Linking Lines

What? It's February???

2012-02-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

Oh my...where does the time go? I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I've posted. I can't really say we've been doing a whole lot of exciting things, but we have been staying busy. It's always hard for me to get back into "life" after the holidays and I think God knew this so he sent us lots of sunshine! January is on record for being the warmest ever in this area! We had so many 40 and 50 degree days, it was incredible! I finally put the bikes back in the garage and left outdoor toys more accessible since we've been going outside practically every afternoon since the New Year. We have received maybe one bad snowstorm and it amounted to about 6 inches that melted very quickly. The kids got a couple days in the snow, but now we are all brown again and bracing for cold weather. Yesterday I was freezing and could not get warm. Ryan just laughed and said "Hon, it's only like 20 degrees"...I guess we've been a little spoiled. I just hope warm winter doesn't mean we will have snow in July. Yikes!

Kiera has been staying busy with school and we were able to attend another great parent/teacher conference at her school this week. She is a wonderful student and is progressing so well. It made us most proud to hear of her kindness to others and respect for authority. We're pretty proud of our little girl! She continues to spend her afternoons entertaining her brothers and nurturing her imagination. Her favorite activity right now is coloring. She loves to get all her crayons and books out when the boys go to bed and then we sit at the table coloring while she literally talks my ear off. I have learned so much about her and her world through our little coloring dates! I must say that coloring is actually very stress relieving as well!

The boys have definitely left the terrible twos and entered a much more content era. Boy are we happy! Some days I feel as if "I have arrived" because I'm doing less and less for them and enjoying them more because we aren't so busy doing the day to day stuff. Not sure if that makes sense, but all of you with multiples I'm sure totally get it or will get it someday! For example: they met the height and weight requirements for a booster seat with a back. My errands used to take so long because I would have to buckle all the 5 point harnesses, shut all the car doors get kids in and out etc etc. Now I open the doors, sit in my seat and wait for Kiera to buckle them (if she's around). They can unbuckle on their own (so far haven't had issues while we are driving) and climb out on their own! See! I have arrived!!!! I know, I know...I rejoice over the little things....

We have had a fairly healthy winter until last week. All 3 kids decided to get the stomach flu AT THE SAME TIME! YUCK!!!! Ryan and I just laughed because there wasn't much else to do. Thankfully that meant they were done together and we didn't have to hold our breath for the next one. Unfortunately I got it a few days later but Ryan has managed to escape it thus far. I am not so thankful for the 9 loads of laundry that I did the next day. Ugh.

We continue to keep busy with church activities, story hour, and outings with friends. Opa & Oma got us a year pass to the Children's Museum here in town, so we are enjoying that a lot. We are looking forward to Kiera's birthday in a couple weeks and a much anticipated visit from my Mom and sister Lisa and niece Rylee. It's been over 6 months since we've seen them last so we are super excited to get together! We appreciate all your prayers for good health for all so we can enjoy our time together!

I'll leave you with some funny conversations from the boys. I love this age of innocence! Never a dull moment in our house!

~Joel says to Caleb after Caleb sneezed and got snot all over his face "Caleb, you have sneeze on your face"

~After Joel made some very distinct sounds in his diaper Caleb says to me "Mommy, Joel burped in his diaper!"

~Joel: "Mommy, I don't want to go downstairs, there's lions". Me: "Lions only live in the zoo. You don't have to be afraid, Jesus is always with you." Joel then heads downstairs while Caleb and I watch from the top...Caleb yells down "Do you see Baby Jesus?" I think my boys are going to grow up thinking that Jesus doesn't live in our hearts, He lives in our basement. (And thank you big sister for telling your brothers there are lions in the basement.)

A few weeks later we repeat the same scenario and as Joel heads down the steps he asks Caleb, "Is Jesus on my back?" Caleb replies "Yep, he's on your back!" Good thing to remember that God always has our backs, doesn't he?

This is generally how the kids sit to get books read to them. Doesn't Caleb look thrilled?
One Saturday morning the kids had set up the coffee table with all party stuff to say "thank you" to daddy for all he does...very sweet and they were very proud of their work and made sure we all wore our hats! We had strawberry muffins to celebrate with. (Not sure why mom never gets these parties...guess I have to work harder ;) )

Christmas Letter 2011

2011-12-16T19:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a few years since I have sat down and written an actual Christmas letter. We decided that we would just update everyone through our blog and post our picture instead of mailing it out to each of you. Hopefully you won't strike us from your mailing lists and we promise to get a picture out next Christmas!

Ryan:
In June, Ryan was able to go on a trip to Israel through Youth Unlimited. He was gone for 2 weeks and had an amazing time! It's hard to capture in words all that he saw and experienced during that time. He says that it was incredible to see the Bible come alive and to get an entirely different perspective on scripture, kind of like watching TV in Black & White and then experiencing it in Hi-Definition! While he was in the Land he visited all the major regions from the Negev Desert/Wilderness all the way to the Northern Borders of Israel and Lebanon. They spent time at the Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, and Mediterranean Sea. They visited sites such as the battlefield where David fought Goliath, the Shepherd's Field outside of Bethlehem, Capernaum, Caesarea, and much more! Their time in Israel was finalized by spending a few days in Jerusalem walking the Passion walk of Christ. Ryan definitely felt that the trip was spiritually refreshing and he returned with some amazing stories and new ideas to use for the next school year. We definitely missed daddy those few weeks and tried to keep ourselves busy with VBS and day trips with friends.
Ryan returned from Israel and was barely home when he had to finalize plans for the SERVE group arriving at our church in July. 70 adults and high school students arrived for a week of serving the community and being challenged to fulfill our call as Christians to go into all the world. Ryan loves the SERVE experience and really enjoyed hosting a project here after having done it numerous times with our church in CA.
Ryan continues to stay busy with high school and junior high youth groups and all the extra's that go along with each. We praise God for the wonderful staff he works with and the support they are for each other. He continues to love his job and it is definitely fulfilling to see the relationships that have been established and God working in the lives of these students!

Sheri:
I continue to stay busy with a variety of church activities and trying to keep one step ahead of our 3 kids. I still play piano for the praise team once a month, help out with Children's church, and am the craft coordinator for our Story Hour (Coffee Break) kids every Wednesday morning. It's enough to keep me involved and yet I don't feel overwhelmed with all that being a stay-at-home-mom requires.
In July, the kids and I were able to fly to WA for 3 weeks to spend time with my family. It was so much fun to be in WA in the summer and get some sightseeing in and visit with friends and family. My Grandparents celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary so we were able to be there for the De Groot family reunion. We really enjoyed spending time with family and creating great memories with my family! Ryan was able to join us for the last week and of course we were spoiled by my parents! It was a wonderful family vacation!
About 2 weeks after I returned from WA, we received a phone call that my dad had been having seizures. After a number of these episodes, it was determined that he had a stroke. He lost the use of most of his left side and was having incredible difficulty swallowing. In about 3 weeks time, he was out of the hospital and at home recovering. He was back to work about a week later. I was able to fly out in October by myself for a week to help him at work as he is self-employed and spend some time with him. It was so good to be able to be home with him and see for myself the progress he had made. We had quite the fun time at work together and I really enjoyed spending time with both my parents alone and being the favorite aunt for a week to my nieces there! We definitely praise God that my dad is almost 100% recovered and only has minimal issues swallowing. He is back at work full time, walking on his own, finished with therapies, and waiting for the go- ahead to drive! Praise God!!!

Kiera:
Kiera entered the world of "real" school as she calls it. She started Kindergarten at Christian Center School. We LOVE her school and her teacher! She attends mornings 5 days a week. She absolutely LOVES school. She is always full of information and wanting to stay all day. It has been so much fun to see her make new friends, embrace learning, and enjoy all that school has to offer. She continues to be quite the helper at home with the boys and they have really started playing together so well! She is definitely our social butterfly and always wants someone to play with her. She has quite the active imagination and can bring to drama to any and every situation!

Caleb & Joel:
I lump them together because they are never apart and pretty much continue to be identical in most ways. It's hard to believe that we have survived 3 years with twins! These two boys have definitely pushed us to the limits of our parenting knowledge, tested our patience in every way, and brought us incredible joy through it all! The 2's were definitely terrible...the 3's are looking much better! We still aren't potty-trained, but who really wants to train 2 at once? These boys have quite the relationship and we love to see them interact with each other and with Kiera. You will have to read my previous posts about each of them to truly understand how these two boys operate together and independently of each other. Sometimes it can be quite unbelievable!
The boys most favorite thing to do (next to playing and eating snacks, of course) is to attend Story Hour. They love to go with me on Wed. mornings to play and be with other kids. They think they are pretty hot stuff going to class all by themselves. They started attending Children's church on Sunday mornings as well since they decided nursery was not acceptable. Thankfully we only have to have them in church with us occasionally.

Our year has definitely had it's high's and low's and through it all we have seen God's faithfulness to our family, our extended family, and our friend's. We thank God for each of you and the role you have played and continue to play in our lives. We wish you and each of yours a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

To my youngest: Joel

2011-12-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

When I think about what to write for Joel, his little dimple and quick smile come to mind. Joel is always quick to smile and definitely shows his emotions a lot quicker than Caleb. You are very giving with your hugs and kisses and will just come up to me and say "I love you mommy!" You make us so happy! Lately, you have learned to cry on command as soon as someone takes something of yours and you are quite effective with this method!

You, Joel, are my little chatterbox. I thought that Kiera would take the cake in our family, but you are definitely giving her a run for her money! You are always asking questions and stating the obvious just to be heard. I love to hear you and Caleb chat in the car. You are always asking him questions or pointing things out to him. The funniest part is that you always say his name when talking to him. You definitely talk more than Caleb and I love hearing your high pitch voices chatting away behind me!

You are definitely more needy than Caleb. You need much more attention from mommy and prefer to spend time around people than by yourself. You are quite hesitant to go anywhere alone and have quite the separation anxiety for story hour and children's church. We started taking you to church because you HATE the nursery.

You are quite the leader and tend to be the organizer between you and Caleb. You generally decide what is played, where it's played, and how long. Caleb is quite content to just follow you around...except when you dictate that whatever you are doing is over!

You are my little snacker. Every morning when you and Caleb watch Caillou, you always come upstairs midway with a silly grin on your face and say "can I have a fruit snack...and one for Caleb"? Its so hard to resist that little grin and generous nature. You always share and want to make sure that whatever you get, Caleb will get as well. We took you to the Dr. recently because you had pneumonia, and we were there for 3 hours without Caleb. You received a sticker from the Dr. and asked if you could get one for Caleb & Kiera as well. And when we stopped at the pharmacy, you were quite upset that you only got one sucker and said to me that "Caleb will be so sad he didn't get a sucker". Your concern for others already at such a young age just warms my heart. I hope that you continue to be this caring and sensitive to others needs! The best part of that Dr. visit was coming home and hearing you and Caleb "catch up" on the 3 hours you were apart...I don't think either of you stopped talking for over an hour! It was so precious! You wore your Dr. visit like a badge of honor!

Joel, you love Lightning McQueen, cars, trains, legos, and GeoTracks. You like to play outside, but don't have quite the attention span that Caleb has. You prefer to do more things for less amount a time than stick with one thing forever. You love playing with Kiera as well, but get sick of pretending after awhile. You usually come to find mommy and see if you can help or just to give me a hug and a snuggle. I love your silly grins and your funny faces. You can make the funniest expressions and KNOW you are being funny!

You love ice cream, pancakes, spaghetti, corn, salisbury steak, and meat potatoes & vegetables! You are generally the one who will ask what's for supper and then just say "I'll go to my room"...knowing that you don't like it and have to go to your room if you don't eat it. You are a little stinker sometimes!

You are much more attached to your binky and need at least 4 when you go to bed. Every morning you come to tell me that Caleb is ready to get down from his bunk. Sometimes he isn't even awake, but because you are, then he needs to be. You love routine and don't like things to change too much. You love spending time with daddy and always ask to go in his shop to play with his tractors. You love to wrestle and play games.

Joel, you are such a precious part of our family and we love your generous personality, loving nature, and ready smile. We love you so much and are so very proud of you!!!

To my Firstborn son: Caleb

2011-12-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

To celebrate their 3rd birthday, I wanted to write a little something about each of my boys that was to them specifically. So often we lump them together as "the boys" or "the twins" that we forget they are two special individuals! This post is for Caleb my firstborn son by about half a minute!

Caleb Dean, you bring so much joy and laughter to our home! You are definitely our goofy clown! You have the silliest faces and are always doing something funny to make us laugh! Just the other day when I finished vacuuming, you asked me "are you done mowing mommy?" I love your happy attitude and laid back view of life! You definitely have your daddy's personality.

Along with your goofy nature, you are also my very stubborn little boy. When you want something, you will NOT let it go. You would rather go in time-out 50 times before acknowledging that mommy is the winner! You are slowly learning that mom can be even more stubborn than you and picks her battles with you very carefully. We are also seeing that your stubbornness gives you a fierce determination to accomplish anything in your way. You will not give up when faced with a task and keep trying until you succeed. This attitude will definitely take you very far in life! You faced roller-skating and ice-skating with this attitude this winter, and were able to do both all by yourself! We are so proud of you!

