Today Isn't Your Birthday

One day, I looked at this baby and hardly recognized her. She grew up overnight and we are desperately trying to soak her in. This is my FAVORITE age; there's so many fun things about it. 

Myla:

+Turned 10 months! This month she's discovered her silliness. She knows when she's being funny and loves to entertain us. She's always doing goofy things to make us laugh.

+Four teeth are through, at least two more on the way.

+She has a hoarse little voice with the most pathetic puppy whimper that you've ever heard. She whines whenever she wants something and she has the matching puppy-dog eyes to go with it.

+She loves doors, her pacifier, peek-a-boo, and the vacuum. (Most kids are afraid of the vacuum, but she comes crawling as fast as she can when she hears it.)

+She's prepared for her first birthday because she loves to point and copies me when I'm blowing on her food. She'll be ready to hold up her "one" finger and blow out the candles. I remember working with Trevin on both for weeks and he still didn't do either for his birthday. She's easy-peasy. 

+She gives kisses, started some sign language, and says dada, hot, boo, Ash, and mama. She's only said "mama" 4 times. She's purposely withholding it from me, it doesn't bother me... not really... I think about it sometimes... not very often... it's fine... I know she loves me... 

We have a picture of Trevin, just like this. I love it when memories of him come flooding back, as I watch Myla do the same things. 

+She knows no limits. She loves to climb, bear crawl (when her knees are bare, because she doesn't like them rubbing on the floor), pull up, walk around furniture, push her walker, and she's stood on her own many times. I don't think she's too far off from taking those first steps. Yesterday she was dragging her walker backwards over toys; she doesn't seem to rely on it too much. 

+We started her on formula for the day a couple weeks ago, but I was still nursing at night. I had intended on just doing 1-2 bottles a day, but she had other plans. After her last two teeth poked through, she bit me while nursing. (It's as bad as it sounds.)  I bopped her cheek a little to make sure she knew that was not ok. She just stared up at me as if she was questioning me. James walked in the room a few seconds later. She took one look at him as started bawling. She refused to nurse from me for a week. I could nurse her at night, when she was half asleep, but anytime I tried to nurse her during the day, she just stared at me and cried. My production dropped tremendously after that week, so she was just nursing at night. Until she bit me two more times. Bite me once, shame on you. Bite me twice, shame on me. Bite me three times... We're done. Strictly bottles now for my own safety. 

+We've been leaving her in the nursery at church on Sundays. That's always a transition. Our Sunday School class meets right outside the nursery... So we can always gauge how she's doing... And so can everyone else. She's doing a little better each week, (minus Wednesday nights, that's a nightmare). 

+She's finally sleeping through the night! Generally she's up at 5-5:30 for a bottle, and then back to sleep. I think we've finally got this down. Of course, she'll start teething again next week and we'll start the process over again.

+She's clingy, but she's starting to warm up to people. Sometimes accidentally. Her and Trevin both have mistaken my friend, Taylor, for me, many times. It's been fun to see her sweet personality grow and form. She is full of joy and curiosity. It's not uncommon for her to sit contently and play with toys for an hour. She makes my life so easy. 

Trevin: He's made some big strides this month! 

+He learned how to ride his bike without training wheels last week! We knew he'd have no problem as soon as we took the training wheels off because he was hardly using them, so this came as no surprise. James sent me a video from the shop showing me what he had accomplished. I was SO proud and SO sad that I wasn't there to see it. There's big milestones in a kid's life and this is one that stands out in my mind. He's becoming a boy and leaving behind all things toddler, one step at a time. It is really difficult to fathom letting that phase slip behind us, but it is inevitable. 

  +He is known for telling us, "Mom, choose. I can eat candy or watch a movie. Which one? Choose." We've been going through a parenting class, by Paul David Tripp (the one with the awesome mustache) in Sunday School and it's been eye-opening.  It's teaching us how to parent to the heart and not to the behavior. It's not just practical advice on parenting; it's changing our entire perspective and approach to our children. Be for your kid, not against. I need this reminder every day.

