly think we will have this incentive next year.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T15:58:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving was so great this year...even though our usual family meal was a few family members short. Of course we had the typical Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Pea Salad, Buns, etc. We have so much to be THANKFUL for, this year the Loren's are thankful for...

Chris' Dad's health

Our new house

Eric's new job

Our family's health

Our new dog, Desi (Ally)

Our Wii and Christmas (Tyler)

All our family members (Joshua)

Our new nephew/cousin Sawyer

New friends we have made this year

My parents that love me (Ally)

Getting to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house (Joshua)

Christ Our Savior who continues to love us and forgive us daily

These are just a few things we are thankful for. Thanksgiving is over but what are you Thankful for?

Oh yeah, and a blog post isn't complete without a picture so here is a picture of what we did after we ate...we all took naps!

Halloween, better late than never...

2010-11-29T15:43:00.000-06:00

So, I finally figured out how to get my pictures off my camera and onto my new computer. :) Here are some of our Halloween pictures. Even Desi got to dress up! Ally saved her own money to purchase a costume for Desi. She was so proud...

Joshua aka Obi-Wan Kanobi

Ally aka Cleopatra and Desi aka Pumpkin

Tyler aka Darth Vader

Look What We Found...

2010-09-22T15:49:00.002-05:00

Ally was playing outside with some of her friends after school today. She asked if she and her friends could look inside the sump pump cover (which is on the outside of our house) and I said yes. She opened it and started yelling that she saw a lizard. I thought yeah right, it is probably a frog that looks funny because it is submerged in the water. We seem to find lots and lots of frogs in there. Well, here is what she found...(Uncle Jeremy would be so proud!)

I am happy to report that we let the "lizard" go in the pond nearby. He will be much happier there than in our sump pump!

Introducing Sawyer

2010-08-23T14:43:00.000-05:00

My younger brother Jeremy and his beautiful wife Beth welcomed Sawyer Robert into this world on Saturday August 21st. We just couldn't stay away too long, so on Sunday we drove up to Owatonna MN to see them. Here are some pics...


My brother Jeremy, his wife Beth and Sawyer

Baby Sawyer...isn't he just so precious!!!

Ally lovin' her new cousin!!

Welcome to our crazy family Sawyer... we love you and can't wait to see you again! You truly couldn't have been born to better parents.

Love-Auntie Chrissy, Uncle Kemo, Ally, Tyler and Joshua

First Day At "The New School"

2010-08-18T09:43:00.001-05:00

Today is the first day school for the kids at the new school. I was sad to see them go even though I couldn't wait for them to go last week. They were all so excited and I was excited for them. Ally is in 4th grade, Tyler is in 2nd and Joshua in Kindergarten. I can't believe that all three are finally in school!! My house is very quiet this morning as I am posting this.

The kids waiting very patiently for the bus which was 15 minutes late. We almost gave up hope and then it showed up!

My Ally gal! She is starting 4th grade and growing up so incredibly fast.

Tyler my man! He is starting 2nd grade!

My little Joshua! He is starting Kindergarten. Where does time go? Mommy has loved her last two years at home with you when the others went to school. It is only the first day and I already miss you!

Joshua getting off the bus at school. My camera jammed and wouldn't take pictures when the bus actually came to pick them up, so this is the only bus picture I have.

Ally walking Joshua inside just like we asked her to do. She is so responsible and loves to take care of her little brother. What a great big sister!

Ally at her locker. She is excited to get lockers at her new school, her old school didn't have them.


Joshua getting his things inside his. It's a little harder as he has to share with another child, but it still works. He too is excited about his locker!

So with the kids gone, it sure is quiet at home! What ever shall I do with all this quiet time? I am sure I can find something to do to fill it. I have to cherish the next few days as I will be starting full time at the University next week. :)

Mommy...what is that noise?

2010-07-30T17:26:00.001-05:00

"Mommy...what is that noise?" is what I heard as we were enjoying our breakfast last week. We heard this very loud plane that was flying low, and I mean very low. I didn't think too much of it as we live about 10 miles from an airport. Well we heard it again...and again...and again. Finally the kids looked out side and saw just what was making this noise. This is what we saw from our patio...

They were crop dusting the corn field right behind our house. The kids LOVED it and watched it for a good half hour or so, and yes, that is my boys playing on the swing set. :) I realized after all it was all over that that probably wasn't a good idea. Oops!

Finally Pics of the 4th

2010-07-28T22:31:00.001-05:00

So, a few weeks back we went to MN to spend the 4th of July with my parents at a cabin they rented on Mille Lacs Lake. It was a ton of fun with lots of down time to relax. Which is just what we needed after the stress of moving into our new house and Eric starting his new job at Rockwell. My parents, my sister and fiance', my brother Jeremy and his wife, my grandma and cousin and of course all of us were there. Did I say it was a lot of fun!
Here are some pics...


My dad and Joshua resting.


Tyler and Greg (my sister Jenny's fiance') playing baseball which they did A LOT of.


My sister Jenny and Joshua just chillin'


Ally and her 17" walleye

Joshua, Ally and Tyler and the walleye in Garrison.

My sister Jenny, Joshua and Ally climbing the fire tower at Kathio State Park. I had to send my sister and dad up with the kids as I was too chicken to climb it. I am deathly afraid of heights. Tyler stayed on the ground with me. He too is afraid of heights.

My dad Craig, Ally and Joshua at the top.

Here is a picture of the fire tower looking up from the ground. I was so proud of Ally and Joshua for climbing all the way to the top. Grandpa and Jenny I am proud of you too. :)

Last but not least, on the full day there we decided to try our luck at the walleyes again and my dad was the only one to catch one that night. We all tried but had no luck.

Like I said, we had a great trip and hope to do it again sometime. Thanks mom and dad for allowing us to share your cabin with you for the week.

Perfect Day for a 5K

2010-05-02T14:37:00.007-05:00

Today Ally and I did our first 5K together. We participated in the annual Ronald McDonald 5K here in Iowa City. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day for it. The weather was perfect running weather, sunny and 63 degrees.
Ally did great and never gave up the whole way. She was tired by the end but still pressed on and finished strong. Here we are crossing the finish line...and that is me right behind her. CONGRATULATIONS ALLY! We are all so proud of you. Ally has been participating in a group called Girls on the Run. It has been wonderful for her. They practiced twice per week for the past several months with their big finale being the 5K today. Here we are replenishing our bodies with all kinds of goodies right after crossing the finish line. Thanks grandma and grandpa for coming down from MN to cheer us on. Ally thought it was really neat that you were there at the finish line (and so does her mama).

Soon To Be Homeowners

2010-04-27T14:03:00.005-05:00

If you follow me on Facebook, you already know...but we are soon to be homeowners! If all goes well (inspections and such) we will be closing on our new home on June 10th. Our new home is in Deerfield and is 1430 Fawn Drive. Yes, we will be just across the road from Suzy and Thad. Hopefully they won't mind much. Here is a couple of pics of the new house. It doesn't look like it but it is almost 3,000 square feet. Which means for us, we will be tripling out living space. Crazy!
So, I realize many of you are thinking..."what happened, I thought they were moving away?" Well we are happy to say, Eric took a position at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, so we may be here for a while, hence the home. :)

Catch up....well sort of...

2010-04-17T12:41:00.006-05:00

Our lives have been extremely crazy the last month or so...so I am going to start this post by apologizing to everyone for not keeping up on here. I promise to try to do better in the months to come ;)
Ally has been taking Art classes through the University of Iowa the last 8 weeks. She has had so much fun and we are already looking forward to the next time they offer them because she will be going for sure. Her class was taught by a student at the University in which his degree is teaching art. She wanted to make sure that I put up some of her artwork for everyone to see. So here goes...
Here she is painting her volcano. It was the last piece of her project that needed to be completed this morning before the art show.

Here are the lava dwellers that live near the volcano.Here is Ally with her teacher, Ryan Bentzinger, and his professor Chunghi Choo. They were wonderful to work with and they both love children. Ryan will make a great teacher when he graduates. Ally loved working with him. Chunghi Choo is holding up a picture that Ally gave her. She loved it so much and said she was going to hang it in her office. Both encouraged Ally to pursue Art as she gets older, which just made her glow. Those of you that know Ally know that she loves art of all kinds.

So, Tyler...he has been playing indoor soccer for the past 7 weeks and he too is loving it. He loves almost all sports and is having fun with them. He is also playing rookie league baseball this year. I don't have any pics yet as only practice has begun. Games will start for that in May. Here is a picture of Tyler though with his soccer ball.Joshua...he is playing t-ball this year. He has been waiting since his birthday (in Feb.) for the season to start. For his birthday Eric and I gave him a glove and a bat and just about everyday he asked us when he would get to play. Well about two weeks ago practices started and he is in his glory. He now asks us everyday if it his day for practice. We love it that he has such enthusiasm and wants to play. Unfortunately we don't have a picture for you all yet, as he only has practices. I will post some when they start games in May.