You also take after your sister with your creative imagination and creativity. You love to play Barbies and House with your sister. You LOVE it when she plays with you and you both can have so much fun together when you put your minds to it. You are always talking your cars and giving everything a personality. You get quite sad when Joel decides he doesn't want to play that way anymore. You love to color, paint, and cut. You will sit a long time at the table doing projects with Joel.

Right now your favorite toys are Lightning McQueen and anything from the original CARS movie, airplanes, Little People, matchbox cars, trains, and GeoTrax trains. You love playing outside and following daddy everywhere. You love to figure out how things work and definitely have daddy's handyman gene in you! I am constantly amazed at what you have figured out to do without any help. Now if you will just figure out potty-training....

Your relationship with Joel is one of my favorite things about you. You and Joel are two peas in a pod! Every morning you get woken up by Joel telling you it's time to come down from the top bunk. Every minute is spent by Joel's side playing, eating, and talking. There is NOTHING you do apart from Joel. If he wakes up in the night, you always get up with him and follow him to make sure you aren't missing out on anything. If Joel gets something, you think you need it too. If one of you gets hurt and needs a binky, the other one gets a binky just to sympathize with whoever is hurt. One time you were sick and fell asleep and poor Joel was so lost without you. He wandered aimlessly until you woke up feeling better. Usually if one of you is sick, the other is as well. You are definitely the more brave of the two. You rarely cry when I leave and always look at Joel like he's crazy for crying about us leaving.

Your favorite foods are ice cream, pizza, candy, pancakes, salisbury steak, and good ole meat potatoes and vegetables! You don't really care for corn and really do not like spaghetti.

We are so proud of our precious Caleb and cannot believe we have had you in our family for 3 years now! It has been quite a journey and you have challenged us in so many ways, but we wouldn't trade you for anything! We love you so much and you bring so much happiness to our family!

Party Day 2!

2011-12-06T08:53:00.001-08:00

We are continuing to celebrate the boys birthdays today. Yesterday we were able to skype with my parents so the boys could open their presents with Opa & Oma looking on. They were SOOOO excited! I think the best gift by far were the snow shovels! As soon as the skype date was over, the kids bundled up and headed outside to shovel the dusting of snow on the sidewalks. It almost looks like child labor when all 3 are out there shoveling! I told Ryan he won't need his snow blower much this year and we should really hire them out to the neighbors!

Once again, the theme for this year is Lightning McQueen...can you tell how much they like it???

Awesome slippers from Uncle Randy & Aunt Juli...everytime I see them walk it cracks me up!

Pajamas from Opa & Oma as well as sheets for their new bunk beds!

Here are the costumes Grandpa & Grandma got them...they have been wearing them non-stop!

Our snow crew

Party Time!!!

2011-12-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

I absolutely cannot believe that our boys are turning 3!!! We have officially begun the 12 days of Birthday (not really, but seems like it)! Since it's always more fun to spread out the presents and the cake, we thought we would start out with a birthday party with our family on the Link side. The boys have been requesting Lightning McQueen and Mater cakes for the past 3 months, so that's the theme we went with. This was the first year we decided to do 2 cakes since they both requested different cakes. My family is not huge fans of cake, so we went with ice cream cakes instead. They were definitely a hit! I was a little disappointed with the ability to decorate the cakes as I love to do this, but it was much more relaxing and the boys were thrilled! The word I would use to describe my little birthday boys would be giddy. From the start of decorations going up, to watching the cakes being decorated, to seeing the presents arrive, they were jumping around and giggling! They were SOOO excited to be the center of attention.
I had heard from other twins and done reading on celebrating birthdays with twins and it all pointed me to the importance of celebrating their individuality. This is why we had 2 cakes and then also sang to each of them separately. I'm so glad we did, because the look on each face as they were the center of attention was priceless! Just an idea for all of you parents of twins....
The boys received lots of great presents from Grandpa & Grandma and cousins/aunts/uncles! They have definitely been kept busy today playing with all of it. We are looking forward to a Skype date today with Opa & Oma to open the gifts they sent. Overall day 1 of celebrating was a success!!!

Caleb's face while he is being sang to...
Joel's response to being sang to...
Blowing out their candles

Joel was so excited here...
Joel wearing his Mater costume (I still need to get one of Caleb in his Mater one)

After our party, our church had their annual Christmas program. Caleb & Joel were in it for the first time and I wasn't sure they would come through for us. Turned out they did fine. All we wanted was for them to stand up there (they had sat down the entire practice) and blend in. They certainly fulfilled our expectations and made us proud with their nose-picking abilities as well...makes for some great pictures later on in life! Kiera did fabulous as well and sang and did the actions so well. We are so proud of her and her active participation! She is definitely growing up on us and as you may notice in the pictures we cut 6 inches of her hair! She looks so much older! It was a great evening and the kids had fun!

Call your local Fire Department...

2011-10-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

No fire is too big or small for this local fire department!!!

Caleb
Joel

Kiera was all dressed up one day in a princess outfit and the boys came in with tutu's on. Ryan was not too happy about this, so I picked up some fireman hats at the dollar store and had them be firemen instead. They were very happy with their long rope hoses and ran all over the house putting out fires. Crisis avoided....

Labor Day Camping

2011-09-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

I wanted to thank everyone for your willingness to continue to follow us after we changed the security measures on this blog. We changed the privacy mainly after I added the Feejit bar to the side. I started seeing some strange people viewing our blog, and decided to tighten things up quite a bit. So thanks for hanging in there with us and still showing interest in our crazy and at times ordinary lives!

Since we had Labor Day weekend free...one of the few all summer...we decided to attempt camping as a family. Because we've never done this with 3 kids, we decided to start small-in our backyard. It definitely was a huge success! The kids had so much fun, the weather was perfect, and we really enjoyed time together as a family! Maybe next summer we will actually leave the backyard--it's definitely WAY easier to attempt at home then somewhere else!!!

Helping set up the tent the day before
Thanks VanderVeens for a wonderful wedding gift--the tent that is still in great shape even after many uses!!!
Loading up the tent with all their treasures (C & J were so excited to use their new sleeping bags their cousins handed down--they are Lightning McQueen!)My eager campers!

Getting all organized!
Learning how to open & close the tent
Roasting hotdogs and eating pudgy pies. Mmmmm!
Our style of smores...just plain marshmallows. Ryan and I made hot apple pies after the kids went to bed.
Splitting wood to add to the fire
Good example of the teamwork they often showA very excited camper. She and I slept out there an extra night just the 2 of us.

The campers all ready for bed...they did mess around for quite awhile, but slept until 7:30 the next morning! We were quite pleased about that!

WA 2011

2011-08-21T16:09:00.001-07:00

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We had an amazing 3 weeks in WA. We really enjoyed being spoiled by family and awesome weather!! It never rained a drop the entire time we were there.

I flew out with the kids early on July 22. I was a little nervous about flying with the kids by myself, but they did awesome! They were so excited and didn't even play with half the stuff I bought. I even managed to read an entire magazine on the flight!! On our flight home we had a red-eye and they surprised me with how well they did. Caleb went right to sleep and I gave Joel some Benedryl and he and Kiera slept too! It was such a blessing to have the kids do so well!

Much of our time in WA was spent just sitting around either at my parents or my sisters house. Those who know us best know we love to sit around and chat while drinking diet coke! We made sure to enjoy this daily! The kids were able to play outside a ton and I rarely saw Kiera as she LOVED being with her girl cousins. We took a trip to Jungle Playland again, enjoyed playing in the sand at the beach and having a picnic, and digging in Opa's bark pile at home. A highlight was getting to ride Amtrak up to Bellingham. It was a 30 min. trip and the kids just LOVED it. It was so beautiful riding along the water and lots of fun to see my train loving boys so wide-eyed!

We were also able to celebrate some birthdays while out there. Rylee had turned one just before we came, so we were able to give her our gift. Rhyson turned one while we were there, so we had a fun b-day party with him eating cupcakes! My mom also turned 60, so we HAD to go to Red Robin to celebrate! Sioux Falls really needs to get one!

We enjoyed family reunions on both sides of the family. My dad's side had a fun afternoon barbecue complete with water gun fights and ice cream! My mom's side got together for the first time in 11 years! We celebrated my grandparents 61st wedding anniversary! It was so fun to spend a weekend with all of them reminiscing and eating GREAT food!

Overall, we had a blast and made lots of fun memories. Enjoy the pictures!!!

Fort Casey

2011-08-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

One of the last days we were in WA we headed out to Fort Casey on Whidbey Island. This is one of our favorite places to visit and the weather couldn't have been more perfect! We packed a picnic and then spent the rest of the time walking through the darkened fort with glow sticks and flashlights. We ended with our traditional hike down the beach to throw rocks and build driftwood houses. The kids had a blast and we really enjoyed our time with extended family!

Lunchables and Subway...mmmm!
Helping Opa fly a kite
Heading down to check out the fort
Walking through the rooms
Beautiful WA state ferry...I love this place!
Some of the kids in front of one of the canons
Hiking down to the beach
The kids found a driftwood fort already made!

Joel
Caleb
The big boys building their house

The finished product
Cousin Cody showing the boys a snake he found--typical boys
Some tuckered out little boys on the ride home!

Good-bye Cribs!!!!

2011-07-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

Well, the big moment has arrived! The boys are officially out of their cribs. Since we will be heading to WA in a few weeks, I wanted them to be out of cribs and used to sleeping on the floor. It makes it much easier to travel when they are used to not being in their cribs. Anyway, we dismantled the cribs and for now put their crib mattresses on the floor with a toddler rail. We hope to get regular beds sometime this fall. They were pretty proud of themselves and never even got out of bed! Whew! This morning they were up at 7 and I heard the door open and Joel informed me that he was "all done". Caleb was surprisingly just laying in his bed waiting for the okay from me. So far, we are doing pretty good! It is so crazy to think that they are old enough to be out of their cribs. They are growing up fast and I am looking forward to them leaving the terrible two's!

One crib down, one to go!

All three kids trying out the "new" beds...
Joel all ready for bed
Caleb all ready for bed
And later...two tired little boys fast asleep. Their room looks so empty now!

Children's Museum

2011-06-23T21:07:00.001-07:00

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Vacation Bible School!!!

2011-06-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Last week we were able to enjoy Pandamania VBS here at our church. I volunteered to do the games, so the boys were able to attend the 2 year old class (the Panda Cub Club). I wasn't sure how it was going to go and since Ryan was gone, I was a little nervous that they wouldn't want to go. Thankfully my mom was here the 1st 2 days, so she was able to sit with them during opening ceremonies and then they felt comfortable enough to attend. Once my mom left I sat with them at the beginning and Joel kept saying "No go bye-bye mommy" and then once his teacher came, he said "you go bye-bye mommy". I'm so relieved that they loved it so much. They knew the actions and the songs and I'm amazed at how much they learned!!! They even knew all about their Bible buddies (little plastic animals they got each day) and had to wear them on their key chain on their belt loop just like Kiera! Kiera, of course, had a blast! She had listened to the cd long before VBS started, so she knew all the songs! It was fun seeing her enjoy it so much!

Panda cub club members!
Waiting for everything to start
The boys hard at work
Kiera at her craft station
Kiera and her friends

Two wild pandas in the jungle...
The boys stood through the whole program! (Joel in grey on left and Caleb in orange facing us)
Kids posing with their panda masks...the boys wouldn't wear them of course
Kiera in the 3rd row singing at the final program and the boys between the two heads in the forefront.

Oma comes to visit

2011-06-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

Kiera has lots of influence on the boys. Let's just say they are well-rounded. Here she's having a tea party with them...they were quite waterlogged by the end.
Oma read LOTS of books to the kids!
Aunt Joni's tutu's were well like this day. These pictures will come back to haunt them some day.
Caleb learned all about ballet from Kiera

After our trip to Duluth, my dad flew home and we took Oma back with us to visit for 2 weeks! We had so much fun with her! She spoiled us rotten! We did lots of day trips and had fun spending time with her and showing her our everyday lives here. She was only able to stay for a little bit while Ryan was gone due to weddings, but we appreciated all her help and generosity. We can't wait to see her again in a few weeks!

Duluth Trip

2011-06-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

At the end of May my parents flew into Minneapolis and headed up to my sisters house for a visit. We made the trip up there as a family (for the 1st time in quite a while) to spend the week with them. It was so much fun to see my parents and have them see how much our kids had changed. We did lots of fun stuff like the children's museum, train museum, downtown Duluth and saw a ship come in, hiking, sightseeing, eating out, and lots of sitting and visiting. We had a relaxing time and made lots of memories.

Boys and mud...always a good mix. Here they are throwing it on each other.
Kiera and Tori in their matching dresses from Oma
A picnic lunch for the littlest ones.
Lots of cars were played with Opa.
Downtown Duluth where the ship came in. Brrrr was it cold for May!!!
Dad and I
So fun to spend some time with Ryan before he left for Israel.

