October 31, 2011

We did our usual Halloween tradition this year (you know, because we've done it twice) of dressing the kids up and driving to my parents and John's mom's house. It's a very exciting evening!

We had Plan A and Plan B for Nate's costume. Plan A would have been very, very cute - but I didn't order the right shirt in time so I tried to make it myself. FAIL.

Muscle man FAIL.

Plan B - Robot/Bug/Pudgy Blue Monster

James was a train engineer. Fitting.

Wrestling gone wrong...

First stop - Grandpa and Grandma Ronk

James helped Grandpa pass out the candy.

Nate with Grandma.

I took 17 of these pictures. Enough said!

Next stop - Grandma Carruthers!

James and Nate love Uncle Matt!

Tommy!

Nate was a Bug/Robot/Pudgy Blue Monster-Muscle Man

Uncle Matt's impromptu costume.

Nate's 1 Year Doctor Appointment

October 31, 2011

Nate had his 1 year appointment last Monday. Dr. Jacobs said he looks quite healthy. I asked him if Nate looked "too healthy" and he said he looked completely fine. Once he starts walking, he'll slim down and loose some of the "loose muscle"!

At 1 Year:

Weight:  24 lbs  (67th %)

Height:  29"  (24th %)

HC:  47.5"  (80th %)

Is my head really that big?

After shots, everything is better with a blanket!

October 29, 2011

Last Saturday was our good friend Luke's 4th birthday party. Well, it's more like Nick and Renae are our good friends. The jury's still out on Luke!  ;-) 

His party was at Bob's Corn in Snohomish. (I guess "Bob" himself goes to their church now too, kind of a cool connection!) Our family never made it to the pumpkin patch this year, so we had to get our picture so it at least looks like we were went!

They have a great set up there. We all rode over to the corn maze in the tractor, then they have a covered party area inside the maze. After fun in the maze, all the kids (and your's truly) went for a ride in the "barrel cows". We all had a lot of fun and the weather was even beautiful for it! Happy Birthday Luke!

The "twacter wide" we took to get to the pumpkins and corn maze.

I. LOVE. THIS.

Nate + John - 1 shoe.

James was clearly excited to be there!

This little girl was so cute! She is best buds with Luke and was over-the-top excited for all the day's festivities! Definitely a "type-A" personality!

It's still weird to me that James is old enough for all this...

Ready for the mud.

I get to kiss those cheeks all day.

A picture to join James' pumpkin picture on my mantle. It's the closest to looking forward and smiling!

And the rare family photo. Thanks Nick!

John and I stood on the tractor ride back to the farm-house. James ever-so-sweetly held on to Drew's leg the whole ride!

The "cow barrel" ride. Everyone was afraid that James would freak out by himself, so I was the lucky one to ride with him! It was actually pretty fun!

He dropped this pumpkin a few times while trying to put it back. Sorry to whoever bought it!!

October 26, 2011

"But if we hope for what we do not see, 

we eagerly wait for it with perseverance." 

- Romans 8:25-

Yep, we've semi-started potty training! By semi-started, I mean we're potty training when we're home and awake. I have no idea what to do about naps and night time and I'm scared out of my mind to take James out of the house with only "underoos". So far, he's doing really great. He can tell me "yes" or "no" and he's right 80% of the time. And he's always excited to show me his work so he can have "CANDY TIME!". Recently, "candy time" has been a tic-tac because that's all we have, lol!

I'll be real. This sucks. But I won't complain, so that's all I have to say. Go James!  ;-)

October 25, 2011

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY NATE!!

October 25th was sweet Nate's big day! I shouldn't say "I can't believe it's been a year already", so I won't. Just know it's implied!

Nate has been such a great addition to our family. As I think back to the first few months I knew I was pregnant with him - I was freaked out. I didn't know how I'd handle 2 kids and a puppy (yes, a puppy totally counts!), I didn't want James to feel left out, and babies that close just didn't jive with my plan. I was not un-thankful for another baby, but un-trusting and un-surrendered to God's will (I know, I know, those aren't real words!). Now, I see all the blessings with having them that close and I love it.

And speaking of that time... how large was I at James' 1st Birthday!

Nate is always full of smiles, giggles, and belly laughs. He puts up with James' wrestling and "grabby hands". He sweetly snuggles into his blanket when I put him down to sleep. He eats his meals like a champ and is in the process of learning to drink his milk from a big-guy cup (if he gets thirsty enough he'll drink it, right?!). It's interesting - the older the boys get, the more I see "John" in James and "Reed" in Nate. Eek!

Nate's Birthday party was a lot of fun. We just had some friends and family over to the house for tacos and cake.

This is classic "Nate being tickled" face.

I'm so sorry, but I had to put this on here. Look at how that party hat um, accentuates his cute little chub!

Some of the party-goers!

James had a hard time understanding that these presents weren't for him... Or maybe he did understand and didn't care!

Nate had his "serious about opening presents" face on the whole time.

"Helping" with the new toys.

Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa got Nate this cute stuffed bear.

And it was love at first sight! Until he saw the cake, of course.

Typical. James super into "Tommy" and Nate already stuffing his face!

Nate has been training his whole life for this.

Remember this?

And some help from Dad. I must have been somewhere else for this...  :)

He probably would have finished the entire cake if we had let him. He had a fun time!

Happy Birthday to my Natester! (As he violently tugs the balloons up and down for the picture!)

October 24, 2011

Since I can't seem to blog on the correct days, I'm just going to re-create them!

October 24th, 2010 - The night before I went in for a c-section with Nate - was the day we officially joined our church, Northview Community.

It feels really strange that we've been there for over a year now, and if I'm being honest, I thought it would take a lot longer for it to feel like home. John and I have both been overwhelmed by the goodness of God in bringing us to this place. I don't for a second want to dismiss what we learned through our last church, but it is clear that God used every circumstance to put us here and to grow us even more.

I could write a lot about what I have learned this past year, but I guess I'll sum it up by first saying that my view of God has been way-super-expanded. Between last year's Women's Bible Study about the tabernacle and God's relationship with Israel and Pastor Steve's series in John so far this year, I consider my world rocked!

Also, my view of "philosophy of ministry" for lack of better term-age has been turned up-side-down. When we showed up to the "new member orientation" at Northview, Steve talked about.... well, here, let me take a picture....

Is that readable? The text says: "JESUS SAID THAT PEOPLE WOULD KNOW THAT WE ARE HIS DISCIPLES BY OUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER; THEREFORE WE SEE THAT END RESULT AS THE CENTER OF THE BULL'S-EYE." (John 13)

Right Doctrine: Essential, but believing the right thing does not ensure we will do the right thing.
Right Behavior: Essential and desireable, but does not guarantee an inner heart change.
Right Relationship: Being right with God and our fellow man is the desire of the Gospel.

Obviously, that diagram has simplified a lot, but I kind of like it that way, ha ha!

Anyhoooo, that's probably way more than you wanted to read about our new place, but that's that!

Happy 1st Anniversary to us!