So, Eric and I...well Eric has been applying for positions and has actually been offered one at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids. We will be making the decision in the next few days whether or not to accept this position. This has been a stressful time for us as many factors play into it all. To make the story short, our lease is up in July and if he accepts this position we are looking at the possibility of purchasing a home or do we rent? ...more stress...and then for him to figure out how to finish up the last bit of his degree while employed...more stress...and will I go back to school in the fall if we are still here since Joshua will be in school...more stress...ahhhhh!

Some days I just want to scream, but then I am thankful at the same time that we are fortunate to have this kind of stress. I reflect back on others that are without employment and have been for a long time. Those individuals that are hurting because of it, and am thankful that we at least have employment and are merely making the transition from one position to another.

So...as it all plays out I will post, but please pray for us and our family as we have many difficult decisions to make in the next few weeks.

Happy 5th Birthday Joshua

2010-02-08T20:06:00.017-06:00

Today, our baby Joshua turned the big 0-5. I can hardly believe that it has been 5 years since he arrived. Wow, time sure does fly! He had a great birthday today, I think.

Yesterday Ally, Tyler and I went to purchase his presents while he spent some quality time with daddy. It was too precious watching them pick out the "perfect" present for Joshua. They walked up and down the toy isle for about 30 minutes looking for their gifts.

So, today he had to look all day at his presents and not open them until his "party" tonight. It was killing him. I cant even begin to tell you how many times he asked when he got to open them.

Well tonight after Kemo came home we had his party. He choose cheeseburgers and tator tots for supper (one of his favorite meals).Then he got to open cards and gifts. Thank you to those who sent him something, he truly enjoyed opening each and every one. Here are some of the things he got.

Hotwheels from TylerA stuffed Pug dog from Ally.Backyard Baseball and another numchuk for the Wii from Grandma Jodi and Grandpa Craig.
A teeball glove and bat from mommy and daddy.

(He also got a few cards and wants to Thank everyone for their cards and gifts!)

Then it was time for some cake! Mommy made the cake for him. He blew out all his candles in one breath.

And mmmmm was it good! He didn't want to stop eating to pose for this picture. Wish you were all here to enjoy it with us.

Joshua,
Mommy can hardly believe that has been five years since you made your appearance into this world. Over the last year you have grown into such a wonderful young man. You are so kind and considerate of others. You are very loving and still enjoying being mommies little snuggler. There are days when I wish you would stay little forever. Every time mommy asks you to quit growing you always respond with "Mom, even when I grow up I will still come over and snuggle with you." Don't worry buddy, mommy will take you up on it and remind you of it when you are older. :) You love playing rough and wrestling with Tyler and Daddy, but also enjoy playing gently and quietly with Ally. We all love you more than you will ever know. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!

Can You Guess Who This Is?

2010-02-01T12:26:00.005-06:00

I am sure you can...

This past weekend we had a great time at Coralville's Winter Fest. The boys got these silly glasses and had fun playing with them. They were just too darn cute not to share with you all.

We spent most of the day doing all kinds of fun stuff at the Iowa River Landing. We got to visit a real radio station and see how it works. We got to visit the antique car museum and see lots of neat old cars. Here is Joshua with the "REAL" Hudson Hornet from the movie "Cars". That was the highlight of the day for him.

We also got to see the Coralville Fire trucks and talk with real firemen, taste roasted chestnuts, visit with the news crew from KCRG-TV9, see eagles through telescopes, have an indoor "snowball fight", we made a few crafts, and we also saw people making ice sculptures with chainsaws and chisels...just to name a few. As you can see it was a fun filled afternoon. If you live in the surrounding areas and are reading this, you may want to consider taking your families next year.

Ally's New Quilt

2010-01-23T14:49:00.004-06:00

Many of you know that I have been working on sewing a new quilt for Ally's bed. It took me a little longer than I anticipated, but I am happy to say that I am finally done (with my part at least). I sewed together the top and am having a friend of mine machine quilt it for me. Here is a picture of the finished product (before being machine quilted). It looks rather small in this picture but keep in mind that is a queen sized quilt. Very bright and fun. She loves, loves, loves it.
Here is a close up of a couple blocks to show you some detail. The quilt consists of 52-12"x12" blocks. One last picture...

Basketball Has Begun

2010-01-23T14:33:00.005-06:00

Rec. league basketball has finally begun. The kids have been super excited ever since we signed them up before Christmas. Ally plays on a team of all girls and Tyler plays on a co-ed team with coach Eric. Kemo loves being the coach and both of us love watching and cheering for them. They both are having a great time making new friends and just playing basketball.
Yep, Ally has really long skinny legs. She is quite tall which gives her an advantage in B-ball. :)
And here is Tyler with coach Eric aka. Dad.

It is such a joy to be a mommy and watch our kids doing something they love. Part of me cant wait for the many more years to come and the other part of me says "how in the world did they get this old already?"

Cub Scouts Pine Wood Durby

2010-01-23T14:01:00.004-06:00

With Tyler (and Eric) being in Cub Scouts this year, they got the opportunity to participate in the Pine Wood Durby for the first time. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is where the the Adults and their children get a block of wood, some nails and four wheels and get to make it into a car. Then they have a special night, where the whole pack gets together and they race their cars.

Tyler had loved making the car with Eric. It was too funny though...because Eric has little to no power tools. So, he literally used a hand saw to cut it out and some sand paper to sand it a little. I wish I had the camera out for this, it was quite the process. It looked nothing like all the other cars there. Most looked like they were professionally done, but that was o.k. with us as it was "our car". Here is a picture of Tyler with our finished product.

Here is a picture of Tyler with the finished product.

Tyler with his car after we weighed it and before the races. It was too cute, the kids named it "lightening" because they were sure it was going to be fast. Well, unfortunately that was not the case. Eric and Tyler forgot that you could use powdered graphite as a lubricant for the wheels to make it go faster and Tyler's car was not as fast as lightening. They had a technical way of racing, something about racing three times (once in each lane) and adding the times...or something like that. Anyways, I am sorry to report that Tyler's car placed 32 out of 33 cars that night. Tyler was o.k. with the way his car raced and both Eric and Tyler are determined to make a better car next year and remember to use the powdered graphite right before the races.

First Snow

2009-12-14T09:54:00.012-06:00

This past week we got our first snow of the season. The kids had been praying for it and it finally came. The kids had two days off from school and they didn't mind a bit. :) It was such a joy to spend those two days with them "snowed in". They played so well together both days and we had minimal, very minimal, fighting. Here is a few pictures of them playing in the snow.

Tyler bless his heart, forgot his boots at school and so he had to wear mine. They were WAY to big but we had no choice. Joshua was too funny, he kept throwing then fluffy snow up in the air just to watch it fall down again. He then would try to catch it in his mouth. This went on for quite a while.
Ally built us a snowman, but we didn't have a carrot for his nose so he got a pine branch instead. It's all good!Eric also enjoyed playing outside! He is such a kid at heart and a great daddy. I think he was the one that wanted to go outside the most. They all played outside for over an hour and were told they had to wait until it was time to come in before they could have a snowball fight. Here Eric is getting ready to throw a big snowball at Ally. She was smart and took cover behind our grill. Now it is her turn...look out boys!This time Joshua took cover but he had no where to hide!Ally the winner! Isn't snow fun!

Kids View on Marriage

2009-11-16T11:07:00.002-06:00

Overheard conversation between Ally and Tyler regarding marriage:
T: Ally will you marry me when we are old enough?
A: No way, you can't marry your brother!
T: Please...I will give you anything you want!
A: Didn't you hear me, I said no way!

Rules at School

2009-11-14T12:30:00.002-06:00

Overheard Conversation between Eric and Tyler this past Thursday

E: Conferences are coming up tomorrow and mommy and I are going to talk with your teacher. Is there anything you want to tell us?
T: No
E: Are you doing a good job of following the rules?
T: Yes....well sometimes.
E: What are the rules?
T: No running in the hallway and no cigarettes
E: No cigarettes? Does it say no cigarettes on the list of classroom rules?
T: No, on the door.

To say that both of us cracked up is an understatement! We think he is referring to the no smoking sign on that is on the door as you enter the building (not his classroom). We told his teacher on Friday and she had a good laugh as well.

Better Late Than Never

2009-11-03T11:05:00.012-06:00

Ok, so I have had a few emails from family and friends requesting that I update my blog a little more often so in an attempt to do so here are some pictures of the last month. :) (I am warning you it may be a little long).

Joshua started out the month going to preschool only on M, W, and F and staying home with me on T and Th. He went from not wanting to go to school to being ok with it knowing that he will stay home with me the following day. He is such a mama's boy, but that is ok with me. :)

Eric and I went to our first ever Hawkeye Football game with my parents. It was a lot of fun and we are sorry we didn't experience this sooner so we could have gone to more over the years. Here's a pic of us at the game.
Ally had a tooth that needed to be pulled. She went to the dentist for her routine check up only to find that she had a tooth that had the original filling fall out. Since it fell out and it was only about 11 months ago when she had it filled, our dentist suggested we just pull it. So we did. She was so nervous and worried so much but was a champ when it came to actually pulling it out.

