the nativity scene

here are some pictures from our friday morning as the holy family! we have never sent out christmas cards before, but after seeing how these pictures turned out...well, there's a first time for everything!

another christmas tour 2010!

i love this time of year, and hard to believe when i was pulling out our ornaments that 'micah's first christmas - 2009' was followed up with 'jeremiah's first christmas - 2010'! amazing how much a year can bring. jeremiah gets to be baby jesus for a partner church's bethlehem walk on friday...of course, matt and i are going to be joseph and mary ;) pictures will come, don't worry!

it's fun to start little christmas traditions with the boys, even though they are too young to remember now. seeing micah waddle up to the tree in his little pj's and look up at the lights and say 'WHO-AHH!' is worth it all! we put a little tree up in the boys room, with tiny blue clay ornaments of airplanes and drums and cars - it makes me want to take an afternoon nap in there with micah and wake up to those soft lights on the tree.

some things/traditions we are doing to celebrate the Christmas season this year:

after picking out/decorating the tree, matt and i sit on the couch with cheesy christmas mugs of tea and lit candles and just talk. it's always one of my favorite christmas times.

we are going to make biscotti again this year and take it around to the neighbors and friends in the area. it's such a nice excuse to drop by, and our sweet neighbors love seeing the boys.

next week, we are going to make hot cocoa and go on a walk to see all the christmas lights. it brings back memories of walking the little streets near wheaton in the snow and seeing so many white lights and wreaths on the doors.

a new one: sometime before christmas (on a weekend probably!) we are going to make a big bed on the floor and watch kids christmas movies and try to sleep with micah on the floor....we'll see how that one goes - might have to do it next year ;)

getting so excited for a chicago christmas...looking forward to snow and caribou white mochas and being cozy by the fire. it's not quite the same when you have to protect the greens on your christmas wreath from being scorched from the florida morning sun - but i do love these crisp, blue sky florida days!

welcome jeremiah!

october 8, 2010 at 7.34 pm 8 lbs 5 oz and 20 3/4 in long.

he has had his own timeline all along (starting with a surprise pregnancy!), and at 2 weeks overdue, i was beginning to wonder if he would ever come. that day i went to the doctor for a fetal stress test, and we made plans to induce the next morning. i went home disappointed, because we had been trying to avoid an induction. at 5.30 that afternoon, we got a text that scott and holly had reagan marie! i was already thinking how they would have such close birthdays, and we were around the house packing up for the next day, and planning to go to panera for dinner. 30 minutes later, i leaned over to feed dobby, heard a pop! and knew my water had broken. instantly, i had a strong contraction, called the doctor and told matt, and 3 minutes later had another strong one. i knew this was it!! i laugh now thinking about us running around the house packing things up in a frenzy, and i would stop during contractions to breathe, then kept packing my bag and setting out things for micah. a sweet lady from our church came racing over to watch micah (since my parents couldn't get here in time - they were at the hospital waiting to visit reagan!), and we flew to the hospital. at this point i was having contractions every 2-3 minutes. after checking in, we got to the room at 7, exactly 1 hour later, and i was 9 cm! the doctor came in 10 minutes later and told me to push at the next contraction...3 pushes later, we had jeremiah! the timing was incredibly God-ordained, and i am so thankful that matt was home and we made it in time. and now we have a darling little boy to celebrate...he was worth every second of the wait!

a few pictures from the last 3 weeks....jeremiah mark has been such a sweet baby, and already he is fitting into our family in his own wonderful way.

the countdown

kicking back at my parent's house. this was mark's little rocker that i just loved growing up.
how much do i look like a pumpkin here?! haha! micah and jeremiah's first helicopter ride with papa - micah looked out the window and smiled for 5 minutes, then passed out for the rest of the time! he did not inherit his momma's approach to flying!
poor dobs. always a good sport though!

my little heartbreaker.

very sleepy mornings in our pj's. i love sitting on his little play rug with him as he brings me books and train set pieces. we usually play tug of war with dobby for at least 10 minutes until i give up!
the dining room/play room. i love when the sun comes in those windows in the mornings and hits the buttery walls.
the comfy nap couch, which i pass 20x a day and promise myself that i'll lay down for a few minutes and drift off to sweet sleep. some days it happens, some days, it does not....but on the weekends it usually does, and for that i'm thankful!!
i have such visions of micah and jeremiah sitting at that little table having a snack or working on a project. i think i've gotten a little ahead of myself when i remember that jeremiah won't even be walking for a year! so for now, i sit at that table with micah and hear the tiny chair creak and groan under me....let's hope it lasts until jeremiah can plunk down there!

with two weeks until my due date, life is feeling like that cool breeze right before an afternoon storm. we've been busy doing house projects and enjoying last moments of having just micah around. a quick picture tour....(notice the p90x pull-up bar in the doorway!)

the lake...

we could have stayed a month....

it's done! now on to summer!

the curves move is finally over. and we have sworn that we will never move again...or at least never again with only one helper, at the end of june in florida, and being 6 months pregnant! matt did the lions share of the lifting - loading and unloading that uhaul countless times. but here we are in our beautiful new club! the flooring was going in the day we moved, so we were cutting it very close, but it all got done somehow...

and now, on to summer. a weekend to relax and get caught up on things and have the best cranberry orange scones that i've ever made, next weekend going up to candlewood for 4 days on the lake, and anniversary trips ahead at the end of the month...it is time to start living up summer, big belly and all!

2010

rather than 'catch up' the last four months, i will do a humble little photo summary of april. i feel very sheepish posting after so long gone, but i know my two readers (you know who you are!!) will scroll sweetly through this post!

the tiny pool that i have crawled into many times this month. this summer, i expect this to be my second home!
we put in a beautiful white swing under our giant oak tree to sit in the evenings with micah. so peaceful, and wonderful to have a breezy outdoor sanctuary
the birthday boy with his guests of honor: cora and ella
the palette for our new curves location! we are moving july 1, so things are in full swing to get the new location ready and start clearing out 3+ years of accumulation from the old. so excited for the cool, clean, wood-floored freshness of the new location!
easter outfit. lasted until he dripped yogurt down the front...but very cute while it lasted!
our little family at the sunrise service. my favorite one yet...i turned to see 20-30 dolphins surfing the waves directly behind us. it was glorious!

oh yes. the belly! i hook up my phone/music for a walk to the park every day. we do a whole lap of the neighborhood so i get my exercise and a dose of sun. the freckles of summer are out again!

an actual christmas tour

mmm...the children seem to be 'conveniently edited' from this picture! micah is by matt's elbow and cora is behind the vase. and my dad is taking the picture. not our finest family shot. mark...we needed you!! you have never been so missed!

somehow this sweatshirt is not as convincing with the sun beating down on him!

christmas pj's!
oh yes, the water was warm, but the air was ice cold...micah's face says it all. actually, it's a scary face - i hope i don't cross him later in life!
top gun. aviator jacket and glasses. i'm sure his grampy will give him flight lessons as soon as he can see over a dashboard!
the puppy! maggie arrived on my parent's 40th wedding anniversary. she will watch these two grow up...
christmas morning. uncle todd reading the christmas story. enjoying coffee and being with my boys.
all ready for bed on christmas eve. since he couldn't eat the cookies for santa, a plant will have to do!

and now for a new year. 2010 started out a little rough - cold, rainy days and our entire family sick as dogs (actually dobby was throwing up everywhere, so that is quite literal!) i almost posted on new years day, but it was a bleak picture!

i am now happy to report we are on the mend, the sun is shining and we're excited for what's ahead. (in the words of mrs. cunningham, high school life management skills teacher 'what a difference a day can make!')