+Legos are his preferred entertainment. He spends hours playing, building, and rebuilding. He gets the Lego catalog in the mail and he loves flipping through it over and over again in search of his next dream set. James recently had a conversation with him about earning money and saving up for the things he wants. He woke up early the next morning and the first thing out of his mouth was, "Dad, can I come to work with you?" He spent the whole day with James doing extra jobs around the shop to earn money. He's been so motivated and so determined to work hard. He's over halfway to his Lego set and it's been really exciting to watch his eagerness. (We have a few chores at home that he does to help out, but he doesn't get paid for those. We don't love the idea of an allowance for doing expected jobs, but do want to give him the opportunity to earn money and to learn the importance of hard work and saving. He's our first kid so we're still trying to figure it all out. If you have any suggestions, or personal experiences, I'd love to hear it!) 

+Trevin really took to the BB gun this month. He'd shot a couple times before, but this time it sunk in. He figured out how to aim and was hitting the target regularly. He's also using the same BB gun that James grew up using. It's so very sweet. 

+We've started talking about what life will look like for us once Trevin is in school. Apparently it's stressing me out more than I realize because I keep having a reoccurring dream about forgetting to pick him up from school. 

+He turns 5 this month and he can't wait. He asks several times a week if tomorrow is his birthday, when everyone's coming for his birthday, if he can open just a few presents, and if we can make his birthday cake right now. 

I played an April Fool's joke on Trevin and Caleb. I gave them jello in a cup with a straw and told them it was juice. They thought it was the funniest thing. (I'm learning that my target comedic audience is ages 4-8.) They spent the rest of the day trying to get me back. 

We've made a lot of progress in the basement craft room, pictures to come when it's complete! We've added a desk and storage as well as a kitchenette. Thank you, IKEA. The warmer weather has moved us to outside projects, like revamping our flower beds and planning the garden. 

He pretends he doesn't like to dress up; don't let him fool you. 

We got all fancied up and joined our friends, the McHargue's, at the Nebraska Christian Benefit Auction. This marriage thing is pretty cool and is only getting better with time. He continues to give me more grace than I deserve. Like the time I decided to drive his truck to Bible study when it was cold and I backed out without unplugging the block heater... I didn't even notice. It's a story I don't care to tell; it's not my finest moment. I was obviously distracted (very distracted) and late. As I'm backing out, Ashton's golf clubs fell over and caused a loud crash. I saw this, but assumed they had been leaning on the truck or something. I guess I drug a golf club halfway out of our driveway. And the cord was found down the road. Apparently I'm not ready to drive a diesel. I'll accept that. 

James has been busy in the shop, finishing up this year's flamers and getting equipment ready for field work. The kids and I have nestled in at home, holding out for some more warm weather. I'm on the shower committee at church and have spent a lot of time this month planning and preparing for the many bridal and baby showers that spring brings. We're bracing ourselves for the next couple months because it's going to get crazy. This week brings Ashton's bachelorette party, the following week is Trevin's birthday and Easter. Then several more church events and planting to kick off May. May also brings Myla's baby dedication, 1st birthday and major preparations for Ashton's wedding on the 20th. I'l start to breath again in June. 

We've closed a big chapter in our lives this month with the final divorce hearing for James' sister. We wouldn't have chose this road, but God has proved faithful. We've been given the opportunity to come alongside her and the boys, giving support and encouragement in the most challenging year of our lives. This is not my story to tell, but it's a story of protection, redemption, and grace. I've learned the desperate need for prayer in a very real sense. A situation that has wounded so deeply is being healed over time. 

Life-bringing Spring, growing on the farm... 

The Robot Has Hairy Armpits

We took a couple days at the end of January to venture down to Kansas City with the kiddos. 

The Great Wolf Lodge was our home for a couple nights. It was the perfect retreat for us. The kids loved it, every minute of it! 

The Lodge gives all of the kids these wolf ears. Trevin wore them all weekend. 

It was Myla's first time swimming. She giggled and splashed and didn't fuss once in the many hours we spent at the pool. 

Trevin went nonstop at the waterpark. The tube slides, splash gym, hot tubs, kiddie pool, lazy river, water hoops, and lily pads kept us pretty busy. 