Our van also died and we didn't try to revive it. We bought a different one and love it. It isn't brand new but pretty close. We bought a Silver 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan. One of the things I requested was out new one be at least a decade newer than our old one and we did. We love it and it loves us too. Here is a couple pictures of our new van.

Tyler had his 7th Birthday. It is so hard to believe that he is seven! Yikes, where has time gone. We had a party for him at a hotel by our house that has a pool with a waterslide with lots of his friends. He loved every minute of it and we had a hard time getting the kids to leave. I have too many random pics to share, you will have to see them another time.

Ally's class got to decorate a pumpkin for Halloween to be displayed in the community. They each had to draw a picture of what the pumpkin should look like. Then the teacher put them all on the board and they got to vote for which pumpkin face they liked the most. Ally's won! She got to draw her design on the actual pumpkin and instruct the other kids how to paint it. Then it was displayed at Pizza Ranch. Then to top it off Pizza Ranch liked the pumpkin so much that they donated pizza's to her class as a "Thank You". She was so excited so we went to eat there and see her pumpkin.
And last but not least we can't forget Halloweeen. We had a great Halloween. This year we were able to spend it with our family in MN. This is the first year since we moved to Iowa that fell on a Saturday. So we took advantage of it and went back. All the grandparents loved it.
We carved pumpkins at Grandma Jodi and Grandpa Craigs house (my parents). The kids each got to design them by drawing their faces on while the adults cut them and the kids scooped out their guts while the adults put the candle in and lit them. From left to right...Tyler's, Joshua's, Ally's.

Ally was a puppy (not only a puppy but a beagle puppy), Tyler was a vampire, and Joshua was a Lion. All of the costumes were homemade by me. I love to sew and have almost every year so far. The kids love having me make their costumes and I love doing it. We took the kids to a carnival at the local elementary school. The kids really enjoyed it. They got lots of candy and tatoos. Thanks Grandma for taking us there! We also went trick-or-treating at the other grandparents house, followed that up with pizza and a short drive to see a really neat Halloween light display. All in all it was a great time.

Ok, so that was our October in a nut shell and I promise I will try to update more often. :)

My Laptop Woes

2009-10-10T10:10:00.004-05:00

Ok, so on Thursday night I was letting one of the kids play on my laptop. They have this website from their school that they can educational math games on. Anyways, when they were all done they thought they would be so thoughtful to shut it to shut it off. Well, I had a pen that I was using earlier that I accidentally left laying in the hinge because I never shut my laptop, right, and it is a good place to store a pen. Ya, following me...Well here is the result.
Yes, that nice white area is permanent. Eric assured me that it will never fix itself. The LCD has apparently broken it's pattern and everything below that point will be white forever! My laptop is only a year old mind you. I was so upset but could only be upset at myself for being so foolish and leaving that stinkin' pen there. Maybe it is God's way of telling me I spend way too much time on here.

Yes, it is snowing in Iowa!

2009-10-10T10:04:00.006-05:00

I can hardly believe that today, October 10th, it is snowing in Iowa! Even in Minnesota we rarely see snow before November. Thankfully it won't stay long, but if this is a forecast of the upcoming winter...look out! Perfect day for a nice bowl of soup!

Kernels Dream Team

2009-09-11T16:06:00.010-05:00

About three weeks ago we got a letter home from Penn Elementary asking us if we wanted to participate in a fundraiser by purchasing discounted tickets to a Cedar Rapids Kernel game. For those of you who don't know, the Kernels are a minor league baseball team, much like the Saints. We asked the kids if they wanted to go and of course they did. So, we bought the tickets. Well this past Tuesday we got another note home letting us know that Tyler was chosen to do a special job at the game and the letter was asking us if we could promise to be at the game 45 minutes early. We had no idea what he was going to be doing, but of course we said yes. Then on Wednesday we got another letter home stating that he was to be part of the Dream Team. When we got to the game last night, he was greeted by a lady that gave him his own special Kernels T-Shirt and a soft foamy ball that he got to have autographed by "His" player. Then before the game started, he got to go hangout in the dugout with the players. Here is our big guy with a couple of the players.

So after the team warmed up and the game was getting started, he got to go out onto the field with "his" player number 6. They called the players name and his name as they ran onto the field together.

Then he stood with the team as they did the National Anthem. So, then the game began. The kids enjoyed watching the mascot and all the excitement that goes with a game. We ate lots of junk food for supper, ya just have to when at a ball park right? The Kernels were down in the 8th inning and were able to tie it by the end of that inning. They held off Peoria in the top of the 9th and with two outs and bases loaded, the pitcher hit a Kernels player in the leg and they won!!!

Then immediately after the game they had fireworks. We stayed and it was quite a display.
What an extremely exciting end to and extremely exciting evening. In the words of all three kids..."IT WAS AWESOME!!!"

So, with it being a late night for the kids, all three were very tired and fell asleep quickly on the way home. When I woke up Tyler this morning, we were chatting and Eric asked him what he wants to be when he grows up and he quickly replied "A Baseball Player". How precious!

Labor Day Weekend in Ohio

2009-09-08T13:14:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we were able to go visit my sister in Ohio. We had a BLAST! and came home very tired. For those of you who don't know, my sister lives in Dayton (about an hour north of Cincinnati).

While we were there we went to Kings Island in Mason, OH. That was really a lot of fun. Kings Island is a large amusement park. They had an area that was perfect for our kids that had smaller rides. Ally and Tyler both loved the roller coasters and even went on a big one. I was totally shocked.

We also went to visit Thomas the Tank Engine and go for a ride. The Thomas that travels the country happened to be in a small town called Lebanon just about 20 minutes from Dayton. Joshua loved this but the older two not so much.

Last but not least, we went to the National Airforce Museum. We have been here before but the kids loved it so much that they wanted to come back. So, on Sunday we went for 3 hours (not nearly enough time if it is your first visit) but since we had seen so much of it before it was perfect for us. They also got to see a movie at the IMAX.

We have very few pictures of the weekend because my camera died the first day we were there. Regardless we had a wonderful time. Thanks Jenny and Greg for such a wonderful weekend. We love you guys sooo much!!!

First Day of School

2009-08-23T09:06:00.006-05:00

This past Thursday (August 20th) was the first day of school for all three kids, yes all three. Ally started 3rd grade, Tyler started 1st grade, and Joshua started his last year of preschool. He is going to Creation Kids this year and is going full time. He attends his preschool the same hours as the other kids do at Penn (from 8:15-3:00). I have had a productive yet emotional couple of days. I have had the chance to get lots done that I just didn't want to do with kids and yet I also cried both on Thursday and Friday because I didn't have kids. All ready to go, and tired of pictures...

I thought it would be fun to show you how much Ally has changed since she started school, physically that is. Here is her kindergarten picture...

August 2006

August 2009, Wow how they change!

The boys haven't physically changed much, I will compare them next year.

Camping at Sugar Bottom

2009-08-17T15:08:00.008-05:00

This past weekend we had a lot of fun camping with the kids. Eric and I love camping, but our kids love it more. We have had such a busy summer that we haven't had any time to go, so finally got a open weekend and went. We got to the campground on Friday afternoon. The weather was warm and sunny. We had a great night getting all set up and relaxing around a campfire. We woke up nice and early the next morning to the sound of the birds chirping and the sun shining on our tent. It was great! Saturday was filled with fun too. We spent the day just relaxing, playing some Frisbee, swimming at the beach and exploring the campground.

Joshua taking a break from Frisbee with a drink of ice cold water.

Ally and Joshua reading

We finished the day with a nice campfire, smores, and a flashlight Safari before turning in for a good nights sleep...or so we thought.Making "Golden Delights" aka golden marshmellows to be used in smores.

Mmmm...they were good, right Tyler?

Ally had lots of great "ghost" stories for us.

We went to bed and were awakened by a bad thunderstorm around 1:00 a.m. Eric and I were awakened by the sound of the rain and decided to stick it out. It surely would pass, right? Wrong! The tent started leaking around 2:15 and it was still pouring rain. We decided at that point that we should go home for a good nights sleep. So we packed the kids up (at 2:30 a.m. I remind you) and went to start the van and realized that it was dead. The kids had opening and shutting the doors all day and the battery was dead! So, luckily Eric had driven up after work in our car and we were able to jump the van so we could go home. By the time this was all over, we got home around 3:00 a.m. and were exhausted. We slept a little, woke up and went to church. After church we went back up to the campground to pack up our stuff to find the tent with about an inch of water in the bottom. I was even happier that we decided to go home to sleep. We were blessed with a nice hot sun Sunday afternoon and were able to dry out everything before having to pack it up. Now that's the stuff memories are made of.

Squire Point

2009-08-03T13:07:00.011-05:00

This last weekend we took the kids hiking at Squire Point. The weather on Saturday was cool and we wanted to get out and do something, so we decided to go hiking. This was our first time at Squire Point and the kids (and the adults) loved it. The trails are so nice and clean, well marked, and shady. We will definitely be going back, after all we only found two bridges.

