A Day at the Orchard

The weather couldn't have been more perfect this past Sunday as we put on our sweaters and headed south on 169 after church to spend a few hours at Minnesota Harvest picking apples.  We started with a lunch of apple cider brats and then headed out in a tractor pulled wagon to pick...after, of course, I tried (unsuccessfully) to get a good picture of Isaac and Emma together...both looking at the camera and smiling.  Maybe someday they will both cooperate.  =)  Isaac was so excited to pick the apples and was so focused and busy the entire time we were out there.  Emma loved it, too!  I'll let the (many) pictures tell the rest of the story of the afternoon...

 Next post...coming soon...recap from the summer.  =)

"I have a park in my backyard!"

Isaac is SO excited to now have a "park" in his backyard!  They came yesterday morning to install it and were completely done in just over 2 hours!  We ended up purchasing one through Crown of Minnesota, which I HIGHLY recommend.  They were a great company to work with, build quality swingsets and the install was free due to a State Fair special.  Can't beat that!  Sadly, we had to dig up our garden since it was right in the middle of the best spot in our yard to put the swingset...so if you'd like some green tomatoes, we have plenty to share!  Mom came to help watch the daycare kids (thanks again, Mom!) while the men were here. We spent the morning on the deck watching...Isaac was even too excited to change out of his pajamas first.  =)                                  Quite an entertaining process...

Next weekend's project...enclosing the area with some sort of wood chips, mulch or something of the sort.  THANKS Grandpa Jerry and Grandma Lila for our park in the backyard!!!  Love you!

100 days old

These pics were taken on Emma's 100th day of life.  As I post this now on June 10th and look at her beautiful, perfect features (yes, I realize I may be a bit biased as her mommy)  =)  I am amazed at the fact that one year ago today we did not even know we were having another baby.  It was June 14th that we discovered Isaac was going to be a big brother.  Two weeks later, I had an ultrasound that showed a tiny tadpole-like figure with the faintest heartbeat that even the ultrasound tech was surprised to see so early on.  Makes me tear up whenever I think about how truly amazing, wonderful and beautiful the creation of life really is.  To look at an ultrasound of a tiny blob, and not even a year later to look at this face, is an amazing miracle.  One that in my mind, no matter what one's circumstance in life may be to make them think otherwise, proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is very, very real and He is worthy to be praised!!!

three months ago...

Three months ago today...February 4th, we were a family of 3, eagerly awaiting the arrival of our new baby.  Brian went to work, I took care of children in our home, Isaac played with his friends, and that evening we went to Perkins for dinner.  Little did we know the next day we would be a family of 4, welcoming our beautiful little girl into our lives.  Emma is now 12 1/2 weeks old and I've been back to providing child care for 4 1/2 weeks.  I loved the 8 weeks I had to spend with just Emma and Isaac, but I have to admit I love doing child care even more.  While I do still sometimes miss the freedom we had to go wherever we wanted, whenever, and being able to give our children all of my attention, I absolutely love watching Isaac play and interact with his friends and seeing the joy in his face every morning when he wakes up and sees all of his friends here.  The years between our children's birth and when they go off to kindergarten is such a short, quick time in our lives, and I am SO VERY thankful that I have the opportunity to be a part of most every moment of it.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  It's perfect for us.  Emma is growing way too fast, loves to smile and is a champion sleeper.  Last night she ate at 9:30, fell right to sleep and slept until 4:30!  Isaac loves her to pieces and it is so much fun to watch him interact with her.  He rubs her back, gives her hugs and kisses, and loves to hold her and lay next to her when she's having "tummy time."  I can't wait until she's a little bit bigger and they can actually play together more.  People often wonder if and how they will have as much love for a second child as they have for their first.  It is very true that your heart just gets bigger and there is plenty of love to go around.  Each and every day my love grows even more for both Emma and Isaac.  You wonder how in the world could I love them more, and then you wake up the next day and you just do.  And then it amazes me even more when I think of the love I have for my husband and children and know that God's love for me far surpasses that...amazing.

Here are some Easter pics...

Beautiful, smiley little lady

 Lovin' the Easter egg coloring

 Major bed-head Easter Sunday after nap!

 Trying to get a pic of the two of them together...never really did accomplish that.  =)

Our prayer...

I first heard these two songs, written by Cheri Keaggy for her son Cameron and daughter Sarah, when I was in college.  They are beautiful songs with such great lyrics that express exactly how Brian and I feel about how we desire to raise our children...

“Little Boy On His Knees”

He sees me in the morning,

Lifting him out of bed.

The sun comes with little warning,

A brand new day's ahead.

To the kitchen for some breakfast,

A plate of toasted bread,

A cup of milk just as expected,

Close your eyes and bow your head.

You can thank Him for anything you want to,

For the flowers and the trees

And pray, Lord Jesus, make me,

A little boy on my knees.

He's Mommy's little helper.

Learning to comb his hair.

And loves his baby sister,

Though he doesn't always share.

A quarter in the bucket,

A memory verse or two,

Although he may not know it,

He's beginning to follow You.

You can thank him for anything you want to,

For your Daddy and for me.

And pray, Lord Jesus, make me,

A little boy on my knees.

As we teach our Son to serve the Lord, in every way,

Lord the most important thing is this that we now pray,

Lord, we thank you for everything you give us,

but most importantly,

We pray Lord Jesus, make our Son a little boy on his knees.

Lord we thank you for everything you give us,

but most importantly

We pray, Lord Jesus, make our Son,

A little boy on his knees.

We pray that someday he'll become,

A young man on his knees.

“Beautiful Little Girl”

Beautiful little girl

Discovering all the world

I wonder what she'll be

Will she take after her Daddy or Me

Careful to hold her hand

And help her understand

How much we love her so

And how much we'd like

To help her to grow

Into a woman who loves her Maker

And who knows what she's living for

So that nothing can harm

Or take her from You

For a woman who loves her Maker

Has a quality you can see

That will certainly mold and shape her

Into the woman she's meant to be

Beautiful little girl

Adorning a lovely smile

Eager to learn to fly

There's almost nothing

She wouldn't try

Lord, help us do our part

To give her a Godly start

Teach her what she must learn

And guide her

Until she's ready to turn

Into a woman who loves her Maker

And who knows what she's living for

So that nothing can harm

Or take her from You

For a woman who loves her Maker

Has a quality you can see

That will certainly mold and shape her

Into the woman she's meant to be

Beautiful little girl

Discovering all the world

I wonder what she'll be

Serving her Maker faithfully