April Fun

2011-05-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

April was quite the month! We had lots of fun and lots of company. We spent the first half of the month celebrating my birthday, preparing for our huge garage sale, and preparing for company to come. My sister Lisa and her family arrived on the 15th and that weekend started a week of the 12 hour stomach flu. It was awful. My sister Tami and her family arrived that Monday and we spent our week together battling the flu. Almost everyday someone else came down with it. It was quite frustrating and disappointing to spend our little time together being sick, but we made the best of it and have quite the story to tell now. Thankfully Lisa was able to stay a week longer and managed to be the only one (along with her 9 mo. old daughter Rylee) not to get sick. We all were able to spend Easter together and had fun hiding eggs for the kids to find. We even made a nice Easter dinner for all 11 of us and it was yummy!
The last week of April I had a garage sale here with 5 other friends. It was quite a job, definitely worth it. I was able to fund over half my trip to WA this summer which was a huge blessing! Enjoy these pictures from our crazy month!

Notice that Caleb & Joel learned how to take their pj's off...
Reading some man material. Doesn't Caleb look thrilled?
Joel coloring Easter eggs
The other kids decorating eggs.
Caleb very intently coloring
The kiddos getting ready to find their eggs.
Joel, are you finding the eggs or stealing them? Always having to compare...
Looking hard...
Two best friends and cousins getting ready to hunt. Don't you love their matching pants?
Even Rylee got to help hunt.
Very serious hunters enjoying their loot.

They had a fun time with cousin Elliana. She is such a hoot!
Checking out all their candy while daddy watches (and waits for his cut)
Caleb didn't like the peanut m&m's (he's in the red)
Swinging and eating candy. Life can't get any better than this!
Our beautiful Easter meal!
Sharing their favorite cars with cousin Rylee.
Kiera wanted to earn a specific toy from Target. I told her to sell lemonade at our garage sale. In about 3 hours she made over $10 selling 25cent cups of juice. As soon as she hit her goal, she was out of there. It was so funny to watch her sell.
She maybe would have sold more if her brothers hadn't drank half her juice!

Double the Fun!

2011-04-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

After a trip to the dentist I am almost completely convinced that the boy are identical. The dentist told us that they suck on their pacifiers the exact same way and their front teeth are pushed out exactly the same. He could hardly believe how identical their mouths were! So crazy! We still find ourselves getting them mixed up and if they are dressed the same and not together (which doesn't happen too often if I can help it) I can't tell who I'm talking to until I get them to smile. Their dimples on opposite cheeks are our saving mark. Whew! They still spend all their time together and listening to them talk to each other more and more is just so precious. Here are some pictures of some fun identical twin moments in the past month.

The boys love playing in their cribs at bed time. It always takes them awhile to settle down. In this picture they had jumped so hard in their cribs they had rolled them to the middle of the room so they could pass things. Kind of hard to scold when you are trying not to laugh. I love to hear their giggling but am nervous to open the door and see the mess....
I had put a movie on after naps and did a double take when I walked back in the room. Now tell me they aren't mirror twins.....
So crazy...THIS IS NOT POSED!!!!
I babysit a 4 mo. old twice a week and he is always here before the boys get up. They are so excited to see "Baby Ethan" in the morning and just swamp him with cars!
A rare moment in our home...falling asleep on the couch.

Preschool Graduate

2011-04-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been attempting preschool with Kiera this year and she has done very well. We finished all our letters this week and I'm thinking we'll be done for the year. We'll probably practice our letters throughout the summer and do some fun worksheets but we are officially done! Here are some pictures of our little graduate!

Here's Kiera with all her letters she made. Thanks to my mom for her fun curriculum!!!
Here is Kiera's accomplished letters. She has some very neat handwriting. She wrote all of this by herself! I am one proud mama!!!
Another huge milestone was achieved this week also. Kiera lost her first tooth!!! It was loose when she woke up and then by mid-afternoon it was gone. We think she swallowed it during lunch. So she wrote a letter to the tooth fairy to make sure she would get her money!!!

Birthday Fun!

2011-02-28T13:25:00.000-08:00

And the theme this year was: Princess
Kiera picked this castle cake to make.

How fitting that her boy cousins came over and loved playing with her princess castle!
The VanHulzen clan helping us sing to Kiera at her b-day supper
Daddy and Kiera working on one of Kiera's gifts from us. Kiera had 3 friends over for a princess party. We played all sorts of princess games. They had lots of fun. Here they are working on a craft while we paint their fingernails.
Kiera blowing out her candles

Kiera having an ice cream cone (only one girl actually had cake at the party...go figure)

The highlight of the party was playing the game "Getting ready for the ball". Ryan's mom brought a bunch of her Mary Kay samples and the girls got to get makeovers and their nails done. They absolutely LOVED this!

Kiera got to sit on the throne whenever she opened her gifts.
Our Princess and her cake
Kiera playing with a strawberry shortcake clubhouse she got.
Our sweet girl kindly letting her brothers help open her gifts.
The three cheesers
Totally unrelated: Last night Joel fell and smacked his nose on the coffee table. We don't think it is broken, but he is definitely swollen and black and blue. Poor little guy! We can tell them apart now!

To My Precious Daughter...

2011-02-26T14:40:00.000-08:00

I dedicate this post to my precious daughter Kiera who turned 5 today. We will try to get pictures up of her birthday in the next few days.

It seems like just yesterday that we were walking around the Almond Blossom Festival eating as much fried food and getting as much exercise as we could to try an induce labor. The next morning we headed in to the hospital. After being sent home twice and dilating to 10 at home, Kiera was born within 20 minutes of being there. She is still often in a hurry and wanting things done right now!

It isn't very often that Kiera gets the spotlight in a post. Over and over again the boys overshadow her, but today we are focusing on her. She is my little ray of sunshine! What a bubbly happy girl she is. She is always smiling and giggling. We like to call her "little miss Giggles". She loves to tell knock-knock jokes and thinks her are always the funniest! There are very few days that I can remember her being grumpy. She has such a positive outlook on life and on people.

Kiera also is my never ending talker. She started talking at a very young age and hasn't stopped since. Her vocabulary is amazing and I so often chuckle at the grown up things she says to me. Some days I wish she would just take a little breather and rest her voice, but I love to listen to her take on life and constant questions. I will definitely miss her chatter (especially since I have 2 boys who rarely talk) when she starts Kindergarten this fall.

Kiera is such a people person. She loves to socialize with her friends. Story hour is the highlight of her week since her class right now is all girls. What a giggly bunch! Kiera is very tender heart and is quite sensitive to other peoples feelings and is quick to please and make someone else feel better even if it means she goes without. She loves to go places and be where people are.

Kiera loves to mother her brothers. Because we had twins, Kiera was forced to grow up very quickly. She spent many hours helping me feed bottles and put pacifiers back in. She is so quick to pitch in and keep the peace between her brothers. She quite often will give up a toy just to make them stop crying knowing that she'll get it back in 30 seconds. I am constantly amazed at how grown up her thinking is in negotiating with her brothers and entertaining them. She is so good with them and always has time to share her toys with them. They love playing Strawberry Shortcake and Princesses with her and she is learning how to tell them what to do and say.

Kiera loves to learn and has been lots of fun to teach preschool to. She has really mastered her letter writing and it is so fun to see the light turn on when she grasps something new. She loves to do crafts but prefers to do them with someone else. She has a very active imagination and plays make-believe so well. She can spend hours in her room playing Barbies by herself and I love listening to her talk her characters in whatever it is she's doing. She can be so girly-girl and into princesses one minute and playing trains and cars the next.

God has definitely blessed us with a beautiful daughter who has brought us joy in so many different ways. Her love for Jesus is so evident in the songs she sings, the care she has for others, and the actions she shows in her willingness to help out around the house and obey the first time. These past 5 years have gone way too quickly, and I am amazed at all she has learned and the person she has become. I pray that God will continue to give us wisdom in raising this precious child to love and serve him with her whole heart and to become less dependent on us and more dependent on Him. Thank you Lord for this precious child you have lent to us. We pray for many many more years together. We love you so much Kiera and couldn't be prouder of you!!! Happy Birthday sweet girl!

Fun with the Nelsons

2011-02-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

Levi had a cooking party for his birthday
The kids having a little R & R after naps.
Tori and Kiera were inseparable. They had so much fun together. Even had to dress the same!

Having an older boy cousin is awesome when he builds tracks like this!
Kiera and Tori showing us what they learned at ballet

Ryan had a youth retreat over President's weekend so I decided it was time to visit my sister. We headed up to Duluth to see my sister Tami and family. We had a fun time just hanging out and laughing a lot! We were able to celebrate Levi's 9th birthday with him, Kiera got to attend ballet with Tori, the boys had fun confusing Elli (who's their same age) who liked to call them "elab", and the adults got some great games played after the kids went to bed. It was very relaxing and so nice to spend time with my sister. We even got to extend our stay when a snow storm blew into the midwest and made driving very dangerous. So we just hung out a little longer and laughed some more! Thanks so much for a fun weekend!!!

January

2011-02-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

I can't believe a month has gone by since I last updated. Yikes! January was full of snow and very cold temps. We tried to plan lots of things that would keep us from getting cabin fever. Here are some highlights from our month:

~Wednesday coffee break/story hour. The boys started attending the Little Lambs at the beginning of the year and LOVE it. The funniest time was when they made a fruit loop necklace and when I picked them up, all they had was the string. They spent the whole class eating their necklace!

~Play dates with friends

~Playing outside on the few days it hit 30 degrees

~"Helping" daddy shovel snow

~Trips to the Library and Target (to eat popcorn and look at toys)

~Going to the Children's Museum

~Playing at Xcite (the local business that has giant inflatables)

We had a fun month just looking for ways to stay warm! Ryan and I were able to enjoy a date night on his birthday. It was a rare treat and we had a great time!

Here are some snapshots from January:

The boys playing in Kiera's room
The oompaloompa's shoveling snow
Playing Lego's with Daddy
Here's a great shot for down the road...they love to wear Kiera's tutu's
Reading books

Family Pictures 2010

2010-12-31T09:08:00.001-08:00

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Because the boys always have a birthday at Christmas, it works well to get professional pictures taken for everyone. We were very happy with how our family picture turned out, but as you can see from the pictures, Joel was not very pleased with the entire process. Unless he was sitting by us, he would not cooperate. It was a very frustrating time, but now seeing his picture just makes me laugh. We'll use it as incentive for next year! It did make it easy to choose since the boys had very few that even turned out!

Christmas Cookies!!

2010-12-18T13:59:00.000-08:00

The 3 kids rolling and cutting dough
Joel very intently working with his dough
Caleb rolling out a batch...Bakers hard at work!

Notice how much decorating is being accomplishedLove that frosting!!!

Since we have already been to WA, we are enjoying spending Christmas at home this year. It's been nice to not be rushed and to create some traditions at home together. One tradition I decided to try with was to make shape cookies with the kids this past week. Kiera and I have done it before, but I wasn't sure how the boys would do. Boy did they love it! I was impressed with how well they did and of course the decorating was the most favorite. I will admit that we will not be serving these to anyone as they may have been loved and patted a little too much! Anyway, we are enjoying them!

Happy 2nd Birthday Caleb & Joel!!!

2010-12-06T09:41:00.001-08:00

Caleb is in light grey, Joel is in dark blueCaleb was really good at blowing out the candles...Joel had no interest.
I love Caleb's face here...he is such a clown!
Celebrating birthday's with twins is always a challenge. You want them to have their own special day...but they always celebrate with someone else. We wanted to get an individual picture of each with their cake...but Joel did not want that. In this picture he is so upset because Caleb isn't in the picture too! We had to finally put Caleb in the chair next to him, just out of the picture and then he was fine! Too funny!

Caleb loving his cake!
Gotta love John Deere green!!!

Playing with their new dry erase table from the Van Hulzens.

Enjoying the Little People nativity

It's hard to believe that we have made it through year 2 with twins! What a lot of work but such a wonderful blessing they have been. It is so fun to see their personalities develop and the strong bond they have. They only time they are separated is when they are sleeping. They love each other so much and bring so much joy to our lives!!!

Because the boys love tractors so much, we decided on a tractor cake. We thought we would just do one since this may be the last year we can get away with one cake! They loved the cake and made quite the mess eating! We had Ryan's folks and sister & kids over for pizza and cake Saturday night. The boys loved opening their presents and having people over whom they love very much. Today is their actual day and we are enjoying being home together just playing and relaxing. We hope you enjoy the pictures of them celebrating their special day!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-06T09:08:00.001-08:00

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For the past 3 weeks, we have been in WA celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas together. I did a very brave (or just plain stupid) thing by flying out with all 3 kids by myself. The trip out wasn't so great, but the trip back went perfect. Ryan was able to fly out for the week of Thanksgiving which allowed my entire family to be together for the first time in 3 years! We had an awesome time seeing my new niece and nephew, playing hours of Settler's, celebrating birthdays, hunting for the perfect Christmas tree up in the mountains like old times, chatting, eating out, shopping, witnessing baptism, and spending hours visiting together. It was so nice to be with my family and be spoiled by all! I could go on and on about our visit, but just know that we had a great time, the kids had a blast, and I enjoyed a very relaxing visit! How thankful I am for the family God has blessed me with!

A Cinderella Story

2010-10-31T18:14:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a princess named Cinderella...

Her evil stepmother kept her from making friends. But that did not stop her. She made friends with the little mice in her tower room...

Joel (the thirsty mouse)

Caleb (the sleepy mouse)

One dark cold night, they decided to visit the towns people for some candy...but the mice did not want to wear their ears...
After much whooping and hollering by the step-parents and quick footwork and picture taking, they managed to get these shots...