JoshuaEric and Ally, after the incident. The incident I am referring to was the kids running a little too fast, Ally not seeing not seeing a step down and tripping. She scun her shin very nicely. Luckily we were not very far down the trail and I could go back and get the first aid kit to bandage her up. Yes, she is a girl, and she was not going to continue hiking until she had bandages on her wounds. Just a cute pic.

This is a picture of the kids at the bottom of a bridge, you will see it below.

The bridge and waterfall, very small yet beautiful...

and the stream it flows down into.

Here is a funny picture, the kids decided they wanted to try "fishing". So they used their walking sticks to "fish" at the bottom of this waterfall. There of course are no fish, so they were "fishing" for worms. There were plenty of those at the bottom. They had so much fun picking them up with their sticks and playing with them after. I think this was the highlight of the afternoon, and it was right before we went home. Funny how that happens...

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, no it's a....

2009-06-30T15:34:00.013-05:00

Kite! Yesterday was so windy that after supper we decided to take the kids to fly their kites. They loved it!! We went to the soccer fields by the Coralville Rec. Center and stayed for about an hour and only had one run away kite. Joshua got scared because he got wrapped up in it and let go. It was pretty hysterical watching Eric sprint, and I mean sprint, after it. I have never seen him run so fast, nor do I think I will again.
Getting to the soccer fields. I can still feel the excitement!

Tyler flying "his" kite, the frog one. His was the only kite we could keep in the air for long periods of time until Ally finally figured out she had to run with it when it started falling out of the sky.
Here is Ally letting Joshua help her. He had troubles with his kite so he and Ally worked together to fly "hers".
Eric got to fly a kite too! This is the run away he caught.
Towards the end the kids were getting tired and this is how they flew their kites. It was funny, we told them they could fly them until they came down, because it was obvious that they were getting tired and Ally's kite didn't come down until we had her reel it in about 20 minutes later. First time all night she was able to keep it in the air for long periods of time...go figure. Maybe we should have told her that earlier. :)

And the verdict is....

2009-06-25T13:34:00.003-05:00

We are staying for a few more months! For those of you who have been wondering what is going to happen on July 22nd (our original move out date) the answer is nothing. Eric is still working hard on finishing up stuff at the University and will be starting to apply for jobs in the next month, but with July 22nd coming up rather quickly and God's grace, we found out from our landlord today that we are able to stay and sign a 6 month lease. Praise God! This is such an answer to prayer. We have been extremely stressed out as to what we were going to do when our lease was up on July 22nd and now I feel as though a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders. We may still be moving in a few months, but as for the end of July, we are staying put. :)

Update Finally!!

2009-06-23T14:13:00.012-05:00

The weather has finally been really nice and warm, so we have spent almost every day outside either swimming or doing something with water, to keep cool for the past week. Today we decided that it was time we spent the day at home getting caught up on house work, ok I decided we needed to. :) One of the things on my list was to update our blog. So, I am going to give a "fly by" of what we have been up to, here goes...
(1) Like I said we have been spending lots of time outdoors, sorry no pics.
(2) Fathers day, turned into Fathers weekend. On Saturday we spent the day at the beach at Kent Park. Kent park is a state park which is near by that has an awesome beach and well kept trails. Here are some pics of Saturday.Here is Eric and Ally with the sand castle they built. Ally was so proud of it. She spent the better part of our time at the beach building it.
After building the sand castle Eric and Ally went for a swim to cool off. The weather and humidity were really high and the water felt soooo good. The boys on the other hand weren't interested in building the sand castle, so they were swimming the whole time.
We finished off Saturday with supper and dessert at Jon's Ice Cream in Tiffin. It is one of our favorite places to go for ice cream. The locals know how yummy it is and would agree.
Then on Sunday, we went to church followed by rain which ruined our original plan of going for a picnic at Kent park, so we came home and had lunch and waited for the rain to go away. The kids were so cute, singing the "rain rain go away" song. It must have worked because before long the rain was gone and it was really hot and humid again. We waited a little while and decided to head out to Kent park for an evening picnic.
Here is Eric and I. Eric, you truly are the love of my life and are such a great daddy. We love you soooo much!
Here is Joshua and I. Joshua is going through this funny stage right now where he is almost jealous of Eric. When he sees Eric and I kissing or hugging he tries to interrupt and wants me to kiss and hug him or hold him. We love you Joshua!
Ally and Eric. She really is a "Daddy's Girl". And here are Tyler and Joshua, doing what boys do best, climbing!We finished the evening with a brief walk on one of the trails and a beautiful sunset (which turned out to be a horrible storm, but who would have thought...)

(3) Then yesterday, Monday June 22nd, we celebrated Ally's birthday with her friends from school. We had a pool party at the Coralville outdoor pool. The kids all had a great time and once again the weather was really nice and warm. I was too busy with keeping an eye on the kids as they were swimming that I really didn't get very many pics of that either. I have a few but you will have to see them another time.

Something I miss from MN...

2009-06-01T21:12:00.007-05:00

Lilacs! They are a little wilted in this picture, because I didn't think to take a picture until Sunday and it had already been a few days since being picked. But...they were awesome and you will just have to trust me on that one.
As many of you know, I grew up on a farm in MN. Well on this farm we had a cow, eieio. No seriously, we have this amazing (and I mean amazing) hedge of lilacs. The bushes are more like trees because they are like 20 feet tall are in a row that is about 100 feet long. It is HUGE! When they bloom in the spring, you can smell them from just about anywhere on the farm. Since moving to Iowa, every spring I tend to get a little "homesick" and this year was no exception. The only exception was, that this year my parents came to see us Memorial weekend and mom brought me this bouquet of lilacs from the farm. It totally made my week! Mom, you always know how to do that! Thank you, even though you had to cover them in the car because it was too strong for you and dad (if there is such a thing). :)

Thank You Military Men and Women!

2009-05-25T11:16:00.003-05:00

I just want to thank all the military men and women out there who have done so much so that we may have such a great country to live in (it isn't perfect by any means but it is pretty nice considering the alternatives).
This morning over my cup of coffee I was thinking about how when we lived in MN how my dad and I would always go to the Memorial Day services put on by the local legion auxiliary. The service was held at the legion club and they would have this little service in which they had a candle for each of the military people who have passed away in the last year and when they would read their names they would snuff the candle out. Then we would go to the cemetery for a brief service in which they shot guns and played taps. It may sound strange but I miss doing this with my dad. My dad and his dad (my grandpa) were both members of the Airforce, and I know that these services meant a lot to them both. My grandpa served during the Korean Conflict, he never went to Korea but did go overseas. My dad served during the tail end of Vietnam and thankfully never went to Vietnam.
I can't say it enough, THANK YOU! to ALL the people of the military for being brave and doing what you do. Come home safely and we are thinking of you and praying for you.

Pella Tulip Festival

2009-05-11T10:10:00.011-05:00

This past weekend we went the Pella Tulip Festival in Pella, IA. We got there late in the afternoon on Saturday but we still had lots of fun. We saw lots of Tulips of course, every kind and color you could possibly imagine. We ate lots of yummy traditional Dutch food and stayed for the light parade that evening. The town of Pella is known for it's windows, but it is such a cute little town. It had so many cute little shops and boutiques. I definately want to plan a girls day out there sometime when there aren't so many people, there were tons of people everywhere to be expected during Tulip Time. :)
Here is Tyler crouching down next to his "favotite ones", until we got to the next set of gardens. :) He kept changing his mind, understandable as there were so many gorgeous tulips.
And Ally!And Joshua loved all the water fountains. He liked the tulips too but loved the water just as much.Here is Ally with some traditional food. Don't ask me what it was called, I couldn't pronounce it and I don't remember what it was but it was really yummy! It was like these little pancake things with a little cream cheese inside, served with strawberries, powdered sugar and whipped cream. Yumm, makes me hungry thinking about it!
Here is Joshua enjoying a snow cone (love the face) as we were waiting for the parade to start. It was funny, I sent Eric with the kids over to a stand to get some cotton candy and they all came back with snow cones. Whatever...it kept the kids occupied until they were done and had to wash up in these tubs of water they had about every 20 feet on the main street. They were like tubs that were the size of a bath tub. When the parade started we found out what they were really used for, they had Dutch street sweepers come through. They were adults and kids dressed in Dutch costumes complete with wooden shoes that would fill buckets with water and dump them on the streets and sweep the streets literally. It was kind of neat.
Ally being silly...
And last but not least, this was just one of the many, many cute little shops. It is called "Best of Thymes". I went in while I was waiting for the parade to start and it was so neat, I could have spent hours in there. Definately going to have to make a day trip with the girls!

What a beautiful weekend....until Sunday.