We all shared a room at the Lodge. It went well for the most part. Since we were in the same room, James and I went to bed at 8:00 with the kids. That made for a long night of not sleeping. Myla woke up about 12 times the first night. But she smiled all day long, so I won't complain too much. 

Kansas City has a lot to offer. We were able to do some really fun things. There was a Fuddrucker's close to the lodge and we ended each night with a strawberry shake. Seriously, if you haven't had a Fuddrucker's strawberry shake, you're missing out. 

You need to take your kids to the T-Rex Cafe. It's so over-the-top and your kid's jaw will drop when they walk in. When we left, we were still trying to convince Trevin that the moving dinosaurs weren't real. 

We had a great weekend and look forward to going back again. 

Since we've returned, we've had all sorts of illness go through this place. Trevin started with a cold, and the rest of us quickly picked it up. It hung on for 2 weeks and then turned into an ear infection for James and Myla. Then Trevin got the flu. I think we're all finally healthy for the first time in a month. Just in time for winter to realize it's winter and give us a snow storm instead of the 70* days we've had. 

Celebrating Ashton's 21st Birthday! 

Ashton's birthday is the 1st of February and mine is the 11th. When I was a kid, that was the longest 10 days each year, waiting for my birthday after celebrating hers. I must be grown up now, because those 10 days flew by this year. 

We were down with colds, but decided to keep our reservations at the Odyssey in Hastings. Trevin got a tour of the kitchen from the owner. James spotted a bag of cough drops on the counter and asked our waitress for one. We've decided that, in the winter, they should hand out cough drops instead of mints. 

I'm thankful for the 24 years I've had. Year 23 will be one that I'll never forget. 

Myla:

+9 months old! How? I don't know what happened. I've forgotten how much fun it is to have a baby in the house. I don't want this stage to ever end. 

+She's started doing all sorts of new tricks: clapping, waving, giving kisses, clucking with her tongue and copying. 

+I've tried taking her to the nursery at church a few times. It hasn't ended well. She cries, and cries, and cries, and then she cries. I think she's more attached than Trevin was. Hopefully this phase will be short-lived, but I'm not holding my breath. 

[Myla & Maverick. They're 5 months apart and friends for life.]

+She's had a rough couple of months. Since she started teething in December, it seems like it's been non-stop discomfort since then. She popped her second tooth this month. She battled a cold, like the rest of us, but then had an ear infection as a result. She's finally healthy and not teething and my baby is back to her happy self.  

+Her mobility has taken off. She crawls, bear crawls, pulls up, walks around furniture, loves to play with the dishwasher, and gets into everything. 

+People continually make comments about her bows. They're impressed that she leaves them in. (The trick is starting it as soon as they're born, then they just think it's part of life. It doesn't phase them.) She has started to play with them a little bit, but generally she forgets it's there after a few seconds. A couple weeks ago, during Sunday School, Myla grabbed her bow and pulled it as far as her arm would go. Then she let go. It snapped her in the face and made a loud smack. Everyone around us started laughing. She didn't seem to know what to think. She didn't cry, but looked a little surprised at what happened. She's learning cause and effect pretty quickly. 

Trevin:

+He's developed a love for card games. War is his favorite. He loves it so much that he's started referring to A's as aces in every context. 

February was so good to us! Flying kites in 70* weather in the middle of winter? Ok. 

+The long winter months have started to turn him into a screen junkie. He doesn't get to watch stuff often, maybe a couple time a week. But he is fully obsessed. He's been known to say, "school is playing video games, too, Mom." He loves Mario and asks at least a dozen times a day if he can play. When he's told to stop asking he says, "I know you don't want me to ask to play Mario, but can we at least talk about it?" We desperately need spring to come to zap this kid out of the virtual world. 

+He refers to his memory, dreams, and imagination as his "tv eyes". We'll be talking about something that we did a couple months ago and he'll say, "I can't remember, let me look it up on my tv eyes." Or he'll wake up in the morning and tell me all about what was playing on his tv eyes while he slept. 

Trevin drew that picture during church one Sunday. It's a robot. He claims that's not armpit hair, but it definitely is. I'm just hoping that I wasn't the inspiration for this... 