(notice Caleb's tail and he's stepping on his cheese tie)

Then they all went out in the night to get their candy.

They returned with much loot and very full of sugar. Then Cinderella tucked them in bed and patted their heads and said; "Sleep well my mice friends for tomorrow we snack!"

The End

Fun at home

2010-10-18T08:53:00.001-07:00

I was trying to play my new piano music I purchased this weekend...somehow I was pushed off the bench!
I discovered the kids all sitting on the couch while Kiera read to them...cute! I think Joel is holding a flashlight in case he can't see the pictures well enough....
Those ridiculous binky's....
I took this picture and they both said "eese" and acted all goofy!
Not sure where Kiera went, but they took full advantage of her disappearance!

A picture is worth a thousand words...

2010-10-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

We need some creative captions for these pictures...(Caleb left, Joel right, and Kiera way in back)

What happens when Kiera is doing school???
They were so proud of themselves at learning how to blow these party favors!

Harvest Festival

2010-10-03T19:56:00.000-07:00

Our family picture on the hay ride...fyi, Joel is in blue, Caleb has green boots.

How about this one mom?

One of the few where everyone is looking.
Caleb arrived in a funk and it took him a bit to get in the spirit!

We took the kids to the local Apple Orchard on Saturday for their Harvest Festival. They have hay rides, train rides, a small petting zoo, pony rides, inflatables, and lots of food. We took a hayride out to the pumpkin patch to get a pumpkin (they were rather expensive, so we got one for the experience) and had fun watching the kids wander through all the pumpkins. We let the kids have a train ride and then just walked around looking at everything. I think their favorite thing was the stack of hay bales they had to climb on. It was so nice to have a fun family day and a relaxing weekend!

September

2010-09-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Kiera really enjoys Lego's and she's learning to build sets on her own.
This is what the boys were doing while daddy was watching the Vikings...watching Einstein.
3 of our neighbors have repaved their driveways this last month. The boys (and Kiera) have LOVED watching all the machinery. It entertained them all morning! I think the workers got a kick out of them.
Pushing their monster trucks while watching the cement truck...
Still watching....

Here's a video of the boys and their cars. They were making such cute sounds and very intent on their driving!

I can't believe another month has gone by and I haven't posted! We have been really busy with preschool and I guess life just gets busy! We finally were able to drain tile our basement and get everything back in. We ended up getting new carpet, so we learned how to install that on our own. It is definitely nice to have the basement back! I spent another week preparing for a garage sale and once we opened, we made about $30. It was quite disappointing to have put in all the work and then have few people come. I wanted to have it mid-July, but since our basement flooded, our garage was unusable. Oh well. We'll try for April when our area has their garage sales. At least all the hard part is done (the pricing). Ryan has been super busy getting our church ready for reopening. We added on a gym and tons of classrooms etc. We've been meeting at the Christian school for church and it was nice to be back in our building this past Sunday. At one point I told Ryan to put a cot in the locker room because he was hardly home! (: Now that our church is usable all the programs are starting up again. Kiera is super excited for Story Hour to start tomorrow. I will be teaching her class for the year. We had fun last year and are looking forward to another fun year. We just hope the boys are much healthier this year!
The boys have been their busy little selves, learning to bite, hit, and wrestle. Thankfully we seem to have the biting under control. They still love their cars and anything that Kiera is doing. They are finally starting to try talking and we are enjoying getting them to say things. They definitely keep me busy. I need to be watching them constantly as they are always testing the waters and getting into things. Silence is never good in this house!
Well, we will try to update more frequently, but can't make any promises!

First Day of Preschool

2010-08-23T08:02:00.001-07:00

Today is Kiera's first day of preschool! I'm sure you've noticed from the pictures that we are doing this at home, but Kiera has no complaints! Because all her friends are going to preschool at Sioux Falls Christian, I decided she should experience some of the exciting first day of school preparations, so last Friday we went to get her school supplies. She was SO excited to pick out a backpack and new colors, paints, and markers. At one point in the store she asked me if preschool was fun, I said, "sure it is", and she said, "Well, I'm a little bit nervous". Too cute!!! When we got home from the store she wanted to get right to work. We picked up these penmanship dry erase boards to practice letter writing and she wrote ALL DAY! Before she went to bed she told me that she wanted to do it again in the morning. I told her that nobody goes to school on Saturday. She was pretty disappointed to have to wait until Monday.

Well, this morning she was super excited to start. She had to do all her chores first and then I told her to get her backpack on. We took the first day of school pick and then headed in the house to start! She has been working like a busy little bee all morning. I had to force her to take a recess. She then pulled out some fruit snacks she had stuck in her backpack for a snack. She is so precious and growing up so fast! I hope this enthusiasm lasts for the next 13 years!!! I'm going to have to scrounge online for more activities to keep her busy! I'm so thankful she is so excited and wants to learn!!! Well, my pupil is calling me to check her work, so I better go. Enjoy the pics!

A Princess Party

2010-08-23T07:24:00.000-07:00

Our park system here is amazing! They have quite the activities scheduled throughout the summer. There are always free activities to do, so we thought we would take advantage of the last week of scheduled activities. The final activity was a Princess party. Kiera invited her friend Katelyn to come and so they dressed as princesses ready for the ball! They had face painting, crown making, painting a ceramic, games, and pulling a treasure out of the treasure chest. They had a good time together and we enjoyed a break from routine to do a fun outing. Unfortunately, it was about 95 degrees with 100% humidity and mommy decided we better stop for ice cream on the way home!

Precious Pics...

2010-08-05T07:51:00.001-07:00

I absolutely LOVE these pictures...I plan to get these blown up for our wall! It warms my heart to think of how best of friends they are and will always be!!!

Lake day with the Links

2010-08-05T07:43:00.001-07:00

Kiera LOVED the boat ride and swimming out in the lake!
Grandpa & Grandma Link and grandkids!
Look at all the fish!

Cousins and Oma

2010-08-05T07:38:00.001-07:00

A Very Wet July

2010-08-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

(Here's a picture of only a small portion of our basement that flooded. It gives you an idea of how much water there was. The red door in the right corner is where our well is that overflowed. We are hoping to put a sump pump in there to prevent this from happening again. )

I see that another month has flown by without a post. I must say that July has been very busy and not how I pictured it turning out. Ryan returned from his first SERVE project on July 3 and we spent a quiet week together with sick kids and doing a lot of projects around the house.
The second week I headed back up to Tami's in Duluth to spend time with my mom who had flown out. We had a great week all together just hanging out at the lake. I took my mom back that Friday to spend another week together in Sioux Falls. It is always WONDERFUL to have my mom here as she spoils us all and is such a big help. We definitely ate well and had tons of fun entertaining her! Ryan headed to another SERVE project and it was such a blessing to have my mom here to help. Unfortunately she had to leave that Thursday for the GEMS convention in Minneapolis. That night we received 6 inches of rain. I went downstairs and saw that our entire family room had water in it. Thankfully their were some great church folks who came over to help me pull up the carpet and clean up the water. It was a huge job and I was so thankful for the help I got. Once again, Ryan's gone and disaster strikes! I was rather frustrated! Anyway, Ryan returned on Saturday night and we left Sunday morning for Prinsburg to spend time with his sister and family who were there from Houston.
We enjoyed 4 days together catching up and even took a pontoon out one day on the lake. The kids had a great time, but we were ready to get home and find some normalcy after a busy summer and knowing we had a basement that needed a lot of TLC. We returned home Wed., and the next afternoon we spent pulling up laminate floor in the basement that had water under it. We put our carpet back down temporarily since it had dried and moved furniture back in so we could do some other cleaning. Well, that night we got another 6 inches of rain! That is one foot in 1 week! This time our entire basement from one side of the house to the other was flooded. We spent all day Friday (almost 12 hours) hauling our basement items into the garage, pulling carpet up and laying it outside, and sucking up water. What a huge frustration. This area has seen so much rain it is ridiculous! Thankfully we don't have it has bad as some who's entire basements have flooded all the way to the top basement steps. We are now without a basement and since it is so humid, the kids have been riding scooter and pushing their mowers around in our indoor playground! At least there's a bright side to it all.

Needless to say, July has been one big frustration and a ton of work. I'm ready to move to a high rise apartment in Arizona where the rain doesn't fall. I will try to post pictures of the month later this week, but wanted to catch you all up on what's been happening. Please pray that the rain stays away for a few weeks so that we can dry out and put our basement back together.

When Ryan's gone...

2010-07-03T06:39:00.001-07:00

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1. We have a tornado warning and I have to take everyone in the basement after bedtimes...rather scary...

2. and then because of the storm I hear a giant crash only to find a huge branch in our backyard has fallen on our power lines...it bent the gutter on the house, that's how close it hit...it takes 3 days for the power co. to take it off...

3. and since it rains so hard we get water in our basement...

4. Caleb gets a double ear infection

5. It's another holiday I get to spend by myself

It's been a long week with Ryan on a SERVE project. Thankfully he gets back tonight (although he'll probably sleep the rest of the weekend). We managed to stay busy with fun activities with friends. We went to the pool, the zoo, the park, had friends over, and enjoyed Grandma visiting for a few days. Meanwhile I was busy cleaning up my backyard and was greatly blessed to have awesome friends to help me clean it up. Ryan is lucky to come home to a clean backyard...he never got to experience the mess! I was ready to put a huge welcome home sign on the entire mess!

Zoo Visit

2010-07-03T06:37:00.001-07:00

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We decided to take a trip to the Sioux Falls Zoo before Ryan headed off to SERVE for the week. We purchased a membership since the kids loved it and we can visit as often as we want! We will definitely be heading back there soon!

The kids loved the train ride and I was amazed how brave they were feeding the goats. Even the boys jumped right in and loved it!

Trains

2010-06-22T15:07:00.001-07:00

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We have had a very busy month. We updated our blog with a number of posts, so be sure to scroll down to see what we've been up to.

We received a wonderful blessing from one of my cousins this month. Her little boy was finished with all his train stuff and she gave them all to us!!! We (and I mean all of us) have had fun setting up the trains and playing. The boys are especially enamored by all the pieces. I foresee hours and hours of fun! Also, you will see some pictures of Joel (I couldn't catch Caleb in time) with his safety goggles on. They found these and had so much fun wearing them. Notice how he's playing with lego's with them on! Also, we do know who our kids are...the tape with their names on their back are from nursery....

Visit to Tami's

2010-06-22T15:05:00.001-07:00

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Ryan had his local IMPACT serve project here this week, so we decided that since he wasn't going to be around all week, we would head up to Duluth, MN for the week. I was a little nervous doing all 6 hours in one shot (I usually go through Prinsburg and break up the trip), but the kids were AWESOME!!! I only stopped half way for supper, and the kids never made a peep the whole time!!! That means we are more likely to make the trip more often...yeah!!! Once we arrived, Tami was her typical hospitable self and we had a very fun time together. The week started out cool, but ended beautiful. The kids were able to swim in the lake a few days, Kiera and Tori spent many hours playing, the boys and Elliana got to know each other, and I got to eat at Gordy's...mmmm....the best burgers and fries in the world!!! Thanks so much Tami and Chad for a wonderful time and some great memories!!!!

Church Fellowship Wknd 2010

2010-06-22T15:01:00.001-07:00

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The 2nd weekend in June, our church had their 2nd annual church fellowship weekend. We decided to be brave this year and get a cabin (we aren't quite ready for camping). The cabin was wonderful and Kiera LOVED the bunk bed. The kids did great all weekend and had fun pushing their mowers around, entertaining everyone, playing with friends, playing in the bubbles, bean bag tossing (you'll see one of Ryan greeting the competition), bonfires, scavenger hunts, and just getting to know people (since our church is so large). Ryan and I enjoyed spending time together as a family and look forward to going again next year!

Kites, mowers, and swimming

2010-06-22T14:55:00.001-07:00

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Opa and Oma gave the kids some fun gifts to enjoy for the summer. The boys LOVE their mowers. They spend most of their time traveling up and down the sidewalk. Ryan thinks we should attach a blade so he doesn't have to mow! Kiera loved her kite, once it got windy. We figured out that in order to get the wind to stop in the midwest, you purchase a kite. There wasn't a stitch of wind for 3 days...I may just start stockpiling kites. We also took the kids swimming which they LOVED. The downside is that I can't go by myself. They love to put their faces in the water which makes them tip over. It would be a little too nerve-wracking on my own!

Memorial Day Fun

2010-06-01T12:16:00.001-07:00

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We headed to Prinsburg for the weekend with Ryan's sister and family. It was a beautiful weekend in the 90's and the kids spent a majority of it outside. Every night we had dirty dirty kids! You will see pictures of the grandkids playing Sorry with grandpa, the boys checking out Grandpa's truck (which Joel was especially impressed with), shooting off rockets in the field (you only see pictures of the kids...not the actual rocket), swimming, and just having fun at Grandma's! It was a fun weekend but the kid's were pretty tired from playing so hard.

Finally...Summer!!!!!

2010-05-21T05:44:00.001-07:00

While I was snapping pictures, I noticed that Kiera was posing in them. We went from refusing to smile and hating getting her picture taken to posing...not sure where this idea came from!!!
Notice where she always places the left arm/hand
What a goof!