2009-05-04T16:23:00.012-05:00

We had a great weekend, until Sunday that is. On Saturday I spent the better part of the morning getting some "good deals" at the many Coralville garage sales (it was city wide garage sale day, yeah!!). When I came home, Eric said he wanted to go to work for a bit but with a little twist of his arm we convinced him to stay home with us and go to the Rapture Center to see the birds and walk some trails. So, that is exactly what we did. It was such a beautiful day, not to hot and not to cold, no humidity, and no bugs yet!We brought our lunches and ate at the picnic tables just outside the Rapture Center entrance. The kids loved it until Ally spotted a spider and then couldn't sit at the table to finish eating (she is her mothers daughter). Eric will have to work on this little problem especially if we are planning on going camping lots this summer. It is too funny, I don't know what happened creepy crawlies never seemed to bother her in the past but seem to now.Here Ally was practicing her surfing. Ya just never know when that will come in handy!
Here is Joshua by some little purple flowers he kept finding. He is so sweet, everytime he found a patch he would ask me or Eric if he could pick some for me. He is such a little charmer!
Here the boys are playing this game they invented where they would put sticks in the holes in the benches and kick them as hard as they could to see who's stick would go the farthest. They had so much fun playing this "game". It must be a boy thing! Eric confessed that it is exactly the kind of thing that he and Aaron would have done as kids. :)
This was Ally's favorite part of the day, inside the bird blind. It was this little shack like thing that you would sit in and it had lots of different kinds of feeders out front of it. The birds come in and eat and if your quiet (that's the clue) then you can see lots of different kinds of birds come and eat. She loved it so much, she wants Grandpa to build her one in his woods. And here is Joshua with his favorite stick of the day. He kept finding sticks and thinking they were pretty neat. He would carry them around until either they would get too heavy or he would find a different one that was neater.

That was our beautiful Saturday, but now for the "until Sunday" part of my title. Well Sunday was a little rough at our house. It too was a beautiful day weather wise, and we even had a picnic with friends from MOPS but this is why it wasn't such a great day..
Yes, this is MY foot. I bet you are all wondering what happened, well to make a long story short I broke my 5th metatarcle and fractured my ankle. I was sitting in church on Sunday morning and my foot "fell asleep". I didn't realize it and stood up, lost my balance, regained my balance, lost my balance again and rolled my ankle. It hurt sooooo bad, but I didn't want to start bauling in church so I acted like it was no big deal that my ankle was swelling to the size of a softball! We just got the kids and got out of there. Yes, I am a clutz! I have come to terms with it and hope that my kids don't inherit it! ;)

First Scrape of the Season

2009-04-20T15:47:00.002-05:00

Today we had the first scrape of the season at our house. Joshua wanted to help me take the trash out, so as we were walking down to the dumpster, he took off running saying "mommy, I'm going to beat ya." He only made it about 20 feet when he went down. He scun his face, hands and knee. He is such a big boy, he only cried for about 5 minutes and felt much better after about 20. We did have to ice his lip though because it was quite swollen and bloody. But, here he is a few hours later and much happier. Like the title says, I am sure it is only the first of many this spring/summer/fall holds for us. :) I also had this funny thought just now, about how I was at a MOPS meeting this morning when I saw a friends daughter that had recently scraped her nose and I remember thinking how we have been lucky so far, no facial scrapes this far and how I was thankful as we are having our family pictures taken this Friday. Just when I thought we were in the clear, wham! Sorry Joshua, this one will be in the frame for the next year.

Happy Belated Easter!!

2009-04-13T11:01:00.023-05:00

No we didn't forget Easter, I was just not able to blog about Easter until this morning and wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter. This year for Easter we spent time with family in Minnesota. We just love going back home and visiting everyone and spending time outside on the farm. The trip was short unfortunately, but still full of fun and adventures. We arrived on Friday evening and spent Saturday with the Loren side and with cousins from the Schultz side. The kids love being able to play with their cousins and we all wish we were closer so they could do so more often. Here is some pictures of their cousins they were taken on our walk through Grandpa Craig's woods.
Here is Joshua with Joah.

Abijah

And Tirzah, sorry Z-man I didn't get your picture.

So the cousins had to leave on Saturday night, but we still had a really fun day with them. After they left, we colored eggs. Joshua and Tyler

Ally and Joshua
We had a really big full day. But...we went to bed and the kids (and Eric) all got Easter baskets the next morning. They were so excited to wake up and look for them. They all found each others, but Ally's was the trickiest. She looked all over and couldn't find it. It took her about 20 minutes longer than the others to find it, and my moms house isnt very big. After breakfast and basket finding, we went to church. One of my favorite past times growing up was going to church on Easter morning with the church all decorated with the memorial garden. They do this thing where people donate plants in memory of or in honor of a loved one and then they decorate the alter with them. It is always just beautiful, this year was no different. After church we went back to my mom and dads house took some pictures of everyone had a great lunch and then had to take off for Iowa. Here is some pics of everyone all dressed up.

Here is our family.

Ally with Grandpa Craig (my dad)

Jeremy (my brother) with his fiance Beth

All in all we had a great Easter and hope each of you did too!

Mexico (Finally!!)

2009-04-07T15:40:00.010-05:00

Sorry to all for not posting about Mexico. Many have asked how the trip went, and for those who haven't, it was great! I have to be honest, I haven't posted because it has been an adjustment getting back into the swing of things around here. There are days when I think I am still on vacation, just as Eric. Anyways, I will give a quick trip update.

So, my mom, my sister, my aunt and I all went to Mexico for 5 days from March 19-24th. We went to Porto Morales which is located just south of Cancun and just north of Playa del Carmen. We stayed at a 5 star all inclusive resort which was of course right on the beach. Here is some photos of our hotel.
This is one of the rooms in our suite. You can see the entrance door in the center. There was a small bathroom off to the left of the door as well as a closet that had a small fridge, microwave, coffee pot, etc.
This was the second room in our suite. It had a king sized bed, another set of furniture (you cant see it because it is where behind the camera), and the full bath behind the glass. It was really funny for the first couple of days we were there they thought my sister and I were on our honeymoon as they left us "towel creations" on the bed. The first day was swans kissing, the second day was a flower with real rose petals scattered on and around it. It was too funny! My mom and aunt had an identical suite right next door.

This is the view from our balcony. We had a two person jacuzzi tub, a stand up shower, two reclining chairs and a small table with chairs.

So, the first full day we were there we spent laying around being lazy and soaking up some sun. We decided to go to Playa Del Carmen that evening for some shopping on the famous 5th Avenue. It was a lot of fun, lots to see. There was a lot of shops with the same type stuff but there was also lots that were different. There were people dressed up in costume that we got our pictures taken with because we thought they were cool. The picture below is of a Mayan Warrior. We took a bus down and back. We spent 2 hours there and only made it maybe a block. It was still lots of fun.
So, with day one long gone, we had day two. This day we took an all day tour to Chichen-Itza Mayan Remains. This was a really neat day. The remains were so cool and interesting. I could go on forever but wont so if you really want to know more ask me and I will tell ya. The one really neat thing about this day was it was the Spring Equinox. On the day of the Spring and Fall Equinox people travel from all over Mexico to Chichen-Itza. The way the main pyramid is built there is a shadow that "looks like a serpent" zig-zagging down the side of it. It is built with such precise measurements that you can only see it on the equinox and only at sunset. So, it was packed with people but still very neat. From left-to-right is my sister Jenny, my aunt Shelly, my mom Jodi, and me.

Earlier this day we also had the opportunity to swim in an Ce note. A Ce note is a deep (150 feet) sink hole. This one that we went to was really famous and is in a state park. It was so beautiful. it looked like something that you would see in a tropical rain forest or something. It was 150 feet deep all the way around. There was no shallow part, so once you were in you were in 150 feet of water. We made the mistake of not renting the life jackets for $2.00 thinking we were good swimmers. I have to be honest, we were in the water for a total of about 5 minutes and I thought I was going to die. All I could keep thinking is, I wonder how many people have drowned here? as my heart was beating out of my chest. If I were to do it again, I would definitely rent the life jacket and not think twice about it. Here is a pic of the Ce note.
So the following day we went into Cancun and did the swim with the dolphins at Delphinus. It was a bit scary for me, but after a bit it I was ok and then it was really fun. I don't know why, but I have always had a fear of animals and insects until I get to know that they wont hurt me, but that's another story in itself. This was a bit expensive, but I have never done it and always wanted to so did.
The last day we were there we decided to go snorkeling. We went snorkeling in the reef a little ways out from our hotel. This was so much fun. The only catch was that we couldn't wear sunscreen because it is a protected reef and we were in the water for an hour. So, needless to say we all got really sunburnt on the back side of us. The other thing that was really funny was I was by far the most scared to do this because of those fears I mentioned earlier, but was the person in the water the longest. It was a little choppy and everyone in our tour got sick, except me. My sister was so sick she vomited on the beach as soon as she got off the boat. I was told everyone was cursing at me wanting me to get in the boat but of course I had no idea, I was in the water for almost 20 minutes longer than everyone else. Too funny! I had a great time. We saw a sea turtle, manta ray, nurse shark, barracuda, and lots of tropical fish. Not to mention all the coral too. Sorry, I have no pics as I was too busy swimming around. :)

So, since this was our last day we decided to just hangout on the beach some more, eat lots more and get ready to leave. We got home much later than anticipated because of plane issues, but we got home and that is all that matters (well maybe on the other hand a few more days would have been ok too).