+Ever since we found out we were pregnant with Trevin, we've had a tough debate about schooling. James was homeschooled all the way through and I was in public school K-12. We went back and forth for years and years. Then we stopped talking about it, because we were getting no where. And then last year we realized that we needed to reopen the conversation. Trevin will start Kindergarten in the Fall; we knew our time was running out to figure out a plan. We visited a homeschool group, we talked ins and outs of public, considered two private schools (both at least a 30 min drive one way); but nothing seemed to fit us. Nothing felt quite right. Each choice had a huge negative attached to it; something we felt couldn't be reckoned with. And then someone suggested Hampton Lutheran. We knew about the small private K-6 school, but it was never really on our radar. Suddenly more and more people started suggesting it, and they raved about it. They adored the school, the people, the kids. We decided to give it a shot and set up a visit. I'm not going to lie, we had a lot riding on this visit. I felt the pressure. This was kind of our last resort. If this didn't work, we were back to square-one. We spent the entire morning sitting in and experiencing what school looks like at Hampton Lutheran. They have Chapel every Wednesday morning, so we were able to take part in that. There was a deep sense of community and family focus; that was obvious from the start. Sixth-graders taking Kindergarteners under their wing, prayer partners for each of the students, celebrations and exchange of gifts between mentors and students, and the list went on... The school has such a quaint and humble feel. It was so refreshing to us. It didn't have all the bells and whistles, but it did have one thing... Jesus. They're cultivating an incredible environment for these students and we left the day with so much clarity. It didn't take long for us to know this was exactly where God was calling us. Trevin loved the school and was sad when we had to leave. In the middle of the morning he came running up to me and whispered in my ear, "Mom, can we do school here every time?" He felt safe. He felt joy. He felt loved. I was teary-eyed a lot of that morning, realizing that would be the place where my son would grow up. Next week, we'll have Kindergarten Round-Up. My heart skips just typing that. Our lives will be so different once Trevin's in school. I hate to say good-bye to this chapter, because it has been so so good. I look forward to watching him thrive in the classroom, make new friends, and love Jesus more and more each day. Growing up is good but no one ever said it was easy. 

Wow, I've got to move on, because there seems to be water dripping off my face. Weird. 

Many of you will know that my husband is pretty incredible. His brain works in ways I didn't think was possible. He designs and builds flamers. (A flamer is used for organic weed control. You literally run fire over your crops, thus killing the weeds and the crop grows back. It's amazing and really cool.) He's sold many flamers over the years, always tweaking his design and making them more efficiently. But recently he's been contacted by farmers that we don't know personally. This made us concerned about liability issues in case of a malfunction or improper use. So Thermal Edge Ag LLC was born. (Shout out to his dad for the name. Our best choices were James' Flames, Ready Flame Fire, and Blame the Flame... All ideas from his buddies... So yeah, we were glad Paul had an idea.) He's started to hire out some of the production and painting, so that's saved him loads of time. We're so excited for this opportunity and look forward to growing TEA LLC. (James rolls his eyes when I call it that.) Proud of his hard work and determination. If any of you find yourself in need of a 8, 12, 16-row flamer... I know a guy. (Ladies, all of your men want one for Christmas, I just know it. It's like a flame-throwing trailer. There's not much cooler than that.)

We were able to make a quick trip to Vermillion, SD to visit Ashton and JT's house. JT has been living there for about a year and Ashton has had her hand in a lot of the remodeling. They've done a great job and James was able to help them finish up trim in their basement. It had snowed, so the kids and I made a snowman while the rest of them worked. Turns out, Myla hates SD snowmen. We're kicking off wedding festivities with a bridal shower this weekend for Ashton. It will be a crazy next couple of months preparing for the wedding, also celebrating Trevin's 5th bday, Myla's 1st bday and my dad's 60th! Hold on folks, it's going to get crazy. 

We're really settling into life with 2 kids. Myla seems to fit seamlessly into our crew. We've found that they are never happy at the same time. Just a lot of crying and screaming and whining and sickness. We've found this to be the one truth of parenting multiple children... "If it's not one, it's both." 

 Starting new ventures, growing on the farm...

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