Everyone "helping" daddy plant the garden
We finally spent the entire day outside!!! The kids loved having a picnic lunch!
Kiera and I were washing windows and the boys had a tub of about 1/2 inch of water. They both decided to play in the tub rather than splash in it.
We're packed for Oma's!!! Just kidding...I was getting rid of toys into this suitcase and the boys decided to play in the suitcase with all the junk. (Joel Left, Caleb right)

Tulip Time Day 3

2010-05-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! We enjoyed our final day in Pella with Jake and Val. We attended their church in the morning and then went to their house for a yummy lunch. Valerie did all the work which was a wonderful way to spend Mother's Day. Thanks Val! We then spent a while visiting and enjoying the park behind their house. The kids had fun running off some energy. Of course this was the first gorgeous day in a long time, so we had to spend it outside. We then loaded the car and headed back to Sioux Falls. The kids did great traveling and we had a wonderful weekend! Thank you Val and Carolyn for all the fun memories!!!

Tulip Time Day 2

2010-05-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we enjoyed sleeping in (as much as is possible with 3 kids) and having a leisurely morning to ourselves. Valerie had to attend a final class to finish her masters degree (Congrats Val!!!!), so we took the morning to relax and give the kids naps. It was still cold outside, but we decided that we would layer up and grab some blankets and enjoy a picnic at the festival. Aren't we brave???!! We debated checking out the world record attempt at having the most people dancing in wooden shoes for 5 minute (which they broke at 2500 people), but it was too chilly. We walked downtown and enjoyed some good fried food for lunch (the kids had a sack lunch).

We had the usual funnel cake, Poffertje's (not sure if I spelled that right, but they are Dutch mini pancakes and really good), kettlecorn, and a steak sandwhich. Mmmm....nice and healthy. Good thing we walked a ton this weekend!!! After lunch we headed to the cheese races. Jake was one of the cheese runners, so we were able to watch him. They explain how cheese is purchased and sold, and then how the runners carry the heavy cheese around the market (basically the summary). Anyway, then the 6 runners have a race...they try to convince you that the cheese is really heavy when actually it is styrafoam. It's all to get the crowd into it and have a little fun.
They were not so happy to be in the shoes (Caleb right, Joel left)
Here come the guys to get the cheese
Jake is in the middle back on the green team
Val, Kiera, and Caleb watching the cheese races

After the cheese races, we headed back for naps, and then back again later for the Tractor Rodeo. This was a lot of fun and it was fun to see Uncle Loren participate. They had each antique tractor try to balance on a teeter-totter of sorts, they had a slow race to see who could drive slowest, and then some other relays the tractors competed in. It was fun and pretty funny to watch. The boys especially loved to see the tractors.
Jake and Joel intently watching the tractors
This picture is for Ryan. This is an example of the first tractor he ever drove.
Uncle Loren on one of his tractors
Uncle Loren balancing his other tractor
The family by the tractor
Kiera trying out the passenger seat
You been farming long???
Come on Joel, let's get movin'!

We then headed to a celabratory supper for Val since she completed her masters and then to the night parade. Ryan stayed home with the babies and Kiera and I and the adults went to the lighted parade. Kiera loved it and had a blast. It was a busy, yet fun day with friends!

Pella Tulip Time Day 1

2010-05-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

We were finally able to take a family vacation to a destination other than WA or Prinsburg! We decided to head to the Pella Tulip Festival. My best friend Valerie and her husband Jake live there and encouraged us to come. We left Thursday after work and got there around 10 pm. We stayed with Val's aunt who was a WONDERFUL hostess and spoiled us rotten! She was well prepared for our kids and we were able to enjoy their whole basement to ourselves! The next morning, I was able to head out for breakfast with Val and my other best friend Carolyn. She had also come down with her husband Mark and little girl Hannah. I hadn't seen Hannah yet, so it was fun to spend the time with them as well. We went to the Windmill Cafe for breakfast. We did this for old time's sake as we used to always celebrate our birthday's together with breakfast. We have all been friends since Jr.High (Val since we were 2). We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and had a blast catching up on each other's lives. Carolyn (left) and Valerie (Right)

After that, we went to get our families and headed to the Tulip Time festivities. We enjoyed the afternoon parade, which ended up being TERRIBLY cold as the weather changed and we about froze. Thankfully I had thrown hats, coats, and gloves in last minute! We stayed for most of it and then just visited together inside.

That evening we were able to go to my cousins home for supper. We grilled and enjoyed visiting with my aunt and uncle who were also there. It was fun to see all the kids interact! It was quite noisy!!!
These are my uncle and aunt and my cousin Joy's little girl Lydia. She is only a week younger than the boys (that's Joel on Uncle Loren's lap. He loved sitting by him!)
We enjoyed Day 1 and hope to be better prepared tomorrow for the bitter cold weather!!!

Mommy's New Best Friend

2010-04-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood is having their yearly garage sales and we scored big time this year!!! We now have what we like to call our glorified outdoor playpen...a trampoline. The kids just love it and it was in awesome condition. If you are nearby, come on over and jump! It's tons of fun!!!!

I'd like to take a moment to point out what happens when you let your daughter pick out her own clothes...we get a pink flowered top, green striped skirt, and orange pumpkin socks. Yikes!
Joel
Caleb
While I was gone, my sister-in-law took Eli and Kiera to Color-me-mine where they painted bowls. She did a really cute job and loved it!

Our feuding baseball teams...courtesy of CA friends...
Caleb in back, Joel in front...I love how Caleb has his shirt up....what a guy thing

We'll Call it the Mommymoon...

2010-04-25T14:18:00.001-07:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

A few weeks ago my dad had surgery to remove, what they found out to be, a cancerous tumor. He has been struggling with colon cancer for the past 3 years and I felt I really wanted to spend some quality time with my dad and family. Ryan encouraged me to go out to WA for a week alone...no kids!!! I flew out Friday the 16th and stayed until the 23rd. My sister Tami was also able to come out, so our whole family was together. Ryan's mom came for the week to help with the kids while he was at work. She did a great job and I never worried once...even when Caleb was taken to urgent care for strep throat. I had full confidence in them and was able to enjoy a wonderful week with my family. It was also a great time to get some R&R for myself after the last year and a half. I enjoyed LOTS of chatting with my sisters, yummy food provided by mom, shopping (which turns out to be enjoyable when you don't have kids), meals eaten out (ah Red Robin, how I've missed you), a visit to the legendary Skagit Valley Tulip fields which I hadn't seen in over a decade, games played, and enjoying my nieces who have never seen me without kids. We had some great times together and it was nice to have lunch everyday with my dad and even catch quite a few Mariners games together!!! I feel rested and rejuvenated from my little "mommymoon" and thank everyone who helped make it a reality!!!

30th Celebrations!

2010-04-10T07:21:00.001-07:00

Mmmmmm ice cream cake!!!

Now some explaining...Ryan and my sister Tami were awesome in getting friends and family to send me 30 things for turning 30. Here are the samples of a few of the things I got. Enjoy the laughs! I sure did! Thanks everyone for the fun and for making my birthday a blast!
I LOVE TRUFFLES!!!!! (from Mom & Dad Link)
30 "Kix" from baby Sakuma...due in August
30 minutes of pampering from the Sakumas! Awesome!!!
Even my sister dog got in on it...Kiera loves eating the tootsie-rolls.
My kids gave me this card with the glued rocks
Dad...I love you...what more can I say!!!!
The CA relatives gave me the 30 bags of nuts to remind me of my CA days! Mmmmm!!!!
30 mostly blue scrapbook pages from the Nelsons!!! Now to find 30 minutes....
Cousin Joy and family gave me this book of 30 fun stories for tuckered out moms
Flowers from friends so I'll stay young (notice the Calla lillies have Hot Flashes on the label)

Mom knows well that I need 30 nights of good sleep (these are for Ryan, so I can sleep!(:)
Oostras gave me these...30 sucks, licks (licorice sticks), and Blows!
And 30 stinks!!! Kiera thought it was so funny that I got diapers.
Valerie and Jake sent me 30 goldfish x 3 tries. When I was 16 she and a friend gave me 16 real goldfish...I managed to kill them all in a short amount of time...almost half a lifetime later I get a 2nd try with a little bit easier variety!

Thanks everyone for making my 30th birthday bearable!!! It was so much fun!!!

Girls just want to have fun!!!

2010-03-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

We love it when my sister Tami comes to visit. Her daughter Tori is the same age as Kiera and they are two peas in a pod. I literally did not see Kiera most of the week they were here. Those two had more fun together and I was able to enjoy some good girl bonding. Thanks Tami for a great time together!!!!
Crafts like stamping and stickers are great fun together...
So are Fancy Nancy tea parties with our dolls whom we both named "Ivy"...
And we even learned about slumber parties...that ended at 10pm when we were beside ourselves from being too tired that we had to go to our own rooms...note to all mom's out there...when your daughter asks, "What's a slumber party?", DO NOT ATTEMPT! We should have known better, but they had fun staying up late! We'll wait another 5 years before trying again.
Fairy and Princess paper dolls top off a very fun week together! Kiera already misses you Tori!
(Notice the ever present Tinkerbell and Princess costumes...their two favorite things).

Random pictures

2010-03-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

We took this picture for Oma...the boys LOVE books. Here they are reading together!
One of their favorite places to play...behind the end table...and then they get stuck!
Now that they have mastered the stairs, they love to play on them. Their most favorite thing to do is throw shoes down since our garage door is right at the top and all our shoes are setting there. Now the shoes hang out at the bottom, and I don't even have to put them there! They have also started throwing other things...doll strollers, cars, sippy cups...all which I don't catch in time. Thankfully they haven't started throwing each other. But every time I hear something go down the stairs, I pause to listen just to make sure it wasn't a person! In this picture they were very quiet, so I went to check on them. They had found some old magazines and were quietly looking at them and ripping them apart.
We decided to learn to cut the boys hair ourselves, since it will save us quite a bit. Here is Joel after his and Caleb before. They were getting quite shaggy! (Kiera had to sneak in the pic too!)
Kiera trying out her new roller skates from Uncle Nate & Aunt Lisa

These boots were made for walkin'...

2010-03-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

Ryan wore these boots when he was little. We thought we would try them on the boys...

Party Time!!!

2010-02-23T08:08:00.000-08:00

Kiera's birthday is not until Friday, but since Grandma L. was out this weekend, we thought we would celebrate it Monday after her cousins got out of school. Our theme (pretty obvious from the pictures) was Strawberry Shortcake. Kiera picked this cake for me to make and I was a little nervous attempting it. I was very pleased with how it turned out and learned all about Fondant icing...made it myself and then found out you can buy it at Wal-Mart already made. Oh well, I learned something new this way! Her poor boy cousins had to suffer through the pink and girly stuff, but they had fun anyway!!! On Friday her best friend Katelyn is coming over to play and celebrate some more. It's a party all week!!!

The kids played pin the jewel on Strawberry's crown. The boys loved it, but Kiera was too shy to play. She doesn't like people watching her do ANYTHING!

Snow, Snow, go away...

2010-02-17T12:40:00.001-08:00

We have had so much snow this year! I am getting rather weary of it all. We thought we would post some pictures of the piles in our yard. It's to the point where if I shovel, I can't throw it high enough at the end of the driveway it's so tall! Supposedly we are getting more this weekend. Yuck, yuck, yuck!!!

Kiera can't even sit on her swings, they are buried in snow.
Our front entry is pretty slick
Here is a view of the front yard...at least 2 feet of snow.
And here was an extremely rare mommy moment I had to share. We were coming back from somewhere and all the kids fell asleep. This NEVER happens. I got out of the car, went in the house, sat on the couch and relished the peace and quiet. It was almost surreal (even if it only lasted for half an hour)!!!

Life here has been fairly routine. The boys both got ear infections a few weeks ago, so we are finally done with medications and Dr. appts.(the cranky kids still linger). Joel may need to have tubes put in due to a high number of ear infections. We are going to wait another month to see how things go. Both boys are now walking all over the place. Tomorrow I'm headed to Target to get some backpacks with leashes on them. Going anywhere is quite a challenge since their motto seems to be divide and conquer. We'll see how those leashes work (a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do!!!). Ryan was in Orange County, CA for a week at a staff retreat at Saddleback. They had a great time and enjoyed the respite. He came back early to take the high school on their annual winter retreat. It was a long 10 days for me, but we survived and were very excited to have daddy back! Now we are trying to entertain active kids inside while waiting for the snow to melt. Next week we celebrate Kiera's birthday, so we'll be posting more soon!

Finally: Pictures Galore!!!

2010-01-29T14:39:00.000-08:00

Krazy Kids around the house

I love this picture...first off, the kids love to play with buckets on their head and then crawl full speed ahead into anything. Watch Caleb in the background and scroll down to the next picture.Like I said...they run into anything!
And here is the mess they make daily of my kitchen. They love the tupperware cupboards.
The new train table the boys got from Opa & Oma
Kiera insisted Daddy had a shape birthday cake. He's a Mac fan (in case you didn't know!)
Happy Birthday Ryan!
Joel's 13 month (I love his face)
Caleb's 13 month...he's so laid back.
This is us getting into the tupperware cupboard...
And this is how we get out of the cupboard!