Blond or Brunette?

2009-03-14T12:42:00.003-05:00

Today I went to visit my hairstylist and decided to "highlight" my hair for fun and for my trip to Mexico (which is in just a few short days). Well, needless to say it turned out way more blond that I anticipated. I like it, but will have to get used to. Here is a pic...Eric was so kind to take one :) Love ya babe!

Dubuque "Mini Vacation"

2009-03-13T14:10:00.014-05:00

This last weekend we took the kids to Dubuque, IA for the weekend. We had such a great time! Friday night we went to Grand Harbor Hotel and Waterpark. We of course swam in the waterpark lots and lots before settling down for the night in the hotel. Then on Saturday we went to the waterpark again, first thing (well almost, we had to have breakfast first). The kids were up at 7:00 and wanted to go down right away but we had to eat first. The kids ate as fast as they could so we could get down there right away. Eric made them wait until 8:30 so they could swim and not get an upset stomach. They had soooo much fun!

The frog at the entrance to the waterpark

Ally and the waterpark behind her

Ally and Joshua in the fountains

Tyler and Joshua getting off the waterslide

Joshua splashing! Something he seems to really like doing!

So, we swam on Saturday morning for a couple of hours then went back up to our room to shower and get ready for the rest of the day. After we checked out of the hotel, we went to the National Mississippi River Museum. We learned a lot about the Mississippi River that we never knew before. It was really neat, especially being from MN and all. Here are some pics of that museum.Daddy, Tyler, Joshua and Ally at the entrance to the museum.

Joshua practicing driving the boat, Tyler talking to Ally through a tube

The kids practicing their balancing skills

Ally and Joshua in front of a map showing all the main rivers in the U.S.

Joshua in front of one of the many tanks that had live fish and other animals

So after this museum we took the kids to the Dubuque Museum of Art. That was nothing to talk about, very boring with just a few pieces to look at. We were in and out in about 15 minutes. So, Ally, our little artist, was so sad. We decided that we are going to take them to the Cedar Rapids Art Museum this upcoming weekend. The internet site says that it has over 5000 pieces of art so I think she will be super excited once we get there. I will post how that goes later.

Ally's Name Poem

2009-03-07T16:56:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I was emptying Ally's backpack and looking at all kinds of papers when I discovered a Name Poem that she wrote describing herself. I think it is priceless and definitely describes her so I thought I would share it with all of you. Here goes:

Adventurous Person
Loves animals
Exercises a lot
Xylophones are fun to play (what is it with X's and xylophones?)
A person who doesn't pollute
Nature loving girl
Drawing expert
Reads The Box Car Children
A caring girl

Likes bird watching
Owner of a clay puppy (she recently made this in Art class)
Ready for cuts (I have no idea what this is about)
Even likes wolves
Never rode a horse but wants to really bad

Ally's Broken Finger

2009-02-25T20:44:00.003-06:00

Yes the title is true, my precious little Ally broke her finger practicing basketball. On Monday night (two days ago) Ally and Eric decided that we should all go to the Rec. Center to practice basketball before Ally's last game, which is supposed to be this upcoming Saturday. So we all go and were practicing when all of a sudden she starts freaking out. I look over and she is crying hysterically. Of course the mom instinct sets in and I RUN over to her to see what is the matter. She said that she was practicing passes with Daddy when all of a sudden she thinks her fingers bent all the way back. Well, I assumed that she jammed them until one started turning black and blue and getting really swollen. We of course stopped what we were doing and went home. When we got home, she was still crying that they hurt and so I decided to take her in to have them looked at. Well we go the ER, get an x-ray and sure enough one was broken. So what we thought would help her with her last game is now going to make her miss it. She is so sad (even though you cant tell in the photo)...

This evening when I checked her finger it is still swollen and of course black and blue. I pray that it heals back to perfect condition and soon. She is already complaining about having to wear a brace on her finger. I love you sweetie and it breaks my heart to see you in pain.

Play card games? or build with them?

2009-02-17T13:08:00.005-06:00

Tyler and Eric have started this thing where they build one level card houses a few months ago (when I went to the MOPS Convention in Oct. to be exact). Anyways, we have several, and I mean several, decks of cards that work great. Here is a picture of what they built this past weekend... Tyler is so funny. He has no desire to play card games with the cards, just build with them. He seems to do it all the time and he gets so excited when he builds things like this. It is precious. Something that Eric and I will remember for a long time. We love you buddy!

Is it a bird?

2009-02-14T21:20:00.002-06:00

This afternoon it was so nice and warm outside that the Ally wanted to play outside. We usually don't let the kids because the apts we live in allow dogs and there is poop everywhere. I wont get started on that...Anyways, I told her that she had to stay where I could look out the window at any time and see her. Well, after about a half hour of her being outside, I checked for the 50th time, and didnt see her. So, I sent Eric out to see if he could see her. He came in and said that he couldn't find her but he could hear this strange bird outside. I went outside and this is what I found...

Happy 4th Birthday Joshua!

2009-02-08T17:09:00.006-06:00

Well as you can see from the title of this blog, Joshua turned 4 today. I can hardly believe that it was 4 years ago when I was at the hospital going through labor to deliver this boy. My oh my how times flies. This year, Grandma Jodi and Grandpa Craig came down to see us and help us celebrate this wonderful event. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa, we love you oh so much. When I asked him how we wanted to celebrate he said "Thomas and Cars". So we did kind of a hodge podge. We had Cars decor with a Thomas cake (which Eric and I made). We went to Pizza Ranch and also to Partee Zone. The kids (and adults) had a blast.
Joshua,
You are such a wonderful gift from God. We prayed for you from the time we conceived you and were so happy the day you were born a healthy child. What more could a mom and dad want? You have grown so much in 4 years and it has been such a delight to be your mommy. I love you so much more than you can ever imagine, and you will always be my baby boy. You have so much of your life ahead of you, and I cant even fathom of what life will bring you. I love it how you still volunteer to take naps with me when the older kids stay up. I love how you tell me everyday "Mommy. (I respond "yes") You're a good mommy." and I love watching you get excited about little things that I as an adult seem to overlook, getting too busy with the everyday hustle and bustle. You constantly remind me to slow down and see things through your eyes. You make me laugh each and everyday, don't ever loose these wonderful qualities that we love about you. We love you so much buddy and wish you a very wonderful birthday.

~Love Mommy and Daddy
P.S. We also love how you hold your nose in the bathroom when going #2, which is what you are doing as I am writting this now. :)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Diet Update

2009-02-05T15:41:00.002-06:00

Many of you have asked me how the diet is going. I am happy to say very very well! I have now been dieting for almost 5 weeks and am down 15 lbs. :) I never thought that I would share my weight with you all but now that I am loosing it I can. When I started this process, at my first official weigh in I weighed 204.6 lbs. I am happy to report that today I weighed in at 189.4. I have lots of questions regarding my diet so I will try to answer them here in case you haven't been able to ask me in person.

Q: What diet am I doing?
A: I am working with the ladies at LA Weight Loss Center in Coralville and following their diet, doing exactly what they say.
Q: Do you ever feel like your starving?
A: At first I had a little bit of a hard time, but after the first two weeks it is rare that I feel hungry, when I do I drink a big glass of water and the hungry feeling goes away. One thing that they told me is that if you are hungry and it isn't time to eat yet that it is your body saying that you are actually thirsty.
Q: Do you have to purchase their products?
A: They do try to sell them to you, but I have yet to purchase any and am still seeing the weight loss. Their big thing is their "Lite Bars" like granola bars, I have found that Luna bars have the same ingredients with less calories and taste better.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: You will have to ask me in person for that one. It is a little pricy, but found the one on one accountability is worth it.
Q: Do you exercise too?
A: Yes, I work out on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes daily. I have found that at first it was really hard so to go that long, so I did shorter times (like 15-20 mins). Then I slowly increased my time until I have been able to go the full 30 mins. (now it is a breeze) When I do this I typically burn 300-325 calories. I also have found that I have so much more energy.
Q: Do you still have that famous "sweet tooth"?
A: Yes, but now it doesn't control me. I still have a sweet tooth, but have found that things seem much more sweet now then before. For instance, I used to drink a diet coke every day, now it is too sweet for me so I only have one once in a while. This is the case for sweet desserts as well.

Those are the questions that several people have asked, if I missed any let me know. Thank you all for thinking of me and asking me how the diet is going. I know that it wierd, but I really enjoy telling you all about it.

The Amazing Shrinking Woman!

2009-01-20T16:07:00.004-06:00

Ok, so those of you who know me well know that I have always struggled with my weight. That is no struggle putting it on, but definitely struggling with getting it off again. Well, Eric and I have decided and are committed to this being our year to make some major changes in our eating and exercise habits. I have decided that I am going to loose 35 lbs by July 1st and Eric
has decided to try to do the same.

It all started with Christmas, when we got a minor scare from my dad. I will never forget the way I felt. My dad found out in late September that he had a blood clot in his leg. He had to do shots for a few day and then start blood thinners for a few months. My dad is only 53 years old so we were all shocked to find this out. He had been doing the South Beach Diet for almost 2 years and was feeling pretty good when this happened. Come to find out, that he was eating way to much food that was high in Vitamin K which helped this happen. Well, he had an appointment with his doctor to see how things were going at Christmas time and had some blood work done. We were in MN for almost 2 weeks and in that time he got his lab results back. They were not good, his cholesterol was 246 (normally it should be between 100-200). He also found out that his "bad cholesterol" was 244 (normal is between 100-150). Dad and mom have also been seeking for answers on how to drop his cholesterol and blood pressure from doctors, hopefully not having to do it with medication. When he was on the South Beach Diet he was able to control his his cholesterol and blood pressure. Any and all prayers for my dad would be so greatly appreciated. High cholesterol and high blood pressure runs in our family. FYI, I have was tested a year ago and was fine but want to keep it that way.

Well, we started these changes immediately when we got back from being in MN for Christmas, and I am excited to say that it is going well. I have lost 8 lbs so far (for me that is the amazing part) and am starting to feel really good. The first week I was super sore all the time and hungry all the time, that is when I decided to get help from LA Weight Loss. They helped regulate my diet and are a great encouragement when I have to go and weigh-in in front of the ladies there. :)

I know that is a lot and the rest wont come off as quickly, but am committed to losing it for good and living a more healthy lifestyle. So, this is where you all come in. For me, I need to be held accountable so if you see me (or if you don't you can email), please ask me how it is going if you remember. I think the encouragement will definitely help keep me on track. Thanks! :)

Some Of Our Favorite Things To Do On Saturdays

2009-01-12T14:55:00.006-06:00

With the holidays behind us, we are excited to start doing things that we used to do (like last Nov.) together as a family. One of the kids favorite things is to ride the city bus to downtown, go to the Museum of Natural History at the University, and then go to the library to get new books. This Saturday we were sitting around wondering what we could do, when Ally said that she wanted to go to the library.

So take a step back, earlier in the week we were discussing rewards that the kids would get for doing their chores each week and the only reward that Ally wanted was to go to the library and get new books, the boys on the other hand wanted to be able to play the Wii that they got for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa. So, we let the boys play the Wii for a while then we went to the library via bus and Museum first.

Here is Ally on the bus...I think the funnest part of the bus is not having to be restrained in seat belts!

After the bus ride there we were off to the University Museum of Natural History, which is free and worth the trip if you live in the surrounding area. The kids love it. There are all kinds of animals birds to look at.

And then the Iowa City Library. The kids love it, the boys love to play with the trains and Ally loves the books. She always has new things that she wants to learn about. Eric and I love that she has this great desire to learn. We pray that it will continue for the rest of her life. Here is a pic. of the boys enjoying the trains.

Only in MN...

2008-12-29T10:49:00.005-06:00

Last Saturday, we went ice fishing with my parents. I remember going ice fishing all the time growing up, but since I have become a mom I have had no real desire to go (I can't imagine why!). The kids had so much fun and it brought back many memories. We went out of a resort called Lybacks on Mille Lacs Lake. My parents only live about 20 minutes south of Mille Lacs Lake. For those of you who know MN it is a very big lake, for those who don't it is about 22 miles long and 14 miles wide. I had terrible anxiety the night before and all the next morning. We got there about 10:00 a.m. and left around 6:00 p.m. For some odd reason I kept having thoughts about our van falling through the ice and had a thorough plan on how I was going to save them if we did. :)
So we drove out almost 4 miles on Mille Lacs, yep I said 4 miles of ice roads, before we finally got to our little 12'x6' house. I felt like I was going to puke many times but was able to control it. I totally felt like I was part of the reality series Ice Road Truckers. Shortly after we got there we caught our first fish in Joshua's hole. It was a big perch and Joshua was so excited, I hate to admit it but it was really exciting. So, then the kids all wanted to get their winter gear on and go outside to play with the fish, because when ice fishing you just through the fish out on the ice right outside your house to freeze before taking it home. So of course we let them and they played with it until we made them come in because I was afraid of them getting frost bite. Then slowly throughout the day we were able to catch perch in each of the other kids holes. They had so much fun and after awhile my anxiety ceased and I too had a lot of fun. The only time that I would start to get worried was when the ice would make loud cracking sounds from other vehicles driving by, but I would just remember as a kid how we used to do it every year and never had to worry about falling through and trust that my dad wouldn't put us in jeopardy if he thought for a second that it wasn't safe.

Here are some pics. that I took to documment our fun and exciting day.

Tyler practicing his patience.

It didnt take long, for the kids to get bored with waiting for the fish to bite so they decided to wait by playing outside on the ice. They promised me they wouldnt fall in before I let them go out!

Ally was the last one to catch a fish, but we werent going home until she did, just ask her. She was determined and it paid off. Between taking breaks outside, around 4:00 her time had come. She too had caught her first fish icefishing. Here she is with Grandpa Craig.

Here is our catch for the day. Three perch caught by the three kids! The adults were a little disappointed, but the kids were very excited.

Joshua periodically (about every 10 minutes) kept checking on our fish to make sure they didn't go anywhere.

Santa is coming!

2008-12-09T17:15:00.007-06:00

This past weekend we took the kids to the North Liberty Rec. Center to see Santa. They had so much fun. They not only got to tell Santa what they wanted they also got to have a light snack, and decorate an ornament. So, you ask, what do they want? Ally wants a Fur Real Friend Kitten, Tyler wants a RoboBug, and Tyler wants a Lightening McQueen Tent that goes over his bed. I think "Santa" may be able to swing that.

I am also including my favorite article regarding Santa. It is very famous and I am sure you have read it before. After it there is also a little background info. about it that I was able to find. I thought it was interesting, if you have time.

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus
By Francis P. Church, first published in The New York Sun in 1897.

Dear Editor—
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
~Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

About the Exchange

Francis P. Church’s editorial, “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” was an immediate sensation, and went on to became one of the most famous editorials ever written. It first appeared in the The New York Sun in 1897, almost a hundred years ago, and was reprinted annually until 1949 when the paper went out of business.
Thirty-six years after her letter was printed, Virginia O’Hanlon recalled the events that prompted her letter:
“Quite naturally I believed in Santa Claus, for he had never disappointed me. But when less fortunate little boys and girls said there wasn’t any Santa Claus, I was filled with doubts. I asked my father, and he was a little evasive on the subject.
“It was a habit in our family that whenever any doubts came up as to how to pronounce a word or some question of historical fact was in doubt, we wrote to the Question and Answer column in The Sun. Father would always say, ‘If you see it in the The Sun, it’s so,’ and that settled the matter.
“ ‘Well, I’m just going to write The Sun and find out the real truth,’ I said to father.
“He said, ‘Go ahead, Virginia. I’m sure The Sun will give you the right answer, as it always does.’ ”
And so Virginia sat down and wrote her parents’ favorite newspaper.
Her letter found its way into the hands of a veteran editor, Francis P. Church. Son of a Baptist minister, Church had covered the Civil War for The New York Times and had worked on the The New York Sun for 20 years, more recently as an anonymous editorial writer. Church, a sardonic man, had for his personal motto, “Endeavour to clear your mind of cant.” When controversial subjects had to be tackled on the editorial page, especially those dealing with theology, the assignments were usually given to Church.
Now, he had in his hands a little girl’s letter on a most controversial matter, and he was burdened with the responsibility of answering it.
“Is there a Santa Claus?” the childish scrawl in the letter asked. At once, Church knew that there was no avoiding the question. He must answer, and he must answer truthfully. And so he turned to his desk, and he began his reply which was to become one of the most memorable editorials in newspaper history.
Church married shortly after the editorial appeared. He died in April, 1906, leaving no children.
Virginia O’Hanlon went on to graduate from Hunter College with a Bachelor of Arts degree at age 21. The following year she received her Master’s from Columbia, and in 1912 she began teaching in the New York City school system, later becoming a principal. After 47 years, she retired as an educator. Throughout her life she received a steady stream of mail about her Santa Claus letter, and to each reply she attached an attractive printed copy of the Church editorial. Virginia O’Hanlon Douglas died on May 13, 1971, at the age of 81, in a nursing home in Valatie, N.Y.

Whether you participate in Santa or not, we truly wish you the Merriest Christmas ever.

OHIO!