New Year's in Prinsburg

2010-01-29T14:32:00.000-08:00

This is what we came home to...lots and lots and lots of snow!!!
All the Link cousins (all boys and 2 girls)
Fun summer stuff to look forward to! Kiera got a pink scooter and the boys got a wagon! Thanks Grandpa & Grandma!
The awesome snow fort that the uncle's made
Grandpa & Grandma and the grandkids

Christmas in WA

2010-01-29T13:58:00.001-08:00

Joel getting his 1st haircut

The finished product! What a goofball!Caleb's turn!

Caleb all done!
This picture warms my heart to see the girl's playing with Barbies!
All the Rouw cousins
Opa & Oma and the grandkids
Great Grandpa & Grandma DeGroot and the kids
Uncle Nate's reading hour

The kids made Gingerbread houses on afternoon (boy did they love crafts!)Kiera's finished product
Many hours of Settler's were played (I'm sure Randy is winning...)
We all went to the pool one afternoon. The kids loved it!
It is GREAT having someone who can read to the kids!!!
Beauty parlor time
Opa and Caleb playing with cars (I honestly don't know if it's Caleb, I'm purely guessing!)

What a Month December was!!!

2010-01-10T14:40:00.000-08:00

I noticed that another month has gone by and I haven't posted. I was putting it off mainly since we misplaced our camera cord that allows us to upload pictures and was hoping it would turn up. With all the traveling we did, we aren't sure where it went. As soon as we find it, we will get some pictures up.

After the boys first birthday, my sister Lisa flew out for the week to hang out with us and then help me fly back to WA to celebrate Christmas. It is a little difficult to fly with 2 lap kids, so thankfully Lisa was willing to help (although after a 4 hour flight and 2 kids getting carsick within seconds of each other...yes twins share EVERYTHING...I don't think she will do it again anytime soon!). Thanks so much though Lisa! We spent the 11th-28th in WA celebrating with my family. The kids had lots of fun together (we were all there, my parents, 3 sisters and spouses (minus one that couldn't make it...we missed you Chad!) and 5 cousins.) Having 8 kids in the house kept things lively. We enjoyed lots of outings and many games of Catan. Ryan flew out on the 19th to join in on the fun and we enjoyed being spoiled and relaxing with mom's great cooking! It was great to see my dad after he had finished chemo in Nov. and were so happy to see him feeling better and back to his old self again. We found out on Tuesday how the PET scan turned out and if he is clear from the cancer! Please pray for a good report!

We left a nice cool 45 degrees in WA and entered about -20 in South Dakota. While we were gone, Sioux Falls received over 2 feet of snow. Yuck! We had to call a co-worker to come to the airport with a shovel to dig our car out. When we got home we were met with a 3 foot snowbank at the end of our driveway that had to be cleared before the car could get in the driveway. Ryan spent about 2 1/2 hours that night blowing snow.

On Dec. 30, we headed up to Prinsburg to celebrate Christmas/New Year's with the Link's. It was fun to spend time with Ryan's family and his sister and family from Houston whom we don't see very often. The kids had a great time together and having 9 kids under age 6 was quite loud!! We didn't do much but eat, sleep, eat, eat, eat, and relax. Unfortunately the weather was so cold that the kids couldn't even get out to enjoy the snow.

Now we are home, the decorations are put away, and we are adjusting to life as normal again. Caleb and Joel received their first haircut while in WA. Oma did a great job cutting their hair and they don't look so messy anymore! On New Year's Day, Caleb took his first steps! He continues to walk a few steps on his own, but much prefers to crawl. Joel doesn't want Caleb to get all the attention, so he just stands by himself, claps his hands, and giggles loud so that everyone will look at him too! Too cute!

Kiera is a bubbly almost 4 year old that keeps me laughing every day. She is so into princesses, strawberry shortcake, and Barbies. She spends quite a bit of time in her room with the door closed playing so that two little wreck-wreck's can't bother her. She continues to be a big helper and her running commentary on everything keeps my mind sharp! She loves to pretend and her imgination is HUGE! We hope to start spending more time on preschool type activities together in the year ahead.

Hope this catches you all up and you were able to stay awake the duration! We will try to get pictures up as soon as we find our cord!!!

Birthday Celebrations

2009-12-07T08:20:00.001-08:00

WE MADE IT!!!!! We survived the first year with twins! Yesterday was a busy yet very fun day. The boys enjoyed themselves and all the attention. Kiera loved the gifts that weren't for her but got to open AND play with since the boys liked the paper better. My sister Lisa arrived in time for cake (she's flying to WA with me later) and Kiera had her Christmas program at night. I decided to take advantage of being able to make one cake and get away with it and did a train theme this year. It turned out cute and the boys LOVED it! Enjoy the pictures of our fun day!

Caleb and the cake...he's saying, "Come on folks, let's just eat already!"
Joel and the cake, he even managed to grab a piece of the caboose.Both boys and the cake (Joel left, Caleb right)The cousins came over to help celebrate...I think they enjoyed having a boy themed birthday and not having to eat princess cake or eat on a pink plate.
Joel eating his first bites. They both had two pieces each!
Caleb and his first biteJoel after he's done. They looked like little smurfs.Caleb after he's done.
Playing with one of their new toys...a fire station!Caleb opening gifts from Grandpa & Grandma. (Joel fell asleep, so Caleb got to enjoy all the focus on him.
Joel opening his gifts later. Doesn't he look excited?
The happy family...relieved and happy to be through our first year! (Caleb left, Joel right)

Christmas Elves

2009-12-07T07:46:00.000-08:00

Watching Daddy hang up the Christmas lights
Decorating cookies

Setting up the Christmas tree.

More Flashbacks...

2009-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Once they started sitting I remember life got a tad bit easier.
Seeing their friendship start to develop was lots of fun. They are good little buddies.
Do we look haggard??? Hmmm....
Little baldies!! Too funny! (Notice Joel...I think it's Joel...has no pants on. He wet through and I just couldn't remember everything all the time, so he went without! Oh well. )

Hospitals, Birthdays, and chubby wubs

2009-12-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Caleb was hospitalized in February for RSV and we were there for a week. Joel also had it but fought it on his own at home. We are hoping to avoid it this year.
Kiera celebrated her 3rd birthday while Caleb was in the hospital. Thank goodness for the family that rallied around us!
And the chubby wubs...need I say more!!! They look so different!

What??? They Slept???

2009-11-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

Our families will appreciate this post. If there is one piece of advice that I would tell a future parent of twins it is this: PRAY THAT THEY NAP...LONG....

I am still trying to figure out why God blessed me with two babies that never sleep. I kid you not. They nap a total of 45 minutes in a day. If I'm lucky. This has truly been my greatest test...ever. I just never get a break because now that they can stand up in their cribs, if they nap together, they just giggle and laugh at each other and nobody sleeps. Therefore, I have to have them nap separate, which means absolutely NO break for mom. My only saving grace has been a book I was lent (after trying every other possible thing and book out there) that said if your kids don't nap, put them to bed early. They now go to bed between 5:30 and 6:00 pm and sleep until 7:30 am. I just can't remember them ever napping like they did in these pictures...I guess my memory is a little hazy.

Joel
Caleb

A Look back...

2009-11-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

In one week we will be celebrating the 1st birthday of Caleb & Joel! It is hard to believe that they are one! I must admit that as we are celebrating their birthday, I will be privately rejoicing over the survival of our first year with twins (maybe I'll crack open a diet coke and head to the grocery store...ALONE). I must say that I am SO glad it is over. I thought I would take the next week to look back at some moments in the last year...what a journey it has been!

Wow!!! I was ginormous!!! I am proud to say that one year later I am 60 pounds lighter!!!! If I ever feel the need to have another child, I'll just take this picture out...it's a good cure.
Were they ever tiny!!! I can't even remember them being this little. 5lbs 15 oz and 6 lbs 2 oz. Now they weigh in at a whopping 24 pounds!!!

I still love this picture! She has come a long way in accepting her little brothers...now we have to keep reminding her that they will grow up and clean her clock!
I can still remember that feeling of seeing two babies in one crib and just being baffled and overwhelmed that there were two! I still get that feeling every night when we check on them in their cribs before heading to bed. I don't know if it will ever sink in!

Kiera Sings for Grandma

2009-11-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

For some reason we can never get Kiera to sing for us, but apparently she will for Grandma. Here she is singing a song she is practicing in Children's Church for the Christmas program.

Little Bo Peep and her sheep...

2009-10-31T18:22:00.001-07:00

Caleb, Kiera, and Joel

Caleb didn't mind the outfit...
Joel, however, wasn't so thrilled.
Grandma Link made Kiera's outfit...everyone thought it was so cute...thanks Grandma!!!
We first went to Dairy Queen for supper and then trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Kiera had never done this before and thought it was pretty cool to get all that candy from people! After the boys went to bed, Ryan and Kiera did her Princess Potato Head in the pumpkin (a much easier alternative for little kids...and dads!). Kiera loved it!!!
The finished product
Kiera jumping in the leaves

Now that the boys are crawling, being outside isn't so exciting for mom...I put them in the pack 'n play in the garage while Kiera and I raked leaves. They had fun peeking over the side...the neighbors got a kick out of it and I absolutely LOVE this picture!!!

H1N1: 4 Link Family: 1

2009-10-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

Despite all my best efforts, our family was hit hard by the H1N1. Last Tuesday Ryan and I started suffering cold symptoms. We tried to beat it with Airborne, but my body gave in Thursday night. For 3 days I was in bed sleeping and feeling absolutely HORRIBLE. Ryan took Friday off to care for the kids and I did not emerge until Sunday night. Thankfully Ryan's mom was able to come on Sunday as Ryan had a pretty full day at church. Ryan was able to fight off the cold symptoms and avoid the dreaded flu. By Monday, I was feeling 100% better other than a bad cold but then Caleb started coughing and running a fever. Monday night I took him to the ER with a very high fever and rapid breathing. They basically did nothing but look at him, give him some motrin, and send us home. I got home about 2 am, and by 3:30, Kiera was up saying she was sick. So, Tuesday and Wed. were spent battling the flu which means cranky kids, lots of medicine to hand out and keep straight, keeping everyone hydrated, and trying not to let Joel get sick. Ryan had left on Tues. for Grand Rapids to a Staff Ministry Comm. Mtg. Ryan's mom and I tag teamed and managed to keep our heads above water. Kiera had a terrible cough the entire time and we tried to battle it with typical home remedies (sitting in a steamy bath, sitting outside in the cold for hours, honey....) but by Thurs. I was sick of not sleeping and Kiera throwing up everytime she coughed. I took Caleb and Kiera to the Dr. Thursday morning and found out that they had developed secondary pneumonia from the flu. Now they are on antibiotics and starting to get better. However, Joel now has the flu. Thankfully the other 2 are starting to feel better and are less cranky. Ryan is home again and we are trying to find that "normal" feel again. Supposedly it takes 7 days after the last symptom that we are no longer contagious. So we have many days left hanging out at home and avoiding the public. I am getting tired of being housebound and weary of the sick battle. I have lots of respect for parents who battle this everyday. We hope that all of you are staying healthy. Keep our family in your prayers that we will all heal quickly and that Joel will not develop pneumonia also. A very special thanks to Mom Link for all your help...we would have never survived without you!!!!

Finally! New Pictures!!!

2009-10-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Caleb (L) Joel (R) playing with their cups on the coffee table at Grandma's. They scooted themselves over to the table and could barely see over to put their cups on and off. We spent a few days in Prinsburg while Ryan was at the YS convention in Los Angeles. It was nice to have an extra set of hands.
Kiera playing with her Aunt's old Barbie mall at Grandma Link's. She had a ton of fun!
The boys were playing with Farmer Tad on the fridge and then eventually they ended up like this. I think this is Caleb and Joel is behind. They love this magnetic toy. Lately they started fighting over the main barn that plays music. It is a constant tug of war and lots of screaming. Unfortunately it's a sign of what's to come.
My sister Tami and her family came over Labor Day weekend. We had a bonfire one night. The kids had fun staying up late! We didn't do much but sit around, chat, play with kids, and played Wii. It was a very relaxing weekend.
My new way of keeping everyone happy. We only had one baby swing, so one day I thought why not strap them to the glider! They love it! They just giggle and babble back and forth to each other. If you look close you can see cousin Elliana in the airplane swing (:
Matching shirts with cousin Levi
I FINALLY caught Caleb's cheesy smile. What a goofball!
And....the binky snatcher. Caleb will ALWAYS steal Joel's binky. No matter how many I put in, he keeps taking them. On this day Joel had a binky attached and Caleb still got it. Too funny. Joel just looked at him like, what is going on?

The boys are going to be 10 months on the 6th! They are very close to crawling. They get on all fours and rock back and forth. I am SO ready for them to crawl. I am tired of shuffling babies constantly. We have baby proofed everything and are ready for the next phase. They are slowly starting to develop their own personalities. Caleb is a little more reserved and hestitant to try things while Joel just goes gung ho into anything. They are eating lots of table foods and are already eating us out of house and home. Thankfully Joel's little vomiting episodes have disappeared and all the test we did with a GI specialist came back clear. We hope that it was just a fluke and he will be fine now.