2008-11-24T11:12:00.009-06:00

This past weekend we had a blast in Ohio. We went to Dayton, OH to visit my sister and go to her graduation. My sister finally graduated from Wright State with her Masters in Middle School Education. Congrats Jenny! We love you! We left on Thursday after the kids were done with school and drove, yep drove, there. It was quite the adventure. The kids traveled very well. It was just over 8 hours of driving time, so it took us about 9.5 hours to get there. While we were there we went to Newport KY (just across the river from Cincinnati) to an aquarium where the kids got to see all kinds of fish and other animals that live in both salt and fresh water. The highlight of the aquarium was being able to pet sharks. The kids did it, not I. I was so worried that the sharks were going to take off an arm or at least a finger that I had a hard time watching, even after the lady working there assured me that they feed the sharks regularly so there was a very little chance of that happening. Yes, I admit, I am a chicken!

As we were leaving the aquarium, I snapped this beautiful picture of Cincinnati from the KY side of the river.

Saturday was the big day. It was the day that Jenny actually graduated. The kids had such a great time watching her graduate and loved cheering her on. The ceremony got a little long, but Auntie Jenny knew that it would and packed us a big bag of M&M's that seemed to make it easier. Way to go Jen! Here is a picture of my sister with her boyfriend Greg, who also graduated that day.

Also on Saturday, after all the excitement of the graduation, we got to go to the National Airforce Museum at Wright Patt Airforce Base. We spent almost 2 hours there, but could have spent all day there. It was so much fun, and the kids loved seeing all the planes. At the museum they have three huge hangers full of airplanes all the way from the Wright Bros. Plane, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, to today's planes all full size and all inside over 400 in all. Plus they had 4 presidential planes that you could go inside including Airforce I, which was retired after Clinton. Some of them you can walk through, others you can sit in the cockpit. It was way too cool! The best part is this museum is completely 100% free! Yep, I said free! The kids had a blast and didn't want to go when they closed and kicked us out. Eric and the kids are already trying to figure out when we can go see Auntie Jenny again!

"Bald"

2008-11-24T10:53:00.009-06:00

Last Tuesday, I asked my husband to cut the boy's hair for me, bathe them, and get them ready for bed for me. Eric is really good about this and loves to help out and do the bedtime routine, so he graciously agreed to do so. I was busy doing the other needed household chores (dishes) when I hear Eric start to cut Tyler's hair when he yelled down the stairs "Honey, am I supposed to use a guard?" I of course yelled back "Yes, number 2 or 3". Those of you who cut your own hair know that the bigger the number the longer the hair is after it is cut. Anyways, so I didn't think much of it until the next morning when I woke up to this...no hair!

Eric said he started cutting their hair without a guard and had to continue or else it would have looked funny. He cut Tyler's hair and then Joshua wanted to "be bald" too. So, he cut Joshua's hair to match. Eric didn't want to tell me because he thought I would be upset. I have to admit, I was a little sad at first, but had to laugh as the boys were so excited that they were now "bald like daddy". No, Eric isn't going bald but the kids always tease him after he cuts his hair.

Out of Gas?

2008-11-12T18:00:00.003-06:00

OK, today the one of most embarrassing things happened. Here's how it happened...I had just got finished with MOPS when my husband had called and asked me to come pick him up and bring him to the labs that had been flooded to meet with someone to evaluate damage. So, Joshua and I drove down to the Univ. to do so. On the way, I noticed that my gas light had turned on in my van letting me know that I was low on gas. The same light that was annoying me earlier when I was on my way to drop the kids off at school and didn't have time to get gas then either. Well, I thought I had plenty of time to get to the gas station (I can usually go ~30 miles without running out, don't ask how I know that). So, I went down and picked up Eric, dropped him off and this whole time my light was dinging at me. I left him at his labs, and Joshua and I headed towards the gas station. While waiting for a light at the corner of Mormon Trek and 1st Ave. my van started sputtering and killed. I thought I was about to die. I had to pick up the older two kids in about an hour and I left Eric where he was going to have an important meeting so he wouldn't be able to help me. So I tried to start our van and no luck, I put my hazards on and put it in park and then it started right up. I immediately shut the hazards off and speed off down the Coralville Strip and stopped at the first available gas station. I thought for sure I had run out, but apparently there were enough fumes that I was able to make it the few blocks to the gas station. Joshua, the whole time saying "Momma we are lucky!" I didn't want to share this incident with Eric, as he always says "Just stop, you would be much later if you run out." But as soon as Eric got home from work today, Joshua said to him "We were lucky today daddy because we ran out of gas." Kids say the darnest things!

Lots of Ladies & Food!

2008-11-08T19:19:00.003-06:00

Last night we had a get together at Jeanie's house for a friend of ours, Travis, who recently moved to Florida and came back to visit us. Even though I saw her in early Oct. at the MOPS Convention, it was wonderful to see her! There was about 30 of us there and it was so fun to catch up with many of those women too. Two of the ladies that were there it happened to be their birthday's and we got to celebrate with them, Happy Birthday Natasha & Jenny. It was such a fun evening! Thank you Jeanie for opening your home to all of us. Of course I didn't have my camera there to capture the fun, so I stole the picture above from another friends blog, Thanks Lisa. :)

Election day is finally over!

2008-11-05T13:47:00.001-06:00

Well, today is the day after elections and I am happy to say that it is finally over. I'm sure everyone who is breathing has heard the news that Barack Obama has made history as the 1st African American to be elected as president. All the hype, phone calls and TV ads will finally stop YEAH! I am not trying to sound mean, but I have to laugh at all the people saying "Now we need to start praying for our govt." because to me this is something we should have been doing all along and we need to continue doing no matter who is/was elected, not only for our national govt. but also for our state and local govt as well. We also need to remember that God is in control and He hand picked the candidate that was to win last night. We did our part by voting, now we need to let God do His part in what is to happen in the next four years. Just my opinion...

Blessings Through Painting

2008-11-03T16:11:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday and today I have had the privilege of helping paint an elderly couples new home. Their old home was flooded with the flood that came through Iowa City and they were lucky enough to get a buy out so they are not rebuilding in their old lot. They purchased a home in Coralville and needed helping painting it and getting it ready to move in. Now those that know me know that I don't particularly care for painting, but I did truly enjoy helping these people out. I have to admit, I am sore in places that I haven't been sore in a really long time, but that is minor compared to what this couple is going through. They were the two sweetest people anyone would want to meet and were so thankful for our help. The lady told us more times that I can count how much this meant to them and how nice it would be to finally be in a home of their own soon. We were effected by the flood but not nearly like so many others. Yes, my husbands labs got flooded, but we still have a place to call home, where so many do not. The Lord has blessed me so much through this experience and I hope to help more soon. We have such a hurting community right now, and need to continue to pray for these individuals.

Tyler is 6 (well almost)

2008-10-25T20:52:00.000-05:00

Today was a really big day for us. Today is the day we celebrated Tyler's birthday. His real birthday is tomorrow (Saturday), but it was easier to have a birthday party for him and his friends than it would have been tomorrow. He was really excited! We celebrated at Par-Tee Zone in Iowa City from 11:00-1:00. For those who are unaware of what that is, it is a very large indoor climbing structure. He had eight of his friends from Kindergarten that joined us.

After the party, we as a family went to Bloomsbury Farms for the afternoon. We had such a blast there as well. The weather was finally sunny and warm enough that we could spend the afternoon outside and not freeze or get rained on. With Eric being gone to Kansas the past few months, we hadn't had the chance to get our pumpkin for Halloween yet, so the kids were really excited when we got the perfect one for carving in a few short days. We were so busy today, that I am sure everyone will sleep well tonight!

Happy Birthday Buddy! We love you so much and are so happy that God choose us to be your Mommy and Daddy! We pray that we will get to spend many more with you.

Tyler's Bloomsbury Farm Field Trip

2008-10-24T13:36:00.000-05:00

Today was the big day that Tyler had been wai ting for, fieldtrip day. I had volunteered to go along but when I woke up this morning, I had wished I hadn't. I woke up to 45 degrees and rain. His teacher told me that we wouldnt be going if it was raining at 9:00 when we were scheduled to leave. Well, it rained (very cold rain at that) until shortly before 9:00 when mother nature decided to stop just long enough for all 4 classes of Kindergarteners to get on the buses and half way there. We got there and it once again stopped raining for about, oh 10 minutes or so then it started raining again. It rained for almost the whole time we were there. Those who have been to Bloomsbury Farms before know that there is a lot of stuff outside and only a few things in covered areas. Well...needless-to-say, we did all the things under the covered areas and got the free pumpkins and came home. The whole time I just kept thinking to myself, this is his trip and I am just going to have to make the most of it. Well, we did have lots of fun even though it was cold and raining, and now I am enjoying an nice mug of cocoa trying to warm up. I would show pics but I left my camera in the van on accident so I took pics with my camera on my phone, but now I cant remember how get them off my phone and on my computer. Anyone know? If I figure it out, I will post them later.

I Finally Started...Yikes!

2008-10-23T17:01:00.000-05:00

Ok ok I have finally been asked enough times "what my blog address is?" when I didnt even have one. I can finally say that I did it. I took the leap and just did it. I dont know why I havent done it before, because I LOVE reading everyone elses.