Kiera is enjoying Little Lambs (Coffee Break) at church each week. I am teaching one of the classes, so she loves to go to her "school" as she calls it. She is very into arts and crafts now and just learned how to write her own name. She writes it everywhere and we have been doing more preschool type activities together at home. She is a great big sister and knows just what to do to keep her brothers happy (and how to get her share of cheerios when I'm not watching).

We're still here...

2009-09-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Just wanted you all to know that yes, we are still here! Ryan was having problems with his computer and then had to wait for a new one from work. We didn't want to upload pictures on the old one for fear of losing them and then Ryan was gone in CA for a youth leader's convention. So, we hope to update our blog in the next few days...thanks for your patience!!!

WA Vacation Part 3

2009-08-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

The kids and me with my grandparents, Harold & Marjean. They even watched the kids one night so the adults could go out for supper. Thanks so much!!! It was great to see you!
Caleb & Joel sitting in their inch of water. They had more fun just splashing and playing with toys.
Oma is famous for her storytelling...the kids love these particular books. Enjoy your break from those books mom!
Rayahna, Kiera, and Julissa enjoying ice cream at the fair.
Opa and the boys ready for church.
Hanging out with Oma (Joel right, Caleb, left)
Opa reading stories...Joel wasn't real interested.

These are just a few more snapshots of our awesome time in WA. Opa and Oma were great hosts and treated us like royalty. We enjoyed lots of yummy treats, hours of Settlers of Catan, great walks, watching lots of baseball and even going to a Mariners game!, lots of swimming at the Oostra's, time spent with extended family we hadn't seen in a long time, enjoyable lunches out all together, a trip to the Fair, shopping trips to the popcorn store (Target), and lots and lots of laughs. Thanks again everyone for all you did to make our trip so much fun and enjoyable! We miss you already!

WA Vacation Part 2...Leavenworth

2009-08-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ryan mini-golfing. Unfortunately he beat me...but it was close!
At the hotel next to us, there was a man who came out every morning to blow the Alpine Horn. You can barely see him in the upstairs balcony here. It sounded pretty cool.
After enjoying a couple weeks hanging out with my family, Ryan was able to join us. We had planned that while we were in WA, we would go overnight somewhere just the two of us. We decided to return to a place we had visited on a day trip back when we were dating. We headed to Leavenworth. This is a little Bavarian village right over the pass in Eastern WA. It has all little Swiss like decoration outside all the stores and lots of fun shops to walk in. We basically spent the two days looking in shops, mini-golfing on real greens, enjoying the scenery, and not having to follow any type of a schedule!!! It was so relaxing and we didn't worry about the kids at all!!! What a great break. Thanks everyone for watching the kids!

WA Vacation...at the farm

2009-08-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

The family at the Sakuma Berry Farm (my brother-in-law's family owns the place). We had to get a picture on the John Deere tractors!!!! The order is Caleb, Kiera, Sheri, Joel
Is this a twin look-a-like or what??? Caleb left, Joel right.
Joel had a great time sitting in the train. They were too small to ride but loved sitting in it!
The kiddos all lined up in the train. Rayahna and Julissa (my sister Juli's kids) joined us.
Rayahna and Kiera were either best buddies or enemies...here they are watching Uncle Nate's sister jump horses.
Joel hanging out with Aunt Lisa.
Giddyup horsey! Hang on...here we go!!! Joel left, Caleb right. Uncle Nate's sister gave the kids rides.
So Aunt Lisa was holding us the whole time...we weren't too sure of this horse. Kiera wouldn't even try!

You probably noticed that we haven't posted in awhile. We have spent most of August in WA visiting my (Sheri) family. My best friend, Valerie, flew out there with me. She had Joel and I had Caleb for the flights. They kids did awesome!!! We were unsure as to how they would do on the plane, but they did great. Even though Kiera has flown a ton already in her life, this was the first time she could remember flying. She was pretty excited and asked lots of questions. We were very happy to make it to WA without any hassles. Thanks Val for being so brave and helping out with our kids!!!

We spent the first week in WA just relaxing and hanging out at Oma's house. Uncle Nate and Aunt Lisa were living there as they have been house hunting and looking for a place to settle. We were so excited that while we were there they found a place and will hopefully be moving in the next month. It was fun to be a part of the process! The first weekend we were there, my sister Juli and her family returned from their vacation. The kids were so excited to see each other! Kiera and Rayahna had lots of fun together. They did have a little difficulty sharing, but for both being first-borns, they did well. Julissa just tagged along and tried to keep up!

It definitely takes a village to raise a family...or at least my family. My parents and sisters were so helpful with feedings, changes, getting up early to let me sleep, and entertaining kids. It was a very relaxing break for me. Thanks you guys! You sure spoiled me.

Zoo & Misc.

2009-08-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

Our Shrek look-a-like! This was Joel at the airshow with his earplugs in. Sioux Falls had an airshow which was great! We spent the morning with Ryan's folks and our brother-in-law Josh and his boys. We missed the Blue Angels because they were too loud for the kids. We got to watch some of the smaller planes, and then went home. Maybe when they're older.
"I'm a Harwee Kid" outfits from Sturgis (Grandpa went through there on one of his trips) Don't you just love the visors???
1st trip to the zoo!!! They look so excited, don't they? Ryan's sister Joni came with her kids from Houston to visit, so we spent the day at the zoo.
Riding on the zoo train

Kiera and I had a tea party one day while the boys were napping. Unfortunately Caleb woke up early, so he had to have tea also! He'll never live this down! Our refreshments consisted of Diet Coke and popcorn. We needed to do something girly for a change!

7 Months & Falls Park

2009-07-11T18:28:00.001-07:00

Joel doesn't look too excited sitting in the back!

Caleb (L) and Joel (R) for their 7 month picture.

Today was a beautiful day so we packed up the kids and headed to Falls Park. Kiera had so much fun walking on the rocks and dipping her feet in the water. There was quite a bit of water and it was a lot of fun to walk around the falls for a few hours. They boys did pretty good too!

Last night we took the boys 7 month pictures, and we feel they continue to look more and more alike. It's crazy to think they are 7 months old already and we can definitely say things are getting a little easier now that they can entertain themselves.

4th of July Fun

2009-07-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

Grandpa giving kids ride on the 3-wheeler...she did wear a helmet!!!
Caleb and Joel meet their new cousin Ella!
All the Link grandkids...lots of boys!!!!
Our most recent family picture!
Grandkids again in matching outfits!
At the parade waiting for the candy to be thrown!
Joel enjoying the 4th!
Kiera on her most favorite activity of the day...the inflatables!
The butcher, the baker, the candlestickmaker....
Our peaceful family bikeride! Both boys fell asleep.

For the 4th of July we headed to Prinsburg for the weekend. We had a little bump in the road before we actually got going...Joel started throwing up and so we waited until Friday to actually head up there. We think he might be allergic to bananas. We will be taking him in for some allergy tests this week. By Friday he was fine and we took off for the festivities. Ryan's entire family was able to be there for the weekend...9 kids (under age 5) under one roof was quite loud! Thankfully it was nice outside so they spent a lot of time playing and riding bikes. On Saturday I (Sheri) ran in the 5K fun run in the morning and was pleased with my finishing time. The rest of the day was spent enjoying the Prinsburg festivities...kids tractor pull, candy, inflatables, ice cream, candy, pork sandwiches, mini golf, candy, 3-wheeling, lots of family, the parade in the evening, and did I mention candy??? Kiera was thrilled with all the candy she got and is already asking when the 4th of July will come again. (Thank goodness the dentist visit is next week!) All our kids were not crazy about the fireworks, so we put the kids to bed and then enjoyed some of our own. We went to some relatives close by to light off the big ones. It was a fun time. We enjoyed just hanging out with family and getting lots of pictures of the cousins together...especially welcoming the new girl (finally!) to the family. Ella was so little compared to our boys!

Now we are back to a normal routine and enjoying the summer weather. The kids love to be outside, so we try to spend as much time outdoors as possible. A few weekends ago we actually attempted a family bike ride. It took a lot of patience, but overall was a fun time together.

On the 6th, Ryan and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary! It is crazy to look over the last 7 years and see how our life has changed and gone in amazing directions! We were able to go out last night for a nice quiet supper together. Ryan has been a great husband and an awesome father. I look forward to the next many many years together!

Mirror Twins???

2009-06-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Caleb & Joel's 6 month pictures...best buddies holding hands
Hanging out in the crib...we take this play time very seriously.
Ryan feeding one of the boys and Kiera feeding "baby Kate"
Joel & Kiera gone fishing
Are we alike or what?
Kiera finally will jump on the trampoline (at her cousins)
My favorite picture of the boys so far. They just fell over on each other and thought it was funny!

I labeled this post "mirror twins" because we have always wondered if our boys might be mirrors of each other. Joel has a left dimple and Caleb a right, Caleb grabs things with his left hand and Joel with his right. We thought that up until now it was all kind of a fluke. Well, we are really starting to wonder. Caleb got his first tooth last Friday. He got one on the bottom right. 3 days later Joel popped a tooth on the bottom left. Is that not bizarre or what??? Like I said, it may just be coincidence, but how cool if this continues??? Maybe Caleb will be left handed. Supposedly they will do everything in mirror of each other. Time will tell!!!

We have had a lot of milestones this last month. The boys are now sitting up and playing together so well. They spend hours on the floor just grabbing toys from each other and babbling away. They are really starting to show their personalities. Joel tends to show emotion more. He is always excited about everything, babbles away to Caleb, and laughs quick. Caleb just sits there and smiles at Joel, is much more subdued and doesn't seem to be fazed by anything. Sounds like me and Ryan, huh? It is so fun to see their interaction with each other. They both have gotten teeth and now are well on their way with baby food. We have completed vegetables and now are on to fruits which they inhale! They are already eating us out of house and home!

Kiera has been at VBS all week and had her final program tonight. She just LOVED it and was very sad to see it end. We were very impressed with her tonight at the program. She sang her heart out and did all the actions. I was very impressed. I thought she would just clam up. Our little girl is growing up!

May Musings

2009-05-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

I see we haven't posted for a month already! Boy, does time fly! In early May my (Sheri's) mom came out for a week to visit. We met her and my sister and family in Minneapolis for the weekend. My dad was able to fly out at the same time, so we had a blast together! We got to see my new niece, Elliana, and spend time walking around the Mall of America and going to the Children's Museum. I think Kiera's highlight was swimming in the hotel pool (we won't mention the Clifford, Shark, and Giant Peanut we saw dressed up in the mall that sent her into panic attacks). Then we took my mom home with us for the week. I enjoyed some adult conversation during the day and an extra set of hands! She was a welcome relief and a gigantic help! Thanks so much Mom for all you did and for your encouragement! We then took a little break for graduation parties, church activities, and Mother's Day (which we spent as a family at home...I was treated to a wonderful lunch of pork chops and potatoes with my favorite, strawberry pie and then got a 2 hour nap!!! Pure bliss! Thanks Ryan!).
On the 15th my sisterLisa came for a visit. We had so much fun visiting, shopping, puzzling, and entertaining my kids. She was also an enormous help for the week. She pitched right in on feedings, changing diapers, washing bottles, bottles, and more bottles, and just keeping me sane! We had some great times! Thanks Lisa!
Now we are back to reality and trying to survive on our own again. We had some disappointing news mid May that my dad's cancer was back. It was hard to hear and I feel so helpless being so far away. But, we remain optomistic that he can beat it again! He starts radiation and chemo in 2 weeks. We appreciate your prayers for his healing.
The past 3 weeks I've been struggling with a sinus infection which has been pretty miserable. Thankfully the medicine has kicked in and I am feeling much better. The boys had their 6 month (yes, 6 months already!!!!) check this past week. Joel weighed 18 lbs 13 oz and Caleb was 18 lbs. 3 oz. They are growing great and in the 90% for weight and height. Both of them are rolling over and drooling like crazy. We're just waiting for those teeth to pop through. They continue to nap crummy (40 min. 3 times a day), but sleep 12 hours at night!!! Hallelujah! We just take one day at a time and occasionally send an SOS to daddy at work for some help. They are so close to sitting and I think this will open up a whole new world for them (and me!). Kiera is a very chatty and fun 3 year old. As Lisa can testify to, she will pontificate on anything! She usually has verbal diarrhea and keeps me thoroughly entertatined and laughing. She is such a joy and loves her little brothers (just gets a little rough sometimes).
Ryan is staying pretty busy at work as we are trying to kick of our capital campaign for our new addition at church. Usually he is done with youth group by now, but they are continuing for a couple more weeks due to the campaign. This makes for long days for me as he has lots of meetings in the evenings. I will be glad once all this is over. He has also been busy preparing a sermon for tomorrow. He has to preach at both morning services. He has done this once before and did a great job. I must say I am not as nervous as last time! He have full confidence in him!
Well, I think that has caught you up on our life in the past month. Sorry it turned into a novel. We will try to post some pictures later this weekend of our fun month.

Professional Pictures

2009-04-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

Snapshots

2009-04-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

-First picture is of Ryan's Grandma and Caleb
-2nd picture is Joel-left and Caleb-right
-Kiera decorating Easter eggs and in her Easter outfit.

Sorry we haven't posted in so long. These are just some snapshots of pictures we took over the last month. We visited Prinsburg, MN for the first time the first week of April. All the relatives had fun stopping by to see the boys. Some of the pictures are of Ryan's Grandpa and the kids. The one in the tractor was also taken at his folks house. Joel is in the scoop and Caleb in the wagon. Kiera had a blast playing with it all weekend. The last pictures were of the boys first taste of rice cereal. They were not so impressed. Caleb is the first picture, then the one of the two of them, Joel is on the left, Caleb (R), and Joel is in the last picture.

Things are going well over here. Ryan has been super busy with work, so I manage to keep my head above water most days. The kids are healthy and growing strong. The boys are 4 1/2 months now and weighing in @ 17 pounds!!!! They are chunky monkeys now! They are starting to put their hands in their mouth and sucking on toys. They have great head control and are close to sitting up. They are becoming more interactive and are starting to coo and smile at each other. It is too cute! We had a quiet Easter at home since we had to be around for church service participation. The weather is finally starting to warm up and we are enjoying being able to go on walks outside! We are looking forward to Oma coming next week!!!! Can't wait for some extra hands and help!

Various Pictures

2009-03-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

Our Neighborhood watch program...
The three kiddos
Caleb (left) and Joel (right)
Kiera actually fed Joel his whole bottle. She just chatted away to me the whole time!
Joel all spiffed up for church in his shirt & tie (wouldn't fit Caleb's wide neck)
Kiera playing with her Little People (they were all lined up sleeping under the ottoman)
Hanging out on the farm (Caleb left, Joel right)
3 month picture of Caleb in his outfit from the Rouw aunts. So cute!
Joel's 3 month in his cute outfit from the aunts.

Hope you enjoy these pictures from the last couple weeks. Things are getting into a routine around here. Joel is doing much better napping, Caleb not so much. They both are doing awesome at night. They go from 11 pm until 8:30 or 9 am. They don't wake up unless they get their arms loose out of their blankets. It is so nice to have a good nights sleep again! Now if only we can get them napping good. I will definitely take the nights over the days anytime though! Caleb and Joel love their exersaucers and we get such a kick out of them just standing there staring at each other. It will be fun once they start talking to each other and actually playing. Kiera loves to hug and kiss them. She is a big help but still can't tell them apart. Since Joel naps pretty consistently, it's been nice to have a little bit more free time to spend with her.

Mix & Match

2009-03-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

Kiera a little unsure when we were singing "Happy Birthday"
Caleb and Joel were so enthused....
This was Kiera's b-day cake. We had a Pretty Pony theme. I was quite pleased with how this turned out. I had only a picture from online to go by and wasn't sure if it was going to work.
Joel and Caleb very excited with their exersaucers ( :
"What are you lookin' at?? Don't bother me, I'm busy" (Caleb)
Kiera helping make her birthday cake.
Birthday #1 (her actual b-day). Oma helped make cupcakes since we were in the hospital.
Oma visiting Caleb in the hospital
Kiera playing at the hospital with her computer she got for her birthday (she wants to be just like daddy working)
Caleb in the hospital with all his tubes and wires
"Ahhhh....this oxygen makes you sleepy"

Hope you enjoyed all the pictures. Tonight we had Kiera's b-day party with all her cousins, uncles & aunt from the area. She was SOOO excited and kept tackling her cousins and trying to pin them. Ya, such a girly girl. So much for the pretty pony girl theme! She is very in to My Little Pony and has quite a few and knows each of their names. She decided long ago that this was the cake she wanted. It turned out pretty good. For her party we had supper together and then cake and opened gifts. The highlight for her was her cupcake maker. She has been wanting this since Christmas when she saw it in an advertisement. She was so excited to get this from her aunts & uncles. It makes the cupcakes (in 30 sec...not sure how edible these are going to be and then frosts them). She didn't need anything else once she saw this. Thankfully we had some cupcakes leftover from when my mom was here and each kid got a turn to frost theirs. Overall she had a great evening and lots of fun with her cousins. Caleb and Joel just enjoyed all the attention and Kiera thinks we should save the cake until their birthday. Won't they be excited come Dec.!!!

Let's Count...

2009-03-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

As I see the clock strike one, I am amazed at how little I've accomplished today. As I was washing bottles, I got to thinking about how many things I've repeated today.

Baths: 6 given (Kiera: 1, Caleb: 2, Joel: 3...the boys both had a blow-out and Joel coughed so hard, he threw up all over himself...about 2 minutes after his first bath).

Bottles washed: 20

Outfits changed: 7

Diapers changed so far: 8

Diapers left to change: 10 (if all goes well)

Garbage bags taken out to the trash can: 4

Toys picked up: hundreds

Loads of laundry: 2

Bottles fed: 7 (Caleb decided he needed a little extra)

Burp rags used: 6

Naps given: 4 ....naps yet to be given: 6

Amount of Sanity found: 0

Some days I just try not to even stop and think! No wonder people hire nannies!!!!

We found out this past weekend that Joel actually had RSV. His earlier test was actually positive. Supposedly they get a lot of false negatives for RSV if they get tested early on in the virus. So the poor little guy spent all last week battling RSV and we didn't pay too close attention to his breathing because we assumed he was okay (and I was still in the hospital with Caleb). The Doctor sent us home with a prescription for nebulizer treatments that we need to give him every 4 hours. I took both boys in on Monday and they seem to be on the mend. Joel still has a little cough, but is doing much better. Thankfully he didn't have to be hospitalized. Hopefully by the end of this week we will all be healthy and actually be able to have a birthday party for Kiera!

Home Sweet Home

2009-02-27T18:28:00.000-08:00

We are home!!! After a looooong week, we finally were able to go home today. Caleb made it all day yesterday and all night (with the exception of 1 hour after his nebulizer treatment) without oxygen so we were given the okay to be discharged. Praise God!!! We arrived home about 12:30 this afternoon and were met by a very excited Kiera and a wonderfully clean home thanks to my mom. What a blessing she has been. I was able to take a 4 hour nap and probably would have slept all night had my alarm not been set. It is so wonderful to be home and in the peace and quiet (I guess that relative...but at least there's no beeping). We want to thank all of you for your prayers and notes of encouragement. We are so thankful for answered prayer and that Caleb is back to himself again (a little lighter, but very happy). Pray for continued healing and health for all of us. We'll try to post some pictures later this weekend.

Still here...

2009-02-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

Sorry we didn't get a chance to update things yesterday. Things were a little crazy. Caleb's x-ray came back clear. We were thankful for that good report. He spent yesterday morning off of oxygen and I was hopeful that we would be going home. However, he needed to be back on the rest of the day. So we spent another night here. All night his respiration monitor was going off and we couldn't get the thing to be quiet. And when it wasn't going off, his oxygen monitor was. I think I finally fell asleep about 6am. I am exhausted. Ryan had a pretty busy day with planning for youth group, so he and Kiera came up for awhile to visit and Kiera was able to open a few presents for her birthday.

Today (Thursday) has been a hopeful day. Caleb has now spent all day off oxygen and if he can go all night, we may get to go home tomorrow. Yeah!!!! I'm cautiously optimistic as he hasn't had a real deep sleep all day and his levels may drop tonight. We'll keep hoping. Today was a little sad for me as it was Kiera's 3rd birthday. I didn't get to spend much time with her, but thankfully my mom made the day special for her. They made a special breakfast together and then made cupcakes to share with us at the hospital later. I was able to go home for a couple hours while Ryan sat with Caleb and spend some time with Kiera and Joel. We then got a babysitter for Joel (so he wouldn't catch ANYTHING from the hospital) and we all headed to the hospital for a little party for Kiera. She had fun opening presents from cousins (thanks guys!) and eating cupcakes. We then took her to McDonalds with a playground (her favorite place to go) and she had a blast being with just mommy and daddy. My mom was able to stay with Caleb while we got out. It was such a nice break! Kiera had a fun day, but as her mom I feel bad that it wasn't what I had planned. We'll have to have our party next week sometime. I'm sure she won't mind. I know she won't remember a year from now, but mommy's always feel a little bad.

Hopefully we'll have some great news about being home tomorrow. Pray that Caleb makes it through the night and if anything that we can sleep. Sorry if all of this sounds a little disjointed...my brain is a little fuzzy and sleep deprived! Thanks again for all your encouragement, support, and prayers!

Tuesday

2009-02-24T19:55:00.000-08:00

Last night was a rough night for Caleb and I (Sheri). After his last feeding he just would not settle down. He would sleep awhile and then just be real fussy and fidgety. I finally called the nurse in to take his temp which ended up being a about 100. After we gave him Tylenol about 4:30am, he finally fell asleep. Whew, too short of a night. Since he contracted the fever, the doctor wanted to make sure he wasn't getting pneumonia. He thankfully doesn't have an ear infection (which usually happens with RSV), but they did want to take a chest x-ray. We did that around noon and still haven't heard back the results. Hopefully he will be clear. He still is needing about 1/8 of a liter of oxygen when he sleeps, so we aren't able to go home yet. We are happy that he has started eating more of his regular amount, so maybe we are turning a corner.

We were moved to a different floor as the amount of RSV cases in pediatrics is so high and Caleb is very stable. I am now in a room with a real bed!!! Yah!!! Maybe my sleep will be awesome tonight! I do feel a little secluded now as it's kind of a makeshift pediatrics floor and they converted rooms that the surgeons were using to take naps in. At least it is quiet and a much bigger room.

Hopefully we'll have some good news tomorrow about being discharged. Until then, we'll keep on keeping on. Keep the prayers going!

Monday news

2009-02-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

We are now on day 3 of our hospital stay. Caleb continues to remain the same. He can't seem to nap or sleep at night without needing oxygen. He has to be able to go 24 hours without it, so we continue to plug away at the hospital. He isn't eating more than 2-3 ounces at a feeding (he usually takes 5) so we have to make sure his feedings are back up to par also before coming home. Last night went much better with sleeping. I (Sheri) was able to get about 5 hours. What a welcome respite after the last week of 3-4 hours of sleep. They continue to nebulize him every 4 hours which breaks up my night some, but he always goes back to sleep very easy. My days get quite boring as there isn't much to do there. Thankfully I can catch lots of catnaps and Ryan is able to come and keep me company in the afternoon. Caleb is being so good and it's hard to believe sometimes that he's not feeling so well. We did learn that he already is quite the flirt. He loves to smile at the nurses when they are poking him and nebulizing him. What a silly boy.

We did take Joel in to the Dr. today as he was developing a similar cough as Caleb. Thankfully, he tested negative for RSV. He just has a little cold and we will continue to keep an eye on him. I am SOOOOOOO relieved that he is fine. I was not excited about starting this same journey with Joel.

My mom arrived this morning and has been watching the kids at home. Ryan is now at the hospital so that I can get home and just relax, play with Kiera, and visit with my mom. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We'll keep you updated as things progress.

Quick Update

2009-02-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update on what has been going on around here. On Saturday Sheri took Kiera and Caleb to Urgent Care. Kiera had an earache and we wanted to have Caleb checked as his cough was getting worse. Kiera has a double ear infection (which we figured would probably happen) and they admitted Caleb into the hospital because his oxygen levels were pretty low.

Sheri spent the night with Caleb in the hospital last night and neither of them got much sleep. Caleb required oxygen several times throughout the night but his lungs still sound clear which is good. Most likely he will be in the hospital at least one more night. They won't discharge him until he is eating more consistently and his oxygen levels stay up while he sleeps.

Joel seems to be doing pretty well. He doesn't have near the symptoms that Caleb has. We are praying that he is able to get through this without needing to go to the hospital.

My (Ryan) parents are coming up this afternoon to watch Kiera and Joel so I can give Sheri a break for a few hours in the hospital. We don't want to take Joel to the hospital and possibly further introduce him to RSV.

A big answer to prayers is that Sheri's mom was able to find a reasonable ticket to fly out here and she will be flying in Monday morning.

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers!

Prayers Needed

2009-02-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

We send this blog out with an urgent request for prayer. Our little Caleb was just diagnosed with RSV. On Friday night, I (Sheri) went to the ER with Kiera as she had croup. Ryan was gone (of course, as things always happen when he's gone) on a youth retreat and my mother-in-law was thankfully helping me for the weekend. We were there quiet early into the morning, but managed to come home with the croup gone. However, Kiera developed quite the cold and cough. I didn't think much of it except to keep her away from the boys. Well, last night Caleb started coughing. I took him in this morning and the doctor said that both Kiera and Caleb have RSV. Kiera is old enough to fight it on her own and is already on the upswing. Caleb is just starting and they say the 3rd day is the worst. She is pretty sure that it's only a matter of time for Joel to get it since I nurse and can't really keep him away from all the germs. She said that we are in for a long weekend and there isn't much to do unless they start struggling to breathe (which would end us up in the hospital). We know that the hospitals here are overflowing with RSV cases and that many many kids make out just fine. We just ask for your prayers for our family as we head into the next couple days. Pray for quick healing for our kids and the ability for myself especially to get some sleep. Our nights have been rough as they both can sleep through the night, just never on the same night together. I am feeling the toll of 2 month old twins, very little sleep, and dealing with sickness on top of all that. It is taking a lot just to keep my head above water. Please pray also that my mom finds a plane ticket that is reasonable to fly out and help (a deep heartfelt thanks to Juli, Randy, and Dad for making this possible...you have no idea how much this means to us). If you could keep us all in your prayers we would appreciate it. We will keep you posted as we are able.